"A reward? What kind of reward?"
Hearing that there were benefits to be had, the wariness in Ye Tian's eyes was replaced by a hint of joy.
However, as a soft pressure bore down in front of him, as hot breath brushed against his ear, and as the melodious whispers of an oriole sounded...
The joy in Ye Tian's eyes instantly transformed into panic.
"You will know soon enough what reward I am giving you."
As the silken whispers fell, a sensation as delicate and pink as flower petals pressed seamlessly against Ye Tian's left cheek.
Smack!
A lingering, moist warmth was left behind.
Ye Tian gritted his teeth, enduring the sensation of the graceful body pressed against him slowly bouncing back. It was a strange feeling—like a rubber ball filled with hot water being slowly compressed and then rebounding against his chest. But the heat it left behind was even more intense.
The hot breath moved forward. Bi Bi Dong's face, flushed with an intoxicating blush, reappeared before his eyes.
"You call this a reward?" Ye Tian asked, his heart thumping wildly and his expression looking somewhat strained.
"What's wrong?" Bi Bi Dong frowned. Seeing the slight look of aversion on Ye Tian's face, her cold lips curled slightly. "Heh, you think it's too little?"
"Then I shall begrudgingly give you a bit more!" Bi Bi Dong said, also gritting her teeth.
"Don't, don't, don't!" Ye Tian hurried to raise his hand in protest.
While letting Bi Bi Dong hold him by the collar, he covered his cheeks with both hands and gathered his courage to speak the truth. "Actually, I feel like this is more of a punishment."
"Oh? Is that so?" Bi Bi Dong's face darkened instantly; she had reached the limit of her patience. It was one thing for Ye Tian to be repulsed by her, but he actually dared to say bluntly that this was a punishment?
Bi Bi could endure it, but Dong could not! Her jade-like hand tightened its grip on Ye Tian's collar until the veins on the back of her hand bulged.
Sensing her killing intent, Ye Tian quickly changed his tune. "Wait, what I meant was... receiving this kind of reward makes me feel unworthy. That's why it feels like a punishment."
"Really!" Ye Tian's face was full of sincerity and regret, realizing he had courted disaster.
"Hahaha..." Bi Bi Dong laughed out of sheer frustration, but she was indeed not quite satisfied yet. She decided to keep her grip on his collar and play along.
"You certainly know how to talk," Bi Bi Dong praised with a beaming smile. She then leaned toward Ye Tian's right cheek, her face filled with the excitement of an impending success as she changed the subject. "However..."
"!" Hearing that transition, Ye Tian's heart tightened.
Bi Bi Dong's voice drew closer. "If you think what happened just now was a punishment—enough to make you show such a disgusted face—then my punishment must have been too harsh. Therefore, to compensate your wounded soul, I shall begrudgingly give you another reward."
Holy crap! Ye Tian thought. Is she never going to get over this 'reward' nonsense?!
He hadn't expected Bi Bi Dong to be so shameless as to throw herself at him like this. Before he could say anything, Bi Bi Dong pressed her lips directly against his, a touch that vanished as soon as it landed.
Ye Tian, still covering his cheeks, widened his eyes and froze on the spot.
Bi Bi Dong pursed her red lips and slowly backed away, staring at Ye Tian's stunned expression. With a smile at the corners of her mouth and shyness in her eyes, she playfully pinched Ye Tian's chin and teased, "What? Is this reward still not enough? How truly shameless of you!"
"Hmph! You lewd thing."
With those words, Bi Bi Dong pushed Ye Tian aside like trash, acting every bit the queen. She then walked toward the table with a swaying, feline gait.
Ye Tian stumbled but managed to steady himself. He stared dumbfoundedly at the back of that shameless woman. How could she twist the situation so that she was the one scolding him?
How was he the lewd one?
Could it be that his pills had the side effect of boosting intelligence? In just two days, Bi Bi Dong seemed like a different person—she had become much more proactive!
Looking at her prideful, departing figure—specifically that swaying, indiscreetly moving pair of hips—Ye Tian grew angrier the more he thought about it. His fury surged, and a wicked boldness was born from his frustration!
"Right, there's one more thing..." Bi Bi Dong suddenly stopped and raised an index finger, about to turn her head to say something.
But before she could finish, Ye Tian pushed his speed to the limit. With a single stride, he lunged forward, his palm wide open and raised high. Aiming for that soft, plump flesh, he prepared to strike!
One more thing? Let's see what you have to say after this!
Bi Bi Dong happened to glance back at that exact moment, catching sight of Ye Tian's "criminal" technique. Her heart trembled, and rage flared as a cold light flooded her eyes. A wave of killing intent was about to erupt from her body.
"!!!"
Ye Tian met that gaze. The passion in his heart was instantly doused by the cold water of her killing intent. His newly bolstered courage popped like a pricked balloon, draining away instantly!
But the fire in Ye Tian's heart wouldn't be fully extinguished! He had already committed to the act; trouble was inevitable now, so he might as well go all the way. Even if his reach was slightly off, he threw himself forward.
However, intimidated by Bi Bi Dong's gaze, the force in his hand undoubtedly softened. Even so, at the moment of contact, a crisp sound echoed through the room.
Slap!
It sounded like a rhythmic clapper in the silent room, bringing an eerie quiet to the surroundings.
In that moment, Ye Tian was still in mid-air. His palm was still covering the target. Temperature was being transferred. Everything in the room seemed to stand still, leaving only the lingering vibrations of the strike.
Thud!
Ye Tian landed flat on his face, arms outstretched on the floor.
On Bi Bi Dong's icy face, her elegant brows trembled. A stinging, swaying sensation climbed from her tailbone up her spine and into her brain, causing the killing intent in her eyes to crumble. Her beautiful eyes were filled with utter disbelief.
The air fell silent once more.
Ye Tian lay on the ground, not daring to move, as if awaiting judgment. The stinging in his palm told him that he had probably gone too far.
However, Ye Tian's worries seemed to be in vain. Those cold Purple Eyes reflected his back, and as they trembled, the chill within them was gradually enveloped by a layer of warmth.
The warmth of the sunlight in the air regained the upper hand. A seductive flush appeared on Bi Bi Dong's beautiful face. She turned to look down at Ye Tian, her teeth gritted as she spoke. "You actually dared to hit me?!"
"..."
Ye Tian lay on the ground, slowly revealing the side of his face. He offered a strained smile and struggled to explain, "Uh... if I said it was an accident, would you believe me?"
"An accident?" Bi Bi Dong arched an eyebrow. As she put her left hand on her hip, she quietly and gently rubbed the stinging area. With a look of reproach and annoyance in her eyes, she said, "Fine! I'll give you a chance to explain."
"Ah... haha... you see, as you witnessed, my left foot tripped over my right foot and I fell. I accidentally slapped you while trying to catch myself..." Ye Tian laughed nervously, seizing the chance to explain. But the more he spoke, the less confident he felt.
Looking at Bi Bi Dong's unpredictable expression, Ye Tian eventually clasped his hands over his head and looked at her with a cheeky, resigned grin. "Hehe... alright, just make the punishment a bit lighter, okay?"
After saying that, Ye Tian buried his head against the floor and remained motionless, looking as though he were entirely at her mercy.
"..."
Bi Bi Dong gritted her silver teeth, looking down at Ye Tian sprawled at her feet. Her heel rubbed slightly against the floor. For a moment, she really wanted to step directly on the back of his head and teach him a harsh lesson!
But Bi Bi Dong eventually calmed down. From Ye Tian daring to take the initiative to now daring to counterattack—didn't this prove that the fear in his heart was diminishing? This was a good thing! Even if she didn't encourage it, she shouldn't punish him, right?
"I accept your explanation. Hmph!" After saying that, Bi Bi Dong let out an indignant snort and turned to sit at the table.
She picked up her chopsticks, prepared to enjoy the freshly cooked dumplings. As she sat down, the pain from her skin made her frown, and she inwardly cursed the little brat! However, once she smelled the fragrance of the shepherd's purse dumplings, her anger subsided significantly.
"Eh?" Ye Tian raised his head, somewhat bewildered.
Bi Bi Dong believed him? She actually believed such an absurd excuse?! Ye Tian was baffled. Was it possible that she had some other scheme waiting for him?
Bi Bi Dong didn't care what Ye Tian was thinking. She enjoyed the dumplings with delight and asked about the matter she had just remembered. "Everything I asked you to do is finished, right?"
"Uh..." Ye Tian, still on the floor, looked up at her and nodded dumbly. "The invitations have all been sent out."
"Also, since the situation with Teacher was quite sudden, I had Nana go with Xie Yue and Yan on a Soul Hunt. Calculating the time, they should be back tomorrow at the latest."
"Fine. As long as you can arrange things properly, I am satisfied." Bi Bi Dong nodded slightly. She felt very reassured by and appreciative of Ye Tian's administrative abilities.
"If I may ask... have you ever thought about your future?" Bi Bi Dong looked back at Ye Tian, her eyes full of curiosity and seriousness.
"Huh?" Ye Tian looked at her strangely. He cautiously stood up and sat on the floor, puzzled. "Why are you asking such a question out of the blue, Teacher?"
"Is it wrong to be curious?"
"Just answer me. Don't you dare give me a perfunctory answer, or I still have plenty of strength and methods left!"
Puff!
The chopsticks in Bi Bi Dong's hand directly impaled two dumplings. Ye Tian's heart tightened instantly.
"Are you mute?" Bi Bi Dong arched an eyebrow.
"No, of course not." Ye Tian quickly waved his hands in denial. He stood up, thought for a moment, and sat down across from her with a difficult expression. "To be honest, I haven't thought about the future in very specific terms. Plans can't keep up with changes, after all. I just have a goal that I must complete."
"You know that goal as well, Teacher." As Ye Tian spoke, he grabbed his collar and leaned forward, pulling the fabric toward Bi Bi Dong. Embroidered on the collar was his Taoist Name: "Pill Artisan of Longevity."
Looking at Ye Tian's comical gesture and then at the Taoist Name, Bi Bi Dong couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Longevity? It's quite good. With you..."
"What?" Ye Tian was full of questions.
But Bi Bi Dong didn't offer any further explanation. She simply gave him a deep look before lowering her head to continue enjoying her dumplings.
At the same time, the invitation sent from Spirit Hall to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had arrived near Heaven Dou City. It headed straight for the city known as Seven Treasure City.
Inside the city sat a complex of buildings even more magnificent than the imperial palace. Most were tower-shaped, and the central, tallest seven-story pagoda sparkled with seven colors under the sunlight.
This was the headquarters of one of the Three Upper Sects of the Soul Master Realm—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!
Although this sect favored tower-shaped architecture, there were plenty of pavilions and water features as well. Furthermore, the grounds were filled with precious exotic flowers and herbs, and rare beasts and birds were everywhere. Just looking down from above, one could see the immense wealth and power of the sect!
Ye Tian didn't just want the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's money; he wanted the networking web they brought with them to find a piece of treasure land for him within Heaven Dou City...
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