Zhou Qin and Su Chan shared a room, and their lodging wasn't too far from Li Yundong's place. When Li Yundong arrived at the door, he tapped lightly.

These past few days, Zhou Qin had been learning the most fundamental introductory cultivation techniques from Su Chan. She already possessed some innate Yuan Qi within her body, giving her a far superior foundation than ordinary people, so she had already grasped the basics of energy circulation practice.

Although Zhou Qin had not practiced for long, her five senses had become significantly sharper than before, her body felt increasingly light and powerful, and her vitality was even more abundant.

When Li Yundong knocked, Zhou Qin was immediately startled awake from her meditative state. She whispered, "Who is it?"

Li Yundong replied softly, "It's me."

Although he hadn't given his name, Zhou Qin knew Li Yundong's voice intimately. She couldn't fathom why he would visit her so late, especially when she was alone in her room.

Anxious and suspicious, Zhou Qin got up, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm, and walked to the door. She gently pulled it open, and indeed, she saw Li Yundong standing outside, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at her with profound eyes.

What was he here for? Zhou Qin felt a jolt of panic and stood frozen in the doorway, momentarily dazed.

Li Yundong observed Zhou Qin standing there in a snow-white nightgown, exquisitely graceful like a water lily just beginning to unfurl—delicate and soft, completely lacking the usual air of cold reserve she maintained.

Li Yundong smiled faintly and said, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Zhou Qin gasped, jolted back to reality as if from a dream, and stepping aside with a blush, she made way for him.

Li Yundong entered the room, glancing around. He noted two elegant beds flanking the room, and a refreshing, subtle fragrance wafted through the air. Centered between the beds was a writing desk, neatly arranged with various Daoist classics. One book lay open, covered in her delicate marginal annotations, clearly Zhou Qin's notes from her reading.

Li Yundong chuckled softly. He picked up a book and flipped through it, recognizing it as the Huangdi Neijing. However, Zhou Qin had added her own notes alongside Li Yundong's previous annotations. Li Yundong nodded inwardly and said to her, "Not bad. You've been diligent."

Zhou Qin had no idea why Li Yundong had come to her room so late, and she felt uneasy, her heart fluttering. She managed to say, "Mas... Master, it's so late. Is something wrong?"

Li Yundong then realized how late it was and that coming to her room alone was indeed somewhat inappropriate. He cleared his throat. "I do have something to discuss. Close the door, and I'll tell you."

Zhou Qin’s heart began to beat violently. An emotion she had fiercely suppressed suddenly threatened to erupt uncontrollably. The normally proud and beautiful girl’s face flushed deeply, her body trembling slightly as she quietly shut the door. Her voice wavered with apprehension. "Mas... Master, what is it?"

Seeing Zhou Qin in this state, Li Yundong felt a pang of regret, thinking he shouldn't have sought her out at this hour, causing her to overthink things. Yet, remembering the depth of her devotion to him, which truly moved and shook him, he couldn't bring himself to feel entirely harsh.

Li Yundong sighed internally. He extended the hand holding the Ren Yuan Golden Elixir, spreading his palm towards her. "Come, eat this."

Zhou Qin saw a round pill resting in Li Yundong's palm. The pill radiated a brilliant golden light that instantly illuminated the room. Her eyes widened. Though filled with confusion and doubt, she hesitated for only a moment, retrieving the golden pill from his palm without a word and swallowing it down.

This Ren Yuan Golden Elixir was about the size of a thumb. Since she swallowed it without water, she immediately began to choke and cough repeatedly, her face turning beet red.

Li Yundong was both exasperated and amused as he gently patted her back. His finger tapped the Ren Ying acupoint near her throat, causing the muscles there to relax instantly. With a soft gulp, the golden pill slid down into Zhou Qin's stomach.

Even with the elixir consumed, Zhou Qin was still teary-eyed from the choking, continuously patting her chest.

Li Yundong said, managing a wry smile, "Are you taking medicine or trying to commit suicide? You must take pills with water!"

Zhou Qin straightened up, forcing a faint smile, though her eyes held a touch of melancholy. She whispered softly, "Master, you came so late just for me to take this?"

Li Yundong saw that Zhou Qin had no idea what she had just ingested. He shook his head. "If you knew what I gave you, would you still swallow it? What if it were poison?"

Zhou Qin smiled faintly, a smile laced with bitterness and sweetness. "Even the poison you give me, I would savor like honey."

Li Yundong fell silent upon hearing this. He let out a soft sigh, walked over to the writing desk, pulled out a chair, sat down, and then patted the edge of her bed. He spoke gently, "Zhou Qin, sit down. I need to tell you something."

Zhou Qin gracefully sat down, fixing her gaze upon Li Yundong, silent, waiting for him to speak.

Li Yundong paused in thought, then began narrating everything—from how he met Su Chan, to accidentally consuming a Ren Yuan Golden Elixir himself, right up to the chaotic battle at the Gezao Sect that evening where they secured this very elixir.

Li Yundong concluded, "You could say that the only reason I, Li Yundong, transformed from an ordinary man into the somewhat recognized cultivator I am today, is entirely because of the Ren Yuan Golden Elixir you just consumed."

Only then did Zhou Qin grasp the immense value and miraculous nature of what she had swallowed. She instinctively touched her throat, her voice tight. "Why give it to me? Why not give it to Su Chan? Wasn't that supposed to be hers?"

Li Yundong replied softly, "No, Su Chan and I discussed it, and we both felt you were the best person to take this elixir. Your aptitude and talent are superior; consuming the elixir will allow you to grow much faster. And..."

Zhou Qin suddenly choked out, her voice ragged, "And, you both feel you owe me a great deal, is that it?"

Li Yundong remained silent for a moment. Then, after a while, he slowly nodded. "Yes, Zhou Qin, I truly owe you too much. Therefore, this is the only way I can compensate you, and it is what I promised you—to give you another entirely new life, and a new world. This elixir brought me a new life and a new world; now it is your time to enter this world."

Zhou Qin’s eyes immediately welled up, tears gathering thickly. She stared intently at Li Yundong as they spilled down her cheeks, one after another. The fiercely determined young woman sobbed, "This is unfair! It's not fair! Why did you decide for me without even asking?"

Li Yundong opened his mouth, momentarily stunned. "This is a treasure sought by everyone in the cultivation world. Don't you... don't you want it?"

Zhou Qin suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself into Li Yundong's arms and hugging him tightly. She wept bitterly, "I’d rather not have it! I’d rather you owe me forever; I don't want you to repay me!"

Zhou Qin's cries felt like a hand violently tearing at Li Yundong’s heart. His body froze. He allowed her to hold him, his hands suspended awkwardly in the air, unsure whether he should push her away or embrace her tightly.

After a long while, Zhou Qin’s tears had soaked the lapel of Li Yundong’s outer robe. Her emotions gradually calmed. Wiping her eyes, Zhou Qin pulled away from his embrace and said in a strained voice, "Master, I apologize. I lost my composure."

Li Yundong looked at the tear-streaked Zhou Qin, his heart heavy. He sighed deeply and began, "Zhou Qin, you are a good..."

Zhou Qin didn't let him finish. She immediately reached up and covered his mouth, tears welling up again. "Don't say it. Don't give me the friend card!"

Li Yundong, his sentence cut short, let out a bitter laugh upon hearing this.

Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong, her eyes shimmering with tears, and said, "I gave you a friend card once; you don't need to give one back to me."

Li Yundong managed a strained smile. "That's not what I meant."

Zhou Qin suddenly murmured quietly, "Is it because I rejected you once before, so..."

Li Yundong quickly shook his head. "No, no, absolutely not."

Zhou Qin fell silent for a long time. She whispered softly, "We must have been sworn enemies in a past life, which is why we are enemies again in this one..."

Zhou Qin’s voice was extremely light, almost like a mosquito’s whine. Li Yundong had to ask, "What did you say?"

Zhou Qin bit her full, moist, ruby-red lips with her pearly white teeth. Her eyes held a complicated expression, filled with adoration, resentment, frustration, and obsession. She spoke each word deliberately: "Enemies!"

Li Yundong felt utterly awkward. He looked away, mumbling incoherently.

Zhou Qin stared intently at Li Yundong. Gradually, her soft, sorrowful expression vanished, replaced by strength and stubborn resolve. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, found a hairpin by the bedside, and swiftly pinned her hair up high, exposing her neck, which was as white as a swan’s.

Zhou Qin took a deep breath and spoke calmly once more. "Master, I understand. I will make excellent use of this elixir and will not disappoint you. What do I do next?"

Seeing that Zhou Qin was no longer pressing him, Li Yundong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "Meditate first, then I will teach you how to circulate the energy."

Zhou Qin asked, "Now?"

Li Yundong nodded. "Yes, right now. The medicinal power of the Ren Yuan Golden Elixir dissipates very quickly; issues will arise shortly."

Without another word, Zhou Qin turned, quickly tidied the bedclothes, and then sat cross-legged upon it, facing Li Yundong, preparing to enter meditation and circulate her energy.

However, Li Yundong instructed, "No, face the wall, with your back to me. I need to help guide your energy flow later."

Zhou Qin immediately turned around, presenting her back to Li Yundong. Just as she was about to sit down to meditate, she suddenly felt a warmth spreading in her lower abdomen, like a tiny mouse darting back and forth.

Zhou Qin froze, assuming it was merely her emotions stirring carnal desire, and instinctively dared not speak of it. But as time passed, this sensation grew stronger and stronger. Soon, Zhou Qin felt as though she had fallen into a massive furnace, her entire body scalding hot to a terrifying degree.

Zhou Qin managed to grit her teeth and bear the agony at first, but after a while, she could no longer suppress the pain and let out a low moan.

Li Yundong was startled and quickly took her pulse, immediately noticing that the energy inside her body was surging chaotically, running wild like an untamed horse.

Li Yundong instantly mobilized his Zhen Yuan and channeled it into Zhou Qin’s body, helping to manage the erratic energy flow.

Li Yundong knew that when he had taken the Ren Yuan Golden Elixir previously, he had been asleep. The elixir was tempering his body while he was insensible to pain or discomfort, and as an unconscious person free of desires, he had easily weathered the crisis of the elixir striking the body.

But Zhou Qin was different. First, she experienced dramatic emotional upheaval, followed by enduring the trial of the elixir while fully conscious. Furthermore, when the energy began to run wild, her feminine reserve prevented her from telling Li Yundong immediately, leading to the internal chaos that finally forced her to confess her suffering.

Fortunately, Li Yundong's current Zhen Yuan energy far surpassed the medicinal power of the Ren Yuan Qi within Zhou Qin. Thus, he was able to control and guide the surging energy back into their respective meridians, preventing it from running rampant and averting the danger of Zouhu Ru Mo (Qi deviation).

Only after Li Yundong had stabilized the energy flow within Zhou Qin did he inwardly gasp: That was close!

Li Yundong mused: Why is a good master so essential in cultivation since ancient times? And why is the Daoist partner ranked third among the necessities of cultivation—dharma, wealth, partner, location, artifacts? It is for this very reason! If I hadn't been here, if my cultivation of Zhen Yuan hadn't been stronger than the medicinal potency of the Ren Yuan Golden Elixir, Zhou Qin might have ended up crippled. I would have ruined her.

The thought of Zhou Qin becoming incapacitated due to the elixir tempering her body sent a chill down Li Yundong’s spine, leaving him shaken. With this realization, he dedicated himself with greater focus and earnestness to guarding her cultivation.

Just as Su Chan had once watched over Li Yundong, Li Yundong remained fully clothed and attentive by Zhou Qin’s side, standing guard for two full days and nights!

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