The back mountain.
To avoid drawing anyone's attention, Xiao Yan had deliberately chosen this spot for Yao Lao to get to work.
"Little Yanzi, why did you call me out in such a hurry? Don't tell me you've already gathered all the materials?" Yao Lao spent most of his time asleep, so he knew little of what happened in the outside world.
Xiao Yan nodded. "Teacher, there might be rather a lot of materials. Sorry for all the trouble I'm about to cause you."
"A mere first-tier pill takes hardly any time to refine."
Stroking his beard, Yao Lao boasted shamelessly. "Back in the day, your teacher could refine two Eighth-Tier Pills at once. As for first-tier pills like these... refining two or three with one hand would be no problem."
"In that case, sorry for the trouble, Teacher." As he spoke, Xiao Yan dumped out all the materials, forming a small mountain.
The next second, Yao Lao stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded, the smile on his face slowly freezing.
"You gathered all of these?"
"That's right!"
"With this much material, I'd estimate we could refine three hundred bottles of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid."
"Your disciple has faith in you, Teacher. At your pace of two or three with one hand, that's fewer than a hundred rounds. Allowing half an incense stick's time for each round, you should finish just before dark."
At first, Yao Lao was reluctant, but once he started refining, he couldn't stop.
[Ding! In recognition of your performance in teaching your disciple, you have been rewarded with soul power +2!] [Ding! In recognition of your performance in teaching your disciple, you have been rewarded with soul power +1!] [Ding! In recognition of your performance in teaching your disciple, you have been rewarded with soul power +3!]
"Huh? This thing can actually increase my soul power?" While refining his twenty-seventh pill, Yao Lao discovered, to his amazement, that his pill-refining ability had recovered to the second tier.
After all, he currently had no physical body, and the strength of his soul power directly affected how much of his power he could unleash.
But there was a condition for receiving such rewards: he had to be actively teaching his disciple.
And so, Xiao Yan sat listening to his lessons on pill refining until evening.
After coming down the mountain, he headed straight for his room.
Following Yao Lao's instructions, he had the servants prepare a bathtub and hot water, ready to begin repairing his body that very night.
He had taken off his clothes and was about to bathe when a knock came at the door.
Thinking it was a servant bringing water, he went to open the door wearing only his underclothes.
Then...
Xiao Mei rushed inside.
"Why is it you?"
"Cousin, aren't you glad to see me?"
"I'm about to bathe. What are you coming in for?"
"I came to top up your bathwater."
Only then did Xiao Yan notice the bucket by her feet.
He was just about to bend down and pick it up.
But Xiao Mei grabbed the bucket before he could.
Then her coquettish laughter reached his ears. "Cousin, would you like me to help you?"
Help me?
Help me with what?
An uneasy feeling rose in his heart. Xiao Yan slowly turned his head and saw Xiao Mei holding the bucket in one hand while undoing her dress with the other. The sight could practically pass for a crime scene.
Here we go again!
He wanted to step forward and stop her.
But whether the floor was slippery or heaven was playing a prank, he lost his balance and pitched straight toward Xiao Mei a short distance away.
Their bodies pressed tightly together.
Xiao Mei felt the presence of that scorching exclamation mark all too clearly.
Xiao Yan, however, felt no raised colon.
No, I can't let this go on. I have to scan her identity today. For that very reason, Xiao Yan had deliberately saved a scan.
Before you continue