(T/N: This chapter may contain explicit scenes; reader discretion advised)
In the room.
Fang Xuan lay on the bed, and although he was supposed to be sleeping, he was actually meditating and regulating his breath.
Ning Xian lay on her side, her head pillowed on Fang Xuan’s arm, her fingers subconsciously drawing circles on his chest.
At first, she was fairly quiet, but after about half an hour, she could no longer bear this overly serious silence.
She secretly opened one eye and looked at Fang Xuan’s closed eyelids and steady breathing, confirming that he was indeed focused on drawing qi.
The slight sense of loss and petty resentment in her heart bubbled up like shaken soda bubbles.
She first gently rubbed her forehead against his chin, but there was no response.
She moved her body slightly, pressing closer to him, but there was still no response.
Finally, she simply looked up and gazed at Fang Xuan’s profile, which was inches away.
Her cold eyes were filled with resentment.
It was as if she were accusing him: Junior Brother, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before. In a place like this, you only care about cultivating...
Fang Xuan had actually noticed when she started moving restlessly, but he didn’t open his eyes.
It wasn't until he felt that his senior sister’s gaze was about to burn two holes in his face that he finally opened them helplessly.
Sure enough, he met a pair of eyes filled with resentment.
They were quite watery and carried immense weight.
Fang Xuan could only put on a look of bewilderment: "Senior Sister? What’s wrong? Can't sleep?"
Seeing that he finally acknowledged her, the small spark of pride that had just appeared in Ning Xian’s heart was immediately suppressed by the frustration of him asking "what’s wrong."
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled: "It's nothing."
Then, as if to prove it was "nothing," she rubbed harder into his arms, almost squeezing him into the inner side of the bed.
Her arms wrapped around him even tighter, maintaining a stance of "I’m going to be like this and you can't stop me."
Fang Xuan could only smile helplessly.
Is this really his cold senior sister...?
His arm exerted a bit of force, restraining her moving body, and his chin rubbed against the top of her head: "Alright, alright. Senior Sister, don't be angry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have just focused on myself and neglected you."
"I’m not angry," Ning Xian said, burying her face deeper. Her voice came through the clothes, sounding stiff.
"Whether or not you focus on your cultivation is your own business. Your lack of ambition is also your business. What does it have to do with me?"
Suppressing a laugh, Fang Xuan loosened his arm slightly: "Then look up, Senior Sister."
"Hmm?" Ning Xian didn't understand, but she still raised her face from his chest as instructed, her eyes still holding lingering moisture and confusion.
Fang Xuan didn't give her time to react; he leaned down and kissed her.
"Mmm~"
Ning Xian’s body soon softened, her arms submissively circling his neck as she responded clumsily...
...
After a long time, Fang Xuan pulled back slightly and looked at her misty eyes: "Senior Sister, does this count as focusing on cultivation?"
Ning Xian’s breath was unstable and her face was flushed. She looked away, refusing to meet his eyes, and whispered: "Barely... barely."
But the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise slightly, and her brow smoothed out again.
She curled back into his arms, much more settled this time, though her fingers still restlessly grabbed a lock of his hair and wound it around and around.
"Mm... we can't neglect our cultivation tonight either."
She commanded, though her voice was soft and weak.
"Yes, yes, yes..." Fang Xuan answered.
Sigh, it was going to be another exhausting night...
...
Early the next morning.
The two of them quietly left the inn.
Ning Xian concealed her form and sped through the air.
Fang Xuan followed closely behind, clutching his sword.
Finally, the two stopped in front of the gate of a spacious academy with a grand entrance.
A plaque above the gate bore four ancient characters: "Xuanshan Academy."
Holding his sword, Fang Xuan looked up at the magnificent gate and the pavilions faintly visible inside: "Senior Sister, aren't we going to strike that Tianji Pavilion?"
He thought today would involve kicking down a door.
"Mm." Ning Xian nodded, her gaze scanning the depths of the academy.
"But Dao Yi, the pavilion master, is extremely cautious and values his life above all else. Especially after last night's probing, we've alerted the enemy."
"Even if we strike his home, he won't come out?" Fang Xuan was a bit surprised. This was a lingering immortal after all; he had so little dignity.
"Mm." Ning Xian’s tone was flat, as if she were stating something very ordinary.
"He is skilled at divining the heavenly secrets, but even more skilled at self-preservation. Without absolute certainty, he would rather hide in his shell. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed in the lower realm for so many years, relying on hunting newly-ascended experts to maintain his cultivation."
"So stealthy..." Fang Xuan said.
"He really is a dog," Ning Xian rarely agreed with his sarcasm, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
"Then why come here?" Fang Xuan looked inside the academy.
"Their principal, Liu Yuan," Ning Xian explained, "is Dao Yi’s mortal enemy. The kind where only one can live. Having him help us search is far more efficient than searching aimlessly ourselves."
"Wow," Fang Xuan showed an appropriately impressed expression.
"Senior Sister is amazing to know this."
Ning Xian lifted her chin slightly, a trace of pride flashing across her cold face, though her voice remained flat: "Mm. There are many more things that I am amazing at."
Fang Xuan just watched her quietly.
A slightly proud senior sister was also very cute.
"Let's go." Ning Xian adjusted her expression and led the way toward the academy gate.
The guards at the gate seemed to not see her, allowing the two of them to enter without hindrance.
The internal environment of the academy was serene. Many young students wearing uniform attire were either drawing qi into their bodies or sparring with simple spells.
Ning Xian seemed somewhat familiar with this place, leading Fang Xuan through several twists and turns until they reached a separate, elegant small courtyard deep within the academy.
The courtyard gate was slightly ajar.
Ning Xian pushed the door open and entered.
In the courtyard, a refined-looking old man wearing scholar's robes was sitting at a stone table.
He was leisurely sipping morning tea.
Hearing the door open, he looked up with some displeasure: "Who dares to intrude... eh?"
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the visitors and particularly felt the faint, heart-stopping aura from Ning Xian.
The teacup in his hand shook violently, and some scalding tea splashed out.
Then there was the young man behind her, holding a black sword with an indifferent expression.
This aura... so young... he’s actually in the Transformation Realm!
No matter how ordinary one's cultivation was, it was impossible to enter the Transformation Realm in just a few decades; it should take at least one or two hundred years!
Liu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and all his casualness vanished instantly.
These two people... he completely couldn't see through their depths!
Furthermore, that young man was already in the Transformation Realm at such a young age, yet his eyes were terrifyingly calm.
If it weren't for the fact that the other party didn't seem intent on attacking immediately, Liu Yuan felt he might have already fled for his life.
He forced himself to remain calm, put down his teacup, and stood up, squeezing out a slightly stiff smile: "Fellow... fellow daoists, to what do I owe the honor of your visit to my humble abode?"
Fang Xuan didn't speak. He just held his sword and leaned lazily against the courtyard gate.
He was his senior sister’s little secretary, responsible for fighting and providing support, not for negotiations.
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