Chapter 122: Senior... Senior Brother Can't Dual Cultivate
Won often harbor a special sentint for the man who claims their innocence. What was missing from Hua Biying’s Affection was precisely that final, intimate bond.
"No rush," Li ng murmured, taking a light sip of tea, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Slow and steady."
Advancing a Tier 3 Sub-profession to Tier 4 required an astronomical amount of experience. Currently, Junior Sister Chen and Senior Sister Qu were maxed out on Affection, generating a steady two hundred experience points daily.
Li ng ntally reviewed his Relationship List.
Raising a woman's Affection wasn't about waiting for fruit to fall from the tree. It required proactive contact. But mindless gift-giving? That was the path of a simp. A woman would accept the tribute as her due, her respect for the giver eroding with every handout.
No, to truly capture a heart, one had to first occupy a position in her life—even a negative one. As long as there was contact, Affection could be manipulated. A straight line of devotion was boring; it was the twisting, turning path of emotion that left them addicted, unable to extricate themselves.
In the following days, Li ng settled back into his routine. By day, he forged artifacts and refined pills; by night, he cultivated.
Foundation Establishnt disciples were, generally speaking, poor. Most lacked the connections to acquire high-grade materials or rare herbs, so Li ng’s business was steady but slow—only three or four transactions a month.
Six months passed in quiet tranquility.
On Moon Gaze Peak, the door to the summit pavilion clicked open.
Li ng stepped out, dressed in a simple yellow robe. He strolled down to the Spirit Herb Garden, inspecting his work.
"Growth is acceptable."
He nodded in satisfaction at the vibrant tapestry of spirit herbs. The Five Elents Formation he had installed made the spiritual density here oppressive; standing in the garden felt like walking through a damp mist, a sign that the Qi was on the verge of liquefying. One year of growth here rivaled five in the wild.
He finished his inspection and turned back toward the courtyard.
"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"
A soft voice called from the sky. A graceful figure descended on a flying sword, landing light as a feather in the courtyard.
It was Yao Ning, unseen for half a year.
Li ng smiled, his expression welcoming. "Junior Sister Yao. What brings you to visit this humble peak today?"
She had changed. Her black brocade martial attire remained the sa, but her hair was now pulled back in a high ponytail, giving her a sharper, more heroic air. Her figure had filled out, becoming more womanly.
Her face, however, was not her true one. It was a disguise—about seventy percent similar to her real features but lacking that breathtaking, devastating beauty.
Yao Ning cupped her fists. "Senior Brother, Master taught a disguise technique. It was... troubleso. I wasn't allowed to leave Masked Moon Peak until I mastered the third layer. I just broke through and ca straight to find you."
Li ng chuckled, gesturing to the tea table. With a wave of his sleeve, a second tea set appeared.
"Sit."
Yao Ning bead and took a seat. "Technically, I am Master’s Junior Sister. Senior Brother should be calling 'Senior Aunt'!"
A strange glint flashed in Li ng’s eyes. His position on Masked Moon Peak was indeed a ss. The Supre Elder—his Master—didn't accept male disciples. So, aside from his Master, every True Disciple on the peak called him Senior Brother, despite him technically being a generation lower than so.
‘A ss of seniority. Let’s just stick to what works.’
Yao Ning pursed her lips, a playful smile dancing on them. "But I said before, Senior Brother will always be Senior Brother. In my eyes, that will never change."
Li ng lifted his cup, hiding a smirk. "Then I suppose I’ll just have to take advantage of my Master a little longer."
Yao Ning took a sip, her eyes narrowing in pleasure at the tea's rich fragrance.
Li ng looked her over. "Junior Sister, have you chosen a cultivation technique?"
At the ntion of techniques, Yao Ning pouted slightly. "Master wanted to practice the Dragon Attraction Art as a secondary cultivation, but I refused!"
"Why?" Li ng asked, surprised.
The Dragon Attraction Art was a premier Dual Cultivation manual. While the won of Masked Moon Peak rarely took Dao Companions, they didn't neglect such techniques. Junior Sister Xue and his Master practiced it. Why would Yao Ning refuse?
Yao Ning’s face flushed a delicate pink. She stared down into her tea, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Because... Senior Brother can't Dual Cultivate anyway!"
Li ng blinked, genuinely confused. "Junior Sister, what does that have to do with ?"
Yao Ning looked up, eting his puzzled gaze.
‘Wait. Senior Brother doesn't know?’
Her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. Her hand trembled, rippling the tea.
A horrifying realization dawned on her. Since Senior Brother couldn't cultivate via Dual Cultivation... then his reason for bringing her to the sect wasn't to eventually be with her. It wasn't because he fancied her.
From start to finish, it had all been her own wild, wishful thinking.
"Junior Sister?" Li ng asked, his brow furrowing. "Are you alright?"
She was acting strange—blushing one mont, lost in thought the next.
"Huff!"
Yao Ning took a deep breath, forcing a bright smile onto her face. She shook her head rapidly.
"It's nothing! Senior Brother, the Spiritual Qi here is even denser than on Masked Moon Peak. I... I want to cultivate here!"
She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes, expectant and hopeful.
Li ng waved his sleeve, tossing a Formation Token to her.
"Co whenever you like."
Moon Gaze Peak was too quiet. A little liveliness wouldn't hurt. Besides, keeping Xiao Qian and Xiao Qi inside the talisman forever wasn't a solution; until they reached Foundation Establishnt, the external winds would tear their souls apart. Having Yao Ning around might make the place feel less like a tomb.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Yao Ning caught the token, her joy genuine. Senior Brother was truly a good person!
"I'm going to cultivate now. Master said I must reach Peak Qi Condensation within two years!"
She stood up and marched to an open space in the courtyard.
Then, she dropped into a horse stance.
She took an awkward, stilted step forward.
She threw a punch in a bizarre, unnatural trajectory.
Li ng watched, bewildered, as she repeated the clumsy motion, looking like a drunkard fighting a ghost.
"Junior Sister... what are you doing?"
Yao Ning didn't look back, her focus absolute.
"Basic stance training!"
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