Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

Under the old locust tree outside Qingfeng Garden, Shen Ruyan idly counted the stars in the sky.

I thought it would only take an hour at most, but who would have thought that the wait would go on until the middle of the night.

Wang Daqi was one thing, but she knew how capable he was.

But how come Master is also... so powerful?!

This gave her an incredible feeling.

Just as she was getting so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping and she even wondered if her master had frozen Wang Daqi inside because of a flare-up of cold poison, the bamboo curtain in the inner room was finally lifted.

Wang Daqi walked out with steady steps, looking refreshed and even his cultivation seemed to have stabilized a bit.

"Senior Sister Shen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Wang Daqi cupped his hands somewhat apologetically, "Miss You Nan's cold poison is indeed troublesome, which caused the delay. She has now rested, and I must go back first; my wife is still waiting for me."

Shen Ruyan stared at him in disbelief, and subconsciously swallowed.

How long has it been?

Master is at the Nascent Soul stage, yet Wang Daqi is still so "energetic and vigorous"?

"Ah... okay, Daqi, you've worked hard. Go back and rest." Shen Ruyan waved her hand, trying to appear calm.

After seeing Wang Daqi off, Shen Ruyan hurriedly activated the cave's protective barrier and slipped into the inner room.

"Master, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

As soon as she pushed open the door, Shen Ruyan froze on the spot.

The room was still filled with that passionate atmosphere that made people blush and their hearts race.

Several colorful female nuns' clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor.

Undergarments, a bodice, a thin veil, and even an embroidered shoe.

Meanwhile, Nangong Ling, who was on the couch, had already put on a large Taoist robe and was sitting cross-legged.

Her previous frail appearance completely disappeared, replaced by a warm, jade-like, and vibrant rosy complexion.

Even between her brows, a trace of the unique feminine charm that had not yet completely faded remained.

Nangong Ling opened his eyes, a lightning-like glint flashing in his deep pupils.

She quickly regained her usual aloof and ethereal demeanor, and said calmly, "The effect far exceeded expectations. More than ten percent of the cold fire poison in my body has dissipated. This Supreme Yang Body truly lives up to its name."

Shen Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief, then, remembering something, chuckled, "That Daqi... he's alright, isn't he?"

When Wang Daqi was mentioned, Nangong Ling's icy gaze softened for a moment.

"He's a good person."

Nangong Ling stretched out his hand, and in his palm lay the black spirit stone pouch. "Ruyan, isn't the identity you gave me a bit too shabby? I just gave him five spirit stones as a reward, as you said. But not only did he refuse them, he also scolded me."

The first time she saw someone offer her spirit stones, she was refused.

The reason for not wanting her was out of pity!

This left her both amused and exasperated.

Shen Ruyan's mouth dropped open in astonishment: "He actually doesn't want spirit stones? That's almost a year's income for him!"

"Yes. He said it wasn't easy for me living under someone else's roof, and told me to keep the spirit stones for myself."

As Nangong Ling spoke, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, "He seems to regard me as one of those pitiful little girls who need protection. He even thinks... I've been wronged by the Shen family."

Shen Ruyan was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh out loud: "This Wang Daqi is really a straightforward person! He probably never dreamed that the 'wronged little girl' he mentioned could crush him a thousand times over in the blink of an eye."

"That's fine too." Nangong Ling stroked the spirit stone bag. "This kind of selfless purity is too rare in the cultivation world. He wants to earn resources with his own hands, so I will respect his pride."

Shen Ruyan's eyes darted around, and she seized the opportunity to say, "Master, speaking of earning resources, Daqi is currently worried about the renovation project of Hanyu Palace. He wants to take over the project."

"The Cold Jade Palace?" Nangong Ling frowned slightly. "I remember that Elder Yang Zhen from Divine Weapon Peak came to me a couple of days ago, wanting to ask for this job for his eldest disciple, Zhao Feng. That Yang Zhen is a weapon refiner in the sect, and he also has some dealings with my Lingyun Peak."

"Zhao Feng??"

Shen Ruyan sneered, "Is that the guy who acts so arrogantly in the outer sect just because he has a senior master? His younger brother, Zhao Dong, even tried to bully Wang Daqi before!"

Shen Ruyan gave a brief account of the matter.

Nangong Ling's eyes turned cold.

Since Wang Daqi wants it, what business is it of anyone else?

"Although Yang Zhen is an elder of Shenbing Peak, Hanyu Palace is the property of Lingyun Peak. Whoever I say can take it."

Nangong Ling snorted coldly, his tone authoritative, "Since Wang Daqi wants to be self-reliant, then the task of managing the Cold Jade Palace will be handed over to him. Ruyan, you will go to the Hall of Affairs tomorrow to convey my oral decree."

"Yes! Your disciple obeys!" Shen Ruyan was overjoyed.

She could almost imagine how dark Zhao Feng and Elder Yang Zhen's faces would be when they learned of this news.

…………

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Night was falling.

Wang Daqi walked back through the dew, the night breeze blowing on his somewhat feverish body, which made him more awake.

At this moment, he felt no fatigue, but rather a powerful force surging within his dantian.

That was the pure feedback I received from Shen Younan during our cultivation process.

Pushing open the door, one could see a small oil lamp still lit inside.

Xu Yan, wearing an overcoat, was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed.

Hearing the noise, she quickly got up and went to greet him: "Daqi, you...you're back?"

Looking at his wife's worried face, Wang Daqi's heart softened. He stepped forward, put his arm around her shoulder, and whispered, "Yes, I'm back. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, my wife."

Once inside and seated, Wang Daqi didn't hide anything and recounted in detail what had happened in Shen Ruyan's cave.

This includes her tragically fated cousin, Shen Younan, and the cold poison within her body.

"Oh, Senior Sister Shen, what did she promise us back then? She said that the matter of your constitution was a closely guarded secret, and absolutely no one else could know. But how long has it been? She brought some kind of clanswoman over. Calling her a clanswoman is an understatement; she's still an outsider! What if that girl has ulterior motives, or accidentally lets something slip? Will my husband and I even survive?"

The more she talked about it, the more frightened she felt.

Having struggled at the bottom of the cultivation world for so many years, she knew all too well how terrifying a cultivator without a background could be if they possessed a special physique.

That wasn't a stroke of luck; it was a death sentence.

"Daqi, I really regret it now. I shouldn't have let Senior Sister Shen know about your situation for the sake of that little bit of protection," Xu Yan said guiltily.

Seeing this, Wang Daqi quickly got up, took her hand, and pulled her into his arms, gently comforting her, "Wife, don't worry, listen to me first. It's true that Senior Sister Shen didn't think things through in this matter, but let's think about it from another angle. On the path of cultivation, what deal is foolproof? We are now relying on Senior Sister Shen. If we really don't help her at all, then we're afraid we won't be able to hold onto this powerful backer."

He paused, recalling Shen Younan's frail and helpless appearance, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Moreover, that Junior Sister You Nan... to be honest, she really has a tragic fate. Although Senior Sister Shen said she has a gentle personality, judging from the way she acted just now, she was so careful even when taking a few spirit stones, as if she was afraid of offending someone. Someone with that kind of personality wouldn't speak carelessly! Besides, she was raised by Senior Sister Shen's family, so with that kind of relationship, she shouldn't do something so treacherous."

Hearing Wang Daqi's words, Xu Yan felt a little more at ease, but her woman's intuition made her keenly aware of something.

"So you've already fallen for Wen Wan? I think you spent the whole night there, not just treating your illness, but your heart was also captivated by that young lady, wasn't it? Shen You Nan... the name sounds quite elegant, and she's good-looking too, isn't she?"

The air was thick with the smell of vinegar!

"No way!" Wang Daqi quickly changed his tune, sensing the situation was turning sour. "My wife, you're really misunderstanding me. That Junior Sister You Nan is just average-looking; how can she compare to you? Besides, her body is covered in cold poison; she's as cold as an ice block. I only gave her a few extra words of advice out of sympathy for her. My heart is completely filled with you. Don't believe me? Feel it!"

As he spoke, Wang Daqi grabbed Xu Yan's hand and pulled it to his chest.

Xu Yan blushed slightly and spat lightly, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm just afraid that you, an honest man, will be deceived. Your constitution is a great tonic for women. I'm afraid that the Shen family will treat you as a 'medicine cauldron' and throw you away after they're done with you."

"No, I trust Senior Sister Shen's character. Besides, I also benefited greatly from Junior Sister You Nan this time." Wang Daqi's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a glint of shrewdness.

"benefit??"

"Yes, as I told you before, I can benefit from people with high cultivation levels! Although Shen You Nan's cultivation is average, she has great talent, especially with her mutated ice-type spiritual root!"

"Through my cultivation just now, I feel that my internal energy level has reached a critical point."

Wang Daqi looked at Xu Yan, his eyes gradually burning with desire. "My wife, there's no time to lose. While this momentum is still going, let's consolidate it a bit more..."

Xu Yanjiao was overjoyed, never expecting her man to receive such a huge benefit again.

"That's great!"

"Well, it's still early before dawn, let's rest too."

"Um!"

Xu Yan gave a coquettish laugh, but did not refuse.

The red candles have burned out, and the room is filled with the warmth of spring.