“Grandfather, what did you need?”
Opening the door, Yan Luo’s face still carried a faint blush that hadn’t fully faded.
She hadn’t yet completely calmed down from what had just transpired.
Yan Dangmo wore a serious expression.
He squeezed directly into the room, swiftly closing the door behind him with a backward motion.
Despite being a cultivator at the Great Perfection Stage of the Mahayana Realm, ranked among the strongest in the Northern Domain, he currently seemed somewhat furtive.
“Grandfather, you!”
Yan Luo instinctively raised her voice, but Yan Dangmo quickly raised a finger to his lips, lowering his voice to a hushed tone.
“Shh—Radish, not so loud!”
As he spoke, Yan Dangmo scanned the surroundings with a hint of wariness, afraid their conversation might be overheard.
Yan Luo was somewhat baffled by her grandfather’s secretive manner but also instinctively lowered her voice: “What is it, Grandfather? Did something happen?”
“Let me ask you,” Yan Dangmo leaned in a few steps closer, scrutinizing the young woman with an examining gaze.
“Were you just with that Chen boy… oh no, with Yuyang?”
The blush that had just begun to fade from Yan Luo’s cheeks instantly flared up again, reaching the tips of her ears.
The girl immediately grew flustered, stamping her foot in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
“Grandfather! Did you use your spiritual sense to peek on me?!”
“I didn’t use my spiritual sense to look!”
Yan Dangmo instantly waved his hands in denial, though his eyelids twitched slightly.
“I… I was afraid I might accidentally see something I shouldn’t.”
Yan Luo was also made flush by these words, biting her lip and glaring at Yan Dangmo with some vexation.
Ignoring his granddaughter’s fiery look, Yan Dangmo leaned in even closer, his voice dropping lower.
“Tell your grandfather honestly, you and him… what were you doing in the room just now?”
Yan Luo immediately turned her back, planting her hands on her hips, though her voice instantly dropped several octaves, stammering, “Wh-what could we be doing… H-he was just teaching me a fire control method, that’s all…”
“And how did you learn? How much did you grasp?”
Yan Dangmo pressed on anxiously, his concern deepening.
At this question, Yan Luo finally turned around.
Remembering the earlier scene, her face couldn’t help but show a hint of admiration.
“I learned very well! Yuyang… he is truly capable. With just a few pointers from him, I felt as if a light bulb went on. My fire control technique improved a lot!”
Speaking of Chen Yuyang, Yan Luo became animated, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Improved? Improved what! You’re not allowed to improve that fast!”
Upon hearing this, Yan Dangmo immediately grew agitated, his eyes widening, his voice rising a few notches despite himself.
“You silly girl, how can you learn things so quickly! If you master it this fast, won’t he have to return to the Hehuan Sect in just a few days?!”
Yan Luo was dumbfounded, her lips parted as she stood frozen in place.
She hadn’t considered that aspect, thinking only that mastering it quickly was a good thing.
Looking at his granddaughter’s somewhat dazed expression, Yan Dangmo poked her forehead with a mix of exasperation and frustration.
“You, ah, you… sigh, how should I put this.”
After a pause, Yan Dangmo leaned in again, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
“Anyway, take your time learning. Don’t grasp it so quickly, understand?”
Only then did Yan Luo fully comprehend, her cheeks flushing red once more, yet she couldn’t help but shoot a reproachful glare at Yan Dangmo.
“Grandfather! How can you be like this… How can you scheme against him like that?”
“And isn’t all this for your own good!”
Yan Dangmo flicked his sleeve, then his tone quickly turned serious as he looked into Yan Luo’s eyes and asked, “Radish, tell me truthfully, what do you think of that boy?”
The question made Yan Luo’s heart instantly beat faster, her face flushing even more.
At the same time, she subconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, wrinkling the fabric with her fingers, and lowered her head almost to her chest.
After a long moment, the young woman finally gave a slight nod, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
“He… he’s acceptable…”
“What do you mean by ‘acceptable’?”
Yan Dangmo raised an eyebrow, dissatisfied with the vague answer, and pressed on immediately.
“Do you find him just passable? Average? Satisfactory? Or something else? Give your grandfather a clear answer!”
Yan Luo buried her head even lower, the tips of her ears so red they seemed about to bleed.
Her voice, though faint, still clearly reached Yan Dangmo’s ears.
“Acceptable… acceptable to… to marry…”
“Pfft—”
Yan Dangmo nearly choked on his own saliva and froze on the spot.
He had anticipated many possible answers, but he never expected his granddaughter to be so direct, so… bold!
Acceptable to marry?!
So that’s what she meant by ‘acceptable’!
That’s very acceptable indeed!
After a long moment, the shock on Yan Dangmo’s face transformed into ecstatic joy.
He slapped his thigh with force.
“Good, good, that’s excellent!”
Then, he took Yan Luo’s hand, his expression turning earnest and serious, lowering his voice as he said: “Radish, this opportunity didn’t come easily. You must seize it well.”
“From now on, you need to learn to be more proactive. Do you understand matters of romance and affection between men and women? If you don’t, once we return, I’ll have Aunt Sun properly teach you the arts of the chamber! You must win him over as soon as possible, cook the raw rice into a meal, so he can’t escape even if he tries!”
“Grandfather!”
Yan Luo’s face instantly flushed a shade red enough to bleed, and she pulled her hand away from Yan Dangmo’s grasp in a mix of shame and anger.
“What are you saying! I… I’m not that kind of frivolous girl… How can such matters be handled like this… At the very least, we must wait until after marriage before we can…”
By the end, Yan Luo’s voice had faded to almost inaudible.
“Marriage? You’re still thinking about marriage!”
Yan Dangmo was instantly filled with exasperation, as if failing to mold iron into steel.
“Are you stupid, Radish! By the time you two get married, the opportunity will be long gone! Let me tell you, in matters between men and women, you have to strike first!”
“Men are all fickle-hearted turnips. If you don’t take the initiative to hook him, and if some other woman makes a move on him later, then he’ll become someone else’s man!”
Pausing briefly, Yan Dangmo lowered his voice further and continued: “You have no idea how many eyes were fixed on that boy during the Alchemy Conference! If it weren’t for your grandfather here having some skill to intimidate them and create this chance for you two to spend time together, with your temperament, even if he were passed around in turns, it wouldn’t be your turn.”
“Grandfather!”
Yan Luo was so embarrassed by these words that her entire body felt hot, a mix of anger and urgency.
She simply reached out and began pushing Yan Dangmo.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting! Get out! Get out! I don’t want to hear any more of this from you!”
Yan Luo forcefully pushed Yan Dangmo out of the room and slammed the door shut heavily.
Yan Dangmo staggered slightly from the push.
Once steady, he shook his head helplessly.
This girl, still too thin-skinned.
Not a bit like me.
But then it occurred to him—getting her to personally utter the words “acceptable to marry” was already monumental progress.
“Never mind, never mind. You can’t rush things when eating hot tofu. We’ll take one step at a time for now.”
Yan Dangmo shook his head, muttered to himself, and turned to leave.
Inside the room, leaning against the cold wooden door, the young woman’s chest rose and fell violently, her heart within pounding like a drum.
My heart pounded like a war drum, and my face burned as if on fire.
I raised my hands to cover my scalding cheeks.
Although Yan Dangmo’s words were too blunt and shamelessly direct, the idea of “striking first” had taken root in the young girl’s heart like a tiny seed.
“But being proactive… how exactly do I do that…?”
The girl murmured to herself, her delicate brows furrowing slightly in helplessness.
She, Yan Luo, with her noble status, had always been the one others obeyed and catered to.
When had she ever needed to take the initiative to please anyone?
Much less actively try to seduce a man or engage in those intimate affairs between men and women.
Especially when the thought of “the art of the bedchamber” crossed her mind, Yan Luo felt her body temperature soar even higher.
Almost subconsciously, the girl clenched her legs together, sensing an unfamiliar warmth surge from deep within her abdomen.
She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel these embarrassing thoughts.
“No, no, we’re not even married yet, how could I….”
But just as she wanted to deny it, Yan Dangmo’s words echoed in her ears once more.
“Men are all fickle creatures! If you don’t take the initiative, someone else will soon enough, and then he’ll belong to someone else!”
This statement stuck in her throat like a thorn.
Especially when Yan Luo remembered that Chen Yuyang was in the Heavenly Joy Sect, surrounded by countless beauties… Moreover, if he were snatched away by someone else, wouldn’t she have to marry another man…?
Biting her lip, at this moment, the hesitant young girl finally understood what she needed, what she truly desired… and completely realized what she should do….
“Master, Master!”
The flying vessel glided smoothly through the layers of clouds.
After much hesitation and internal struggle, Ling Xi, clutching her sleeves, finally mustered the courage to approach Tai Lingxuan.
Tai Lingxuan was controlling the flying vessel.
Hearing the voice, she slowly opened her eyes, her eyebrows lifting slightly, a gentle and composed smile on her face.
“What is it, Ling Xi?”
Ling Xi lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed red, her fingers tightly interlocked as she whispered, “I… I wanted to ask you something, Master.”
“Hmm, what is it? Go ahead.”
Ling Xi took a deep breath, as if having made a tremendous resolve.
Her voice was soft but clear: “It’s about… about matters between men and women… To be honest, Master, I… I might have feelings for someone.”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Tai Lingxuan’s eyes.
She raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of playful teasing in her tone.
“Who is so fortunate to have caught the eye of our little Ling Xi?”
Ling Xi bit her lip and said with difficulty, “It’s… it’s Senior Brother Yuyang.”
Actually, Ling Xi hadn’t originally intended to say it, and she wasn’t entirely certain about these feelings either.
She only felt that she really wanted to be with her senior brother, but she didn’t know if that could be considered “liking” someone.
Yet, upon careful thought, she felt she had to confront it.
So, she hoped to seek Tai Lingxuan’s guidance.
Master probably understood matters of emotion better than she did.
On the other hand, whether she could be with her senior brother ultimately required her master’s approval as well.
Tai Lingxuan’s expression stiffened.
At that moment, the flying vessel lurched violently, nearly crashing.
Tai Lingxuan’s eyelid and the corner of her mouth twitched simultaneously.
“You… who did you say?”
Even as a peak Soul Integration realm expert, at this moment, Tai Lingxuan still doubted whether her ears were playing tricks on her.
“It’s Senior Brother Yuyang!”
Ling Xi’s expression turned utterly solemn.
This time, her words were clearer, her voice more resolute and firm.
“Master, I think… I’ve fallen for Senior Brother Yuyang!”