Behind the new residence given to Pei Lianxue on Night Tide Peak , there was a large outdoor bath with artificial rock decorations and two crane sculptures on either side, spewing hot water into the pool.
Four cultivators dressed in gold and white robes walked through the crescent-shaped entrance of the bath, crossed the screen, and arrived at the edge of the pool.
With her blonde hair draped behind her, Yun Xi walked to the edge of the pool and stopped in her tracks, her face showing some grudge as she suddenly turned to look at the two Core Formation -stage female disciples who had followed her and Pei Lianxue in.
Because of the incident at Jade Snow Peak , both Night Tide Peak and Flowing Water Peak now had curfews, and the Elders also specially arranged for Middle Peak Core Formation disciples to follow and protect Yun Xi and the others.
However, Yun Xi was not used to being watched while bathing. Normally, when she bathed, she even drove away the maidservants.
After staring at the two people for a long time, seeing that they didn't get it, Yun Xi sighed softly, raised her hand, and pointed to the door of the bath. "You guys get out!!"
The two looked at each other, feeling slightly helpless. After a moment, one of them stepped forward and respectfully replied, "This... Third Miss. The Elders have tasked us with staying by your side without leaving an inch to ensure your safety. If you don't want us to follow during the day, we can accept it. But after nightfall, please let us accompany you. In case something like what happened a few days ago occurs again, we won't be able to explain it to the Elders..."
"Stop, stop!" Yun Xi raised her hand to stop them. "Everyone knows now that the Elders sent Core Formation cultivators to guard me. How could there be someone so stubborn to come here again and kidnap me? Don't worry, this can't happen."
"But..."
"What's more!" Yun Xi grabbed Pei Lianxue's shoulder and pulled her forward as she explained herself further. "Isn't Sister Pei here? Last time, my two sisters were kidnapped, but I wasn't. Even if your unlucky predictions come true, Sister Pei will protect me."
The two still hesitated. " But what if...?"
"Tsk... I didn't ask you to leave. Just stay outside the courtyard. If anything happens, you can rush in immediately.
Seeing Yun Xi so determined to keep them out, the two hesitated, but thinking that other disciples were patrolling around, they didn't argue anymore. After respectfully bowing, they retreated beyond the crescent-shaped door.
After the two left, Yun Xi breathed a sigh of relief. She walked to the edge of the pool and untied her belt with one hand, testing the temperature of the water with her toes.
Feeling that the water temperature was suitable, she untied her bathrobe and took five steps back before dashing forward and diving into the pool.
Splash---
Her posture when entering the water was perfect, and there was no resistance against the body, so there was not much splash either.
Yun Xi swam to the center of the pool, touched the bottom with her toes, and poked her head out of the water, exhaling, "Hoo-ha."
Her wet, long golden hair was now stuck to her face, and her normally "fiery" temperament was completely gone, making her appearance much softer.
She shook her hair and tucked the strands stuck to her cheeks behind her ears, then turned around and saw Pei Lianxue still standing on the shore, so she waved and urged, "Sister Pei, don't just stand there! Come down quickly; it's very nice!"
"Oh... okay."
Pei Lianxue nervously walked to the edge of the pool, slowly reaching for her belt.
Swoosh---
With a rustling, the golden-white clothes slipped off her delicate shoulders, revealing a snowy-white body. In the moonlight, she resembled a white jade doll.
It was Pei Lianxue's first time bathing with Yun Xi and also her first time in an outdoor bath like this. She felt somewhat nervous for no reason and also thought it was a bit wasteful.
Back when she was in the Hundred Lotus and Black Star Sect, unless she sweated profusely, she would only wipe herself with a cloth.
Moreover, while other cultivators used water stones to produce water, she still did things like an ordinary person -- fetching water and using firewood. This pool required at least one hundred water stones; bathing once would cost two or three hundred spirit stones. It was too extravagant.
Pei Lianxue probed the water temperature with her toes, sat down on the side of the pool, and then tied her thick dark brown hair behind her back.
Just when she was about to enter the water, she looked up and saw Yun Xi staring at her intently. She pursed her lips slightly and asked doubtfully, "What's wrong?"
"Well..." Yun Xi frowned, propped her chin, and slowly walked over to her. "Although I already knew it, but you really are young."
"Young?"
"Yes." Yun Xi walked to Pei Lianxue, sat down with her back against the edge of the pool, and submerged her shoulders in the water, smiling. "A girl who didn't even grow all her hair, isn't she a little girl?"
"Um?"
Pei Lianxue, still puzzled, lowered her head to take a look, then glanced at Yun Xi. Seeing the luxuriant 'bush' underwater, she finally understood what she meant.
She slid into the pool and frowned. "A girl is mature only when all the hair has grown?"
"Of course~" Yun Xi joked with a smug expression. "Only little girls are fair and smooth."
"..."
Pei Lianxue frowned, seeming to believe her words. She lowered her head again and asked, "But I've already reached maturity, why hasn't my hair grown yet?"
?
"..."
Yun Xi was just joking, she actually envied Pei Lianxue's appearance. But when she heard this, she turned to look and saw Pei Lianxue frowning tightly, so she quickly explained, "Ah... Sister Pei, I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously."
"Eh?"
"This... this depends on your physique. Everyone is different. It has nothing to do with maturity. I just said that because I envy you."
"Envy?"
"Yeah, you're so white and pure, you look even younger than Jiujiu."
"..."
Pei Lianxue vaguely remembered that Yun Jiujiu seemed to be in her sixties, so she wasn't sure whether this was a compliment or not, but she didn't say anything. She nodded and followed Yun Xi's lead, sitting with her back against the edge of the pool and closing her eyes to relax.
Yun Xi secretly glanced at Pei Lianxue's face, recalling the scene when she rescued her from the mouth of a level four demonic beast.
At that time, Pei Lianxue acted without hesitation as she struck down with the sword, instantly cutting that level-four demonic beast into pieces.
And a few days ago, when facing those intruders who sneaked into the Night Tide Peak , Pei Lianxue was also extremely decisive. No matter how they begged for mercy, she did not respond. She would just step forward and behead them in one swing before stabbing them repeatedly to finish them off.
She had always felt that Pei Lianxue was a very tough girl.
However, what she said just now...
With a soft voice, Yun Xi asked, "Sister Pei, do you even know where people come from?"
Pei Lianxue tilted her head in confusion. "Where do they come from?"
"I mean... how were you born?"
"... My mother gave birth to me."
"And how did your mother give birth?"
"How did she..." Pei Lianxue frowned before saying, "She slept with my father on a bed, then she became pregnant with me? Isn't that right?"
Yun Xi looked at Pei Lianxue's innocent eyes, blinking. "Do you know the specifics?"
"The specifics...?" Pei Lianxue frowned in thought, then asked, "Like what?"
Yun Xi sighed softly and shook her head. "Sister, let me tell you..."
Just as Yun Xi was saying this, Pei Lianxue suddenly seemed to have felt something, and she quickly turned her head to look at the night sky.
In the dark sky, a full moon hung high, as big as a white jade plate, but in the center of this silver-white jade plate, there was a black spot that was getting bigger.
Pei Lianxue squinted her eyes, trying to see what it was.
"Hmm?"
Beside her, Yun Xi was completely oblivious. "If a woman wanted to become pregnant..."
Just as Yun Xi said this, Pei Lianxue felt something was wrong. She immediately released her spiritual power and formed a spiritual shield in front of her while warning Yun Xi. "Sister Yun, protect yourself quickly!"
Yun Xi blinked blankly and tilted her head in confusion. "....Huh?!"
And in the next moment---
Boom---
A figure heavily crashed into the pool, like a meteorite.
The water in the pool, originally no more than seven feet deep, was now directly displaced by several surging high waves.
The waves hit Pei Lianxue's spirit shield with a thud.
Pei Lianxue quickly raised her hand, called the storage bag on the shore into her hand, took out her sword, and swung it vertically.
Swish---
The blade's ice-blue energy split the water into a deep rift, and it also split the mist that filled the pool, revealing the figure hidden in it.
When Pei Lianxue saw that person's eyes, she couldn't help but widen her eyes and murmur, "Bro... brother?"
"..."
Ye Anping was wearing a mask at this time, but his exposed nose and eyebrows were swollen red, and he was frowning, seeming extremely uncomfortable. There was also a scary blood stain on his shoulder.
---"Third Miss, what happened?!"
The two disciples guarding outside the door heard the commotion and immediately rushed in.
Seeing Ye Anping standing in the center of the pool, they didn't hesitate and immediately summoned their swords and mobilized their spiritual energy to attack him.
Ye Anping looked at the two cultivators who were charging toward him, swiftly stepped in front of Pei Lianxue, wrapped his left arm around her neck, and at the same time took out a dagger and held it at her neck.
The two disciples stopped in their tracks.
One of them immediately raised her sword and pointed it at Ye Anping. "You bastard..."
Before she could finish her words, Ye Anping narrowed his eyes and suddenly flicked his sleeve. Several luminous fire stones flew out of his sleeve, scattering into the pool.
Boom---
The instant the blazing fire energy touched the water, it caused the pool water to expand and evaporate rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the steaming water mist engulfed hundreds of feet around.
The mist obscured the vision and the erupting fire energy blocked the spiritual sense.
Ye Anping knew that this could only hold back the two Core Formation stage disciples for three breaths, so he hurriedly withdrew the dagger, picked up his sister in his arms, and fled in the opposite direction of the two.
Just when they crossed the courtyard wall, a spiritual light appeared behind them, and the white mist that originally covered the field of vision shrank instantly. At the same time, a sword's energy also rushed after them.
Swish---
Pei Lianxue noticed it in advance and quickly threw out her sword to help her brother, who was carrying her, block this sword energy while asking, "Brother?"
"I'll explain later."
Ye Anping interrupted softly and then threw several fire talismans behind him.
Boom boom---
Inside the mist covering the pool, several flames exploded, dispersing the water vapors and also blocking the two disciples who were intent on catching up with them.
The two had no choice but to temporarily stop and mobilize their spiritual power to block the talismans. By the time the talismans burned out completely, Pei Lianxue and Ye Anping's figures had already disappeared into the mountains behind without a trace.
"Chase them!!"
One of them frowned slightly and was about to chase after them, but she was suddenly stopped by the other person, who grabbed her shoulder.
"Wait, leave it to the others, we'll stay beside Third Miss."
Upon hearing this, the disciple hesitated for a moment and clicked her tongue in frustration. "Tsk..."
"The Elder gave us the task of ensuring Third Miss' safety. It wouldn't be good if we were lured away from here. With such commotion, the others should have heard it by now. That little bastard seemed to be at the Foundation Building stage; there's no way he can escape."
"Well..."
The other person nodded, then turned around to check on Yun Xi's condition. However, when they walked back from the edge of the pool, they noticed that Yun Xi was now floating face down in the bubbling water.
Because of the fire stones and talismans that the man threw into the pool, the water was now boiling.
The two froze for a second, then gasped in shock and rushed forward to fish Yun Xi out of the boiling water.
"Third Miss?!!"
Turning Yun Xi over and seeing her body and face reddened by the scalded water, they both held their breath.
One of them swallowed nervously, carefully checked Yun Xi's breathing, and used their spiritual sense to examine her body before confirming that she had only fainted with a sigh of relief.
"Phew -- it's okay, she just fainted."
... ...
Whoosh---
Trampling on the fallen leaves, Ye Anping gritted his teeth and sprinted through the forest with his sister in his arms. The Core Formation disciples patrolling around Night Tide Peak were probably already alerted by him.
He couldn't use his flying sword or even mobilize a trace of spiritual energy; otherwise, the Core Formation cultivators' patrols would instantly find his location and surround him.
This would remain a last resort, for lack of better options.
On the way from Sword Wine Peak to Night Tide Peak , he had actually been stopped by a Sword Sect disciple in the Core Formation stage. However, he did not have time to explain himself, so he had to break through forcibly.
This was how the wound on his shoulder came to be.
Feeling he had reached deep enough into the pine forest, Ye Anping quickly took out the jade pendant he had obtained from Si Xuanji. This jade pendant was a high-level spiritual treasure that could conceal one's cultivation level and spiritual energy, easily deceiving even those in the Core Formation stage.
Holding the jade pendant in his hand, he walked to a nearby pine tree, gently placing his sister on the ground.
After Pei Lianxue touched the ground, she immediately leaned forward and shyly covered her chest with both hands.
When her brother carried her out, she hadn't even put on clothes yet.
However, she didn't blame him; his rushed appearance must have meant there was an emergency. So, she didn't ask anything, but she anxiously wanted to request some clothes or a blanket from her brother.
"Brother, do you have..."
However, Pei Lianxue had only spoken a few words when Ye Anping cupped her face with his right hand, leaned in, and covered her lips with his.
Pei Lianxue's eyes opened slightly. Because of Ye Anping's move, she took several steps back but still couldn't stand firm and fell directly onto the muddy ground covered with fallen leaves.
Plop---
However, when she felt the hot energy in Ye Anping's mouth, Pei Lianxue understood what was going on. She composed herself and immediately released her spiritual energy.
Pei Lianxue heard and felt the sound of the breeze blowing through the leaves. This time, her brother's condition seemed to be more serious than ever before. She quickly raised her hand and gently stroked his back.
The gentle breeze rustled through the forest, and the chirping of birds was unceasing.
The full moon in the sky seemed to be peeking, the moonlight shining on the two people through the swaying leaves.
Hot spiritual energy, like boiling water, slowly streamed out from where their lips met, followed by cold streams of mountain spring water flowing into their bodies.
Ye Anping's restless heartbeat gradually calmed down, and his head, heavy as a block of iron, began to lighten as if he had shed a burden.
His hand propped up next to his sister's ear, and his lips slowly separated from hers.
What caught his eyes was his sister's eyes shimmering with tears.
A teardrop rolled out of her eye and slowly dripped down her cheek onto the ground.
Pei Lianxue slightly opened her lips, panting as if craving for breath. But seeing her brother's complexion improving, she smiled through tears and asked worriedly with a slightly hoarse voice, "Brother, are you feeling better?"
"..."
The tone of this sentence was like a sharp sword piercing Ye Anping's chest and exiting through his back. He frowned uneasily as only then did he notice that his sister was lying naked on the ground covered in dry leaves like needles.
He quickly helped her sit up from the ground and leaned her against his chest before taking off his own coat and draping it over her shoulders.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
"..."
Pei Lianxue's hands raked his chest, her legs involuntarily closed together, and the soles of her feet slightly arched, her toes lightly grasping the ground. She did not speak, just nodded slightly, causing her long hair to sway over Ye Anping's collarbone and tickle his skin.
Seeing her nod, Ye Anping quickly made a sword gesture with his hand and gently touched the back of her neck. He closed his eyes and sent his spiritual sense inside her meridians to investigate.
Usually, after his sister used her pure water energy to dissipate his yang excess, there were no side effects.
Yin and Yang generated all things, and when they were combined, the purest form of Heavenly Spiritual Energy emerged. This was also the fundamental reason why his sister's body of pure water was coveted by others.
But this time, he was somewhat uncertain.
Because he was now in the middle stage of the Foundation Building , the capacity of his meridians was nearly ten times that of the initial stage. In other words, the amount of yang energy that his sister had to remove this time was ten times as much as before.
Ye Anping tried to remain as calm as possible and focused his mind, carefully exploring the meridians and spiritual energy in Pei Lianxue's body.
He frowned tighter and tighter.
"This is..."
Ye Anping slowly withdrew his spiritual sense, turned his head to look at her slightly arched feet with her toes curling, then looked at her blurred eyes.
A wave of heat blew past his ears.
"Brother, I feel uncomfortable..."
"... Hmm." Ye Anping faintly answered and pressed his hands on her back, holding her tightly. "Is it better now?"
Pei Lianxue, with her cheek buried in Ye Anping's chest, slowly closed her eyes and nodded slightly. "Mm, seems to be better... It's not uncomfortable when you're hugging me. Can you hold me tighter?"
"..."
Ye Anping nodded slightly, and his nose gently touched his sister's neck, which still had some droplets. A faint fragrance enveloped him; there was always a scent similar to gardenia on his sister's body, but at this moment, the fragrance seemed stronger.
After inhaling the fragrance, he started to feel the heat in his heart surging again.
But it wasn't as violent and painful as the previous yang energy outburst; instead, it was like a warm current that slowly flowed toward his lower body.
Ye Anping closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and hugged Pei Lianxue tightly. He seemed hesitant and thoughtful. After a long time, as if he had made up his mind, he opened his eyes and said, "Sister, I will teach you something now. But first, there is a question that I need to ask you. Think about it before answering."
"Um."
A fragrant whisper came out of Pei Lianxue's mouth.
Ye Anping paused before asking, "Lianxue, are you willing to marry me?"
At this change of address, Pei Lianxue's misty eyes widened slightly as a tear welled up, lingering at the corner of her eye.
"I am willing."
"Well..."
Ye Anping seemed to be relieved as he looked up at the full moon through the leaves of the trees. He slowly opened his belt, took off his shirt, and spread it on the ground.
"Brother?"
Pei Lianxue didn't understand why he had to take off his clothes, but looking at his body, the uncomfortable feeling seemed to have eased quite a bit.
Ye Anping gently laid her down on his clothes and then hugged her slender waist, leaning close to her ear. "I will teach you something. Close your eyes and feel it, okay?"
"Mmm."
Rustle---
The cold winter wind swept through the forest, picking up fallen leaves that brushed against their naked bodies, but neither of them felt cold.
Waves of tingling and itching surged through their meridians one after the other, and melodious sounds like a bird's song came out of Pei Lianxue's mouth along with the rhythm.
The stream murmured gently, but when passing through the rocky gorge, it turned into rapids.
Spring bamboo shoots are sharp; filled with nectar, they can turn lush green.
Yin and yang merge, turning into each other. This was something that has been repeated millions of times since the birth of heaven and earth. Where did it all begin to be shrouded in a mysterious veil?
If heaven and earth have no love, nothing is born. If nothing is born, there will be no return cycle -- only cause without effect.
Ye Anping looked at his sister's captivating and entranced face and stopped thinking. Instead, he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and met the lips of the one he probably cared about the most in his life...