The night market streets were bustling with people, and casual cultivators were enjoying themselves in wine houses, indulging in endless drinking and revelry.

Ye Anping walked with measured steps to make sure Sima Xuanji’s short legs could keep up. After strolling together for quite some time, they reached a secluded high pavilion.

From this vantage point, you could see the entire city below. It had an ancient charm and was particularly radiant in the moonlight.

Sima Xuanji gazed at the horizon with her unique eyes, and then she glanced at Ye Anping, expressing half satisfaction and half tenderness.

“Young master Ye, the scenery here is quite nice.”

After accompanying Sima Xuanji for a while, Ye Anping began to feel a bit tired and didn’t want to waste more time with her. So, he got straight to the point.

“Miss Xuanji, I believe there’s more to this than just a casual stroll, am I right?”

Sima Xuanji seemed slightly annoyed at his impatience but didn’t want to reveal her identity. She replied, “Shall I be honest, Young master Ye? I have two things to tell you.”

“Go ahead, Miss Xuanji.”

“The first thing concerns the cultivation method and heart technique you’re using.”

At this moment, her parrot on her shoulder interjected, “Excessive Yang! Excessive Yang!”

Naturally, it had seen through Sima Xuanji’s unusual gaze and decided to play dead, preening its feathers to appear busy.

Sima Xuanji changed her gaze back to a gentler one and continued, “Young master Ye, I don’t know who taught you this cultivation method, but the Four Oceans Sect’s Heart Technique and the Nine Elements Heart Technique both belong to the extreme Yang category. Moreover, since you’re a man, your three Yang energies gather at the top of your head. The techniques should be balanced with Yin and Yang.”

Ye Anping certainly remembered this issue, but little did he know that there was a special “debuff” in this world.

“I recall Elder Wang mentioning this to me, so there’s no need to worry, Miss Xuanji.”

Sima Xuanji raised an eyebrow and asked, “Did Elder Wang suggest a solution?”

The parrot chimed in again, “Take a wife! Take a wife!”

Sima Xuanji bit her lip but maintained her composed image in front of Ye Anping.

Ye Anping was somewhat perplexed, glancing at the parrot by his side, and then nodded. “He mentioned it…”

“Why haven’t you prepared for it, Young master Ye?”

“Miss Xuanji, when I advanced from the third layer of Qi Refining to the fifth layer, I experienced an excess of Yang energy. But I should be able to disperse the excess Yang energy, at least before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage…”

Sima Xuanji shook her head and denied his statement. Then, she fixed her yin-yang eyes on him and said seriously, “Young master Ye, if it happens again, your meridians will be completely shattered.”

If anyone else had said this, Ye Anping wouldn’t have taken it too seriously. But since it was Sima Xuanji, he had to consider it carefully.

He furrowed his brow, “Really?”

“How could I deceive Young master Ye for no reason?” Sima Xuanji shrugged and after some thought, continued, “This second matter relates to the first.”

“Please go on.”

“Young master Ye, have you found a partner yet?”

Ye Anping hesitated for a moment, feeling like he might have been tricked, but he still nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“Ah…”

“Coincidentally, my elder sister hasn’t been married either, and she’s about the same age as you…”

Could her elder sister be referring to Xiao Yunluo? Ye Anping raised an eyebrow and asked, “May I ask who is your elder sister?”

“You’ve only met today; it’s Xiao Yunluo,” Sima Xuanji replied with a slight smile. “My little parrot told me that you two get along well, so I thought I’d meet you, Young master Ye.”

Ye Anping raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, “So, Miss Xuanji, are you suggesting…”

Sima Xuanji reached into her sleeve and took out a jade pendant, handing it to Ye Anping. She said, “If Young master Ye agrees, take this jade pendant and find her. She’ll understand.”

Was she suggesting that Xiao Yunluo should be betrothed to him?

Ye Anping was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. He knew he was taking on Sima Xuanji’s storyline in place of Feng Yudie, but in the game, Sima Xuanji entrusted Xiao Yunluo to Feng Yudie. How did it become a proposal of betrothal when it came to him? Was it because he was a man?

Originally, he had planned to accept Sima Xuanji’s request, obtain the opportunity that was originally meant for Feng Yudie, and then pass on the “entrustment” to someone else. But now, how was he supposed to pass on a betrothal proposal?

Marry in haste, repent at leisure? Or maybe he should rush to break up with her the day after they got married? The whole situation was a mess.

Sima Xuanji noticed his hesitation and thought he might not want to be betrothed to Xiao Yunluo. She wondered why he had done what he did earlier in the day.

“Of course, the matter of being partners can wait. So, if Young master Ye is in a hurry, you can come to the Moon Spring Peak of Profound Star Sect to look for me. I’d be happy to help you temporarily suppress the excess Yang. Just mention my name, ‘Xuanji,’ to the disciple guarding the mountain, and they will bring you to me.”

Ye Anping raised an eyebrow, “Huh?”

“I quite like Young master Ye, and it’s as if we’ve known each other for a long time or even love at first sight,” Sima Xuanji said with a charming smile. “But for various reasons, I can’t become partners with you, and that’s a pity.”

So, she wanted to freeload off him… Ye Anping was about to say something, but he stopped himself.

Sima Xuanji handed the jade pendant to him, stood up, and gave a slight bow. “It’s getting late. Young master Ye, you should rest early. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, Sima Xuanji leaped out of the railing, summoned her flying sword, and flew towards the main peak of Profound Star Sect.

Ye Anping watched her departure for a while, feeling somewhat puzzled. Then, he looked down at the jade pendant in his hand. The pendant was white and shaped like half a yin-yang fish.

In the game, Sima Xuanji entrusted Xiao Yunluo to Feng Yudie and gave her this half of pendant. It was meant to match the other half that Xiao Yunluo had. It was a symbol of their bond.

Originally, he had planned to obtain the good spirit sword that came with this pendant, which would have been excellent for both him and his junior sister. But now, it seemed that Sima Xuanji had given him an opportunity to consult her at any time.

This opportunity wasn’t insignificant. After all, in the domain of Zhou Star Region, the saying might be, “If she’s willing to ‘have you,’ it’s your honor.”

Ye Anping was perplexed by Sima Xuanji’s strange behavior and the dramatic change in the storyline.

However, he realized that he couldn’t just ignore the issue of excessive Yang energy. It was a matter of life and death. Furthermore, he had already experienced the feeling of excessive Yang energy once before, and it was similar to having a high fever. It might even threaten his lifespan.

He took a deep breath and made up his mind, “It seems I can’t delay this any longer. The matter of partners can wait; it’s too early for that. I’ll go see my junior sister tomorrow. If she doesn’t agree, I’ll probably have to go see her. Sigh, changing cultivation methods will have to wait until at least the Core Formation stage…”