I'll Never Crawl into Anyone Else's Bed Again

"Mo Xue? Since when did you learn to crawl into someone's bed too?"

Luo Fanchen stiffened. Under Mo Xue's reproachful gaze, he guiltily averted his eyes.

After toiling all day, he was exhausted in body and mind. With the Soul Banner protecting the residence, he had let his guard slip a little. He had never expected Qiu Yun to fail to warn him about Mo Xue.

"Master Luo. You smell like Qiu Yun."

Mo Xue pouted, her little hands tightening slightly and crumpling the front of Luo Fanchen's robes.

She leaned her head forward, slowly drawing closer. The back of Luo Fanchen's head pressed against the headboard, leaving him nowhere to retreat.

Mo Xue's breathing was somewhat hurried. It tickled his face, warm and moist with a faint scent of gardenias.

The girl's snowy face was shy, but her almond-shaped eyes held his with unexpected insistence. After two months of nourishment from true essence, her thin, sallow face had become dewy and fair, its soft roundness making her look sweet and endearing.

"Mo Xue, what are you—"

Luo Fanchen felt rather awkward. Fortunately, Mo Xue made no further move.

She rested her chin lightly on his chest and looked up at him beseechingly, her lips moving hesitantly. "Master Luo, lately you've always been with Qiu Yun."

"There's a reason for that. It isn't what you think."

"I know you're doing it for Qiu Yun's sake. I just... want to be close to you too."

Mo Xue lowered her eyes and buried her face in Luo Fanchen's arms, deeply embarrassed.

She was poor at expressing herself, and her thoughts were not as delicate as Qiu Yun's. Sneaking into his bed at night to bare her heart had already taken tremendous courage.

So that's it. She feels neglected.

Luo Fanchen paused, then shook his head with a soft sigh and silently reached out to stroke Mo Xue's little head.

Mo Xue was sensitive and desperately lacked a sense of security, which made her deeply dependent on him. Most of his attention lately had been focused on Qiu Yun, leaving Mo Xue somewhat neglected. They had also just moved somewhere new, so the girl was naturally on edge.

"Master Luo, I'm not a child anymore."

Ling Moxue rubbed the tip of her nose lightly against Luo Fanchen's chest, breathing in the faint pine sandalwood fragrance as her lovely face gradually relaxed.

Despite her verbal protest, her little head honestly pressed into Luo Fanchen's palm. As she rubbed against it, soft, purring hums escaped her lips.

Isn't this exactly what a child does?

Luo Fanchen smiled. Just as he was about to ask after her, Mo Xue happened to lift her head.

Her little face flushed. Though she looked timid, she wrapped both hands around Luo Fanchen's hand with surprising firmness, guiding it beneath the covers and pressing it against her lower abdomen.

Warm, soft, and smooth. Luo Fanchen could distinctly feel the lines of her abdominal muscles and her navel beneath his palm. Not a scrap of fabric covered the girl's belly.

Some child you are!

Luo Fanchen immediately moved to pull his hand back, wondering whether something had gone wrong with his approach to raising her. Then he heard Mo Xue say softly,

"Master Luo, you haven't checked me in so long. My cultivation improved ages ago."

Luo Fanchen's movement stalled. Looking at Mo Xue again, he saw that her little head was tilted, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling without the slightest trace of desire.

The girl pressed her lips together. Though somewhat embarrassed, her face was filled with anticipation.

She could hardly wait for Master Luo's recognition and praise.

"You little girl, you need to learn some restraint. Men and women shouldn't have such intimate contact. No more crawling into other people's beds."

"I'll listen to you, Master Luo. I'll never crawl into anyone else's bed again."

The girl solemnly raised a finger and swore.

Luo Fanchen shook his head with a chuckle, his expression gentle. Qiu Yun had been demanding rather a lot from him lately. His Dao heart was already unsteady, making stray thoughts all too easy to stir.

He settled his mind and sent his true essence through the girl's dantian into her Conception Vessel, flowing through its acupoints.

A few breaths later, Luo Fanchen's brows drew together. This was rather a headache.

This was no mere improvement. She was advancing a thousand miles a day. Of the twenty-four acupoints along the Conception Vessel, Mo Xue had already opened the twelfth, the Central Venter.

Only two months into cultivation, with no suitable cultivation art and only the thin spiritual energy of the mortal world, she had opened twelve acupoints. Was this the power of a superior-grade spiritual root?

"Master Luo? I'm sorry... I was too willful."

Seeing Luo Fanchen's troubled expression, Mo Xue immediately grew timid and lay against his chest, not daring to speak.

"It's all right. You've done very well. I underestimated you. With your talent, you'll surely be accepted into the Dao Sect."

Luo Fanchen shook his head and gently patted Mo Xue's back, feeling gratified even as he pondered the problem.

Mo Xue's progress far exceeded his expectations. Once she reached the second level of Qi Refining, the flaws in her cultivation art would severely hamper her cultivation and breathing exercises, leaving her foundation unstable and making her naturally far weaker than other cultivators at her level.

With her superior-grade gold-fire spirit root, a superior-grade metal-attribute mystic method was the bare minimum. He needed to make this a priority as soon as possible.

The Ascension Immortal Assembly was roughly three years away. Time was precious, and he could not afford delays, but he simply could not produce more than a hundred spirit stones.

"Once I join the Dao Sect, the first thing I'll do is help you reach Foundation Establishment, Master Luo."

"Knowing you have that intention is enough to make me happy."

The girl nestled in Master Luo's arms, her lovely face peaceful. Luo Fanchen pressed his lips together and silently gazed at Mo Xue's slightly haggard face.

Cultivation and breathing exercises also consumed mental energy. Before Foundation Establishment, cultivators needed sleep to replenish it.

With such an inefficient cultivation art, Mo Xue had to cut back on sleep to practice her breathing exercises. Excessive mental exhaustion would not only affect her continued physical development but also risk a sudden outbreak of inner demons and cultivation deviation.

Resting his chin on Mo Xue's head, Luo Fanchen asked gently, "How many hours have you been sleeping lately?"

"Six hours."

Mo Xue's lips moved hesitantly. Luo Fanchen said nothing and lightly tugged her soft cheek with a finger. She immediately surrendered, whimpering, "Two hours."

"The path of cultivation requires a balance of tension and rest. If you push yourself too hard, Mo Xue, you'll only achieve the opposite of what you want."

"Master Luo... I'm eighteen."

"I'll find a way to deal with your cultivation art. Low-level cultivators have limited mental energy. From now on, you must rest for at least six hours. Understand?"

Luo Fanchen's expression was tender as he lightly pinched Mo Xue's little face. The girl's ears reddened slightly, and she shifted her head upward, obediently letting him pinch her cheeks.

"Cultivation arts are so expensive. A low-grade mystic method is fine for me. Just count it as another debt I owe you."

"You already owe me so much. Are you in a hurry to repay it?"

Luo Fanchen gently pinched the tip of Mo Xue's nose. Blushing, the girl lowered her head in embarrassment. "I could never repay your kindness, Master Luo."

Warmth filled her heart. The feeling of being valued and cared for by Master Luo made all the restraint and timidity she had endured these past few days vanish like smoke and clouds.

Master Luo had always cherished her.

Outside the window, chilly winds stirred beneath the moonlight. Ling Qiuyun stood with her arms folded, her back against the gray-brick wall.

Her teardrop-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. Only when the two people inside began breathing evenly did an inscrutable smile curl her lips.

The following day, Mo Xue washed and dressed early, then returned to her room to practice her breathing exercises.

Before she left, Luo Fanchen gave her the restriction formation diagram for the Water Dragonwood treasure box, asking her to spend fifteen minutes studying it each day. He then summoned Qiu Yun to unravel the restrictions on several Jade Slips, successfully obtaining two new talisman-making methods.

"Flame Curse Talisman, Bloodburst Talisman, Rejuvenation Talisman."

Luo Fanchen murmured to himself. The Jade Slips recorded three talisman-making methods, all for first-rank low-grade talismans.

A Flame Curse Talisman could instantly launch a fireball. A Bloodburst Talisman could awaken a cultivator's latent potential, burning blood essence to increase combat strength by ten percent at the cost of a month of depleted vitality. A Rejuvenation Talisman could slowly heal external flesh wounds, making it the most broadly useful.

Flame Curse Talismans were the easiest to make, but also sold for the least. After deducting costs, selling ten would earn only one measure of spirit dust.

"I should focus on Bloodburst and Rejuvenation Talismans."

Luo Fanchen murmured. A first-rank low-grade Bloodburst Talisman converted blood essence with only five percent efficiency and had severe side effects.

But a ten-percent increase in combat strength could save a rogue cultivator's life at a critical moment. The market was surprisingly good, and five could earn him one measure of spirit dust.

As for Rejuvenation Talismans, healing pills and talismans had always been in short supply among rogue cultivators. Even with the poor effects of first-tier Rejuvenation Talismans, five could earn him one measure of spirit dust.

A cup of water against a burning cart of firewood, but it was still one of his few means of earning spirit stones.

"Qiu Yun, I'll need your help again in a moment."

Luo Fanchen let out a long breath. At present, he had only mastered the production of several unranked talismans. Though he had tried making ranked talismans, he had never succeeded.

He rummaged through his Storage Bag and actually managed to assemble the materials for both kinds of talismans from the miscellaneous spiritual materials Ling Youdao had left behind.

There was only enough for ten attempts, however.

"Uncle Luo, I'm always here."

Chilly winds howled as Ling Qiuyun's soul body appeared. She slowly approached Luo Fanchen, her nose twitching lightly. Sure enough, she caught Mo Xue's scent.

Her teardrop-shaped eyes flickered inscrutably, but her lovely face still wore a tender smile, gentle as water.

"I'll need you to channel your soul power into me, help settle my mind, and assist me with making talismans. Sorry for the trouble."

Qiu Yun nodded in agreement. She had watched her father make talismans before and naturally understood the process.

"Let's begin."

At Luo Fanchen's low command, Qiu Yun immediately formed a hand seal and activated the Soul Banner. Amid howling chilly winds, the banner came at her summons.

Using Baleful Spirit Command, she squeezed soul power from the wraiths. Amid their wails and cries, the bottom of the banner's shaft dipped itself in ink.

Luo Fanchen used the Soul Banner as his brush while Qiu Yun laid her delicate hand over the back of his. Their minds joined seamlessly. He guided the brush with true essence, inscribing patterns on spiritwood paper as spiritual energy poured in and true essence gathered.

The Bloodburst Talisman required thirty-two strokes. On Luo Fanchen's first attempt, despite Qiu Yun's assistance, his energy flow went awry at the tenth stroke, ruining the work.

"It's all right, Uncle Luo. Lasting three minutes on your first try is already impressive."

Qiu Yun's voice was gentle. She moved behind Uncle Luo of her own accord and softly massaged his temples, her lovely face full of understanding.

For some reason, Luo Fanchen felt even more defeated after being comforted.

Fortunately, he soon rallied and put brush to paper again.

Two attempts, four, seven. By the eighth, he reached the twenty-fifth stroke. The process had already wasted one measure of spirit dust.

He briefly closed his eyes and regulated his breathing to restore his energy, then took up the brush again. Finally, on his tenth attempt, the thirty-second stroke fell. Though crooked and twisted like ghostly scrawls, it barely formed a complete talisman.

"It worked? It only took ten attempts?"

"Uncle Luo really is a genius whose talent went unrecognized."

Qiu Yun's beautiful eyes sparkled as she gently kneaded Uncle Luo's shoulders, her delight plain to see.

Successfully drawing a ranked talisman in only ten attempts—such talent was no less impressive than that of the disciples of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion in the rumors.

"Am I really a genius?"

Holding the Bloodburst Talisman, which had lost much of its spiritual resonance but was just barely complete, Luo Fanchen could hardly believe it.

Back when he had researched several unranked talismans on his own, he had nearly squandered his entire fortune. Yet today, he had succeeded in only ten attempts?

Even if this talisman had only one-tenth of its normal effect, it still counted as a ranked talisman.

"No, it's the Lesser Yang Wood-Transforming Art and the Soul Banner."

Luo Fanchen murmured soundlessly, quickly settling his mind again. He knew damn well how talented he was.

Making talismans required mental energy to guide true essence through each brushstroke, making the strength of that true essence paramount. Using Yi Wood true essence to inscribe first-rank low-grade talismans was practically an attack from a higher dimension. With Qiu Yun assisting him, he effectively had twice the mental energy.

And even then, he had somehow failed nine times.

"Uncle Luo is amazing. Even after Mo Xue joins the Dao Sect, she'll still need to rely on you."

Luo Fanchen shook his head self-deprecatingly and lightly patted Qiu Yun's little head before continuing with Rejuvenation Talismans. With his earlier experience as a guide, he succeeded in just five attempts.

"That's enough. Thank you for your hard work, Qiu Yun."

"It wasn't hard. I'm happy that you need me, Master Luo."

Qiu Yun gently pressed her lips together, a shimmering mist veiling her teardrop-shaped eyes. One look was enough to stir tenderness in Luo Fanchen's heart.

"How is refining the soul power coming along?"

"I've refined ninety percent of it. I've also finished refining all ten wraiths. They're ready for you to command whenever you wish, Uncle Luo."

Luo Fanchen put down the talisman in his hand and turned his attention to the girl.

He took the remaining small piece of flaky candy from his robes, squeezed out a little blood essence to soak it, then slipped it between Qiu Yun's lips.

Having lost her physical body, the girl no longer had a functioning sense of touch or taste. Only through conversion by the banner master's blood essence could she taste the flavors of the human world.

Qiu Yun pressed her lips together and breathed softly through her mouth, staring fixedly at Luo Fanchen's fingertip. She nearly lunged straight at him.

Only when the spiritual candy entered her mouth and its fragrant sweetness flooded her palate did the powerful rush of flavor quickly bring her back to herself.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled as her tongue licked her red lips, leaving them glistening and alluring. Then she noticed Uncle Luo watching and shyly turned her lovely face aside, revealing her graceful, slender, snowy neck.

"Is it sweet?"

"Very sweet. But I've made you spend money again, Uncle Luo."

"Once I earn some spirit stones, I'll take you both to the Fragrant Allure Pavilion for a proper spiritual feast."

Luo Fanchen curled his forefinger slightly and lightly brushed the tip of Qiu Yun's nose. Not wanting Uncle Luo to spend money, the girl instinctively wanted to decline, but she did not wish to dampen his enthusiasm.

She took the initiative to wrap her arm around Uncle Luo's and said softly, "I'll look forward to it, Uncle Luo. But what my elder sister and I love most is the spirit porridge you make yourself."

The girl's voice was calm and utterly yielding, greatly satisfying Luo Fanchen's vanity.

Warmth filled his heart, and he felt deeply fortunate to have rescued Qiu Yun. The girl was his finest assistant, and the emotional comfort she gave him brought the reassuring sense that his efforts were worthwhile.

Over the next few days, he went to the market to purchase a batch of materials, rallied his spirits, and spent all his remaining 47 Admiration Points on talisman making.

Five days later, Luo Fanchen emerged from seclusion with dark circles under his eyes.

His skills in the Demoness Register had changed, gaining the title of talisman maker.

First-Rank Low-Grade Talisman Maker (1/300)

He had officially joined the ranks of talisman makers, and his success rate for making Bloodburst and Rejuvenation Talismans had risen to fifty percent.

"Seven Bloodburst Talismans, eight Rejuvenation Talismans. Three measures of spirit dust in the bag."

A delighted smile spread across Luo Fanchen's face. As his talisman-making proficiency increased, his success rate would approach a hundred percent, and his production would grow faster and faster.

Once he had filled his proficiency bar, he could attempt first-rank middle-grade talismans, multiplying his profits by at least three.

"It does consume quite a bit of soul power, though."

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue. Qiu Yun had borne most of the mental burden during production, consuming one wraith in five days.

Maintaining the Spirit-Gathering Formation required two wraiths each month, while Qiu Yun needed five wraiths a month for sustenance.

"Not enough spirit stones, no cultivation art, not enough souls. What a headache..."

Luo Fanchen pressed the bridge of his nose, feeling rather troubled. But remembering Qiu Yun's and Mo Xue's pitiful gazes, he rallied again.

He would sell the miscellaneous goods and talismans first, then take a few bandit-extermination missions. That way, he could refine more souls without delaying his talisman making. Still, he felt uneasy about leaving Mo Xue alone in the residence.

He weighed the pros and cons. Just as he was about to go out to sell the talismans, he spotted Qiu Yun, who had been waiting for quite some time.

The girl tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Having already formed a hand seal to stop the Spirit-Gathering Formation, she told him softly, "Master Luo, we have visitors."

"Visitors?"

Confusion appeared in Luo Fanchen's eyes. All his old acquaintances in Flying Cloud Market should have reincarnated by now.

"Yes, neighbors from nearby. They heard you'd moved here and made a special trip to pay their respects."

"Let them in. Have Mo Xue serve tea. The cheapest kind will do."

Luo Fanchen nodded slightly. He had already planned to visit the neighbors one by one when he had time, eliminating potential dangers while forging friendly ties so that Mo Xue would have people to look out for her in the future.

He briefly tidied his appearance and tucked the talismans back into his Storage Bag, while Qiu Yun turned into mist and slowly dispersed.