Bathe… together?

Hearing this, Shao Xuanji, hidden within the shadows of the mist, felt her expression twist into a complex knot.

Do young people nowadays play so wildly?

If she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes, she never would have imagined that her beloved disciple—always so pure, chaste, and dignified—would actually invite a man to share a bath.

The Exquisite Sanctuary wasn’t a nunnery. It didn’t forbid its female disciples from forming Daoist partnerships with outside men, but there were strict conditions.

The most critical rule was that the Exquisite Sanctuary did not allow its women to marry out. Any man who wished to be with a disciple had to undergo a rigorous background check. Even if he passed, the arrangement was strictly a matrilocal marriage—he married into the Sect.

Furthermore, these men weren’t allowed to roam the Sanctuary freely. They were confined to Reed Flower City, enduring the torment of long-term separation, only allowed to meet their partners on specific dates.

These rules were harsh, bordering on draconian, but they ensured the Sect’s cohesion and prevented its heritage from leaking. If ordinary disciples faced such hurdles, the restrictions on the Holy Maiden were naturally absolute.

Moreover, Shao Xuanji recognized the man immediately. He was the Supreme Mystery Holy Scion.

A Holy Scion could never marry into another sect. Even if the Exquisite Sanctuary welcomed it, the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary would declare war before allowing their heir to become a live-in son-in-law. It would be tantamount to treason.

Thinking of this, Shao Xuanji sighed softly in the dark.

What a sinful, karmic entanglement!

She abandoned her plan to leave quietly. Instead, she decided to stay and watch. If these two hot-blooded youths tried to cross the line, she would intervene before a grave mistake was made.

…

On the ground, Qi Yuan and Xiao Yueni remained blissfully unaware that a Dao Integration powerhouse was voyeuristically judging their life choices from the shadows.

Seeing Xiao Yueni’s stunned expression, Qi Yuan quickly backpedaled.

“Holy Maiden Xiao, don’t misunderstand! I see there are many separate spirit pools here. How about we choose two that are far apart and wash up separately? It would be efficient.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yueni was tempted.

She had been busy since dawn entertaining guests without a moment’s rest. Although a Nascent Soul cultivator’s body was naturally free of dust and grime, going a full day without bathing still caused her—a woman obsessed with cleanliness—significant psychological discomfort.

“However…”

Xiao Yueni looked at Qi Yuan with suspicious, narrowed eyes, her thin lips pursed. “You’re not planning to peek, are you?”

Qi Yuan’s smile stiffened for a microsecond before he assumed an air of righteous indignation.

“Holy Maiden Xiao worries too much! I, Qi Yuan, have always been open, upright, and honorable. How could I do such a wretched thing?”

He placed a hand over his heart. “I will seal my own Divine Sense. I guarantee I won’t peek even a little. If you still don’t trust me, we can leave right now.”

He gazed at her with eyes so pure they could filter water, radiating the aura of a perfect gentleman.

Xiao Yueni hesitated, but the allure of the hot spring won out. She nodded reluctantly.

“Alright. But you go to that spirit pool on the far edge. Do not look in this direction.”

“No problem.”

Qi Yuan agreed instantly. “Fairy Xiao, rest assured. I’ll go right now. You just relax and bathe here. Call me if anything happens.”

With that, he dutifully flew off toward the remote pool she had indicated.

Xiao Yueni watched him until his figure completely vanished into the distance. Only then did her tense shoulders relax.

Out of caution, she still erected a barrier around her pool to block any prying Divine Sense. Once she confirmed it was secure, she unfastened her dress, letting the silk slide from her skin, and slowly lowered herself into the warm, spiritual spring water. She closed her eyes, sighing as the heat soaked into her bones.

…

From her vantage point, Sect Leader Shao Xuanji breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems I worried too much. Their relationship is still pure—a friendship between gentlemen, not the sordid affair I imagined.

Moments ago, she had genuinely feared her most promising disciple was about to throw away her future for a moment of passion. Now, seeing them behave so properly, Shao Xuanji felt a wave of satisfaction. A small, approving smile touched her lips.

However, a moment later, that smile froze.

It was replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated rage.

…

Over at the far pool, Qi Yuan had no intention of bathing.

He stood by the water’s edge, dry as a bone, and quietly retrieved a [Top-Grade Breath Concealment Talisman] from his system inventory.

He had been wracking his brain for a way to ditch Xiao Yueni so he could search for the Cheng Huang beast. He hadn’t expected the opportunity to be handed to him on a silver platter.

Women take forever to bathe, he reasoned. An hour, minimum. That’s plenty of time.

The compass in his hand was vibrating intensely now. The target was close. If he moved fast, he could secure the beast and return before she even finished scrubbing.

Thoughts racing, Qi Yuan activated the talisman. His body shimmered and faded, becoming transparent as he merged seamlessly with the environment.

Holding his breath, he crept back toward Xiao Yueni’s pool.

Wait. I need her token.

Without the Holy Maiden’s jade token, he would be flagged by the sect’s internal arrays or stopped by patrols. He needed to borrow it.

Moving like a ghost, Qi Yuan approached the misty pool where Xiao Yueni lay.

Through the curling steam, he saw her graceful silhouette leaning against the smooth stone wall, eyes closed, looking for all the world like a sleeping water nymph. Her long, snow-white neck was exposed, vulnerable and elegant.

A few feet away from the water’s edge, her clothes were folded in a neat stack on a flat rock.

Resting conspicuously on top of the pile was the Holy Maiden’s Jade Token.

Bingo.

Qi Yuan’s spirits lifted. He crept forward, his steps silent, his focus entirely on the token. He reached out a hand, fingers inching toward the prize…

Suddenly.

A sharp, furious shout exploded right next to his ear, shattering the silence.

“You lecherous scoundrel! My disciple trusted you, and you dare to plot against her while she bathes?!”

BOOM!

Before Qi Yuan could process the words, a terrifying, mountainous Pressure descended from the sky and crushed him into the dirt.