Mission: Seduce the Master!

Xie Qing waved goodbye and left the garden. Although the fawn looked lonely, and the sight almost broke Xie Qing's heart, he couldn't do anything about it.

The fawn also wanted to follow the young man, but it was forced to stop.

They left, but they promised to return.

...what kind of drama is this, anyway?

***

Lu Yin and Xie Qing walked together by the bodies of water and enjoyed the sights of this space. The place was truly incredible, full of beauty and opportunities. Moreover, the Qi here was so rich that Xie Qing felt as if he had been served the best delicacies in the world on a platter.

Even though he had recently broken through, the young man did not relax at all. Instead, he worked even harder on himself to keep up the pace.

"Are you cultivating again? I don't think it's that important at your cultivation level...right?" asked Lu Yin, who was making a flower crown. The girl tilted her head to the side, looking incredibly cute.

"It's not about that, Lu Yin. A cultivator must follow a strict schedule in their life to comprehend the Dao," replied Xie Qing, closing his eyes, and his voice took on an unnatural mysterious tone, as if he were an old sage rather than a nineteen-year-old young man.

"I didn't know you were such a philosopher," smiled Lu Yin, and then she slowly approached Xie Qing from behind: "Hop!"

"Hm?"

The young man had long since sensed her presence, but he did not react because, well... it was Lu Yin.

Xie Qing opened his eyes, feeling something on his head. He took out a mirror from his spatial ring and looked at his reflection, losing his voice.

"A flower crown? Listen, I'd prefer something made of bones and fangs, wouldn't I?" asked Xie Qing. Despite his displeased tone, he was surprisingly honest, at least physically.

His hands gently stroked the crown of red roses, whose thorns had been carefully and lovingly removed.

"I'm glad you like it, hehe," giggled Lu Yin, seeing such an honest reaction that contradicted his words: "Besides, what bones and fangs? You're not some kind of savage."

"Isn't it cool to be brutal? I mean..." laughed Xie Qing.

"You're already brutally enough, huh."

"What a cute compliment. You're also very brutal."

"That's not what you should say to a girl, you brute."

"Haha! My bad!"

Although Lu Yin pouted in offense, she was still smiling brightly. In fact, they looked like teenagers, and the girl even forgot that she was ten years older than Xie Qing.

Lu Yin lay down peacefully on the short grass. Around them were only mountains and fields filled with flowers. A place that resembled paradise.

The girl was a little emotional today. Finally, she felt relaxed in the presence of someone other than Li Yuilan and Liu Yang.

Since childhood, she had been protected, barricaded, and no one had been allowed to touch her.

Like a mountain flower growing on a peak, so many hands reached out to her, but none could reach the mountain peak and enjoy her beauty up close.

Over time, she too began to feel natural. The arrogance in her gaze was not obvious, but it was present in her heart. Even Li Yuilan was arrogant and proud.

This was a common trait of geniuses. Each of them was confident and knew that they excelled at something over the others.

Xie Qing was monstrously talented in cultivation and swordsmanship.

Lu Yin was talented in cultivation and alchemy.

Li Yuilan was talented in cultivation and formation mastery.

Of course, neither of these two wanted to compare themselves with Xie Qing, nor did they particularly want to. In terms of cultivation and sword dao, the young man surpassed even old experts.

However, he was inferior to them in formations and alchemy. Perhaps this was due to his low interest in this work, which is why he did not stand out particularly.

Lu Yin eagerly awaited the future, as she could not even imagine what it would be like if she and these two joined forces.

"Xie Qing, do you think I'm talented?" asked Lu Yin with a slightly suppressed tone.

Opening her eyes, her gaze instantly caught the clear blue sky, and turning her head to the side, she saw Xie Qing, who was sitting in the lotus position and looking at her.

The young man was dressed in a thin white robe that fluttered in the wind, as did his beautiful long black hair, which, like stars, possessed their own charm and radiance.

Hearing her question, there was a perplexity in his black, onyx-like eyes.

"Of course, you're talented, Yin. Has anyone dared to say otherwise?" he replied with a slightly fierce expression.

"Eh? N-no, not quite. It's just that looking at you, I realize that even if I receive the Blessing of the Heavens, I will still be inferior, haha..."

Xie Qing fell silent, seeing Lu Yin's self-deprecating expression.

With his talents, achievements, and potential, he undoubtedly had no equals. Although he doubted that he could achieve much in formations, when it came to alchemy... he was confident in himself.

However...

"Don't think of yourself like that, Lu Yin. My secret is much simpler than you might think. You are much more talented than me, rest assured."

"Hm?"

Lu Yin frowned and looked at Xie Qing, who had an unreadable expression on his face, and his onyx eyes darkened, becoming like a mirror reflecting the girl's beautiful face.

"This..."

The girl was embarrassed. In fact, she could feel that there was not a single flattery in Xie Qing's praise. This skill she had acquired through long interactions with people.

And Xie Qing's words left her stunned. What did he mean by 'My secret is much simpler than you might think'?

However, the girl understood that she should not rush him, so she did not ask any extra questions. Xie Qing smiled faintly, seeing her tactfulness, and lay down next to her.

"Your talent, your skills in alchemy - irresistible. Don't compare yourself to me. I'm just an anomaly."

"This..."

Lu Yin could not answer. She saw Xie Qing's slightly hazy gaze and felt a strange surge that overcame her.

"Hm?"

The girl came to her senses only when she felt Xie Qing's firm muscles, and his puzzled hum, sounded near her ear, made Lu Yin come to her senses.

"I-I... it's..."

Apparently, unknowingly, she had embraced Xie Qing and clung to him with all her body. The pose was very intimate, and Lu Yin blushed deeply.

"F-forgive me, I... j-just..."

Xie Qing blinked in surprise, but seeing her embarrassment and panic, he just smiled faintly and hugged her.

"Thank you. Your support is very important to me."

"Uum..."

Lu Yin felt how Xie Qing's light touch slid down her slender back. She blushed, but instead of the usual embarrassment, she also felt relief and calmness.

"Y-yes..." was all the girl could answer, being slightly in a stupor.

The young man gently stroked her back, remembering her words. He crookedly smiled with a hint of helplessness.

"...Did I show weakness? It's a little awkward."

However, this feeling was truly wonderful. When you are valued and supported. Xie Qing buried his nose in Lu Yin's shoulder and closed his eyes, inhaling her floral scent, which was probably related to pill concocting.

Unconsciously, his mind plunged into a dreamland.

Snoring.

"Hm?"

Lu Yin heard a faint snore and was surprised to find that Xie Qing had fallen asleep. Although she could not see his face, the girl assumed that it was cute.

"Xie Qing..." biting her lip, she whispered in a bittersweet voice. There was helplessness in her eyes.

The girl was not a fool; she was aware of her feelings. However, this did not make it easier for her but even harder. After all, her friend also loved this guy.

But... she felt a fierce desire. Not to give up and not to leave him.

"How selfish I am... Li Yuilan will probably call me a traitor. I'm such a bad friend... but..." Lu Yin buried her nose in Xie Qing's hair and took a deep breath.

Xie Qing always smelled great, even though he didn't use perfumes or colognes. This was related to his Qi.

If one were to try to describe the scent... Lu Yin remembered a poem by a famous poet.

"In the spring field, surrounded by blooms, a warrior fought to the death, covered in blood.

His legs trembled, and his sword was etched with notches. His eyes dried up, and his lips were caked with grime.

Yet with every step he took, the wind scattered pollen and planted flower seeds in the ground.

In that same field, the warrior will die, and in that same spot, hydrangeas will bloom."

He smelled like hydrangeas.

***

Xie Qing waved goodbye to Lu Yin. After spending so many days in this space, they finally needed to return to their sects for business.

As they said goodbye, Lu Yin looked a bit strange, and her facial expression and smile seemed fake. However, Xie Qing did not find the right moment to ask about it.

And so, they parted ways.

This time, Xu Mei took care of the pill, and Xie Qing swallowed it immediately, fearing a repeat of the previous situation.

Fortunately for him, they successfully returned to the sect, and although there was a slight dizziness, everything was not as bad as before.

As they stood at the gate, Xu Mei suddenly asked:

"Do you like Liu Yan's disciple?"

"?!!"