The vermilion window leaked silver-like light, casting a glow on the girl within the tent, making her delicate feet appear as white as jade.
Li Qingran held the light-as-air fabric, her fingertips sinking into the misty silk.
“This must be what the master referred to as white silk? It’s said to be woven from the silk of a very rare demonic beast – the ten-thousand-year Western Winter Silkworm… ” she curiously pressed the thin stocking against her cheek, the cool and smooth texture causing her earlobes to flush.
The master had already briefly explained how to wear it.
But there was still a sense of awkwardness.
Li Qingran gently lifted the binding band at the top of her thigh, and the remaining fabric tightened around her toes, smoothing out instantly.
A fan was lightly tapped outside the screen.
[Is it fitting?] The cold voice contained a hint of laughter.
Li Qingran quickly crossed her legs, revealing a hazy snow color through the greenish-white skirt, like fresh snow mixed with a few peach blossoms, about to melt away.
“I feel like it might slip down…” she tugged at the hem of her dress, peeking out half her face, the bells on her wrist jingling with the movement.
Suddenly, her ankle tightened.
A bamboo fan parted the gauze curtain, its pendant brushing over her tense foot.
The faint sandalwood scent wafted over as the master leaned in.
[This is how you should bind it.] The fan bone brushed against her calf through the silk.
Li Qingran hurriedly lowered her head, curling her toes, leaving faint pink marks on the translucent gauze.
“Mas, Master, you’re too close…” the two figures nearly overlapping in the mirror, the girl turned her face, trembling, almost shrinking into a ball, her crimson eyes more vivid than the vermilion cinnabar on the desk.
“And, and this attire of your disciple… doesn’t seem dignified?”
Her voice was soft as a mosquito’s, incense smoke curling around her black hair, even her eyes, filled with moisture, appeared blurry.
Chen Huaian stood up, clapping the fan in his hand, his expression turning serious.
“What dignity? This is called freedom of dress! Besides, you can only see part of your legs at most, just below the knee… This is great stuff, warm in winter and cool in summer. It’s chilly now, isn’t it? Doesn’t it feel warmer?”
The sudden change from the master left Li Qingran stunned for a moment.
She pursed her lips, about to say that she was no longer afraid of the cold after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
But she swallowed her words, bowing her head obediently, and said softly, “Master is right, disciple indeed feels much warmer. It’s no wonder it’s made from the ten-thousand-year Winter Silkworm.”
She knew the master liked hearing these things.
So she said it to please him.
“Mm, so you have to wear it every day.” Chen Huaian nodded in satisfaction.
In three hours, it would be morning, and all Sword Pavilion disciples would head to the Central Continent Secret Realm. Each sect had strong individuals stationed at the entrance of the secret realm. The Sword Pavilion had few members, so to maintain control and prevent any accidents when Li Qingran exited the secret realm, he decided to personally oversee and guard the entire process.
Since he had money, he bought a day pass for the Transcendent Grand Perfection experience to check out the situation in the Central Continent Secret Realm first.
He was an avatar and couldn’t touch Li Qingran directly, but the fan could.
He planned to burn the fan after tonight — he was jealous.
“Stand up for me to see?”
Li Qingran obediently stood up.
The gauze curtain before the butterfly-shaped mirror suddenly fluttered in the wind. Li Qingran hurriedly pressed down on the fluttering hem. The white silk wrapped around her calves glowed under the moonlight like pearl iridescence, her tiny feet retreating into the shadow of the gauze.
“Why hide?” The fan gently pressed on her trembling knees, “Turn around.”
Barefoot, she slowly turned, crushing the petals of purple orchids, the hem of her dress slightly revealing the rounded curves of her legs as it flared open.
Li Qingran gripped the edge of her sleeve, not daring to look up, her loose strands brushing against her collarbone:
“Master, how does it look? Does disciple look strange wearing this…”
Chen Huaian subtly wiped his nose, looking down at the straight toes of the girl that traced a half-circle on the floor tiles, silently translating in his mind: [Not bad, more lustrous than the jade lotus I saw in the Jade Pool years ago!]
“Compared to the fish demon with beautiful legs?”
“Cough, a mere fat-headed fish demon has nothing to compare with my disciple.”
“Then master admits that the fish demon’s legs are beautiful?”
“That’s not what I meant, master…”
“Ha ha~” Li Qingran’s eyes curved into a smile, twirling around with the dress.
As she spun, Chen Huaian felt like he was drowning in a flower garden, his brain filled with osmanthus honey.
“Master, should disciple wear this tomorrow?”
“Don’t you think it’s undignified?”
“It’s okay, actually female cultivators can show a bit of leg while walking. The stockings given by master actually cover them up. But this dress is for sleeping, very short and thin, and since it’s in front of master, it’s a bit uncomfortable…”
Li Qingran let go of the hem, standing with her hands behind her back in front of Chen Huaian.
Her gaze rose, her fluttering eyelashes like fluttering butterfly wings, her eyes filled with indescribable emotions.
“Master… does disciple look pretty wearing these?”
“Pretty.”
“Does master like seeing disciple wear this?”
“Mm, yes.”
“Yes means like or dislike.”
“No, then disciple will wear it!”
…
The next day.
Sword Pavilion disciples gathered in the sect square.
Su Qinian waited and waited, but neither Chen Huaian nor Li Qingran arrived.
Little did he know that Chen Huaian was facing a choice.
[Main Quest: The Central Continent Secret Realm has been activated. Please take Li Qingran to the Central Continent Secret Realm.]
[Current survival rate of Li Qingran: 99.999%]
[Astrological Hint One: Once inside the dungeon, players cannot interfere.]
[Astrological Hint Two: Demon cultivators and a small number of devil cultivators will appear in the Central Continent Secret Realm.]
[Astrological Hint Three: A major upheaval will occur when the Central Continent Secret Realm closes.]
[Please choose your mode of transportation!]
<1> Pay 1888￥ for access to a large flying boat, capable of carrying all Sword Pavilion disciples.
<2> Pay 9999￥ for the use of the Lingxiao Sword Formation, a floating sword formation that can carry all Sword Pavilion disciples.
<3> Pay 188888￥ for the Nine-Dragon Imperial Holy Carriage, which can carry all Sword Pavilion disciples.
<4> Without paying, use your old flying sword to take Li Qingran to the Central Continent Secret Realm in a humble manner.
“Hey! My temper is explosive!”
Chen Huaian’s face darkened when he saw option 4.
Although he didn’t like spending money on superficial matters, the game was mocking him for being poor.
Could he endure it? He immediately chose option <3>!
Today, he had to show off the full power of the Sword Pavilion Ancestor, letting those sects see the depth of his sect!
“Qingran, prepare to set out!”
Chen Huaian chose to receive the Nine-Dragon Imperial Holy Carriage.
“Ao—!”
Nine dragon roars echoed from the sky.
Layer upon layer of clouds split apart, a beam of sunlight pouring down.
Vaguely visible, dragon shadows flew amidst the light — nine black flood dragons pulled a grand carriage, breaking through the Sword Pavilion barrier and circling around. Before they came closer, the wind from the soaring dragons had already caused the grass and trees on Sunset Peak to bend.
“Master!” the girl in the little house responded.
Chen Huaian turned around, his eyes filled with amazement.
When the morning light spilled over the windowsill, Li Qingran supported herself with the door frame, half her body sticking out. Morning wind swept up her pure white skirt, one foot already half-on a shoe, her fingers hooking the heel, while the other white-silk wrapped foot lightly tapped on the green brick, the gold bell freshly tied to her ankle kissing the rouge stain carelessly applied.
“I’m coming!” Feeling the master’s gaze, the girl stuck out her tongue and skipped over.
Chen Huaian was momentarily lost in thought, the fan falling from his hand.
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to pick up the fan first or to calm his racing heart.
