Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

Ning Yuan sheathed the Azure Nether Sword and let out a long sigh of relief.

Let's stop here for today.

Xiao Lingjiang lowered her eyelids and responded softly.

"Um."

She felt a pang of regret, as she felt she hadn't fully enjoyed herself yet.

His gaze drifted towards the distant green tree.

For some reason, the Fairy Lingyin has recently become more and more voluptuous, and her face is even more charming and delicate, and it is all so natural and harmonious.

But she has already become a Golden Core cultivator, so how can she still transform herself without any flaws?

Could it be that she used some secret method?

Just then, Qiao Shuang's gaze swept over, and the coldness in her eyes sent a shiver down one's spine.

But it was only for a glance.

After Ning Yuan passed by, Qiao Shuang withdrew her gaze and followed him away from the place.

This Fairy Lingyin truly lives up to her reputation as one of Ning Muxian's five disciples. Not only is she a Golden Core cultivator with stunning beauty, but as a figure on the Ascension Ranking, she exudes an extremely powerful aura.

"Ling Jiang, you've become a bit lax."

Suddenly, a clear, cold voice rang out in Xiao Lingjiang's soul.

"What?"

Xiao Lingjiang was slightly taken aback before she came to her senses, not understanding what her master was talking about.

"If you are truly fond of this young man, then study the scriptures I have taught you diligently and strive to awaken your bloodline as soon as possible to help me recover. At that time, even if he is a Pure Yang Dao Venerable, so what? No one can stop me. As long as you want, you can take him into your tent as a male concubine at any time, play with him as you please, and indulge in revelry day and night."

Xiao Lingjiang's pretty face flushed instantly. She didn't know what she was thinking, but she was immediately embarrassed and anxious. Her mouth went dry, and she almost couldn't help but cry out.

"Master, please don't speak nonsense! Young Master Ning and I are close friends; he has no such ulterior motives!"

As she spoke, Xiao Lingjiang couldn't help but feel somewhat discouraged, muttering to herself with a slightly self-deprecating expression, "Besides, I'm still someone's maid. I only have a peaceful place to cultivate thanks to them. Otherwise, if I had really escaped Dali, where would I find such leisure?"

She shook her head and sighed, "I don't regret the decision I made back then, but if I had met Young Master Ning sooner, perhaps the ending would have been different..."

A cool voice encouraged, "Think boldly. You still have me by your side, and that's enough."

Xiao Lingjiang shook her head again.

"After what I've experienced, I understand that strength and cultivation are the foundation of everything. Everything else is just empty talk. I shouldn't be too ambitious. Even if my current cultivation speed is far beyond what I used to be, I'm still far from reaching the threshold my master mentioned. The Crimson Abyss is too terrifying. With my meager cultivation level..."

The girl didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Being down-to-earth, improving one's skills, and honing one's craft are what she wants to do most right now.

There was nothing wrong with that, and the cold voice fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Lingjiang suddenly smiled and sighed, "What is lost on one front is gained on another. I can say that I have turned misfortune into blessing. If I hadn't gone mad with my cultivation and my essence hadn't soaked into the jade pendant my mother left me, I wouldn't have been able to awaken my master's soul. It's really a coincidence."

The cold voice remained silent for a long while before saying calmly, "You think it's a coincidence? Actually, no. Over the long years, countless people have obtained that jade pendant, but you are the only one who can simultaneously possess the bloodline of the Netherworld and happen to spray your essence blood onto the jade pendant. This is both accidental and inevitable. Xiao Lingjiang, you bear a great mission."

Xiao Lingjiang seemed to sense the solemnity in the cold voice, and she couldn't help but feel a little pressured and confused.

"What important mission?"

However, the cold voice suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Lingjiang frowned slightly, a hint of unease in her expression.

After Ning Yuan left, she had no intention of continuing to practice swordsmanship. Having received no further reply, she immediately decided to return to her room to cultivate.

...

...

Meanwhile, Ning Yuan and Qiao Shuang returned to the courtyard.

After closing the gate and dismissing the servants, only the lone man and woman remained in the courtyard.

Ning Yuan walked slowly ahead without looking back.

Qiao Shuang stood in the courtyard, her red lips slightly parted, but she swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

The boy pushed open the door to the inner room and turned back to urge, "I need to bathe and change. You, my head maid, are so inconsiderate. Hurry up and come."

Qiao Shuang's eyes lit up, and she immediately followed.

I'm back in the familiar bathhouse.

Ning Yuan immersed half of his body in the spiritual spring, his fair and refined slender upper body leaning against the edge of the pool, comfortably resting his head on Qiao Shuang's plump and soft thighs, his eyes closed, receiving the thoughtful massage service from his head maid.

A silent stillness spread through the steam.

Ning Yuan was the first to break the deadlock.

"Didn't we already talk things out? Why are you still in a bad mood?"

Qiao Shuangyu, who was massaging the boy's temples, paused slightly. She didn't argue, but simply said, "It's Da Qiao's own conscience that's bothering her. Please punish her, young master."

"Punishment?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan opened his eyes, wanting to catch a glimpse of Qiao Shuang's expression, but the sight of two full moons obscuring the sun and clouds dispelled his idea.

Helpless, Ning Yuan had no choice but to get up and leave that warm place he was so reluctant to leave.

Ignoring the water vapor around the pool, the woman in the green dress knelt by the pool, her posture respectful and her demeanor virtuous. Her soft and elegant figure was on full display, and one could easily admire her exquisite beauty through her collar.

Yet this beautiful woman, with her gentle and mature face, was filled with worry, making one wish to do everything in one's power to soothe the anxieties in her heart.

In fact, this period of happiness was something that the former Qiao Shuang could hardly have imagined.

The young master she had raised finally came to his senses, and his heartfelt words made her feel as if she were in a dream, realizing that her years of waiting had not been in vain.

Regardless of the reason, as long as the boy was still the same boy, Qiao Shuang happily threw herself into his arms after confirming this with her master.

The pent-up emotions erupted, and the pent-up passion that had nowhere to go was finally released, causing their relationship to heat up rapidly in the past few days.

As they grew closer, a selfish desire gradually sprouted and took root.

Whenever Qiao Shuang saw the young men and women, full of youthful vigor and exchanging joyful laughter, she felt dizzy and restless, wishing that everything before her eyes was just a painting, so she could pick up her sword and smash it to pieces.

If Qiao Shuang had never seen the light, she could have endured the darkness.

But after several nights of honesty and mutual affection, Qiao Shuang became increasingly inseparable from Ning Yuan.

Sometimes she would ask herself the same question.

"Qiao Shuang, you've cultivated for over thirty years, followed the Daoist Master, and achieved the Golden Core. Could it be that you can't even understand matters between men and women?"

But the answer was even more frustrating.

Looking back, it turns out that this little boy has already occupied half of her life, and she will be by his side for a long time to come.

To live for them, and to die for them.

What her master Ning Muxian had casually decreed to care for innocent young children became a curse that bound her for life.