The smile on Li Ye's face froze momentarily before returning to normal. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "Qingyi, you mustn't overthink this. A few days ago was the birthday of the Chief of the Punishment Department's wife. After much consideration, I decided that perfume would be the most suitable gift. That's why I spent a long time in a century-old perfume shop in the city and ended up covered in the scent. I'd completely forgotten about it until now. Who knew my fairy's nose would be so sharp?"
A perfume shop, huh...
Chu Qingyi narrowed her beautiful eyes, her mind racing. The explanation sounded flawless, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Seeing her doubtful expression, Li Ye quickly changed the subject: "Qingyi, I bought some pastries from Linglong Pastry Shop. Didn't you say a few days ago that you missed their taste? I had to travel across half of Jinling City to get them."
With that, Li Ye quietly activated his spatial storage ring. With a flip of his hand, two packages of pastries materialized in his palm.
The familiar aroma of the pastries immediately filled the air. Chu Qingyi's expression softened slightly as she looked at Li Ye's smiling, almost pleading face, the suspicion in her eyes diminishing somewhat.
"Mother, come out for dinner!" Li Xuan, busy in the kitchen, hadn't heard Li Ye's return. He wiped his greasy hands on his apron and stepped out, calling for Chu Qingyi. Spotting Li Ye standing in the courtyard, his face immediately brightened. "Father, you're finally back! Will you be staying tonight?"
"Yes, if it weren't for the lighter workload at the Punishment Division today, I wouldn't have been able to make it back," Li Ye explained.
"It's good that you're back, truly good." Li Xuan set aside his apron and invited the couple to the meal.
After dinner, Chu Qingyi retired to her room alone, while Li Xuan and his father cleaned up the kitchen.
"Father, has Mother been acting unusual lately?" After hesitating for a long time, Li Xuan finally voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind. To avoid arousing suspicion, he feigned nonchalance.
"No, not at all. Why do you ask, Xiao Xuan? Is there something wrong with Qingyi while I've been away?" Li Ye grew tense immediately.
"No, nothing like that. It's just that she hasn't had much appetite these past few days. I suppose it's because you've been gone for so long—she must miss you." Li Xuan stammered, avoiding Li Ye's gaze.
Lost in thought, Li Ye set down his work and returned to the house.
Creak.
The door to the east wing opened. Li Ye stood at the entrance, while Chu Qingyi inside was gazing absently out the window, showing no reaction to the noise.
"Qingyi, Xiao Xuan mentioned you haven't been yourself lately. Are you upset that I've been neglecting you these days?" Li Ye approached and gently stroked her hair.
Chu Qingyi remained silent, her cool eyes fixed on the window.
Following her gaze, Li Ye saw nothing but the soft moonlight filtering through an old tree nearby, casting scattered spots of light in the courtyard. The rest was pitch black, yet she seemed utterly captivated.
"Lately, the demon beasts have been unusually rampant. Even our division head said he's never seen anything like this during his tenure. We're still investigating the cause. The entire Punishment Division is swamped—those ranked above me, the Shadow Blades, hardly ever return home. I've been able to come back occasionally only because the division head noticed how overworked I was and granted me special permission." Li Ye bent down, resting his head lightly on Chu Qingyi's shoulder, speaking softly. "Qingyi, please forgive me. Once this busy period is over, I'll make it up to you."
"What is your current cultivation level?" Chu Qingyi abruptly changed the subject.
Li Ye's body stiffened instantly.
"Qingyi, I…"
"If I'm not mistaken, you've reached the late stage of Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit, haven't you?" Chu Qingyi's eyes were profound, her expression detached, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.
"I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just… there's been so much going on lately. I thought breaking through in immortal power was a minor matter, not worth mentioning…"
"Minor?" Chu Qingyi cast him a calm glance, her cool gaze devoid of any emotion.
Li Ye felt as though her gaze was piercingly cold, capable of penetrating his eyes and seeing straight into his heart. In that moment, he seemed stripped bare, standing naked before her, with no place to hide his secrets.
"Master once said that I could return to the sect once I broke through the Yin-Yang Convergence realm. But now I'm only at the late stage of the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit. I don't think there's any need to make plans so early, and besides, I'm not prepared to leave yet." Li Ye straightforwardly laid out the whole truth. The reason he had kept this matter hidden was precisely because he feared Chu Qingyi would think his return was imminent and would bring out a pile of spiritual pills and medicines to help him break through sooner. But he had no intention of returning to the Celestial Master Manor—not only because Li Xuan had no one to care for him, but more importantly...
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Chu Qingyi had long suspected that Li Ye wasn't as eager as she was to return to the Celestial Master Manor. Here, he had his son, his beloved career, and his strength had skyrocketed through relentless demon-hunting day and night—this was the life he truly wanted.
But what about her? She had only Li Ye.
At this thought, a wave of desolation washed over her. Her expression grew somber, her aura colder, and an overwhelming sense of detachment instantly intensified, pushing others away.
Though she was merely a fist's distance away, Li Ye felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss. The woman before him was within arm's reach, yet he sensed a sudden, vast chasm between them, an insurmountable divide.
Regret and complexity churned within him. She, revered by the outside world as the Ethereal Fairy Qingyi, had abandoned her privileged life as a maiden of the Celestial Master Manor. Willingly, she followed him to this remote, backward town, embracing selfless devotion for her beloved, content to stay in the shadows and remain unknown at home.
But he had forgotten—she was once the darling of the heavens, the dream of every man. Not only was her beauty celestial, but her talent for cultivation was formidable, her prestige in the Celestial Master Manor far surpassing his own.
Over time, he had overlooked that she was never a nightingale content to nest in a tree, but a phoenix yearning to soar across the nine skies.
Since the couple arrived in Jinling City, he had been solely focused on consolidating his cultivation and gaining experience abroad, never considering how she felt about her stagnant progress. His care for her had gradually waned, leaving her in Li Xuan's charge without a thought for her emotions.
A flood of remorse, heartache, and guilt overwhelmed him. Li Ye pulled Chu Qingyi into his arms, his words earnest: "Qingyi, I'm sorry for neglecting your feelings all this time. I promise you, as soon as I break through to the Yin-Yang Convergence Realm, we will set off immediately for the Celestial Master Manor. Alright?"
Chu Qingyi's nose tingled with emotion, all the grievances of these days surging to the surface. She wrapped her arms around his waist, responding to his tenderness.
"Don't lie to me," she murmured against his shoulder, her warm breath brushing his ear.
She had noticed some time ago that Li Ye's strength had advanced again, though it seemed somewhat unstable, clearly a recent breakthrough. She had expected him to share such news with her first, but after waiting in vain, he had even concealed his progress, displaying only mid-stage Three Flowers Gathering cultivation. Had it not been for her innate keen perception, she might still be in the dark.
Breaking through from early to late-stage Three Flowers Gathering in just a few months was nothing short of monstrous.
After all, for an ordinary cultivator, achieving such a breakthrough in three to five years would be considered a modest success. The brevity of Li Ye's progress was astounding.
As his wife, Chu Qingyi took pride in his accomplishments, but whenever she recalled how he had kept it secret, even feigning in front of her, her pride and joy faded, replaced by confusion, doubt, and frustration.
Today, catching a new scent on him, all the accumulated dissatisfaction of recent times erupted uncontrollably, pouring out in a torrent.
However, it now seemed that the emotional knots between the two had been untied, and they had returned to their usual harmonious state of affection.
Li Ye's hands tenderly wrapped around Chu Qingyi's waist as he leaned in, his eyes brimming with emotion, ready to press his lips against her delicate, inviting mouth.
"Ah!"
Chu Qingyi instinctively gasped and, without a second thought, pushed Li Ye away.
The romantic atmosphere that had enveloped them instantly dissipated, replaced by an awkward tension.
"I'm sorry, Qingyi. I got carried away for a moment..." Li Ye scratched his head sheepishly. Despite his tall and robust physique, which stood out compared to most, he now resembled a child who had done something wrong, his face full of remorse.
"It's fine, it's my fault." Chu Qingyi felt a pang of regret. After years of marriage, Li Ye had always respected her wishes and never crossed that line. They had barely even held hands, let alone anything more.
If it were any other woman, she might have had several children by now...
"No, no, Qingyi, please don't think that way. I'd do anything for you, especially something like this," Li Ye hurriedly reassured her.
"Um... does it feel uncomfortable?"
"What?"
Li Ye was confused, not quite catching her meaning until he noticed her gaze fixed on his crotch.
There, his manhood had unknowingly stiffened, creating a prominent bulge in his trousers.
"Ah, this... ah, it's nothing, Qingyi. A little discomfort is nothing to worry about." Suddenly flustered, Li Ye quickly turned away to adjust his clothes and hide the awkward erection.
Chu Qingyi fell into thought, and for some reason, an image of Li Xuan's member flashed in her mind. In comparison, Li Ye's seemed noticeably smaller.
Startled by the sudden thought, she shook her head vigorously, trying to banish the absurd idea.
"When it gets bigger like that, does it hurt a lot?" Chu Qingyi's innocent curiosity persisted, and she pressed on with her questioning.
Li Ye looked at her delicate, guileless face and the relentless curiosity in her eyes. It seemed he had no choice but to answer today. He stammered, "Does it hurt? Well... yes, it does, but... but it's bearable. Definitely bearable."
"What if it becomes unbearable?" Chu Qingyi was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Li Ye felt increasingly awkward. Despite her lofty status as an immortal, she was utterly naive about matters between men and women, which was why she could ask such explicit questions with such earnest sincerity.
"If it becomes unbearable... well, I'd take care of it myself. Don't worry, I'll keep my body in check until you give your consent." He scratched his head again, unable to meet her probing gaze.
"By using your hands?"
"Ah, this... alright, my silly Qingyi, let's save these questions for when you've reached a certain level of cultivation and are no longer bound by immortal restrictions. Actually, by then, I won't just answer—I'll let you experience it firsthand." Li Ye couldn't take her relentless questioning anymore. What sounded innocent to her felt incredibly provocative to him, and he feared he might lose control and devour her right then and there.
With that, Li Ye's meaningful gaze swept over Chu Qingyi's alluring figure, his intention unmistakable.
She quickly shut her mouth, not daring to make another sound, afraid he might get impulsive again.
Her persistent questioning was merely to confirm one thing, and based on Li Ye's response, it seemed Li Xuan hadn't been lying.
Li Ye had no idea about the little schemes in her mind, assuming she had merely taken a sudden interest in men's affairs out of whim.
After some playful banter and tussling, the two embraced each other and drifted into a deep sleep.
...
The next day, Li Ye, unusually, stayed home to have breakfast with Chu Qingyi before reluctantly leaving.
"Mother, this is the Hundred Spirit Mushroom I managed to get from the herbal shop. The shopkeeper said it's quite effective for cultivators. There were quite a few people trying to buy it, but luckily I was clever enough to snatch it. Take a look, how is it?" Li Xuan placed a medicinal herb on the table with an ingratiating expression, his face full of anticipation.
He had spent a considerable amount of silver to purchase this from the herbal shop. At the time, several others had made offers, but thanks to his quick reflexes, he immediately settled the deal with the shopkeeper and brought the herb back.
Even now, thinking about the amount of silver he had spent, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Hundred Spirit Mushroom?
Chu Qingyi lifted her eyes and looked at the herb.
A mushroom lay quietly on the table, its body a brownish hue, the roots pulled out entirely with some damp soil still clinging to them. A faint, delicate sheen glimmered on its surface, making it appear quite extraordinary.
Unfortunately, it was not the genuine Hundred Spirit Mushroom.
The Hundred Spirit Mushroom is a rare medicinal herb. When refined by an alchemist and combined with other herbs, it can be made into the Hundred Spirit Elixir, which greatly benefits cultivators in absorbing spiritual energy. Not only does it significantly increase the absorption rate in a short time, but the purity of the refined spiritual energy is also enhanced.
Ordinary cultivators are not well-versed in alchemy and can only use their spiritual energy to ignite a flame and melt the Hundred Spirit Mushroom into powder. The effect is similar to that of the Hundred Spirit Elixir, though the potency is greatly reduced, and it is not easy to preserve, requiring immediate consumption.
Although the Hundred Spirit Mushroom is precious, it is not highly sought after by cultivators. Firstly, its growing environment is extremely harsh, as it can only survive in extremely cold regions. Secondly, compared to the Hundred Spirit Mushroom, there are more suitable herbs, such as Black Dragon Root and Celestial Marrow Grass, which are not only easier to find but also have milder effects.
Nevertheless, it is quite rare to come across a Hundred Spirit Mushroom in Jinling City.
Unfortunately, the one before her, though similar in shape and scent to the Hundred Spirit Mushroom, was merely an ordinary mushroom. The faint sheen on its surface was artificially created, part of a deceptive scheme to pass off a fake as the real thing.
Chu Qingyi knew this because she had recently taken an interest in studying alchemy. Although her results were not ideal, she had gained a wealth of unusual knowledge about medicinal herbs from ancient texts.
For instance, the Hundred Spirit Mushroom grows in extremely cold regions. While its shape is similar to that of ordinary mushrooms, its texture is more intricate and chaotic, with stems twisting and growing into roots, and it lacks fine rootlets.
Looking at the mushroom before her, the fine lines on its cap were sparse and smooth, and its roots were no different from those of ordinary plants—clearly a counterfeit.
It seemed Li Xuan had been deceived by an unscrupulous merchant. Those who had made offers and clamored to buy it were likely hired by the shopkeeper to trick ordinary folks like them.
Chu Qingyi found it amusing and initially intended to reveal the truth, but seeing Li Xuan's hopeful expression, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint him. Reluctantly, she accepted the fake Bai Lingzhi.
"So, what do you think? The shopkeeper said this Bai Lingzhi is top-grade in both color and quality, and it even has some additional effects, like healing internal injuries. As soon as I heard that, I thought it might help with your condition, so I bought it right away. As long as you recover soon, no amount of money is too much for my son to spend." Seeing Chu Qingyi accept the herb, Li Xuan's face lit up with joy, and he animatedly recounted the details of his purchase.
How ignorant, Chu Qingyi thought to herself. Not only was this a fake Bai Lingzhi, but even a genuine, high-quality century-old Bai Lingzhi wouldn't possess any so-called additional effects.
She cast a teasing glance at him, but a moment later, a warmth spread through her heart. Li Xuan, who was usually extremely frugal, had actually spent a fortune on this medicinal herb, likely out of concern for her injuries.
She responded with a faint "Mm," and the indifference on her face softened slightly.
"Qing… Mother, I… I want to…" Li Xuan's face flushed bright red, his cheekbones prominent, and a look of embarrassment crossed his features.
His lower body had long been erect, constrained within his trousers and unable to release its primal urges, leaving him unbearably restless.
Chu Qingyi, of course, understood what he meant. She merely glanced at him indifferently without uttering a word.
Taking her silence as permission, Li Xuan eagerly pulled out his cock, his gaze burning with desire as he stared at Chu Qingyi. His hands began stroking his shaft vigorously as he started to masturbate.
Over the past few days, Chu Qingyi had been cold and distant, leaving his thirsty cock lonely and perpetually hard. He had tried fantasizing about her while masturbating, but no matter how much he rubbed, he couldn't reach climax—the skin of his cock nearly chafed raw. Without Chu Qingyi's presence, his pent-up desires had no outlet, and even masturbation had lost its effect.
In desperation, Li Xuan had sought every opportunity to get closer to Chu Qingyi, even going so far as to spend a fortune on the Bai Lingzhi, all in the hopes of catching her attention.
Fortunately, his efforts hadn't been in vain. Not only had Chu Qingyi not ignored him, but she had also tacitly allowed his indecent behavior. Overjoyed, the cock in his pants grew even harder.
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