I Understand

Late at night.

The fine rain drizzled.

A figure, from outside the courtyard wall, leaped over and landed in the backyard of the Xia residence.

"Master, you're back. Was everything smooth?" Liu Qiaolian, who was reading an ancient book on formations by lamplight under the eaves, quickly put down her scroll and got up to greet him.

"Heh heh, of course everything went smoothly when Master took action." Xia Daoming chuckled as he took off his straw hat and handed it to Liu Qiaolian, also removing the bundle slung over his shoulder.

"Let's go inside. Master has something good to show you." Xia Daoming said with a mysterious smile, carrying the bundle.

"Okay!" Liu Qiaolian hung up the straw hat, carefully put away the ancient book, and followed Xia Daoming into the house.

Under the lamplight, Xia Daoming opened the bundle.

Suddenly, the room's temperature seemed to drop, and a mist quickly gathered around the Ice-Cold Purple Ganoderma plants.

"So many Ice-Cold Purple Ganoderma! This one... this one is almost human-shaped!" Liu Qiaolian's eyes widened in surprise.

"Heh heh, there were more originally, but I ate two on the way. This purple ganoderma, which is almost human-shaped, is probably four to five hundred years old. Keep it safe, and we'll eat it slowly when my cultivation advances a bit more," Xia Daoming said with a proud smile.

Xia Daoming had stopped to replenish himself along the way, eating a hundred-year-old Ice-Cold Purple Ganoderma every three to five days, which made Liang Jingtang's scalp tingle.

However, before entering the city, fearing discovery by the Xu family, Xia Daoming had hidden the Ice-Cold Purple Ganoderma in a secret location outside the city.

Only after the Xu family had finished their inspection and had no suspicions did Xia Daoming sneak out of the city that night to retrieve the bundle.

"Four to five hundred years old!" Liu Qiaolian covered her mouth in shock.

Having traveled southeast with Xia Daoming last time, Liu Qiaolian knew very well that a hundred-year-old purple ganoderma had cost her master five thousand taels.

She couldn't even imagine how much this four to five hundred-year-old one would cost.

"There are a few more here that are thirty to fifty years old. With your constitution, you should be able to withstand the medicinal effects if you take a small amount daily," Xia Daoming said.

"Thank you, Master. I'll go draw you a bath," Liu Qiaolian said with a bow, then turned to leave.

Watching Liu Qiaolian return quickly, bending over to pour hot water into the wooden tub, the rising steam brought a blush to her fair face, and her hair, adorned with sparkling water droplets, made her look incredibly alluring. Xia Daoming felt a surge of heat.

"Lian'er's gratitude is very sincere!"

Soon, one person's bath turned into a shared one.

The next day.

A private room on the second floor of the Quiet Heart Tea House on Qing Shi Street.

Outside the window, the fine rain continued to drizzle.

Seeing Xia Daoming push open the door and enter, Ji Wenyue let out a "hmph" and turned away, presenting him with her graceful, slender back.

"Huh? What's wrong with this girl today? She's never acted like this towards me before! Could it be that this continuous rain, coupled with her monthly cycle, has made her irritable?"

Xia Daoming was slightly taken aback by her reaction and had already walked up to her.

As a man from another world, his knowledge of physiological hygiene was quite solid.

He understood women's complex and subtle emotions during their monthly bleeding more than the men of this world.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Is it that time of the month? Then you shouldn't drink tea; I'll ask the shopkeeper to get you some brown sugar and ginger water." Xia Daoming approached her gently and thoughtfully.

He understood this!

Ji Wenyue hadn't heard any news of Xia Daoming's safe return for days, and she couldn't eat or sleep, worrying day and night.

Now that she saw him standing before her, safe and sound, a strange fire ignited within her, and she even felt like crying, which was why she turned away and ignored him.

She had expected Xia Daoming to understand her feelings.

However, to her surprise, Xia Daoming's first words were full of concern, mentioning her monthly cycle and brown sugar ginger water, which left Ji Wenyue utterly bewildered, her mouth agape in confusion.

"Big Brother, I understand. Women have those few days every month. During these days, you must pay attention to keeping warm, avoid strenuous work, and don't drink strong tea.

Also, you must maintain a good mood. If you're unhappy, you can scold me a few times; I absolutely won't hit back or retort today, as long as you're happy." Xia Daoming continued to speak with a gentle and considerate tone, looking at Ji Wenyue's bewildered expression.

As he said this, he felt a little smug inside.

This girl must be touched!

Heh heh, no man in this world understands the troubles of a woman's monthly cycle better than I, Xia, do!

"Big Brother, what are you talking about!" Ji Wenyue finally caught on to what he meant, her face flushing red with embarrassment, and she stomped her foot repeatedly.

For a woman, this was a matter too shameful to speak of, and she hadn't even dared to tell her own mother when it first started.

Now, to her dismay, Xia Daoming was casually discussing the matter of her menstrual cycle as if it were everyday gossip.

"There's no need to be shy. You're eighteen now; it's normal to get your period!"

"What period?"

"Ahem, your menstrual flow!"

"Big Brother, you, you, I'm not talking to you anymore!" Ji Wenyue, finally overcome with shame and anger, was about to leave.

Seeing Ji Wenyue about to storm off in embarrassment, Xia Daoming was speechless.

Thinking back to those days, when my first love had trouble coming downstairs, I went to the supermarket myself to help her pick out sanitary napkins. The cashier was a girl, and her gaze was full of admiration and envy!

Alas, this world is still too feudal and backward in its thinking!

I'm too ahead of my time!

"Big Brother, I'm really just concerned about you, I don't have any other intentions!" Xia Daoming thought to himself, and reached out to grab Ji Wenyue's arm.

With her arm grabbed by the man, Ji Wenyue's delicate body trembled slightly, her heart racing like a startled deer.

"Anyway, she's a girl, Big Brother should be more careful with his words in the future!" Ji Wenyue subtly pulled her hand away, then raised her hand to smooth her hair, her face slightly flushed as she said.

"Alright! But what I said earlier was serious, girls should pay attention when their period comes." Xia Daoming said with a serious expression.

"I know!" Ji Wenyue gave Xia Daoming a helpless eye-roll.

If it were any other man who dared to say this to her, she would probably draw her sword and stab him to death.

But with the man in front of her, besides feeling embarrassed and annoyed, she actually felt a warmth deep down inside.

"It's good that you know! Then wait here for a moment, I'll be right back." Xia Daoming said, then pushed the door open and left.

When he returned, he actually brought back a pot of steaming hot brown sugar ginger water.

"Brother Xia, you... I didn't say I was on my period, that 'that' thing!" Seeing that Xia Daoming had gone out specifically to get brown sugar ginger water, Ji Wenyue was both touched and embarrassed.

"If you weren't on your period, then why did you turn away and ignore me and give me a cold shoulder the moment I walked in?" Xia Daoming asked, slightly stunned.

"Why did you go to the Vast Mountain Range with Master Liang without telling me? You made me worry for days! Do you know how dangerous the Vast Mountain Range is?

Master Liang has so many disciples, and you only joined him less than a year ago, why did you go? Do you really think you're that powerful! If you hadn't come back, I, I..."

Ji Wenyue's emotions became more agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Alright, alright, it's my fault, I should have told you." Xia Daoming finally understood, feeling a touch of emotion in his heart.

"It's not that you should have told me, it's that you shouldn't have gone!" Ji Wenyue wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and said.

"Yes, yes, you're right, I'll change!" Xia Daoming nodded repeatedly.

At this moment, Ji Wenyue was overcome with emotion, and he had to go along with what she said.

Seeing that Brother Xia, who used to always lord over her, was surprisingly well-behaved today, Ji Wenyue felt a little uneasy instead.

"Brother Xia, I was just worried about you, so I spoke a bit rashly. You're not angry, are you?" Ji Wenyue asked cautiously.

"Haha, why would I be angry when a beautiful woman cares about me?" Xia Daoming laughed.

"That's good, Wenyue will pour you some tea, Big Brother!" Ji Wenyue's pretty face flushed slightly as she helped pour the tea.

Outside the window, it was drizzling, and inside, a lone man and woman sat opposite each other, drinking tea, the atmosphere ambiguous.

In the following days, the situation in Li City became increasingly tense and chaotic.

The Xu Family elder, Xu Zhiji, was defeated in the Vast Mountain Range, and the five forces that followed Xu Zhiji, except for the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School, also suffered heavy losses. Two of them were even completely wiped out, with no survivors.

The branch of Xu Shixiong was in a relatively better situation, but they also lost a considerable number of men.

This not only weakened the Xu Family's strength and dealt a heavy blow to their reputation, but it also caused the heavily damaged forces to harbor resentment towards the Xu Family. Some forces even completely sided with the three major powers: the Lin Family, the Ding Family, and the Hegemon Blade Sect.

With the decline of one and the rise of the other, the conflicts between the Xu Family and the alliance of the three major powers became more frequent.

The forces involved, starting from the lower-level gangs, gradually drew in forces that had Great Martial Masters stationed there.

The news of the fierce battle as the Great General under the King of Lingzhou, Yan Yanfeng, led his troops to besiege the provincial capital, gradually spread to Li City, making the people of Li City even more fearful and anxious, living in constant dread.

Thanks to Qian Mi Du You for the 20,000-point reward. Today's update is complete.