The flying boat headed south, and fifteen days passed in a flash.
During the latter part of those fifteen days, Chen Yuyang set aside a specific time every day to find Yan Luo and check her progress in fire control practice.
In the final few days, Chen Yuyang focused his guidance on strengthening Yan Luo’s Spiritual Consciousness.
Her weak Spiritual Consciousness was the key reason why she could not control flames with ease.
Chen Yuyang specifically taught Yan Luo a technique for refining her Spiritual Consciousness, and he also taught her how to apply the strength of her Spiritual Consciousness through daily practice.
The city where the Yan family was located was called Fenyang City, and the entire city flourished because of the family’s presence.
Behind the city stood a towering black peak that pierced the clouds.
The peak was shrouded in green mist year-round, and from time to time, molten lava would spray from the summit and flow down the mountainside.
In Fenyang City, the Yan family was the law, and their word was absolute.
The flying boat slowly landed in a private skyport belonging to the Yan family.
Dozens of flying boats of various sizes were moored here, all belonging to the Yan family’s industries.
Most of them were merchant ships, which were the key to maintaining the Yan family’s commercial network across the entire Northern Region.
The area surrounding the skyport was teeming with activity.
A large number of Yan family disciples, dressed in uniform, bustled back and forth.
Not far from the skyport, surrounded by high crimson walls and marked by a massive vermilion-gold gate, was the main entrance to the Yan family estate.
The Yan family estate covered a vast area.
Rather than calling it a family residence, it was more like a magnificent palace city.
Elder Yan led Chen Yuyang through several corridors, eventually arriving at a very quiet courtyard.
Several scarlet paulownia trees were planted in the yard.
The furnishings were simple and elegant, yet they contained a hint of the laws of nature.
A single glance was enough to feel that this place was extraordinary.
“Little Chen, you will stay here for the time being.”
Elder Yan pointed to a side room and spoke to the young man.
Then, he handed Chen Yuyang a crystal-white jade token.
The token was carved with intricate flame patterns, and in the center was the large character for “Yan.”
“With this jade token, you can travel freely through most of the Yan family grounds, except for a few forbidden areas.”
Chen Yuyang took the jade token, gave it a brief glance, and nodded slightly.
“Thank you, Elder Yan.”
“That girl Radish is right next door to you.”
Elder Yan patted his shoulder and said meaningfully, “This way, it will be convenient for you to guide her in her daily practice.”
“Whatever you need, just say the word. I will do my best to satisfy your requests!”
Upon hearing this, the corner of Chen Yuyang’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and he was secretly speechless.
Glancing at the door next door, the young man understood perfectly.
The room Elder Yan had arranged for him was by no means an ordinary guest room.
‘This is clearly an inner courtyard residence that only direct descendants of the Yan family are eligible to live in.’
In fact, he suspected that this entire small courtyard belonged to that girl, Yan Luo. To have him live right next to her…
‘This old man’s schemes are practically hitting me in the face.’
Chen Yuyang calmly put away the jade token and thanked him again.
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Elder Yan.”
Elder Yan laughed and waved his hand.
“You are an honored guest of our Yan family; it is only right. Settle in for now and familiarize yourself with the environment. I will send someone to invite you to the front hall for a banquet later this evening so you can meet the rest of the family.”
After saying that, Elder Yan turned and left.
Chen Yuyang stood in place, watching Elder Yan’s departing back.
He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and pushed open the door to his room.
As Elder Yan walked out of the courtyard, he ran straight into Yan Luo, who had arrived late.
The young girl was wearing a fiery red dress and holding an ancient book, reading as she walked.
After getting off the flying boat, she had not returned to her room immediately but had gone to the family’s library first.
“Grandpa, what are you doing here?”
Seeing Elder Yan, Yan Luo quickly hid the book behind her back and looked at him with surprise.
“I was arranging a room for that kid.”
Elder Yan pointed behind him.
“But isn’t this my courtyard?”
Yan Luo frowned slightly, her heart filled with confusion.
“Yes, there was an empty room next to yours. Leaving it empty is a waste, so isn’t it perfect to let that kid stay there?”
Elder Yan spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“This way, it’s convenient for you two to get close and for him to guide your cultivation. It kills two birds with one stone.”
Yan Luo looked in the direction her grandfather pointed.
Thinking of the deep meaning behind his arrangement, her cheeks turned bright red.
Her lips quivered for a moment as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and silently accepted the arrangement.
Suddenly, Elder Yan lowered his voice, leaned closer to Yan Luo with a mysterious look, rubbed his hands together, and spoke with a suggestive expression.
“By the way, during these past few days… how many times did you and that kid do it?”
“Do what how many times?”
Yan Luo blinked, her head tilted in confusion.
She didn’t understand what her grandfather was referring to.
Seeing her like this, Elder Yan’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t play dumb with Grandpa! Don’t tell me that you two were alone in a room on that flying boat for so long and haven’t engaged in the pleasures of men and women yet?”
Only then did Yan Luo realize what her grandfather meant by “do it.”
She was instantly filled with shame and indignation.
She swung her pink fist and hit Elder Yan on his lowered shoulder.
“Grandpa! What kind of nonsense are you talking about!”
“I… he and I didn’t… do that kind of shameless thing!”
Elder Yan didn’t believe her and pursed his lips.
“Then what were you two doing locked in a room for hours every day? Stop pretending, Radish. Grandpa has been through this too. Do you think I don’t know?”
“Just say it. Grandpa won’t laugh at you. Once you’ve had a taste, it’s only human nature to want more.”
As he spoke, Elder Yan leaned even closer and lowered his voice.
“Grandpa just wants to estimate the time. I don’t want your belly to get big before you’re even engaged. Where would our Yan family’s face go then?”
“I didn’t!”
Yan Luo was so anxious she was almost in tears, and she stomped her feet repeatedly in anger.
“He and I are truly innocent! We were really just studying fire control and refining Spiritual Consciousness!”
“He said my Spiritual Consciousness was too weak and my fire control was unstable. These past few days, he has been teaching me the mantras for soul tempering and helping me stabilize my Sea of Consciousness. Where… where would we have the time to do such an embarrassing thing!”
Elder Yan looked at his granddaughter’s frantic state.
She didn’t seem to be lying, and the smile on his face froze.
“Really… really not?”
Yan Luo nodded vigorously.
“Really! Grandpa, if you keep talking nonsense like this, I… I’ll ignore you!”
Seeing this, Elder Yan believed her a bit more.
He coughed awkwardly twice.
“Fine, if there isn’t, there isn’t. Grandpa thought wrong. It’s Grandpa’s fault, alright?”
“But… you two were together for so long. Did really nothing happen?”
Elder Yan was still a bit unwilling to give up.
In this kind of situation, as long as one of them was even slightly proactive, wouldn’t things have naturally taken their course?
Yan Luo took a serious tone and emphasized once more, “It was just studying! What else could it be! Yuyang is a decent person…”
Elder Yan opened his mouth but found himself speechless for a long time.
Eventually, he sighed helplessly, looking at her with a sense of disappointment.
“Radish, you really are… you really are useless.”
“With such a good opportunity right in front of you, why didn’t you know how to seize it?”
He had thought the rice was already cooked, and he was even wondering how to bring up the marriage to Chen Yuyang.
It turned out he had been overthinking it.
“You made Grandpa happy for nothing.”
Elder Yan slapped his thigh with a look of regret.
“I was even thinking of introducing the kid properly to the rest of the family at the banquet tonight.”
Yan Luo couldn’t help but roll her eyes, but the thought of that scene made her shy.
She shook her head.
“In short, Grandpa, don’t talk nonsense anymore! Yuyang will be unhappy if he hears it… I… I’m going to cultivate!”
After saying that, Yan Luo turned and ran toward her room.
Watching his granddaughter flee, Elder Yan shook his head helplessly and muttered under his breath, “This girl is really frustrating… Whatever, I suppose the path to a good thing is never smooth.”
It was the seventy-fifth day since Senior Brother had been away.
Counting the days on her fingers, Yun Xiu leaned against the window, dazed.
Only now did she realize how difficult life without her Senior Brother actually was.
Of course, it was difficult in terms of cultivation.
Not only was there no one to help her comprehend sword intent, but without her Senior Brother, it seemed even the circulation speed of her Joyous Union Art had slowed down significantly.
‘How annoying… Does an alchemist convention really take this long?’
She hadn’t seen her Senior Brother refining any pills on normal days, so he should have been eliminated in the first round.
If that were the case, he should have been on his way back long ago.
But why…
Yun Xiu felt gloomy and couldn’t muster much interest in cultivation.
Thinking of the young man, after a while, the girl finally regained a bit of spirit and took her sword into the courtyard.
The sword danced lightly.
The girl’s figure swirled and twirled.
The sword light was chilling, and her aura rose step by step with the dance.
Unfortunately…
In her heart, she always felt like a piece was missing.
She lacked someone’s criticism and commentary.
Pursing her lips, the tip of the girl’s sword lowered.
She raised her eyes and looked into the distance.
“Junior Sister, are you practicing your sword?”
Just then, a clear voice rang out from behind her.
Turning her head, Yun Xiu saw Gu Qiushui approaching gracefully with a gentle smile on her face.
“Senior Sister, you’ve finished your seclusion!”
Seeing Gu Qiushui, Yun Xiu felt slightly happy, and her voice became more lighthearted.
During this time, she had been incredibly lonely.
Now, at least there was someone to talk to.
“Yes, I’ve just made some progress… Has Master and the others not returned from the alchemist convention yet?”
“No, Senior Sister.”
Yun Xiu nodded.
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.
“Do you think something might have happened to Master or Senior Brother?”
“An accident…” Gu Qiushui raised her eyes slightly.
When put that way, she did indeed feel a bit concerned.
“Oh, right! I should use this opportunity to try the new Divine Ability I just comprehended!”
Gu Qiushui’s eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
Her recent seclusion was because she had made progress based on the comprehension method provided by her “Second Master.”
During this time, she had actually grasped a Divine Ability.
Although it was the most basic kind, it had a remarkable effect.
This Divine Ability was Clairvoyance.
However, Gu Qiushui could not use this ability to peek at others at will; she could only check on those who had a close karmic connection with her.
Currently, it was limited to checking on the status of close relatives and friends.
‘Let me see what Little Junior Brother is doing right now!’