Yan Zhen vaguely understood that his Saint Lord Master simply wanted his acknowledgment. Thus, he relented—not out of helplessness, but because he felt he couldn’t fully grasp the depth of her intense affection.
Once the “ritual” was complete, Jialan Fairy’s waist suddenly went limp. She pulled Yan Zhen down with her in a tight embrace, her lustrous white hair spilling out like a cascade of silk.
Her face, usually radiating holy compassion for all beings, was now deeply flushed. A thin veil of mist clouded her golden eyes, her lips parted slightly to release hot, moist breaths. Even the halo behind her head flickered erratically, as if her very rationality teetered on the brink of collapse.
Nestled in her bosom, Yan Zhen could even feel her abdomen twitching gently.
Such an extreme reaction was truly surprising.
Whether in the script or in reality, his Saint Lord Master had always embodied dignified poise and boundless mercy. Yan Zhen had never imagined she possessed such a fragile, enchanting vulnerability—like a delicate bloom or a slender willow, utterly beguiling.
He lifted his head, licked his lips, and asked with concern, “Saint Lord Master, are you alright?”
Before the words fully left his mouth, his head was pressed back down, buried deep in the soft valley of her chest, leaving him struggling to breathe.
Jialan Fairy narrowed her eyes in utter contentment. One arm wrapped tightly around Yan Zhen’s waist, while the other gently stroked the back of his head. A long, satisfied sigh escaped her lips.
“No wonder Chen Xi refuses to yield… I find myself wanting to keep you all to myself too, Yan’er~”
Sensing her deep fondness and hearing her express it so candidly, Yan Zhen felt a mix of shyness and joy. He buried his face in her bosom once more.
Jialan Fairy let out a muffled hum, her breathing quickening again as her legs instinctively clamped around him.
This time, Yan Zhen wasn’t content to play the obedient child. He began to tease her mischievously, driving her to the edge of endurance until she seemed desperate to merge him into her very body. Only after another faint shudder did she slightly loosen her hold.
Yet just as Yan Zhen tried to rise, she pulled him back, unwilling to part from him even for an instant.
With no choice, Yan Zhen lay obediently still, though a strange feeling stirred in his heart.
His Saint Lord Master seemed to view his playful mischief as perfectly natural—in fact, she appeared to welcome it. He had assumed she merely sought formal acknowledgment of her status, but it clearly went beyond that.
…
After an unknown stretch of time, Jialan Fairy finally recovered. She released her arms, letting Yan Zhen float gently in the air. Propping herself up, she sat upright, straightened her robes, then caught him and set him down before her.
Yan Zhen hadn’t struggled or resisted throughout, behaving impeccably. This delighted Jialan Fairy, who wiped the corner of his mouth and said, “There, that will do for now. Too much at once, and you won’t digest it properly, Yan’er.”
A powerful sense of fullness flooded his mind. Yan Zhen glanced down at his rounded little belly, relieved that he was a Mystic Ancestor who had refined the Xuan Huang Dual Qi Flame with its decomposition properties. Otherwise, he would have ballooned into a chubby little fatty.
“Let’s go wash up.”
Jialan Fairy took his small hand and led him to her usual bathing spot—the Bitter Pool where he had undergone body refining before.
She channeled Spirit Mystic Force into his clothes, and they sprang to life, stripping off automatically.
Yan Zhen stared in awe at his Long-Trunked Little Elephant Boxer Shorts floating in midair. This was divine artistry, though unfortunately beyond his ability to learn.
Lost in his daze, he felt a light pat on his bottom. Like a balloon, he drifted into the pool. When he surfaced, his Saint Lord Master had joined him. Her pure white, gold-embroidered gown had transformed into a matching bikini swimsuit, her beautiful white hair cascading naturally to her hips and trailing into the water.
“Come here, Yan’er.”
With a beckoning gesture from her hands, Yan Zhen floated up uncontrollably and settled into her embrace.
“You’re just too adorable, Yan’er~”
Unable to resist, Jialan Fairy planted a kiss on his forehead before summoning the golden pool water to rinse their bodies clean.
In his five-year-old form, Yan Zhen could only allow his Saint Lord Master to tend to him, viewing it as fair recompense—though truthfully, he didn’t mind in the slightest.
—When someone cherishes and dotes on you, it’s only right to treasure it rather than wallow in needless sentiment.
After the time it took to burn a single stick of incense, Jialan Fairy had scrubbed Yan Zhen spotless. Satisfied, she dressed him in a little white nightshirt, donned a matching robe herself, and together they left the Bitter Pool hand in hand. They returned to the Lotus Pod Platform and sat down once more.
Yan Zhen remained cradled in Jialan Fairy’s arms, perched on her lap like a cherished pet.
With a casual wave, she conjured a steaming cup of flower tea, filling it to the brim. She took a sip herself before feeding it to Yan Zhen.
He sipped silently, marveling at the fragrance, then took another before venturing, “Saint Lord Master, don’t you think it’s about time to change me back?”
Jialan Fairy gently set down the cup and pouted. “It’s only been a little while. The Evil Consort monopolized you for a full month~”
“Uh…”
“At the very least, give me three days.”
“…”
Staying confined to the Bitter Sea Cave-Heaven was tolerable, so long as Cai Lian, Xian’er, and the others didn’t find out.
Yan Zhen reassured himself inwardly, only for Jialan Fairy to speak up suddenly. “Oh, right—there’s something I need to tell you, Yan’er.”
“What is it?”
“Your father, Yan Xiao, was found in the Heavenly Gu Elder’s Gu Nest. Unfortunately, he’d long since been turned into a Corpse Puppet. Fortunately, his soul remains mostly intact. I sealed him away and had him delivered to the Yan Mansion. Once you advance to the Emperor Realm, you can attempt to revive him—it’s your choice.”
With a light flick of her wide sleeve, a shimmering light screen unfolded before Yan Zhen. It displayed a jade coffin, within which lay a pale-faced, handsome middle-aged man—his birth father, Yan Xiao.
Yan Zhen hadn’t soul-traversed; he had truly reincarnated into the Yan Family. Even without his memories, beholding his blood father’s wretched state filled him with heartache.
Yan Xiao possessed considerable Fire Control talent, but hailing from a remote backwater, he had never fully developed it. That very potential had drawn the Heavenly Gu Elder’s attention, reducing him to a tool for controlling the Taiyin Primordial Fire.
—The Heavenly Gu Elder’s remnant soul must be in the Faceless Woman’s possession. I’ll have to claim it from Evil Consort Master. I absolutely won’t let that old monster get away with this!
Yan Zhen clenched his fist.
“How’s Grandfather doing?”
“He didn’t say much. He’s probably been mentally prepared for this.”
“I’ll head home sometime soon.”
“Mm, you should.”
“Thank you, Saint Lord Master.”
“In your previous life, you saved your father with your own hands. I merely stood in for you.” Jialan Fairy patted his head again, soothing his emotions. “Oh, and I nearly forgot—I have something else for you.”
