Xu Ping’an’s hand was raised high, while Li Yuer obediently lifted hers.
The two of them locked eyes, and in an instant, the awkward atmosphere spread throughout the entire room.
Finally, under that gaze, both resisting and inviting, Xu Ping’an’s hand still came down.
A crisp “pa” echoed.
Her swan-like neck arched slightly, red lips half open, ten fingers clenched tight, eyes devoid of focus.
Seeing Li Yuer’s reaction, Xu Ping’an, who was no novice, naturally knew well what sort of state she was in at this moment.
He glanced at his own hand, then at the now limp Li Yuer.
Stunned for a moment, he slowly lowered his hand at last.
The room once again fell into silence.
After quite a while, Li Yuer silently got up, head lowered, not daring to meet Xu Ping’an’s gaze.
She hurried out of the room in tiny, quick steps.
Xu Ping’an, meanwhile, couldn’t help but look at his own hand again, then sat down heavily on the chair.
“What… what kind of situation is this!!”
The atmosphere had built up so much.
And yet, things turned out this absurd.
He shook his head with a wry smile.
“Sigh, sooner or later, I’m going to be bewitched by these little vixens.”
Still, at least he had moved around a bit—his shoulder ached slightly from all that waving.
Enough, enough, don’t think about it. If I keep going, I’ll really stray off the right path.
Better handle proper business first.
He came before the Refining Cauldron, looking it up and down to confirm the Elixir was fully refined. Only then did he open the cauldron lid, and a faint medicinal fragrance greeted him.
As the fragrance spread, even Xu Ping’an couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
It wasn’t that the Elixir smelled delicious—rather, as a living being, he instinctively yearned for such things.
After all, this very Elixir could truly transform a person in an instant.
Carefully, he took a Porcelain Bottle from the medicine box, placed the Elixir inside, then sealed the lid.
Even now, the scent of medicine lingered in the room, refusing to disperse.
The aroma was so strong that even outside, one could faintly catch its scent.
“What is that? It smells so good!”
A voice called out, and right after, Li Zhi’er poked her head in, eyes full of curiosity as she gazed at Xu Ping’an.
“Sir, what are you brewing? It smells amazing.”
“Medicine.”
Xu Ping’an smiled.
Only then did Li Zhi’er notice the large cauldron.
“Huh? When did such a big cauldron get here?”
“This is the cauldron I use for refining medicine.”
“Is it yours, sir?”
Li Zhi’er nodded obediently. In her eyes, Xu Ping’an might not be an immortal, but he was not far from it.
“Alright, stop staring. Even if you keep looking, this medicine isn’t for you to eat.”
“Oh~”
Li Zhi’er nodded, but as she breathed in that lingering medicinal aroma, she still couldn’t help but swallow.
No helping it—for ordinary people, seeing an Elixir come out of the cauldron like this was too tempting.
Even Xiao Jing’er, who had accidentally barged in just now, braved her shyness to follow behind Li Zhi’er into the room.
“You two, you’re not thinking of mooching off me, are you? Go on, out, both of you!” The two girls, full of reluctance, could only leave the room under Xu Ping’an’s imposing presence.
Even Xu Ping’an, possessing the Body of Chaos, reacted to the medicine—let alone ordinary people.
He shook his head with another wry smile.
Now, he only needed to think up a reason to give this pill to Xiao Yunyuan.
But giving it directly didn’t feel right.
Even if he offered it as a gift, it still seemed odd.
After all, with his meager cultivation, why would he give away such a good medicine instead of using it himself?
So, the best plan was to give the Elixir to Pei Qingxuan and let her pass it to Xiao Yunyuan.
That would make much more sense.
Xu Ping’an tucked away the Porcelain Bottle and left.
Better do it sooner than later—if he kept the pill with him and one of the little girls succumbed to temptation and ate it, that would be a problem.
He went straight to the Pavilion of Immortal World.
Xu Ping’an did not barge in, but instead, properly asked a female disciple at the entrance to announce him.
Soon after entering the Pavilion of Immortal World—
As soon as he entered, a fragrant breeze swept over him.
Xu Ping’an reflexively opened his arms, catching the approaching figure in his embrace.
“Husband… will you stay over tonight?”
They had just gone at it during the day, and now she wanted him again at night?
This little vixen—ordinary men could never keep up with her!
“What are you thinking? I’m here on business this time.”
Pei Qingxuan blinked in surprise, looking up at him—her eyes, usually icy to outsiders, now clear and pure as a college student’s when turned to Xu Ping’an.
It was as if… just being close to this man caused her intelligence to plummet.
Yet she felt so happy about it.
Is this… love?
Pei Qingxuan couldn’t figure it out and didn’t want to. She only wanted to nestle in this man’s arms.
To let him hold her, to savor that faint medicinal scent and the unique fragrance belonging to him alone.
“Husband, what’s the matter?”
“This—there’s an Elixir in here. It’s enough for a practitioner at the Refining Qi, Transforming Spirit stage to break through to Refining Spirit, Returning to Void. Give this Elixir to Xiao Yunyuan. He should then be able to inherit your position.”
Pei Qingxuan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
As she stared at the Porcelain Bottle Xu Ping’an handed over, she was utterly dazed.
“Hus… Husband?”
“Listen, you mustn’t take this Elixir yourself, nor give it to anyone else—only Xiao Yunyuan.”
Though Pei Qingxuan’s heart was full of questions, she did not ask.
Since Xu Ping’an would not say, she would not press.
That was the trust she had in Xu Ping’an.
She had no idea why this Elixir had to be given specifically to Xiao Yunyuan.
But she chose to trust, blindly.
Fortunately, it was Xu Ping’an—anyone else, with her lovesick temperament, might make a fool of her.
“I understand.”
Pei Qingxuan carefully put away the Porcelain Bottle.
Though she had no idea how Xu Ping’an had refined such an Elixir, there was no doubt—if word of its effects got out, cultivators would fight each other to the death for it.
“Mm. After he takes the Elixir, he might need a month of seclusion. Once he breaks through, you can officially step down—and then, we can go home together.”
“Mm.”
Pei Qingxuan slowly leaned into Xu Ping’an’s embrace.
This man before her was her longing, her unforgettable one, the one she couldn’t bear to part from even for a moment.
But in the end, she was still the Flowing Cloud Sect Master.
She hadn’t forgotten her identity or her responsibility.
After Xu Ping’an left, Pei Qingxuan immediately summoned Xiao Yunyuan.
She gazed at this child, who had been her disciple since joining the sect, whom she had personally guided all the way.
“Master, is there something urgent you called me here for?”
Xiao Yunyuan was curious. Normally, if Master needed anything, she wouldn’t summon him to the Pavilion of Immortal World at night.
What was going on today?
“Mm. I did call you here for something important. This Elixir—take it.”