"Husband?"
"Hmm?"
"What were you...doing just now?" Jin Ping'er gestured with her hand, imitating how he had raised his hand and pointed at the air. "You suddenly stopped and started waving your hand around. What was that?"
Lu Jiuyuan's movements faltered.
He looked down at Jin Ping'er's face, full of curiosity, and his mind raced.
He couldn't tell her about the chat group.
If he did, he'd have to explain what a system was, what the Myriad Worlds Peerless Beauty Group was, and why he was chatting with seven or eight women.
The explanations would never end, and this wasn't the right time or place.
Keeping a straight face, he leaned down and pressed his lips close to her ear.
"Setting up a soundproof barrier."
Jin Ping'er blinked. "What?"
"A soundproof barrier." His voice was low, his tone utterly confident. "To keep people from eavesdropping."
Jin Ping'er stared at him for several seconds. Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, then from disbelief to amusement.
"Lu Jiuyuan, there's no such thing as a soundproof barrier."
"There is in the Qingyun Sect."
"I've never seen anything like that in the Qingyun Sect's records."
"It's a secret technique passed down only at Xiaozhu Peak."
Jin Ping'er's mouth twitched. She clearly didn't believe a word.
But she didn't press him. She simply reached out and gave his chest a light punch, her tone tinged with helplessness.
"Fine, fine. A soundproof barrier, then. Whatever you say."
Lu Jiuyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his head and kissed her, silencing any further questions.
The bed began creaking again.
Jin Ping'er didn't ask about the barrier again. Her attention was soon occupied by other things, and she sank into the pile of straw, her fingers clutching his hair.
The night was long!
Long enough for the moonlight to move past the broken window and back again, long enough for clouds to cover the moon and then part, long enough for the last night insect in the village to grow tired of calling and fall into a deep sleep.
Six hours.
They passed in a flash.
Day broke.
Sunlight streamed through the broken window, filling the whole room with light.
There was no hiding the traces of the night before on the bed.
Wrinkled robes, loose hair, and the red marks scattered across Jin Ping'er's body.
Lu Jiuyuan got up and dressed, moving quietly, but Jin Ping'er still woke.
She squinted at him and started to sit up. The moment she moved, she hissed and curled into a ball.
"What's wrong?"
"Everything hurts..." Jin Ping'er furrowed her brows, her voice soft and weak with a hint of coquettish reproach. "It's all your fault."
Lu Jiuyuan crouched beside her and felt her forehead. She didn't have a fever. He checked her complexion, too; aside from looking tired, she seemed fine.
He took a Huiqi Pill from his storage pouch and held it to her lips.
"Eat this."
Jin Ping'er opened her mouth and swallowed it. The pill melted into a warm stream of spiritual energy that flowed through her limbs, easing the soreness a little, though she still felt weak all over.
She lay on the bed and watched Lu Jiuyuan get dressed and tie his sash. Her eyes fell on the several red marks on his back, and the corners of her mouth curved upward.
"Husband."
"Hmm?"
"I don't have any clothes to wear."
Lu Jiuyuan paused and looked back at her.
Jin Ping'er lay on the bed, her body exposed.
The clothes she'd worn the night before had already been soiled.
They'd been too eager and too absorbed in the moment to think about clothes.
Jin Ping'er looked down at herself, then at him. A faint blush rose to her cheeks. "What's with that look?"
"Nothing." Lu Jiuyuan turned his gaze away, his mind racing.
His clothes would be much too big for her, and hers weren't clean. He couldn't exactly let her go outside naked.
Then inspiration struck.
The Mall.
The Mall function had unlocked after last night's upgrade to LV5, but he hadn't had a chance to look at it yet.
Lu Jiuyuan opened the Mall interface.
The Mall was stocked with all sorts of goods, neatly sorted into categories: cultivation techniques, pills, weapons, and even a "Clothing" section.
He opened the clothing section, selected "women's clothing," and sorted the items by price, from lowest to highest.
The cheapest was a coarse-cloth outfit for 1 point.
The most expensive was a certain glowing fairy gown that cost 9,999 points.
He checked his balance. The LV5 upgrade had awarded him 500 points, and with the rewards from his previous missions, he had 680 in total.
He flipped through a few pages, then stopped at an outfit. A moon-white top and a pale green skirt, made of soft, lightweight fabric. The style was simple and elegant, neither flashy nor shabby. Price: 80 points.
The product description read: Yunjin Plain Garment. Woven from Heavenly Silkworm Silk and cloud brocade, with a soft texture and good breathability. Suitable for everyday wear. Comes with an automatic-cleaning function; no washing required.
He tapped "Purchase."
A flash of white light, and a neatly folded outfit appeared in his hands.
Jin Ping'er's eyes widened when she saw the women's clothing in his hands.
"Where did you get that?"
"Secret."
Jin Ping'er took the outfit and unfolded it. The moon-white top and pale green skirt were as soft as clouds, their fabric shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
Her fingers brushed across the cloth, and a look of delight flashed in her eyes.
"Is this... Heavenly Silkworm Silk?"
"Yeah."
Jin Ping'er looked up at him, a complicated emotion in her eyes.
She didn't ask where the clothes had come from or why he had them. She simply lowered her head and held the outfit in her arms.
"Turn around."
Lu Jiuyuan turned away and muttered, "I saw everything worth seeing last night!"
Behind him came the faint rustle of clothes, the sound of her getting dressed, and a barely audible sigh.
"Done."
Lu Jiuyuan turned around.
Jin Ping'er stood beside the bed, wearing the moon-white and pale-green outfit.
It fit her perfectly, as if it had been tailored just for her.
The moon-white fabric made her skin seem even fairer, while the pale green added a touch of elegance.
She looked nothing like the bewitching woman in purple who went by Miao Gongzi. Instead, she resembled a refined young lady who had stepped out of a painting.
She lowered her head and smoothed out the folds in her skirt with her fingers, then looked up at him.
"Does it look good?"
Lu Jiuyuan looked at her for several seconds.
"Beautiful."
The corners of Jin Ping'er's mouth curled upward, but she quickly hid her smile and busied herself straightening her sleeves.
She bent down to pick up the things scattered the night before: a hairpin and a few Hidden Weapons she carried with her.
As she bent over, she swayed and nearly lost her balance.
Lu Jiuyuan stepped forward and caught her by the arm.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine... My legs are just weak." Jin Ping'er leaned against his arm, her voice much softer than usual. "It's all your fault."
Lu Jiuyuan didn't answer. He simply scooped her up in his arms.
"What are you doing? Put me down!"
"Can you even walk?"
Jin Ping'er struggled a little, but she was so weak that her effort felt more like a tickle.
She glared at him, then gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the hollow of his shoulder.
"What if someone sees us?"
"Then they'll see us."
"You!" Jin Ping'er bit his shoulder—not hard, more as if to vent her frustration. "Lu Jiuyuan, you did that on purpose."
Lu Jiuyuan smiled and carried her out of the room.
Before you continue