Within a small town, in a private room on the third floor of a tea house.
By the window stood a mature woman in a purple palace skirt, wearing a light purple, openwork veil. She was overlooking a particular spot on the street below.
Following her gaze, one could see a young man and a mature noblewoman strolling along, chatting and laughing from time to time, their interaction exceptionally harmonious and warm.
“Tianyu is not just the disciple I’ve raised for sixteen years, but also half my son. I won’t just give him to you.”
The woman narrowed her beautiful eyes. The corners of her lips beneath the veil curved into a faint smile. The voluptuous, seductive curves of her figure wrapped in the palace skirt were devilishly alluring.
She was none other than Deng Tianyu’s Shizun, Ning Wan.
To Deng Tianyu, she was both teacher and mother. Deng Tianyu was the same to her.
Beyond the identity of a disciple, Ning Wan viewed him as her own child, her son.
And now, this Sect Master’s Wife, sworn sister to the Zhenbei Princess Consort, had not only silently recognized her Precious Disciple but had even taken advantage of her closed-door cultivation to whisk him away.
As for why Deng Tianyu agreed to move into Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden, she didn’t need to guess: Qu Qirong must have used the name of an elder.
To such a provocative move, how could Ning Wan not respond?
She had already properly punished her Precious Disciple. Now, shouldn’t she also properly respond to this elder’s provocation?
Creak—
At that moment, a female cultivator pushed open the door and walked in.
“Senior, as per your instructions, I guided the two to check into a first-class room at Misty Rain Pavilion.”
“The Spirit Stones on the table are your reward.”
Ning Wan did not turn around, only uttering a flat statement.
“Thank you, Senior!”
The female cultivator looked delighted. After giving a respectful bow, she hastily took the bag of Spirit Stones and left the room.
She hadn’t expected that not only had she successfully transferred her last two pre-booked rooms, but she also gained an extra income.
This extra income was all hers; she didn’t need to share it with anyone else.
If Deng Tianyu were here, he would certainly recognize this female cultivator, for she was precisely the proactive “scalper” who had approached them.
After the female cultivator left, Ning Wan, still standing by the window, watched a patch of sunset glow appear on the horizon and smiled charmingly: “The long night stretches on. Perhaps tonight will be another sleepless night. I’m actually looking forward to it.”
Misty Rain Pavilion, inside the first-class guest room.
Deng Tianyu frowned, looking at the two red-black Spirit Cod in the fish basket, muttering:
“There’s nothing else special about these two Spirit Cod. Why does Yingying always want to eat them?”
Since returning, he had studied them with great curiosity, yet gained nothing.
Logically, given the little fox’s intense interest in the two red-black Spirit Cod, they should be something extraordinary.
Part of the reason Deng Tianyu bought them was this.
But no matter how he looked, the most extraordinary thing about these Spirit Cod was merely having grown a tiny stub of a Spirit Whisker.
“Yingying, why do you keep wanting to eat them?”
After pondering for a while with no answer, Deng Tianyu turned to the little fox sprawled on the basket, drooling over it.
“Ying… ying?” The little fox looked confused at the question, as if asking why she needed a reason to want to eat them.
Just like wanting to eat snacks or Purple Jade Marrow—wanting it was wanting it, why would there be a reason?
“So, the moment you sensed the aura of these two Spirit Cod, you instinctively wanted to eat them?”
Though the little fox’s expression was vague, Deng Tianyu felt he grasped something.
The little fox’s desire for snacks and Purple Jade Marrow was an instinctive craving for spiritual items and spiritual energy.
From this, it could be inferred that eating these two Spirit Cod might mean gaining a large amount of spiritual energy, or some other benefit?
Seeing Deng Tianyu fall silent, the little fox’s black-and-white button-like eyes whirled. Then a light flickered in them as she slowly lay down on the table.
First, she playfully rolled over cutely, then extended her little pink tongue to lick Deng Tianyu’s palm. Only then did she lift her head and nuzzle his chest.
That pose of coquettish cuteness was executed in one smooth, flawless motion, entirely natural.
With such a fluffy, cute creature acting spoiled towards him, Deng Tianyu smiled. He reached out to stroke her smooth fur.
“Mhm, this is the feeling of healing,” he remarked meaningfully. “It would be even better if she could voluntarily burrow into my arms and let me fully appreciate the softness of her tails.”
“Ying… ying!”
Hearing these words, the little fox immediately burrowed into his embrace. The three tails behind her swayed, as if waiting to be petted.
“One tail is one dose of healing, three tails is three doses of healing.”
“Yingying, your tails feel quite comfortable to touch.”
Deng Tianyu reached out, feeling the softness of the three fox tails, praising them.
In his past life, he liked keeping cats precisely for this reason.
Though it was some trouble, petting them when free was quite nice and therapeutic.
“Ying… ying!”
After a while, feeling she had buttered him up enough, the little fox pawed at Deng Tianyu’s arm, her little claws pointing at the fish basket.
Clearly, her ultimate goal was still those two Spirit Cod.
Deng Tianyu picked up the basket and asked: “You want these two Spirit Cod?”
“Ying… ying!” The little fox nodded anxiously, her expression full of longing.
“They’ve already developed a trace of spirituality; they can’t be eaten.”
To this, Deng Tianyu shook his head and firmly refused.
The moment the little fox proactively started acting cute, he had already understood what she intended to do.
“Ying… ying!”
Immediately, the little fox, having once again been taught a lesson in the treachery of the human heart, was enraged. Her three tails wrapped around the fish basket, trying to strike first.
Unfortunately, Deng Tianyu was faster. Even as her tails wrapped around it, he instantly used [Star Shift] and retrieved the basket.
The little fox’s eyes widened, and she froze on the spot!
When she reacted, she felt deeply wronged. Turning her petite body around, she flopped down, her three tails curling together, unwilling to pay any more attention to Deng Tianyu.
“Alright, just forget about the Spirit Cod.”
“Here! A unique snack from West Rime City, and two bottles of Superior Purple Jade Marrow to help satisfy your cravings.”
Deng Tianyu was both amused and helpless, placing the three items on the table.
Upon hearing the unique snack and Superior Purple Jade Marrow, the little fox’s drooping, furry ears instantly perked up.
Although her heart was now moved, she still refused to turn back.
“Forget it, since you don’t want them, I’ll just give them to someone else.” Deng Tianyu sighed faintly and made to take them back.
“Ying… ying!”
Who would’ve thought, the little fox instantly panicked. Casting aside all pretense, she immediately hugged the snack and the two bottles of Superior Purple Jade Marrow tightly to her chest.
Deng Tianyu chuckled and rubbed her little head.
Suddenly, a gentle, sweet voice sounded by his ear: “It’s getting late. Tianyu, would you like to bathe first?”
