Chapter 18: Group Cheating (Part 3)

The night deepened, and the fields on the outskirts of Liangjing grew quiet, with only a gentle breeze rustling through the rice ears.

By the lake, Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji dragged her weary body, her cheeks stained with red mud, and her plain white dress had long since been dyed the color of mud.

She looked at her disheveled appearance, her eyes reddening, and she nearly burst into tears.

Unfortunately, she had no magic power at this moment and could not even take out clean clothes from her storage pouch.

Helpless, she looked around, and seeing no one passing by, coupled with the darkness, she slowly untied her belt.

The long dress slipped off, exposing her fair and exquisite body to the night breeze, reflecting the faint moonlight, her skin like jade.

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji bit her lip and gently stepped into the lake water to wash the mud stains off her body and clothes.

As the water rippled, Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji moved gracefully, her fingertips grazing the surface of the lake, creating fine ripples.

At this moment, the space vibrated slightly, and a figure quietly descended.

"Splash!"

A splash of water suddenly erupted.

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji turned her head sharply, nervously covering her front with her wet clothes: "Who is it!"

Lin Fan had just broken through space and landed in the water, looking extremely disheveled, not even daring to breathe.

He possessed magic power, so even in the night, he could see clearly—that exquisite and graceful figure in front of him, wasn't it Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji?

"It must be a jumping fish…" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji frowned, muttering to herself.

Having lost all her magic power, she could not detect any abnormalities, so she continued to wash herself.

Lin Fan's heart beat like a drum; he stayed submerged in the water, not daring to move, and prayed inwardly: "Miss Yu, please hurry up with your washing…"

But Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji seemed to be acting against him, washing unhurriedly, her movements so slow it was maddening.

Lin Fan suppressed the rising desire, cursing inwardly: "If you weren't Xue Yao's Master, I wouldn't have held back so much!"

Finally, Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji washed off the mud, went ashore, put on her clothes, and slowly walked away.

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief and quietly followed behind her, preparing to go ashore. However, no matter how light his movements were, the "splash" of the lake water still startled Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji.

She turned back abruptly, and as the moonlight spilled down, she saw a dark figure slowly rising from the water, like a ghost.

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji's face turned pale with fright, and she screamed: "Someone help! Save me! There's a water ghost!"

In her panic, she suddenly remembered the jade pendant Lin Fan gave her—when encountering danger, she just needed to shout "Save me" to the pendant.

"I have no choice but to let that bastard save me…" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji angrily took out the jade pendant and shouted at it: "Save me!"

A brilliant curtain of light instantly enveloped her, illuminating the surroundings.

By the light, she finally saw the true face of the "water ghost"—wasn't it Lin Fan?

"You little bastard, it's you?!"

Lin Fan's mouth twitched, and he explained awkwardly: "If I said I didn't see anything just now… would you believe me?"

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji was trembling with anger: "You… shameless…"

Lin Fan grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Look, I do have teeth! Besides, if I were truly shameless, I would have taken advantage of you right there and then."

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji was so angry her face turned red, and she scolded: "Shameless!"

Lin Fan shrugged innocently: "Alright, I didn't do it on purpose, and I didn't install a listening function on the jade pendant, how was I supposed to know you were taking a bath? Should I install one for you next time?"

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji was immediately ashamed and angry, her face turning even redder: "No, you are not allowed to install a listening function!"

Lin Fan was secretly pleased; when it came to being thick-skinned, he was a professional. He calmly circulated his spiritual energy, evaporating all the water vapor from his body, and his clothes became as pristine as new.

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji watched with envy, then looked down at her own soaked clothes and said angrily: "Um… can you help me steam my clothes dry? Just the clothes!"

"Sure." Lin Fan readily agreed, "Give me your clothes."

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji froze, her eyes wide: "If I give them to you, what will I wear?!"

Lin Fan said seriously: "Then take them off and give them to me. Otherwise, what if I touch you while steaming them dry? Besides, I've already seen everything I should and shouldn't have seen just now, so what's the difference?"

"You… rogue! Forget it, I won't steam them, I'll wear them wet!"

Lin Fan teased: "Wearing wet clothes makes it easy to get sick. You have no magic power now, so if you get sick, you'll only be able to drink that incredibly bitter herbal medicine."

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji glared at him angrily: "I'm willing! None of your business!"

Lin Fan leisurely added: "I'm planning to take you to see your beloved disciple Xue Yao in a while. Aren't you afraid she'll see you all soaked like this?"

"You…" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji was trembling with anger, and finally turned her back, crouched in the grass, and threw the clothes out: "Hurry up!"

"Alright!" Lin Fan took the clothes, not forgetting to sniff them, with a wicked grin: "Oh my, the clothes worn by Miss Yu are so fragrant!"

"Bastard!" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji crouched in the grass, gnashing her teeth in anger.

A moment later, Lin Fan threw the steamed, dry white clothes back: "Alright! Your clothes are steamed dry, put them on quickly."

From the grass came Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji's resentful voice: "You'd better hope I don't recover my magic power!"

Lin Fan didn't care, urging her with a grin: "Are you ready, Miss Yu? It's time to go."

A moment later, Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji walked out of the grass, her plain white dress fluttering gently in the breeze, outlining her exquisite figure perfectly. Her beautiful and refined face was even more striking.

She glanced at Lin Fan coldly and said disdainfully: "Always calling me 'Miss Yu', I'm not familiar with you!"

Lin Fan shrugged nonchalantly: "First time is strange, second time is familiar, this is the third time, can you still say we aren't familiar?"

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji couldn't be bothered to bicker with him, pointed forward: "Stop talking nonsense, lead the way! If I see my Xue Yao has been bumped or bruised, or has gotten thin or fat, I won't forgive you!"

Lin Fan put on an exaggerated expression: "Then wouldn't I be done for? Xue Yao is currently being raised plump and white by me, just waiting for the New Year to heat the pot and oil, and deep-fry the little loli."

"You—!" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji was so angry her face flushed, and she glared at him fiercely.

Lin Fan laughed, and suddenly wrapped his arm around Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji's slender waist: "Alright, hold on tight, we're taking off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Fan had already clasped Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji's soft waist, rose into the air, and flew rapidly towards the Xuanyin Second Sect.

"You little bastard! Where are you putting your hands? Let me go!" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji struggled in his arms, scolding him in a delicate voice.

"Alright, if you want me to let go, I'll let go!" Lin Fan deliberately loosened his grip.

"Ah!" Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji screamed, terrified, and hugged his neck tightly, fearing she would fall.

Lin Fan's mouth curled into a wicked smile: "Should I let go or not?"

Poetry Immortal Yu Xuanji's pretty face flushed red, her heart beat like a drum, and she was too ashamed and angry to say a word.

"Not saying anything means you agree." Lin Fan unceremoniously hugged her slender waist tightly and sped away with her into the night sky.

In the Xuanyin Second Sect, in Xue Yao's courtyard, the moonlight spilled down, and the courtyard was quiet.

Mu Xueyan sat leisurely on a stone bench, idly toying with a strand of black hair, while Xue Yao paced back and forth nearby, her face full of anxiety.

"With Master's speed, she should have brought my Master back long ago, why haven't they returned yet?"

Mu Xueyan brushed her long hair confidently: "Don't worry, your Master cares about her appearance, and she's been out working in the fields. Before coming back to see you, she must want to bathe and change, and tidy herself up to look beautiful. Wait a little longer, they should be here soon."