Xia Yueyou walked into the wooden house and glanced around. The house had a three-section layout: the middle was the main hall, and the two sides were presumably bedrooms and the like.
Xuanchen was leaning comfortably in a redwood chair, casually crossing his legs as he read an ancient book in his hands.
When Xia Yueyou saw the title of the book clearly, a stormy upheaval surged in her heart.
On the cover of the somewhat worn ancient book were written the words: *How to Forge the Golden Core*!
In an era where even Foundation Establishment cultivators were considered mighty figures, a Golden Core cultivator was an existence capable of overturning an entire nation!
Seeing her enter, Xuanchen smiled, his eyes appreciating her peerless beauty. "You aren't going down the mountain yet? You can stay here for the night if you like, but you'll have to agree to one more request of mine."
Xia Yueyou walked over to the wooden chair opposite him and sat down, ignoring the awkwardness on her face. "Xuanchen, you've lived in seclusion in these mountains for decades, so you probably haven't experienced the modern era much, have you? Why don't you come down the mountain with us and take a look at present-day Huaxia?"
"You must want to invite me down the mountain to heal someone, and I'd wager that person is very important to you," Xuanchen said with a half-smile.
Having her motive exposed brought a flush of red to Xia Yueyou's normally cool and aloof face.
Dropping the beating around the bush, she said directly, "Yes, my grandfather was severely injured and hasn't woken up yet."
"After consulting a pharmacist, he said that at least a grade-two healing spirit medicine is needed for my grandfather to have a chance of recovering, so..."
Xuanchen smiled and took over the conversation, "So not only do you want to take the spirit medicine, but you also want to take the person who gives it to you?"
Xia Yueyou nodded with a blushing face. He was still teasing her.
If he hadn't demonstrated his instantaneous healing skills right in front of her, she would already be on her way down the mountain by now.
There was a heavy dose of deliberate mischief in this.
"Not going. The mortal world is nothing special, and besides, that's your grandfather, not mine."
"Xuanchen, Huaxia might not have been very interesting when you went into seclusion, but decades have passed, and things have changed completely. I'm sure you'll find it interesting."
Xia Yueyou continued her persuasion. Even if she had to throw away every ounce of her pride today, she was determined to invite him down the mountain. As for what came afterward, they could discuss it slowly once they reached the outside world.
"What you say makes sense; decades have passed, and the country is bound to develop. However, I'm still not going."
"Why? As long as you come down the mountain to save my grandfather, regardless of whether he can be cured, my Xia family will offer a generous reward," Xia Yueyou said anxiously.
Xuanchen stood up, gave his legs a theatrical pat, and said, "Well, you see, I'm getting old, my legs and feet aren't what they used to be, and I'm not suited for long journeys. Unless..." He stopped mid-sentence.
Knowing that he was about to make a demand, Xia Yueyou knowingly took the cue and asked, "Unless what?"
"Unless you carry me down the mountain on your back."
"You!" Xia Yueyou's face turned beet red, and she abruptly stood up.
Seeing her reaction, Xuanchen added another condition: "If you agree, your grandfather will recover very quickly."
Xia Yueyou stared at him with a look of shame and anger. After a moment of silent deliberation, she gritted her teeth. "Fine, I'll carry you!"
"Haha, good. The day is still young, let's get moving."
"Xiao Xue, pack up, we're getting ready to leave." Xia Yueyou walked out of the wooden house and packed up all their luggage.
Afterward, she handed her hiking backpack to Xuanchen and smiled faintly, "Elder Xuanchen, I won't be able to carry a backpack if I'm carrying you, so I'll have to trouble you with this."
Since he claimed to be old and frail with bad legs, she would address him as Elder.
Xuanchen smiled, unbothered. He reached out to take the hiking backpack, then looked at Murong Xue and said, "Little girl, hand your bag to me as well."
The little loli blankly handed over her hiking backpack, then watched with wide eyes as both backpacks vanished right in front of her.
"Mister, do you have the legendary Sumeru spatial pouch?"
"I suppose I do," Xuanchen replied ambiguously.
The little loli curled her lip, then her eyes suddenly bulged. What was she seeing?!
Her older sister had actually bent down and hoisted the mister she kept talking about onto her back!
Murong Xue felt as though a thunderbolt had struck right beside her ear; she was utterly dumbfounded.
"Xiao Xue, don't ask, let's head down the mountain." Xia Yueyou felt helpless; she had known it would come to this.
Xuanchen wrapped his arms around her neck, behaving properly as she carried him. Feeling the soft and tender body of the woman, the corners of his mouth curved upward.
After the three of them had walked a certain distance away from the small courtyard, it vanished into thin air.
...
"Hey, mister, are you really going to make my sister carry you all the way down the mountain?"
Murong Xue hugged her older sister's long sword tightly to her chest, saying with a hint of bitterness. Her sister had never even carried *her* on her back.
"Haha, little girl, it's no use being envious; your sister didn't say a word against it." Xuanchen laughed heartily.
"Xiao Xue, whenever you see any medicinal herbs, pick them and hand them over to Elder Xuanchen," Xia Yueyou said, turning her head toward Murong Xue.
They hadn't brought enough storage space for herbs when they came up, leaving behind many rare and precious traditional medicinal ingredients. Now that they had a human-shaped warehouse, it would be a waste not to use it.
"Tsk, Little Yueyou, did you forget the first request you promised me?"
Xia Yueyou took two deep breaths. She couldn't break her promise, so she changed how she addressed him. "Xuanchen."
"Hmm," Xuanchen acknowledged. "I feel that calling me straight by my name is a bit distant. How about you call me A-Chen instead?"
She pressed her lips together and stayed silent. How could she possibly bring herself to use such an intimate nickname for a man?
"Why can't you say it? Not only did you embrace me, but now you're carrying me on your back. Aren't we intimate enough?"
A shock went through Xia Yueyou's heart. She abruptly came to a halt and asked in astonishment, "Can you use the Heart-Communication Technique?"
"I can. Want to learn? As long as you call me A-Chen from now on, I'll teach you," Xuanchen tempted her.
A struggle arose within her. On one hand was her sense of shame, and on the other was the desire to grow stronger. If she mastered the Heart-Communication Technique, many things would become much simpler.
"Stop hesitating. You definitely have to choose to grow stronger. Shame is the kind of thing you just get used to."
With a blushing face, Xia Yueyou snapped, "Don't read my mind! You need to respect personal privacy!"
"All right, I won't read it. Don't be mad. Here, have an apple." Xuanchen coaxed her, producing a bright red apple and holding it near her lips.
Out of spite, she bit off a huge chunk, looking as though she weren't eating an apple, but rather someone in particular.
Following the bite marks she had left, Xuanchen took a large bite himself and began to crunch away happily.
"Xuanchen, that's what I bit into! Why are you so..."
"It's fine, I don't mind you," he interrupted her right before she could say the rest of the words.
Then, he offered the bitten apple right back to her lips.
"Take it away, I don't want it." Xia Yueyou turned her head away in disgust.
"Little Yueyou, check how you're feeling inside your body before you make up your mind," Xuanchen said with a soft smile.
Xia Yueyou paused. After carefully sensing her internal condition, a look of sheer bewilderment flashed across her face.