The Busy Treasure Appraisal Pavilion

"Relax..."

Yang Fan's voice grew lower and lower.

"Coordinate with the soul power I'm channeling into your body to perform a meditative cycle."

Tang Yuehua's eyelashes trembled slightly, her cheeks flushing so deeply they seemed ready to bleed, yet she struggled to focus her attention...

"Mm."

She let out a faint response, her voice tinged with a delicate softness.

Yang Fan surged his soul power, the potent force carrying the medicinal efficacy of the Whale Glue as it instantly shattered the final barrier in her dantian.

"Hum~"

A soft chime resonated from within her, followed immediately by a distinct ripple of soul power emanating from her body.

She had broken through, but having not yet obtained a soul ring, her soul power remained at level ten. Even so, Tang Yuehua felt as if she had been reborn.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking at Yang Fan's face, which was inches from her own and pale from exhaustion, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

In that gaze, there was gratitude, shyness, and a flicker of agitation that even Tang Yuehua herself had not yet realized.

"You..."

She opened her mouth, only to find her voice raspy and strained.

Only then did Yang Fan release her wrist: "Congratulations, Lady Yuehua, on breaking through the shackles of level nine."

Tang Yuehua lowered her head, looking at her slightly reddened palms, where his warmth seemed to still linger.

"Many thanks."

Tang Yuehua wanted to say something, but she did not know what to say.

She felt only joy, excitement, and surprise. The mental block that had persisted for decades had been resolved just like that.

"I will certainly fulfill what I promised you, and here is the Sinking Silver as pledged."

Tang Yuehua took a sandalwood box from her soaked blue palace dress and handed it to Yang Fan.

Yang Fan took it and found the sandalwood box slightly damp, smelling of a peculiar fragrance.

"Pavilion Master Yang... please show some restraint."

Tang Yuehua looked at Yang Fan's twitching nose, her face turning bright red as she spoke in a delicate voice.

Yang Fan touched his nose in embarrassment, but that faint fragrance only became more pronounced.

"Lady Yuehua, you should change your clothes first; I will step out for a moment."

Seeing Tang Yuehua, whose body was soaked with sweat and revealing quite a bit of her charms, Yang Fan also felt somewhat uneasy.

Watching Yang Fan's awkward, bowing posture, Tang Yuehua felt less embarrassed, regaining some of her usual noble and elegant demeanor.

"Then go quickly; I need to change."

Tang Yuehua also felt her body still feverish from the medicinal power of the thousand-year Whale Glue and knew she needed to wash up.

"Creak."

Accompanied by a slightly abrupt sound, the carved wooden door was gently pushed open from the outside.

"Teacher, you previously said my court etiquette was still a bit..."

A crisp voice rang out suddenly in the silent inner chamber, only to stop abruptly the moment she saw the scene inside.

Standing at the doorway was the princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, and Tang Yuehua's most prized student at the Moon Pavilion.

At this moment, the usually dignified and elegant princess was staring with wide, beautiful eyes, her face full of shock at the sight before her.

The inner chamber was filled with the faint scent of calming incense, and her teacher, Tang Yuehua, was sitting on the edge of the bed.

That originally magnificent blue palace dress was now soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to her body and outlining breathtaking, graceful curves.

Large patches of snow-white skin were visible, and strands of hair dampened by sweat clung to her slender swan-like neck, exuding an indescribable laziness and allure.

And before the bed, a young man with a somewhat slender build was hunched over, his nose twitching slightly as if he were still savoring something.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Tang Yuehua, already flushed from the breakthrough, felt her blood surging; being caught in such a state by her student made her beautiful face turn red enough to bleed.

She instinctively pulled the nearby quilt to wrap herself up, her heart pounding like a drum, her breathing losing its rhythm.

"Xue... Xueke?" Tang Yuehua's voice trembled with a mix of shame, anger, and panic. "You—why did you come in without knocking? Where is the etiquette I taught you!?"

The princess known as Xueke finally snapped out of her trance, her gaze jerking away from her teacher's soaked bodice, her cheeks instantly flushing with two red clouds.

She hurriedly lowered her head and stammered, "T-Teacher, I... I saw the door wasn't closed properly and thought you were resting... I, I didn't see anything!"

With that, she turned abruptly and scrambled to leave, but in her panic, she nearly tripped over the threshold.

"Stop!" Tang Yuehua took a deep breath, suppressing her inner shame and forcing her voice to return to its usual authority. "Who gave you permission to leave?"

Princess Xueke immediately stopped and stood obediently in place, though her bright red earlobes could not be hidden.

Tang Yuehua bit her lower lip and glared fiercely at Yang Fan, who was still awkwardly rubbing his nose, before saying to her student: "Do not mention today's events to anyone, do you understand?"

"Yes, Teacher!"

Princess Xue Ke nodded hurriedly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"Also..." Tang Yuehua paused, her gaze falling upon Yang Fan, her tone carrying a hint of complexity. "This is Pavilion Master Yang Fan. Today... he is here to regulate my meridians. Do not misunderstand."

Hearing this, Yang Fan used his soul power to suppress the heat rising in his body, only then straightening up as his expression returned to calm.

He looked at the shy princess before him and bowed. "I am Yang Fan. Greetings, Your Highness."

Only then did Princess Xue Ke dare to steal a glance at him, recognizing him as the person she had locked eyes with that night.

Upon closer observation, she felt the youth had delicate features and a somewhat pale complexion, yet his temperament was gentle and elegant, and his eyes were remarkably clear.

Although his behavior just moments ago had been strange, he truly did not look like a lecher at this moment.

"Pavilion... Pavilion Master Yang."

Princess Xue Ke replied in a low voice, though her gaze could not help but drift toward her teacher again, her heart filled with curiosity.

Her teacher had actually allowed an outsider into her inner chamber, and even... even ended up in such a state?

Seeing this, Tang Yuehua sighed inwardly, but since things had reached this point, she could only bite the bullet and carry on.

"Xue Ke, go outside and wait for a moment." Tang Yuehua's voice returned to its usual coldness. "Once I have finished changing, I will continue your etiquette training."

"Yes!"

As if granted a reprieve, Princess Xue Ke quickly acknowledged the order and hurried out, not forgetting to thoughtfully close the door behind her.

Inside the inner chamber, only Yang Fan and Tang Yuehua remained once more.

Wrapped in a silk quilt, Tang Yuehua's cheeks remained burning hot. She bit her lower lip, glared fiercely at Yang Fan, and chided coquettishly, "You... what are you still standing there for? Get out, now!"

Yang Fan smiled helplessly and cupped his hands. "Please calm your anger, Lady Yuehua. I am leaving at once."

With that, he turned to walk toward the door, but just as he was about to step over the threshold, he suddenly stopped and looked back. "The Princess seems to have had a misunderstanding. I hope Lady Yuehua will explain it to her on my behalf."

Hearing this, Tang Yuehua's cheeks flushed even redder. She grabbed a soft pillow from her side, making a gesture to throw it at him, but saw that Yang Fan had already slipped out the door, leaving only a light, airy sentence echoing in the air:

"Your Highness, remember to knock next time."

Tang Yuehua clutched the pillow, taking a long moment to regain her composure. She looked down at her soaked clothes, then at the tightly shut door, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

This Yang Fan...

She sighed softly, tossed the pillow onto the bed, and began to undress, preparing to bathe and change.

What a nemesis!