Jiang Luo looked back and forth between Xu Lin and the bath tub, confusion plain on her face. Finally, she shook her head firmly.
She had been so eager for Xu Lin’s reminder before, but even with him saying this now, Jiang Luo suppressed her chaotic thoughts.
Any ordinary woman who heard Xu Lin’s words just now would not have reacted the way Jiang Luo was.
“You…”
Jiang Luo’s words caught in her throat. She looked flustered, unsure what expression to make, much less what to say.
“I refined some medicine just now and set aside a bit. I was planning to use it for a soak myself.”
Xu Lin wasn’t in the mood to tease Jiang Luo at the moment.
“If you want a short-term breakthrough, a medicinal bath of spiritual herbs is one of the best methods.”
This medicine was originally refined to help Yang Yao remove the Bone Poison from her root bone. It also had the effect of cleansing the root bone itself. For ordinary cultivators to soak in it, there would only be benefits, no drawbacks.
Moreover, the spiritual herbs used to brew this medicinal bath were no simple plants.
In the original plot, Xu Lin had used a similar formula to give the protagonist a root bone cleansing bath, making their physique purer.
Jiang Luo walked over to take a closer look. The water in the tub was a greenish-brown color. Spiritual essence formed layers of ripples that gently spread across the surface, refreshing the mind and spirit.
‘At least I didn’t misunderstand this time, or Xu Lin would have teased me again.’
“Isn’t this inappropriate?”
Jiang Luo hesitated.
“You went through so much trouble to refine this medicine—how can I just use it recklessly?”
Just as Liu Mo had said, she was stuck in an awkward position within the sect and had no chance to exchange for high-grade pills.
Though Jiang Luo didn’t fully understand the specific wonders of a medicinal bath, this single tub might be something even inner sect disciples couldn’t easily enjoy. To her, it was beyond comprehension.
Xu Lin clicked his tongue. It wasn’t just Jiang Luo hesitating—he was a little hesitant himself.
“Compared to me using it, it would be more effective for you.”
Apart from the fact that it wasn’t being used to cleanse Bone Poison, the higher one’s realm, the weaker the bath’s effects became.
Jiang Luo was currently at the Spirit Returning Realm, so using it now was the perfect time. It wouldn’t only cleanse her Pure Spirit Jade Body, but also lay the groundwork for stepping into the True Mystery Realm. Perhaps she could cross those three thresholds better than others.
“But… I… I don’t even know what to say.”
Xu Lin had clearly stated they were in a mutually helpful relationship, but so far, she didn’t seem to have done anything truly useful for him.
Seeing Jiang Luo still hesitating, Xu Lin grew a little annoyed.
“I don’t feel like arguing with you. I’ll give you three breaths to decide. No response means you refuse, and I’ll soak in it myself.”
Without waiting for her, Xu Lin closed his eyes, raised his hand, and held up three fingers. With a long, steady breath, he slowly curled his fingers back one by one.
“Brave people always enjoy life first.”
He knew that because of her constitution, Jiang Luo would have encountered major problems in her cultivation before. Hearing what she said just now had far exceeded his expectations.
An outer sect disciple—in the process of him escaping from the Sunset Sect—could only provide limited help, he figured.
‘I’ll just consider it an investment.’
Xu Lin consoled himself.
When the last finger was withdrawn and still no response came, Xu Lin’s closed brows furrowed slightly. A hint of disappointment stirred in his heart.
When he opened his eyes, he found Jiang Luo still fidgeting.
‘She doesn’t even have the drive to climb upward. Did I choose the wrong person?’
This was the first time Xu Lin doubted his own choice.
Jiang Luo noticed the change in Xu Lin’s expression and quickly said carefully,
“Could you please turn around, Senior Brother? If you’re watching, I feel a bit shy about undressing.”
The unexpected reply made Xu Lin pause for a moment. The corner of his mouth lifted.
“Alright, I’ll turn around.”
Forget whether Jiang Luo would give up on herself—he had almost given up on her just now.
Following Jiang Luo’s request, Xu Lin moved to a position with his back to her. He casually opened the food box and started eating like nothing was happening.
With Jiang Luo’s nature, if she had any intention of poisoning, that guy Liu Mo at least wouldn’t have dared to be so reckless.
The room was quiet. Jiang Luo moved as slowly as possible, but the soft rustle of gauze and clothes being taken off was still clearly audible.
Hearing the sounds she herself was making, she kept glancing toward Xu Lin’s position. Her ears burned hot, and her heart thumped with unease—afraid that Xu Lin might suddenly turn around and see her completely naked.
Seeing that Xu Lin remained still as a mountain from start to finish, an inexplicable flicker of disappointment passed through her heart.
As she entered the water, she looked down at her own body, her emotions complicated.
‘Am I really that unattractive?’
She recalled the last time, when she had misunderstood his intentions and had been stopped by Xu Lin immediately, without any hesitation.
The sound of her entering the water came softly, finally evening out. Xu Lin continued to stuff a piece of meat into his mouth and let out a sigh.
To be honest, he regretted it a little.
“How’s the water temperature?”
Xu Lin’s voice made Jiang Luo, who was in the medicinal bath, jolt. She nearly slipped and sank.
“It’s… it’s fine.”
“I thought you’d run off with the food and I’d have to sleep after the bath. Coming early isn’t as good as coming at the right time.”
That was roughly what a fortuitous encounter meant.
“I already told you, I’m not someone who takes advantage of small favors.”
As the medicinal bath submerged her body, waves of spiritual essence surged into her through her pores in an unending stream. Every meridian in her body felt incredibly smooth and comfortable. Jiang Luo couldn’t control herself and let out a soft moan, the sound echoing through the room.
Coming back to her senses, Jiang Luo hurriedly lifted her hands out of the water to cover her mouth, then craned her neck to look in Xu Lin’s direction.
She saw Xu Lin shaking his head. A low chuckle came from him, as if he were mocking her for being so easily impressed.
“Focus your mind and circulate the cultivation technique. Let the medicine absorb better into your body to wash and temper the root bone.”
Xu Lin reminded her.
Jiang Luo followed suit. She sat cross-legged in the tub and began circulating her technique.
“Oh, and don’t use the part of the Spirit Water Heart Sutra I taught you for now. Practice the way you originally did before.”
“Ah… okay.”
Though she didn’t understand why, Jiang Luo didn’t ask further.
Under the effect of the medicinal bath, the spiritual energy inside her body flowed smoothly and grew stronger under the drive of the spiritual essence—a power Jiang Luo had never experienced before.
But without the enhancement of the Spirit Water Heart Sutra, after one full circulation of qi, the strange sensation from earlier reappeared in her abdomen.
Completely naked, Jiang Luo found that feeling even more distinct, hard to suppress.
Even though she tried her best to control it, tiny glistening droplets gradually emerged on the surface of the greenish-brown water.
Suddenly, she felt the candlelight before her blocked by a shadow. Jiang Luo’s eyelids fluttered, and she instinctively wanted to open her eyes.
Through her blurred vision, Jiang Luo vaguely saw Xu Lin standing in front of the tub, looking down at her silently.
In an instant, the calm she had regained through cultivation surged into turmoil again. Jiang Luo’s face flushed red, but she didn’t dare to open her eyes and meet Xu Lin’s gaze any longer.