Within the courtyard, the young girl wielded her sword, moving gracefully.
Chen Yuyang lounged in a reclining chair beneath the sunlight, exuding a faint aura of sword intent to assist his little junior sister’s comprehension.
During the day, Yun Lian would arrive punctually to practice sword forms and train.
At night, she would meditate and cultivate.
There was no hint of relaxation, no trace of neglect.
For the past month and a half, things had almost always been this way.
Although Chen Yuyang often wanted to tell Yun Lian to strike a balance, in the end, he never brought it up.
Nowadays, he tried his best to minimize conversations with Yun Lian.
Because over this month and a half, the girl had become much more proactive.
Flirtatious remarks, accidental touches, brushing against him.
And, through this set of sword dances, deliberate temptation.
Therefore, Chen Yuyang wanted to maintain a proper distance from her.
When the sword dance ended, beads of sweat formed on Yun Lian’s forehead.
She did not wipe them away but immediately looked toward the boy on the reclining chair.
The boy tilted his head back, relaxed, half-closing his eyes as if napping.
How infuriating, he wasn’t even watching her.
Could it be that senior brother is really just a block of wood?
But if that’s the case, then all her previous assumptions would be completely wrong?
Or maybe, senior brother is only like this with her, but for senior sister and Master, he welcomes anyone who comes?
Maybe he’s lost interest in women altogether after being wrung out by Master and senior sister, so her flirting, though tempting, still can’t compare to the real thing.
But if she couldn’t even tempt him, how could she progress to the next step?
She wanted the Pure Yang Origin too.
Thinking about it, Yun Lian felt an itch in her heart.
What a pity, she had no way to force things.
Otherwise, how could she let him live so leisurely?
Resentful, she muttered inwardly, then approached with her sword.
“Senior brother, senior brother!”
“Huh? You’re done practicing?”
Chen Yuyang awoke as if from a dream, sat up, and scratched his head.
“Mm, I’m finished practicing…”
Yun Lian bit her lip, then leaned in so close she was almost whispering in his ear:
“Senior brother, look—I’m covered in sweat. Could I use your room to bathe and change?”
Yun Lian felt her hint was more than obvious, almost to the point of stripping right in front of him.
Even if senior brother were a block of wood, he should realize she was trying to express closeness.
“Oh, so you’re not practicing anymore?”
Chen Yuyang straightened up, not agreeing right away but asking instead.
“Mm, I’m a bit tired already. I’ll stop here for today.”
Yun Lian replied, already thinking about what kind of sounds she should make while bathing later to draw his attention.
“Alright, junior sister, please help yourself. Since you’re done training here, I actually have some matters to attend to at the main hall.”
As he spoke, Chen Yuyang got up and made as if to leave.
Yun Lian glared, watching the boy walk away without a second thought.
How infuriating—how could he just leave when a beauty was about to bathe in his room?
The thought made Yun Lian anxious, but she had no choice.
“Senior brother, what’s the matter you have to attend to? If it’s not urgent, could you wait for me a bit?”
She suddenly remembered, “Oh, I forgot to bring a change of clothes. Could I trouble you to fetch them from my place?”
Chen Yuyang scratched his head again, frowning: “What a hassle. Why don’t you just go back and bathe instead?”
Yun Lian: “….”
Speechless, she took a deep breath and simply hugged his arm, pouting.
“Don’t be like that, senior brother—you already promised me. Besides, I only feel relaxed and safe here with you, which even helps my cultivation. Senior brother, can’t you even help me with this?”
Chen Yuyang secretly rolled his eyes.
Since when did his room have such a function?
She was clearly being unreasonable.
Fine, junior sister, I’ll fetch your clothes.
Sighing inwardly, Chen Yuyang relented.
Yun Lian was instantly overjoyed, her face blooming with a brilliant smile: “Alright, senior brother, I’ll be waiting for you.”
Chen Yuyang shook his head, then flew off toward the mountain where Yun Lian’s courtyard was located.
Seeing the boy really leave, Yun Lian was elated.
Wonderful.
Finally, he’d fallen for it.
Fetching a girl’s personal garments—how could he not feel even the slightest ripple in his heart?
She would go bathe right away, and when he brought the clothes, she’d pretend to slip, tricking him into coming in.
At that point, if her beautiful figure collapsed in his arms, could he really stay calm?
And even if he managed to keep his composure, she could use the excuse of him having seen her body to force him to take responsibility.
Yun Lian imagined the entire process as she headed indoors.
But as soon as she took a step, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.
“Junior sister, I’ve got your clothes. I’m off to the main hall now.”
Yun Lian’s eyes widened in shock as she turned back, only to see a bundle of clothes wrapped in spiritual energy, and the boy’s figure quickly disappearing.
Wait, what…
Senior brother was too fast!
Did he tear open space or something?
Even if he did, how did he find her personal garments so quickly?
Yun Lian was flustered, and then confused, at a loss for what to do.
Should she still take a bath now?
While hesitating, Yun Lian suddenly sensed something and her eyes sharpened.
She quickly checked around—no one was there, and Chen Yuyang was gone—so she took a jade token from her storage ring.
“Elder sister?”
Yun Lian called uncertainly into the jade token.
“Do not attend the Pill Medicine Conference, no matter what.”
Only a short message came from within the communication jade.
Yun Lian’s pupils contracted.
She couldn’t refine pills and wasn’t planning to attend anyway.
Why would her sister warn her?
Was she worried about Yun Lian just showing up on site?
Could it be… the Holy Sect is planning something…
Meanwhile, Chen Yuyang quickly arrived at the sect’s main hall, where thick spiritual energy drifted in wisps of blue smoke.
Inside, Tai Lingxuan had been waiting for some time.
“Yuyang.”
Before the boy could speak, Tai Lingxuan turned eagerly at his presence.
“Master.”
Chen Yuyang cupped his hands and stepped forward.
Tai Lingxuan raised a hand, sending a storage ring his way.
“Here are the materials for the first round of Qi Gathering Pills. All are of the highest quality. With the Pill Medicine Conference approaching, even ordinary materials have soared several times in price and are hard to find. I had to visit several trading companies to gather these.”
“Also, I bought you a fifth-grade pill furnace on this trip. That alone cost nearly two thousand top-grade spirit stones.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Master.”
Chen Yuyang cupped his hands, showing respect.
Seeing his expression, Tai Lingxuan felt a twinge of discomfort.
They had already crossed that boundary, but because of the divide between master and disciple, he could only treat her with distant respect, while she longed to draw closer yet could not.
How long before she wouldn’t have to maintain appearances in front of him, and he could see her not as Master, but as a woman?
“You don’t need to be so stiff, Yuyang. These are all things you deserve.”
“If you stand out at the Pill Medicine Conference, you’ll bring glory to our Hehuan Sect.”
She patted his shoulder: “How have your preparations been during this time?”
“Yes, Master. I’m fully prepared.”
“Good. There are twenty days left before the Pill Medicine Conference. Dan Sect is far away, so we’ll set off in three days. There’s not much more I can do for you—if you need anything, just speak up, don’t hold back.”
Chen Yuyang nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked: “By the way, Master, will senior sister and junior sister be going this time?”
“Of course. Such a grand event—even if they’re not participating, it’s necessary to broaden their horizons. Greater knowledge leads to greater cultivation, which only benefits their training.”
Yet upon hearing everyone was going, Chen Yuyang couldn’t help frowning.
These days, what troubled him most was Yun Lian’s feelings for him.
He wasn’t oblivious to her hints—he just didn’t dare respond, for fear of inviting unnecessary complications.
If they went out, she would definitely look for opportunities to get close to him.
“Master, where will we be staying this time?”
Chen Yuyang asked quickly.
“In the inns in the towns beneath Dan Sect, of course.”
“But if you feel those secular places are too dusty and impure, I can ask Dan Sect if they can arrange a vacant courtyard for you.”
Though Tai Lingxuan didn’t have much sway in Dan Sect, she was willing to put aside her pride for Chen Yuyang.
“No need, no need!”
Chen Yuyang hurriedly waved his hands, then added, “Disciple would just like to stay in the room next to Master’s.”
Tai Lingxuan’s body trembled, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes, quickly followed by barely concealed delight.
Yuyang actually said he wanted to stay next door to her.
Did this mean Yuyang had realized something, or awakened some feelings, and wanted to get closer to her?
“When staying at the inn, making pills is bound to be noisy. I’m just afraid of disturbing others,” Chen Yuyang quickly explained.
But in truth, he just feared Yun Lian would sneak into his room late at night using the excuse of “being scared” or “uneasy.”
Staying next to Tai Lingxuan would probably keep junior sister in check.
Hearing this, Tai Lingxuan understood and felt a secret disappointment in her eyes.
So, it wasn’t because he wanted to break boundaries.
What a pity.
“Master!”
Just as Tai Lingxuan was feeling regret, a crisp voice rang out from outside the hall.
Chen Yuyang’s eyebrows rose slightly as he looked toward the entrance.
It was Ling Xi, her face full of pride, bouncing into the hall.
She cupped her hands respectfully toward Tai Lingxuan.
“Master, your disciple has finished secluded cultivation!”
“Eh, senior brother, you’re here too~”
With a mischievous glance at Chen Yuyang, Ling Xi raised her voice and reported proudly to Tai Lingxuan: “By sheer luck, I’ve fully mastered this Flood Dragon Scale. Not only is my cultivation stabilized, but I even accidentally broke through to the first stage of the Golden Core Realm yesterday!”
Chen Yuyang arched his brow slightly, realizing at last why this girl was acting so smug in front of him.