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Yue Shichan had regained her mental clarity by the time she awoke the next morning.
The instant she opened her eyes, she sat upright, visibly on guard.
A moment later, she cried out in alarm.
The blanket slid down her body, revealing her almost uncovered top half. She wasn’t completely naked, but only a thin bodice remained to obscure her chest.
The look on her beautiful face shifted dramatically. Don’t tell me

“Relax. Nothing happened,” said a calm, familiar voice.
Yue Shichan turned to look and saw a young man in blue reclining on a nearby couch. Beneath the light of dawn, his handsome features shone with a gentle glow.
“Brother Su, what are you doing here?!?” Yue Shichan’s beautiful eyes widened. This didn’t feel real; it was almost as if she were still dreaming.
“If I weren’t here, Sikong Bao’s poison would have taken hold of you last night,” said Su Yi, rising from the couch. He pointed to the wooden cabinet beside the bed and said, “The clothes we prepared for you are in there. There’s a place to bathe off to the side. Once you’ve cleaned yourself up, remember to come downstairs for a meal.”
With that, he placed his hands behind his back and sauntered out of the room.
Yue Shichan looked dazed. Some time passed before she dared believe that she wasn’t dreaming.
Su Yi had saved her!
She gently clutched the soft blanket to her chest, and her taut heartstrings finally relaxed. At the same time, numerous questions flooded her mind.
I’ll have to ask Brother Su. Then I’ll know. Yue Shichan took a deep breath, then got out of bed.
When she did, she noticed that she had a red palm imprint on her abdomen. Her bright eyes widened.
Don’t tell me Brother Su stripped me last night and touched my
 don’t tell me he touched me there?
Doesn’t that mean he saw something he
 something he shouldn’t
?
Yue Shichan bit her pink lips, and her fair, jade-like features filled with uncertainty.
A moment later, she shook her head and got dressed.
The first floor of the pavilion.
Bai Wenqing had long since prepared their breakfast. It was steaming hot and fragrant.
Su Yi sat there dining with great relish. He had to say that Bai Wenqing’s culinary skills were extraordinary; both the meat and vegetable dishes were fresh and delectable.
Yuan Heng and Bai Wenqing sat to the side, but they couldn’t help but feel a bit reserved as they ate.
It was early in the morning, and the birds were chirping outside. The bamboo swayed beneath the soft morning light, its leaves rustling. The schools of colorful spirit carp played in the lotus pond, shaking the flowers. From time to time, they splashed in the water, the droplets creating rings of ripples.
It was calm and tranquil.
When Yue Shichan arrived on the first floor and saw this scene, her nervousness instantly faded.
“Brother Su.” She walked up to greet him.
Yuan Heng and Bai Wenqing couldn’t help but feel dazzled. She’s so pretty!
The young woman’s clothes were whiter than snow, and her skin was lustrous. Her melon seed-shaped face was so stunning, so ethereal, and so extraordinary that it was as if she’d walked out of a painting.
However, she was cold and aloof by nature. She wasn’t doing it on purpose; her icy temperament was in her very bones. Even gazing upon her from afar left others ashamed of their own unsightliness.
Su Yi nodded in her direction. “Sit down.”
Yue Shichan sat to his side. Surprisingly, she wasn’t at all reserved. She seemed calm and at ease.
However, it was obvious that she had no interest in food. She sat there, hesitated a moment, then asked, “Brother Su, might you tell me what happened?”
Su Yi gave her a concise, bare-bones rundown of what happened at the Song of the Sandy Creek.
After hearing the full story, Yue Shichan sighed in relief, then rose to express her gratitude. “Brother Su, many thanks for saving my life!”
Su Yi waved her gratitude away. “A trivial matter, that’s all. Sit down. No need to be so polite. I’d actually like to ask you what happened too. How did you fall into Sikong Bao’s hands?”
Yue Shichan thought for a moment, then told them the full story.
When she left the Great Zhou, she was alone save her sword, and she traversed countless mountains and bodies of water before finally reaching the Great Xia several months later.
After reaching the Great Xia, she encountered an increasing number of obstacles and difficulties.
Most of the strife and setbacks she encountered were connected to her unmatched good looks. After all, such a beauty was sure to attract attention wherever she went; it would have been hard to avoid attention even if she wanted to.
When she encountered such strife, she always refused to lower her head. Sword in hand, she cut herself a bloody path to safety.
However, she was, ultimately, a rootless drifter from the Great Zhou, and all of this conflict led to her offending numerous factions of cultivators.
Take this time, for instance. It was because she killed two of Sikong Bao’s subordinates that, not long after arriving in Nine Tripod City, Sikong Bao and his followers targeted her. After a bitter struggle, she was, unfortunately, captured.
Her tone was simple and casual, and she told the story without any emotion.
Nonetheless, Yuan Heng and Bai Wenqing’s hearts shook.
This unmatched beauty of a young woman, armed with nothing but her sword, killed her way to Nine Tripod City? How much danger and adversity must she have overcome along the way? How many life-and-death trials did she face?
This was the Great Xia!
Yue Shichan was only in the Origin Palace Realm, and she traveled all on her own. It must have been extraordinarily difficult to get this far.
Su Yi was a bit rueful too, but he felt gratified to discover that Yue Shichan was just as she was before: stubborn and proud. Her time in the Great Xia hadn’t worn away her pride.
Qiu Hengkong had, after experiencing his fill of the world’s trials and understanding the gap between himself and others, chosen to enter the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect. He’d chosen to endure.
In his shoes, the vast majority of cultivators would have made a similar choice.
But Yue Shichan was different.
No matter how much adversity she encountered and how many trials she overcame, her temperament was just as it had been before!
This was the heart of one who pursued the Dao. She bravely forged her own path, and she never lowered her head.
This was precisely what Su Yi admired the most about her.
Sword cultivators ought to live without fear of death or defeat. No matter the danger, they could never cast away their pride!
“Brother Su, last night, were you the one who helped
 treat my injuries?” Yue Shichan hesitated but nonetheless asked this question. She looked a bit uncomfortable.
“You two, leave for now.” Su Yi glanced at Yuan Heng and Bai Wenqing, who considerately took their leave.
Su Yi then re-fixed his gaze on Yue Shichan. “That’s right. You had a Shamanic Venom Devilworm inside your body; only I can save you. All I’ve done so far is contain it; it will be several more days until I can destroy it completely. Until then, you must visit my room daily.”
“Ah?” Yue Shichan was stunned, and a rare display of awkwardness arose on her matchlessly beautiful features.
She would never have guessed that Su Yi would speak so bluntly and forthrightly; he wasn’t even considering the difference between the sexes

“Then
 Last night, were you the one who
 removed my clothes?” As she said this, Yue Shichan lowered her head; she dared not meet Su Yi’s gaze. There was nothing for it. Immortal beauty or not, this involved her privacy, and she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.
“It wasn’t me,” Su Yi said honestly. “However, when I treated your injuries, there was no avoiding skin-to-skin contact. I trust you’ll understand; after all, it was an emergency.
“....” Yue Shichan paused. Some time passed before she got her emotions under control. “Then
 will that be necessary to treat my remaining wounds too?”
“Of course,” said Su Yi without so much as pausing to think.
“That
” When she pictured herself visiting Su Yi’s room and taking off her clothes every night to undergo a highly private healing session, her face heated up. Even the tips of her ears reddened.
“I’m just treating your injuries; don’t overthink it.” Su Yi shook his head. I’m afraid she has no idea how much effort and focus it will take to treat her night after night. Were she anyone else, I’d refuse to help her even if she got to her knees and begged.
“Brother Su, many thanks!” Yue Shichan took a deep breath and thanked him once more.
Su Yi smiled faintly. “Back in the Great Zhou, I told you I was willing to act as your guide. You refused my offer, but that hasn’t reduced my admiration for you in the slightest. I stepped in because I was unwilling to just watch as such a good seedling was destroyed.”
Yue Shichan was stunned. She instinctively asked, “Was that the only reason?”
Su Yi laughed. “Of course, your beauty played an important role too.”
“....” Even with her icy, aloof nature, she couldn’t quite defend herself against Su Yi’s straightforwardness.
Had anyone else dared talk to her like that, she would have seen them as a hoodlum, and she would have stabbed them for their disrespect!
And yet, Yue Shichan knew that Su Yi didn't mean to harass her; he was just saying exactly what he thought, and he disdained to hide it.
He was so overly direct that Yue Shichan felt helpless against him.
Su Yi watched her discomfort and bashfulness with great interest. Such a look was, of course, extra appealing on a woman so icy and aloof.
But Su Yi wasn’t brusque or thoughtless, and he wouldn’t let the atmosphere stay this awkward. He said, “As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, although the Shamanic Venom Devilworm inside you has been sealed, it’s still alive. You cannot use your cultivation yet, so for now, you’d best stay here.”
He didn’t ask Yue Shichan her plans. He just made the decision on her behalf.
As a man, there were times when he absolutely couldn’t give decision-making power to a woman. Being so passive made it easy for things to go wrong.
For example, when you asked, “where do you want to eat,” it was highly likely that the only answer you’d get in response was “whatever’s fine.”
But if you kept asking, you’d find out that this place was no good, and that place was no good either.
When you were too passive with a woman, it could easily lead to difficulties.
With Su Yi’s proud temperament, he naturally wouldn’t tolerate such a thing happening to him.
Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
On the contrary, having someone else make certain decisions for them made women feel like they had someone to depend on; they’d even thank you for it.
Take now, for instance. Yue Shichan was obviously moved, and gratitude arose on her matchlessly beautiful face. She whispered, “Brother Su, you didn’t just save my life; you’re even giving me a place to stay and treating my wounds. I
.”
“No need to say all that,” said Su Yi with a casual wave. “I didn’t do this in hopes that you’d shower me in gratitude. All you need to remember is that with me here, your life is in no danger. That’s enough.”
Yue Shichan’s heart swelled with emotion, and for the first time in a long time, she felt warmth. When she looked at Su Yi, her gaze carried a hint of softness, as if a layer of ice were silently melting away.
Ever since she left the Great Zhou, she’d grown accustomed to facing all manner of dangers, trials, and setbacks, and she was used to bearing it all on her own, alone save for her sword.
But today, Su Yi’s concern washed over her like the gentle light of dawn, warming her heart long encased in ice.