“Done!
The last silver gleam at Xun Xue’s fingertip extinguished, and she let out a long, relieved breath.
She carefully sent a sliver of her Xian Consciousness probing into Lu Qiancha’s body—her meridians had been widened by nearly ten percent, and even the Residual Pill Poison left from swallowing various conflicting pills had been completely cleansed.
Satisfied, she curved her lips into a gentle smile and softly cradled the little girl who was so comfortable she was almost dazed.
“Mm……”
Lu Qiancha’s consciousness floated in the warm clouds, and upon hearing Xun Xue’s soft whisper, she unconsciously rubbed her small head against Xun Xue’s chin, as if coquettishly saying, “One more time……”
“Heh.”
Xun Xue smiled faintly in response. She reached out to stroke Lu Qiancha’s little head, only to be unexpectedly licked once on the palm by the girl’s soft pink tongue, like a sign of attachment.
Just then, a blue-pink figure suddenly pushed open the door, shouting excitedly into the room, “Shixiong! I’ve broken through…!”
Gantang’s joyful cheer caught in her throat. The bliss on her face instantly froze, crystallizing into an expression of utter shock.
The first thing she saw upon pushing open the door was her own Shixiong, now in a dazed, unfamiliar state, licking Xun Xue’s hand.
Am I hallucinating because of my cultivation?
Gantang suddenly fell into self-doubt.
Her Shixiong was never indifferent to women, but to say he was like the golden-bodied Arhat enshrined in the ancient temple—pure and desireless to the bone—was an exaggeration.
Her expression stiffened, and with a “slam,” she closed the door again without expression.
Leaning against the cold door, Gantang took a deep, deep breath and then exhaled forcefully!
“The technique must be wrong…try again!”
Creak—the door opened once more.
Hmm, definitely changed—Lu Qiancha, like a coquettish, confused little beast, was persistently nudging Xun Xue’s neck with her small head.
Xun Xue laughed and dodged playfully, “Ah, ah, it’s ticklish~ Little Qiancha, don’t be naughty~”
Seeing this scene, Gantang was completely certain of one thing—she wasn’t hallucinating; her Shixiong was possessed!
She had to hurry and find a Daoist Priest to exorcise him! Immediately! Right now!
Wait, no—I am the Daoist Priest.
A flash of realization shot through Gantang’s mind.
Watch me, the clever and resourceful Daoist Gantang, exorcise this demon and save Shixiong!
Her eyes sharpened as she strode resolutely toward Xun Xue, determined to give this person responsible for Shixiong’s possession a piece of her mind!
“Eh, I remember you’re Little Qiancha’s Shimei, right?”
Xun Xue looked up at Gantang’s approach, blinking her clear, bright eyes as if completely unaware of the fierce battle aura she was radiating.
“Yes!” Gantang straightened her chest, full of momentum, ready to reprimand—
“Oh, that’s perfect!”
Xun Xue suddenly seemed to remember something important and very naturally handed over the limp little girl in her arms, “Could you please look after Little Qiancha for me? I have to hurry to Heavenly Pivot Peak to sign an Equality Contract.”
With that, she gently but firmly placed the still-drowsy Lu Qiancha into Gantang’s arms!
“Eh?!!” Caught completely off guard, Gantang scrambled to catch the soft bundle, utterly flustered! Her carefully built momentum deflated like a popped balloon with a faint hiss.
This plot… isn’t going quite right?!
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Xun Xue said, pulling out a delicate Storage Bag and dropping it on the nearby Old Wooden Table with a “plop.”
“There are several hundred Top-Grade Spirit Stones inside. It’s pocket money for Little Qiancha, but you can take some too—consider it payment for taking care of her.”
“Oh… oh… okay…” Gantang nodded mechanically as if input with commands, holding the drowsy Lu Qiancha dumbfoundedly as she watched Xun Xue turn into a streak of light and vanish into the horizon.
The room fell into sudden silence.
Gantang stiffly looked down at the soft, hazy-eyed little blue wolf cub in her arms. The cub seemed to notice the change in embrace and softly let out a confused, muffled snuffle: “Woo…?”
“You’re so cute, Shixiong!”
Seeing this, Gantang felt her heart melting.
She suddenly thought maybe this possession business was just a matter of perspective—her Shixiong was perfectly fine, so where was the possession? This was wonderful!
She tightened her arms suddenly, rubbing her cheek like a cat on catnip against that soft, blue fur.
Lu Qiancha, feeling a tickle on her face, instinctively and drowsily leaned in and gave that close-by cheek a gentle suck.
—The moist, soft touch was clearly imprinted on Gantang’s cheek!
“!!! Shixiong!!!”
Gantang shuddered as if electrified! Her cheeks instantly flushed a deep crimson!
Her voice was shy and panicked, like a startled rabbit: “You-you-you…how are you so bold! Kissing right away like that…”
In a flash, a strong competitive urge and some strange impulse for reciprocation overwhelmed her.
Almost without thinking, Gantang puckered her lips and with a lightning-fast move, planted a firm kiss on Lu Qiancha’s tender, plump cheek!
Wow! So soft! So bouncy! With a faint cool vanilla scent!
Gantang’s eyes went wide, as if discovering a new world. She lingered on the explosive sensation, savoring it endlessly…
The next second—
“Gantang!!!”
The soft bundle in her arms suddenly exploded with a roar, thick with embarrassment and anger.
The formerly hazy blue eyes now seemed to blaze with fire.
“Uh… Shixiong, you’re awake?”
Gantang jumped at the shout, suddenly falling back to reality. Meeting those watery yet fiery blue eyes, her little heart pounded wildly.
Her gaze flickered nervously toward the ceiling, walls, and floor… anything but meet the glaring little wolf in her arms.
“Hmph! If I didn’t wake up, I probably would’ve been eaten up by you!”
Lu Qiancha glared fiercely, her small paws mercilessly smacking Gantang on the head with a “pop!”
“Ouch!” Gantang cradled her head, pouting like a child scolded by a parent.
Seeing her Shimei’s pitiful, helpless expression, Lu Qiancha’s mind immediately recalled Master Xuanya’s morning instructions—
“Gantang has been worrying about you these past few days and looks quite worn out. Comfort her well over the next few days.”
The anger was doused with cold water, and her heart inexplicably softened.
“Sigh…” She let out a long, resigned sigh, turning her tail… cough, no.
Lu Qiancha sulkily pressed her small head to the side and deliberately nestled her pair of sensitive, slightly trembling blue-furred ears into Gantang’s palm.
“Eh, Shixiong?”
Gantang’s heart skipped a beat as she looked down at the little one in her arms.
“You can touch them, consider it compensation for making you worry earlier.”
Lu Qiancha closed her eyes and murmured.
“Hehe! Shixiong, you’re the best!”
Gantang’s eyes lit up like a dog allowed to chew on a bone by its master.
She carefully, reverently extended a slender finger to gently hook the soft blue fur covering the little ear, feeling the warmth and pliant texture beneath her fingertip… absolutely irresistible!
“Oh, right,” Lu Qiancha suddenly remembered something, snapping her eyes open to look intently at Gantang’s admiring pink eyes, “How much of the Residual Pill Poison did you use?”
Out of nowhere.
Gantang’s finger froze on the ear tip as if paused. She carefully placed the little blue fur bundle steadily on the nearby P futon.
…Ah, better take out the Ring of Storage—I’ll help you refill it.
Seeing the panic on Gantang’s face, Lu Qiancha immediately guessed the answer—she must’ve used quite a bit.
“Mm-hmm.”
Gantang slowly sat up straight, legs neatly together, hands folded on her lap—calm and obedient, though a bit absent-minded.
“Used it all?!”
Though prepared mentally, Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but shout in disbelief.
She looked at Gantang and asked, “Shimei, did you go hunt a Great Demon of the Mahayana Stage?”
Like a quail under interrogation, Gantang knelt on the P futon, nervously fiddling with her clothes and whispering, “Well, Shixiong said… to use it if there was danger… I almost got cut down by that group of Giant Pincer Lobster Demons, so I instinctively used it.”
Lu Qiancha gaped, her small tiger teeth flashing at the lip edge. After a moment’s thought, she said, “I thought I gave you more than twenty bottles of those?”
“Almost got cut down so many times…”
Gantang’s mouth pouted, tears threatening as she explained pitifully, “Shixiong, don’t be mad, I know you didn’t make those on purpose, and I wasn’t trying to waste them.”