Morning of New Year's Day

Such pure and foolish words made it hard not to suspect whether the dual cultivation technique the big ice block had read was SpongeBob SquarePants. Yet, on second thought, Xu Yuan felt relieved. Slightly more profound dual cultivation manuals were composed entirely of prose descriptions, using phrases such as dragon's yang entering yin, yang traveling the eight meridians, yin rotating through nine acupoints to bridge yin and yang, and the like. Such manuals never included illustrations. After all, if someone was capable of obtaining such profound arts, they would certainly lack neither power nor influence. The chance of such a person being completely ignorant of intimacy was negligibly small. A slip-through-the-cracks like the big ice block, who had missed out entirely on common-sense enlightenment, was naturally not something the authors took into consideration. Sunlight spilled across the bed, reflecting off the silk sheets and casting soft ripples across the ceiling. Pressed close against the big ice block beneath the quilt, Xu Yuan spent a good quarter of an hour carefully pondering how to answer her question before finally letting Ran Qingmo go amid a wave of guilt. Feeling the young woman in his arms blink her lovely eyes, their gaze so pure it held not a single speck of impurity, Xu Yuan felt an inexplicable twinge that he was behaving like a beast. *Rustle.* The silk quilt was turned back. Ran Qingmo sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Xu Yuan, quietly straightening her clothes. After a night of sleep, her ink-black robes looked somewhat ruffled, and several stubborn cowlicks stuck out from her straight, sleek black hair. Bathed in the morning sunlight, the girl's slender silhouette appeared exceptionally breathtaking. Both of them had slept fully clothed. Ran Qingmo got up, tidied her clothes and hair a bit, and immediately gave up upon discovering she could not press down the cowlick on her crown. Turning her gaze, she looked at Xu Yuan, who still lay on his side in bed, and asked softly, "Xu Yuan, aren't you getting up?" The silk quilt remained draped over him. His morning arousal still lingered on the charm of the girl's delicate body, and Xu Yuan felt he could not yet taint this blank sheet of paper called the big ice block. He shook his head gently. "I'll wait a bit longer." "Oh." Ran Qingmo nodded, stood up, and softly reminded him, "Master said staying in bed is bad. You should seize the time to cultivate." At this, Ran Qingmo paused and murmured, "I'll cultivate while I wait for you." "..." Watching Ran Qingmo walk over to the square table in the room, sit down, and begin her rhythmic breathing in meditation while holding a Source Crystal, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment before slowly sitting up from the bed. Only after circulating the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art for a minor cycle to suppress his body's instinctive reaction did Xu Yuan get out of bed at an unhurried pace. He cast another glance at the relentlessly diligent girl in the room, smiled faintly, and pushed open the door to fetch water outside to wash up. Ever since stepping into the Flesh Integration Realm, a cultivator's primary source of energy intake shifted from eating food to absorbing qi. This directly eliminated many unnecessary metabolic processes. In the long run, it marked the first true, significant extension of a cultivator's lifespan. In the short term, without pointless waste, washing up essentially became a mere formality. Xu Yuan, however, was an exception. He still maintained his old lifestyle habits, having never relinquished his appetite for three meals a day, so his body's metabolism was naturally no different from when he was in the Soul Condensation Realm. Still, the benefits of higher cultivation remained evident: even washing up bare-chested outdoors on a winter day after a snowfall, he felt no chill at all. Stepping across the snow, he drew a bucket of specially provided spring water from the deep well in the courtyard. Stripping off his upper garment, Xu Yuan pulled out a clean cotton cloth and wiped himself down with the water. His uncle's Hundred-Year Phantom Sword Brew was indeed fine wine, but it was still wine at the end of the day. After a hangover, his Flesh Integration physique had expelled a large amount of impurities, leaving an uncomfortable stickiness on his skin. On the morning of New Year's Day, the patter of splashing water echoed softly through the courtyard. Just as he bent over to rinse his hair with the ice-cold spring water, Xu Yuan's sharp hearing caught the sound of hurried footsteps crunching through the snow along the lane outside the courtyard. From the sound of it, it was likely that girl Xu Xinyao. The judgment took only an instant. This was not because Xu Yuan could identify people purely by ear, but rather because the other figures in the Prime Minister's Manor's inner courtyard had ways of appearing that were each more unearthly than the last. He and Xu Xinyao were the only two in the entire inner court who walked with audible footsteps. Accompanied by the splashing of water, the footsteps drew near from afar, and Xu Xinyao's gentle, water-soft voice drifted in from the courtyard entrance: "Huh? Why isn't Third Brother's courtyard gate closed... Forget it. Third Brother! Third Brother! Father just told me to tell you that you must stay in the inner court today and by no means— Ah!" "..." Hearing her voice, Xu Yuan paid no heed to the water streaming from his hair and looked up toward the courtyard entrance, only to meet Xu Xinyao's slightly dazed gaze. Today, Little Fourth was dressed in a blue-and-white brocade winter robe, draped with a khaki fur coat. Her aura was as soft as water. At this moment, however, she was blinking and staring at him, faint blushes tinting her fair cheeks. After locking eyes for a split second, Xu Yuan asked with some confusion, "What's wrong?" No sooner had he spoken than he realized the girl's gaze was fixed on his bare upper body. Ice-cold spring water washed over his skin, looking rather brisk under the chilly wind that swept by from time to time. Water droplets traced along the well-defined contours of his muscles, dripping onto the snow to freeze into crystals of ice. They were no longer children, after all. A bare-chested man still packed quite a visual punch for an innocent maiden like Little Fourth. Realizing this, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. Flipping his palm, he gathered a clump of snow from the ground and flicked it lightly. With a soft *smack*, a snowball burst right in front of Xu Xinyao's flushed little face. "Ugh..." The freezing cold of the snow snapped Xu Xinyao back to her senses instantly. Wiping the slush off her face with her sleeve, she pursed her lips in slight grievance. "Third Brother... Why did you hit me?" "Hmph." Xu Yuan snorted softly, not bothering to cater to her. He ladled more water to continue bending over and washing his hair, asking quietly, "What was Father saying just now?" The warm sun shone upon the snow, casting a dazzling glare. Pouting, Xu Xinyao moved her eyes away from her third brother's bare chest and stepped forward at a leisurely pace, whispering, "Father told you not to leave the inner court today. The Emperor might pay a visit to the manor today." Xu Yuan's hand paused slightly as he ladled up fresh water. Lowering his head, he watched the clear water drip from his long hair onto the snow, silent for a moment before chuckling softly. "So the Emperor is bowing his head?" Xu Xinyao did not have much political acumen, but she could easily deduce something so obvious. Approaching Xu Yuan, she said softly, "After all, he can't really let Father retire... Third Brother, let Xinyao wash it for you?" Hearing this, Xu Yuan casually handed the water ladle to his fourth sister. Washing long hair was a cumbersome task. Ordinarily, wealthy families kept maids and servants to attend to it, but outsiders were not permitted inside the inner court of the Prime Minister's Manor, so in the past, Xu Yuan had often had Xu Xinyao help him. Taking the ladle, Xu Xinyao retrieved a jade bottle from her Sumeru ring, poured out a little Yin-Yang flower essence, and began massaging her third brother's hair with practiced familiarity while speaking softly: "Father also told Xinyao to temporarily halt the research on that Emperor of Sien's corpse today. He's probably worried the Emperor might notice something during his visit..." The research on the Emperor of Sien's remains was likely one of the Prime Minister's Manor's most crucial secrets in the past decade. The battle that had erupted over Di'an that night had drawn too much attention; to maintain secrecy and avoid scrutiny, the research had not been transferred to the Gewu Academy on the outskirts of Di'an, but was instead being conducted on-site inside the Chancellor's Manor. Lowering his head and slightly bent over, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "Is there a possibility that Father simply wants you to take a rest? Today is New Year's Day, after all." Xu Xinyao's eyes flickered, the corners of her lips curling into a smile. "That's true... Still, it wasn't easy to make some progress, so Xinyao didn't really want to stop. Besides, time is rather tight." Xu Yuan let out a light sigh. "Apart from Father, the busiest person in this manor right now is probably you, girl. The soul ring matter has only just begun, and now he's called you over to study this Emperor of Sien's corpse." Xu Xinyao hummed a laugh and drawled playfully, "Well, who told Xinyao to be more capable than an idler like Third Brother?" "Hmph, brat." Xu Yuan snorted softly, paused, and then asked with interest, "What progress did you just mention? That soul-warding garment, or that Emperor of Sien's heart?" Gathering her third brother's hair into a bundle and applying the fragrant essence, Xu Xinyao kneaded it thoroughly as though kneading dough. Then, picking up the ladle, she poured water while speaking softly: "There's really nothing to study about that soul-warding robe. Master has already copied the formation runes etched onto it. Reverse-engineering a brand-new formation like that will take a very long time, and the material of the robe itself requires analysis by the Artifact Forging Workshop over at the Gewu Academy before any conclusions can be drawn." Feeling the brisk chill of the spring water, Xu Yuan replied softly, "So that means such soul-warding clothes can't be produced anytime soon?" Xu Xinyao let out a soft huff, her gentle voice carrying amusement. "Third Brother, do you think formations are as simple as cooking a dish? How could it be that easy?" *Right, this girl is still holding a grudge about being tossed out of the kitchen last night.* Xu Yuan cleared his throat. "And what about the Emperor of Sien's heart?" By this point, Xu Xinyao had finished washing Xu Yuan's hair. Gathering his long hair with her slender, delicate hands, she gently wrung it dry before taking a cotton towel and draping it directly over Xu Yuan's head. Having done that, Xu Xinyao stepped back half a pace, a hint of gravity entering her gentle tone. "Sister Lou Ji and I are handling that heart. Even though death aura already permeates that Saint's body, there is still a faint trace of vitality within the heart. "We stimulated and tested it more than a hundred times with medicinal agents and various kinds of energy, and in the end, we discovered that the heart responded most strongly to a cultivator's blood essence." "Huh?" The cotton cloth carried the girl's fresh scent. Xu Yuan straightened up, using it to rub the moisture from his hair while asking with some confusion, "What does that mean?" Xu Xinyao deliberated on her phrasing, explaining it in terms Xu Yuan could understand: "Using marrow-refining vines to fashion specialized conduits that channel a cultivator's blood essence into the heart, that Saint's corpse will move. The range is small, but it does move." At this, Xu Xinyao pressed her lips together and looked into Xu Yuan's eyes, whispering: "Third Brother... "That heart... seems like it can be transplanted into high-ranking cultivators. "Sister Lou Ji... is already preparing to conduct human trials using death-row inmates from the Black Prison." "..." Hearing this, Xu Yuan felt a strange sense of déjà vu. What the Prime Minister's Manor was doing right now was shockingly reminiscent of the villains in the movies from his past life who researched forbidden things for profit, only to lose control, face retribution, and destroy the world. After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan tossed the cotton cloth back to Xu Xinyao and said, "Actually... I think I might be able to help with this." "..." Xu Xinyao caught it in a fluster, but did not reply. Circulating his cultivation method to dry his damp hair, Xu Yuan looked at Xu Xinyao and smiled. "Did you forget? When it comes to stimulating that Emperor of Sien's corpse, no one could be more suitable than me. I only channeled a bit of intent-soul, and that headless corpse raised its hand straight up." Xu Xinyao shook her head and said softly, "I intentionally didn't mention that matter to Sister Lou Ji." Looking at the girl with downcast eyes, Xu Yuan reached out and patted her head. "Worried about me?" "Mm." "Heh, you've improved quite a bit. Back in Wanxiang City, you would have struggled for a long time before giving an answer." "..." Xu Xinyao did not reply. Some time ago, the assassination attempt on Third Brother and him being sent back to Di'an in a near-death state had dealt her a heavy shock. Perhaps it was then that a subtle change had taken place within her mentality. Yet Xu Xinyao kept all these things quietly buried in her heart. Looking at the silent Little Fourth, Xu Yuan let out a light sigh. Pulling on a silk inner robe, he smiled. "Forget it. We'll talk about this another day. It's the New Year—let's keep things cheerful and not think about such things." "Okay," Xu Xinyao replied obediently. Raising her eyes, she asked, "Then are you eating breakfast today, Third Brother?" "What, do you want to cook again?" "..." Xu Xinyao stomped her foot in annoyance, kicking up a flurry of snow dust. "No! Eldest Brother got up early this morning and made dumplings. He told me to come call you." "Xu Changge made them? Then count me in," Xu Yuan replied with a grin. Speaking, he glanced back toward the wing room and called out loudly, "Want to go eat dumplings? My eldest brother's culinary skills are actually not bad." A trace of confusion surfaced in Xu Xinyao's gentle, watery eyes. Tugging at his sleeve, she asked in a low whisper, "Third Brother... who are you talking to?" Xu Yuan pondered slightly and transmitted his voice in a murmur: "I suppose she could be counted as one of your sisters-in-law." "..." Xu Xinyao's pupils constricted, her red lips parting slightly. "Huh?" With a chuckle, Xu Yuan jutted his chin toward the wing room. "Here, see for yourself." Dressed in ink-black robes, a transcendent and serene young woman stepped slowly out from the shadows of the wing room onto the snow. The entire courtyard seemed to turn noticeably cooler because of her presence. Ran Qingmo looked at the brother and sister, nodding faintly. "Good morning, Xinyao." Watching the girl walk out of Xu Yuan's room, Xu Xinyao's eyes were somewhat confounded. She looked at Xu Yuan, then at Ran Qingmo, unable to say a word for quite a while until Xu Yuan flicked her forehead. Only then did she clutch her forehead in pain and murmur softly: "Sister Qingmo..." With that, Xu Xinyao tugged at Xu Yuan's sleeve again, muttering in a tiny voice, "Third Brother, aren't you supposed to keep Sister Qingmo from knowing that you're alive?" Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and replied via a similarly hushed voice transmission, "How should I know? The moment I woke up, I found her lying right next to me." Xu Xinyao looked slightly worried. "Then how do you plan to explain it to Sister Qingmo?" Xu Yuan did not care in the slightest, chuckling mischievously. "Don't worry. Ran Qingmo won't ask."