Burial Furnace

Inside the dilapidated wooden house, a single lamp flickered dimly.

Lying on the bed was Zhang Yuan, who was already eighty years old, withered and frail, and long past his prime.

At that moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and stared in astonishment at the strange fairy who had suddenly appeared in front of his bed. He was completely stunned.

She was tall and slender, with an unparalleled beauty, fair and delicate skin, and an ethereal, aloof air, like a snow lotus quietly blooming atop a snow-capped mountain, pure, exquisite, and otherworldly.

Seeing that the old man had woken up, the fairy immediately raised her slender jade finger and gently touched her lips, making a shushing gesture, with a hint of shyness in her eyes.

In the next instant, she deftly removed her fairy robes and stored them all in her cloud-patterned storage bag. Then, she gently lifted the tattered quilt, lay down on her side on the bed, and quietly nestled in Zhang Yuan's arms.

Zhang Yuan was dumbfounded; his eyes almost popped out.

He cried out in disbelief to himself, "I must be having a wet dream! Sigh, I'm eighty years old, what am I still having wet dreams about? I don't even have many days left to live!"

Just then, a soft voice whispered in his ear, a gentle tone concealing a chilling warning: "Old man, I'm being hunted by my enemies and have nowhere to escape. I can only hide here temporarily, pretending to be your woman. You must cooperate carefully and absolutely not give yourself away."

"If this is exposed, I will die, and you will also suffer the same fate. If you manage to survive this ordeal, I will repay you handsomely and will never be indebted to you."

The fairy's voice was sweet and pleasant, softening the threat in her words.

"My God, is this not a dream?"

Zhang Yuan was greatly shaken and completely snapped out of his daze.

He had traveled to the Guangyuan Continent eighty years ago, experiencing a wealth of knowledge and experience, yet tonight's absurd and bizarre encounter still exceeded his comprehension.

After the initial shock, a deep sense of worry welled up inside me.

Once the fairy is discovered by the pursuers, he will inevitably be implicated and lose his life in vain.

However, he was born with a weak meridian and mixed spiritual roots of the five elements, and he was unable to embark on the path of cultivation in his entire life.

Now, he is too old and frail to refuse or resist.

We have no choice but to cooperate!

So he gently embraced the delicate body in his arms, quietly gazing at the peerless beauty so close before him. Her eyes were like autumn waters, her skin like jade, her figure slender and graceful, and a subtle fragrance lingered around her; every feature was utterly captivating.

The Guangyuan Continent is never short of beautiful women, and the female cultivators of the major sects are all outstanding in appearance and charming in style.

But Zhang Yuan had lived for eighty years and had seen all the beautiful women in the world, yet none of them could compare to even a tenth of the beauty in his arms.

The fairy noticed his unusual calmness, without the fear and panic of an ordinary person, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Soon, the village was filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps, rude shouts, barking dogs, and violent kicking of doors, which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

"Liu Ruxue! Let's see where you can hide now!"

"Hand over the Solidification Pill obediently, then come back with us! If you continue to resist, you'll be in for a world of hurt once we catch you!"

"Why be so ruthless? She is the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect, possessing a rare Heavenly Spiritual Root. Killing her would be a terrible waste! Capturing her to bear us offspring and produce genius descendants is the most worthwhile thing to do!"

"Search! Search house to house! She's badly injured; she couldn't have gone far!"

Zhang Yuan's heart trembled once again, and he finally realized the identity of the fairy in his arms.

The Saintess Sect is a top-tier righteous sect in the Western Continent, possessing immense power and a renowned reputation. Its disciples are all exceptionally beautiful female cultivators, chosen from among thousands, with outstanding talent, appearance, and temperament—the kind of beings countless cultivators dream of forming a romantic relationship with.

The Liu Ruxue in his arms was actually the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect, possessing a rare Heavenly Spiritual Root!

The Heavenly Spiritual Root is a top-tier talent in the cultivation world, allowing one to absorb and transform spiritual energy at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators.

With dedicated cultivation, one can steadily break through to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul stages, and may even have the potential to transcend tribulations and ascend to the Immortal Realm, making them a true cultivation prodigy.

Liu Ruxue leaned against him, her voice filled with anger and helplessness, and explained softly, "I found a Solidification Pill and several secret treasures in an ancient cave, but I inadvertently revealed my whereabouts, which attracted three rogue cultivators who coveted the treasures."

"I originally intended to intimidate them by mentioning the name of the Holy Maiden Sect, but these three are blinded by greed and have lost all conscience. They are not afraid of the sect's intimidation at all. Instead, they have their eyes on my Heavenly Spiritual Root bloodline and want to kidnap me to reproduce. I am only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, while they are all at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. I fought hard but was defeated and could only flee with injuries. Whether I can survive tonight depends entirely on you, old man."

An unprecedented feeling of pity welled up in Zhang Yuan's heart.

He finally experienced the cruelty of the cultivation world.

Women with good genes worry about having their bloodline used by others. Men with good genes worry about being possessed.

In this dog-eat-dog world, extraordinary talent is not necessarily a blessing; it could be a death sentence.

"You think you can fool them just by hiding in bed?"

Zhang Yuan raised questions.

Since it concerned the lives of two people, he had to be cautious.

"As long as we're being intimate, we should be able to fool them. Everyone knows that the disciples of the Holy Maiden Sect are pure and untainted by worldly affairs. As the Holy Maiden of the sect, I am even more so, with an impeccable reputation. I would never share a bed with an old man from the mortal realm." Liu Ruxue's voice was barely audible, tinged with a hint of shyness.

This method made her feel incredibly ashamed.

But I'm not too worried. An old man who's exhausted and nearing the end of his life can't possibly still have male functions. Intimacy can only be for show; it can't be real.

"That makes sense." Zhang Yuan agreed with her method.

This fairy is definitely beautiful, intelligent, and willing to go all out.

He also fully understood her intention in removing her clothes: the Saintess Sect's attire was highly recognizable and would easily expose their identities. At the same time, it would make the feigned intimacy more convincing.

"My lady, then I will proceed with my presumption."

Without further hesitation, Zhang Yuan slowly leaned down, about to kiss those delicate, red lips.

"Wait a minute..." Liu Ruxue frowned slightly, gently stopping them, still holding onto a sliver of hope, "Maybe they won't break in here."

She was unwilling to tarnish her innocence unless absolutely necessary.

Zhang Yuan stopped as instructed, but he also got closer to her. The faint fragrance became stronger, and taking a breath made him feel refreshed.

An unprecedented longing welled up within him, a longing to have something happen between them.

But I hope her luck comes true, then the two of them won't be in deep danger.

However, it is counterproductive.

The three men did not leave; their shouts and the sound of them kicking the door grew closer and closer.

Liu Ruxue's last shred of hope vanished completely, replaced by a mixture of shame and anxiety. She looked up at Zhang Yuan, her voice trembling slightly, yet carrying a resolute determination: "Father-in-law, things have come to this. Let's begin."

"You are the wife I've spent half my life savings to betroth, and tonight is our wedding night..."

After speaking softly, Zhang Yuan kissed her gently, as if on a pilgrimage…