From Biluo Peak to Rouman Peak and back twice, Gu Ze felt like his spirit boat was about to spew smoke.
As he traversed the sea of clouds, golden light flickered in Gu Ze’s eyes as he looked toward the ground. In his field of vision, scattered spots of light, both large and small, appeared.
All of those were yet-to-be-discovered treasures. Gu Ze’s heart surged with excitement, and he had to take several deep breaths to suppress it.
He glanced at his storage pouch. In the middle, the Blue Dagger lay gleaming brilliantly, far outshining any of those scattered light spots.
Reluctant to take it out and play with it, Gu Ze blinked, the golden light fading from his eyes as he focused fully on steering the spirit boat.
Under the moonlight, Biluo Peak was still as silent as ever.
At this scenic and treasured spot halfway up the mountain, only he and his junior sister lived; almost no one else was ever seen.
The Pixiu’s True Gold Eyes he’d seized could not only sense treasures nearby when activated, but also enhanced Gu Ze’s vision in their dormant state.
From afar, he could see a graceful figure standing in his courtyard.
A glint of cold light was gripped in her hand, as she waited for someone’s return.
Gu Ze slowed the speed of the spirit boat, feeling a trace of bitterness. Why did this scene feel so familiar?
How coincidental—Li Xunmiao had chosen this moment to emerge from seclusion. Two hours ago, when he returned, he hadn’t run into her.
But this time, he’d left a message in advance, so Li Xunmiao wouldn’t turn the world upside down looking for him.
He opened the system panel, focusing his gaze on Li Xunmiao’s cultivation.
[Qi Refinement, Fifth Layer]
Her cultivation speed was terrifying—Gu Ze was only one layer above her. In fact, he felt that if Li Xunmiao went all out, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
Watching this “Feng Ao Tian” work hard and grow, Gu Ze felt gratified.
Landing in front of Li Xunmiao, the young girl bounced on her toes and hurried over.
The Zangtian Sword was already put away; her expression was shy yet bursting with energy.
“Senior Brother, long time no see.” She stopped abruptly two or three steps in front of Gu Ze, smiling brightly as she spread her arms wide.
Gu Ze nodded, responding calmly, “Long time no see. Did your seclusion go well, Junior Sister?”
The girl before him still displayed only Qi Refinement, Third Layer cultivation, disguising herself perfectly.
Li Xunmiao pouted, flapping her arms like little wings, as if urging Gu Ze on.
“Senior Brother Gu, after waiting alone so long for you in the courtyard, shouldn’t you at least give me a hug first?” Her face showed not the slightest change, as if what she said was perfectly natural.
Isn’t it a senior brother’s duty to comfort his junior sister with a hug?
Gu Ze instinctively glanced to the side, half-suspecting that Lian Yue had secretly hidden herself to tail him again. But the gap in cultivation was too great—he could only suspect, with no proof.
He’d already been teased by Lian Yue once for getting intimate with Li Xunmiao as soon as he returned. Next time they met, who knew what she might say?
Wait, why was he worried about her teasing? Having a pretty girl throw herself into his arms wasn’t anything shameful!
Suddenly seeing things clearly, Gu Ze stepped forward and gently embraced Li Xunmiao.
Soft and fragrant—like hugging a bundle of cotton candy.
Resting in his arms, Li Xunmiao visibly relaxed, speaking sweetly, “During this time in seclusion, I only gained a little insight. My cultivation still hasn’t broken through. The bottleneck between the third and fourth layer really isn’t easy.”
“Mhm.” Gu Ze didn’t expose her and played along.
This moment of embracing once again made Gu Ze feel the peace of a tranquil life.
“Huh?” Li Xunmiao suddenly raised her voice, breaking the peaceful mood. “Senior Brother, why do you… have that unfamiliar scent again? And it’s from the same person as last time!”
Li Xunmiao pushed Gu Ze away, turned her face aside, and pinched her nose.
“This smell is worse than a fox’s.”
The implication being: she was scolding the little fox spirit who was secretly seducing her senior brother.
“But you just said it was fragrant…” Gu Ze looked a bit aggrieved. The scent Lian Yue left unintentionally shouldn’t smell bad.
Li Xunmiao’s eyes sharpened. “Isn’t Xunmiao fragrant? Senior Brother, do you have to go sniff someone else?”
Was that really the point…? Gu Ze’s head hurt.
Li Xunmiao was always unreasonably serious about the oddest things.
Before he could answer, Li Xunmiao suddenly seized his sleeve and pulled him away.
Gu Ze followed, dragged along by her quick steps.
Soon, the two stopped before the entrance to Li Xunmiao’s cave dwelling.
What was she up to?! Gu Ze instinctively wanted to retreat, but if he pulled harder the sleeve would tear.
“Senior Brother, for the next few days, you’re to stay in Xunmiao’s cave and live with me. You’re not allowed to go anywhere until you break through your cultivation.”
Li Xunmiao declared resolutely, “This is your punishment for sneaking out to meet other senior sisters while I wasn’t around.”
Punishment? It hardly felt like punishment. Gu Ze looked up at Li Xunmiao’s grand cave dwelling, feeling a little restless.
“Junior Sister, mind your dignity…” Reason finally prevailed, and Gu Ze spoke.
“You’re the one who doesn’t mind your dignity! And now you blame me?” Li Xunmiao snorted. “If I don’t keep an eye on you, you’ll bring someone back to Biluo Peak next time!”
Gu Ze scratched his chin, probing, “So… you don’t want a sister-in-law?”
A sharp sword hum rang in Gu Ze’s ear. A nearly imperceptible sword qi swept by, and in the distance came the booming sound of a boulder splitting.
Li Xunmiao’s neck creaked as she stiffly turned her head, eyes filled with terror. “Absolutely not!”
Gu Ze was actually a little startled by the sword qi she’d unleashed without meaning to.
The Zangtian Sword was highly spiritual—if its owner sensed great danger, it would act to protect her on its own.
Was his question really that much of a threat to Li Xunmiao?
“Alright, alright, I won’t look for a Dao companion for now.” Gu Ze reached out to rub her head. The two fell silent for a moment, as if both were calming their hearts.
Li Xunmiao took a deep breath, nodded slightly, then released her grip on his sleeve and caught Gu Ze’s hand. “Senior Brother, promise me you won’t leave Xunmiao, okay?”
If you really plan to leave me, then I’ll just have to lock you by my side forever… A flash of madness flickered through Li Xunmiao’s heart.
In the end, she half-dragged, half-coaxed Gu Ze into her cave dwelling.
Inside, an array for folding space was inscribed. Passing through the door, one entered a courtyard lush with a hundred kinds of herbs, decorated with waterfall and artificial mountain—surpassing any mortal landscape.
Farther in was a platform built with the Zhoutian Star Platform as a dome, Wujin Floor as the base.
The star chart painted on the dome obscured sight, but through the mist one could faintly make out what looked like an ordinary living room inside.
Li Xunmiao pulled Gu Ze through the fragrant courtyard without so much as a glance.
Her eyes glowed with a trace of heat. “There’s only one bed, but it’s big. Usually I… uh, I cultivate… I mean, I rest on it, or I sit on the Meditation Cushion to meditate and cultivate.”
Damn it!
Slip of the tongue.
“Senior Brother, just squeeze in with me. The weather’s getting colder, and sleeping on the floor will make you catch cold.”
Gu Ze’s face darkened, not knowing where to begin retorting.
Li Xunmiao’s slip confirmed she often slacked off, lying on the bed to “cultivate” yet making such swift progress—she really was a genius.
And now she even wanted them to share a bed. Gu Ze could only marvel at Li Xunmiao’s boldness.
With the Peak Master’s token, Gu Ze could do whatever he liked with Biluo Peak’s property—but Li Xunmiao was the one thing off limits.
At this point, suggesting dual cultivation to Lian Yue was less dangerous than pushing Li Xunmiao down.
When Qingquan was still alive, laying a hand on her disciple was courting death. If you were the one being seduced, you’d just die a little less miserably.
Unless you could manage to conquer Qingquan as well—but Gu Ze knew he was far from that.
At least, for now, he was nowhere near entering Qingquan’s eyes.
Seeing her so excited, Gu Ze knew that if he refused too harshly, Li Xunmiao would definitely sulk.
Luckily, there was a loophole. Worst case, he could just meditate on the bed’s edge facing the wall.
“Oh, right, Senior Brother, I have a small request. Can I discuss it with you?” Li Xunmiao suddenly fidgeted, her earlier boldness gone.
“Go ahead.”
“When it’s just the two of us in private, can I call you by name? Like how you always call me Xunmiao.” She poked her fingers together, shoulders twisting a little, ears flushed red.
Gu Ze noticed her embarrassment and found it unbelievable. Li Xunmiao never blushed at sharing a bed or hugging, but got shy about calling his name.
“What if I said no?”
Her eyes instantly dimmed, lips pouting. “Then I’ll just keep calling you Senior Brother.”
Gu Ze stopped teasing her and explained, “You’re the personal disciple of the Peak Master. No other disciple on Biluo Peak outranks you. Although you haven’t been here long, by rights, all Biluo Peak disciples should call you Senior Sister.”
“You calling me Senior Brother actually takes advantage of your status. Whether in private or in public, you can call me Gu Ze or Senior Brother as you like.”
Li Xunmiao’s eyes lit up as if she’d discovered a new world. “So that means ‘Senior Brother’ is my exclusive name for you?”
Gu Ze opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that, in fact, for anyone at a higher cultivation level she should call them Senior Brother or Sister, regardless of age. It was just a matter of a cultivator’s etiquette.
But those people would all be left in the dust by Li Xunmiao’s cultivation eventually, so the title didn’t really matter.
“Hee hee, Xunmiao only wants you as her Senior Brother.” Li Xunmiao seemed delighted, suddenly bouncing up to hug him again, even rubbing her soft cheek against Gu Ze.
From now on, she would have only one Senior Brother! She’d also make sure Gu Ze only saw her as his Junior Sister.
“Alright, alright, enough rubbing…” Gu Ze could barely hold on—if Li Xunmiao kept this up, he really would start to feel something.
Better meditate quickly before his thoughts turned astray.
He entered Li Xunmiao’s uniquely designed room, where the spiritual energy was several times richer than outside, making Gu Ze click his tongue in wonder.
Kicking off his shoes, he found a spot in the corner of the bed to sit. Gu Ze’s movements were swift and decisive.
Behind him, Li Xunmiao hesitated, raising her hand, but seeing he’d already entered meditation, she could only pout and sulk in silence.
He just started cultivating by himself! When the two of them could be studying dual cultivation together.
Li Xunmiao knew nothing about men and women. She only knew that physical closeness to Gu Ze made her feel safe and comfortable.
If she ever figured everything out someday, she might just want to chop her former self in shame and frustration.