novelraw Chapter 290 288: The Rumor That Elder Lu Is Messing Around with Her Junior Brother Is Confirmed?
Chapter 290 288: The Rumor That Elder Lu Is Messing Around with Her Junior Brother Is Confirmed?
Inside Dan Yun Pavilion, candlelight flickered, illuminating Lu Ruoxi's face, as cold and clear as jade.
Her slender fingers gently flipped through the documents in her hand, the paper making a soft RUSTLING sound at her fingertips.
Although Junior Sister Ye hadn't given her the details about Junior Brother Pei's so-called "sister," with her intelligence and sharp senses, she naturally found the most likely candidate very quickly.
'...Lin Qianyan. This woman just arrived at the Dao Sect, and Junior Sister Ye immediately obtained the Jade Maiden White Ginseng. Add to that the special rule about her identity needing to be kept secret... it can only be her.'
Lu Ruoxi murmured softly, her voice as crisp and cold as a clear spring, yet carrying a faint, imperceptible tremor.
She was no stranger to the name Lin Qianyan. She had long heard of the Jade Pool Saintess's title—a woman of extraordinary talent and peerless beauty, a Fairy among Fairies, the "Flower on the Cliff" in the hearts of countless Cultivators, someone to be admired from afar but never reached.
Now, however, this name was inextricably linked to Junior Brother Pei, like an invisible thread wrapped around Lu Ruoxi's heart, making it impossible for her to remain calm.
'This woman... how on earth did she get involved with Junior Brother Pei? They shouldn't have had any opportunity to meet.'
Lu Ruoxi muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with an undisguised frustration and confusion.
Her brow furrowed slightly, a complex look flashing in her eyes as she scanned the files on Lin Qianyan and Junior Brother Pei over and over again, trying to piece together the fragmented clues.
She also placed the massive, heavy Dao Fruit on the table to avoid it becoming a burden to her thoughts.
When the Dao Fruit touched the table, it actually bounced like jelly. It was clearly soft but not without resilience. No wonder that, despite its size, the Dao Fruit didn't seem bloated.
'Could it be that Junior Brother Pei knew Lin Qianyan before our master brought him up the mountain?'
'Then why, after a hundred years, have I never heard Junior Brother Pei mention Lin Qianyan?'
'And it's not just me; it seems this is the first Junior Sister Ye has heard of it too.'
Lu Ruoxi rubbed her forehead in frustration and let out a long sigh.
She tried to console herself, wondering if she was overthinking things, telling herself not to let her imagination run wild just because some unfamiliar woman got close to Junior Brother Pei.
But—her heart simply wouldn't calm down.
'Forget it. I'll just wait until Junior Brother Pei comes to Dan Yun Pavilion next time and ask him myself... If he really is involved with that Jade Pool Saintess, there's no way I won't be able to tell.'
'For now, I suppose I'll refine the Yin Strengthening Pill for Junior Sister Ye first~'
As she thought this, a smile crept onto her face. Feeling it was a bit unfair to laugh at her junior sister's predicament, she covered her mouth.
Still, it was quite funny.
It was hard to imagine how Junior Sister Ye managed on her own on the days Lu Ruoxi wasn't there to help shoulder Junior Brother Pei's "firepower."
With that thought, any trace of apology Lu Ruoxi felt for Junior Sister Ye vanished.
'*Ahem*, Junior Sister Ye, don't you dare say I'm letting you down. I'm doing this for your own good. Junior Brother Pei's fire burns so brightly. If you can't satisfy him, he'll eventually cheat on you.'
'At least if it's me, we're keeping it in the family, right?'
DING-A-LING—
Lu Ruoxi shook a small bell, and soon, Chen Sixuan arrived, leading a few medicine-collecting children.
"Master."
"Xiaoxuan, take some people to the Spirit Herb Garden and gather Locust Wood Liquid, Coral Longan Fruit, Red-faced Purple Bamboo... Here are the required amounts for each ingredient. Go on."
Chen Sixuan took the list of ingredients and nodded.
"Yes!"
Chen Sixuan led the medicine-collecting children to the Spirit Herb Garden and then ordered them to quickly gather the herbs Lu Ruoxi needed.
The young disciples took the list, and their eyes widened.
They had gathered herbs for many years. Although they couldn't even be considered alchemist apprentices, they knew the formulas for various elixirs like the back of their hands.
However, the ingredients Immortal Lu Ruoxi wanted them to gather... left them at a complete loss.
"This... Aren't these ingredients specifically for replenishing yin and... conditioning a woman's... *that* aspect?"
One of the young disciples couldn't help but mutter in disbelief, his cheeks flushing slightly as his eyes darted around in embarrassment.
Hearing this, the other disciples huddled together to examine the list, then looked at each other, an awkward blush creeping onto their faces.
They glanced back and forth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Who would have thought that Elder Lu, who was always so prim, elegant, and as aloof as a fairy, would actually need these kinds of ingredients?
Could it be... that the rumors about Elder Lu messing around with her junior brother were true?!
Chen Sixuan, who also knew what this prescription implied, naturally understood what was going through the young disciples' minds.
She crossed her arms, her brow tightly furrowed. A sharp chill in her eyes, she said with a stern expression:
"Hey! You lot just focus on gathering the herbs. Don't go gossiping about things that are none of your business. Don't you know that loose talk can get you into big trouble?! Who says that just because Master is refining an elixir, she's going to use it herself? Can't someone else have requested it?
If you dare spread rumors about Master's list of ingredients, I'll have her cut out your tongues!"
As she spoke, Chen Sixuan shook her small fist. Although the gesture looked somewhat cute, the disciples were still intimidated by her aura. They quickly stood at attention, their faces filled with terror and reverence.
"Yes, Senior Sister Xuanxuan!"
After the medicine-collecting disciples left, Chen Sixuan frowned with worry and sighed softly.
'Master... You haven't really done something you shouldn't have with Junior Martial Uncle Pei, have you? This... this is the kind of stuff I don't even dare to imagine when I'm reading my Imperial Uncle novels!'
Chen Sixuan shyly covered her eyes, feeling her head buzz.
...
...
「In the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.」
In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, filling the room with a warm brightness.
Ye Liyuan slowly opened her eyes. Her nose twitched as the familiar scent of cooking food wafted in, making her swallow instinctively.
From this small detail alone, she knew Ah Han was back!
"Ah Han~ You're back~~"
Ye Liyuan tiptoed into the kitchen, as light on her feet as a cat.
A sly glint in her eyes, she suddenly hugged Pei Yuhang from behind, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She pressed her cheek against his back, brought her nose close to his neck, and took a deep breath.
"SNIFF—So fragrant~ Ah Han, did you use a little too much body wash when you showered just now? The scent is so strong I almost didn't recognize you~"
Her voice was soft and sweet, laced with a coquettish tone.
Pei Yuhang's hand, holding the kitchen knife, trembled slightly. The blade slid softly on the cutting board, making a faint sound.
His eyes immediately dropped, long lashes hiding the flash of panic in their depths. His Adam's apple bobbed, but his voice remained calm:
"Is that so? I didn't notice... I probably just poured out too much by accident."
The scene at Shang Miaoyan's place couldn't help but surface in his mind—
He had left Shang Miaoyan's bed in a hurry, and to cover up her unique, lingering scent, he had used almost half a bottle of shower gel.
The fragrance of the shower gel was so strong it was almost pungent, but only this gave him a slight peace of mind.
'If I'd only washed with water, Liyuan definitely would have smelled the lingering scent...'
He was secretly relieved, yet he also felt a faint sense of guilt.
Fortunately, Liyuan didn't seem to notice anything unusual. Pei Yuhang breathed a small sigh of relief.
He tried to make his expression look natural, the corners of his lips curving into a faint, gentle smile as he said softly:
"Liyuan, the kitchen is a dangerous place. Don't mess around in here. Wait until I've finished cooking, and then I'll play with you."
Ye Liyuan blinked and finally nodded.
"Alright."
She reluctantly released her arms from around Pei Yuhang's waist and finally left the kitchen.
Pei Yuhang watched her leave with a smile. Only after his Dao Companion's figure had completely disappeared from sight did he let out a long breath. The smile slowly faded from his face, replaced by a look of exhaustion and complexity.
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the kitchen knife, his gaze falling on the cutting board, but it seemed unfocused.
Just then, the sword at his waist emitted wisps of cold air, and Bai Jingjing's Spirit Body slowly emerged from within, hovering in mid-air.
She playfully extended a small foot to poke Pei Yuhang's head, but because she was a spirit, her mischievous feet passed right through his body.
Finding this boring, Bai Jingjing turned to lie on her side in mid-air and slowly drifted past Pei Yuhang.
[Pei Yuhang, the number of women around you keeps growing. Just how long do you plan on hiding things from Fairy Ye?]
Hearing this, Pei Yuhang's brow furrowed, a trace of helplessness and irritation flashing in his eyes.
"These things... I'll handle them myself."
[Handle them? How are you going to handle them? Are you just going to keep hiding it like this forever? Fairy Ye is completely devoted to you. It's really not fair to treat her this way, is it?]
[And what about that poor eldest disciple of yours? I have a feeling something is very wrong with her right now. But you're so busy with your "ex-wife's" affairs all day that you've stopped paying any attention to Yueqiu~
Poor Yueqiu. She used to polish me with sword oil every day. I really liked her. Only a bad guy like you would take advantage of her good temper and bully her all the time~!
Sigh, I really don't get how a womanizer like you gets so many women to fall for him. Is it just because you're handsome and gentle?]
Bai Jingjing cupped her cheeks with her hands and tilted her head to look at him, her lively eyes filled with a mix of teasing and curiosity. Her gaze roamed over Pei Yuhang's face as if trying to confirm if he was really as handsome as he appeared in the eyes of Shang Miaoyan and the others.
Pei Yuhang couldn't stand Bai Jingjing's scrutiny. He formed a sword seal with his hand, and the Silent Sword trembled slightly as he prepared to forcibly recall her into it.
[Pei Yuhang, you—]
"This is grown-up business! A Little Sword Spirit like you should stay out of it!"
In her heart, Bai Jingjing cursed Pei Yuhang for being a scumbag who was running from his problems, but ultimately, she couldn't resist her master and was forcibly drawn back into the sword.
The kitchen fell silent once more.
Pei Yuhang's lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he said softly, "I will handle everything. It just takes some time."