I never thought you liked this

"Teacher, what should I do?" Xiao Yan asked, grimacing.

The alchemist gave an almost imperceptible nod, clearly quite pleased with Xiao Yan's performance.

That, however, did nothing to keep her from being irreverent-

"Hehe~" The alchemist grinned wickedly and looked Xiao Yan up and down, all but letting out a villainous cackle:

"I do have a way to let you nourish your body with dou qi and strengthen your physique while using it up."

"The question is whether... hmm~?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Wait, why do I have a bad feeling about this...

"...Big sis, what way...?"

"Getting beaten! The harder, the better!" the alchemist said with a grin.

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched involuntarily.

[Nourish your body with dou qi and strengthen your physique while using up your dou qi.]

It does sound feasible, but... why does it feel so strange...?

After a long internal struggle-an entire night-Xiao Yan gritted her teeth, steeled her heart, stamped her foot, and accepted the alchemist's "special training."

Though she did feel that this cultivation method was rather dubious.

-Who trains by getting beaten?

Still, following the alchemist's guidance had indeed made her cultivation much faster than when she had buried herself in training alone.

Granted, medicinal baths and pills had helped, and she had some experience since she was cultivating all over again...

But whatever the case, the alchemist certainly wouldn't harm her.

Having lived two lives, Xiao Yan thought she had at least some ability to judge people.

After all, the alchemist outclassed her in every respect. Even if she wanted to possess someone, she would probably look down on Xiao Yan's scrawny little body from the bottom of her heart.

Otherwise, she would have quietly possessed Xiao Yan the moment she awoke.

As for "fattening her up for the slaughter," that was pure paranoia-"raising a pig" took more effort than simply possessing someone.

Not only might an account built by "raising a pig" turn out worse than one she trained herself, but it also risked exposing her. All that effort for no reward.

So, in Xiao Yan's book, the alchemist deserved a "good person card."

Although they hadn't known each other long, Xiao Yan had already raised the alchemist's place in her heart to just below her father, her two older brothers, and Xun'er.

Yes, higher than the Xiao Clan's three elders.

Besides, the alchemist was a woman too, so that unusual training method was probably just necessary for cultivation, rather than some twisted amusement... ahem.

And so, to grow stronger faster, Xiao Yan chose to accept the alchemist's peculiar special training.

After all, it was just getting beaten. Hadn't she taken plenty of beatings in her previous life?

Xiao Yan felt she had quite an "advantage" in that regard.

Soon, however, she learned that she had been far too naive.

The beatings she had taken in her previous life did nothing for her in this one. After all, she had been reincarnated from birth, and this body had yet to undergo much "tempering"...

The next day, in the mountains behind the Xiao Clan.

Because the special training was rather unusual, Xiao Yan worried that someone from the Xiao Clan might suddenly visit her courtyard and get the wrong idea about her tastes.

Although hanging a "Cultivating, do not disturb" sign on the door generally kept people from entering;

And the alchemist was absolutely confident she could contain the fluctuations produced during training, ensuring they would never affect the outside world;

Still... it wasn't foolproof.

If, just if-she was only saying if-someone did come in, things would get very entertaining indeed...

So Xiao Yan could only discuss it with the alchemist and move her training site into the mountains behind the clan.

People rarely came here, and even if someone did, the alchemist would detect them in advance.

However, although this was theoretically the most suitable place to cultivate...

Outdoors, teacher and disciple, and, well, the alchemist even seemed to be holding a little leather whip condensed from dou qi.

Compared with certain filming sets, all they lacked was that thing the legendary matchmaker used to tie people together...

Still, with one of the essential props missing, the scene remained perfectly wholesome.

Of course, before the special training began, Xiao Yan thought she had thoroughly "prepared herself mentally."

But once the training actually started, she realized that she had truly overestimated herself and underestimated the alchemist.

To the alchemist, was her paltry fifth-stage dou qi cultivation any different from having none at all?

Either way, she had to hold back, lest she accidentally whip the girl clean in two...

Crack-!

Crack-!

"..."

"Move your hands away. If you want to strengthen your physique this way, you need to train both your torso and your limbs. You'll have to get used to it."

"Otherwise, if the 'training' falls short, all those earlier lashes will have been for nothing."

"...Teacher, please... go a little easier..."

"Don't worry, big sis knows her limits~"

Smiling, the alchemist raised the little leather whip in her hand...

To achieve a training effect without harming Xiao Yan's foundation-the alchemist's control over her strength was truly terrifying.

Yet even when she raised it high and brought it down gently, it was still a weight that a certain fifth-stage dou qi practitioner could scarcely bear.

And so...

"Hiss~~"

"Move your hands away..."

"Sis..."

Crack-! "Who are you calling big sis? Mind your manners. Call me Teacher!"

"..."

"Teacher, can this... really make me stronger?"

"Do you think I'm so bored I'd lie to you? When you go back and cultivate today, just feel the results for yourself."

"Although strengthening your physique won't produce results as instantly as a pole casting a shadow, when you go back and cultivate today, you certainly won't experience anything like those blocked meridians from before."

Xiao Yan didn't think the alchemist would trick her.

Besides...

"Again!" Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat off her face and spoke through gritted teeth.

The alchemist nodded almost imperceptibly, a faint, gratified smile on her face, and raised the little leather whip again...

In the early morning, a thin, pale mist shrouded the mountaintop behind the clan, lingering without dispersing.

A gentle breeze swept past, suddenly carrying a series of intermittent, crisp cracks.

Don't overthink it. It was merely the sound of the wind...

"Hiss~"

Inside her room, Xiao Yan lay in a wooden tub filled with medicinal liquid, grimacing.

"Stop dawdling and start cultivating. Now is when cultivating dou qi will be most effective," the alchemist's voice rang out in her mind.

"Besides, if the stagnant blood in your body isn't dealt with promptly, it'll cause you considerable trouble."

"Very good. You took thirty-four lashes on your first try. Girl, you have a promising future."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only struggle upright, sit cross-legged in the wooden tub, and begin cultivating.

"Teacher, why did the last few lashes feel 'good'?"

After finishing her cultivation and climbing out of the wooden tub, Xiao Yan asked as she wiped the water from her hair.

"Oh~ I never thought you had that sort of kink~"

"..."

"Haha, I'll stop teasing you. It's actually because your body adapted to that stimulation to a certain extent, and that external stimulation also promoted the absorption of the medicinal power lying dormant inside you."

"Your body could clearly feel itself growing stronger, so it fed that 'good' feeling back to you."

Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close-she had nearly thought this body of hers had some peculiar constitution.

Fortunately, it wasn't a problem with her. It was just an "illusion"...

Yes, that's all it was.