The Venerable's Tenderness; Gifting Silk Stockings to the Mistress

The moon, like a silver disc hanging in the sky, casts a soft moonlight, draping the earth in a mysterious and gentle silver veil.

The plump Third Elder stood in the open space, taking another sip of the fine wine with a greedy air, before casually placing the jade gourd on a nearby stone. In the moonlight, the Third Elder's shadow was identical to that of the jade gourd.

A gentle breeze blew, and You Su sobered up a bit.

So he stopped behind the Third Elder and waited silently for him to speak first.

"Thanks to you for this incident at the Bihua Pavilion."

The Third Elder turned around, his gaze softening slightly.

Even when she was very satisfied with You Su, there was always a thorn in her eyes—that was her habit when looking at men. She wanted to puncture any unfounded fantasies he might have about her with the thorn in her eyes.

But at this moment, she found it difficult to categorize the blind man who had helped her so much as an ordinary man.

"Third Elder, you're too kind You Su is just trying to make money."

"You will certainly not be shortchanged in your share of the profits."

The Third Elder nodded slightly. You Su was not arrogant about his achievements, and his frankness pleased the Third Elder even more. If an ordinary man had such an accomplishment as saving the lives of several female Heart's Blood, he would probably have become arrogant and complacent, and had unrealistic fantasies.

"You helped my Bihua Pavilion revive from the brink of death, so I should give you some reward. What do you want?"

You Su for a moment before saying:

"You Su doesn't need any reward. In fact, You Su can see that, given Master and Senior Sister's personalities, maintaining Lotus Peak's position will likely require the Third Elder's behind-the-scenes help. The Third Elder has never asked for anything in return, so You Su shouldn't accept any reward for helping the Third Elder."

The Third Elder was somewhat taken aback. You Su's insightful understanding surprised her. She had never boasted about her feelings for Lotus Peak, yet You Su, as a disciple who joined later, had remembered all of this.

"I don't feel that Lotus Peak owes me anything. Even if it does, why would you need to repay it?"

"Third Elder, you are mistaken. I am from Lotus Peak, why can't I return it?" You Su blinked. "Besides, this isn't about returning it. Third Elder and my master are friends. It's normal for friends to help each other. If we're calculating gains and losses, it will create distance."

The Third Elder pursed her red lips. "Let's not talk about the reward. Tell me, what are your requirements?"

"What... what requirements?" You Su asked in astonishment.

The Third Elder rolled her eyes playfully. "A bet!"

You Su then remembered the bet he had made with the Third Elder. Of course, he couldn't accept the generous reward, since the main reason for helping was to make his junior sister and senior sister happy.

"I, Bihua Venerable, am not a man of my word. Since you do not want a thank-you gift, then this request cannot be refused. Speak," the Third Elder said firmly.

Upon hearing this, You Su hesitated. To be honest, his life had been too smooth lately, and he lacked nothing. Suddenly being asked to appoint a Void Glimpse Venerable was something he really didn't know how to ask for a favor.

He thought it over and over, then his face lit up with surprise, "Really, I can ask for anything?"

The Third Elder recalled the same excited look in You Su's eyes when the bet was made, and wondered what the blind man was thinking that made him so excited...

The Third Elder subconsciously straightened his back, appearing even taller and more imposing.

"Any reasonable request is acceptable."

"Then please, Third Elder..."

It really is related to the real person!

The Third Elder unconsciously clenched his back teeth, feeling resentful and angry. It seemed that this blind man was no different from those disgusting men who lusted after him!

"Please speak to me more gently in the future Third Elder."

?

The Third Elder stood frozen in place, a blush of embarrassment rising on her mature and alluring face, giving her a unique charm:

That's it?

"Actually, You Su could sense that the Third Elder didn't really like You Su, which is why his words to me were always subtly barbed. The Third Elder is a Third Elder I respect and love, and I've tried hard to change his opinion of me, but it seems to be in vain. Although You Su is strong, she still has a heart. That night, I wanted to help the Third Elder Third Elder, but his first reaction was to turn You Su away. I didn't say anything, but I was actually sad inside. So I wanted to take this opportunity to ask the Third Elder what he thought of me, so that any misunderstandings could be cleared up in time. I really don't want the Third Elder to have any prejudice against me."

You Su spoke gently, bowing with his head down and his hands clasped in front of his forehead, his attitude very sincere.

Only after hearing You Su's explanation did the Third Elder realize how much harm his habitually harsh attitude towards men had caused to this young child.

He only wanted to build a good relationship with his elders, but he was repeatedly met with inexplicable indifference.

She wouldn't care if it were any other man; she'd just be heartbroken. But the other man was You Su, who had done her a great favor. You Su could have used this request to make her bleed a lot, but he only wanted to use it to clear up the misunderstanding.

The Third Elder's feelings were somewhat complicated. Looking at You Su's respectful bow, she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh.

"I haven't misunderstood anything; you're the one who's misunderstood. To be honest, you're the most outstanding junior I've ever met. I have no reason not to like you; you're overthinking it."

"Real?"

You Su raised her head and looked at the Third Elder with surprise and disbelief in her eyes.

"That's natural."

The Third Elder's pretty face flushed slightly as the intoxicating celestial wine began to take effect.

This was the first time in her life that she had said "There's no reason not to like you" to a man, and even though she knew it was an elder's affection for a younger person, it still made her face burn with embarrassment.

"Very well, I was a bit harsh on you because I felt your master spoiled you too much, so I wanted to encourage you. But judging from your performance, you are not someone who needs to be pushed. From now on, I will treat you as I would a beloved disciple."

"Thank you, Third Elder!" You Su bowed again, his tone filled with undisguised joy.

The Third Elder sighed softly, never expecting You Su's happiness to come so easily, to the point that she felt somewhat guilty.

"Your master is in seclusion. If you need anything, you can come to Bihua Peak to find me. As you just said, since our two peaks are friends, there's no need for formalities. Alright, take your senior and junior sisters back now. Cultivate well and don't disappoint me."

The Third Elder turned gracefully, raising her cup to the moon.

What should have been a tranquil scene of beauty under the moon was marred by the Third Elder's concern, who added, "Remember, you must not use the Cloud Bamboo to fly back. The Xuanxiao Sect strictly forbids drunk driving, and even if you are someone favored by the First Elder, you cannot escape the Xuanxiao Sect's punishment."

"Yes!" You Su responded loudly.

At this moment, his heartache was relieved, and he felt completely relaxed. He ran to the mountain path in a few quick steps to meet up with Wangshu, who was waiting for him. Wangshu had the drunken Ji Lingruo on her shoulder.

Walking back to the peak with a dizzy head was unrealistic, and driving under the influence was not an option, You Su had no choice but to obediently open her arms.

A look of joy flashed in Wangshu's eyes. She hadn't carried her junior brother in a long time and finally had the chance again. She skillfully grabbed You Su's waist and took flight.

She had Ji Lingruo in her left arm and You Su in her right, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Junior brother, why does junior sister keep saying 'Senior brother, I want it'? What exactly does junior sister want?"

Braving the chilly evening wind, Wangshu asked curiously, "Junior sister's cries are so pitiful, junior brother, how about giving it to her?"

You Su twitched the corner of her mouth, not expecting her junior sister to unleash her true nature when drunk:

"Junior sister is saying she wants to drink more. How can she drink any more? We can't let her have any more."

"Then why does she keep touching my legs?"

"Junior sister is usually a restless sleeper and likes to sleep while hugging something, so senior sister can just bear with it."

"How did you know, junior brother, that junior sister likes to sleep while hugging something? Have you two ever slept together?"

"..."

You Su rubbed her forehead and acupoints. "Senior sister, junior brother is also a bit drunk. Please hurry up."

"Oh."

Everyone on Bihua Peak and Lotus Peak slept exceptionally well tonight.

They had reason to believe that with You Su's help, Bihua Pavilion would grow into a colossal beast, and even Qianhua Pavilion would be unable to stop their momentum at this stage.

When it was fully light the next day, You Su finally got out of bed, feeling utterly exhausted.

Only then did he realize that an uninvited guest was sitting in the courtyard— the First Elder.

This was the first time You Su had seen the First Elder since before he went to the Lingxu Mountain Range. The peace and happiness he had experienced during this period had almost made him forget about the Evil Warding Department and evil spirits.

The senior sister sat opposite the First Elder, remaining silent.

"First Elder," You Su bowed respectfully.

The First Elder remained as gaunt yet vigorous as ever, stroking his beard with a smile:

"It's clear that you, like Wangshu, dislike the Evil Warding Department. Otherwise, why wouldn't they have come to the Evil Warding Department even once after the mission ended?"

You Su was somewhat embarrassed, "I've been quite busy lately. I was planning to visit the First Elder when I had some free time."

"You're quite busy, which is unexpected. I didn't know you had such ingenuity in business. What advice do you have for managing the Evil Warding Department?"

You Su dared not offer any advice to the First Elder: "First Elder, you flatter me. It was just a fluke, and I would never presume to comment on the Evil Warding Department."

The First Elder seemed to have anticipated You Su's response, shook his head helplessly, and then took out a palm-sized, pure white clam shell from his sleeve.

"The Nine Revolutions Spirit Returning Pill I promised you, the Seventh Elder has finished his seclusion, and I had to use a lot of persuasion to snatch one from him."

You Su was overjoyed. "Thank you First Elder!"

He had always been thinking about the Nine Revolutions Spirit Returning Pill that could help his Mistress, but he was too embarrassed to ask the First Elder for it, so he could only wait for news in silence.

"You deserve it."

The First Elder looked You Su up and down. "It's not uncommon to see people your age with your cultivation level, but those with such a powerful aura are truly rare. You will definitely reach the pinnacle of the Ascension Realm in the future, and this pill may help you enter the Void Realm. Therefore, I hope you will think carefully about the use of this pill, after all, it is something that is truly rare and hard to come by."

You Su was taken aback. He understood what the First Elder meant; he simply hoped that the elder would not waste the pill on his Mistress, but would keep it for himself.

"You Su has already made a decision."

After saying that, the clam shell floated gently into You Su's hand. Unexpectedly, the pill was extremely heavy, and You Su almost lost his grip on it.

This top-grade elixir was even unusually large in quantity.

"Alright, Wangshu, let's go."

The First Elder stood up and shook his sleeves, Wangshu also stood up nimbly.

"Where... are we going?" You Su asked, somewhat curious.

"Wangshu insisted on seeing you before setting off on her mission. Now that she has, it's time for her to go," the First Elder replied.

You Su then remembered that his senior sister was Goddess even more powerful than him. He had a mission, and his senior sister naturally had one too.

"Can I come along?"

"You want us to have to take care of you too?"

The First Elder's rhetorical question was not malicious, but the point was valid; You Su was still only at the Spirit Platform Realm.

You Su could only remain silent. "How long will it take?"

"It's hard to say. Actually, we owe this mission a lot to you."

"I?"

"If the Mysterious Spirit Pearl I gave you hadn't been tricked away by that Evil Cultivator, how could I have found her whereabouts? This mission is precisely to wipe out the Evil Cultivator."

You Su was surprised. Didn't this mean that he had been under the First Elder's surveillance all along? Even though he knew the First Elder meant no harm, You Su still felt uneasy.

"How did the First Elder know it was stolen by Evil Cultivator?"

"Each of these Mysterious Spirit Pearl contains an avatar of mine; how could I not know?" The First Elder patted You Su on the shoulder earnestly. "I know some female Evil Cultivator are extremely alluring, and it's normal for inexperienced cultivators like you to find it hard to resist. But you are different from them. This time you were only tricked into buying the Mysterious Spirit Pearl; who knows what you might be tricked into buying next time. Make the most of this opportunity."

You Su wanted to explain, but then realized that, judging from the outcome, she had indeed been deceived, so she could only sigh in embarrassment.

Just then, Wangshu came over and grabbed his hand:

"First Elder, my junior brother says it was stolen, not that he was tricked. He won't fall for a bad woman's tricks."

The hands were icy cold, but the words were warm, deeply moving You Su.

The First Elder looked at the two holding hands, raised his thick white eyebrows, and scanned You Su's face with a hint of anger, saying:

"No wonder Wangshu was so certain your junior brother wouldn't fall for a bad woman's tricks..."

Wangshu couldn't understand what the old man was referring to, but You Su understood perfectly.

He didn't want to hide anything, and instead grasped his senior sister's hand, saying, "Senior sister, your junior brother is waiting for you to come back."

Wangshu's blue eyes curved into crescents, and she made a move to hug You Su.

"Cough cough cough!"

The First Elder turned his head to the side and coughed forcefully as a warning.

"Senior sister... the First Elder is still here..." You Su could only remind him in a low voice.

Wangshu looked puzzled and stopped what she was doing.

"Can I only hug him when the First Elder isn't around?"

I thought the two of them were about to hug because they were so emotional about parting, but it turns out you've been secretly hugging each other for a long time!

These words caused the First Elder's expression to darken further. No matter what, this pure white-clad girl was the apple of the eye of both the Evil Warding Department and the Xuanxiao Sect, yet You Su had...

Even though one is a divine child and the other Goddess, it doesn't mean you two have to be a couple!

The First Elder felt as if his own good cabbage had been eaten by a wild boar, and with a cold snort, he turned away completely.

You Su pursed his lips. Although it was indeed awkward with the First Elder, he didn't want his senior sister's hopes to be dashed. Having made up his mind, he took the initiative to step forward and gently embraced Wangshu.

"Senior sister, be careful."

You Su whispered some words of advice before reluctantly parting ways with her senior sister.

"Walk!"

The First Elder spoke almost through his nose, each word a stern warning, brooking no refusal, as if afraid the two would continue their lingering ties.

Wangshu nodded slightly, then glanced back at You Su one last time, her eyes filled with autumn water, before quickly following the heavy-footed First Elder.

You Su stood there, waving goodbye to her senior sister.

"Have you been very busy lately?"

Through the thick winter fog, He Shutong sized up the black-clad, ink-haired boy.

"Yes, a little..."

You Su felt that his Mistress was complaining that he hadn't come to the pool to see her these past few days.

"What are you busy with?" He Shutong asked in a flat tone, as if she wanted to find out.

In the past, You Su would have been used to her Mistress's indifferent tone, but now, if her Mistress's tone was even slightly cold, You Su would be filled with trepidation, worrying that the other party was angry.

Left with no other choice, You Su had to reveal in detail how he had helped the Third Elder open the shop, and he was very worried that his Mistress would think he was neglecting his duties.

However, He Shutong was not as rigid as he had feared. On the contrary, he was very interested in You Su's various ingenious tricks and plans, and praised them highly.

"The phrase 'stomping one's feet' seems childish, yet it's incredibly vivid. It's amazing you even came up with it."

You Su scratched his head. "No, no, I was just thinking offhand."

This is hardly a respectable work, You Su is really unwilling to admit it.

"The character in your story really suits the Third Elder; I'm sure she'll like it very much."

Hopefully.

"But what exactly are these stockings? How can they be so alluring?"

He Shutong felt a little curious, realizing that many new changes had taken place in the outside world during her seclusion at the Lotus Birth Pool.

She wouldn't have cared much about these things before, but they all happened to be related to You Su. She was like a mother who wanted to know more about her child's interests and didn't want to create an insurmountable generation gap between herself and her child.

"Is Mistress interested?" You Su asked softly.

"Of course, this was something that Wangshu, Lingruo, you, and the Third Elder made together, so of course I want to see it."

You Su clenched her fist, as if making up her mind.

As one of the owners of the Bihua Pavilion, he naturally had several pairs of the Bihua Pavilion stockings on him.

With a flick of his wrist from his Universe Bag, two pairs of high-end lace stockings appeared in his hands.

He gently placed it on the white stone beside him, his breath catching in his throat, unable to hide his nervousness.

"Then these two pairs of stockings are for Mistress Mistress. If she likes them, Su'er will buy more for you."

You Su felt incredibly audacious. He wondered how many disciples in the Five Continents would dare to send these stockings to their master's Mistress...

Thank goodness it was fake... You Su thought to herself.

"Thank you, Su'er. I will cherish it."

He Shutong's eyes sparkled. She had called Su'er by that nickname once, and it came out so naturally the second time.

You Su lowered his head, not daring to look directly at his Mistress.

He gritted his teeth, but the fleeting glimpse he had made before losing consciousness at the Lotus Birth Pool that day resurfaced in his mind—that dazzling expanse of white...

And if this Goddess body were to wear these lace stockings...

You Su suddenly felt his Qi and Blood rushing to his head, almost uncontrollable, and about to burst out of his nose. He quickly tilted his head back, not wanting to show weakness in front of his Mistress.

That's not entirely his fault. He's been busy with the affairs of the Bihua Pavilion these past few days, and his junior sister hasn't even had time to satisfy his appetite, which has led to her accumulating a lot of yang energy.

When men Blood Qi, they are prone to overthinking...

"Have you been... not expelling any yang energy lately?"