Chapter 90: Under the Bed

"Senior Sister has come to seek Senior Brother in the dead of night; you must have something important to discuss. I have feelings for Senior Sister, so please, Senior Brother, let me listen in." Junior Brother Bai Ming said all in one breath.

His gaze was imploring. "Please, Senior Brother, let me hide first."

Senior Brother Wei Yu's expression was unreadable. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Receiving confirmation, Junior Brother Bai Ming quickly scrambled under the bed, using clutter to block the light.

Senior Brother Wei Yu pulled down the quilt and covered himself a bit. "What is it, Junior Sister? Please, come in."

The wooden door slowly creaked open, and a pretty face, slightly flushed with shyness, came into Senior Brother Wei Yu's view.

Senior Sister Tao Yu asked with some doubt, "So you are here, Senior Brother. I thought you had gone out."

"Apologies, Junior Sister. I was just studying some cultivation techniques to improve my Daoist attainments, and I was so engrossed that I lost track of time." Senior Brother Wei Yu sat before the wooden table.

"I see. I'm sorry to disturb you, Senior Brother." Senior Sister Tao Yu lowered her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed.

Senior Brother Wei Yu changed the subject. "I don't know what brings you here, Junior Sister?"

Senior Sister Tao Yu lowered her head slightly, avoiding his gaze. "Senior Brother is already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. In time, you will reach the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment."

She swung her two slender calves in front of the bed. "By then, you will need to consider the matter of Golden Core formation."

"Therefore, I would like to refine a medicinal pill for you in advance to assist with your Golden Core formation."

Senior Brother Wei Yu was taken aback. "You are very thoughtful, Junior Sister, but these medicinal herbs are truly too precious. Wouldn't it be troublesome?"

Senior Sister Tao Yu turned her head. "It's no trouble. Just rest assured and accept it when the time comes, Senior Brother."

"I have always been well taken care of by you, Junior Sister." Senior Brother Wei Yu smiled faintly.

"What of it? We are fellow disciples." Senior Sister Tao Yu turned to the side, her face shy. "However, I would like to ask you to promise me one thing, Senior Brother."

"What is it?"

"After you form your Golden Core, Senior Brother, would you be willing to listen to what I have to say?" Senior Sister Tao Yu's eyes were sincere.

Senior Brother Wei Yu looked down slightly, glancing toward the space under the bed. "It could be done now, Junior Sister. If you have any thoughts, why not just say them directly?"

"No, I must wait until after you form your Golden Core, Senior Brother." Senior Sister Tao Yu said in a coquettish tone.

"Very well."

The two engaged in some light conversation, while Junior Brother Bai Ming remained motionless under the bed, not daring to make a sound.

A pair of tender, white calves dangled in front of him, occasionally lifting up.

He did not know how much time had passed, but amidst the agony of Junior Brother Bai Ming barely holding his breath, the tender, white calves finally touched the ground.

"Then I won't disturb you any further, Senior Brother." Senior Sister Tao Yu waved goodbye and closed the wooden door.

"Very well." Senior Brother Wei Yu watched the girl's retreating figure, his expression unreadable.

He glanced toward the space under the bed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly to reveal a faint smile.

The surface of the wooden table by the window was smooth, reflecting the bright moonlight.

Senior Brother Wei Yu stood up. "Come out, Junior Brother. Junior Sister should be far away by now."

Receiving the response, Junior Brother Bai Ming scrambled out from under the bed on his hands and knees, his hair disheveled and looking somewhat disheveled.

Senior Brother Wei Yu pulled Junior Brother Bai Ming up. "Why did you have to do that?"

Junior Brother Bai Ming gave a sheepish smile. "I just found it difficult to face her for the moment."

"You still haven't figured out how to get along with her?" Senior Brother Wei Yu went behind Junior Brother Bai Ming to tidy his clothes and brush off the dust.

His tone was hesitant. "Why… do you have feelings for her?"

After his hair was tidied, Junior Brother Bai Ming felt a headache coming on. He hadn't expected Senior Brother Wei Yu to ask such a question, and he stammered a bit.

"It's just… Senior Sister has always taken good care of me."

"Don't I also take good care of you?" Senior Brother Wei Yu narrowed his eyes, looking slightly amused.

"Huh?" Junior Brother Bai Ming was stunned.

"Just kidding. It's just that I feel like you're a bit afraid of her." Senior Brother Wei Yu's eyes gleamed.

"It's not exactly fear, it's just difficult to face her." Junior Brother Bai Ming hurriedly explained.

"By the way, I have a question too. Since you have feelings for her, why didn't you bring her along instead of just me?" Senior Brother Wei Yu lightly stroked Junior Brother Bai Ming's left shoulder with his right hand.

The barrage of questions made Junior Brother Bai Ming feel overwhelmed; there were simply too many holes in his previous claims.

But due to irresistible factors, there were too many reasons he could not explain clearly.

Junior Brother Bai Ming's gaze drifted. "Actually, I feel that Senior Sister won't leave, and I don't need to force her, right?"

Senior Brother Wei Yu waited for a moment, but when there was no follow-up, he said, "Actually… your feeling is correct. She has a blood connection with Elder Xuancao."

Junior Brother Bai Ming let out a sigh of relief and bowed. "I have taken up too much of your time, Senior Brother. I shall take my leave now."

"Alright… then."

Watching Junior Brother Bai Ming's departing figure, Senior Brother Wei Yu remained silent for a long time, then silently sat back on the wooden chair and picked up a bronze mirror to observe his face.

"Junior Brother is truly cute; his skin seems even more supple." Senior Brother Wei Yu's figure shifted, a faint smile on his face.

"His previous words were likely just an excuse to deceive me. If he really did have feelings for her, I would be quite troubled."

He played with a strand of his hair with his fingers. "I wonder what his expression will be when he sees me in this state."

Senior Brother Wei Yu considered in his heart, "Should I confess sooner, to prevent it from actually happening?"

…

The moonlit night was bright and clear, the light soft.

After leaving Senior Brother Wei Yu's residence, Junior Brother Bai Ming did not return to his small wooden hut; he was afraid of being ambushed on the way.

If he were to be ambushed even like this, he would truly be at his wit's end.

"No wonder he wanted me to collect these ten medicinal herbs; it turns out they were to be refined for Senior Brother." Junior Brother Bai Ming cleared his thoughts.

He took out the jade slip, probed it with his spiritual sense, and looked for the nearest route.

Having wasted some time, he wanted to pick them nearby so as not to return empty-handed.

Pressing his index fingers together, Junior Brother Bai Ming formed a seal to ride the wind, heading toward the location of the medicinal herbs against the night breeze.

The trees swayed, the forest silent and deep.

As he went deeper, Junior Brother Bai Ming frowned slightly and slowly slowed down.

It was because he felt something was wrong, even extremely strange.

The deeper he went into the location on the jade slip, the fainter the aura of spiritual beasts became, to the point that now, one could say there were only a few left.

These few looked more like ones whose spiritual intelligence had not yet been awakened, possessing no spirituality at all.

Although he carried a cyan scale containing the aura of a Golden Core, these spiritual beasts were not scared away; rather, they were simply not there at all.

"Strange." Junior Brother Bai Ming stopped flying and looked around, wanting to find the source of the problem.

But the surroundings were empty; not only was there no aura of spiritual beasts, but even spiritual plants were very rare, with nothing else besides a few tottering old trees.

"Could there really be supreme medicinal herbs here?" Junior Brother Bai Ming couldn't help but feel suspicious and checked the jade slip repeatedly.

He confirmed it a few times. "That's right, it is indeed up ahead."

Lowering his flight altitude, Junior Brother Bai Ming braced himself and proceeded cautiously, turning his head from time to time to observe the surrounding environment.

After flying for a while, he saw a pile of pitch-black ink stones appear in front of him, their surfaces devoid of any color, as if soaked in ink.

"Almost there, it should be here." Junior Brother Bai Ming accelerated.

Upon arriving close by, his body felt faintly uncomfortable, and even the circulation of his spiritual power was somewhat obstructed.

There was not a shred of vitality, and the spiritual energy was so thin.

As he analyzed this in his mind, Junior Brother Bai Ming's body suddenly lost its strength, and a wave of gravity struck him, causing him to fall down.

Thud.

He fell onto the black stones; his flight altitude had not been high, only a few meters, so he did not suffer much injury.

His arm ached, and Junior Brother Bai Ming stumbled to his feet, sensing that something was wrong.

The spiritual power inside his body had disappeared!