Senior brother, are you really helping me circulate Qi?

The sun was about to set, the last sliver of light in the sky gradually fading, replaced by the indigo glow of night.

Dusk met the rosy clouds, the perfect time for cultivation.

You Su finished his meditation, let out a long breath of stale air, then raised his teacup and took two sips.

The tea was clear, fragrant, and coolly sweet, calming the mind and focusing the spirit. It was the White Magnolia tea True Man Ling had served him that day, but now it had become You Su's treasure.

He recalled everything that had happened today, from his initial desire to grind Wu Cheng and his ilk into dust, to his gradual calming down now.

He would certainly have his revenge, but now was not the time. Ultimately, the fewer people who paid attention to his Junior Sister and Mistress, the safer they would be.

His momentary impulse could stir up greater trouble. Only by enduring humiliation in stages could he provide his Junior Sister and Mistress with a peaceful environment.

When he thought of the vow he had made to rescue his Junior Sister and Mistress, You Su had believed the road ahead would be difficult but would eventually end. Now, however, as he considered the path forward, he was completely at a loss.

In terms of strength, he was merely a young man in the Spirit Platform Realm. Although he had by chance killed True Man Ling of the Condensing Water Realm, that peculiar state was something he couldn't easily reveal until he fully understood it.

In terms of connections, due to his Master, there were few cultivators in Chuyun City who were friendly with him, let alone anyone he could rely on outside the city or on the Divine Mountain. His only reliance had left eight years ago.

Could that benevolent City Lord Liu be trusted? You Su shook his head in his mind.

Although the old City Lord seemed to favor You Su today, who knew what he would say to Wu Cheng after You Su left the Sword Sect? Wu Cheng's status and future were something You Su could not compare to. Someone like the old City Lord had his own scales, and if he had thwarted Wu Cheng today, he would empower him elsewhere tomorrow. City Lord Liu understood profit and loss better than anyone, otherwise, he wouldn't have held his position for sixty years.

Moreover, if he truly wanted to help You Su, he only needed to move his fingers slightly to know about the constant difficulties You Su faced. His inaction was not due to ignorance, but rather out of consideration for the people behind these young cultivators. After all, they were the ones who could truly speak to City Lord Liu in Chuyun City. Today, City Lord Liu's righteous intervention was merely because Wu Cheng's harassment had crossed his bottom line. In his view, Master was merely traveling. If Master returned and found out the matter had escalated, those people would suffer more than just losing a layer of skin.

To think his Junior Sister said that old man was a good person during the day. You Su could only smile and agree.

"Traveling is hard! Traveling is hard! So many diverging paths, where do I go now?"

You Su couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He hadn't found the most straightforward path, but he had planned out his next few steps:

First, he would fully recover his strength, seize every moment to become stronger, and strive to find any clues about warding off evil from True Man Ling's legacy. The Evil Warding Department seemed to be the organization with the most hope of helping him, so he needed to find a way to establish contact with them. If necessary, he would leave Chuyun City and seek opportunities in a larger place.

The moon hung high, stars scattered across the vast wilderness.

The young man raised his cup, closed his eyes to rest amidst the incessant chirping of cicadas, his profile carved as if depicting towering mountains, though in reality, he was perusing those extremely evil books in his sea of consciousness.

The wooden door was old and was gently pushed open with a creak. Ji Lingruo sneaked in stealthily, pulling the young man back to awareness.

The newcomer wore a light green, flowing immortal dress, revealing slender, fair, and incredibly bony legs beneath. As if she had just bathed, her damp dark hair was loosely tied, emitting a faint fragrance. Her collar was slightly loose, revealing a small portion of her fair, snow-like shoulder and collarbone, with a hint of her snowy peaks peeking out below.

It was a pity You Su could not see; otherwise, he would have noticed the girl's finely arched eyebrows, her light makeup, and her cherry-red earlobes.

After entering, Ji Lingruo carefully closed the door. As the door closed, she glanced outside as if guilty, then relaxed when she saw no one before closing it completely.

Such behavior was unprecedented. Most of the time, Ji Lingruo acted like a rough female warrior, either not closing the door at all or slamming it shut when she left.

Today, however, she was like a novice righteous female thief trying to rob the rich to help the poor, completely anxious and walking on thin ice, as if she would be subdued by the villain in the room at any moment and turned into a molten cream puff.

"Junior Sister, you're here."

You Su's tone was calm, but the girl reacted as if ignited by gunpowder, saying indignantly:

"Is this place a dragon's pool or a tiger's den? Is there any reason I can't come?"

"..."

A few black lines appeared on You Su's forehead. He didn't know when his room had become such a dangerous place. Clearly, his Junior Sister used to come and go as she pleased, more freely than returning to her own room.

Ji Lingruo had certainly been to this room countless times before. It was just that in the past, she would kick the door open herself. This was the first time You Su had invited her.

Before coming, she had even specifically bathed, put on makeup, and changed into her favorite dress. This dress was rather daring, with a shorter hem, a lower neckline, and thin fabric, adorned with a simple yet elegant pattern, with a faint shimmer hidden within. For the easily shy Ji Lingruo, such a dress was not something she dared to wear outside, only daring to keep it secretly and admire herself in the mirror.

Even though she knew You Su was a blind man who couldn't see anything, she still came. She didn't know what she was expecting, nor what she was afraid of.

In fact, she had long ago seen the old plaque hidden beneath the door. Before the Mandarin Sword Sect, there were clearly six large characters: "Heaven and Earth Yin Yang Union and Harmony." Rather than saying these six characters were the prefix to the Mandarin Sword Sect, it was more like the Mandarin Sword Sect was the suffix to these six characters!

Who would write the four characters "Mandarin Sword Sect" so small and the six characters "Heaven and Earth Yin Yang Union and Harmony" so large for a proper sword sect!

At the time, she thought she had misread and accidentally strayed, intending to take her things and slip back to admit her mistake to her sister. But seeing the blind man's honest face, his meticulous care for her, and his willingness to teach her everything, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She muddled through for three years, thinking she had scared herself back then, and that the sect had long since changed its ways and become a new person.

It wasn't until You Su lowered his voice and whispered in her ear this morning, "If you want to learn how to control Mystic Qi, come to my room tonight," that she finally understood. This hypocritical blind man wanted to wait until the grapes were fully ripe before picking them!

Seeing You Su's silence, Ji Lingruo felt even more ashamed and annoyed. He had actively invited her this morning, so why was he speechless after she had gathered her courage to come?

"Hey, aren't... aren't you going to teach me how to control Mystic Qi?"

"Yes, Junior Sister, are you ready?"

You Su stood up calmly. In Ji Lingruo's eyes, however, he was like a hungry wolf, eager and impatient.

"Wh-what else do I need to prepare? Isn't it enough to come alone?" the girl asked, twisting her fingers nervously.

"Your sword, you didn't bring your sword?"

"Ah? You... you need a sword too?" The girl's beautiful eyes widened. Thinking of something, a blush spread across her cheeks. She thought this villainous Senior Brother was deliberately humiliating her, and biting her lip, she stomped her foot, "You! You have a sword, don't you!"

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at a certain spot on him.

"That works too. Then you can use my sword." You Su took the Ink Pine Sword placed by the bedside and handed it to Ji Lingruo.

The girl took the Ink Pine Sword with disbelief, her cherry lips so red they seemed about to drip blood. She wished she could cover her face and hide in a hole, vowing never to admit that she had let her own wild thoughts distract her. She was even more annoyed that You Su hadn't made things clear earlier.

But then she realized something was wrong. She felt she could regain the upper hand and asked directly, "Hey, where do you practice sword fighting in a room?"

Practicing sword fighting in a room, what kind of sword fighting are you practicing?

Unexpectedly, as soon as the question was asked, it was You Su who became shy and embarrassed. The young man's skin wasn't fair, but a slight blush clearly showed through. You Su cupped his fist to his mouth and coughed a few times, shifting uncomfortably, clearly showing his nervousness.

Ji Lingruo looked at You Su's flustered appearance as if she had won a great victory, a triumphant smile blooming on her face. She felt her wild imaginings were correct; this prudish guy really wanted that! She completely forgot who would be the one in trouble if things truly developed as she envisioned...

"Why aren't you talking anymore?" Ji Lingruo asked haughtily.

"Ahem, Junior Sister wants to learn how to control Mystic Qi, so naturally, we have to start with familiar sword techniques," You Su said, blushing slightly, which was rare for him. "It's just that this method is indeed a bit inconvenient to learn outside. Junior Sister, if you want to learn, don't mind it. After all, it's all for your path to cultivation."

Ji Lingruo became flustered by his words and stammered, "Then tell me... how will you teach me?"

Since it was such an important matter for his junior sister's cultivation path, what was there to be ashamed of?

You Su straightened his expression, casting aside all lewd thoughts, and said calmly:

"I've observed you, Junior Sister. Your talent for learning swordsmanship is indeed outstanding. You grasp the moves very quickly. The biggest problem is your inability to control your Mystic Qi. The reason this Mystic Qi can't flow to your sword is that it dissipates as soon as it leaves your body. I used to hope you would comprehend it yourself, but perhaps you're not suited for this path. In my opinion, Junior Sister might need some external help."

"How will you help?"

"From some fragmented texts of our sect's cultivation methods, I found a feasible path. I will circulate Qi externally to guide the flow of Mystic Qi within Junior Sister's body. Every move Junior Sister makes, I will guide the Qi along its proper route. Over time, both Junior Sister and the Mystic Qi within will remember the feeling of this circulation, and then Junior Sister will be able to control Mystic Qi freely."

This method, akin to teaching a toddler to walk, was naturally inspired by You Su from the human cultivation texts he had never taught his junior sister. Dual cultivation, dual cultivation – but it wasn't necessarily intercourse that constituted dual cultivation.

"It's just... there will inevitably be some physical contact. I hope Junior Sister won't mind. If Junior Sister is unwilling, I'll think of another way."

Ji Lingruo was stunned. Her inability to control Mystic Qi was indeed her own difficult situation, but now a chance that felt like a rebirth was placed before her. How could she possibly refuse? Moreover, if it was You Su, there was nothing she was unwilling to do...

"It won't hurt too much, right...?"

"?"

"I'll control the strength. Not only will it not hurt, but it will also feel quite comfortable."

"It'd... it'd best be effective! Otherwise, this young lady will hold you responsible!"

"Don't worry, Junior Sister, I have a ninety percent chance of success."

"Then why aren't you coming over?"

Ji Lingruo held the Ink Pine Sword, which felt a bit too heavy for her, and watched You Su approach. Her heart sank to the bottom, sensing danger drawing near. Her body began to tremble slightly, and she couldn't help but regretfully think:

How can there be such a foolish girl in this world? A wolf told me he wasn't boiling water to cook me before eating me, but just to give me a bath, and I actually believed him like an innocent child!

You Su, however, had a solemn expression, like a divine Buddha radiating holy light. His junior sister trusted him so much; he absolutely could not disappoint her.

He walked closer and, after a moment's deliberation, no longer held back. He reached out and grasped the girl's slender shoulders, straightening her hunched body. He said in a clear voice, "Raise your sword and assume the stance. First move, 'Fluttering Wings Flowing Flight'."

Ji Lingruo blinked her beautiful eyes. Stirred by You Su's imposing presence, she quickly straightened her chest, tucked in her abdomen, and assumed a half-crouch, readying her sword stance.

You Su circled her, observing, then nodded gravely. "Prepare to circulate Qi."

The girl then earnestly began to mobilize the Mystic Qi within her from her lower abdomen. You Su silently sensed for a moment before decisively reaching out.

Ji Lingruo was so startled that she almost dropped the Ink Pine Sword. She wanted to scold him, but knowing this was important business, she forced herself to endure.

The young man's hands were large and rough. Through the thin fabric, Ji Lingruo could feel the warmth and texture of his hands. Ji Lingruo lamented her past actions in her heart, thinking she should have worn a tightly buttoned jacket to this hypocrite's room!

You Su was not distracted by the soft, yielding sensation from the girl's abdomen. Guiding another person's Qi was no easy feat; it required extreme focus and a very high level of Qi control.

This teaching method was difficult for Ji Lingruo, but it was arduous for You Su.

However, You Su wasn't without benefits. These benefits certainly didn't refer to the intimate contact with his junior sister, but rather the opportunity to hone his Qi control at a minute level.

"Relax your body, calm your mind, and let Qi enter your chest."

Chest? He's not going to...

"You Su..."

Ji Lingruo's face was flushed crimson. She finally couldn't help but interrupt. You Su, however, remained oblivious, focused on controlling the Qi. His hand moved over the girl's flat abdomen, slowly ascending, heading straight for the two mountains...

Seeing this, Ji Lingruo resigned herself to it, closing her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip, and remaining frozen in place, like a restrained and humiliated female cultivator.

Fortunately, the situation she had envisioned did not occur. You Su still maintained the basic boundaries between men and women. He followed her ribs around to her back, stroking the girl's delicate shoulder blades and gently pushing upward.

This feels strange... not as good as that other thing...

Beneath her spring-like, willow-leaf eyebrows, Ji Lingruo's eyes were like water. Her demure, head-bowed posture, illuminated by the warm candlelight, was like a peerless painting in the world.

"Senior Brother, are you really helping me circulate Qi...?" the girl murmured.

The young man's Mystic Qi was warm and gentle. The places it touched indeed felt free of fatigue and incredibly comfortable.

"Don't speak. Carefully feel the flow of Qi."

Such a serious guy... He ignores me when I call him You Su, but he hears me when I call him Senior Brother...

Gradually, Ji Lingruo discovered that her Mystic Qi was finally no longer running wild but had begun to have a trajectory, slowly following You Su's palms. She also gradually suppressed the distracting thoughts in her heart, her gaze becoming firm as she immersed herself in the stream of Mystic Qi.

"You Su, I really felt Mystic Qi flowing from my fingertips just now!"

"Good. It seems to be effective. Your upper body is showing progress. Next, we'll work on the lower body."

"My legs too?"

"Of course. If your stance is unstable, how can your sword be stable?"

"Then let's do it... Ahh~"

"Shh... Junior Sister, keep your voice down. Be careful not to let Mistress hear."

"You Su, your sword is so big, it's exhausting me…"

"The Ink Pine Sword is indeed a bit unwieldy for you. Tomorrow, let's use the wooden sword instead."

"Tomorrow too?! When will I get my own sword?"

"Didn't I tell you? A Sword Cultivator's sword is very important and cannot be chosen lightly. Don't worry, on the day Junior Sister graduates, I will give you the best sword."

"Mmm… Ah!!"

"My hand slipped! It really slipped! Junior Sister, don't be scared, I'm blind!"

Today is a double chapter, it doesn't feel right to write them separately.