Of course, Ye Ping’an did his best to avoid that kind of future. Even if little Mengyao was destined to follow the protagonist someday—eventually leaving the Xuanxing Sect—he still didn’t want to let her go.
Not yet. Not before she left with that overpowered Feng Aotian.
“Senior Brother, I’ve broken through!” Mengyao’s excited voice rang out, and before he could react, she had leapt straight into Ye Ping’an’s arms.
“You’re amazing, Junior Sister!” Ye Ping’an praised her generously, no hint of reservation in his voice.
“Ahem…” Nearby, Ning Yue watched the two hugging with a cold expression, clearly unimpressed.
Sensing the awkward tension in the air, little Mengyao quickly backed out of Ye Ping’an’s embrace and threw herself into Ning Yue’s arms instead.
Nestled into the soft curves of Ning Yue’s chest, Mengyao even nuzzled against her like a cat seeking warmth.
“Sister Ning Yue, I really did it! I broke through!”
Only then did Ning Yue’s expression soften. She didn’t even bother scolding Mengyao for her little stunt.
After all, Mengyao was getting cuter by the day, and Ning Yue had a soft spot for adorable things. Plus, the girl was well-behaved and sweet.
Reaching out, she gently patted Mengyao’s forehead and said softly, “Good job. When we get back, I’ll make you a big feast.”
“Yay!” At the mention of food, Mengyao cheered, her eyes lighting up. She even drooled a little in excitement.
Over time, Ning Yue’s cooking had gotten better and better. Far from growing tired of her meals, Mengyao looked forward to them more and more—especially when she promised a big feast.
Those were the best.
“Alright, you just had a breakthrough, don’t get lazy now. Let’s stabilize your realm while it’s still fresh,” Ye Ping’an urged, seeing the opportunity to push her back into training.
“Okaaay…” Mengyao pouted, looking like she’d just been handed a punishment, but obediently picked up her sword and got back to cultivating.
The Condensing Essence Technique was the pinnacle of Qi Refinement methods. It wasn’t just about refining energy—it came packed with powerful combat skills.
Without missing a beat, Mengyao began practicing one of the sword forms detailed in the technique.
“Alright, that’s enough for now.” An hour later, Ye Ping’an finally called a halt.
Not because he felt sorry for her—though Mengyao was drenched in sweat—but mostly because she and Ning Yue had both started sneaking glances at the pool of water in the center of the cave.
Their eyes practically sparkled with longing. Clearly, they were no longer focused on cultivation.
Ye Ping’an quickly put two and two together. They were girls, after all. After days of travel through dust and wind, it was no wonder they were enchanted by the sight of a perfect place to bathe.
The pool was filled with liquefied spiritual energy. While it was technically meant for cultivation, it could also be used for bathing—though it was admittedly a bit wasteful.
“Senior Brother, can we go now?” Mengyao put down her sword and wiped the sweat from her brow, eyes full of anticipation.
“Mm, you’re good physically. Go ahead and soak in the pool—it’ll help stabilize your new realm.
Ning Yue, keep an eye on her while she’s in there. The energy concentration’s high, so don’t let her soak too long,” Ye Ping’an instructed.
“What about you, Senior Brother?” Mengyao asked curiously.
Ning Yue seemed to suddenly remember something.
“Don’t tell me… you’re leaving now, Young Master?” Her tone held a faint note of disappointment.
She was just starting to bloom, finally gaining confidence in her figure—how could he walk away now?
Show off for who?
Little Mengyao, who hadn’t even hit puberty?
Oh wait… she herself wasn’t exactly blossoming either. Still flat as a board.
“Of course I’m leaving. You’re both girls—how could I, a man, just stand here and watch?” Ye Ping’an said righteously.
“But… didn’t you already see me naked before?” Mengyao suddenly blurted out.
“W-What?! When did that happen?! Young Master, you—!” Ning Yue yelped, face turning red as she looked at Ye Ping’an in shock.
Ye Ping’an panicked. They had agreed not to mention that! What if the protagonist’s heroine heard about it someday?
He’d be a dead man!
“I only did that to help regulate your meridians! With my cultivation level, doing it over clothes wouldn’t have worked. I had no choice!”
“But you still saw me,” Mengyao pouted. After two years of growing up, she was no longer that naive little girl.
She could already tell—there was a high chance her senior brother had been taking advantage of her back then.
That said… she wasn’t angry at all. In fact, she felt secretly pleased. It meant he cared about her.
“Come on! You were just a little kid back then! Besides, I only did it once a week for two months—then I stopped!” Ye Ping’an tried to defend himself, but the more he explained, the worse it sounded.
“But I am still a little kid!” Mengyao landed another critical hit.
“You’re not that little! At your age, I was already out traveling the world for opportunities. And didn’t we agree never to talk about this in front of others? Why’d you bring it up?!”
“Others? Sister Ning Yue isn’t an outsider—what’s there to hide?”
“…”
Just as Ye Ping’an was about to dig himself deeper, Ning Yue’s expression suddenly darkened.
She’d pieced it together—back when the young master was checking whether Mengyao had a Reincarnation Mark… he’d stripped her clothes off.
Her gaze turned icy.
“So, Young Master… you already had your eyes on Mengyao back then?”
“No! Ning Yue, wait! It’s not what you think!” Ye Ping’an frantically tried to explain. But the way she was looking at him now—like he was some kind of pervert—told him it was too late.
She wasn’t buying any of it. All he could do was glare at Mengyao.
“Waaah, Sister Ning Yue! He’s glaring at me!” Mengyao immediately dove into Ning Yue’s arms, seeking refuge.
Ning Yue hugged her tightly and glared at Ye Ping’an with even more disdain.
“I didn’t expect this from you, Young Master. You peeked at Mengyao and then tried to justify it—and now you’re bullying her too?!”
“Ning Yue…” Ye Ping’an reached out a hand, but what else could he say?
“Forget him. Let’s go enjoy our bath.” With that, Ning Yue turned her back to him and pulled Mengyao toward the pool.
“Okay, Sister Ning Yue!” Mengyao followed happily, skipping along.
Then, with Ye Ping’an still present, the two girls began undressing right in front of him.
Piece by piece, their skirts fell to the ground, revealing more and more of their soft, pale skin.
Ye Ping’an knew he’d reached the limit of what he could endure. He spun around and bolted out of the cave like his life depended on it.