Luo Yu Heng stared blankly at the ceiling, her pupils seemingly unfocused.

It was that feeling after deep sleep when thoughts are muddled and you can’t tell where you are.

The last time she had felt this way, she was still a young woman.

Luo Yu Heng exhaled, maintaining her essence to stabilize her primordial spirit, and began to look inward, accepting the memories of the past seven days.

The seven personalities, representing her when afflicted by karmic flames, could be called “heart demons.”

Now that the karmic flames had subsided, memories of the seven personalities began to surface one by one.

Luo Yu Heng felt that whatever had happened between her and Xu Qi An these past few days, she could accept it…

First, she undeniably had feelings for Xu Qi An. So there was no possibility of rejection.

Second, to leave herself no way out, during their first dual cultivation, she had spent the night with Xu Qi An as her main personality.

There wouldn’t be a situation where she woke up to find she had slept with a strange man for seven whole days.

Finally, since she had already given herself to him, these seven days were nothing but repeated dual cultivation.

“During our first dual cultivation, I was mostly resistant in my heart. After I receive these seven days of memories, perhaps I can accept him without feeling awkward or embarrassed…”

As Luo Yu Heng thought this, memory fragments began appearing in her mind like a revolving lantern.

The first memories she “recalled” were from the “Anger” personality.

Images flashed by like a lantern show. In the memories, she treated Xu Qi An with cold disdain, prone to anger, her willful attitude making even herself frown.

“Still the same old way, with that volatile temper. She represents my final stubbornness, unwilling to submit to karmic flames for a man with insufficient feelings. She chose to independently suppress the flames, refusing dual cultivation—very irrational…

“Well, his attitude was decent enough. He didn’t show too much displeasure at ‘my’ irritability and quick temper.”

Luo Yu Heng nodded quietly, thinking the “Anger” personality was too emotional and not rational enough, while secretly pleased with Xu Qi An’s good attitude.

At this moment, a scene flashed by—deep in the night, Xu Qi An forcefully entered the bedroom, “seducing” the Anger personality. They wrestled on the bed, then her clothes were stripped away one by one, exposing her snow-white, voluptuous body completely.

Luo Yu Heng raised her eyebrows, somewhat angry.

“But what he said made sense. If the Anger personality wouldn’t dual cultivate, and if other personalities were the same, I would certainly die. Not knowing the situation with other personalities, he forcefully entered for my sake…”

Luo Yu Heng forced herself to accept this reasoning.

Alright, that was how the Anger personality’s day passed. Though there were some complications, overall, Luo Yu Heng could accept it.

Which personality came next… she muttered to herself, not very confident.

The appearance of the seven personalities was random, untraceable, and without pattern.

Soon, a scene flashed by, and Luo Yu Heng knew which personality had appeared second.

Lust!

In the scene, she woke early and actively draped her thigh over Xu Qi An’s waist, her full breasts pressed against his chest creating curves.

The Lust personality clung to Xu Qi An, constantly crying “I want,” not letting him leave the bed. They spent an entire day and night fooling around in bed.

Too shameless, too shameless… Luo Yu Heng’s face flushed red, blood rushing to her face, making her want to sink into the ground. Her toes curled tightly in embarrassment, her whole body tensing.

She knew the Lust personality might be a little, just a little wanton, but hadn’t imagined such shamelessness.

Luo Yu Heng refused to acknowledge this was herself.

After the Lust personality came the Fear personality. As soon as the Fear personality appeared, she clung to Xu Qi An, who was exhausted from day and night, to continue dual cultivation.

Luo Yu Heng clearly “saw” Xu Qi An slip out of the room after finishing dual cultivation, his face pale.

Seeing Xu Qi An like this, the Imperial Teacher felt complex emotions and had the thought that “she had wronged him.”

But this thought was quickly shattered by the following memory scenes, as she saw Xu Qi An bullying the Fear personality, insisting on dual cultivation in the hot spring, seeing herself with legs wrapped around his waist, her back pressed against the pool wall.

… Luo Yu Heng’s mouth twitched, but she forcibly endured it.

Then, the Sorrow personality came online.

“I’m old enough to be your mother…”

“I didn’t waste those twenty years of bitter endurance, not compromising with Emperor Yuan Jing. When your jianghu journey ends, we’ll officially become Dao companions.”

“Say you love me quickly.”

“How annoying.”

“Quick, call me Dear Xu.”

“De-Dear Xu…”

Dear Xu?!

Luo Yu Heng’s body swayed, dumbfounded, her form trembling slightly, her lips quivering along.

What had she done? How could she ever face him again?

It wasn’t over yet. The Sorrow personality wallowed in self-pity, pouring out her heart to him, talking about her emotional journey, saying she had wanted to approach him early on but couldn’t bring herself to do it, her heart painfully conflicted.

Later she wept with joy when he actively contacted her.

This is slander!! Luo Yu Heng was furious.

Vaguely, she felt her past image had completely collapsed, never to return.

The more embarrassing parts were still to come. The Sorrow personality was already deeply attached to the surname Xu, while the Love personality was utterly devoted to him.

Luo Yu Heng “saw” herself lying powerlessly face down in the small inn; her legs spread to their limit; sitting on the dressing table leaning back; hands propped on the bed biting her teeth hard…

None of these were cultivation methods from ancient bedroom arts—purely that surname Xu defiling her.

Too much, this is… Luo Yu Heng’s vision kept darkening.

Whoosh!

She slowly took a deep breath, calming her emotions. Her gaze was somewhat empty as she stared at a spot in the room, muttering:

“Since I decided to dual cultivate with him, I’ve already considered him my future Dao companion. Calling, calling him Dear Xu isn’t too much.

“Between Dao companions, intimacy is natural, no need to mind, no need to mind…

“At least, at least this is between him and me, others don’t know about these things.”

Suddenly, a memory appeared, showing a room where Lin An, Huai Qing, Li Miao Zhen, and the Supervisor’s two female disciples sat at a table.

“I know among you, some like Dear Xu, some have good feelings for him, some harbor secret affection. But after tonight, this seat hopes you’ll put aside inappropriate thoughts.”

“Dear Xu, say something!”

Luo Yu Heng was like a stone statue, weathering away in the wind.

She sat motionless without joy or sorrow for a long while. At some moment, she extended her right hand and said in a voice devoid of emotional fluctuation:

“Sword, come!”

The rust-covered iron sword flew out from the pool, delivering itself into Luo Yu Heng’s hand.

The Imperial Teacher rode golden light out of Ling Bao Temple. She left decisively, gloriously, like a female general rushing to the battlefield, carrying the courage to perish together.

…

At the Xu Manor, Aunt was yawning while scolding the overenergetic little bean who had woken her up early in the morning with noise.

“Can’t you be more considerate? Making noise before dawn—I feed you and clothe you just so you can disturb people’s sweet dreams early in the morning?”

Aunt had her hands on her hips, tongue like lotus petals.

Little Bean stood before her, head lowered, humbly admitting wrong.

“Do you know your mistake?”

“I know my mistake.”

“Will you dare do it again?”

“I won’t dare.”

“Say, where did you go wrong?”

“Mother, where did I go wrong?” Little Bean asked when unsure.

Aunt nearly couldn’t catch her breath, sitting down powerlessly, one hand on her forehead, saying exhaustedly:

“Get out, get out, I don’t want to see you.”

“Okay!” Xu Ling Yin bounced out.

“Mother, there’s an immortal!”

She stopped at the hall entrance, shouting: “Such a beautiful immortal!”

Aunt walked over bewilderedly, seeing in the small courtyard outside the hall stood a woman wearing feather robes, holding a rusty iron sword, of incomparable beauty.

Aunt was herself a little fairy, and seeing this woman, she felt a resonance of “kindred.”

“Where is Xu Qi An?”

The woman enunciated each word.

Her face was expressionless, but her voice came through clenched teeth, with a somewhat gnashing feeling.

Aunt didn’t recognize this woman, though she had heard the Imperial Teacher’s name like thunder.

“Ning Yan left before dawn. Miss, who might you be, and what business do you have with him?” Aunt answered cautiously.

“Did he say where he went?” Luo Yu Heng’s face was terrifyingly dark.

“No.”

Just as Aunt finished answering, her pupils reflected golden light as the woman rode away on golden light.

…

Far northwest of the capital, on the official road, Mu Nan Zhi rode on the little mare, her hands propped on the saddle, wearing a fox fur cape as she squinted into the distance.

Beside her were two other riders, Miao You Fang and Li Ling Su.

The former was Xu Qi An’s follower and thus accompanied him. As for the latter, the Holy Son’s current jianghu journey had originally been meant to end in the capital.

The capital had the Human Sect Leader Luo Yu Heng, Da Feng’s number one beauty the Northern Border Princess Consort, the many courtesans of the Imperial Entertainment Bureau, and so on.

But fate was unpredictable, and the capital became just a place of heartbreak for him.

Since that was the case, he might as well return to traveling the jianghu, a journey of supreme emotionlessness.

However, the Heaven Sect now wanted to capture him back to the mountain for confinement, and even worse things might happen.

Li Ling Su felt he had been driven into a corner. To survive the tribulation from his sect, supreme emotionlessness was his only option.

Before achieving supreme emotionlessness, following Xu Qi An was clearly safer, and able to resolve pressure from both his confidantes and his sect.

As for his junior sister Li Miao Zhen, to prove she didn’t secretly admire Xu Qi An, she decided to stay away from the scoundrel.

But Li Ling Su detected something ominous. Given his junior sister’s personality, if she were truly innocent with Xu Qi An, she would instead travel together.

Damn that Xu Qi An!

“Brother Yang, I will be responsible for watching him, relating everything he does to you in detail.”

In the morning light, Li Ling Su turned his head to gaze toward the capital.

His final reason for following Xu Qi An was at the request of his sworn brother Yang Qian Huan, to secretly monitor Xu Qi An.

Seeing them both gazing toward the capital, Miao You Fang asked puzzledly:

“Why didn’t Senior Xu travel with us?”

Outside, for safety, they had to call him Xu Qian.

Mu Nan Zhi replied: “He said he was going to see someone.”

“Who?”

“Someone to whom he owes a great debt of gratitude.”

“Oh, oh.”

Li Ling Su seized the opportunity to join the conversation: “Madam Xu, where is that little fox demon?”

He still admired Da Feng’s number one beauty, but since she was already taken, the Holy Son could only bury his admiration in his heart.

Of course, his having such awareness was related to Mu Nan Zhi’s currently ordinary appearance.

If the Princess Consort showed her true face, no man could resist her charm. Even if her man was Xu Qi An, countless brave men would fearlessly wield their hoes.

Mu Nan Zhi’s mouth corner lifted: “I sent it to deliver messages to some little sluts.”

During someone’s karmic flame period, she would be tormented by “seven emotions,” becoming unlike herself.

Mu Nan Zhi had promised her to keep it secret, not revealing it to anyone.

After all, Bai Zhi wasn’t human…

And what did it have to do with her, Mu Nan Zhi, if big-mouthed Bai Zhi blabbed it around?

…

After patrolling the capital region, Luo Yu Heng hadn’t found traces of the Xu thief. She concentrated on sensing that protective charm and found she had lost connection with it.

This meant she could no longer find Xu Qi An.

“I’ll settle accounts with you next month!”

Luo Yu Heng ground her teeth.

She rode golden light back to Ling Bao Temple.

As soon as she returned, a disciple came, standing outside the small courtyard, announcing loudly:

“Sect Leader, Princess Lin An, Princess Huai Qing, and Heaven Sect’s Li Miao Zhen have sent you three letters.”

Letters?

Luo Yu Heng slightly furrowed her brows and said: “Bring them here.”

The Daoist-robed disciple stepped into the courtyard, took out three letters from their chest, respectfully presented them, and then retreated from the courtyard.

Luo Yu Heng flicked her fingertip, and all three letters simultaneously flew from their envelopes, unfolding in mid-air.

From left to right, the letters read:

“Growing old together!”

“United hearts forever!”

“Early birth to noble sons!”

Luo Yu Heng’s breath caught, feeling she had been publicly executed, mocked, implied about. Enormous shame engulfed her.

These three letters came so perfectly timed as if specially meant to twist the knife.

…

Bureau of Astronomy, the secret room’s door was pushed open.

Xu Qi An entered carrying a wine jar, carefully closing the door behind him.

Morning light shone through the latticed window. This secret room was very spacious but simply furnished, with a square table and a simple wooden plank bed.

Thus it seemed somewhat empty.

Xu Qi An slowly walked to the bedside, silently watching the sleeping man.

Wearing finely made cyan robes, with handsome features, graying at the temples, and fine crow’s feet at his eyes showing he was no longer young.

“The resemblance is truly remarkable, the same, but unfortunately no qi—just an ordinary physical body.”

Xu Qi An grinned: “Lord Wei, I’ve come to see you, and brought you some wine. I’m about to leave the capital to continue collecting dragon qi. Before I go, let me chat with you for a while.”