“Cough, cough… Brother Ye Kong, I’m fine.” Lu Qin lay on the bed, coughing as she spoke. “Brother Ye Kong, did I delay your cultivation? I’m really okay, cough… it’s just a bit of a chill, that’s all.”

Lu Qin’s complexion didn’t look good. Her lips were pale and dry, and her face had an unhealthy flush to it. When Ye Kong touched her forehead with his hand, it felt burning hot.

“Looks like you really did catch a chill.” Ye Kong nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed with concern. “The weather’s so hot – how did you catch a chill? You must have been trying to stay too cool, right?”

Lu Qin grinned without answering, but Xiaohong, who was bringing in food from outside, rushed to speak up. “Eighth Young Master, it wasn’t from trying to stay cool. Little Qin caught a chill because of you…”

“Sister Xiaohong… cough, cough, cough… you…” Lu Qin didn’t want her to say it, but in her agitation, she started coughing even harder. Ye Kong quickly supported her delicate frame and gently patted her back.

Xiaohong closed her mouth, and Chen Jiuniang said with a smile, “What’s the harm in telling Kong’er?” Since Chen Jiuniang was speaking, Lu Qin couldn’t stop her and could only lower her head as Chen Jiuniang explained how she’d caught the chill.

It was because Ye Kong had told her that his recent cultivation was very important – a critical juncture – and that she absolutely couldn’t let anyone approach his room.

Actually, Ye Kong had said this partly to make them take it seriously, and partly to have Lu Qin keep watch against Xiaohong.

But the little girl Lu Qin had taken it to heart. After moving here, she’d guarded outside Ye Kong’s room day and night without rest. Not only did she stay there during the day, but at night she’d only sleep briefly before sitting outside his door to watch over him again. The previous two times Ye Kong had come out of seclusion, he hadn’t noticed. So after more than ten days of this, her body naturally couldn’t take it anymore. The night before last, she’d fallen asleep outside and when she woke up, she was sick.

“You silly girl, why don’t you know how to take care of yourself?” Ye Kong scolded after hearing the story. “When I told you to make sure people didn’t come close, I was guarding against those maids coming to disturb me. In the middle of the night there isn’t even a ghost around – why were you still guarding the door? Tell me, are you stupid or what?”

“For Brother Ye Kong’s matters, Little Qin will always do [Read on Jormuntl]her utmost. Even suffering a bit is nothing.” Lu Qin lifted her face firmly to look at Ye Kong.

This girl really was deeply in love. Ye Kong sighed, helping her lie down as he said gently, “Don’t do this anymore. Even if someone disturbs me, it’s actually fine – it won’t have too much impact on me. You need to take care of yourself and not make me worry.”

“Cough… but I’m afraid bad people might try to harm you while you’re in closed-door cultivation.” Lu Qin insisted.

“Afraid of what? Don’t you know how formidable your Brother Ye Kong is?” Ye Kong somewhat regretted not telling Lu Qin about the formation. Otherwise she wouldn’t have gotten sick over this.

Ye Kong looked up at Xiaohong, thinking to himself that this girl was really in the way, hanging around here every day and making it inconvenient for him to speak freely.

Seeing Ye Kong’s displeased glance, both Chen Jiuniang and Xiaohong misunderstood, thinking the two lovebirds wanted to whisper sweet nothings to each other.

“Ah, when sons grow up, they find their old mother getting in the way.” Chen Jiuniang laughed and, ignoring Lu Qin who was too embarrassed to lift her head, pulled Xiaohong’s arm to leave together. At the door she didn’t forget to remind him, “Kong’er, don’t forget to eat!”

As Chen Jiuniang and Xiaohong left the room, Xiaohong’s heart felt chaotic. She’d seen Ye Kong’s expression – he found her presence annoying. That look of disgust really hurt.

“Xiaohong, let’s go check Kong’er’s room to see if it needs cleaning.” Chen Jiuniang’s voice interrupted Xiaohong’s troubled thoughts.

“Go to Eighth Young Master’s room…” Xiaohong’s heart jumped. To her, that was forbidden territory. Ye Kong’s secret techniques might very well be in there, and she’d never had a chance to search his room alone.

Xiaohong’s mind raced as she quickly said, “Auntie, you should rest. Let me go tidy his room by myself.”

Over the past two weeks, Xiaohong had come every day, ​visit our site​working diligently with sweet words. Chen Jiuniang had developed quite a favorable impression of her, so she nodded. “Alright then, I’ll trouble you with that.”

“Auntie, what are you saying? This is what a maid should do.” Xiaohong smiled, releasing Chen Jiuniang’s arm. Her small feet moved quickly as she entered Ye Kong’s room. She felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

As soon as Chen Jiuniang and Xiaohong left, Ye Kong told Lu Qin about the formation, letting her know that even if someone disturbed him, it wouldn’t hurt him – there was a layer of formation protection outside.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. Then why did you still tell us not to let people come close?” Lu Qin said reproachfully.

Ye Kong explained, “I was afraid people would discover the formation. When that formation activates, anyone who walks to my door will be pushed away by a great force. If people noticed this strange phenomenon, they’d suspect I’m an immortal cultivator.”

“Oh, cough.” Lu Qin nodded. “Then I still need to help you watch.”

Ye Kong smiled. “You should focus on recovering first. From now on just watch during the day – there’s no need at night. If someone comes at night, they definitely have ill intentions, and I won’t be polite to them!”

Lu Qin nodded, then suddenly realized her whole body had curled up in Ye Kong’s embrace. Her pretty face reddened as she pushed Ye Kong away. “Brother Ye Kong, go eat. The food will get cold.”

Ye Kong smiled. “Wait a moment. Before eating, there’s something else I need to do.”

Actually, Ye Kong meant treating Lu Qin’s illness, but the little girl thought his words sounded ambiguous, as if he wanted to do something else. She became terribly embarrassed, her small face turning red enough to bleed, and pushed Ye Kong away forcefully.

“Brother Ye Kong is so bad. I’m sick!” The little girl said this and burrowed under the thin quilt, even sticking her head inside.

Looking at the delicate figure in the bedding, and thinking of her sitting alone in the courtyard [visit our site]through the long nights, Ye Kong suddenly had a strong impulse – he really wanted to pamper her thoroughly.

“Little Qin…” Ye Kong lowered his head and kissed her through the quilt, then said, “A chill is no problem. Wait for me to go back and draw you a Wind-Expelling Talisman, and you’ll be better right away.”

Ye Kong got off the bed. Someone wasn’t happy and protested loudly, “Hey! Are you a man or what? Kissing a quilt – what the hell is that? You should’ve pulled off the quilt and pounced on her, let this old ancestor watch to his heart’s content!”

“Damn it to hell, if you hadn’t made a sound, I would’ve actually forgotten you were there.” Ye Kong thought to himself. Good thing he hadn’t done anything. If the old bastard had seen Little Qin’s body, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?

“Tch, this old ancestor has lived so long – what haven’t I seen? Women’s asses far more beautiful than this little girl’s, I’ve seen at least a hundred…”

Ye Kong completely ignored his crude words. Finding it meaningless, Old Ancestor Yellow Springs changed topics. “Though those women were beautiful, I really haven’t seen a girl as devoted and loyal as this one.”

“That’s for certain. Devoted and loyal good women can only be found in the mortal world. Old Ancestor, when you seize a new body and are reborn, how about I introduce you to a devoted and loyal girl too?” Ye Kong asked with a smile.

“This old ancestor can’t handle that.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs shook his head. “Women with devotion and loyalty are certainly what men seek, but they can’t help with cultivation at all. Instead, because of worldly love, they disturb one’s cultivation state. I advise you not to invest too deeply either!”

Ye Kong found it amusing. This old bastard really had his eye on Xiaohong. But did he even have the equipment for that?

The Xiaohong they were discussing was currently searching through Ye Kong’s room, wanting to find cultivation techniques, secret manuals, or some secret. But aside from discovering a pile of papers on the desk covered in incomprehensible scribbles, she found nothing else.

“Could the secret be hidden in these patterns I don’t understand?” Xiaohong stared blankly at Ye Kong’s practice talisman drawings, trying to see something meaningful in them.

“What are you doing here?”

Ye Kong’s sudden return scared Xiaohong half to death. Her hand trembled before she answered, “Ei-Eighth Young Master, your mother told me to clean your room.”

Ye Kong frowned. “My room doesn’t need cleaning.”

“Oh.” Xiaohong was still quite afraid of Ye Kong. She lowered her head and stood to the side.

“She’s got a guilty conscience,” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ voice rang in Ye Kong’s mind.

“She just saw me suddenly become formidable and wants to dig up some inside information. It’s nothing,” Ye Kong replied.

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs continued, “Actually this girl has feelings for you too. Why not just pin her down and take her maidenhood? Then she’ll be devoted to you unto death, and you won’t need to guard against her…”

Ye Kong smiled bitterly. “What kind of Yellow Springs Old Ancestor are you? You’re more like the Perverted Old Ancestor! BT maniac! Criminal instigator!”

“Alright, alright, I’m just making a suggestion – whether you listen is up to you.” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs said unhappily. “Hurry up and draw the talisman. I want to see what this Wind-Expelling Talisman is. A talisman for curing illness – this old ancestor has lived a hundred thousand years and it’s the first time I’ve heard of such a thing.”

Seeing that Ye Kong wasn’t speaking to her, his expression changing constantly, Xiaohong felt anxious but didn’t dare say she was leaving. She could only stand there awkwardly.

“Eighth Young Master… are you going to write something?” Xiaohong asked timidly.

“Mm.” Although he’d rejected Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ suggestion, Ye Kong co[unauthorized copy]uldn’t help but be somewhat tempted.

“Don’t grind that ink – grind this.” Ye Kong took out another inkstone from the drawer. Inside was some iron-red powder.

Xiaohong felt that Eighth Young Master didn’t seem angry, so she boldly asked, “Eighth Young Master, what is this?”

“Mercury sulfide.” Ye Kong didn’t say cinnabar, but used the chemical name instead.

“Mercury sulfide?” Not only Xiaohong, even Old Ancestor Yellow Springs asked in bewilderment.

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. These are chemical terms that explain the essential components of this substance.” Ye Kong spouted several new terms, leaving Old Ancestor Yellow Springs completely confused.

This was exactly the effect Ye Kong wanted. The more mysterious he seemed, the less likely the old bastard would dare harm him. Only then would he dare release the old bastard from his Spirit Platform. He had to let him out – staying in Ye Kong’s mind, the old man knew all his secrets, making it inconvenient even to kiss Lu Qin on the lips.

Was Old Ancestor Yellow Springs intimidated? Who knew. But Xiaohong now admired this little man two years younger than her even more. He knew so much – things she couldn’t even understand when she heard them.

Generally, when someone spoke in ways ordinary people couldn’t understand, they were definitely experts or professors worthy of respect. Xiaohong’s eyes practically had little stars in them. If she knew this guy hadn’t even graduated middle school back on Earth, who knows what she’d think.