Yan Zhen happily dug into his dinner, only to notice that Yun Xiu across from him hadn’t touched her chopsticks at all. She simply rested her chin on her delicate hand, gazing at him intently.
“Yun Xiu, aren’t you going to eat?”
Yun Xiu smiled faintly.
“You eat. I’m not hungry.”
Yan Zhen picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in her bowl.
“Even a Mystic Lord powerhouse can go without food, but occasionally savoring the simple pleasures of everyday life is a form of cultivation too.”
Yun Xiu blinked in surprise, then shot him a playful glare.
“You’re too young to sound so old beyond your years.”
As she spoke, she picked up the braised pork with her chopsticks, took a dainty bite, and covered her mouth with her hand, eating with elegant poise.
“How does it taste?”
“A bit greasy.”
“It’s not from a fancy restaurant, after all—just a roadside inn. The food here isn’t that refined. That’s part of the everyday charm.”
“—And is stuffing yourself with nothing but meat and skipping the vegetables also part of that charm?”
Ahem. Yan Zhen nearly choked, muttering under his breath.
“It’s just a matter of personal taste.”
Yun Xiu picked up some greens and dumped them into his bowl, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
“Being a picky eater isn’t a good habit~”
“. . .”
Yan Zhen reluctantly started eating the vegetables.
Truth be told, he wasn’t picky—he’d just been living off fish and wild greens in the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range for so long that he was thoroughly sick of them. Only big bites of meat and gulps of soup could soothe his weary body and soul.
Under Yun Xiu’s prodding, Yan Zhen polished off nearly all the food. Once finished, he slumped back in his chair, patted his rounded belly, and sighed in contentment.
Yun Xiu surveyed the remnants on the table, thought for a moment, then gathered the bones and dishes onto the tray and set it outside the door for the waiter to collect.
“I—I’m going to bathe.”
The words slipped out of Yun Xiu’s mouth on a whim. Blushing prettily, she slipped behind the screen and gently untied her sash, shedding her clothes piece by piece.
As she undressed, she couldn’t help wondering if Yan Zhen would sneak a peek. Her heart pounded faster at the thought.
Even after stripping bare, she sensed no prying eyes. A wave of relief washed over her, mingled with a touch of disappointment. She let out a soft sigh.
The bathtub was already filled with scalding water, a layer of Fire Mystic Power hovering on the surface to keep it hot. . .
Yun Xiu felt a mix of joy and sorrow. It had been days since she’d seen Yan Zhen smile—he was clearly still upset with her.
After a quick bath, she rose from the tub, circulated her energy to evaporate the moisture from her skin, and was about to slip back into her usual dress when she paused.
She hadn’t returned Yan Zhen’s black cloak to him. Instead, she’d tucked it away in her storage ring as a keepsake.
After a brief hesitation, Yun Xiu retrieved it.
Yan Zhen, of course, wasn’t peeking while she bathed. He pushed open the window on his side of the room, letting the cool evening breeze calm his restless mind.
“Yan Zhen.”
Yun Xiu’s call came from behind him. He turned around, and his lazy eyes widened in shock and admiration.
There she stood, not in her customary white dress, but draped in his black cloak.
It had hung to his knees when he wore it, but Yun Xiu’s taller, more statuesque figure meant it barely covered her pert rear, revealing a pair of long, shapely snow-white legs that were toned yet soft.
His gaze traveled upward along her curves. The snug cut hugged her slim waist perfectly, but the full swell of her ample bosom prevented the front from fastening at all. Each proud breast peeked out halfway, the deep valley between them drawing the eye, while her alluring collarbones added to the allure.
Gulp.
Yan Zhen swallowed reflexively, his mouth suddenly dry. Bewilderment crossed his face.
“Yun Xiu, what. . . ?”
She murmured softly.
“It’s close to the desert here—the temperature’s too high, so I didn’t want to wear so much.”
The more she spoke, the more flustered she felt. After all, a wind-aspect Mystic Lord powerhouse like her could soak in boiling water without batting an eye. The heat was hardly an issue.
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek and let out an “oh,” casually shutting the window.
“Yeah, it is pretty hot in here. Weird for winter.”
Yun Xiu tried to act natural as she walked to the table and poured herself a cup of tea. Speaking leisurely, she said,
“Long, long ago, the Great Marsh Desert was a vast lake shrouded in drifting mists, dreamy and ethereal—hence its name, the Cloud Dream Great Lake. At its center lay a small island with a city-state upon it, known as the Cloud Dream Kingdom or simply Great Lake Country. Then, one night, a crimson Extreme Flame fell from the heavens and evaporated every drop of water in the Cloud Dream Great Lake. All life within perished. The lake became a desert, leaving only a single oasis where people rebuilt their homes—the City of Water we know today.”
Yan Zhen returned to the table and sat down.
He’d learned this history in the script by asking locals in the City of Water, but now Yun Xiu was telling him directly.
Playing along, he asked,
“You mean an Extreme Flame?”
“Exactly. The culprit behind the Cloud Dream Great Lake’s transformation into the Great Marsh Desert was an Extreme Flame called the Great Crimson Heaven Flame. It ranks thirty-sixth on the Extreme Flame List—the hottest of them all, with the power to temper the Body Realm.”
Er, in the script, his beautiful master had been the one to tell him about the Great Crimson Heaven Flame.
This desert unrest had been triggered by it.
“Aren’t you tied to Extreme Flames in your cultivation? This trip through the desert might let you claim the Great Crimson Heaven Flame for yourself.”
Yan Zhen shook his head, not holding out much hope.
“If it were that easy to find, a little Mystic Scholar like me wouldn’t stand a chance. The big shots would have snatched it up ages ago.”
Yun Xiu said nothing.
In truth, the Great Crimson Heaven Flame had been buried deep beneath the desert sands all along. Even a high-grade Pill Refiner’s Spiritual Power couldn’t detect it. The only creatures that could reach it were the Mystic Beasts dwelling underground—the Sand Scorpions.
Their lord had luckily brushed against the Great Crimson Heaven Flame without being incinerated. It gained the flame’s Body Refining power, evolved into the Crimson Sand Scorpion, and brought back a strand of Scarlet Flame, boosting the entire Sand Scorpion horde’s strength.
No doubt the Sand Scorpion Army had already begun assaulting the Four Directions Fortress outside the City of Water.
“I’m not wasting brainpower on pipe dreams. The real goal is getting to the City of Water and buying that Water Element Heart.” Yan Zhen yawned, activated the Snow Wind Pearl in the room, and headed to the neatly made bed. “Kinda sleepy. Good night.”
He kicked off his shoes, climbed in, lay down, closed his eyes, and was out like a light—all in one smooth motion.
Yun Xiu watched his figure with a wistful gaze, bit her lip, then mustered her courage. With a sway of her long, snowy legs, she approached the bed, leaned over slightly, and shook Yan Zhen.
“What?”
Yan Zhen opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with a pair of towering snowy peaks. Sleep fled him instantly.
Yun Xiu straightened up quickly and whispered,
“Move over a bit. I want to sleep in the bed too.”
Yan Zhen glanced at her, gave a cool “oh,” and shifted to the inner side, making room. Then he closed his eyes again, showing zero interest.
