Xu Qi’an pushed open the door to the bedroom. The air was filled with a faint, soothing sandalwood scent. The room was pitch-black; no candles had been lit.
Making use of the weak light filtering in from the outer room, he walked over to the table and pinched the lamp wick until it flared to life.
Then, one by one, he lit the two rows of candles by the bedside, their bright flames burning quietly in the centre, dancing at the tips, gradually driving away the darkness in the room.
Only now did he have time to observe Luo Yuheng. She was lying on her side on the soft brocade couch, dressed in a Daoist robe, the garment outlining the alluring curves of a mature woman.
Xu Qi’an’s gaze moved upwards from her feet. First, a pair of fair, jade-like feet peeked out from beneath her skirt, exquisitely shaped and rounded, with delicate, slender toes, almost as if crafted from the finest jade.
He could not help but want to hold them in his hand and play with them.
Next was the curve of her legs, rising upwards to reach their peak at her hips, then suddenly narrowing at her slender waist… What a graceful and prominent outline, so enchanting in its curves.
Feeling a surge of emotion, Xu Qi’an’s gaze swept past her long, snowy white jade neck and finally rested on Luo Yuheng’s lovely, flower-like face.
She appeared somewhat hot, a flush tinging her cheeks and a fine sheen of sweat covering her skin, which glistened moistly under the candlelight.
Her azure hair spread loosely over the soft pillow, possessing an unrestrained beauty.
“National Teacher?”
Xu Qi’an sat by the bed and called softly.
Luo Yuheng moved her delicate head, murmuring a sentence, “The pool, take me to the pool…”
The pool? Did she mean the hot spring pool? He considered what Luo Yuheng meant, and heard her murmur again:
“The pool can disperse my karmic fire…”
Xu Qi’an understood a little: normally, she used some sort of pool to suppress her karmic fire.
“Hiss, so hot, has she burned muddle-headed?”
He reached out to touch Luo Yuheng’s forehead. It was scalding hot, as if there was a raging fire inside her, burning her fair skin a tender red.
“National Teacher, National Teacher.”
Xu Qi’an called her name twice, but Luo Yuheng was still lost in her fever, unresponsive to his call.
This left Xu Qi’an in a dilemma. Helping Luo Yuheng pacify her karmic fire was actually quite simple: using the dual cultivation method learned in the underground palace, replacing qi with fortune, circulating it through both of their bodies, thus quelling her karmic fire.
But dual cultivation must be undertaken by two people; it was very difficult for one alone to manage.
Hmm, in the dual cultivation diagrams I saw in the underground palace, although most of them required cooperation, there were indeed ones where a single party took the lead… Thinking of this, Xu Qi’an no longer hesitated and placed his hand firmly on Luo Yuheng’s shoulder.
He clearly felt Luo Yuheng’s delicate body stiffen, and caught sight of her elegant fist secretly clenched tight.
Pretending… at least half of that is an act… Xu Qi’an was taken aback, but then some understanding dawned. She had deliberately waited until now so that her karmic fire would be consuming her, and she would have only the barest vestige of reason left.
That way, she would “passively” complete dual cultivation, rather than actively seeking pleasure.
So many little considerations… Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly. He knew well that, as Human Sect Daoist Leader, this was Luo Yuheng’s final pride and reserve.
He turned back, blew out the candles, kicked off his boots, and was just about to climb onto the bed when a pair of small hands pressed against his chest, accompanied by Luo Yuheng’s soft voice:
“Don’t…”
That voice was filled with such complexity: fear, anxiety, a desire to refuse yet not wholly unwilling, even a hint of pleading.
At some point, Luo Yuheng had opened her eyes, meeting his gaze in the darkness.
They looked at each other in silence for a long while. At last, Xu Qi’an said softly, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
Luo Yuheng stared at him, silent for a time, her hands pressed against his chest turning weak and soft.
Xu Qi’an could more or less understand her mindset. Only when suffering the burning of the karmic fire would she reveal this most delicate side; under normal circumstances, she would never be like this.
Her unwillingness and shifting hesitation came from her favourable impression of him, her approval, perhaps even a readiness to seek a Dao companion.
Yet, after all, they had not reached a truly natural union. This session of dual cultivation was forced by circumstances, half-willing, half-unwilling.
And so, with the bow drawn, she instinctively resisted.
Xu Qi’an grasped the edge of the quilt and, with a shake, unfurled it with a rustle, covering everything from view.
At once, fierce struggling began under the covers, lasting a moment before it went still. Then a belt was tossed out through a gap in the quilt.
As it was discarded, another round of struggle started under the quilt, then calmed; a pair of silk trousers was thrown out.
Soon, clothes were strewn about the floor by the bed, including a woman’s private undergarments.
…
Half an hour later, Luo Yuheng’s cold voice sounded in the darkness, “Don’t cling to me. Go away.”
Little Aunt, are you showing me what it means to be wild like a demon beforehand, a saint like a Buddha afterwards? Xu Qi’an raised an eyebrow slightly, pressing his chest against his Little Aunt’s smooth, jade-like back.
His Desire Gu was at last supremely satisfied, madly devouring the power of desire, growing strong and vigorous.
Furthermore, dual cultivation was reciprocal. While Luo Yuheng used his fortune to quell her karmic fire, Xu Qi’an too gained enormous benefits; the qi in his dantian became more plentiful.
One should know that beyond the third rank, breathing exercises brought almost no progress to one’s qi.
Since reaching third rank, Xu Qi’an’s cultivation had not advanced an inch, but now, dual cultivating with Luo Yuheng, he finally saw hope for further progress.
Even if the demon sealing nails restricted his cultivation, one day they would surely be removed.
Xu Qi’an held Luo Yuheng’s small waist, nuzzled the scent from her hair, and whispered softly:
“Shall we continue cultivating?”
Luo Yuheng, ever the second rank, replied coolly, “Go away.”
And you accuse the princess consort of being proud, you’re hardly any less yourself… Xu Qi’an raised an eyebrow again, then suddenly felt a chill somewhere—Luo Yuheng’s sword-finger landed right there.
“Let’s- let’s sleep.”
Xu Qi’an silently backed away, putting plenty of distance between them.
The two spoke no more, but drifted to sleep with calm, steady breaths.
About the time it took for two sticks of incense to burn, a burning hot body edged closer. Luo Yuheng whispered softly:
“The karmic fire has reignited…”
The karmic fire of the Human Sect seeped deep into the bones, so how could it be extinguished in just one or two attempts? Xu Qi’an had already prepared himself for a protracted battle. However, remembering Luo Yuheng’s cold and aloof demeanour just now, he feigned weakness and grinned:
“It’s no good, I haven’t the strength, I can’t do it tonight. Let’s try again tomorrow night.”
Luo Yuheng seemed too proud to beg for intimacy. She pressed her smooth and delicate body against him, clumsily trying to entice him.
Xu Qi’an’s heart was as still as water, and he refused to touch her.
The standoff lasted a quarter of an hour. Luo Yuheng’s skin burned fiercely, her face grew flushed as if drunk, and she suffered the torment of the karmic fire.
From her rosy lips came a few sweet, hoarse murmurs every so often.
“Stop fooling around…”
The National Teacher’s voice drifted over from the pillow, hoarse with a touch of annoyance, yet tender within that annoyance.
Only her usual icy composure was missing.
Such a strong-willed woman, I must pacify you in these seven days of cultivation… Xu Qi’an licked his lips and said softly,
“National Teacher, let me tell you a joke.”
After a pause, he said,
“A long time ago, on a night just as cold as this, a bowl of iced sour plum soup parted ways with its ice cubes to go out and play. As it played, it found that the ice in the bowl had melted. So it went back, crying, to look for the ice cubes. Guess what the ice cubes said to it?”
Luo Yuheng’s deep, clear eyes looked at him.
Xu Qi’an kept her in suspense for only a moment, then whispered, “The ice cubes said: Come up and freeze yourself.”
Having finished, he eagerly watched Luo Yuheng, waiting for her reaction.
Luo Yuheng stared grimly at him, enunciating each word through clenched teeth, “Xu— Qi— an—”
“National Teacher, it was just a joke.” Xu Qi’an could bend or straighten as needed.
He then pressed down on her, but Luo Yuheng resisted fiercely. The cold and beautiful woman wore a frosty face, her soft hands braced tightly against his chest. Every time Xu Qi’an tried to get closer, she pushed him away.
She’s angry, and sulking… Xu Qi’an gripped her wrists, and after a bout of grappling, Luo Yuheng gave up struggling, turning her head to one side in a fit of pique.
…
Dawn broke.
Luo Yuheng, wrapped in a robe, pushed open the window, letting the cold wind pour into the room, tossing her dishevelled hair and collar, pale skin indistinctly revealed.
She gazed blankly at the eastern sky, faintly pale, recalling all that had happened over the course of the night. It felt surreal, like a dream.
There was her joy at extinguishing the karmic fire by using fortune for the first time; the emotion and frustration on her first taste of a Dao companion; and the feelings in her heart, reluctant to admit, yet fully present.
If time were turned back a year, if someone had told her that her future Dao companion would be that little Bronze Gong from the Nightwatcher’s Constabulary, Luo Yuheng would have scoffed.
Yet fate was truly marvellous. The youth who had seemed a junior, almost a child in her eyes back then, now lay entwined with her under the same quilt.
“The karmic fire of the first day has been subdued?”
Xu Qi’an’s voice sounded from behind her.
Just as Luo Yuheng was about to speak, an arm encircled her waist, and his burning kisses lingered on the nape of her neck…
Goosebumps erupted all over her skin. She frowned, shrugged Xu Qi’an off, and tried to keep her tone calm as she said,
“We made an agreement last night. Between you and me, it’s just a transaction, limited to quelling the karmic fire.”
So concerned about saving face… Xu Qi’an said helplessly,
“National Teacher, we’re already Dao companions.”
Luo Yuheng sneered, “My Dao companion can only be me alone.”
“…”
She did not dwell on the topic, but after contemplating, she said, “Do you know why every time the karmic fire burns my body, I refuse to see anyone and must remain in seclusion for seven days?”
“Afraid Emperor Yuanjing will take advantage while you’re vulnerable?” Xu Qi’an guessed.
She shook her head, “The karmic fire back then wasn’t enough to burn away my reason. If I don’t wish for something, no one can force me. The real reason I retreat is the seven emotions!”
“The seven emotions?” Xu Qi’an echoed.
“Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire.”
Luo Yuheng said softly, “For the next seven days, I’ll be ruled by these seven emotions. I’ll become unlike myself, even losing my composure regularly.”
The karmic fire of the Human Sect was, at its core, the seven emotions and six desires. Xu Qi’an nodded, half-understanding.
“You’ll find out when day breaks. But before that, I must make another agreement with you.” Luo Yuheng looked out into the distance and instructed:
“You mustn’t tell anyone; for these seven days, you must come to my room before midnight.”
When Xu Qi’an nodded in agreement, she closed the window, wrapped herself in the quilt, and slowed her breathing.
Xu Qi’an was not tired at all, but instead felt wide awake. He donned a robe and left the bedroom.
He wandered through the dawn light, braving the cold wind, and made his way to the hot spring.
Steam wafted around him. The hot spring was a little scalding, but for him, the temperature was just right.
Should I have brought her out for a bath as well? What if she became pregnant…
Soaking in the warm, comfortable pool, Xu Qi’an suddenly pondered this issue.
The National Teacher was already a mighty shark. If she were to become pregnant through dual cultivation, would any of the other fish have a place?
Did she simply not consider this risk, or is she secretly planning something, just not showing it on her face…
At this thought, Xu Qi’an felt a little uneasy.
At the same time, a famous line from his previous life flashed inexplicably through his mind: ‘I’ll use my internal cultivation to expel what you left in me.’
He had forgotten the exact source, but such a cheeky line had stuck with him through two lifetimes…
Hopefully the National Teacher realises this!
The sky grew brighter, and half a red sun rose from the east.
Xu Qi’an, now thoroughly relaxed from his soak, stepped onto the shore and got dressed. Just as he slipped on his robe, his vision blurred. Luo Yuheng appeared before him.
Her expression was very strange. The moment she saw Xu Qi’an, she felt a little relieved, a little afraid, and mostly furious.
Luo Yuheng arched her brows and said angrily, “Where did you go? Why weren’t you by my side?”
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