Chapter 66: All Grown Up

By the deep forest near the lake, behind the trees and on top of the rocks.

"This is the situation. Zhao Xiayang is the remnant of the Green Dryad Sect, and Hu San is from the Profound Moon Department of the Green Guards. He is the fox."

"You were deceived by him. There is no treasure in the ruins. The fox released a smoke bomb to trick Zhao Xiayang into finding an opportunity to enter the tomb..."

"Auntie Snake, you really tricked me badly. I almost died in the Dragon Trap Formation."

Lu Bei changed his clothes and, as he spoke, he removed the gauze from She Xuan's hand, applied healing medicine, and rewrapped it. Looking at the heavy injury marks sticking to his wet clothes, he clenched his fist and coughed lightly, taking out a clean robe from his Universe Bag.

Seeing this, She Xuan closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Seeing her consent, Lu Bei rubbed his hands together and reached out, persuading her kindly, "Well, I didn't mean to take advantage of you. Your physical condition is too weak now. To prevent the wound from deteriorating and the injury from worsening, we need to change the dressing quickly. If you feel embarrassed, well... to be honest, there was no need for it in the first place. When I first applied medicine to you, I saw things that should and shouldn't be seen. I didn't miss a single glance."

"Shut up!"

"Right, as soon as I said that, you immediately stopped being shy and even became self-righteous."

"Shut up!"

"You're shutting up, but you're still not silent."

"Hiss..."

"You've shut up now, really shut up this time."

The process of changing the dressing was dull and uninteresting, and the process of changing clothes was also unremarkable. She Xuan couldn't move her hands or feet and was manipulated by Lu Bei throughout. It sounded very exciting, but in reality, because of a certain person's incessant talking, the glamorous and romantic atmosphere never materialized.

Love was tested, and even calluses were worn out, but no sparks were ignited.

Anyway, nothing happened on She Xuan's side. She was so angry that her head hurt, with a buzzing sound in her ears. Not to mention female hormones, even cholesterol would have formed stones in her daily diet.

"So tired. It turns out that changing clothes for someone else is a physical activity. You better get up quickly. Don't bother me next time. This indecent act has really exhausted me. I almost died from embarrassment."

Lu Bei wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, stood with his hands on his hips, and was about to get up when his face suddenly changed, and he squatted down with a look of disbelief.

How is this possible? Why is there respect? This shouldn't be happening!

Lu Bei was greatly puzzled. Clearly, the words spoken by players were just empty talk, equivalent to entering the realm of lust when going online. There were all kinds of encouragement and mutual support. How did it turn out like this when it came to him...

Is this an NPC's benefit?

"Heh."

She Xuan chuckled lightly, seizing the opportunity to mock him, "I thought Master Lu was a righteous gentleman who wouldn't be swayed by beauty. It seems that I misunderstood you."

"Warning, don't play with fire if there's nothing to do. In this desolate wilderness, this crime scene, this man and woman, to put it bluntly, even if you scream your lungs out, it won't make a difference if I want to have some fun."

Lu Bei made a move as if to pounce, scaring She Xuan and causing her face to pale. She pouted and said, "If you don't have the ability, don't show off. If you provoke me, within a year, someone else will take your place... Oh, speaking of which, are you Snake Monster Cultivators also pregnant for ten months?"

She Xuan was so angry that she didn't respond at all, like a dead snake.

Lu Bei took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and carried She Xuan on his back. After determining the direction, he headed west.

Not knowing where the teleportation array had sent him, analyzing the information provided by Zhao Xiayang, it should be within the Eastern Qi County. There was a high possibility of reaching Great Victory Pass by heading west.

She Xuan lay quietly, motionless, while Lu Bei had a lot on his mind and no longer teased her about her stomach bloating. He quickly opened his messages and browsed through them.

[You have completed the mission [Ruins Exploration].]

[You have completed the main quest: Survival, rewarded with 800,000 experience points.]

[You have completed the main quest: Explore Ruins, rewarded with 300,000 experience points based on contribution.]

[You have completed the side quest...]

[You have killed...]

[...]

[You have killed Zhao Xiayang, obtained...]

[You have completed the hidden quest: Crush the Dragon Formation...]

A wave of messages flooded in, main quests, side quests, hidden quests, along with the experience gained from killing Clear Water Gate disciples and the sect leader. In total, this trip yielded 3.8 million experience points.

To be precise, it was 3.84 million. On the leaderboard, She Xuan's contribution value was second only to Zhao Xiayang.

There was no need to be discouraged. Lu Bei firmly believed that She Xuan still had a chance. While Zhao Xiayang's one million experience points were impressive, it was a one-time gain. She Xuan's growth was sustainable, economically and environmentally friendly. With continuous efforts, she would eventually reclaim the top spot.

NPC panels couldn't earn money through quests like players, which Lu Bei regretted. He muttered a few words and pondered how to distribute the experience.

There was no rush. It wouldn't be too late to start when they returned to Nine Bamboo Mountain. With nearly four million experience points, they had to plan carefully.

"Lu... Lu Bei..."

An hour later, She Xuan called out Lu Bei's name for the first time, muttering softly in his ear.

After speaking, she buried her head deeply, her ears turning red.

Lu Bei opened his mouth wide, his face showing an indescribable strangeness. After struggling for a while, he whispered, "You... you're already grown up, where's your brain? Why didn't you solve it in the water earlier?"

"..."

Three days later, Lu Bei carried She Xuan out of the primitive forest and arrived at a nearby village.

It was impossible to carry the princess, as it would be strenuous and could easily lead to misunderstandings. They could either carry her, or let her choose to be carried or tied to the waistband of Lu Bei's pants and dragged on the ground. He let She Xuan decide for herself.

On the second day away from the lake, She Xuan was able to walk on her own, but she was weak from blood loss. She would break into a sweat after a short while of movement, so Lu Bei still had to carry her on their journey.

The decline in the value of the sacrifice worried Lu Bei. He directly asked She Xuan about it, concerned that losing so much precious blood would render her useless as a Monster Cultivator in the future.

She Xuan shook her head and denied it. The source of bloodline was different from ordinary blood. This time, she narrowly escaped death and gained blessings from misfortune. When she regenerated her blood, it further stimulated the source of her bloodline. She solemnly vowed that once she fully recovered and practiced for a while, she would return the humiliation Lu Bei had given her twofold.

Lu Bei encouraged She Xuan's fighting spirit and readily accepted the challenge. However, he expressed his lack of understanding and doubted her so-called blessings from misfortune, comparing it to the bloodletting therapy that even the former president would call an expert in.

This is really like the president riding in an open-top car, with a wild imagination.

Big sister, this is not a popular subject to study!

She Xuan changed her explanation. Bloodletting was not a conventional method; she had simply experienced a series of bad luck, accumulating her luck until it burst out all at once. It was similar to a cultivator's enlightenment during their practice. Once they achieved enlightenment, they could continuously break through several major realms.

Buddhist Cultivators were the best at this. They would sit under a tree, close off their five senses, and after ten years, their golden body would suddenly form.

Lu Bei still didn't understand, but according to She Xuan's words, all of this was common knowledge. He nodded as if he suddenly understood.

After five days of walking and resting, Lu Bei took care of She Xuan and they arrived at Great Victory Pass.

Because she was She Xuan, Lu Bei couldn't bring her to the Zhu Mansion, lest Zhu Bo accuse him of being swayed by beauty and forget his loyalty, resulting in a beating from Zhu Yan and even forgetting who his own brothers were.

And because Zhu Yan was a gossip, Lu Bei couldn't bring She Xuan to the Wei Mansion either, lest his senior sister in the Towering Heaven Sword Sect, who was far away, hear some messy rumors that would damage the image of his righteous and single little junior brother.

After thinking it over, Lu Bei had no choice but to rent a quiet courtyard in Great Victory Pass and settle She Xuan there. Then, he went straight to the Wei Mansion to apologize to his eldest cousin.

The irreplaceable suit of armor was not lost, but it was slightly damaged with five additional holes in the back. It didn't affect its normal use.

His eldest cousin just needed to be careful not to turn his back to the enemy's arrow rain on the battlefield, otherwise Zhu Yan might cry blood and remarry with a daughter in a few years.

Wei Mao: "..."

Taking the suit of armor, he showed no joy or sorrow on his face. His other hand was placed behind him, sometimes clenched into a fist, sometimes forming a claw.

Hearing the sound of his joints cracking, Lu Bei cleared his throat and explained the whole story, then handed over a stack of silver notes.

A gift of apology from Zhao Xiayang, a small token of appreciation, not meant as a sign of respect, only hoping that Wei Mao would overlook the past since he was already a dead man and let go of this grudge.

With a thick stack of silver notes in his hand, Wei Mao flipped through them and his expression improved significantly. He warned, "I will pretend not to know about this matter. As for you, it's best for the people from the Profound Moon Department to have less contact. This knife will make too many enemies, and one day, the Emperor will settle each and every one of them."

Seeing Wei Mao skillfully flipping through the money, Lu Bei strongly suspected that his reputation as an upright official had some flaws. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Rest assured, big cousin. Once I receive the reward, I won't even remember who Hu San is."

"Don't go too far, stay close but not too close. If there are benefits, go for it; if there are no benefits, walk away."

"Understood."

Lu Bei, feeling mischievous, curiously asked, "Big cousin, how much more do you need for your startup capital?"

"Why, are you still interested in collaborating?"

"Well, there will be opportunities in the future. Big cousin, please fix the lock armor as soon as possible."

"Alright."

After resting for two days at Great Victory Pass, Lu Bei once again declined the invitation from the Zhu brothers to join Cloud River Tower. Instead, he broadened his horizons with She Xuan. He was no longer interested in the superficial beauty outside and was focused on the decoration project at Ascension Gate. He hired a carriage and brought She Xuan back to Jade Chime District.

The mountains remained the same, with thin spiritual energy.

However, Ascension Gate was no longer the same Ascension Gate. After a month of travel, the expansion project was already completed. The signboard of Ascension Gate remained unchanged, but the entrance was brighter and more spacious than before. Two stone lions stood in front of the gate, with stone slabs laid out, welcoming guests from all directions. The greenery of the mountains complemented the elegant scenery, simple yet extraordinary, highlighting the dignity and grandeur of the sect.

It was a bit smaller, but it was clearly a proper sect!

Lu Bei was delighted at the sight and disregarded She Xuan, happily pushing open the door and walking in.

In the front courtyard, a young girl in a Daoist robe was sweeping the floor. The robe was large and dragged on the ground, making her work quite laborious.

Lu Bei nodded repeatedly. Not bad. With the family's size and influence, it was time to recruit some honest servants who were pleasing to the eye, aged between sixteen and eighteen, innocent and lively, and wouldn't reveal any bullying incidents.

"Master, you're back?"

The young girl turned around, looking at Lu Bei with joy in her eyes.

She wiped away the sweat from her hard work with her sleeve. Her eyes were clear, her appearance delicate and elegant, without a trace of makeup. Under her slightly upturned nose was a pair of cherry lips with a hint of pink. She seemed pure and translucent, like a piece of unspoiled paper untouched by the world. Her eyes were captivating, exuding a bewitching charm.

"Master?!"

Lu Bei frowned. The appearance of this servant seemed to exceed expectations. With such a face and figure, why would she choose to be a servant? He realized that there was more to this than meets the eye and cautiously asked, "May I ask for the young lady's... name?"

"Master, I am Hu Mang!"

"You are Xiao Mang?"

Although Lu Bei had some guesses, he couldn't help but be taken aback, "Hiss, it hasn't been that long, and you've grown up so much. Come here, let me have a good look."

"Hehe."

"Ah, be careful with the ball, don't bump into me!"

(End of this chapter)

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