Shattered

The Transcendent aberrant ghost husk had possessed virtually boundless stamina, but Soul Condensation was, in the end, still within the mortal realm. After thoroughly accepting the reality of his return to the Soul Condensation Realm, the mental tension Xu Yuan had held taut for days finally relaxed, and the exhaustion native to a mortal body surged into his chest. He was exhausted, and thus in need of some leisure and recreation. With the chest-binding princess away on business, his only option was Xiao Bai. Silence filled the wing room. Bai Muxi sat kneeling upon the stone couch, while Xu Yuan reclined sideways with his head pillowed against her plump, soft thighs, eyes half-closed as he enjoyed the gentle pressure of her fingertips. The warning he had given earlier seemed to have genuinely frightened Xiao Bai; her face, elegant as a freshly washed lotus, was filled with cautious deference. Her acupressure was far from practiced. As the foremost figure of the crypt, she had never before performed such menial service for another. Yet to please the young master before her, she was already giving it her all. Xu Yuan did not mind in the least; awkwardness held its own sort of charm. If he truly wanted blissful indulgence soft enough to melt around his fingers, the courtesans in brothels were the undisputed masters. Minutes and seconds ticked away. Suddenly: "Muxi." Enjoying the service of this crypt Chief Arbiter, Xu Yuan spoke up: "What was your physique again?" "Wh-what?" A trace of confusion flitted through Bai Muxi's lowered eyes, before she whispered in response, "Young Master, Muxi does not know. The crypt recognized only aptitude, never speaking of physiques." Xu Yuan slowly opened his eyes to meet her alluring, ink-black gaze, a faint smile touching his lips. "Didn't you see me examine the physiques of those two Grandmasters from your crypt? Isn't Qin Yuan a Pure Yang Physique?" Before leaving the Underground City, both the ostentatiously provocative Yi Kui and the ruthless Qin Yuan had received top-tier cultivation arts bestowed by him. Ironically, Bai Muxi—the one with the highest aptitude in the crypt—was still using the crypt's crudest cultivation method. Because she had to follow them out, even if she had received a new art, there had been no time to switch her practice. A spark of pleasant surprise flashed in Bai Muxi's eyes, but she quickly pursed her lips, continuing to gently massage his temples as she whispered, "Young Master's willingness to aid the crypt already leaves Muxi boundlessly grateful. I dare not ask for more." "Enough." Xu Yuan exhaled a breath and chuckled. "You will be my confidante and my personal concubine. For a long time to come, your cultivation will be directly tied to my life and safety, so do not say such things anymore." The dainty, tender tip of Bai Muxi's tongue lightly moistened the corner of her lips. "Muxi... thanks Young Master. Your great kindness is impossible to repay; Muxi has no way to return it." Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. "No way to return it? So do you intend to pledge yourself to me body and soul, or work like an ox and horse in the next life?" An alluring blush suffused Bai Muxi's snow-white skin. "Muxi has already surrendered everything to Young Master. Whether to be an ox and horse or pledge myself body and soul is entirely up to Young Master to decide." Xu Yuan gave a soft snort, sat up from her thighs, and looked back at her with a smile. "Being overly coquettish only ends up irritating people. Come, lie down." Bai Muxi's body trembled slightly. Her picturesque, ink-washed eyes blinked twice as she cautiously reminded him, "Young Master... Her Highness the Princess could return at any moment." Xu Yuan cast her a glance and chuckled softly under his breath. "She won't be back anytime soon. She has military affairs in the city to attend to, and Chi Feng's saint corpse is a massive headache. Besides, so what if she does return? Examining your meridians to pick a cultivation art is proper business. Even if she sees it, she can't say a thing." With that, a flash of bloody light welled in Xu Yuan's eyes, dispelling the darkness and bringing everything in the surroundings into view. An imperceptible tremor passed through Bai Muxi's graceful eyes. Submissively, she lay flat upon the hard stone couch, her full bosom swelling beneath her garments, accentuating her exquisite curves. Xu Yuan leaned closer. As his cultivation art circulated, a wisp of crimson Source Qi twined around his fingertips, and he cast a glance at her. Their gazes met for an instant. Making up her mind, Bai Muxi closed her eyes somewhat nervously, her face flushed like a dripping peach, leaving only her long, dense eyelashes fluttering gently. "..." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched, and his heart gave a quickened thump. "Loosen the clothes over your lower abdomen." "Mm..." Bai Muxi let out a soft hum. With a stir of Source Qi, her peach-pink brocade tunic parted halfway, revealing her flat lower abdomen and an alluring navel. Xu Yuan's gaze focused slightly. Circulating his art to calm his mind, he pressed his fingertips onto her flat, soft belly. "Relax. Otherwise, I can't enter." If a Grandmaster closed off their body, no amount of pushing from a Soul Condensation cultivator could force a way in. As the entrance to her meridians opened, the crimson Source Qi flowed from Xu Yuan's fingertips into Bai Muxi's body without impediment, radiating from her dantian toward her limbs and hundred bones... The human body had one hundred and twenty-seven meridians. Among the Big Four of the Underground City, Yi Kui had one hundred and seventeen cleared meridians—a genius among geniuses. Qin Yuan was an outright Pure Yang Physique. As for the deceased Li Xing, Xu Yuan didn't know, but presumed he hadn't been far behind. Yet even so, all three had deferred to Bai Muxi as their superior. Because of that, Xu Yuan was genuinely curious about what physique she possessed. As his Source Qi probed deeper, Xu Yuan focused with rapt attention. Just as his brow began to furrow— "Mm... ah..." A soft, sultry moan broke the stillness of the wing room. Xu Yuan instinctively opened his eyes to see her fair, jade-like legs hooked back and her supple, slender waist arched upward, curving into an enticing arc atop the stone couch. "..." Xu Yuan froze for an instant and parted his lips dumbly. *Probing with Source Qi produces this effect?* Composing himself, Xu Yuan muttered, "Can you shut your mouth?" "O-oh, alright." Bai Muxi opened her eyes, an elusive hint of coquetry in her gaze. "Forgive me, Young Master." Xu Yuan circulated his art to tamp down his rising heat and snorted softly. "My Source Qi is inside your body. If you let your mind wander, aren't you afraid of qi deviation?" "Qi deviation? You certainly flatter yourself." Luo Xiran's amused voice suddenly echoed in Xu Yuan's heart. "No matter how much your Soul Condensation Source Qi thrashes inside her, it couldn't possibly harm her." "..." Xu Yuan retorted inwardly, *Nobody would mistake you for a mute if you kept your mouth shut.* "Giggle..." Luo Xiran's melodious, older-sisterly laughter chimed within him. "Watching your hands wander earlier, little brat, I thought you were some sex-crazed fiend. Who knew you were just a pewter spearhead dressed up in silver—all thunder and no rain?" Xu Yuan's fingertips twitched, but he said nothing. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Xiran continued her mockery: "What, did your big sister hit the mark?" Xu Yuan wasn't angered in the least—why get mad at nonsense? He shot back softly, "As if you have any experience. Heh... a ten-thousand-year-old virgin." "..." Luo Xiran fell silent for an instant, her melodious voice tinged with flustered irritation. "Insolent brat! In all the years I've lived, the men I've seen could—" "Sure," Xu Yuan chuckled silently upon hearing her flustered comeback. "Next time I return to the crypt, I'll go check that body of yours and see if you, my sworn sister, have ever seen—" "You dare!" Luo Xiran's composure cracked. Xu Yuan glanced down at the red glow radiating from the Blood God Stone hanging around his neck. As a spiritual essence spirit of the Blood God Stone, Luo Xiran possessed no combat power of her own, but through the Blood God Stone, she could control the black death fungal armor—armor that had absorbed Qi and most of the blood pool's life origin. Xu Yuan didn't know her exact strength, but squashing his rock-bottom Prime Minister's Manor combat prowess would be an absolute breeze. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan very prudently gave a light cough. "Ahem, I was only joking. Don't take it seriously." "..." Luo Xiran was so infuriated that she went quiet, and Xu Yuan was glad for the peace as he began carefully inspecting Bai Muxi's physique. Minutes and seconds ticked away. The deeper his examination went, the more unusual Xu Yuan found Bai Muxi's physique to be. The human body had a total of one hundred and twenty-seven meridians. Some were clear, some blocked, and some completely severed, but the location of each meridian was generally fixed. Yet the meridians inside Bai Muxi's body were bizarre. She had five extra. Bai Muxi possessed a total of one hundred and thirty-two meridians. In silence, Xu Yuan retracted the Source Qi injected into Bai Muxi, opened his eyes, and looked down at her once more. Damp with sweat, strands of hair clung to the sides of her exquisite face; her eyes were misty with longing and her gaze soft as spun silk. Lying flat, her soft bosom appeared exceptionally enticing. Her voice carried a tentative note: "Mm... Young Master, is it over?" "..." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. Silently, a slender figure descended. Standing atop the courtyard wall, Li Qingyan knitted her willow brows slightly. Pure white snow blanketed the courtyard, broken only by two sets of footprints tracing across the snowdrifts toward the upturned eaves of the roof. In silence, her blood-red robes danced in the wind like a startled swan as Li Qingyan soundlessly arrived before the wing room. The sounds inside the wing room were faint, but to a physique honed by martial arts and Source Qi, they fell clearly upon her ears. The rustling friction of clothing was accompanied by soft, breathy, and sultry gasps. Hearing this, Li Qingyan's heart clenched. Wisps of blazing flames immediately coiled around her constricting black pupils, and a flash of chilliness instantly crossed her lake-calm eyes. She had a rough idea of what was happening inside. Her slender fingers tightened slightly, and on instinct, she moved to push the door open. But just as her fingers were about to touch the door frame, she suddenly paused. Gently pursing her crimson lips, a complex look flickered in her scarlet pupils. Pulling back her suspended hand, Li Qingyan turned around and leaned lightly against the door frame, suppressing the ripples surging in her heart. *Forget it... treat it as a reward for that dead man.* *She is nothing more than a personal maidservant...* *But why...* *Ha, what a pointless emotion.* Yet the rustling sounds from behind the door drifted out uncontrollably in waves. Li Qingyan crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers tapping briskly against her arm. Her leaning figure remained as steady as Mount Tai, but the chill in her gaze only grew colder and colder. Suddenly, that warm, jade-smooth male voice carried through the door, bearing a suppressed raspy edge: "Enough, Muxi. Qingyan is still outside handling military affairs, and the matter of Chi Feng remains unsettled. While I'm no saint, I really have no mood for this right now." "..." Li Qingyan's bright eyes widened slightly. A hum as faint as a mosquito's wing escaped her shapely nose, and her crimson lips curved into a soft, lovely arc. Yet in the next moment, the voice of the scheming crypt Chief Arbiter drifted out again: "Y-Young Master, you have just survived such a brush with death; your body and mind are both thoroughly exhausted. Her Highness the Princess has always been... she wouldn't blame you." "..." Li Qingyan's fingers crossed over her chest tightened slightly, and she gave an inscrutable, slow nod. "Never mind," Xu Yuan insisted. Bai Muxi's frail voice spoke up once more: "Young Master... you..." Xu Yuan's voice turned resolute and decisive: "Bai Muxi, I told you: do not teach me how to do things." A brief silence fell inside before Bai Muxi cautiously replied, "Muxi... Muxi knows her mistake." Immediately after, another flurry of rustling clothes sounded, followed by Xu Yuan's gentle voice: "I already know what your physique is. I'm going out to get some fresh air. You rest here for now; once I return, I will give you a cultivation art." "..." Hearing this, surprise flickered in Li Qingyan's eyes. In a flash of movement, she vanished from the spot, as though she had never been there at all. A few breaths later, *Creaaak—* The weathered wooden door was pushed open from within. With disheveled robes and tempting skin partially exposed, Xiao Bai sat sideways on the edge of the bed, biting her lip. Having changed into fresh brocade robes, Xu Yuan walked straight out of the room. After casting a calm gaze around and finding no one in sight, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Circulating his cultivation art, faint crimson mirror disks condensed beneath his feet as he strode over the snow toward a pavilion in the courtyard that was rather massive by human standards. He sat down, warmed the wine, and drank. As the spiritual wine entered his belly, warmth surged up, and Xu Yuan's racing heartbeat—so fast he felt he might drop dead on the spot—finally began to steady. *Damn it. Back when I suspected that chest-binding princess would sneak after me to the brothel, it turns out she really does have the bizarre kink of eavesdropping outside doors.* Fortunately he had been vigilant and swept the area with spiritual vision beforehand. If not for spiritual vision, he'd probably have been strung up and beaten afterward. With that thought, Xu Yuan downed another cup of spiritual wine. Once his composure was completely restored, a thoughtful look showed in his eyes. For the first time, he experienced the terrifying efficacy of spiritual vision in detecting qi dynamics. When that chest-binding princess was eavesdropping earlier, he had instantly caught the fleeting trace of aura that slipped out the moment her emotions lost balance. And even more importantly, Li Qingyan broke no cover, seemingly completely unable to perceive his probe. A Soul Condensation cultivator unilaterally probing an Origin Realm expert... With this thought, Xu Yuan tossed back another cup of spiritual wine, an involuntary smile curling on his lips. "This truly is a blessing in disguise..." "What blessing in disguise? Why not tell this princess?" "..." Xu Yuan. A chilling voice sounded abruptly from behind him. Crimson robes sweeping the ground, Li Qingyan strolled into the pavilion as if she owned the place. She casually snatched the cup from his grip, poured herself a cup, drank it in one gulp, and leaned against the stone table, peering down at him from above. "Changtian, what good fortune have you come across?" As a supreme grandmaster of acting, Xu Yuan didn't bat an eye. He even gave her a strange look and countered, "Why do I get the feeling you're in a foul mood? Like you swallowed gunpowder." Li Qingyan nearly crushed the bronze cup in her hand to dust on the spot, but smiled softly. "It is indeed a bit foul—military matters. So I wanted to hear about your good fortune, Changtian, to lighten my mood." Xu Yuan gave her a suspicious glance, then took out another bronze cup and filled it to the brim. "It's about Bai Muxi." *Crack—!* The bronze cup, tough as iron, shattered into fine powder. Xu Yuan reflexively shrank back his neck, a trace of uncertainty in his eyes. "Qingyan, you..." Li Qingyan let the bronze powder scatter from her fingers, then snatched the new one Xu Yuan had just taken out. Her eyes curved with a smile. "It's nothing. This princess is just in a foul mood." "That cup is very expensive..." Xu Yuan cautiously reminded her. Li Qingyan lowered her scarlet pupils slightly, twirling the cup in her fingers, the smile on her lips turning dangerous. "This princess will compensate you. Go on." Xu Yuan felt he really shouldn't flirt with death any further. He cleared his throat and said, "Bai Muxi has the Five Elements Dao Physique, but I don't have a suitable cultivation art for her at the moment." "Oh?" Hearing that, Li Qingyan raised an eyebrow, an intrigued expression appearing between her brows. "This princess happens to have one. How about you send her over to my side for a while?"