95: Chapter 95 Ying'er's Request

Early the next morning, Hun Feng was awakened as usual by the sound of Hun Qian's footsteps.

He sat up, and Xiaofan was dozing on his shoulder, the nine flame halos on its back rising and falling gently with its breathing.

He reached out a finger and poked its cheek. Xiaofan opened its golden eyes, glared at him in dissatisfaction, then turned into a wisp of blood-red flame and dove back into his dantian to continue sleeping.

Outside the window, the sky was faintly bright, and a thin layer of dew had condensed on the leaves of the Dark Leaf Osmanthus, shimmering with a faint silver light in the morning sun.

From the direction of the side courtyard, the muffled sound of Hun Qian's voice drifted over; he was likely briefing Yun Yun on the meal arrangements for the day.

Hun Feng threw on his outer robe and pushed open the door. His gaze inadvertently swept over the side courtyard—Yun Yun's window was already open, and she was sitting before it, staring at the gray, misty sky in the distance with an unreadable expression on her face.

The commotion he and Cao Ying had made last night was not small, and the main hall was separated from the side courtyard by only a wall. With Yun Yun's perception as a Half-Saint, it was impossible that she hadn't heard.

Yet, she neither scolded him for being shameless as she usually did, nor did she deliberately avoid him; she simply sat there quietly, as if everything had nothing to do with her.

Hun Feng did not disturb her and turned back into the room.

On the bed, Cao Ying was still asleep.

The intense battle last night had lasted from midnight until dawn. Having just experienced intimacy for the first time, she had been tossed about for several hours and was exhausted and sore all over.

At this moment, she lay on her side in the silk quilt, her long hair scattered across the pillow. Her alluring, vibrant face still bore the flush of last night and a few undried tear stains, and her lips were slightly red and swollen; her sleeping face was as quiet as a satiated cat.

Last night, he had used the Yin-Yang union to completely break through the bottleneck of the accumulated Dou Qi in her body. Her cultivation had surged from Nine-Turn Dou Zun Peak to Half-Saint in one go, only a step away from a true One-Star Dou Sheng.

But this opportunity did not come for free—her body still needed time to adapt to the surging power.

Hun Feng sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to gently tuck a stray lock of hair from her forehead behind her ear.

Cao Ying's eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her phoenix eyes were still veiled in the mist of sleep, and she looked at him dizzily for a good while before the memories of last night came flooding back—she remembered how he had carried her away from the side courtyard, how he had pinned her to the bed, how she had been forced to say those shameful words, and how she had been made to cry again and again.

Her face flushed instantly, and she subconsciously tried to turn over and sit up. As soon as she exerted force, she let out a muffled groan—the soreness in her waist made her legs go weak, and she didn't even have the strength to lift them.

"Don't move around; the first time is always like this." Hun Feng reached out to press down on her shoulder, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing, but his movements were exceptionally gentle.

With his other hand, he helped her sit up against the headboard, then took the teacup from the low table nearby and held it to her lips.

Cao Ying took the cup and lowered her head to take a sip, using the act of drinking to hide the crimson flush on her face.

As she looked down at her hand holding the cup, she suddenly noticed that the Dou Qi in her body seemed much more substantial than yesterday—it was not an illusion, but a real improvement.

She tried circulating her Dou Qi, and that surging power flowed through her meridians without obstruction, more than twice as strong as her previous Nine-Turn Dou Zun Peak.

She had been stuck at the Nine-Turn Dou Zun Peak bottleneck for a long time, unable to find the opportunity to break through. She had never expected that after just one night, the bottleneck that had trapped her for so long would be broken open by Hun Feng in such a direct manner.

"Th-this… what is going on?" She looked up at Hun Feng, her phoenix eyes filled with disbelief. "How did I become a Half-Saint?"

"Yin-Yang union. I used the origin power of the Heaven-Slaying Flame to circulate through your meridians, breaking open the Dou Qi bottleneck that had been accumulated in your body for years. You were already stuck at the Nine-Turn Peak, just one step away; my Heavenly Flame just helped you kick the door open."

Hun Feng picked up another cup of tea from the bedside and took a sip, his tone as flat as if he were explaining a simple alchemy formula. "This is one of the reasons why I wanted you to stay—following me is about more than just having your needs met. My Heaven-Slaying Flame can harmonize the origins of nine different Heavenly Flames, tempering your meridians to be tougher during the process of union and allowing your cultivation to break through the bottleneck. This kind of opportunity is something you would never get in the Cao family in your entire life."

Cao Ying was silent for a long while, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the teacup.

It was not that she hadn't doubted Hun Feng's words—last night, his grand declaration in the side courtyard, "Follow me, and you will become the top Alchemist on this continent," had sounded pretentious, and she had taken it as nonsense at the time.

But now, the facts were right before her eyes—she had broken through from Nine-Turn Dou Zun Peak to Half-Saint in just one night. Such speed was unheard of, not just in the Cao family, but in the entire Central Plains.

Moreover, she could feel that Hun Feng had not lied. Although he had been a bit overbearing in bed last night, he had always controlled the intensity of the Heaven-Slaying Flame, not harming her in the slightest.

The promises he made to her were being fulfilled, and the things he had said about Xiao Yan were also coming true step by step—what Xiao Yan could not give her, Hun Feng truly could.

"Yesterday, your father asked me how you were doing." Seeing her silence, Hun Feng suddenly spoke with a hint of playfulness. "I told him you were eating and sleeping well, just a little homesick. He told me to take good care of you—I suppose I've taken care of you quite thoroughly now."

Cao Ying burst into laughter, then immediately punched him on the shoulder in a fit of angry embarrassment. The force was soft and weak, completely lacking the might a Half-Saint should possess.

This punch brought her back to reality—she was now Hun Feng's woman. Whether she was willing to admit it or not, this fact was set in stone after last night.

She had lived for twenty-five years, always the young miss of the Cao family and the "Enchantress" of the Central Plains; everyone gave her a wide berth.

Yet now, she had been thoroughly devoured by a man, and she couldn't even say a word of protest—because what he gave her was truly better than everything she had possessed before.

She hesitated for a long time, her fingers repeatedly rubbing the edge of the teacup, her lips moving several times. Finally, she mustered the courage to lift those phoenix eyes, her gaze dodging slightly but ultimately not looking away.

She opened her mouth, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Hun Feng… oh no, Husband, tonight… could we do it again? Your Heavenly Flame helps me a lot, and I feel I can push for more. I'm only one step away from One-Star Dou Sheng."

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, her face turning from red to a deep purple, and the last word was almost squeezed out from between her bitten lips.

"What?" Hun Feng's hand holding the teacup paused, and he looked at her with a half-smile. He had heard her clearly, but it was rare to see her in such a shy and embarrassed state, and he couldn't help but want to tease her.

"I said—could you help me again tonight?" She tugged at his lapel, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz, her forehead almost touching his chest.

"Your Heaven-Slaying Flame circulating in my body is more useful than a year of meditation. I'm only one step away from One-Star Dou Sheng, and I don't want to be stuck at the bottleneck anymore. Just be a little gentler tonight, it was a bit painful."

By the end, she had completely buried her face in his chest, her earlobes turning so red they looked like they could drip blood.

Watching her, clearly dying of embarrassment yet still summoning the courage to take the initiative, Hun Feng put down the teacup and reached out to lift her chin.

She was forced to tilt her face up to meet his gaze; her phoenix eyes were glistening with both anticipation and shyness, her eyelashes still trembling gently like a kitten that had just learned to beg for food.

He did not answer, but simply lowered his head to kiss her lips. This kiss was much gentler than last night's—there was no plundering or possession, but rather it felt more like a promise—he had agreed to her request.

Cao Ying closed her eyes, her hands slowly climbing up to the back of his neck, hanging her entire weight upon him.

Outside the window, the daylight gradually brightened, and the leaves of the Dark Leaf Osmanthus rustled in the morning breeze.

In the corridor outside the main hall, Hun Qian sighed, "It seems Young Master is on a path to collect all the beauties of the Dou Qi continent! He's going to be kidney-deficient sooner or later."

Afterward, he waited there as usual, holding the day's intelligence, but he was sensible enough not to approach, standing far away at the courtyard entrance.

He never asked about the Young Master's private affairs; he simply lowered his head and added another note to the guard duty roster—effective immediately, Madam Cao Ying's living arrangements were to be executed according to the standards of a legitimate wife in the East Courtyard.