Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

Blue bricks and gray tiles, with upturned eaves.

The willow branches sway gently in the breeze, and the grass is trimmed neatly by the rain.

"Miss Xiao, this way please."

A pretty maid in a yellow dress led the way with a serene smile.

Xiao Lingjiang followed her to her residence.

Ning Yuan was right. His manor covered a vast area, with courtyards and pavilions on the mountaintop stretching as far as the eye could see.

Luodu was originally a place where the fortune of the Great Li Dragon Vein was gathered by a grand formation, and its inner city area was located in the center, making it a place full of spiritual energy.

Ning Yuan's residence was even more extravagant. He hardly needed to cultivate his internal energy; with each breath, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth would rush towards him, making it comparable to the blessed lands and grotto-heavens of immortal sects.

Practicing here is indeed a good choice.

Xiao Lingjiang pondered for a moment, and then seemed to remember something.

"Master, why have you been silent since just now?"

A cold, impatient voice echoed deep within Xiao Lingjiang's soul.

"I get so angry when I see disciples who are easily lured away by a few words."

Xiao Lingjiang frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied.

"I am not one of those infatuated women with their minds filled with romantic notions. This is merely a temporary measure. I have not truly submitted myself to Ning Yuan. Besides, Young Master Ning took me in because he is an upright and reasonable person. The relationship between us is completely innocent!"

A cold, clear voice chuckled, seemingly uninterested in arguing, and directly stated its conclusion.

"Men are all the same!"

Xiao Lingjiang frowned slightly, and asked hesitantly, "Could it be that Master is experienced and has noticed something?"

"...No, that's not the case."

The cold voice was not easy to refute. She had woken up from endless darkness and had forgotten many memories, especially her own past.

However, she instinctively sensed that the boy named Ning Yuan was hiding something.

Xiao Lingjiang felt a little relieved. Under her parents' supervision, she began cultivating from a young age. She rarely interacted with men or even outsiders, focusing solely on the Great Dao.

But the world is cold and indifferent, and her own people taught her how to survive.

Even if they are from aristocratic families, they are still exploited if they do not have real skills.

Talent alone is not enough; you also need ability and connections.

If Ning Yuan hadn't stopped her, Xiao Lingjiang had planned to become a rogue cultivator if she couldn't join a sect.

It's quite normal for low-level cultivators to be in dire straits, lacking resources, and fighting each other over small gains.

Facing those people, Xiao Lingjiang believed she could attack without any scruples. With her master by her side and no shortage of cultivation techniques, she could hone her skills, improve her cultivation level through combat, and then make further plans.

However, with the help of Ning Yuan, the son of the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom, there is now room for maneuver.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly, Xiao Lingjiang called out to the maid in front of her.

Her eyes shone brightly, and she asked with a smile, "I wonder what your young master usually does at the manor?"

The maid turned around and curtsied, hesitating whether to answer the question.

A servant like her naturally had no right to discuss her master's actions, but the Miss Xiao in front of her was clearly different and had a special status.

She is the first woman Ning Yuan has brought home in over a decade. She might become the mistress of the house in the future. If he offends her now, he won't have a good time later.

So the maid decided to answer honestly.

She smiled and replied, "Most of the time, young master spends his days learning to play the zither, stringed instruments, and flute in the mansion, and occasionally reading Taoist scriptures and the Four Books."

Xiao Lingjiang naturally did not have the ability to discern people's hearts like Chu Lingci.

But with her keen eye, she can still easily judge whether a person is abnormal by observing their breathing, heartbeat, and posture.

The maid before him remained calm and composed, her expression unchanged.

If she was completely faking it, then Xiao Lingjiang really had no way to understand. Who would have thought that a random maid would have such a temperament?

However, Xiao Lingjiang believed that 90% of what she said was true, and the rest was probably pretty much the same.

The maid was indeed not lying.

In addition to his realm and combat power, Ning Muxian also possesses five unique skills, making him famous throughout Dali.

Music, divination, battle formations, alchemy, and talismans.

This is why Ning Muxian only accepted five disciples under his name.

Among them, Qiao Shuang learned Ning Muxian's musical skills and followed the path of music. She quickly stood out and was known as the Fairy of Spiritual Music.

Although Qiao Shuang would not disobey Ning Yuan's orders in normal times, she would teach him to play the zither whenever she had free time, hoping that the prodigal son would turn over a new leaf and inherit his master's mantle.

Upon receiving such a reply, Xiao Lingjiang felt a sense of pride for some reason.

She specifically responded in her mind, "I knew it! How about that? No matter how much someone pretends, they can't possibly pretend at home for sixteen years, right?"

There was complete silence on the other end.

Xiao Lingjiang suppressed her emotions and regained her composure.

"By the way, from now on, I look forward to your guidance."

The maid looked around and then confirmed that Xiao Lingjiang was calling for her.

"From today onwards, I am also Young Master Ning's maid. You are my seniors, and we are all of equal status, so there's no need to be so polite."

Xiao Lingjiang's smile was radiant.

The maid was stunned for a moment, and her serene smile vanished.

...

...

Ning Yuan put down his teacup and stretched, when a faint fragrance permeated the surroundings.

His gaze shifted and landed on that slender, elegant, and graceful figure.

"Oh, Da Qiao, what's wrong?"

What else could it be? So much has clearly happened in the last two days.

First, he kidnapped and coerced two true disciples of the Taiyi Sword Sect, and then publicly displayed his superb swordsmanship at a banquet for aristocratic disciples.

All of this was a side of Ning Yuan that she had never seen before!

These changes are certainly good things, but they make Qiao Shuang feel unfamiliar with them.

Ning Yuan was raised under her care, but now the boy is estranged from her and has secrets she doesn't know.

Thinking of this, Qiao Shuang felt a little sad.

If it weren't for that deep-seated sense of intimacy and familiarity, coupled with the personal approval of Master Ning Muxian after ascending to the Heavenly Gate.

Qiao Shuang almost couldn't hold back and threatened the other party with her sword, demanding that he return the real Ning Yuan to her!

Seeing that her maid hadn't said a word for a long time.

Ning Yuan smiled, stood up, walked over, and gently pulled the other person into his arms.

Its beauty surpasses that of the past and present, even the lotus flower is ashamed of its jade-like face.

Today, Qiao Shuang wore a light green waist-length ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a half-draped rainbow feather robe draped over her shoulders. The front of the dress was tightly stretched, giving her an air of humility and open-mindedness.

Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly moist, and her red lips were tinged with crimson. She was beautiful and mature, yet also possessed the tenderness and shyness of a young girl.

Ning Yuan gently brushed aside the strands of hair on Qiao Shuang's forehead with his right hand, gazing at her charming face for a moment. He then ran his finger along her forehead and whispered, "We are very close. Just say what you want to say, and I will tell you everything I can."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Shuang, who had been quietly nestled in the boy's arms, could no longer contain herself. She bit her lower lip lightly, and the usually calm, reliable, dignified, and skillful girl showed a rare hint of coquettishness and dissatisfaction.

"First there was Zhu Qixian, then this Xiao Lingjiang; you've taken in two maids already!"