A Rou and Xiao Wu

The two lingered in bed for a while before finally getting dressed and leaving the room.

Dugu Chen brought Ah Yin to a garden in the back alley. He then sat cross-legged on the ground and began cultivating beneath the rising sun.

To him, nighttime meditation was merely seasoning. The best time to cultivate was in the morning, when purple qi rose in the east.

Ah Yin did not disturb him. She gave him a gentle look, then went to the nearby garden to tend to the flowers.

As the blazing sun gradually climbed higher, Dugu Chen slowly finished his cultivation. Feeling the increasingly powerful light energy within him, a brilliant smile appeared on his face.

After refining the golden treasure qi within him and the medicinal power of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, his soul power became several degrees more condensed. He was nearly touching the bottleneck of rank seventy-six and would likely break through before long.

"Finished cultivating?"

Just then, a soft, gentle voice came from behind him. Dugu Chen turned and saw Ah Yin walking toward him with a steaming bowl of noodles.

He smiled faintly, rose from the ground, and took the hot bowl from her before setting it on the stone table.

"Ah Yin, there are cooks in the residence preparing meals. You don't need to make food especially for me."

Ah Yin sat at the table, supporting her fragrant cheek with one hand. She looked at him with a beaming smile, her eyes filled with unconcealed tenderness.

"It was no trouble. Besides, didn't you say before that my cooking was delicious? Were you just lying to me?"

There was a hint of resentment in her gaze, along with faint scrutiny.

"Of course not. Ah Yin, your cooking is delicious. I really like it."

"It's just that you don't need to do these things personally!" Dugu Chen chuckled awkwardly, then picked up the chopsticks on the table and began eating.

"How could that do? From now on, I'll make every meal you eat. I'll also try to become a... good wife!"

By the end, Ah Yin's voice had grown so quiet that only she could hear it. A rosy blush spread across her flawless, snow-white face.

When he tipped back his head and drank down the last mouthful of soup, a satisfied expression immediately appeared on Dugu Chen's face.

"Ah Yin, your cooking is as good as ever!" he could not help praising.

Food made by Ah Yin did not carry the heavy scent of mortal kitchens. Instead, it possessed a natural freshness and softness, like green woods and verdant bamboo, like the murmur of a clear spring.

"I'm glad you like it."

Ah Yin smiled happily, and her determination to improve her cooking grew even firmer.

After breakfast, Dugu Chen took Ah Yin to find Dugu Bo and mentioned their plans to go to Star Dou.

"You're going to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

A trace of surprise appeared on Dugu Bo's face. He looked at Dugu Chen, but quickly shifted his gaze away.

He then turned to Ah Yin, an odd look in his eyes.

If he remembered correctly, transformed soul beasts did not need to hunt for their first seven soul rings. They could condense them on their own, right?

Seemingly seeing through Dugu Bo's thoughts, Dugu Chen spread his hands and explained.

"Father, Ah Yin has an old friend in the Star Dou Great Forest. I plan to accompany her to visit!"

"I see. Then be careful. Soul beasts run rampant in the Star Dou Great Forest, and quite a few of them are powerful. Be cautious in all things!"

Hearing this, Dugu Bo nodded slightly as he cautioned them.

"Don't worry!"

Dugu Chen flashed a bright smile, then seemed to recall something and casually added.

"Has Sister-in-law not returned from her parents' home yet? I wanted to see whether Yanyan is cute or not."

Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "Yanyan is naturally adorable. Come to think of it, I miss Yanyan quite a bit too..."

He calculated the time in his head. "Probably another ten days or half a month. By the time you return from Star Dou, you should be able to see her!"

"Really? That's great."

A flash of delight passed through Dugu Chen's eyes. The gift he had prepared could be given to her once she returned.

With Dugu Bo's reminders in mind, Dugu Chen left Dugu Residence with Ah Yin and boarded a carriage bound for Star Dou.

After a day of travel, Dugu Chen and Ah Yin finally arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest before nightfall.

"Ah Yin, we're here. Your friend doesn't live inside the Star Dou Great Forest, does she?"

Dugu Chen looked at her, a mysterious smile in his eyes.

Ah Yin did not suspect anything and nodded lightly.

She raised a hand to tuck the hair blown loose by the evening breeze behind her ear. Looking gently at the Star Dou Great Forest, her eyes held a faint trace of reminiscence.

"Then let's go in. Speaking of which, I'd also like to see just what kind of person Ah Yin's friend is."

With a faint smile on his face, Dugu Chen wrapped an arm around Ah Yin's waist and spoke softly.

Ah Yin gave him a mild glare. "It's not as mysterious as you make it sound. Come on, let's go in!"

"Alright!"

Dugu Chen shrugged, then followed Ah Yin into the Star Dou Great Forest.

As night descended, the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest became active one after another.

A heavy pressure spread from Dugu Chen's body. The soul beasts that caught its scent all recoiled in terror, not daring to provoke them.

The two passed through the outer region of Star Dou and entered the mixed zone.

As moonlight first descended, the Star Dou Great Forest beneath the night sky was lush with branches and leaves. Birds, beasts, and insects called out, while heaven and earth seemed draped in silver snow, adding a veil of mystery to the entire forest.

"Beautiful!"

Dugu Chen murmured in admiration. After walking several dozen more steps, an open clearing appeared in the heart of the forest, and both of them froze at the same time.

Not far ahead, a pretty young married woman sat on the ground, combing the hair of a little girl before her.

The beautiful woman looked to be about sixteen. Her delicate face was rosy, and her skin was smooth and luminous.

Her crescent brows curved softly upward, her cherry lips glimmered pink, and the tenderness naturally flowing from her phoenix eyes carried boundless, soul-stirring allure even without deliberate display.

A simple long pink dress outlined her full, voluptuous, breathtaking curves. The fabric over her chest was held high, seemingly on the verge of overflowing.

Below her slender waist, her full hips were round and perkily raised. Though she was merely sitting there, no amount of concealment from her pink dress could hide those devilish curves.

Even her faint breaths caused her exquisite figure to display astonishing undulations. A single glance was enough to make one's blood surge.

Mountain peaks gathered, raging waves roared—what a pair of peerless lethal weapons!

Dugu Chen had only glanced from afar, yet found himself unable to move his feet. A faint heat coursed wildly through his body, impossible to suppress.

The little girl before the beautiful woman seemed to have inherited her mother's looks. Her small oval face was delicate and adorable, her jade-like nose slightly upturned, and her eyes calm and gentle as she sat quietly.

Hiss...

At that moment, a faint pain suddenly came from Dugu Chen's waist. Turning his head, he found Ah Yin's deep-blue eyes lightly glaring at him, while her fair jade hand had somehow already landed on his waist.

"Cough, cough. Ah Yin, is that your friend?"

Dugu Chen gave an awkward laugh and hurriedly withdrew his gaze. He silently recited the Pure Heart Formula several times, casting every stray thought out of his mind.

A woman of sixteen, her body soft as cream—the ancients truly did not deceive me!