Ding! Congratulations to the Host and one of the important female leads of the Son of Destiny, Qin Li—Xuanyuan Qingyu—for becoming inseparable friends!
The Host is now granted 20,000 Luck Points! May the Host continue to strive and achieve even greater success!
After receiving the System message, Zhou Fan looked at the two peerless beauties clinging to his sides. He didn't know what they had communicated with their Divine Sense, but his Fairy Master was pouting, her delicate cheeks puffed up like a small bun.
Noticing Zhou Fan's gaze, his Fairy Master immediately whined with a wronged expression, "Good Disciple, your Master regrets it. Can you abandon this bad woman, Qingyu, right now? She just bullied me."
Zhou Fan heard this and hugged his Fairy Master's soft, boneless, plump body to comfort her, then looked at Xuanyuan Qingyu, who had a high and mighty Empress-like demeanor and disdained to explain herself.
Without saying much, he simply led Xuanyuan Qingyu back into the room.
Before long, Zhou Fan emerged, pulling Xuanyuan Qingyu, whose pretty face was flushed and whose legs were tightly pressed together.
Wrapping an arm around his Fairy Master's soft waist, Zhou Fan considerately comforted Nangong Wan while simultaneously controlling the novel little contraption he had made.
It took Xuanyuan Qingyu, wearing a veil and moving with light steps, nearly fifteen minutes to descend the short dozen or so steps from the third floor to the second.
Fortunately, there was no one else around at the moment, only Qin Li, who looked at Aunt Xuan, whose legs were tightly pressed together and whose posture was awkward, with confusion. He wanted to go over and ask if Aunt Xuan needed any help.
But before he could approach, Aunt Xuan's suppressed tone, "~Don't come over!", drove him away.
Qin Li, feeling helpless, went into the private room on the second floor and asked Zhou Dage and his mother what was wrong with Aunt Xuan.
Zhou Fan smiled and told Qin Li to sit down first, then explained that he was still young, and when he truly grew up, he would understand what "punishment" Xuanyuan Qingyu was currently enduring.
Nangong Wan happily hugged her good Disciple, feeling utterly secure. When Xuanyuan Qingyu finally walked over with "great difficulty" and sat beside Zhou Fan, Nangong Wan quickly shot her a triumphant look, then also "stamped" Zhou Fan's face with a kiss.
Xuanyuan Qingyu had no time to bother with the childish Sister Wan right now. Her mind was filled with happy memories of Zhou Fan. She hadn't expected that little thing to look unremarkable, yet it was so powerful under Zhou Fan's remote control.
If it weren't for the presence of an outsider, Qin Li, the Xuanyuan Empress would already be melting into Zhou Fan's arms, her eyes rolling back.
After quickly finishing dinner, Xuanyuan Qingyu returned to her room on the third floor first.
Zhou Fan held Nangong Wan, and the two fed each other, making a fuss even during dinner, constantly showering Qin Li, who sat opposite them, with affection.
Qin Li, all alone, suddenly missed his confidante—Ning Shuying.
When Ning Shuying was still around, even if she later grew to prefer sticking with Zhou Dage, she would still consider his feelings during the day and be his pure platonic lover.
Now, his mother and Aunt Xuan only had eyes for Zhou Dage. No one even cared that he had achieved a Breakthrough to the Core Formation Stage. Qin Li felt a little dejected.
"Li Di, here, take this."
Just as Qin Li was feeling down, a luxurious Storage Pouch suddenly appeared in his line of sight.
He looked up and saw Zhou Dage smiling at him, saying, "Congratulations on your Breakthrough to the Core Formation Stage, Li Di. This Storage Pouch is something I specially prepared for you."
"Inside, there's not only the entire inheritance of the Nascent Soul Stage Old Sword Master, but also some Heaven And Earth Treasure and Sword Dao classics from the Qiankun Sword Sect."
"Li Di, don't you like practicing the sword? All of these are for you. I hope you can go further on your chosen path in the future."
"Zhou Dage..."
Qin Li took the Storage Pouch and saw the dazzling array of treasures inside, as well as the specially organized area containing a large number of Sword Dao classics.
Two clear tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes. Qin Li quickly lowered his head, not wanting Zhou Dage to see him crying.
Zhou Fan saw that Li Di had suddenly started crying, his body shaking as he hunched over the table. He knew that Li Di was sensitive and could be very fragile at times.
He told Nangong Wan to go to the room on the third floor and wait for him, then sat beside Li Di, poured them both a glass of wine, and, embracing Li Di's slender shoulders, began to sing a classic old song from his previous life.
"When I was young, people around me said I couldn't cry."
"When I grew up, I told the mirror I couldn't regret."
"..."
"Men, cry, cry, cry, it's not a sin."
"Even the strongest person has the right to be weary."
"..."
"Men, cry, cry, cry, it's not a sin."
"Taste the long-lost flavor of tears."
"..."
After the song finished, Qin Li buried his head in Zhou Fan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zhou Fan quietly listened to Qin Li's lament, hearing him talk about how much psychological pressure he had been under all these years, and how much effort he had put in to avoid being a good-for-nothing who could only rely on his mother's protection.
He had no Spiritual Root, no special Physique, yet he still diligently practiced swordplay.
After obtaining the "Qing Ni Jue", in order to successfully Cultivate this Cultivation Technique, he not only couldn't avoid those unusual emotions, but had to carefully experience them, and even encourage them.
Qin Li's eyes were tear-filled. He said that if the person he had met wasn't Zhou Dage, his mind might have gone insane long ago.
Zhou Fan patted Qin Li's back, saying nothing. Only after Qin Li finished speaking did he raise his wine glass.
The two clinked glasses and drank it all down. All the words between brothers were in the wine.
Returning to the room on the third floor that night, Zhou Fan was surprisingly not happy.
The three of them slept sweetly, embracing each other. Qin Li, in the next room, also had a rare beautiful dream.
In the dream, time reversed to the day she and Zhou Dage first met. His mother said she wanted to take Zhou Dage as her only Personal Disciple, and Qin Li discovered that she was actually a girl.
Later...
Life in the dream was wonderful, and Qin Li wanted to remain immersed in it forever.
But at the critical moment of the wedding night, for some unknown reason, Qin Li suddenly woke up.
His face flushed, he propped himself up, listening to the harmonious morning symphony of a Qilin and a Phoenix from next door.
Leaning against the wall, he turned his head towards the window. Two black and white birds flew by, and yellow-red maple leaves drifted in the wind.
Thinking of the side effects of the "Qing Ni Jue", a breathtaking smile suddenly bloomed on Qin Li's handsome face.
...
The four continued south. While passing a common village, Zhou Fan unexpectedly discovered an old acquaintance.
Asking Nangong Wan and the other two to wait for a moment, Zhou Fan flashed and appeared beside the old acquaintance.
He looked at Jiang Yan, who was dressed in luxurious brocade robes, accompanied by two coachmen, and was cheerfully flirting with a pure-eyed village girl. Zhou Fan immediately interrupted.
"Oh, isn't this Young Lord Jiang of the Jiang Family, the famous Qilin Jiang Yan?"
"Why, after half a year, are you still wandering around the Xuanyuan Dynasty near my Luoyun Temple?"
"Don't you want to go home? Do you need me to give you a ride?"