Hearing Kong Hou say there was a problem with her cultivation, Huan Zong anxiously reached out and pulled her into his embrace, channeling spiritual energy into her body to examine her meridians. The human body contained the Qi Sea and hundreds of acupoints—no place could be treated carelessly.

But after carefully checking all of Kong Hou’s meridians, he didn’t discover anything wrong. Afraid he had overlooked something, he examined her from head to toe again, but still found nothing amiss.

Nestled in Huan Zong’s embrace, his body temperature transmitted through the fabric to her face, making her heart beat even faster.

After the spiritual energy circulated through Kong Hou’s body several times and still unable to find any problem, Huan Zong had no choice but to scoop her up horizontally: “I’ll take you to find Peak Master Qingyuan.”

“Wait.” Kong Hou clutched Huan Zong’s clothes tightly and said in a small voice: “How about we wait a bit? Maybe it’s nothing?” Otherwise, she would definitely be laughed to death by the senior brothers and sisters of Chenxia Peak.

“Physical problems cannot be treated carelessly. Be good.” Huan Zong patted her head. “Back then, my state of mind had issues. I thought it was a minor problem, but who knew…”

Hearing Huan Zong speak about his physical problems, Kong Hou suddenly felt her heartbeat wasn’t so fast anymore. Even her breathing became smoother. She bit her lip: “Huan Zong, put me down. I’m really fine now.”

Huan Zong was still worried, but seeing that apart from her especially red face, the spiritual energy around Kong Hou’s entire body flowed very smoothly without any unusual conditions appearing, he had no choice but to carry her to the jade bed: “Sit cross-legged properly. I’ll comb through your meridians one more time.”

Kong Hou obediently sat properly. After closing her eyes, her mind was filled with thoughts of those hands pressed against her back.

“Focus and calm your qi.” Huan Zong noticed Kong Hou’s concentration was scattered and reminded her in a low voice: “Don’t let the qi go astray.”

Kong Hou didn’t dare think further and let Huan Zong control the spiritual energy, helping her comb through her spiritual meridians again and again.

After focusing and calming her qi, her heart gradually settled down.

One shichen later, Huan Zong withdrew his hands and took out a handkerchief to wipe the fine perspiration from her forehead: “Rest for a while first.”

Kong Hou reached out and grabbed the jade-inlaid buckle on the belt at his waist, not letting him get up and leave: “Just stay here by the bedside and keep me company.”

Looking down at the hand grasping his belt, Huan Zong sat back down: “All right. Rest peacefully.”

In her drowsy state, Kong Hou didn’t sleep well. Somehow, she thought of the black-robed woman who had married a rogue cultivator but was betrayed, and also of Queen Qingluo who, unwilling to accept her fate, had transformed into a fierce ghost and misunderstood the Emperor for over a thousand years.

Although the red flowers covering the mountains and fields were beautiful, Queen Qingluo and her King were destined never to meet again through all lifetimes. Was this kind of emotion the romantic love that protagonists in story books yearned for?

She opened her eyes. Huan Zong was still sitting beside her. The cave dwelling had no lamp lit. He wasn’t reading, just sitting there quietly, giving Kong Hou a feeling of gratitude that he was indeed still there.

“Awake?” Huan Zong looked down at her, his face showing tenderness that couldn’t be dissolved. He bent down to feed a bottle of spiritual liquid to her lips. “No talisman-making today. Rest well for the day.”

“Huan Zong…” Kong Hou crawled up from the bed and played with the bottle of spiritual liquid in her hands. “Do you still remember the black-robed woman?”

“I remember.” Huan Zong nodded.

“Do you think she regrets it?” She lowered her eyelids. “Abandoning her sect and fellow disciples to wander the world with the person she loved, only to receive betrayal in return.” She sympathized with the black-robed woman but couldn’t understand her.

Were men really that important—so important she would abandon everything?

Kong Hou couldn’t help but think of her master, senior brother, and senior sister. If it were her, even the best-looking man in the entire world couldn’t make her give up all this.

“Perhaps.” Huan Zong took the empty bottle from her hands and stuffed a spiritual fruit into them. “It’s just that when she left the sect back then, her attitude was too resolute. Now wanting to return, she can’t get past that hurdle in her own heart.”

“If she wants to, then she should just do it.” Kong Hou said, “She even dared to kill the rogue cultivator who betrayed her. Why doesn’t she dare admit her mistake to the sect and return to her own sect?”

Huan Zong smiled: “Perhaps not everyone can be that brave.”

Because caring too much and being too cautious instead created fear of rejection.

“Huan Zong, are you ever afraid?” Kong Hou asked.

“Yes.” Huan Zong slightly averted his gaze, not looking at her eyes.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.” Kong Hou patted the back of his hand. “I’ll keep you company.” As she patted, she felt Huan Zong’s hand was as warm and smooth as jade, and she couldn’t help but give it a few more squeezes.

“Kong Hou, you…” Huan Zong was somewhat startled by Kong Hou’s actions. He looked at Kong Hou’s hand, panic flickering in his expression.

Only then did Kong Hou realize what she had done. She withdrew her hand like lightning: “I… my hand just itched.”

Heavens, Sanqing Grandfather above, how should she make Huan Zong believe she really wasn’t a hooligan? She secretly glanced at Huan Zong. His handsome face bore a shocked expression, as if he couldn’t believe she would do such a thing.

It was over. Nothing she said now would help.

“You…” Huan Zong sighed helplessly. “You’re becoming more and more mischievous.” Having seen how Yunhua Sect’s elders treated Kong Hou, they truly doted on her without any boundaries.

“Actually, it’s not mischievousness.” Seeing Huan Zong look at her like he was looking at a child who didn’t understand things yet, Kong Hou said in a small voice: “It’s all because your hands feel too good to touch.”

The cave dwelling instantly became silent. Kong Hou felt wordless embarrassment wrapping her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. Just as she was preparing to act shamelessly and gloss over this matter, a fair, jade-like hand with slender finger joints was presented before her.

Kong Hou looked up at Huan Zong, not understanding his meaning.

“If you like…” Huan Zong’s earlobes were red as blood. “If you like it, then take it to play with.”

Kong Hou: “…” This was a hand, not a toy. She took out an illumination magical tool from her storage ring. The tool lit up Huan Zong’s face, red as evening clouds. Seeing Huan Zong’s appearance clearly, Kong Hou immediately laughed aloud. All embarrassment and awkwardness vanished without a trace. She tossed the illumination tool aside and grabbed Huan Zong’s hand: “You said you’d give it to me to play with, so it’s mine now.”

“Good.” He was over three hundred years older than Kong Hou. Whatever she said, he would say yes.

Kong Hou pinched his index and middle fingers and giggled, completely unaware that her own face was just as red as Huan Zong’s. She tilted her head, like a kitten that had stolen dried fish: “I feel like I’m better now. Keep me company and let’s dual cultivate together.”

Huan Zong helplessly reminded her again: “It’s heaven and earth dual cultivation. If outsiders heard, they would misunderstand you.”

“There’s only you and me here. Where would outsiders come from?” Kong Hou got down from the bed, released Huan Zong’s hand, and walked to sit beside the Dragon-Phoenix Cauldron: “Huan Zong, come quickly.”

Huan Zong’s index and middle fingers rubbed against each other twice. Without that warm, soft palm, even his fingers seemed to have grown cold. He stood up and walked to sit beside Kong Hou, quietly watching her.

Kong Hou blinked at him and hooked his little finger: “I heard that during heaven and earth dual cultivation, if palms are pressed together, the effect is even better. Should we try it?”

Huan Zong looked at her fair, tender face, wanting to speak but hesitating. This dual cultivation method indeed had better effects, but because the two people’s hearts and minds were connected at this time, they easily developed feelings for each other. He hadn’t told Kong Hou about this method before precisely because he didn’t want Kong Hou, at such a young age, to have her inner thoughts influenced by external things.

Seeing Huan Zong not speaking, Kong Hou grabbed his arm and shook it back and forth: “Come on, come on, let’s try.”

“All right.” Huan Zong’s throat went dry as he nodded slightly.

Just this once, just this one time of being selfish and shameless. He extended both palms and pressed them together with Kong Hou’s.

Kong Hou looked at Huan Zong closing his eyes with a beaming smile, then also closed her own eyes. Some things—if you don’t try them, how would you know whether they suit you or not?

So, she wanted to try.

Such a good-looking, capable, and considerate man—she really didn’t want him running off with another woman at all.

Under heaven, what woman didn’t like good-looking men?

“Wu Chuan, how much longer until Kong Hou emerges from seclusion?” Heng Yan paced in the room. For the past month, using meditation and seclusion as an excuse, he had been hiding in the main hall refusing to see anyone. Even several junior martial brothers had been blocked outside by him.

Wu Chuan flipped through the sect materials in his hands without looking up: “Master, you’ve already asked five or six times these past few days. Kong Hou Junior Martial Sister will emerge from seclusion in three days.”

Heng Yan’s expression was haggard: “If I’d known that Dragon-Phoenix Cauldron had other effects, I wouldn’t have meddled and given it to Kong Hou.”

“Master, you don’t need to overthink it. If there were no feelings between Zhenren Zhong Xi and Kong Hou Junior Martial Sister, the Dragon-Phoenix Cauldron wouldn’t have drawn out the desires hidden in their hearts.” Wu Chuan closed the ledger and looked up at the restless Heng Yan. “If those two develop a spiritual connection because of this object, it shows they already had mutual feelings. This is also a good thing.”

“But your Kong Hou Junior Martial Sister isn’t even eighteen yet. If the two of them do something in the cave dwelling…” Heng Yan sighed. With Wang Tong’s dog-like temper, if he knew about this matter, he would definitely tear down half the main hall.

“Even if Junior Martial Sister is young and doesn’t quite understand things, Zhenren Zhong Xi’s character is still worthy of trust.” Wu Chuan said, “He couldn’t possibly do anything detrimental to Junior Martial Sister.”

Although Zhenren Zhong Xi didn’t like to talk much, he could absolutely be called an upright gentleman. How important primal yin was for female cultivators—Zhenren Zhong Xi couldn’t possibly not know this.

“He may be a gentleman, but he’s still a man.” Heng Yan muttered, “Our Kong Hou is so adorable and likable. What man wouldn’t like her upon seeing her?”

Wu Chuan knew that no matter what he said now, his master wouldn’t listen, so he could only say: “Please rest assured, Master. Three days from now, first thing in the morning, I’ll wait outside Kong Hou Junior Martial Sister’s cave dwelling.” Master Uncle Wang Tong had always been protective of the younger generation. If he were present, even if a real commotion broke out, Master Uncle Wang Tong could restrain himself somewhat for his sake.

Heng Yan’s heart at this moment was both guilty and worried. Though his mouth kept going on about Wang Tong, what he actually feared most was that his own momentary carelessness had affected Kong Hou’s cultivation.

Three days later, early in the morning, quite a few people were already standing outside Kong Hou’s cave dwelling. Nearly all the disciples of Qiyue Peak were there, and personal disciples from other peaks who were on good terms with Kong Hou were also present. Everyone glanced at each other, all found good positions, and began taking out melon seeds to crack slowly.

About half a shichen later, the cave dwelling door swung wide open. Everyone saw Kong Hou holding Zhenren Zhong Xi’s hand as they walked out.

Morning mist swirled around them. The two were so beautiful they looked like a painting.

Wait, why were they holding hands?

Wang Tong looked at Kong Hou’s hand holding Huan Zong’s index finger. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak for a long time. Finally, with a complex expression, he used Heart Transmission technique with Kong Hou.

【Good disciple, Zhenren Zhong Xi is Liuguang Sect’s most promising sword cultivator, bearing the hopes of the entire cultivation world. You… what are you planning to do to him?】

**Author’s Note:** Cultivation World: Anyone standing next to Zhenren Zhong Xi looks like they’re taking advantage of him. Please be aware.