Laughter from fellow sect disciples echoed from behind, and it seemed no one noticed the two people in the corner.
Xiao Li looked away from the corpse-dissolving water, his gaze following Yuan Shu's departing figure until she disappeared from sight.
She knew he had killed someone, yet she actually gave him corpse-dissolving water?
Was this... considered their shared secret?
The corners of Xiao Li's lips involuntarily curled up into a faint smile. He picked up the soup bowl that Yuan Shu had left unfinished, brought it to his lips, and took a gentle sip.
Mhm, mushroom and vegetable soup. The taste was delicious.
...
When they first met at the gambling table, Yuan Shu could tell that this Xiao Li was an ambitious and capable person.
She admired people like him.
He understood the situation, weighed the pros and cons, and knew when to strike.
Therefore, she had given him a little bit of help.
Looking at it now, her guess had been spot on.
Although she didn't know what methods he used to strengthen himself, he was clearly doing much better for himself now.
In that case, Yuan Shu didn't mind making another friend.
"Guest Elder Yuan, the Peak Master is currently in his courtyard. If you are in a hurry, you can go take a look there."
After eating, Yuan Shu went to Chiyang Hall on Yaoyun Peak, only to be told by a medicine boy that Yao Qianci had just left.
It was still early. Yuan Shu thought for a moment, politely thanked the medicine boy, and headed toward Yao Qianci's courtyard.
The reason she joined Yaoyun Peak in the first place was, firstly, due to Yao Qianci's sincere invitation, and secondly, for Yaoyun Peak's medicinal plant repository.
As the most complete and abundant medicinal plant repository in the entire Luoxian Sect, it contained many rare herbs that could not be easily found outside.
Yuan Shu had already inquired about it; to get the key to the repository, she first needed the Peak Master's permission.
Yuan Shu walked into Yao Qianci's courtyard. It was empty, and the door to his room was left ajar.
She called out a couple of times, but the room was dead silent, with no response.
Didn't the medicine boy say Yao Qianci was here?
Yuan Shu frowned in thought and pushed the door open.
Yao Qianci's room was just like the man himself—spotlessly clean. Hanging on the walls were highly detailed drawings of medicinal plants and poetic excerpts from medical texts.
In the center of the room sat a medicine cauldron. It had three legs and beast-shaped ears, engraved with various beast patterns in a dark cyan hue.
It faintly exuded the spiritual energy fluctuations of a high-grade spiritual artifact.
Curious, Yuan Shu stepped forward and touched the body of the cauldron.
It felt cool and smooth as jade to the touch. She couldn't tell what material it was made of, but it was definitely worth a fortune!
Yuan Shu was also someone who researched alchemy. Growing fond of it, she couldn't help but stroke it a few more times.
Right at that moment, an unusual sound came from behind a folding screen to the side.
Yuan Shu's expression changed slightly. With a flip, she vaulted over the screen and landed in the inner room.
The moment she looked up, Yuan Shu froze.
Inside a large, steaming wooden bathtub, Yao Qianci was frowning slightly, as if he were enduring something.
A thin layer of sweat beaded on his jade-white face, slowly trailing down his smooth chin.
The water in the tub wasn't deep, only reaching his abdomen.
Thus, his bare, well-built chest was completely exposed to Yuan Shu.
On his perfectly shaped square pectoral muscles, the mist condensed into moisture, winding down his jade-like skin in little rivulets before disappearing into the water.
Beneath the surface of the water, the pale outline of his abdominal muscles could be faintly seen.
Yuan Shu had never expected Yao Qianci to be bathing.
After all, she hadn't exactly been quiet when she entered the room. With Yao Qianci's cultivation level, he should have easily heard the noise outside.
"Ahem, Peak Master Yao, I apologize for the intrusion," Yuan Shu coughed into her hand to cover her awkwardness.
Yao Qianci was over two hundred years old now, and his strength had reached the mid-Soul Formation stage, yet his appearance remained frozen around the age of twenty, looking elegant and handsome.
Such an age was not considered old in the cultivation world.
To achieve such a level of strength at this age proved that he was a genius with outstanding cultivation talent!
Though Yuan Shu apologized for the intrusion, her eyes lingered on his robust chest for a few extra seconds.
Despite Yao Qianci looking tall and slender in his clothes, his physique was actually quite impressive.
His muscles weren't overly bulky, but they were undoubtedly well-defined with deep, sharp lines.
Just as her words faded, Yao Qianci seemed to regain his senses and opened his eyes.
Meeting Yuan Shu's unabashed gaze, his expression shifted slightly, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.
The moment he stood up, his hand formed a claw, pulling a robe from the clothing rack and swiftly draping it over himself in a smooth spin.
The instant his feet touched the ground, a sudden wave of dizziness hit his mind, and Yao Qianci stumbled.
Seeing that he was about to fall to the floor, Yuan Shu reacted quickly, stepping forward to grab his arm and pull him toward her.
Yao Qianci stumbled and fell directly into her embrace.
She felt warm breath against her collarbone, followed by an unexpected, incredibly light kiss.
In that instant, both of them froze.
Yuan Shu was afraid Yao Qianci wouldn't be able to stand steady, so she kept her hold on his arm without moving, maintaining a supportive posture.
Yao Qianci, however, was shocked by this sudden turn of events.
Why was Yuan Shu here?
And also, what had he just done?
A faint scent of pear blossoms drifted from the woman in front of him into his nose, smelling exceptionally pleasant.
The warmth of that kiss seemed to linger on his lips; he had just brushed against the skin of her collarbone.
His gaze involuntarily lowered, and Yao Qianci caught sight of the exceptionally full and exaggerated curves wrapped within her bandeau.
His Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
However, his instincts as a gentleman made him quickly avert his eyes.
He reached out to hold Yuan Shu's shoulders, pushing himself up to stand straight. Taking two steps back, his face felt a bit hot. "Ahem, thank you."
"I suffered some injuries while I was out. I was just healing, so I didn't notice you."
Yuan Shu understood. So that was it.
No wonder Yao Qianci hadn't reacted at all when she entered the room with such a commotion!
"It was my fault for barging in without knowing the Peak Master was bathing. I should be the one apologizing."
Yuan Shu spoke with a smile, but her gaze traveled down his jade-like face and landed on Yao Qianci's fit body.
Because he was in a rush, he hadn't had time to tie the sash of the outer robe he draped on.
The water winding down his chest soaked through the thin fabric, making the clothing cling tightly to the contours of his skin.
His lean waist and smooth V-lines were faintly visible.
Further down, his damp pants clung to his long, powerful legs...
Hiss, this creation of heaven was a bit too much!
Was it really this exaggerated?
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering for two extra seconds.
As if noticing where Yuan Shu was looking, Yao Qianci's face flushed red instantly.
He pulled his robe closer in a somewhat futile attempt to cover himself. "Guest Elder Yuan, please wait a moment. Let me change my clothes first."
Yuan Shu nodded in understanding, looked away, and prepared to wait for him outside.
Unexpectedly, the moment Yao Qianci moved his feet, he stumbled and fell toward the ground again!
?
Yuan Shu was stunned for a second but reflexively dashed over, hooking her arm around his lean waist and scooping him up!
But this time, Yao Qianci's body clearly hadn't recovered that quickly. His feet staggered, unable to stand firm, and his entire body leaned against Yuan Shu.
"Peak Master Yao, you are..."
The faint scent of pear blossoms lingered at his nose. The distance was too close, and Yao Qianci's face burned hot again, his tone even more embarrassed.
"I apologize. I just took some medication and am experiencing a few side effects. It wasn't intentional."
