Chapter 89: All Ruthless People

Refining the demon beast skeleton was a lengthy process. The time required for artifact forging was not something alchemy could compare to; it demanded patience as much as skill.

The next day. Moon Gaze Peak.

The setting sun gradually sank in the west, painting the sky with hues of crimson and gold.

A graceful figure arrived from afar, riding a flying sword. She wore a cyan rainbow dress, its fabric fluttering gently in the wind. The relatively form-fitting garment perfectly outlined the curves of her waist. Her jet-black long hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, framing a face where eyes curved into crescents and a faint smile played on her lips. She seemed to be in a rather good mood.

Yuan Baobao brought her flying sword to a stop just outside the barrier. She bowed respectfully toward the peak.

“Outer Disciple Yuan Baobao pays her respects to Senior Li!”

Yuan Baobao’s cheeks were flushed pink. Calling him ‘Senior’ instead of ‘Senior Brother’ still felt a bit strange to her tongue. But in public settings, she had to address him properly. In the cultivation world, seniority was based on strength; one couldn’t neglect etiquette.

Yuan Baobao looked up at the large golden characters floating above the summit. She had spotted those glittering words from miles away. A slight smile touched the corner of her lips.

It seems Senior Brother Li is quite short on spirit stones lately.

Just then, the mists surrounding the peak stirred, opening a passageway leading inside.

Yuan Baobao’s eyes lit up. She promptly guided her flying sword into the gap.

In the courtyard before the pavilion atop the peak, Yuan Baobao descended gracefully, her lovely figure landing softly on the grass.

The moment her feet touched down, a soft click sounded.

The pavilion door swung open from within. Li Meng, clad in his yellow robes and looking radiantly youthful despite his white hair, stepped out with a beaming smile.

“Junior Sister, what took you so long?”

He chuckled warmly as he looked at his pure and adorable Junior Sister Yuan.

A flicker of shyness passed through Yuan Baobao’s eyes. She trotted over to him.

“Senior Brother!”

With a charming cry, she threw herself into his embrace, her slender jade-like arms wrapping tightly around his sturdy waist.

Li Meng gave a hearty laugh, gently holding her delicate form. After a good while, Yuan Baobao finally pulled back, her face still flushed.

Looking at his bashful Junior Sister, a smile played on Li Meng’s lips. He reached out and took her hand, leading her toward the reclining chair in the courtyard.

Li Meng settled into the chair and gave Yuan Baobao a meaningful glance.

Pressing her lips together in a smile, Yuan Baobao nestled her graceful form into Li Meng’s lap, leaning against his chest like a kitten finding its favorite spot.

Li Meng raised a hand to gently stroke her silky black hair.

“Master went to cause trouble for the Ghost Spirit Sect, that’s why I returned a few days late.”

“He wiped out a cultivation family?”

Elder Wen and Elder Han clearly weren’t benevolent types. The cultivation techniques they practiced were likely skewed toward the demonic path. Just because his own Master had slapped Elder Wen’s disciple to death with one strike years ago, Elder Wen had immediately wanted to kill him in retaliation—simply because he was Elder Ruoshui’s disciple.

To vent her anger, she cared nothing for the mental state of the other disciples present.

“Mhm,” Yuan Baobao nodded against his chest. “That cultivation family had a Golden Core Elder. It was terrible—Master extracted his Golden Core and threw him as a cripple into a mortal town.”

The astonishing softness pressing against his chest brought a look of contentment to Li Meng’s face, though his mind processed the brutality of the news.

What ruthless people.

Fortunately, his Master was at the late-stage Great Perfection of Golden Core cultivation. Otherwise, being targeted by those two ruthless individuals would have meant certain death long ago.

While the sect forbade killing among fellow disciples, once you left sect grounds, making someone disappear silently was all too easy.

Yuan Baobao tilted her head up to look at Li Meng’s handsome face.

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother Ning and the others asked me to pass on a message: they will never forget your life-saving grace. In the future, if you have any tasks for them, just give the order; they will never refuse.”

Li Meng chuckled and patted Junior Sister Yuan’s head.

Yuan Baobao’s eyes curved into happy crescents again as she nestled contentedly back against him, giving his chest another little nuzzle.

It seemed saving them wasn’t wasted effort after all. Favors like this were hard to repay completely. The reason they hadn’t come to thank him in person was probably related to their master and mistress. After all, his master was at odds with Senior Brother Ning’s master and mistress. He couldn’t disregard their feelings on the matter.

“Junior Sister,” Li Meng’s voice murmured near her ear, dropping to a husky whisper. “Will you stay tonight?”

His words sent another wave of shyness through Yuan Baobao’s eyes.

Senior Brother really… If I didn’t plan to stay, why would I have come just before nightfall?

“Does… does Senior Brother want me to stay?”

Her face flushed a deep crimson as she traced idle circles on his chest with a finger.

Li Meng chuckled again. He patted her shoulder.

“In that case, Junior Sister, let’s not waste any time. It’s been over a year and a half since last time; your Senior Brother needs to properly demonstrate his prowess!”

This time I definitely won’t fall short.

Forget about just one stick of incense; even two full hours wouldn’t be an issue now that he had successfully established his Foundation.

“Senior Brother… you’re so bad!”

Yuan Baobao buried her blushing face against his neck, her lovely body curling up in his lap.

“Haha! Then this Senior Brother will show you just how bad he can be!”

Li Meng scooped Junior Sister Yuan up in his arms and stood. He strode purposefully toward the pavilion door.

Yuan Baobao’s cheeks were rosy, her eyes hazy with Affection as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

With one foot, Li Meng kicked open the pavilion door and carried her inside.

Thud.

The door closed softly behind them.

Time flowed quietly onward.

As the sun fully set, darkness claimed the land. The vast expanse of Moon Gaze Peak was bathed in moonlight. Only the large golden characters above its summit remained dazzlingly bright, casting a soft glow over the silent peak.

The night deepened.

The next morning.

Sounds of movement came from within the pavilion.

In the bedroom on the second floor, Yuan Baobao stood beside the bed, putting on her dress.

Her snow-white, graceful form was gradually concealed by the cyan fabric.

On the bed, Li Meng watched this breathtaking scene through half-lidded eyes.

Seeing that Junior Sister Yuan deliberately kept her back to him while dressing, a knowing smile touched his lips.

This little minx is definitely doing it on purpose.

“Senior Brother,” she said softly as she finished fastening her dress and turned to face him.

“I have to go back now. Since Senior Brother has reached Foundation Establishment, I need to cultivate diligently too. If I don’t work hard and get left far behind by you… who knows? You might forget about me without even realizing it someday. I don’t want Senior Brother to forget me!”

Li Meng chuckled and got out of bed. He took two steps forward and pulled Junior Sister Yuan’s delicate form back into an embrace.

“Then Junior Sister must cultivate hard indeed,” he murmured near her ear, inhaling her scent. “Don’t let your Senior Brother forget you.”

A fresh blush colored Yuan Baobao’s cheeks.

She rose onto her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

With a secretive smile and a playful blink at him, she slipped out of his embrace.

She trotted over to the window, glanced back at him over her shoulder, then gracefully leaped out. Her lovely figure soared from the window of the pavilion onto her waiting flying sword, which carried her away from the peak.

Li Meng walked quickly to the window.

He watched as Junior Sister Yuan’s graceful silhouette gradually receded into the distance, finally disappearing into the mountain mists.

A gentle smile lingered on his lips.

While it might be difficult for Junior Sister Yuan’s Affection to increase much further—XP gains had diminished significantly—Li Meng didn’t mind sharing some intimacy with her occasionally.

Cultivation shouldn’t be only about cultivating. Even an ascetic path needed some seasoning now and then to soothe one’s spirit.