Xiao Wu's Openness

Back at the little villa, Ning Qiu and Xiao Wu had a simple meal before entering the bathroom. The bathtub had already been filled with hot water.

With a thought, Ning Qiu took out a bottle of Body Tempering Spirit Liquid from the system inventory. Following the system's instructions, he poured the entire bottle into the bathtub. The steaming hot water began to emit red vapor, like a hazy blood-colored mist.

To obtain a higher-age soul ring, one not only needed extraordinary willpower but also a strong physique.

Ning Qiu walked over to the bathtub. Out of caution, he dipped a hand into the bathwater. Apart from a warm sensation, his palm felt no other discomfort. Only then did he undress and step naked into the tub.

Lying in the bathtub, the medicinal effects in the water began seeping into Ning Qiu's body through his capillaries. It felt like basking in the sun—warm all over and exceptionally comfortable.

Enjoying the comfort, Ning Qiu closed his eyes. Before long, he drifted off to sleep.

"Ah-ha, so this is where you were!"

A childish voice startled Ning Qiu awake from his cultivation.

"Xiao Wu?"

Ning Qiu froze for a moment, then his mind went blank. He realized that he was bathing right now!

"Wow, what a strong fragrance!"

Xiao Wu was briefly stunned as well, but then her eyes widened. As though she had discovered a mountain of gold, a fervent gleam appeared in her gaze.

"What a strong herbal scent!"

Xiao Wu stepped closer to the bathtub, muttering to herself, "There's the scent of Blood Ginseng, and Four Leaf Flower too. Hmm... that grassy fragrance must be from Purple Ganoderma."

Xiao Wu was the incarnation of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, a Soft Bone Rabbit. Having eaten countless plants, she had an extremely keen sense of smell for medicinal herbs.

"Xiao Wu, could you go out for a moment first? It's inconvenient for me right now!" Ning Qiu came to his senses and reminded her.

"Inconvenient? What's inconvenient?" Xiao Wu failed to understand him and asked earnestly.

The next second, something Ning Qiu would remember for the rest of his life happened.

Xiao Wu actually reached her hand into the bathtub.

"This..." Ning Qiu's eyes widened.

"Wow, it feels so good!" Xiao Wu's eyes flew open, her face lighting up with delight, and even her rabbit ears perked up. Before Ning Qiu could react, she had already leaped into the air and jumped into the tub.

"Uh..."

Ning Qiu's eyes widened again, and they nearly popped out of their sockets.

Was this what they called a lovers' bath?

"Xiao Wu!!!"

After taking a moment to recover, Ning Qiu could not help crying out to remind her.

"Wow, this feels so good!"

Xiao Wu beamed, feeling an urge to dance.

"Xiao Wu... isn't it inappropriate for us to be like this? I'm taking a bath!" Ning Qiu's face reddened as he reminded her again.

"Taking a bath? Then we can bathe together! Your bathwater is really comfortable!" Xiao Wu replied innocently.

The red, immortal-mist-like vapor rising from the bathwater nearly obscured even Mu Chen's face. Xiao Wu did not think there was anything inappropriate about it.

"But I'm a boy, and you're a girl. Boys and girls should keep their distance!" Ning Qiu reminded her once more.

"We're still young, and we're wearing clothes. I'm a girl and I don't mind, so why do you, a boy, mind? Besides, I'm on this side and you're on that side. As long as you don't come over here, isn't that fine?" Xiao Wu asked with a giggle.

"Uh..."

Ning Qiu was speechless.

"Hey, you two... you two..."

Just then, a slightly older childish voice suddenly rang out.

Ning Qiu and Xiao Wu looked toward the sound and saw Ning Chen standing outside the door, holding an Iron Broom commonly found in the countryside.

The Iron Broom in Ning Chen's hand was different from an ordinary one. It was as tall as a person, with light flowing across its surface. This was Ning Chen's martial soul—the Broom.

"Ning Chen, why did you come here?" Before Ning Qiu could ask, Xiao Wu spoke first.

"Hehehe..." Ning Chen completely changed his previous attitude. A smug smile spread across his lips, sweet as if coated in honey, as he said, "Ning Qiu, can I discuss something with you?"

"Oh? What is it?" Ning Qiu asked thoughtfully.

"Ning Qiu, look, no one cleans this place for you. Could you let me do the cleaning?" Ning Chen looked at Ning Qiu with pleading eyes.

"No need. You were extremely unwilling even when it was just cleaning the Treasure Pavilion." Ning Qiu smiled.

"That's right, you even cursed at him!" Xiao Wu said indignantly on Ning Qiu's behalf.

"Did I?" Ning Chen asked, blushing.

"Didn't you?" Xiao Wu shot back.

"Absolutely not. How could I? My father and..."

"Right, your father and Ning Qiu's father are cousins. How could you possibly curse him, right?"

Before Ning Chen could finish, Xiao Wu cut in and questioned him first. Her slightly raised brows and sidelong glance clearly said: You still remember that your father and Ning Qiu's father are cousins? And yet you cursed Ning Chen.

"Ning Qiu, say something. I already know I was wrong. What do I have to do for you to let me clean this house?" Ning Chen asked regretfully.

Ever since he had cleaned the Treasure Pavilion, Ning Chen had discovered that cleaning could earn him Soul Power. Overjoyed, he cleaned nonstop for an hour. But when he tried to clean the same places again, he found that he could no longer gain Soul Power. Only after an hour had passed could he earn Soul Power again by cleaning the same area.

Having discovered this secret, Ning Chen ran down the mountain and cleaned his own home from top to bottom. In the end, he found that throughout the entire village, aside from Ning Qiu's Treasure Pavilion and small villa, nowhere else allowed him to gain Soul Power through cleaning.

Now that he had discovered he could gain Soul Power by cleaning the small villa as well, how could Ning Chen possibly let that opportunity slip by?

Seeing that Ning Qiu did not answer, Ning Chen added, "Ning Qiu, I secretly saved five hundred Copper Soul Coins. It's all pocket money I saved up during holidays and festivals. I originally planned to use it when I attended the Junior Soul Master Academy. Please forgive me. I'm willing to give all this money to you."

After saying that, Ning Chen really did pull a small pouch of Copper Soul Coins from his pocket. Without caring whether Ning Qiu wanted it or not, he placed the pouch on the bathtub beside Ning Qiu. All he wanted was the right to clean this villa.

"Do you truly want to clean?" Ning Qiu asked.

"Yes." Ning Chen nodded heavily.

"With no complaints or regrets?" Ning Qiu asked again.

"Yes. No complaints, no regrets. No—I'd be more than happy to!" Ning Chen replied.

"Take your money back," Ning Qiu said flatly.

"Ning Qiu!" Ning Chen panicked as soon as he heard that.

Ning Qiu was telling him to take the money back. Didn't that mean he was still refusing?

In other words, Ning Qiu was still angry with Ning Chen.

Slap!

In frustration, Ning Chen slapped himself.

"Ning Chen, what are you doing?" Ning Qiu asked with a stunned expression.

"Ning Qiu, say no more. It was all my fault," Ning Chen said remorsefully.

"Ning Chen, you misunderstood. What I mean is, we're both descendants of cousins—we're family. You don't need to bribe me just to clean my house. But as for your three meals a day, there's no one here to cook, so I'm not handling that," Ning Qiu said bluntly.

"So you're agreeing to let me clean your villa?" Ning Chen's eyes lit up as he stared at Ning Qiu eagerly.

Ning Qiu nodded.

"You're such a bro, Ning Qiu. You really are a good brother!" Ning Chen said joyfully.

"Ning Qiu, I need to go back for a while."

At that moment, Gou Dan, who had been turning over the soil in the Red Soil Land, came outside as well and spoke to Ning Qiu through tears.

"What happened, Gou Dan?" Ning Qiu asked with concern.

"My dad was beaten up!" Gou Dan answered.

"What happened?" Ning Qiu asked.

"I don't know. My mom said several other uncles in the village were beaten too," Gou Dan replied.

"What? Let's go take a look." Ning Qiu's expression darkened, and he instinctively rose to his feet.

"Ah!"

Xiao Wu suddenly let out a scream.

A light breeze blew past, and Ning Qiu felt a chill across his body. Only then did he realize that he was bathing! And Xiao Wu was right beside him! They were so close that Xiao Wu had seen everything—and in perfect clarity.

"Y-you... why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Xiao Wu asked Ning Qiu reproachfully, covering her face with her hands as her cheeks turned crimson.

"I'm taking a bath. Who wears clothes while bathing?" Ning Qiu retorted irritably, his face reddening.

PS: Starting tomorrow, there will be bonus chapters, released at random times every day. Unless something unexpected happens, there will be bonus chapters daily. Come check out a refreshing Douluo fanfiction. If you like it, please add this book to your collection!