Unfortunately, the bead's surface has no distinctive features, making it impossible to describe accurately. After describing it to the Little Crybaby for a while, the Little Crybaby seemed to be getting confused. "I can't be sure if what you're saying is right, brother. I think it would be better to consult someone knowledgeable in person?"
"Alright," Qi Yan said, "Are you in the cave abode now?"
"Um."
"It's best not to stay too long, in case things change. It's better to leave sooner rather than later. Before you leave, it's best to keep your whereabouts a secret."
The Little Crybaby pursed her lips. "Okay."
Every time I'm about to end a call with Brother A-Yan, I feel reluctant to part, and the reluctance grows stronger each time. Now I practically wish I could stay connected all the time...
But she also knew this wasn't the time for cuddling. Brother A-Yan was right; the most urgent thing was to set up a diversion and hide their whereabouts. Then, with the sky's the limit, they could focus on their cultivation.
The Little Crybaby was packing her things late at night, while Qi Yan.
Just as she put away the jade pendant and was pondering the beads, the cave entrance was kicked open without any protection. Jiang Jinyue strolled in leisurely, hands behind her back. "Oh, still in bed?"
Qi Yan said irritably, "You just casually walk into a man's room like that?"
"What men's room! This was supposed to be my room, mine!"
Qi Yan blurted out, "Hey, if you put it that way, we'll end up sharing a bed..."
As she abruptly shut her mouth at the end, Jiang Jinyue's eyes had become extremely dangerous.
Qi Yan coughed dryly and changed the subject. "What if I'm sleeping naked? Would you just come in and look like this?"
Jiang Jinyue's eyes darted over him for a moment, then she gave him a look of disgust. "Little bean sprout, who's looking at you?"
Qi Yan: "?"
"Hmph." Jiang Jinyue snorted, her gaze lingering on the beads in his hand. "What is this?"
"I was just about to ask you that." Qi Yan handed it over. "Do you recognize it?"
Jiang Jinyue took it, sensed it for a while, and then tossed it back. "This chaotic spatial aura, without any clear energy reaction, should be the Space-Chaos Pearl mentioned in records. It's Witchcraft artifact; its energy manifestation is different from the norm. It should actually possess energy. You should know more about this than I do."
It really was the Space-Chaos Pearl ... Qi Yan felt much relieved and asked, "Is this thing very rare?"
"It's quite rare; it's not something you can just find anywhere. And it's not a naturally occurring bead; it must have been artificially crafted using various forms of Witchcraft, something most people can't do."
Qi Yan frowned and pondered.
This was left by the attacker who raided the Wang Family tomb.
That guy is only at the Foundation Establishment... This thing requires special refining to become a finished product, so the chances of getting it by sheer luck are even smaller. The most likely possibility is that it was given to him by his master.
And the teachers would go and collect and refine this stuff... There are probably more people in the Heavenly Evolution Sect who secretly practice Witchcraft than you think.
To put it bluntly, Qi Yan even suspected that those outside who were very resistant to Witchcraft might be practicing it in secret themselves; the allure of becoming a god was no joke. By directing the blame at his master, he could both divert public attention and eliminate a rival who was the only one capable of achieving godhood.
The things we use to attack others are often the things we enjoy using ourselves, and many stories prove this point.
"Alright." Jiang Jinyue was clearly uninterested in the bead. She clapped her hands and said, "I came to test the results of your practice all night. And here they are?"
Qi Yan snapped out of his daze and chuckled, "It's barely dawn, why are you in such a hurry?"
"That's called learning from your mistakes." Jiang Jinyue put her hands on her hips. "Last time I gave you half a day too much time, and somehow you cheated and actually solved the Witchcraft. This time, time it right, let's see who you cheat with."
Actually, it's because last time I casually said I'd do something without considering the consequences, and this time I clearly want to be touched on the hand! I can't let him get away with it!
Jiang Jinyue practically stared at the east waiting for the sunrise, and couldn't wait to kick the door open and come in as soon as it was barely light.
When she came in and saw him playing with beads, Jiang Jinyue breathed a sigh of relief and was very pleased with herself.
You're such a wastrel, yet you want to touch my hand? Dream on.
Looking at her silly expression, Qi Yan was both annoyed and amused, and suddenly snapped his fingers.
Jiang Jinyue was feeling smug, thinking she wouldn't fall into a trap again, when her expression suddenly changed drastically. A simple burst of energy emanated from her, instantly dispelling the electric current that had just gathered above her head.
Even though she had easily deflected Qi Yan's "sneak attack" as easily as fanning a breeze, Jiang Jinyue's gaze remained blank. "You actually... really... figured it out on your own?"
Qi Yan asked with a hint of anticipation, "Does Senior Sister mean I'm on the right track?"
His current expectation is focused on the sense of accomplishment he'll feel if he can achieve success on his own without any cheating. Who the hell wants to just touch hands with someone...?
Well, I don't know if modern knowledge counts as a cheat... but ancient texts say that knowledge is a cheat code?
But Jiang Jinyue clearly misunderstood, instinctively hiding her small hands behind her back, her eyes darting around. "Well, not quite right."
Qi Yan asked curiously, "Right is right, and wrong is wrong. Senior Sister can point out where it's wrong... What do you mean by not quite right?"
Jiang Jinyue stamped her foot angrily, turned her head, and stretched out her hand indignantly.
Qi Yan: "?"
Jiang Jinyue waited for a while but didn't get a touch. Frustrated and embarrassed, she grabbed Qi Yan's sleeve and tried to rub her hand against his. "You just want to touch my hand! Stop pretending, give it to me!"
Just a little rub against him would fulfill the agreement, and I could also tease the little brother while I was at it.
This time, Qi Yan reacted extremely quickly, grabbing her hand as she reached out to touch it to his palm.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The woman, who considered herself the "big sister," had small, delicate hands, but when grasped by the other's slightly rough, large hands, she was completely enveloped. She couldn't feel the psychology of a big sister teasing a little brother at all; it was more like the other way around.
Qi Yan, who thought he had no interest in a reward like "touching a hand," found his heart pounding uncontrollably the moment he grasped that smooth, jade-like hand.
As they gazed at each other, they sensed something rapidly heating up, even melting the chill emanating from the ice jade bed beside them.
It's strange. I've hugged Yun Ranyi before, and I even held the little nun's hand while we ran away, but I didn't feel anything afterwards. Why do I feel something now?
She didn't know how much time had passed, perhaps only a moment. Jiang Jinyue's breathing quickened, and she suddenly reached out and twisted Qi Yan's right hand behind his back, pressing it onto the ice jade bed in a "catch-all" gesture. "Have you touched enough, you pervert?"
Qi Yan struggled. "I clearly didn't move at all. Holding something doesn't count as touching!"
Jiang Jinyue's pretty face flushed red, and she almost laughed in anger, "What else do you want to touch me...?"
Qi Yan fell silent.
Jiang Jinyue bit her lower lip, unsure of her own emotions... she didn't seem very angry.
I know perfectly well that this little brat has a crush on me... but I still asked for a hand-touching reward, which makes it seem like I'm the one flirting with him...
It just crashed.
Who would have thought that he could always keep his promises every time they made them... Jiang Jinyue couldn't understand how he managed to do it all in one night.
When Master asked me to comprehend these things, I practiced for who knows how long before I vaguely grasped them. Hmm... although it was self-taught, without Master's direct instruction, I'm quite skilled compared to others, but compared to this brat, I'm really no match.
So, does the master value them so much that he's even willing to act as matchmaker?
Jiang Jinyue's eyes darted around, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
She was lost in thought, forgetting that Qi Yan was still being "arrested" by her. Qi Yan finally couldn't hold back any longer and struggled again. "I don't want to touch you, I don't want to touch you! Who's interested in a bean sprout like you! Let me go!"
"Huh?" Jiang Jinyue felt a surge of anger rising to her head; even being touched didn't hurt as much as those words.
"Who's the bean sprout? Huh? Who's the bean sprout!" She gritted her teeth, bent down and whispered in Qi Yan's ear, "So who do you want to touch? Yun Ranyi? Or your little childhood sweetheart?"
As he got closer, things got even worse. His ears tingled and itched, and a fragrant breeze filled the air. Qi Yan shamefully discovered that he was aroused.
This is when the inconvenience of the ice jade bed became apparent. Such a hard bed was extremely uncomfortable to lie on. Qi Yan, furious, blurted out, "Why are you dragging them into this all day? I'm not going to stay up all night thinking about their rewards!"
Jiang Jinyue: "?"
Qi Yan: "..."
The atmosphere remained quiet for a while, and in the quiet little space, it seemed as if you could hear their own heartbeats quickening, so clear in this close proximity.
Jiang Jinyue gritted her teeth. "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting. Master told me to guide you in your cultivation, not for you to spend your days pondering this rubbish!"
Qi Yan sighed, "But Senior Sister, you only started teaching me yesterday, and today I've already grasped the essence of Thunder Method. There's no faster way."
Jiang Jinyue admitted that this guy's cultivation had progressed to a point that was incomprehensible. Could it be that he had really unleashed his potential just for that little reward? What kind of pervert is he?
Jiang Jinyue smiled enigmatically, "What are you trying to say? Do you mean you want more rewards?"
Qi Yan fell silent, his intention being to say that he wasn't that kind of person and that his mind was mainly focused on cultivation.
But the words caught in my throat... because I realized I really wanted a reward that went even further.
That's the kind of person I'm talking about.
Jiang Jinyue's lips moved closer to his ear again. "You... you say you don't want to touch a bean sprout like me, but you're asking for a reward... so... what do you want, little brother?"
Qi Yan endured the tingling and itching in his ears, tensing his body.
Jiang Jinyue admired Qi Yan's bright red ears, finally finding the fun she initially wanted in teasing her little brother. "Hehe... He's clearly just a lecherous little brother, always pretending to be mature and steady, I wonder who he's trying to fool."
Qi Yan felt that this didn't seem to be his problem; using this to test cadres, who could withstand it?
But Jiang Jinyue said leisurely, "You say you've grasped the essence of Thunder Method... you're far from it. At best, you only know the principles; you're still a long way from understanding the essence."
Qi Yan said in a low voice, "So, what does Senior Sister mean?"
"Now that you understand the principles, you can try to explore the topic of composite Dao Arts. For example, you saw my Purple Lightning; it's a special type of lightning with unique attack effects... When you can try to combine your Ice Chill or your Witch Incantation into a Thunder Method, that will be the prerequisite for you to master special lightning types in the future."
Jiang Jinyue's voice trailed off, becoming increasingly alluring. "I'll give you one more day. If you can master the composite spell, then... if you want more rewards, that's not out of the question..."