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Dinner was served in an open pavilion overlooking the water in the villa.

The interior of the pavilion is elegantly furnished and open on all sides, with bamboo curtains hanging down. The evening breeze carries the moisture from the pond and the fragrance of lotus leaves into the pavilion.

The maids served the dishes silently, their movements light and efficient. The dishes were not extravagant, but extremely exquisite, in line with Yi Huawei's usual tastes and also reflecting the local produce of Sichuan.

The staple food was newly harvested japonica rice, steamed until each grain was distinct, translucent white like jade, and served in a delicate white porcelain bowl. Several side dishes accompanied the meal: one dish was Sichuan-style pickled scallions, tangy, spicy, and crisp, extremely appetizing; another dish was stir-fried seasonal wild vegetables, cooked quickly over a low heat with only a little salt and lard, their vibrant green color retaining the fresh scent of the wild; and a third dish was Chengdu specialty, sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings, so translucent that it casts shadows when held up to the light.

The main dish is a freshly caught fish from the pond, steamed with a light scallion oil sauce. The fish is tender and white, seasoned only with scallion strips and a little soy sauce, which brings out the fish's natural sweetness to the fullest. A small pot of carefully simmered chicken soup is also served. The broth is clear, with all the surface oil skimmed off, leaving only a golden color and a rich, savory aroma. A few red dates are nestled in it, making it nourishing without being too heaty.

Yi Huawei ate quietly, his movements slow and gentle, chewing silently. Wanwan sat to his left, also suppressing her usual liveliness, eating her food in small bites, but her eyes would occasionally dart towards the figure in the blue robe at the head of the table.

After the meal, the maid cleared away the leftovers and served fragrant tea and warm water for washing hands. Yi Huawei rinsed his mouth and washed his hands, and then a maid came forward with toiletries, asking softly, "Alliance Leader, would you like to wash up now?"

Before Yi Huawei could speak, Wanwan's eyes lit up. She stood up first, walked to the maid, and smilingly accepted the copper basin containing warm water and a clean towel, as well as the wooden comb with a rhinoceros horn back and fine jade teeth.

"Let me do it, you all go and rest."

The sound was crisp and clear, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The maid paused slightly, then glanced at Yi Huawei instinctively. Seeing that Yi Huawei did not object and merely nodded casually, she bowed respectfully and quietly left the open pavilion with the other maids.

For a moment, only the two of them remained in the pavilion. The evening breeze rustled the bamboo curtains, and the faint croaking of frogs could be heard in the distance.

Wanwan carried the copper basin and walked behind Yi Huawei.

Yi Huawei sat in the large rosewood armchair with his back to her. He was tall and straight, and his long, dark hair was not tied up but casually draped over his shoulders. His hair was of excellent quality and flowed with a black satin-like luster under the bright candlelight in the room.

Wanwan placed the copper basin on a high table to the side, soaked a soft towel, and gently wrung it out, her movements carrying a rare caution and gentleness.

"Alliance Leader, Wanwan will help you wash your face."

Wanwan spoke softly, placing a slightly damp, warm handkerchief over Yi Huawei's forehead, then gently wiping his cheeks and chin. Through the handkerchief, she could feel the warmth of his skin and an unfathomable, dormant volcano-like power beneath it. Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Yi Huawei kept his eyes closed, letting her do as she pleased, his expression remaining calm.

After washing her face, Wanwan put the towel back in the basin, and then she combed her hair.

Wanwan picked up the exquisite rhinoceros horn comb, stood behind Yi Huawei, took a slight breath, and gently gathered a strand of his long hair. The hair felt cool and smooth to the touch, like the finest silk, yet possessed a strange resilience.

Wanwan began to carefully comb his hair, starting from the ends and working her way upwards, her movements gentle, as if afraid of hurting him. The comb teeth brushed against the thick strands of hair, making a soft, rhythmic rustling sound that was particularly clear in the quiet night.

She was very close and could smell a very light, unique scent emanating from him, like the scent of grass after rain mixed with the coldness of a snow-capped mountain—completely different from the faint, alluring sweet fragrance on her. This scent made Wanwan's heart flutter, but she forced herself to calm down and focus on the movements in her hands.

Yi Huawei's hair was very long, almost reaching his waist, and extremely thick. Wanwan patiently combed it strand by strand, removing any barely noticeable dust and restoring each strand to its smoothest state. Occasionally, her fingers would inadvertently touch the skin on his neck or behind his ears; the warm touch made her fingertips tremble slightly, but he seemed completely unaware.

Under the light, Wanwan looked at Yi Huawei's well-defined profile, his tightly closed eyes, his long, thick eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyelids, his straight nose, his pale lips... She subconsciously pursed her red lips.

Normally, she wouldn't dare to scrutinize him so openly, but now, taking advantage of the opportunity to comb her hair, she got a good look at him and couldn't help but sigh in her heart, "The Alliance Leader... is indeed extremely handsome, but his overall demeanor is too transcendent, making people dare not harbor any disrespectful thoughts."

"The leader's hair is really nice."

Wanwan couldn't help but whisper a word of praise, breaking the silence with a hint of softness in her voice that she herself didn't realize.

Yi Huawei did not open his eyes, but simply gave a faint "hmm" in response.

Wanwan smiled and continued what she was doing. She combed her hair carefully and seemed to enjoy the process. It felt like a silent intimacy, a tacitly approved closeness. She even began to imagine that it wouldn't be so bad if things could continue like this.

However, just as Wanwan's heart was beginning to flutter, Yi Huawei suddenly spoke: "Wanwan."

"Ah? What are your orders, Alliance Leader?"

Wanwan immediately composed herself and replied.

Yi Huawei asked, "How is your progress with the Heavenly Demon Technique?"

Wanwan's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the Alliance Leader was testing her. She quickly replied, "Reporting to the Alliance Leader, thanks to your generous gift, after the transmission of power that day, Wanwan has stabilized at the seventeenth level. My true energy is several times more abundant than before, and its circulation is more smooth and free. However... the many changes and subtleties beyond the seventeenth level still require time to carefully comprehend and refine."

"Ah."

Yi Huawei responded again indifferently: "The seventeenth floor is a threshold. Only by crossing it can one truly enter the inner sanctum. The circulation of true qi should be like the ebb and flow of the tide. It should be activated when the mind moves and stopped when the thought ceases. Do not force it, nor should you slack off."

These few words, however brief, pointed directly to the key to cultivating the seventeenth level of the Heavenly Demon Art, precisely the crucial point that Wanwan had vaguely sensed but couldn't quite grasp recently. Her mind cleared instantly, and she quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes! Wanwan will remember the Alliance Master's instructions!"

As Wanwan combed the hair at the nape of his neck with the wooden comb in her hand, she suddenly felt a slight warmth on the skin beneath her fingers. It was as if an extremely subtle yet pure warm current was seeping through the comb teeth and quietly into her fingertips, then flowing slowly along the meridians of her arm into her dantian.

The warm current was gentle and vast. When it met her own yin and unpredictable demonic true energy, it did not cause any conflict. Instead, it quickly merged with her like sweet rain nourishing parched soil, making her already surging true energy seem to condense and strengthen even more.

Wanwan's delicate body trembled slightly, her eyes revealing an incredulous joy. She immediately understood that the Alliance Leader was using the opportunity of combing her hair to once again guide and assist her cultivation through some mysterious means!
She dared not make a sound to disturb them, but instead made her combing movements even gentler and more focused.

Yi Huawei remained silent with his eyes closed, as if the subtle transfer of power he had just experienced was merely an illusion.

After a long while, Wanwan finally combed his long, ink-black hair until it was smooth and glossy. She took a simple blue hairband and carefully tied it around the ends of his hair, leaving it loose, which added to his casual and unrestrained look.

After doing all this, Wanwan took a step back, looked at her "work," and a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Leader, it's all combed."

Yi Huawei slowly opened his eyes, not looking at Wanwan behind him, but casually moved his neck and said lightly, "Well, you should go and rest too."

"Yes."

Wanwan bowed respectfully, picked up the copper basin, and walked briskly out of the open pavilion. As she reached the door, she couldn't help but turn back for one last look.

Under the lamplight, a man in a blue robe and with dark hair sat quietly on a chair, his back still upright and aloof, as if he had become one with the night and the waterside pavilion, as if it had been so since time immemorial.

Wanwan pursed her lips, the inexplicable emotions in her heart rippling like a pebble thrown into a lake. She turned and disappeared into the night, her bare feet touching the ground silently, like a red udumbara blooming in the darkness.

As night deepened, the autumn wind carried a bone-chilling cold, swirling the mostly fallen leaves in the courtyard with a soft rustling sound. The Lotus Rest Courtyard remained silent in the night, with only a few scattered lights stubbornly shining in the cold wind.

Wanwan had just finished bathing, her body still enveloped in warm steam. She had changed into a thinner, crimson gauze dress, the hem barely reaching her knees, revealing her straight, fair legs and her pristine, jade-like feet. Her long, damp hair hadn't been carefully dried; it cascaded loosely over her shoulders, water droplets still clinging to the ends, landing on her delicate collarbone before slipping into the depths of her garment. Her skin, flushed with a faint pink after the bath, softened her usual allure, gaining instead a pure, ethereal beauty, like a lotus emerging from clear water. Yet, the unique charm of a descendant of the Yin Kui School, revealed in her eyes, was all the more captivating.

Barefoot on the cool corridor floor, Wanwan arrived at the main courtyard where Yi Huawei lived. The courtyard was quiet, with only a solitary lamp flickering under the eaves. A maid on night watch saw her and quickly bowed.

"Has the Alliance Leader gone to rest?" Wanwan asked softly, her gaze fixed on the tightly closed door.

The maidservant respectfully replied, "Miss Wanwan, the Alliance Leader did not rest. He said the room was stuffy and went for a walk in the back mountain."

"Back mountain?"

Wanwan frowned slightly, waved her hand to dismiss the maid, thought for a moment, then turned and walked along the path leading to the back mountain.

The further she went into the mountains, the sparser the lights became, and the cold grew stronger. The icy mountain wind pierced through her thin gauze dress, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. The powerful demonic energy within her body circulated on its own, dispelling the chill, and her bare feet, stepping on the frost-covered withered grass and stone steps, actually brought a cool sensation.

The main peak wasn't particularly high, but even for ordinary people, climbing it at night was no easy feat. Wanwan's figure swayed elusively, like a red sprite in the darkness, and in a few leaps, she was already close to the summit. The higher she climbed, the wider the view became, and the fiercer the night wind grew, causing her skirt to flutter and her wet hair to fly wildly.

At the summit, there was a relatively flat clearing with several jagged rocks standing out. At this moment, a figure in a green robe stood with his hands behind his back on the highest boulder, gazing up at the dark blue sky.

His blue robe fluttered in the biting wind, yet his figure remained as steady as a rock, seemingly one with the mountain rocks beneath his feet. In the night sky, stars were few, and a crescent moon cast its cool light, outlining his solitary and upright silhouette, carrying a sense of desolate loneliness and isolation.

Wanwan tiptoed to the foot of the rock, looked up at the figure, and was momentarily captivated. She felt as if the Alliance Leader might ride the wind and return at any moment, merging into the boundless starry sky and moonlight.

"Alliance leader."

Wanwan called out softly, her voice scattering in the wind on the empty mountaintop.

Yi Huawei did not turn around, but simply gave a faint "hmm" as if he knew.

With a light touch of her toes, Wanwan's crimson figure gracefully leaped onto the giant rock, landing slightly behind Yi Huawei. The closer they were, the more they could feel the ancient tranquility and vastness emanating from it. Following his gaze, they saw only scattered lights of Chengdu city in the distance below, like fireflies, while beyond that lay a blurry expanse of darkness. The vastness of heaven and earth seemed to consist only of the two of them atop the mountain, and the endless cold wind and pale moonlight.

"Alliance Leader, it's so late, why are you here alone on the mountaintop? It's getting chilly."

Wanwan gathered her damp hair, which had been ruffled by the wind, and spoke with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Meditation."

Yi Huawei's answer was concise, his gaze remaining fixed on the distant night sky, as if observing star trails, or perhaps simply spacing out.

Wanwan remained silent for a moment. The cold wind on the mountaintop made her shiver slightly, but the flow of internal energy quickly dispelled the discomfort. Looking at Yi Huawei's calm and composed profile, a strong impulse suddenly surged within her. On this solitary peak, under the cold moon, she wanted to do something, to express her current state of mind and the unspeakable emotions that filled her heart.

She bit her lower lip, a glint of determination mixed with allure flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, she stepped forward, turned to face Yi Huawei, tilted her pretty face up, and looked at him with brimming eyes, her voice carrying a touch of coquettishness:
"Alliance Leader, although the moon is not full tonight and the wind is a bit chilly, in this setting, Wanwan would like to dance for you, would you like?"

Wanwan tilted her head slightly, her long, damp hair brushing against her delicate cheeks in the wind. Her crimson gauze dress clung to her exquisite figure, outlining breathtaking curves in the moonlight. Her eyes shone brightly in the cool moonlight, as if they held whirlpools that could suck in one's soul.

Yi Huawei lowered his head, his gaze falling on her. His eyes remained calm, like a deep pool, reflecting no ripples, but he did not refuse.

This silent acquiescence filled Wanwan with joy.

Wanwan took a few steps back and stood on a relatively flat rock at the top of the mountain. She took a deep breath of the cold air, closed her eyes, and seemed to be gathering her emotions, mobilizing the Heavenly Demon True Qi around her.

A moment later, Wanwan suddenly opened her eyes!

Her entire demeanor changed instantly! She was no longer that naive young girl, but transformed into an elf under the moonlight, a bewitching lotus blooming in the darkness!

Without music, the sound of the wind in the sky and the faint sound of the pine trees in the distance are the best accompaniment.

With a light touch of his toes on the rock, his bare feet, as white as snow, began to spin.

At first, her movements were very slow and gentle, like a lone udumbara flower blooming under the moon, slowly unfurling its petals. Her arms moved softly, causing her wide gauze sleeves to trace graceful arcs, and her waist swayed gently, like a willow in the wind. Her wet, long hair flew wildly with her spins, flicking out tiny droplets of water that shimmered in the moonlight.

Gradually, the movements quickened, and the dance became increasingly unpredictable and graceful.

This is the secret technique of the Yin Kui Sect – the Heavenly Demon Dance!

Wanwan's figure seemed to transform into a red whirlwind, or a wisp of elusive smoke. At times, she swayed gracefully like a willow in the breeze, exuding endless allure and tenderness; at other times, she moved like a ghost in the night, flickering and shimmering, filled with unpredictable danger and murderous intent. Her scarlet gauze dress blossomed into one dazzling yet eerie red flower after another as she spun and leaped rapidly.

Her jade-like arms stretched out, sometimes like a white snake spitting its tongue, swift and cunning; sometimes like a swan stretching its neck, elegant and noble. Her slender waist seemed boneless, making all sorts of incredible twists and turns, outlining a breathtaking rhythm. Her bare feet were even more exquisite, touching, stepping, spinning, leaping, each step landing in the most unbelievable position, like dancing on a knife's edge, full of extreme beauty and power.

Wanwan infused her dance with the true energy of the Heavenly Demon Art, as if an invisible force field enveloped her, stirring the surrounding air and making her figure even more hazy and dreamlike. As her skirt fluttered, glimpses of her skin occasionally peeked out, appearing even more alluring and fair under the cool moonlight, yet possessing an untouchable and sinister charm.

Her gaze remained fixed on the figure in green robes standing silently on the rock. That gaze was complex and unfathomable, containing admiration, awe, dependence, ambition, and a reckless, moth-to-a-flame intensity. It was as if she were dancing with her entire being, pouring all her emotions and all her cultivation into this moonlit dance.

The cold wind seemed to aid her, blowing her long hair and dress, adding a touch of disheveled yet breathtaking beauty. The waning moonlight cast a silvery glow upon her, and her dancing red figure, on this desolate mountaintop, formed a picture of extreme allure and desolation.

Yi Huawei stood there quietly, his eyes still deep and unreadable, but if you looked closely, you might find a very subtle ripple flashing across the depths of his calm eyes.

Wanwan danced with increasing abandon, her inner demonic energy surging within her, perfectly harmonizing with the dance. She felt as if her spirit was about to detach from her body and merge into the moonlight and the heavens. Her dance became increasingly unrestrained and poignant, as if she were burning away the last vestiges of her life.

Finally, after an extremely rapid spin, Wanwan abruptly stopped, freezing in an incredibly flexible, backward-leaning pose. Arms outstretched, head tilted back, gazes upside down at the dark blue sky and the crescent moon. Her chest rose and fell slightly with heavy breathing, her scarlet gauze dress like a crimson lotus in full bloom, breathtakingly beautiful in the moonlight.

Time seems to stand still at this moment.

After a long while, Wanwan slowly finished her pose and stood up straight. Her breathing was slightly erratic, her cheeks were flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, mingling with the undried water droplets and glistening in the moonlight. Her eyes, as she looked at Yi Huawei, held a hint of expectation, a hint of trepidation, and the dreamy allure of a dancer.

Yi Huawei stared at her for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice still calm, yet seemingly carrying a subtle warmth that was more than the night breeze:

"The dance was good."

Just three words.

A smile instantly bloomed on Wanwan's face, brighter and more dazzling than a red lotus under the moonlight. Breathing softly, she walked to Yi Huawei's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him once more, gazing at the slumbering world below the mountain. (End of Chapter)