"Wait… does 'personally' mean what I think it means?"
Still a little unsure, Chen Huai'an clicked 'Use'.
> "Ah? Senior wishes to personally help me circulate my energy and heal?"
He saw Li Qingran suddenly freeze, her cheeks instantly flushing red. The flustered girl waved her hands in panic:
> "Qingran's status is lowly… not worthy of such grace from Senior! I—I can manage on my own…"
Then—four dialogue options popped up:
1. [Let's get this over with. I'm busy.]
2. [You dare refuse me? Courting death, little girl!] Hehehe~
3. [Hmph. You should feel honored. Don't be ungrateful!]
4. [Recharge ¥300 to unlock a voice talisman and speak freely.]
Chen Huai'an: "…"
He felt like the game developers were already halfway inside his bank account.
> "If I have to pay 300 bucks just to respond properly here… I'd have to be insane."
After weighing his options, he picked Option 1—the only one that didn't scream either pervert or lunatic… though it was still a bit arrogant.
After making the choice, he didn't hear his own voice, but Li Qingran clearly did.
Her eyes widened, a trace of fear showing. She stepped back a half-step, bowed her head, and nervously clutched her sleeves:
> "O-okay… But Qingran is covered in dust and filth. May I bathe first before Senior transmits energy to me?"
As a cultivator, body odor didn't really exist.
But she'd been a mess these past two weeks, hair in tangles, clothes stained with mud and dried blood.
There was no way she could let someone treat her injuries in this state—not even a divine elder.
She perked her ears up, waiting for the "elder's" reply.
Options appeared again:
1. [No need to bathe. I prefer it… raw. Hehehe~]
2. [Very well. Go ahead. I'll wait.]
3. [Cut the nonsense. Take off your clothes now.]
4. [Recharge ¥300 to unlock a voice talisman and speak freely.]
Uh…
Option 1 and 4 were immediate no's.
Chen Huai'an was left staring at Option 2 and 3, hesitating.
> "Wait—if I pick Option 3… is she really gonna undress?"
"That's literally all she's wearing!"
And Option 2? She'd go take a bath…
And… could he see it?
No wonder this game had an 18+ restriction. There really might be some VIP-only… "hidden content."
But come on! Was he that kind of guy?!
He spent money because Li Qingran gave him emotional value, because she was the only spark of warmth in his cancer-ridden life!
Also, she was genuinely pretty already.
And after a bath… she'd probably be even prettier.
(Not that he was curious about the bathroom or anything.)
Option 2. It is.
On screen, Li Qingran nodded shyly, whispering:
> "T-then Qingran will go now…"
The bathhouse was nearby. It hadn't been there before, but now it was.
She'd seen it while exploring the rundown house. Everything was stocked—towels, herbal soaps, the works.
She'd wanted to wash up before, but her condition had never allowed it.
She stepped into the bathhouse and looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror.
Her fingers moved to her chest, beginning to untie her robe—but paused.
Blush shot up her neck to the tips of her ears.
> "Senior… saw the demon wolf's ambush coming… Sent spirit stones and pills the moment I coughed up blood…"
That meant… he could see everything.
Even here.
> "No. No no no! Senior isn't that kind of person!"
She shook her head furiously.
Even felt a little guilty for doubting him.
> "If Senior had that kind of intent, he wouldn't need to wait until now…"
Besides, he probably wasn't some young man.
The way he spoke—always with an ancient tone, kind but stern—he was likely a cultivation elder of hundreds of years.
A serious, righteous man. He wouldn't be interested in… a mere girl like her.
With her embarrassment eased, she let her robe slide off her shoulders.
Her undergarments loosened and fell to the floor, revealing an exquisite, flawless figure.
---
Meanwhile, Chen Huai'an was staring at his phone, eyes bloodshot.
His finger hovered over the bathroom icon.
Earlier, he'd tested it. He could freely switch rooms.
All it took was a single tap.
> "Chen Huai'an. Don't become the kind of man you'd look down on."
"But… it's just a game! Admiring beauty is human nature!"
"You're a cancer patient, you don't need this!"
"Says who?! Sick people can have desires too!"
…
> "I just want to make sure she's safe in the bathroom, alright? What if she slips?
Or worse—what if a giant shark demon or octopus monster appears?!"
With his morals "aligned," he tapped the bathroom icon.
> [Affection level too low. Peeking not permitted.]
Chen Huai'an let out a sigh of relief.
His tortured soul could rest.
But then… his heart twitched.
> "So you can peek. Just need higher affection, huh?"
"Tch… as if I even wanted to look anyway."
He scoffed, rolled his eyes, and opened a certain small website for… "visual distraction."
Halfway through "appreciating the content," a game alert popped up:
> [Li Qingran has finished bathing.]
> "That fast? Don't girls normally take at least 30 minutes to shower?"
He quietly slid the tissue back into the box and focused on the game again.
A faint click.
The bathroom door cracked open.
Soft mist drifted out.
Then the door opened fully, revealing Li Qingran, her bare shoulders exposed, wrapped in a simple white towel.
The view zoomed in on her legs—slender, pale, beaded with droplets.
> "Tssss… mad respect. This indie dev went crazy. Black-hat devs WILDIN'."
Chen Huai'an couldn't help but praise the water physics and mist rendering.
> "Wait—she's not gonna change into new clothes?"
He watched her kneel on the bed, back to the camera, her robe still not on.
The flawless smoothness of her back made him want to slap two heated cupping jars on it.
> "S-Senior… Qingran is ready…"
In her heart, Senior was a stern, wise old man, so her embarrassment was manageable.
But after taking the Great Rejuvenation Pill, she undid the towel.
The fabric slipped down her waist and hips, revealing her entire back.
Her ears turned violently purple.
To circulate her energy and expel toxins, the back, abdomen, and chest needed full exposure.
The fire poison in her body would be flushed out through spiritual energy transmission.
And fire poison was hot—hot enough to ignite clothing.
So baring her back was the safest option.
And better to just expose a little now than have everything burned off later.
Chen Huai'an stared at the screen, utterly stunned.
The camera zoomed in.
From her neck down to her waistline, her bare back was fully displayed.
Underneath the fair skin, even faint veins were visible.
> "Seriously? They're testing a dying man's moral fiber with this?"
He muttered complaints, but in truth—her back was beautiful.
The curves were… divine.
But now what?
He didn't have long to wonder.
Suddenly, golden acupuncture points lit up on her back.
> [Please press your left hand on 'Mingmen', and your right on 'Qihaiyu' to begin energy transmission.]