Yun Qian slipped into a dream, and outside the window, rain began to fall.
Inside the room, the scent of mugwort lingered, while outside one could faintly hear the dense sound of rain.
Xu Changâan sat beside Yun Qian, letting her rest her head on his lap, quietly watching the young ladyâs sleeping face.
Uncommonly, Yun Qian did not frown or appear weak as she fell asleep, but rather looked somewhat relaxed.
After all, a young lady with a cold body cannot refuse moxibustion, and even Yun Qian, under Xu Changâanâs meticulous care, was now deeply ensconced in her dreamland.
It could only be said that, regardless of who it is, itâs hard to escape a gentle place.
...
Inside the room, the specially made mugwort by Xu Changâan emitted a uniquely fresh aroma, and Yun Qian, having sweated, had dampened her clothes quite a bit.
Xu Changâan felt that it was Miss Yunâs scent, which he liked a lot, but still took a towel to wipe the moisture from Yun Qianâs neck.
Outside the window, the rain continued unabated, as Xu Changâan quietly sat, staring, admiring Yun Qianâs face.
Occasionally wiping her sweat and adjusting her sleeping posture.
"..."
In front of him was a beautiful young lady, but Xu Changâanâs mind was utterly devoid of romance, facing such worldly beauty, his head was filled with thoughts of a young ladyâs monthly menstrual cycle.
This wasnât something to be ashamed of mentioning, because it was indeed very important.
Yun Qian had many bodily ailments; she didnât have even what an average young lady should have, evident of how poor her constitution was.
When he first lived on the island with Yun Qian, Xu Changâan didnât pay much mind, but after a year, having cared for Yun Qianâs food, clothing, shelter, and transportation in an all-encompassing manner, he discovered that Yun Qian lacked a womanâs typical menstrual cycle.
At first, he thought people in this world might be different from those he was familiar with.
But later, in order to perform massage and diagnose Yun Qian, after consulting medical books in the library pavilion, he understood... itâs Yun Qian whoâs abnormal, not this world.
The medical books detailed these things very thoroughly.
At seven years, a girlâs kidney energy is abundant, teeth change and hair grows longer.
At fourteen, menstrual blood arrives, the Ren Meridian opens, the Tai Chong Meridian thrives, and the monthly cycle descends accordingly.
By twenty-one, kidney energy is balanced, causing mature teeth to emerge and grow fully.
At forty-nine, the Ren Meridian is feeble, the Tai Chong Meridian wanes, menstrual blood ceases, and the earthly path is blocked.
Typically, lacking menstrual blood by sixteen is considered late.
"..."
Xu Changâan looked at Miss Yunâs side profile, gently sighing.
How old was Yun Qian already?
He didnât know.
But judging by appearance, she must be at least twenty-five or six.
Yet, the problem was.
When he first met Miss Yun, she looked just as she does now; so many years have passed, and apart from gaining better body flexibility under his care... Yun Qian has virtually remained unchanged.
Could it be.
Miss Yun has already surpassed the age of experiencing menstrual blood, after all, at forty-nine, earthly women cease the cycle.
How many years has the mystical Miss Yun been alive?
Xu Changâan held his head with one hand, no longer delving further into thought, because no matter how many times he asks, Yun Qian would never explain it to him.
"Hmm..."
The reason Xu Changâan cared about this wasnât because he wanted Yun Qian to be like ordinary women.
Under normal circumstances, even if Yun Qian didnât resemble average young ladies, lacking the monthly menstrual blood... wouldnât hinder cultivation, after all, in Xu Changâanâs past life, it was common for women to have the saying to "sever the red dragon" in cultivation.
Because the blood is red, itâs likened to a "red dragon."
During menstrual periods, symptoms often include back and leg pain, headache and unwellness, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain... which can inherently affect cultivation.
And in the worldly realm of this world, menstrual blood is seen as a symbol of filth, not something beneficial.
If it doesnât exist, then it doesnât exist.
But Xu Changâan had his reasons.
In this world, at least on Muyu Peak, the cultivation of maidens doesnât focus on severing the red dragon; menstrual cycles are as usual, and Xu Changâan, as the steward of Muyu Peak, living surrounded by maidens, learned a lot about these things.
Cultivation involves bringing Spiritual Qi into the body.
When menstrual blood arrives, young womenâs spiritual gates open wide, allowing for better absorption of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, fostering their health. Hence, during early cultivation, practicing during the arrival of menstrual blood can yield twice the results with half the effort.
Xu Changâan had witnessed numerous senior sisters regularly visiting the Steward Hall monthly to exchange elixirs promoting cultivation, and over time... he knew when some of them would experience menstrual blood, and prepared elixirs in advance as part of his duties.
Indeed.
The monthly menstrual cycle can be inconvenient, but as long as the cultivation realm requires using body meridians as the medium to absorb Spiritual Qi, then the wide-opening of the spirit road brought by menstrual blood, this cultivation boost, is a hundred benefits with no harm.
Therefore, menstrual blood, which is of no use except trouble and pain in the worldly realm for women, turns out to be essential in the Immortal Sect.
On Muyu Peak, womenâs cultivation inherently has advantages over men, and they believe that young ladies are more favored by the Heavenly Dao in the path of cultivation.
Thus, they strive not to sever the spirit road, even striving to extend their menstrual years, maintaining their bodily states between twenty and thirty years old. In such circumstances, looking back, one would notice... those seniors at Muyu Peak, despite being several hundred years old, donât appear like old crones, remaining instead at the most charming age of women.
This isnât solely to look attractive, itâs just that they set their age during youth for cultivation, and later got accustomed to presenting such appearance in the world.
For instance, beauty fruits were initially given to those women of lower realms unable to control their physiques, helping them maintain their age.
"Phew..."
At that moment, Yun Qian dreamt of something unknown, turning over and continuing her deep sleep.
Interrupted by Yun Qianâs sudden motion, Xu Changâan clicked his tongue.
"Tsk."
Softly sighed, showing a peculiar expression.
Summarized.
Previously, as Yun Qian hadnât cultivated, he didnât bring up this matter, but now, since Yun Qian has begun cultivating with Wen Li, whether for curing or accelerating cultivation, healing Yun Qian is a matter that must be undertaken.
Not to mention, upon discovering Yun Qianâs lack of monthly menstrual cycle, Senior Wen should also devise a treatment for her.
Therefore, whether in pursuit of having children or for cultivation purposes...
The menstrual cycle is an unavoidable matter for Miss Yun, something that must be faced sooner or later.
Yun Qianâs inability to bypass it means he cannot bypass it either.
Considering the use of the menstrual cycle, given Yun Qianâs cold body condition, the initial pain from lower abdominal cramps is unbearable to endure, and what follows would undoubtedly make his heart ache.
Thus, using herbal baths to improve Yun Qianâs constitution is an urgent matter.
"..."
Xu Changâan looked towards the Mystic Passage of the bathroom, carefully lifting Yun Qian, replacing his knee with a pillow, tiptoeing to his feet, trying his best not to disturb Yun Qianâs dream.
The pillow carried his scent, with no intention of leaving, thus Yun Qian remained asleep.
Dreaming alone had no significance, but her husband being by her side, she could continue sleeping a while longer.