Night

Inside the side room, one could hear a heartbeat.

Because of his drunkenness, Xu Yuan truly believed that the girl in front of him was someone he had seen in his dream, but the delicate warmth immediately made him realize that everything in front of him was real.

As it turns out, even the coldest block of ice feels warm to the touch.

Because of the need for ease of movement, Ran Qingmo never wore silk clothes. The black clothes she wore were made of a composite fabric unique to the Sword Sect, which didn't feel very nice to the touch. But even so, Xu Yuan could still feel the softness of her lower waistline through the black clothes and the hand on the girl's waist.

Of course, it was really cold.

Being locked in by Ran Qingmo's Dao essence was an unpleasant feeling, giving Xu Yuan a chilling sense that he might die at any moment.

Even with his eyes closed, Xu Yuan's Spirit Sight allowed him to clearly feel the slightly wary gaze of the Big Ice Block in front of him circling back and forth on his face. Along with the gaze came the Dao essence that had already permeated every corner of the room.

Xu Yuan tried to figure out what had just happened.

He could understand that he had blacked out. After getting drunk, he was holding his breath, so it wasn't surprising that he slipped on the snow in the yard and it became the last straw. But he really didn't understand why he had slipped for no reason, and he didn't understand why Ran Qingmo was in his room when he had blacked out.

It was as if an invisible hand was manipulating everything before our eyes.

Xu Yuan suspected it was his father who did it, but he had no evidence and didn't understand why he would do it.

A jumble of thoughts spread through Xu Yuan's mind, and he suddenly realized that he had been thinking a bit too far ahead.

He was basically drunk.

The Hundred-Year Phantom Sword Brew a strong aftereffect; even with Ran Qingmo's cold and mysterious Daoist essence pressing in at the beginning, the intoxication continued to surge.

Anyone who has ever been drunk knows that when you close your eyes, it feels like you've been thrown into a washing machine, with the surrounding space constantly spinning and swaying.

The nausea and dizziness from the alcohol made Xu Yuan instinctively hug the girl in front of him tighter. The warmth from his hands gave him a sense of security and grounded comfort.

However, Xu Yuan soon regretted it.

He sensed that the girl in front of him was already gathering her strength.

The Big Ice Block is different from the rational, chest-bound princess, and even more different from the tactful, washboard-like saintess.

If provoked, this girl really will draw her sword and kill someone.

Previously in Shengshan County, Ran Qingmo shaved off a roof with a single sword strike.

After his initial shock temporarily suppressed his drunkenness, Xu Yuan quickly regained his composure as his thoughts began to function again.

His past life experience told him that drunkenness was his camouflage.

No matter what kind of woman she is, her tolerance will increase significantly when facing a drunk man, even if she verbally expresses her dislike.

Of course, this might involve some factors like appearance and some factors like how well someone likes you.

However, Xu Yuan had both of these qualities, so he wasn't worried at all.

"Rustle."

The two lay facing each other on the bed, and a rustling sound of clothes rustling filled the quiet room. Xu Yuan intimately buried his head in Ran Qingmo's collarbone, which was covered by black clothes.

The aroma of sandalwood wafted through the room, mingling with the delicate scent emanating from the girl's neck. Just as it reached his nose, Xu Yuan noticed the Big Ice Block in his arms beginning to tremble slightly. Her beautiful eyes blinked rapidly, her lips pursed nervously, and her delicate hand gently pressed against his chest.

Xu Yuan didn't think Ran Qingmo was flirting.

As her fingertips touched her chest, wisps of pale blue frost gradually spread out.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan murmured, seemingly unconsciously:

Ran Qingmo

"Uh-huh?"

Hearing the sudden sound, Ran Qingmo jumped like a startled rabbit. Regaining her senses, she quickly dispersed the Dao energy in her hands and asked softly:

"What's wrong, Xu Yuan?"

"I miss you."

"."

Upon hearing the gentle voice, Ran Qingmo's large, watery eyes widened instantly as she blinked at the man's sleeping face.

She actually had many questions she wanted to ask Xu Yuan.

She wanted to ask him about his engagement to the princess with the title of Wu Yuan, and why he was unwilling to see her. But after hearing a gentle sentence, she felt inexplicably happy.

The icy aura of Dao gradually dissipated with this small, joyful exclamation.

At that moment, Xu Yuan genuinely felt that Spirit Sight was truly a wonderful thing.

Without Spirit Sight, with his Fusion Realm, he wouldn't even be able to probe the Dao essence of the Big Ice Block; he'd probably have been caught red-handed the moment he sensed her state.

He tightened his grip on the girl's waist, and before she could react, Xu Yuan whispered softly:

"I'm so cold"

Looking at the man who had almost buried his head in her chest, Ran Qingmo pursed her lips gently, hesitated for a long time, and then gently raised her hand to hug his head.

My teacher's wife once said that a girl's body should not be touched by men casually, especially her breasts.

However, Xu Yuan has already had so many encounters with her before, and it shouldn't count as being through clothes, right?

Xu Yuan felt he was about to succeed.

The confusion caused by drunkenness turned his thoughts into a single thread; he could only think about one thing at a time, without considering the consequences, other trivial matters, or even the possibility that the Big Ice Block in front of him might attack someone after the initial shock.

For a moment, the only sounds in the dimly lit Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion were intoxicated whispers and the rustling of clothes coming from the bed, until...

"Click click click"

A crisp sound of bones grinding together replaced the rustling of clothes.

Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan with a hint of anger in her clear eyes, and grabbed his wrist, which was wandering over her body, with one small hand.

She tried to control her strength, not really using much force, but a faint cracking sound still came from Xu Yuan's wrist.

It looks like it's about to break.

The alcohol made the pain come on slowly, but the obstruction of his movements made Xu Yuan subconsciously look up at the girl in his arms.

His dark eyes remained clear, but for a moment they carried a faint hint of life.

After returning to the Sword Sect, her master's wife told her many stories about relationships between men and women in their boudoir, as well as many methods men use to seduce women.

Ran Qingmo remembered all of these things very well.

Even when angry, Ran Qingmo's voice remained as clear and icy as ice:

"Xu Yuan, you're not cold, are you?"

"."

The cool voice broke the silence in the room and gradually dissipated the drunkenness in Xu Yuan's eyes.

He looked at Ran Qingmo, Ran Qingmo looked at him too.

After a brief silence, Xu Yuan gently nodded to the girl in his arms:

"Um."

"So you weren't drunk either?"

"I'm probably a little drunk, but I'm still conscious."

"Oh"

Ran Qingmo responded and asked seriously, "Then why do you act?"

Silence fell as the words were spoken. Outside, the cold wind howled, and the falling snow brought a chill to the world, while the bed was warm.

They were very close; she looked at him, waiting for his answer.

Xu Yuan's narrow eyes drooped slightly, and he said softly:

"I just missed you. If I don't pretend to be drunk, I'm afraid you'll just leave."

Her gentle words fell slowly, and only the flickering flames from the incense burner filled the room. Unconsciously, she loosened her grip on his wrist.

Ran Qingmo didn't look away, and thought about it seriously:

"I'm not leaving."

"Really?" Xu Yuan looked at her, a smile playing on his lips.

Ran Qingmo nodded slightly, his long, narrow eyes still serious, and said earnestly:

"But you can't keep touching me."

"Why?"

I have a strange feeling in my heart.

"."

The straightforward words startled Xu Yuan for a moment, but a warm Wan'er slowly spread through his heart. He pondered for a second:

"Is it okay if I just hold you?"

Hold me.

Ran Qingmo blinked her beautiful eyes, as if considering her words. After a long while, she said softly, "I can only hold you."

"Hmm, I want to sleep."

"Good"

With a rustling sound, Ran Qingmo turned over on the bed, facing away from Xu Yuan, silently took his hand and placed it on her waist, then softly said:

"You can only hold me like this, Xu Yuan."

"Okay, sure."

The words were spoken, then silence.

The snowy night passed slowly with the warmth of the room. Just as Xu Yuan was about to fall asleep due to his drunkenness, a soft murmur from the Big Ice Block in his arms interrupted his slumber:

"Xu Yuan, are you asleep?"

"No, what's wrong?" Xu Yuan replied softly.

Ran Qingmo gently placed her hand on his wrist and asked softly:

"Um, does it still hurt here?"

The Big Ice Block's hands were as cold as ever, and the icy touch on Xu Yuan's wrist made him slightly startled.

Drunkenness dulls all the senses, even for cultivators.

After a moment's thought, he realized he had just heard a "click-clack" sound, and smiled Wan'er.

"I'm a little drunk, I can't feel it now, I'll probably know tomorrow."

Ran Qingmo asked in a low voice:

"Oh, should we apply some medicine?"

"Medicine?"

"Um."

Ran Qingmo's voice was clear and cold, yet earnest. "When I returned to the Sword Sect this time, my master's wife taught me so many things. If you get sick again, I hope you won't get cold."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan whispered:

"I have now achieved cultivation."

"Is it no longer needed?"

"Well, it's not that I don't need it. It's always good to learn more, but I probably don't need it for my wrist."

Xu Yuan spoke softly, subconsciously reaching out his other hand to touch the head of the Big Ice Block, but as soon as he made the movement, he heard a groan of pain:

"Hmm"

"What's wrong?" Xu Yuan stopped what he was doing and asked softly.

You're stepping on my hair.

"."

The familiar yet unfamiliar words made Xu Yuan fall silent for a moment; he could hardly remember the last time he had heard those words.

He expertly withdrew his hand, gently stroking her long, smooth black hair, Xu Yuan an apology:

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Ran Qingmo replied.

"Oh"

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, as if remembering something, and suddenly asked, half-jokingly:

"Ran Qingmo, do you know how a child is born?"

"Know."

"Huh? You really know?" Xu Yuan asked, somewhat doubtful.

"I know!"

Ran Qingmo's voice was somewhat wary. After a moment's pause, he replied in a low voice, "This mistress gave me a booklet before."

"Huh?" Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment.

Ran Qingmo explained in a serious and methodical manner:

"It's a small booklet with content similar to the dual Cultivation Method we obtained in the Qionghua Secret Realm."

Well, looks like I can't fool them anymore.

Thinking to himself, Xu Yuan sighed silently:

"Okay, let's go to sleep then."

"Okay, you go to sleep, I'm not leaving."

"."

"."

"."

That night, Xu Yuan had a dream.

Based on past experience, sharing a bed with the Big Ice Block should have made him dream of beautiful dreams related to her due to his drunkenness, but after falling asleep, he directly entered a snow-white space.

In this space, he saw a flawless sword, and he also saw his maternal uncle.

This is a lucid dream.

As Xu Yuan regained consciousness, his maternal uncle was already swinging his sword at him.

Based on the principle that he could be bullied even in his dreams, Xu Yuan decided to give his uncle a good beating to vent his anger.

But as it turns out, he gets bullied even in his dreams.

Fortunately, there was no pain.

That's very comfortable.

Decapitation, waist-cutting, vertical cleaving—each sword strike a duel, each movement dissipating and coalescing again.

This slightly lengthy process captivated Xu Yuan, but after yet another clash of weapons, the flawless sword in the snow-white space suddenly moved.

It created a phantom image.

Then,

This phantom figure inexplicably started fighting with Feng Jiuxuan.

Although it was a dream, everything felt incredibly real.

Because it was a dream, Xu Yuan could clearly see every detail of the fight between the two.

The swordsmanship, graceful as a startled swan and as fluid as a swimming dragon, splashed across the two figures as they passed each other.

His swordsmanship was unparalleled, his swordsmanship skills were breathtaking.

It was so beautiful that Xu Yuan completely forgot his initial desire to dream of the Big Ice Block and became completely immersed in the pure swordsmanship.

Buzz--

final,

With a buzzing sound, the two figures began to blur, the snow-white space began to shatter, and pieces of white gradually peeled away, allowing warm yellow light to shine in through the gaps.

"Crack."

Everything fell silent.

Then,

Xu Yuan opened his eyes groggily, the influx of information momentarily clouding his consciousness.

The familiar room came into view, and the winter morning sunlight streamed through the window and gently fell on his eyes, both dazzling and warm.

"Hmm"

After a soft murmur, Xu Yuan suddenly realized that there was a soft and warm "object" in his arms.

Looking down, I saw a head of fragrant, jet-black hair.

Last night's memories began to resurface in that instant. The Illusory Sword Brew by her maternal uncle was excellent wine. Even though she had blacked out, she still didn't have the hangover headache and nausea she had today. This made Xu Yuan immediately realize who the "object" in her arms was.

Ran Qingmo was still wearing that black robe, and his hand was still on her delicate abdomen, holding her body tightly.

Logically speaking, the noise he made upon waking should have alerted Grandmaster Ran Qingmo, but at this moment she remained motionless in his arms.

Just as he was wondering, Xu Yuan suddenly noticed that the ice block was holding a palm-sized Source Crystal in its hand.

"." Xu Yuan.

You slept with him all night and still didn't forget to cultivate, huh?

Just as I was thinking,

After the girl in black robes, who had her back to him, dispelled her Cultivation Method, her clear and melodious voice quietly drifted over:

You're awake.

Xu Yuan replied in a low voice:

"Um."

"Can you let go of me now?"

As she spoke, Ran Qingmo's soft, delicate body shifted slightly forward, and she turned her eyes halfway, saying softly:

"Xu Yuan, the hilt of your sword was digging into my waist and making me uncomfortable all night."