The moon had just begun to rise.
With Lin Zhiwei’s help, Su Xuan brewed a large pot of medicinal liquid that wafted with a herbal fragrance. He carried the liquid back to his room.
Lu Zhiyi was lying on his bed, curled into a ball and sleeping soundly. A faint, lingering fragrance followed her breath. Since his rebirth, Lu Zhiyi had become less and less afraid of him. Sleeping in the kitchen was truly uncomfortable, so seeing him head out, she had naturally scurried off to sleep in his bed.
“Time to wake up, Zhiyi.”
Su Xuan shook his head. Seeing her completely unguarded state, he smiled slightly, sat by the edge of the bed, and patted her head to wake her up.
“I’m not getting up, I’m not getting up…”
Hearing her Master’s voice, Lu Zhiyi rubbed her head against his hand and mumbled groggily. Two pale, slender legs peeked out from under the blanket, tangled together.
“Hurry up! Your Master bought you something good.” He patted the girl gently, trying to entice her.
“What is it? Something tasty?” Lu Zhiyi whimpered for a moment before opening one eye to ask.
“It is a Cultivation Method and a Medicinal Bath I prepared for you. They will help you cultivate properly,” Su Xuan said.
“No, no! I’m asleep, I’m already asleep!” Lu Zhiyi pulled the blanket over her head and rolled around on the bed, her voice soft and sweet.
Su Xuan scanned his disciple up and down, feeling a bit dazed.
Lu Zhiyi had covered her head with the blanket, but her pale legs and firm waist were exposed, tracing a perfect curve. Combined with the girl’s faint body fragrance, the temptation was entirely natural.
The eldest disciple had a lush, captivating chest, while the younger one had long, beautiful legs. Each had their own charms, and both were incredibly tempting. Most importantly, they were both rare cultivation geniuses — textbook Feng Aotian characters from a novel.
Su Xuan inexplicably thought of the game covers he had seen in his past life. ‘If I could really hold one in each arm…’
A moment later, he swallowed hard, suppressing the fluttering in his heart. With two outside forces watching them and his disciples’ cultivation levels catching up, now was not the time for such thoughts.
Furthermore, the Cultivation Method required the Medicinal Bath to be taken while it was hot; the effects would be greatly diminished if it cooled. Looking at the brewed liquid, he nudged Lu Zhiyi again. Seeing her twisting her body like a beautiful snake, he grew anxious.
*Smack!*
“Hurry and get up!”
Su Xuan gave her perky little bottom a slap. The warm, soft, and elastic sensation transferred to him instantly, making him unable to resist giving her another.
“Ah!”
Lu Zhiyi’s body stiffened as if she had been hit by an electric shock, and she jerked upright. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at Su Xuan.
“You… you…”
Lu Zhiyi sputtered “you” for a long time, unable to finish her sentence.
‘Oh no, did I trigger a stress response?’ Su Xuan felt a jolt of alarm. He had only acted on impulse based on his personality from his past life. The problem was that the original owner of this body had mistreated this girl for several years. He worried that this slap might have triggered traumatic memories.
“Be gentler, it hurts like crazy…” A crimson blush slowly crawled up, instantly occupying her entire face. She lowered her head and rubbed the spot with her small hand, whispering softly.
Seeing her reaction, Su Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out to pull the now-obedient girl toward the wooden tub.
“Pah, pah, pah! Master, what is this? It’s so bitter.” Lu Zhiyi looked at the liquid filled with Spiritual Qi and instinctively reached out to taste a drop. Her face crumpled from the bitterness, and she spoke with clear disdain.
“This is good stuff. I found an exceptionally powerful Cultivation Method for you, but you need to soak in this to build a foundation. Hurry and get in while it’s hot. As long as you listen to me, I guarantee you will become a world-famous Celestial Maiden in the future!” Su Xuan urged her.
Seeing that Lu Zhiyi believed him and nodded obediently, he walked quickly toward the door and continued, “The medicinal liquid needs my assistance to be activated with Spiritual Power. Get in first, and then I will come back.”
After speaking, he turned his back and closed the door.
Just as he turned around, Su Xuan saw that Lin Zhiwei was not practicing her swordsmanship. Instead, she was sitting by the stone table, staring blankly at the sword he had given her. Under the clear moonlight, the evening breeze brushed against her white dress. While she looked like an immortal, she also carried an indescribable sense of loneliness.
“Zhiwei, you aren’t practicing today?” he asked, somewhat confused. His eldest disciple was usually very diligent.
“I…” Lin Zhiwei looked at him with a complex expression. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by a voice from inside the room.
“Master, I’m ready. You… you can come in.”
“I will help Zhiyi with her Medicinal Bath first. You keep practicing, and I will come see you later.” Su Xuan nodded to her and hurried back inside.
Lin Zhiwei opened her mouth to speak, but she remained motionless for a long time, staring at the closed door.
***
Returning to the room, Su Xuan saw that Lu Zhiyi had already removed her outer clothing. She was crouching in the wooden tub, wearing only a thin nightgown that clung tightly to her body. Through the swirling steam, the pale glow of her skin was faintly visible.
“Master, it’s a bit hot…” Lu Zhiyi wrapped her arms around her chest, revealing only her delicate collarbones as she frowned at Su Xuan.
“Do you feel surges of heat rushing uncontrollably through your body?” Su Xuan walked behind her, recalling the description in the Cultivation Method.
“Mm… a little… it hurts!” Lu Zhiyi let out a soft moan, sounding as if she were enduring great pain.
“Don’t be afraid. This is the effect of the Medicinal Bath. I will help you guide the energy.” As he spoke, he pressed both hands against his disciple’s back. The thin gauze dress was soaked, clinging to her skin. The warm sensation gave him a strong urge to stroke her.
Su Xuan quickly shook his head to clear his mind. Following the requirements of the Cultivation Method, he began to circulate the Spiritual Power within his body.
As his Spiritual Power passed through her back and entered Lu Zhiyi’s body, it was immediately met by violent, scorching surges of warmth. His body jolted, and he was nearly repelled. He gritted his teeth, enduring the impact of the heat, and began to guide the wild medicinal power according to the plan.
“Ngh… ah…”
As the two forces of Spiritual Power clashed within her body, alternating between hot and cold, Lu Zhiyi’s face turned beet red. She unconsciously let out soft moans. Due to the discomfort, her body began to writhe restlessly in the water.
‘Young lady, you’re moving and making those sounds — what are you trying to do to me?’
Su Xuan gritted his teeth and pushed his Spiritual Power, which was already an exhausting task. The girl before him kept twisting her body, her wet nightgown clinging to her waist as she moved. Combined with her occasional muffled groans, the sight and sound nearly made him lose his composure.
He shut his eyes tight and focused his attention once more, barely suppressing his physical reaction as he methodically circulated his Spiritual Power.
An hour passed. The medicinal liquid in the tub grew thinner, changing from a solution filled with Spiritual Qi to something resembling clear water. The medicinal power transformed into streams of energy that surged into Lu Zhiyi’s body.
Su Xuan leaned against the edge of the tub, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Circulating his Spiritual Power at full capacity for an hour while constantly defending against the erratic medicinal energy had pushed him to his limit.
“Master…”
Lu Zhiyi was also covered in a fine layer of sweat, the flush on her face yet to fade as she breathed softly. She looked at the sweat-soaked Su Xuan, her eyes sparkling with deep emotion.
She was no fool. That violent medicinal power was currently nourishing her limbs and bones; if her Master hadn’t guided it just now, it likely would have torn her apart from the inside.
Ignoring her current state of exposure, she leaned her head against Su Xuan’s hand and whispered, “Zhiyi will definitely cultivate hard and try to master the technique as soon as possible!”
She rubbed her head against him gently and added, “Even though it’s painful and difficult to practice, I am willing to do it.”