“I’m thinking of something happy.”
“What happy thing?
Your disciple would like to hear it too.”
After saying that, she came back and sat down across from him again, propping her cheeks on both hands, staring straight at him with her apricot-shaped eyes, as if to say, “If you don’t explain clearly, I’m not leaving.”
Xiao Yan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously twice on the stone table.
He was thinking about how to answer.
He couldn’t very well say, “The happy thing is that the Xiao Han you mentioned is my big nephew, your fiancé. He was the one who saved you.”
“I was thinking…”
Xiao Yan paused, then suddenly laughed.
“I was thinking about a dog I saw on the road yesterday, chasing its own tail in circles, ran around a dozen times, got dizzy, and ran headfirst into a tree.”
Luo Qingci blinked and didn’t say anything.
“That dog,” Xiao Yan continued, “it was a mutt, yellow, ears drooping. After it hit the tree, it sat on the ground staring blankly for a long time. That expression was really amusing.”
Luo Qingci watched him for a while, her gaze as calm as still water—unreadable as to whether she believed him or not.
“Master, is that true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
Xiao Yan didn’t change his expression.
“Your master never lies.”
Luo Qingci sighed and changed the subject.
“Do you know what the Supreme Yin Profound Body is?”
“I do.”
“Then you never told me.”
“Why would I tell you? So you could live in constant fear?”
Xiao Yan’s tone was very flat, but Luo Qingci could sense the seriousness underneath.
“When I first took you in, it wasn’t obvious. Your aura was no different from an ordinary cultivator’s. In the months I’ve been away, your physique’s aura has become more and more apparent. The fewer people who know about the Supreme Yin Profound Body, the better. Don’t go around talking about it.”
“But I almost got captured and used as a dual cultivation vessel…”
“Didn’t your senior brother give you that jade pendant hiding my Sword Intent? Anyone below Nascent Soul who gets hit will die; even if you run into a Nascent Soul cultivator, it’s enough to keep you alive and let you escape. I’ll give you two more—if you run into some clueless bastard, just kill them.”
“I didn’t bring it…”
Luo Qingci said quietly.
“Then remember to bring it from now on.”
Xiao Yan flicked her forehead with a strand of spiritual power from a distance.
“I don’t know what goes on in your head. A normal person would definitely keep something that good on them at all times, in case they need it.”
“Mmf… I understand, Master…”
Luo Qingci covered her slightly reddened forehead, then pressed further.
“But what if I run into a Divine Transformation cultivator?”
“The old monsters at Divine Transformation in Eastern State are practically half in the grave; most of them are in deep slumber. Unless your physique fully awakens, they won’t detect you at all.”
“Next time I come back from Central State, I’ll get you a jade pendant that can conceal your aura.”
“Do things like that exist?”
“They do. Central State has plenty of good stuff. The Wanbao Pavilion there sells them,” Xiao Yan said.
“That must not be cheap, right?”
“No problem. Your master will just work a little harder to earn enough spirit stones.”
Xiao Yan yawned.
“When you reach Golden Core, you can go see Central State. Cultivators with special physiques like yours are as common as stray dogs on the roadside.”
“But don’t worry. No one else’s physique is as strong as yours. Even if they’re as plentiful as stray dogs, you’re still the king of dogs.”
“Do I have to be a dog?”
Luo Qingci said with a smile, thinking to herself, ‘If you weren’t my master and I couldn’t beat you, I’d really want to slap that stray dog mouth of yours a couple of times.’
Xiao Yan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, waving his hand.
“It’s just a metaphor, you understand? I mean, even though your situation is special, you shouldn’t think you’re a freak. There are all sorts of bizarre physiques in this world. You’re not alone at all.”
“So what does ‘king of dogs’ mean?”
“It means you’re the strongest one.”
Xiao Yan grinned.
Luo Qingci took a deep breath and decided to stop discussing this with her crazy master.
She stood up, ready to go cultivate.
After taking two steps, Xiao Yan’s voice came from behind again.
“Qingci.”
She stopped but didn’t turn around.
“About last night,” Xiao Yan suddenly turned serious, losing his previous flippant tone, “were you scared?”
Luo Qingci stood in the morning light, her shadow at her feet, a short little lump.
She was silent for a few seconds.
“I was,” she said, her voice not loud.
“When that Grey Bone Old Ancestor tied me up, I really was scared. I thought I might die there, or get taken away as a dual cultivation vessel, and then die alone.”
Xiao Yan didn’t speak.
“Then Xiao Han came,” Luo Qingci paused, “and after he elbowed that old man flying, I wasn’t so scared anymore.”
After saying that, she felt a little embarrassed herself, so she quickened her pace and walked out.
Xiao Yan sat by the stone table, watching the door panel gently close.
He let out a soft sigh.
He wasn’t really worried about Luo Qingci getting into trouble.
Those jade pendants were enough to let her walk sideways in Eastern State.
The powerful evil cultivators were all in Central State; at most, the other four states had Golden Core or Nascent Soul.
As for righteous cultivators, even if they wanted to capture her, they’d have to weigh the weight of the Azure Cloud Sect.
The reason he sighed was that his workload was about to increase again…
If he kept this up, he’d end up as a courtesan who sells art but not body at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.
The people of Central State seemed to really like his “countryside high-cold sword cultivator little girl Xiao Yan’er.”
Because of her cute appearance, and because after transforming into a girl, she was a bit restrained and looked somewhat cold, he inexplicably became very popular.
Xiao Yan collapsed onto the stone table, remembering his experiences at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, and couldn’t help but rub his forehead in distress.
First of all, his appearance was too outstanding.
His original looks were already extremely ethereal, and when transformed into the female form Xiao Yan’er, he had a face of ultimate pure beauty.
When her brows curved slightly, she carried a gentle aloofness.
Her cold, peach-blossom eyes had a slight upward tilt at the corners but didn’t carry any hint of worldliness.
Her nose was delicate and straight, her lips a natural light cherry color, and her skin fair, without any deliberately crafted vulgarity.
Not the kind of aggressive beauty, but a gentle, cute, stubborn young girl’s spirit—the more you looked, the more appealing she became.
She hit exactly the type that many Central State cultivators liked most: the simple, elegant, cold and aloof little junior sister model.
Secondly, the contrast in her temperament was too captivating.
He was originally a carefree, unruly sword cultivator.
After disguising as Xiao Yan’er, because he wasn’t used to interacting with these people and it was his first time becoming a woman, plus a bit nervous, he put on a high-and-mighty, reserved air.
Every move deliberately restrained his usual sloppiness, his posture graceful, his words and actions controlled and distant, carrying a hint of a newcomer to a bustling place, shy yet trying to pretend to be calm.
Though her figure was petite and looked delicate, her appearance sweet and cute, she faintly exuded the clear sharpness unique to a sword cultivator.
Beneath her cold and aloof exterior lurked a trace of accidental laziness and carefree.
This contrast of external coldness with internal spirit was the most eye-catching.
Those aristocratic big shots who were used to seeing flattering, coquettish market women were instead drawn in by this unforced, unflattering, cold temperament.
Then there was that just-right sense of unfamiliarity.
He had disguised as Xiao Yan’er as a temporary measure and had no clue about Central State’s social rules or how to handle romantic occasions.
When accompanying people drinking, he never deliberately flattered or fawned.
When others spoke to her, she only replied blandly, not saying much, not flattering, sitting quietly in a corner, her expression faint, like a lone orchid in the mountains, detached from the world.
Not fighting, not deliberately pleasing, not putting on airs to grab attention—this purity untouched by mundane dust was a rarity unique to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.
Everyone was used to see bending-over-backward beauties; suddenly meeting a cold, pure, proud young sword cultivator made them even more curious.
Not to mention that his foundational cultivation was there.
Even though he transformed into a girl, the sword path aura in his bones couldn’t be hidden.
Every move and gesture carried the bearing of a master, and ordinary cultivators could tell at a glance that she was no common mortal woman.
With a peerlessly beautiful face, cold temperament, proficiency in music, song, and dance, and unfathomable cultivation foundation—not an empty-headed vase—a beauty with both talent and looks like this naturally made the young bloods of Central State’s Jiang family (C Xiao Chu Nan?) feel their blood surge.
As for when people asked him why he came here, he said his old man at home didn’t care about him, his mother died early, and his younger brothers and sisters needed a lot of resources for cultivation.
He came to Central State knowing no one, so he had to earn some spirit stones here.
Thus it spread: a father who doesn’t care, a mother who died early, cultivating siblings, and her who is sensible…
Xiao Yan’er is so nice!
Though from the countryside, her temperament is ethereal.
She’s cold with a hint of natural awkwardness.
When shy, her ears turn slightly red, but she forces herself to stay calm with a serious little face.
Obedient and stubborn, and so hardworking and kind—just adorable.
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of frustration and buried his face in the stone table.
He, a dignified peak master of the Azure Cloud Sect, a world-shaking peerless sword cultivator, had to wear Xiao Yan’er’s face, surrounded by a bunch of young, hot-blooded lads praising his looks and temperament, and had to take their spirit stones to perform, give massages, and step on backs…
Just to save up spirit stones and buy treasures for his disciple, having to dress as a little girl every day to deal with these people—this was the greatest shame of his cultivation career!
If this kept up, he might really become the top courtesan of the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion…
Xiao Yan closed his eyes, silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed again.
‘Ah, ah, I really want to know what expression my little disciple will make when she finds out during the engagement dissolution that her fiancé is the one who saved her life!’
‘What kind of expression will that pretty face make? I can’t wait! I can’t wait!’
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