Facing Xia Xiao Yu’s relentless advance, Jiang Xuan finally came to his senses and grasped her restless hand with a slow, measured response:
“Xiao Yu, I can’t shake the feeling that what you’re saying lacks credibility.
Our situation is extremely dangerous. Don’t trick me! What if while I’m helping you cultivate, those Demon Sect folks show up? What then?”
“Brother Xuan, your worries are unfounded! I just shook them off. With their skills, even if they find this place, it won’t be until at least half a day later.
Don’t worry, it won’t take too much time! I’ll deal with everything quickly.
Besides, that delicate beauty in the cave—thinking about it just gets me all fired up. Oh wait… I mean, I’ll deal with things speedily and restore my spiritual power as soon as possible.”
Jiang Xuan: “…….”
Is this even about being speedy? Does she really think that the Great Sage inside him is just a decoration?
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Jiang Xuan wasn’t about to acquiesce to Xia Xiao Yu’s request.
“Xiao Yu, since you’ve said those Demon Sect people won’t show up for at least half a day, that means we have some time to spare. You should focus on cultivating and restoring your spiritual power.
You told me before that having a solid foundation is crucial for cultivation. I’m worried that assisting you might destabilize that foundation. So, for your own good, I won’t help you restore your spiritual power.”
Xia Xiao Yu: “……”
Hearing Jiang Xuan’s words, Xia Xiao Yu was dumbfounded, feeling like she had just dropped a rock on her own foot.
Although Jiang Xuan’s reasoning sounded valid, she wasn’t about to keep pretending. Once a sheep steps into the wolf’s den, there’s no letting it go.
At that moment, she cupped Jiang Xuan’s face in her hands.
“Brother Xuan, your cultivation is so weak yet you dare to reject me? Once you become stronger, won’t that leave me with no chance at all?
That’s the last thing I want to see. Hmph! If you won’t give in, then what if I insist?
I thought you would obediently agree to my proposal so I could be gentle and get it done quickly.
Now, I’ve changed my mind! I want to take my time and enjoy things properly.
After all, you think I’m less capable than you? I have to prove you wrong!”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!!!!!”
Recalling Xia Xiao Yu’s wild demeanor from last night, Jiang Xuan started to panic, and even the Great Sage within him was feeling uneasy.
Xia Xiao Yu in this state had all sorts of unpredictable moves; facing her unpredictable attacks, even the Great Sage felt powerless.
And Xia Xiao Yu had no intention of giving Jiang Xuan a chance to refuse or escape.
She leaned her face against Jiang Xuan’s chest.
“Hehe, this cave is pretty remote, so if you’re scared, you can just call out.
Don’t worry; I’m the only one who can enjoy those delightful sounds!”
Jiang Xuan: “??????”
Jiang Xuan was completely frozen by Xia Xiao Yu’s audacious statements.
His childhood friend kept pushing the limits of his understanding.
He had envied those boys taken away by rich girls, but now he felt zero envy.
Having experienced the overwhelming prowess of this girl-centric world, all he wanted was to escape and find a place to level up.
This cave seemed like a good training spot, but the downside was that Xia Xiao Yu was there, giving him no opportunity to train properly.
Just when he was stuck in thought, Xia Xiao Yu instantly planted her exclusive mark on his neck, eagerly waiting to hear Jiang Xuan beg for mercy and acknowledge her superiority.
However, at that very moment, a loud noise suddenly erupted from the cave entrance.
Xia Xiao Yu thought “Oh no!” and instinctively tried to relocate with Jiang Xuan, only to realize her spiritual power was still drained.
She couldn’t even use one-tenth of her strength, let alone run away with Jiang Xuan.
With a hint of desperation, Xia Xiao Yu looked at Jiang Xuan with a tinge of regret.
“Brother Xuan, I’m sorry, but… I haven’t restored my spiritual power yet. We’re in a bit of danger now.
It’s all my fault for being too relaxed and lost in your beauty.”
Jiang Xuan: “…….”
While Xia Xiao Yu was speaking with Jiang Xuan, a figure slowly emerged before them.
Upon seeing the visitor, Jiang Xuan’s tense nerves suddenly relaxed.
But Xia Xiao Yu unexpectedly stepped in front of Jiang Xuan.
“Brother Xuan, you don’t need to worry. Even if my spiritual power hasn’t restored yet, I will protect you!”
“Xiao Yu, don’t worry, this person is on our side.”
As the words left his mouth, Jiang Xuan took a step forward and said slowly:
“Sister Hong Xin, you finally came to find me!”
Jiang Xuan initially wanted to address Xiao Hong Xin as ‘Deputy Pavilion Master,’ but considering Xia Xiao Yu was present, he didn’t want to expose their trump card.
At the sound of Jiang Xuan’s greeting, Xiao Hong Xin’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Then, she stepped forward and hugged Jiang Xuan tightly.
“Sis… Xiao Xuan, I’m sorry… I’m late, and you’ve suffered.”
At that moment, Xia Xiao Yu was completely dumbfounded.
She stared at them, confusion plastered on her face while internally screaming:
What is happening?
Who am I? Where is this?
Who is this woman? I don’t remember her at all!
Wait a minute, why do I feel like an outsider in this scenario?
Snapping back to reality, Xia Xiao Yu immediately rushed to separate Jiang Xuan and Xiao Hong Xin.
Then, she fixed an unfriendly glare at Xiao Hong Xin.
“Who exactly are you? Right off the bat, you’re trying to steal my childhood sweetheart and flaunt your ownership in front of me?
Don’t get ahead of yourself! Don’t you know what it means to arrive first? Jiang Xuan is under my protection, got it?”
Ignoring Xia Xiao Yu’s accusations, Xiao Hong Xin turned to face Jiang Xuan.
“Xiao Xuan, who is this person? Did she tie you up?”
“This… Sister Hong Xin, there’s a misunderstanding. She’s my childhood friend, Xia Xiao Yu.
Thanks to her, I managed to escape from the Demon Sect not once, but twice.”
“The Demon Sect? The one that only targets beautiful young boys?
If they dare to touch Xiao Xuan, they no longer deserve to exist!”
Meanwhile, Xia Xiao Yu was shouting internally:
I can’t believe how domineering this woman is! No wonder she’s captivated Brother Xuan.
So true! Beautiful young boys prefer a strong, confident woman!
Cursed be that other me, being all shy and impacting my image in front of Brother Xuan.
Taking a serious tone, Xia Xiao Yu added:
“Brother Xuan, are you really familiar with this sudden appearance of a woman?
Please don’t be fooled; those claims about spirit stones nurturing beautiful boys are basically scams.
Those naive boys not only miss out on their spirit stones but end up deceived by those wicked women. I’m worried for you, Brother Xuan…”
“Xiao Yu, you’re worrying for nothing. Sister Hong Xin and I have known each other for a long time.
And the spirit stones she has were all given by me. She didn’t use spirit stones to trick me.”
Xia Xiao Yu: “????????”
After Jiang Xuan delivered this bombshell, he realized he might have said too much and then continued to Xia Xiao Yu:
“In any case, she wouldn’t deceive or betray me. Just relax.
Oh, and Xiao Yu, hurry up and restore your spiritual power. With Sister Hong Xin protecting me, my safety should be fine for now.”
On the other side, hearing Jiang Xuan’s words left Xia Xiao Yu feeling a bit shaken.
Oh no, it seems like I misjudged the relationship!
This woman is being supported by Brother Xuan with spirit stones…
What’s going on? Back when I just wanted to hold Brother Xuan’s hand, I lost quite a few spirit stones.
And now, here’s Brother Xuan throwing spirit stones at her! What can I compete with? A sugar baby?!
I thought Nangong Liu Yun was a worthy rival, but now my status in Brother Xuan’s heart must surpass hers.
But now this woman just crashed in and completely overwhelmed me. Even her cultivation seems above mine.
How is it possible that a powerhouse like her is a sugar baby? What charm does she have that captured Brother Xuan?
He must have fallen for both her beauty and wealth! If that’s the case…
Am I the real joke here?
After a round of inner monologue, Xia Xiao Yu became increasingly agitated.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
“Brother Xuan, you stay here and wait for me. I’ll restore my spiritual power right away, and later I’ll snatch you back from that sugar baby!”
With that, Xia Xiao Yu turned and walked deeper into the cave.
To her, there was no way she wouldn’t take Jiang Xuan away, and restoring her spiritual power was the first step to achieving that, or else she wouldn’t be able to do anything.
Noticing Xia Xiao Yu had walked away, Jiang Xuan finally addressed Xiao Hong Xin.
“Deputy Pavilion Master, what’s up with the situation at Xuantian Pavilion?”
“Pavilion Master, most of the people from Xuantian Pavilion are gathered outside the Great Jiang Imperial City waiting for orders.
Previously, I had the members search the entire Imperial City for you, but I couldn’t find any trace.
Fortunately, I finally sensed your essence and tracked it here.
According to our members’ reports, you were taken by a powerful individual wearing a golden mask.
And that powerhouse seems quite terrifying.
Could that golden mask figure be a part of the Demon Sect?”
Hearing Xiao Hong Xin’s inquiry, Jiang Xuan shook his head.
“Of course not! If the Demon Sect had people that strong, Xiao Yu wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
Don’t worry about the gold-mask dude; they mean me no harm.”
“Alright, now that we’ve located the Pavilion Master, should we gather the members from Xuantian Pavilion here?”
“No need, the folks from the Demon Sect are quite strong. Our core members can’t deal with them.
Having you beside me is more than enough.”
Upon hearing Jiang Xuan’s words, Xiao Hong Xin’s cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart rejoiced secretly.
He really cares for me! He even said having just me is enough!
At that moment, Xiao Hong Xin’s gaze lingered on Jiang Xuan.
Suddenly, she recalled a few days prior, when she lost control in that rundown courtyard.
She had done all sorts of things that had hurt Jiang Xuan and forced him to utter all sorts of shameful words to satisfy her vanity.
Remembering Jiang Xuan’s pitiful and adorable expression made her gulp involuntarily.
Her gaze towards Jiang Xuan now held a hint of desire.
“Um… Pavilion Master… what’s your plan next? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“This… I was thinking after Xiao Yu restores her spiritual power, it’ll be our turn to take the initiative.
We’ll handle the potential threat of the Demon Sect, and then I can return to the Jiang Family.”
As Jiang Xuan shared his plans, Xiao Hong Xin drifted off in thought.
She was totally not listening to him and kept her eyes fixated on his neck.
“Pavilion Master, may I ask a bold question? What are those marks on your neck?”
As the question hit the air, Jiang Xuan instinctively touched his neck, finally recalling that the marks were intentionally left by Xia Xiao Yu.
Of course, he wasn’t about to foolishly tell Xiao Hong Xin the truth since it could lead to unnecessary trouble.
After pondering for a moment, he slowly responded:
“I’ve been in this cave for a while. Those marks must be from some mosquitoes that caught me off-guard.
No worries, they’ll fade away in time.”
After Jiang Xuan replied, Xiao Hong Xin’s expression took on a dark, ominous hue.
Then, she seemed to lighten up with a smirk.
“Pavilion Master… I didn’t know you chose to deceive me again. Bad boys must face their punishment.”
Jiang Xuan: “??????”
Completely bewildered, Jiang Xuan asked:
“Deputy Pavilion Master, I’m not clear on what you mean.”
“Oh? You’re still pretending, huh? Then I’ll lay it out straight.
The marks on your neck were created by your childhood friend, Xia Xiao Yu. Am I right?”
At that moment, Jiang Xuan thought to himself:
No way? Is the sixth sense of women in this world so keen? How is this possible?
Deputy Pavilion Master looks a tad angry now. I can’t let this get pinned on me! She has no evidence, and I absolutely can’t admit it!
Determined not to back down, Jiang Xuan continued denying:
“Deputy Pavilion Master, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Those marks on my neck are indeed from mosquitoes, and they have nothing to do with Xiao Yu.
Please don’t falsely accuse my innocence based on feelings!”
As Jiang Xuan defended himself, Xiao Hong Xin laughed in anger.
“Pavilion Master, since you say all that, could you explain why those marks on your neck look like the characters ‘Xiao Yu’? You haven’t even seen what they look like, have you?”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!!!!!”
