Flustered, Sang Dai cast a quick glance into the distance. She caught sight of Ling Yin watching them with a faint smile. Liu Lixue, on the other hand, had his back to them, squatting in front of a patch of flowers. He seemed to be studying them intently and hadn’t noticed anything happening on their side.
Even though it was only Ling Yin who saw them, Sang Dai still felt uncomfortable. She bent down slightly, nudging Su Xuan’s shoulder and whispering softly, “That’s enough.”
Su Xuan withdrew his hand but remained in a half-kneeling position, looking up to meet her gaze.
The sword cultivator’s face was flushed, her dark eyes seemingly brimming with spring water, filled with a deep sense of embarrassment. Even her ears were tinged with a rosy hue. Her naturally fair complexion made it all the more obvious—she couldn’t hide her shyness at all.
He had simply been helping her remove the remaining poison, with no improper intentions. But clearly, a certain sword cultivator seemed to have misunderstood.
Her face was far too red. Sang Dai couldn’t mask her emotions, especially when she was embarrassed.
Su Xuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and the spot on his palm where he had touched her ankle seemed to ignite, burning unbearably.
[Dai Dai… is embarrassed?]
Sang Dai’s face flushed even more. She grabbed his arm without hesitation, attempting to pull him to his feet. “Stand up.”
Her voice was low, as though she was afraid someone might overhear.
Su Xuan countered by grasping her wrist in return. His expression remained calm and composed. “What, this sovereign helps you heal, and this is the thanks I get?”
Yet, despite his serious demeanor, Su Xuan wasn’t being entirely proper. Sang Dai’s sea of consciousness was filled with his thoughts.
[Dai Dai’s ankle is so slender. I can wrap it with one hand. So fair, so cute. No, no, she’s too thin. I’ll have to make sure she eats more in the future.]
[..But she’s just so adorable! Dai Dai, Dai Dai, how are you so beautiful?!]
[Big, bright eyes, long curling lashes, a delicate nose, and those lips…]
Sang Dai clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.
[I really want to kiss her.]
[I want to bite her.]
[I want to kiss Dai Dai. Kiss her when we wake up in the morning, kiss her when we meet during the day, kiss her after she bathes at night, and then—]
“Su Xuan!”
Sang Dai finally lost it. She smacked Su Xuan’s hand, which was still holding her wrist, with considerable force. His hand turned red instantly.
The loud sound caught even Liu Lixue’s attention, and he turned to look in their direction.
By then, Su Xuan had already let go of Sang Dai’s ankle and released the hem of her skirt. All Liu Lixue saw was his esteemed master half-kneeling in front of Sang Dai, his long silver hair cascading like silk down his back. He was gazing up at her with a faintly upturned face.
Sang Dai’s face, however, was completely flushed, her eyes faintly glistening. She covered her mouth and glared at their master. Her expression looked like a mix of anger but, more than that… shyness?
What on earth had they been doing?
Sang Dai realized her reaction had been too intense. Seeing Su Xuan’s reddened hand, faintly marked with the imprint of her fingers, a tinge of guilt crept into her heart.
“Are you okay—”
[Dai Dai’s hand is so soft.]
Sang Dai: “?”
[Did it hurt when she hit me? I want to help Dai Dai kiss it better. If I kiss it, it won’t hurt anymore.]
Sang Dai hurriedly covered her hand, terrified that Su Xuan might stand up and peel her hand away to kiss it.
“Su Xuan, you—I don’t want to see you!”
The sword cultivator wasn’t good at scolding people. Even when angry, all she could muster was a low, self-perceived “fierce” reprimand.
Ordinary people might realize she was upset, but Su Xuan was clearly no ordinary person.
[Why is Dai Dai embarrassed again? Did I say something?]
Not only had he said something, but he had also acted on it!
[Damn… She looks even better when she’s shy. Her face is so red—I really want to kiss her!]
“Go away!”
Sang Dai couldn’t hold it in anymore. She quickly pushed Su Xuan aside and brushed past him, walking toward Ling Yin.
Ling Yin was sitting on a swing in the garden, covering her mouth as she laughed uncontrollably. Even the swing swayed slightly with her movements.
Sang Dai’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, her heart racing. After that episode, her mood was no longer as cautious and composed as it had been when they first entered.
Ling Yin rested her forehead lightly against the swing’s rope, tilting her head as she smiled at Sang Dai. “Miss, if you look back, you’ll see that the best is always behind you, isn’t it?”
Sang Dai, of course, understood what she meant.
The trace of embarrassment and frustration in her heart suddenly dissipated.
She lowered her gaze.
Ling Yin’s voice was soft, audible only to the two of them.
“Hmm, am I wrong? That gentleman’s eyes might as well be glued to you. I can see that he likes you very much.”
Likes her.
Sang Dai knew it too.
Su Xuan genuinely liked her.
She heard footsteps approaching and turned to look, meeting Su Xuan’s gaze directly.
He seemed genuinely puzzled, as if trying to figure out why the usually mild-mannered sword cultivator had pushed him away, looking both angry and shy.
Sang Dai wasn’t sure how to explain it either.
Should she tell him that she could hear his thoughts?
His mind was full of her, endlessly repeating Dai Dai, Dai Dai, Dai Dai every time their eyes met. She was starting to forget what her own name sounded like.
But he had no idea what was happening because those were only his inner thoughts. He hadn’t spoken any of them aloud. From his perspective, he had simply helped her detoxify the poison, yet she had inexplicably gotten upset.
Sang Dai calmed herself, guilt rising in her heart. She lowered her voice, intending to apologize. “Su Xuan, I’m sor—”
[She’s frowning…]
Sang Dai relaxed her brow, realizing she had unconsciously furrowed it—a small habit she had when deep in thought.
She was just about to open her mouth and change the subject—
【Still so beautiful. Want to kiss her, nibble on Dai Dai.】
Sang Dai: “…”
She couldn’t stay calm anymore.
Turning decisively, she looked at Ling Yin with a frosty expression and said, “Senior, can we talk alone? Throw him out.”
Su Xuan: “?”
He asked, “Why can’t this sovereign listen?”
Sang Dai didn’t even turn her head. “You don’t need to.”
“Why doesn’t this sovereign need to? This sovereign refuses to leave.”
“I don’t want to see you.”
“That won’t do. You must see this sovereign—no, you must stay by this sovereign’s side.”
“I won’t.”
“This sovereign insists!”
“You don’t get to decide.”
“This sovereign does not agree!”
Liu Lixue, squatting nearby, sighed and held his forehead.
These two were over a hundred years old, yet they bickered like three-year-olds. Honestly, there were moments when they were quite alike in certain aspects.
Spreading his hands, he asked, “So, can you two stop arguing for a moment and tell me what just happened?”
“No!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
Liu Lixue: “…”
Feeling wronged, he muttered, “Fine, if you can’t, you can’t. Why be so fierce about it?”
Ling Yin laughed out loud, her voice crisp and melodious.
Sang Dai suddenly snapped back to her senses, realizing she had just been… arguing with Su Xuan?
She had never bickered with anyone in her entire life.
Her face felt like it was about to boil. The redness spread all the way down her neck. Flustered, she turned around abruptly, pushing Su Xuan’s shoulder with force to make him turn away.
The sword cultivator’s tone was sharp. “You are not allowed to turn back!”
Su Xuan: “?”
He instinctively began to turn, “Why sh—”
Before he could finish, the sword cultivator behind him cut in sharply, “If you dare turn around, I won’t speak to you for three days.”
Su Xuan: “…”
Fine. A true deathblow.
Su Xuan gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and said nothing. He stood motionless, his back to Sang Dai.
He looked furious, but in reality, he was conceding.
Liu Lixue, who had witnessed everything, wore a complicated expression.
He glanced at his esteemed master, who was now metaphorically “facing the wall in penance,” and gave him a thumbs-up.
What a pushover.
Liu Lixue dusted off his robes and stood up, walking over to Sang Dai with a flower in hand.
“Miss Sang, Miss Sang, do you know what this is?”
The flower in his hand had delicate blue and white stems, and it was small and rather pretty.
Sang Dai took a few deep breaths to steady herself. After a glance at it, she shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Liu Lixue became excited. “This is a Rakshasa Flower! Do you know what a Rakshasa Flower is?”
He blinked expectantly at her.
Sang Dai answered honestly, “I don’t know.”
As her words fell, a faint laugh reached them.
It was a certain fox laughing.
Liu Lixue immediately deflated. “You don’t even know what a Rakshasa Flower is?!”
Sang Dai shook her head again. “…No, I don’t.”
Su Xuan, standing nearby, decided to chime in. “It’s an immortal herb that suppresses meridians. It went extinct centuries ago. To think it would appear here—”
As he spoke, he instinctively began to turn around.
The sword cultivator’s calm voice interrupted him. “Turn back.”
“Snrk.”
This time, it was Liu Lixue who laughed.
Su Xuan: “…”
He turned back decisively, his jaw clenching tightly.
He didn’t fully understand why Sang Dai was angry, but he also didn’t dare disobey. He knew she meant what she said. If he turned around, she really wouldn’t speak to him for three days.
With his back to her, Su Xuan gritted his teeth and said, “That thing is very valuable. You’d better grab a few plants to take back. Have Liu Lixue refine them into pills for you—they’re excellent for healing. This sovereign will cover the cost.”
To Lord Su Xuan, money could solve any problem. If he paid, it wouldn’t count as stealing.
Ling Yin nodded in agreement. “Of course, you can take some with you.”
She smiled brightly and pointed to a patch of flowers in the distance. “By the way, the vine that pricked you earlier is called a Siamese Vine. Its thorns are actually quite valuable. They’re incredibly tough and, when smelted into a weapon, can greatly enhance its durability. However…”
Ling Yin’s eyes curved into crescents, her smile growing even more radiant.
“They’re also poisonous. And, hmm, their poison happens to be a key ingredient in certain medicines.”
Sang Dai keenly sensed something amiss in Ling Yin’s words. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Liu Lixue’s increasingly complicated expression, and unease crept into her heart.
“…What kind of medicine?”
“An aphrodisiac,” Ling Yin said casually.
Sang Dai: “…”
Ling Yin continued, “But don’t worry, Young Master Su already neutralized the poison. You’re fine.”
Sang Dai asked numbly, “Why would you plant something like this?”
Ling Yin replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Because it’s pretty.”
She stood up, plucked a flower, and gently tucked it into Sang Dai’s hair, patting her head affectionately.
“Pretty.”
The flower was beautiful, and so was the person.
Meanwhile, Liu Lixue was heartbroken. “Wuuu, that’s Purple Wisteria Immortal Grass! It’s a life-saving treasure and sells for 100,000 spirit stones per stalk outside!”
And it had just been casually plucked?!
Sang Dai: “It’s that expensive?”
Su Xuan interjected, “You can pick a few more. Have Liu Lixue refine them into pills. This sovereign will cover the cost.”
Ling Yin nodded. “Sure, 100,000 spirit stones per stalk.”
Liu Lixue immediately dashed to Su Xuan. “Master, pay up!!!”
Even if it was for Sang Dai, just being able to see and touch such rare treasures made him ridiculously happy.
Su Xuan, like a generous golden toad spitting out coins, handed over the spirit stones without hesitation.
Ling Yin asked, “Anything else you’d like?”
Liu Lixue’s eyes lit up. “Nirvana Grass!”
“50,000.”
“White Crow Spirit Bud!”
“70,000.”
“Kunlun Immortal Dates!”
“That one’s pricier—150,000.”
Sang Dai watched as Liu Lixue darted around like a monkey. One moment he was picking immortal herbs, the next he was running to Su Xuan for money, then back to Ling Yin to pay.
But Ling Yin didn’t seem to care about the money at all. She tossed the spirit stones carelessly into the flowerbeds, smiling as she watched Liu Lixue bounce around like a child, clearly just toying with them.
Sang Dai closed her eyes. Just as Liu Lixue was about to rush over again, she stepped forward to stop him. “Halt.”
Liu Lixue, still brimming with excitement, exclaimed, “Why are you stopping me? Miss Sang, don’t you see? This isn’t the Burning Heaven Realm—it’s clearly my long-lost homeland!!”
Sang Dai grabbed him by the collar. “I don’t want them anymore. You stop buying.”
Although Sang Dai was speaking to Liu Lixue, her words were clearly aimed at Su Xuan.
Su Xuan frowned and said, “Why not take them? These things are good for your health.”
As he spoke, he instinctively turned toward her, just in time to meet the sword cultivator’s dark, piercing eyes.
Su Xuan: “!”
He spun back around so quickly it was startling.
“This sovereign didn’t turn around. You can’t ignore this sovereign.”
Sang Dai: “…”
She no longer wanted to talk to him.
She dragged the distraught Liu Lixue away and walked straight to Ling Yin. “Senior, may I ask why you planted all these things?”
Ling Yin replied with a bright smile, “Because they look nice.”
The same answer as before.
These immortal plants, which would cause a frenzy in the Four Realms with even a single stalk, served only one purpose here—for their appearance.
Sang Dai didn’t believe it. Yet from the look in Ling Yin’s eyes, she understood that no matter how many times she asked, the answer would remain the same.
“Fine, then I’d like to ask another question. Why are these immortal plants growing in the Burning Heaven Realm?”
The vengeful spirits and ghostly aura in this place should have made it impossible for such plants to thrive. Furthermore, the realm lacked abundant spiritual energy; the meager spiritual energy here wasn’t nearly enough to sustain their growth.
So why were they flourishing?
Even more puzzling, many of these plants had long gone extinct in the outside world.
Ling Yin’s smile never faltered. She slowly returned to the swing, sat down gracefully, and placed her hands neatly on her knees.
“Because of me,” she said.
Sang Dai froze. “…What?”
Liu Lixue frowned as well. “What do you mean?”
Su Xuan remained silent but didn’t turn around.
Ling Yin continued smiling as she explained, “Because they’re planted in me.”
Sang Dai’s pupils constricted abruptly.
The immortal grass Liu Lixue was holding slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
Su Xuan turned around.
Ling Yin pointed to the ground and said, “I merged my soul into the Red Sand Spring. My soul force nourishes these immortal plants.”
“The last time you saw me, it was merely a projection of my consciousness. In truth, I cannot leave the Red Sand Spring.”
She had trapped herself here, sealing her existence within the Red Sand Spring.
Sang Dai stared in disbelief. “A soul… can nourish immortal plants?”
Ling Yin smiled and said, “Ordinary people, of course, cannot. But I am no ordinary person. I am an awakened Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root.”
“Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root awakeners possess the most powerful vitality in the Four Realms. Their blood, flesh, and even a fragment of their soul are imbued with unparalleled life force. But even more remarkable is—”
Ling Yin stood up, reaching out her hand to gently touch Sang Dai’s neck, her fingertips brushing along her nape.
Su Xuan frowned, instinctively stepping forward to intervene.
But Ling Yin had already traced her fingers down to the base of Sang Dai’s spine.
She said, “A Heaven-Grade Spiritual Root.”
Ling Yin met Sang Dai’s gaze and continued, “It can bring the dead back to life.”
Su Xuan froze mid-step, his movements coming to an abrupt halt.
Sang Dai’s lips parted slightly, her gaze locking with Ling Yin’s. In Ling Yin’s smiling eyes, she saw too much—things she didn’t dare to think about.
The ghostly chill emanating from Ling Yin only served to clear Sang Dai’s mind further. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, “For example, the Guixu Spiritual Vein?”
Ling Yin nodded, her smile deepening as she answered softly:
“For example, the Guixu Spiritual Vein.”