It was night.

The dark night sky was star-studded and cloudless for ten thousand miles, the Milky Way brilliant and dazzling—okay, Xiao Yu couldn’t make this up anymore.
There wasn’t a single star tonight, and it even happened to be a lunar eclipse, making the night a shade darker than usual.

Peng!

A flicker of firelight leaped out in the darkness, casting a bit of light.
Bai Yan had finally found the candles stored in the house and lit one.

Instantly, Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up.
He stood at the door, looking at the house, and hesitated for a moment before finally stepping inside.

With nowhere else to sleep, he had no choice but to make do in his disciple’s room for the night.

Bai Yan’s residence was just a bamboo house, one that Xiao Yu had built for her himself using local materials.
After all, Great Bamboo Sword Peak… Great Bamboo Sword Peak, as the name implied, had an abundance of bamboo, and their shape was sharp, like a sword pointing towards the sky.

The peak of Great Bamboo Sword Peak wasn’t large, and it faced Spirit Fox Peak in the distance.
The peak’s specialty was a spirit plant called Snow Ink Sword Bamboo.
Snow Ink Sword Bamboo was tall and straight, with a color gradient from snow ink at the base to silver-white at the top.
Its surface was moist and smooth, and it even emitted an extraordinary spiritual halo.

Therefore, it had excellent spiritual conductivity and was often procured as raw material for the wooden swords used by sect disciples for training.
It was the main source of income for Xiao Yu and his disciple on Gathering Demon Island.

Upon entering the room, a simple and unadorned atmosphere washed over him.
Unlike other girls’ rooms, Bai Yan’s room had few decorations.
Besides a bed, a table, and a cabinet against the wall, there were no other objects.

It was very much in Bai Yan’s style.

While Xiao Yu secretly nodded in approval, he also worried about her future.
Having no emotions was not a good thing, but there was no cure for it at the moment.
He could only take it one step at a time.

In any case, he was retired now, so he would have plenty of time to spend with Bai Yan in the future.

With that thought, Xiao Yu familiarly took a set of bedding from the cabinet against the wall and spread it on the floor, preparing to make a floor bed for the night.

Tomorrow, he could go find those brothers from Divine Machine Peak and commission them to build a bamboo house.
It was better to have professionals handle professional matters.
With the speed of Craftsman cultivators, building an ordinary bamboo house would probably only take a day.

Tug~

While he was thinking, Bai Yan, who had been watching him make the floor bed, suddenly stepped forward and tugged on the corner of his sleeve.

“Hm? Xiao Yan, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yu thought something was amiss and turned his head to ask with concern.

Bai Yan extended her slender white finger and pointed at the bed not far away, saying concisely, “Bed… together… floor cold.”

Bai Yan had a cold and aloof nature and was taciturn.
She didn’t talk much on a daily basis and would only say a few words when facing Xiao Yu.
But her speech was usually abbreviated to a few words, which was simple and convenient.

Having lived together for many years, Xiao Yu naturally understood what she meant.
It was nothing more than: my bed is quite big, we can sleep together.

Sleep together?

Looking at the sleepy-eyed girl who was already starting to yawn, Xiao Yu decisively chose to refuse:

“No, men and women should not be so intimate. It’s just for one night. Master, I… eh!”

But he was only halfway through his sentence when Bai Yan, without another word, grabbed his arm and started walking towards the bed, giving him no chance to react.

“Stop, stop… damn, this girl… how did she get so strong?”

Although Bai Yan was Xiao Yu’s disciple, in reality, Xiao Yu, as her master, had never taught her any cultivation techniques.
The term “master and disciple” was somewhat of a misnomer.

The reason for this was simple.
It wasn’t that Xiao Yu was unwilling to teach, but because Bai Yan had a Heaven-Jealous Body, without spiritual roots, she was unable to cultivate.
To put it bluntly, she had a trash constitution, unable to even become a common martial artist who had no prerequisites.

Although Li Yunshang from before also couldn’t cultivate, as one of the female leads, how could it be that simple?
She had the legendary Nine-Spirits Absolute Orifice Body, a type that accumulated power over time.
With the guidance of a special spiritual object, she could successfully embark on the path of cultivation.
It was a completely different matter from Bai Yan, who couldn’t cultivate at all.

Therefore, at this moment, being pulled along by Bai Yan, Xiao Yu, who dared not struggle too hard, felt a hint of surprise.
This strength, while not overwhelmingly powerful, was definitely much greater than that of an uncultivated mortal.

As a cultivator, Xiao Yu couldn’t easily use his spiritual power.
What if he accidentally hurt her?
Xiao Yan was also stubborn.
Once she set her mind on something, she would see it through to the end, even if it killed her.
In this regard, she was just like Xiao Yu.

But right now… sigh!

Helpless, Xiao Yu could only comply with Bai Yan’s idea.
Thinking about it this way: he, her parent figure, had been away for a long time.
The child wanted to be a little closer and sleep together.
What was wrong with that?

“Alright, I’ll sleep on the bed tonight. You let go first. I’ll put away the bedding. Leaving it on the floor for a night will make it damp.”

Hearing this, Bai Yan finally released her grip on Xiao Yu’s arm.

****

‘Who am I?’

‘Where am I?’

‘This smells so good! No…! What am I supposed to be doing?’

At night, in Bai Yan’s room, Xiao Yu, lying on the bed and smelling the faint fragrance from the girl beside him, fell into deep thought.

He originally thought that as a virgin in two lifetimes, he might not be able to handle sleeping in the same bed as a girl.
But if it was Bai Yan, it should be fine.
After all, he had even seen her in her “vacuum state” and was used to it when he bathed her, although she was still very young back then.

But now… he realized he had severely overestimated himself.

He couldn’t sleep at all!!!

Let me ask you, at night, when a young, graceful, beautiful, and slightly dorky and cute girl is lying next to you, and you can even smell the faint fragrance wafting from her.

Can’t you fall asleep?

How can you sleep at your age!

‘Indeed… the child has grown up!’

Xiao Yu sighed inwardly, then closed his eyes and silently counted sheep, seeing if he could fall asleep.

However, the usually effective sleep aid had no effect this time.

Because Bai Yan rolled over and pressed her entire body heavily on him. 

Feeling the warmth that was almost sinking into his arm, Xiao Yu opened his eyes and found a pair of gray-blue eyes staring at him silently. In the dim light, the woman was wearing a thin gauze dress, and his snow-white skin could be vaguely seen underneath the gauze, looking fragrant and soft.

Xiao Yu’s breathing almost stopped for a few seconds at this moment.

“Can’t sleep again?” He said as he turned his head to the side and looked at the night view outside the window. Bai Yan had insomnia since she was a child, and it was often Xiao Yu who told her stories and coaxed her to sleep for a long time.

Bai Yan nodded and poked Xiao Yu’s shoulder a few times with her chin.

“Ahem, okay, then let me tell you the story of Snow White! A long, long time ago…” Xiao Yu coughed a few times, and just as he opened his mouth, he saw Bai Yan shaking her head. Her lead-like black hair with a fresh fragrance swept across his nose. Xiao Yu felt itchy, and even wanted to ask what shampoo she used? It smelled so good.

“So… Cinderella?”

Bai Yan shook his head.

“So…Prince Charming?”

Click~

This time, Bai Yan didn’t shake her head. Instead, she came up and gently bit Xiao Yu’s shoulder. The girl bit it with her pearly teeth, as if she was grinding her teeth. Her warm saliva penetrated the clothes and reached her skin, bringing a burst of heat.

This is Bai Yan’s usual way of expressing his dissatisfaction. If he continues like this, the next move will probably be a chokehold and a throw.

Xiao Yu had no choice but to turn his head back and look at the naughty disciple beside him.

Just then, she opened her mouth, and her pink, moist tongue flashed beneath her white teeth.

“Outside… what did you do,” she said, her voice ethereal, with a hint of mistiness.

‘So she wants to hear about what I did outside!’

Xiao Yu understood. He thought for a moment and said, “What Master did outside was nothing much, just did some things for others. It was very boring. Why don’t I tell you a story instead? It’s probably a novel. The protagonist in it is called Ye Feng, he…”

Bai Yan wrapped an arm around Xiao Yu’s neck in a lock. Feeling the fine, smooth touch on his neck, Xiao Yu quickly said, “Alright, alright… I know you want to hear my story. I’ll tell it, okay?”

Only then did Bai Yan release her arm.

Helpless, Xiao Yu had no choice but to recount his years as the protagonist’s stand-in to Bai Yan, like telling a story.

After he finished, seeing that Bai Yan was still not sleepy, he began to tell her the plot of the novel as a story.

This time, Bai Yan didn’t refuse. Her beautiful eyes quietly watched Xiao Yu, listening to the story he told, and a strange light flickered in the depths of her calm eyes.

Unconsciously, the night deepened.

Under Xiao Yu’s deliberate attempts to lull her to sleep, Bai Yan closed her eyes and fell asleep. He glanced at her, confirmed she was sound asleep, and prepared to get out of bed to sleep elsewhere.

After all, the child had grown up, and it really wasn’t appropriate for them to sleep together anymore. However, Bai Yan held on tightly, clinging to Xiao Yu like a koala.

Helpless, Xiao Yu had to give up the idea of getting out of bed. He struggled for a while, then, smelling the faint fragrance from the girl beside him, he fell into deep thought.

‘This sleeping posture and habit are still the same as when she was a child!’

‘In that regard, she hasn’t changed much.’

‘Speaking of which, I owe Xiao Yan a lot.’

‘I haven’t been back for so many years, I almost missed a girl’s most beautiful period.’

‘Xiao Yan can’t cultivate. She’s a mortal, and her lifespan is only a hundred years.’

‘In the days to come, I really should spend more time with her!’

For no reason, a sentence came to Xiao Yu’s mind: Don’t let waiting become a regret!

In the faint fragrance, Xiao Yu thought idly and gradually fell asleep.

Almost at the same moment Xiao Yu closed his eyes, Bai Yan, who had been asleep, opened hers. Her eyes were clear and her spirit was high, showing no sign of her previous drowsiness.

Looking at the man who had gone to great lengths to patiently coax her to sleep, Bai Yan’s gray-blue eyes brightened slightly, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, fleeting but incredibly brilliant.

Taking advantage of the lack of attention, the woman in the darkness quietly leaned over and pressed her lips to the man’s ear. Her cherry lips parted, her breath like orchids, and she whispered softly, “Welcome back… Master.”

For some reason, Xiao Yu slept very soundly and was not awakened by the woman’s small movements.

The night passed without a word.

The next day, Xiao Yu, who had successfully slept until noon, woke up. Looking at Bai Yan nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly, he realized a serious problem. If he went to find the people from Golden Stone Peak now to build a bamboo house, could they finish it before dark tonight?

The answer was, without a doubt, impossible.

Then tonight…

Sleep with Bai Yan again?

Remembering the torturous previous night, and his arm that had gone numb from being used as Bai Yan’s pillow.

Thus, Xiao Yu shamefully fled.

“Many thanks, Brother Liu, for taking me in. I will never forget your great kindness.”

Liu Shicheng, who had been dragged out of his bed in the middle of the night, his eyes heavy with sleep, said, “Huh?”

Meanwhile, in the Heaven Beyond Heavens, within the Dao藏 Palace.

Dao stared at the scroll, at the image of Li Yunshang holding her face, covered in blood with a sickly smile. She was completely stunned on the spot.

Something big had happened