The appearance of the name Li Zhibai made Zhu Pingniang temporarily give up on pursuing any secret, she eagerly grabbed the Jade Scroll and closed her eyes, feeling the residual aura on it.
"..."
In Xu Changâanâs perspective, after Zhu Pingniang touched the Jade Scroll, her expression became quite strangeâfirst shocked, then solemn, and finally she seemed to come to a sudden realization and relief.
That exhalation, as if releasing a thousand-pound burden, left Xu Changâan utterly confused.
What was going on?
Wasnât the Jade Scroll supposed to instruct Zhu Pingniang to teach himself and Miss Yun the Yin Yang Dual Cultivation technique?
What else was written?
According to Xu Changâanâs understanding, the meaning behind Li Zhibaiâs Jade Scroll was not to express his intentions to Zhu Pingniang directly, to avoid being "teased."
After all, if he personally approached Zhu Pingniang for a technique meant for couples, who knows how sheâd make fun of him.
But now it seems itâs not entirely like that.
"...I see now."
After reading the Jade Scroll, Zhu Pingniang smoothly tucked it into her bosom, with no intention of returning it to Xu Changâan.
At this moment, gone was her earlier heaviness and existential doubt, and she reverted back to the familiar charming woman, her eyes brimming with a seductive smile.
Only, seeing his puzzled and innocent face, her smile took on a different form.
Zhu Pingniang gritted her silver teeth and said angrily, "Xiaochangâan, sister really wants to give you a good smack. Having this and not bringing it out sooner...is it fun scaring me?"
As she spoke, her whole body practically pressed against Xu Changâan.
It was clear that Zhu Pingniang was truly a bit annoyed, but this tone, rather than true anger, seemed more like the scolding of an elder sister to a misbehaving younger brother.
"?"
A question mark floated above Xu Changâanâs head, and his whole body leaned back to avoid bodily contact with the furious Zhu Pingniang.
From this angle, Xu Changâan could see Zhu Pingniangâs face very clearly.
Her charming demeanor couldnât hide her handsome features. If she dropped her act, just her watery eyes filled with this scolding anger would be enough to make any man go through fire and water for her.
Included in these men was Xu Changâan, though he was motivated by gratitude, not lust.
ââ
Flower Moon Building.
"...???"
At the same time, all the girls at Flower Moon Building were leaning against the windows, staring at the distant pavilion, faces flushed with excitement.
What did they see?
"Youâre too young, donât look."
A little girl came to the window, but was immediately covered by an older girlâs hand, as if there really was something at a distance they shouldnât see.
In the chess pavilion, Zhu Pingniang was pressing down on Xu Changâanâs shoulders with both hands, shaking him vigorously, as if trying to shake out his soul.
With such violent movements, the securely wrapped clothes could no longer hide Fairy Zhuâs graceful figure, and with her now leaning position...
The chest, obviously swelling from being pressed, seemed about to burst the buttons sewn at the collar, sketching lines that made even women feel a heartbeat.
"You guys, look quickly?!"
"Looking, looking!"
Is this blushing, frayed-nerve woman really Ms. Zhu?
"Young Master Xu, well done."
Like birds chirping, word spread quickly, and everyone came to join the fun.
ââ
To outsiders, it might have seemed enchanting; to Xu Changâan, who was involved, it made him feel like vomiting from the shaking.
As for whether Senior Zhu was beautiful?
She might be beautiful.
To him, everyone who couldnât compare with Miss Yun in appearance and figure looked the same.
"...Iâll let you go."
After regaining her senses, Zhu Pingniang let go of Xu Changâan. She also realized that it was a bit inappropriate, especially with those many gazes from behind, making her uncharacteristically flushed.
"What are you looking at, asking for trouble!"
Zhu Pingniang shouted into the distance.
Yet the girls were not afraid at all, dispersing like a flock of birds, only to curiously gather again shortly after.
"..."
Zhu Pingniang clicked her tongue, then stood up and lowered the rain curtains around the chess pavilion.
The originally ventilated pavilion was now surrounded by white curtains so that the inside couldnât be seen from the outside anymore.
"Look, the curtains are drawn, the curtains are drawn!"
"Ms. Zhu is so bold, doing this in the garden."
"Shhh, donât let sister hear this. She is from the Immortal Sect; even from this distance, she can hear us."
"..."
Hearing the giggling voices of the young girls outside, Zhu Pingniang shifted her gaze to the draped curtains she had just drawn around herself.
Ah.
It seems curtains shouldnât have been drawn.
She just made a bad move in chess.
Zhu Pingniang glanced exasperatedly at the boy she had shaken with Spiritual Qi, who still hadnât recovered, and spat.
Itâs all because he drove her to madness.
In this small space now, there were only her and Xu Changâan. Zhu Pingniang wondered whether she should go over and give him a kicking.
The drastic change in Zhu Pingniangâs demeanor had a simple cause.
The contents of the Jade Scroll Li Zhibai had given were extremely detailed, describing what Cultivation Technique Xu Changâan wanted and advising her to check Yun Qianâs body regarding her absent menstrual blood.
But all this information only accounted for one-tenth of the Jade Scrollâs content.
What was the rest about?
It concerned the capabilities and origins of Xu Changâan, addressing the significant changes after he opened his spiritual source, inclusive of all possibilities and Li Zhibaiâs own conjectures.
Li Zhibai and Zhu Pingniang, both being guides to Xu Changâan, naturally held no secrets.
The unmaskable Lingyu atop the Chaoyun Sect, the possible connection between Heaven-Reaching Purple Thunder and Xu Changâanâshe even spelled this out.
"This boy, what exactly is he?" Zhu Pingniang looked at Xu Changâan with a strange expression.
Before seeing the Jade Scroll, she already held Xu Changâan in high esteem, but now she realized she still underestimated him.
If going by the Sect Leaderâs hints, that Celestial Tribulation from the other day had nothing to do with her but was actually related to Xu Changâan...
Zhu Pingniang dared not think further.
What does a stable Spirit Platform count for? What does not dying count for?
All of it is childâs play.
The previous Celestial Tribulation suddenly deprived all cultivators under heaven of their cultivation.
The Celestial Tribulation is a truly terrifying thing, making everything else seem less important by comparison.
Li Zhibaiâs Jade Scroll precisely elucidated everythingâwhat Zhu Pingniang knew and what she didnât.
Turns out, Li Zhibai long knew the secrets on this boy, no wonder she also thought Xu Changâan was an Immortal Reincarnation; such capabilities indeed are impossible for mere mortals.
Logically, knowing more secrets should make Zhu Pingniang more troubled and wary, but suddenly she relaxed.
This is thanks to the Stabilizing Needle of the Chaoyun SectâShi Qingjun.
Li Zhibai conveyed Shi Qingjunâs attitude towards Xu Changâan very clearly in the Jade Scroll.
Shi Qingjun knew everything about Xu Changâan and had her own plans.
Just a simple sentence, yet it made it seem everything was within the Sect Leaderâs plan, instantly relieving Zhu Pingniang of all pressure.
This is the allure of "Qing Jun" in everyoneâs heart.
Since the Sect Leader was worrying, why bother analyzing anything else here, just follow the Sect Leaderâs instructions.
"Xiaochangâan, sisterâs cultivation is low, and I canât manage you."
Zhu Pingniang gently sat back in her original position, crossed one leg, and said under the focused gaze of the now-sober Xu Changâan:
"The Sect Leader says we should act as if we know nothing, so naturally...I know nothing."
Shi Qingjun wanted them to play dumb and not get involved, so they wouldnât.
Xu Changâan: "?"
He completely didnât understand from the start, so he acted as if he heard nothing.
"You..."
Zhu Pingniang saw his indifferent attitude and became angry again.
Xu Changâan should have taken out the Jade Scroll earlier, knowing that the Sect Leader had settled everything, why was she still testing?
After all, if the Sect Leader had instructed, yet she still took action to test, it would seem like she didnât trust the Sect Leader.
Ah Bai, watching from the mountain, seeing her making such a big move in the Inner Realm just to test him, must have laughed aloud.
She would surely say Zhu Pingniang was causing trouble again, proving her immature.
This is what annoyed her.