“Young master,” Cheng Qi looked at Li Tianyan worriedly.

Upon hearing the old madam’s suggestion that they needed to leave Li Mansion, Cheng Qi feared Li Tianyan might feel saddened.

“It’s okay,” Li Tianyan smiled slightly at Cheng Qi, not offering much explanation. This wasn’t the right place to talk yet with the people around them.

Cheng Qi found comfort in his relaxed smile as he sat beside Li Tianyan. Nervous during his encounter with the old madam, he realized their hands were still tightly holding each other. Feeling the warmth from his palm, Cheng Qi involuntarily blushed, secretly unwilling to let go.

The two listened to the old madam’s words before witnessing others leaving. Li Tianyan promptly guided Cheng Qi to bid farewell.

.

“Huh, we’re finally out,” Cheng Qi quietly sighed with relief after leaving the old madam’s Taiqing Courtyard.

The atmosphere inside had been stifling, and Cheng Qi could still feel the eyes of many onlookers, making him uneasy.

“Hahaha, we won’t have to endure it much longer,” Li Tianyan raised his head, rubbing Cheng Qi’s head, acknowledging the discomfort they had experienced.

“Young master, aren’t you unhappy?” Cheng Qi noticed Li Tianyan’s response differed from what he expected, prompting his curious inquiry.

“What, you don’t want to move out with me?” Li Tianyan narrowed his eyes, looking at Cheng Qi, curious about the little shuanger’s response.

Sure enough, Cheng Qi was eager to express when he heard this, “I will go wherever the young master goes. I am just afraid that the young master will feel sad.”

After hearing what he wanted to hear, Li Tianyan suddenly felt comfortable. This little shuanger was pretty good. With some conscience, he spoke out what was in his heart, “Moving out is exactly what I want, so there’s nothing difficult about it. Do you understand?”

“I understand. The young master will never leave me wherever he goes in the future, right?” Cheng Qi asked again worriedly.

He had never left Cheng Mansion before. Cheng Qi was both curious and unfamiliar with the outside world. Only by staying with Li Tianyan he could feel at ease. However, Cheng Qi was afraid of being thrown away by Li Tianyan after leaving Li Mansion.

He didn’t know why, Cheng Qi always felt that Li Tianyan was out of tune with everything around him, as if he didn’t belong here originally and would disappear from his world at any time.

Li Tianyan was stunned when he heard Cheng Qi’s words, but thinking that Cheng Qi had already embarked on the path of a cultivator, it would be okay to take him together in the future, “Well, if you want to follow, just follow.”

Li Tianyan thought to himself, if Cheng Qi found the path he wanted to take in the future, he could also… no, it was better to talk about it at that time.

Thinking the little shuanger would leave him and fly alone one day, Li Tianyan suddenly found he had an unpleasant feeling. Could it be because he had stayed in the mortal world for a long time and felt reluctant?

.

Li Wu, who was waiting in Qingzhu Courtyard, rushed to greet Li Tianyan when he saw him coming back, “Young master, the medicine bath is ready inside your room. The water temperature is just right now. Come in quickly.”

Before the young master left just now, he asked him to stay to boil medicine and prepare water for a medicinal bath. Li Wu and Xiao Liu hurriedly got the things ready before Li Tianyan came back.

“Yes.” Li Tianyan had already smelled the scent of medicine coming from the room and returned to his room very satisfied.

Li Tianyan took off his clothes and settled into a large bathtub. Engaging the Body Refining Technique, a fusion with the Five Elements Technique, acupuncture points throughout his body opened wide. He avidly absorbed the medicinal properties in the water, combining them with his spiritual power to nourish internal organs and limbs.

The Body Refining Technique, progressing slowly since entering the second level of Qi Condensation, finally showed significant improvement with the medicine’s nourishment. Noticing the changes, Li Tianyan focused on his practice.

Xiao Liu and Li Wu had grown accustomed to the fact that the young master often secluded himself in the room during the day. Whenever this happened, they consciously kept noise to a minimum.

In the evening, Cheng Qi and Xiao Liu sat together for dinner, though Cheng Qi hardly ate a bite. Knowing Li Tianyan was busy practicing and wouldn’t join for dinner, Cheng Qi found the food tasteless.

However, recognizing Li Tianyan’s dedication to cultivation, Cheng Qi resolved to work harder to keep up. The distance between them might be widened otherwise.

Staying up until nightfall, Cheng Qi waited until Xiao Liu’s breathing steadied. He quietly climbed up, opened his bag, touched the new rattle inside, and began meditating and practicing with satisfaction.

.

At night, apart from patrolling guards, everyone stayed in their courtyards to rest. Li Mansion seemed to have fallen into sleep, making subtle sounds more noticeable. Cheng Qi, already reaching the first level of Qi Condensation, had heightened hearing and noticed any neighboring door sounds as he was about to enter a trance.

It took Li Tianyan nearly two hours to absorb all the medicinal properties in the bathtub. Waking up from his trance, he found it was already dark. Thinking about the thugs he encountered earlier, he decided to visit Li Kun’s courtyard.

Closing the door of the room, Li Tianyan saw Cheng Qi sticking his head out from the side room, asking quietly like a thief, “Young master, are you hungry?”

Li Tianyan: “… “This little shuanger wasn’t asleep yet.

In the end, for reasons unknown to him, Li Tianyan took Cheng Qi for a walk in Li Mansion.

After their last visit to the lake with Li Tianyan, this marked Cheng Qi’s second nocturnal stroll. Feeling a bit excited, he thought they might be heading to Second Master Li’s courtyard and curiously asked, “Young master, what are we going to do later?”

“We’ll see then.” Li Tianyan had initially planned to confront Li Kun, but now he decided to assess the situation and, at worst, wait until the following night to take action.

The two stealthily navigated past vigilant warriors, reaching the courtyard where the second master’s family was temporarily located. Considering Li Kun’s status as an acquired eighth-level warrior, Li Tianyan prudently used a hidden charm on Cheng Qi before taking him to the rooftop.

Unprepared, Cheng Qi was lifted off the ground, nearly screaming in fright. He quickly covered his mouth with both hands.

After landing on the roof, Li Tianyan noticed the panic on his face and smiled guiltily. Leading a novice was a first for him, and he lacked experience.

In the dead of night, the sound of water and a soft woman’s voice echoed occasionally from Li Kun’s room. This harmonized with the dim light of the oil lamp, creating a mysterious ambiance.

Seated astride the bathtub, the woman leaned against Li Kun as if boneless. She spoke with resentment, “Husband, you promised to teach Li Tianyan a lesson, but look at him today, not even slightly injured.”

Reflecting on the events in Taiqing Courtyard, Madam Lin harbored resentment but maintained a pitiful expression in front of Li Kun.

As expected, Li Kun immediately felt distressed and coaxed, “Maybe those two idiots took the wrong road and didn’t meet each other. Don’t worry; this kid won’t be so lucky next time. Baby, don’t be angry.”

“Husband, please be gentle, you’re hurting me.” The woman’s voice was soft and charming, few men could resist its allure.

Li Kun couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the woman’s delicate body submerged in the water. “You just want to drain me dry, don’t you?”

“No, I want to… give birth to another a son for you.” The woman leaned into Li Kun’s ear, whispering seductively.

Cheng Qi, lying on the roof, was so shocked by the lively scene below he covered his eyes with his hands. However, he couldn’t resist peeking through his fingers and saw the bathtub covered by the floating woman’s shawl, blocking his view. He put his hand down, feeling a little disappointed.

Li Tianyan observed the scene with indifference. Having been through many evil demon caves, he had encountered various situations. When he heard Li Kun mention ‘next time’ a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Seeing the curiosity in the little shuanger lying next to him, Li Tianyan took out a red pill and threw it into the tub below. He then picked up Cheng Qi and quietly left the roof.