As usual, Chen Kuang sat atop the rooftop, playing his Zither.
This had been his habit for nearly six years now. It allowed him to constantly observe that sliver of sky he had once cleaved open with his sword.
As the melody came to an end, he looked down but saw no sign of the Daoist nun who, over the past year, would occasionally drop by to visit.
In fact, ever since Lu Zhexuan had left on her last trip, she hadn't returned for seven days. Nor had she left the Daoist temple again, it seemed as if she had entered seclusion.
Chen Kuang didn't believe that. After all, her last trip out had been to purchase a gift.
And now the gift hadn't even been delivered, how could she suddenly enter closed-door cultivation?
Though Lu Zhexuan had thought she was talking to herself back in the temple, in reality, the hundred-li radius surrounding it was completely within Chen Kuang's spiritual perception.
In other words, every time she answered his music with her flute, he had heard her clearly.
These clues weren't even subtle, they were as blatant as getting slapped across the face.
It wasn't that Chen Kuang was unaware. He simply didn't know how to handle it.
From the moment he sensed what was happening, he had already begun to feel a headache coming on.
The trickiest part of this whole matter was... if something really did happen between the two of them, and he eventually returned to his original timeline, what would he do if he were caught? How would he explain it to Shen Meinan?
Fortunately, since Lu Zhexuan also seemed too embarrassed to speak up, he could just continue pretending to be oblivious...
A few days ago, when Lu Zhexuan suddenly left to buy a gift, Chen Kuang had sensed this might be a turning point.
So he'd been waiting ever since for her to come.
But what he didn't expect... was that Lu Zhexuan would spend seven whole days thinking it over.
That actually made Chen Kuang worry, what if she'd really had some sudden epiphany and gone into seclusion to break through?
Don't tell me she bought a gift, got emotionally stirred, let go of her attachments, saw through the illusions of the mortal world... and just straight-up achieved Dao enlightenment?
Chen Kuang couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Given how Lu Zhexuan turned out in the future... she just might!
As he was thinking this, Chen Kuang suddenly stopped playing and turned his gaze to the half-open courtyard gate below.
A few breaths later, the familiar knock came.
Chen Kuang let out an involuntary sigh of relief, coughed twice, and called out,
"The door's not locked, Fellow Daoist, feel free to come in."
Lu Zhexuan stepped in with graceful lotus-like steps and gently pushed the door open.
The moment Chen Kuang saw her, his eyes lit up, Lu Zhexuan looked quite different today, and she was... breathtaking.
Though she was still in her Daoist robes, she wasn't wearing the usual somber black. Today, she had changed into a deep blue version, a brighter and more striking hue. A waist sash had been added underneath, outlining her already slender figure.
It was a small change in theory, but Lu Zhexuan's figure was exceptionally curvaceous, and now she was tied up like a gourd, a figure that drew the eye irresistibly.
As Chen Kuang examined her more carefully, his heart gave a sudden jolt, and he was momentarily stunned.
He noticed that on her already-beautiful face, she had awkwardly added a faint touch of rosy tint to her lips. She seemed to think it was too thick and had diluted it several times with water, leaving only a subtle sheen of fullness and gloss.
Chen Kuang had seen many women in his past life who were masters of makeup artistry. What Lu Zhexuan had done here didn't even qualify as makeup, it was more like a child secretly smearing on an adult's lipstick.
And yet... it was precisely this kind of clumsy charm, set against her usually restrained and austere appearance, that struck Chen Kuang so hard it became difficult to hold himself together.
"A woman dresses up for the one she loves."
So that day she went out, she'd actually gone to buy mortal rouge?
Lu Zhexuan took a deep breath. Though she didn't seem particularly flustered, she still greeted Chen Kuang with a formal Daoist salute, as always.
Chen Kuang stepped down and gently set aside his Zither.
Lu Zhexuan clenched the sachet hidden in her sleeve. Even though she had spent seven whole days preparing herself mentally, when the moment arrived... she still couldn't get the words out.
The two stood facing each other in silence.
Lu Zhexuan's face, expressionless as ever, was starting to turn more and more flushed.
After a long pause, Chen Kuang looked at her and finally spoke:
"Today... shall we still discuss the Dao?"
Lu Zhexuan gave a nearly inaudible hum, her voice no louder than a mosquito's, and she didn't even know how the words came out of her mouth:
"Dis-discuss... yes, discuss the Dao."
Chen Kuang glanced at her with a neutral expression, then turned and walked toward the low table beneath the eaves.
"I happen to be out of tea today. My apologies for the poor hospitality, Fellow Daoist..."
Lu Zhexuan kept a serious face but suddenly blurted out in a flat, stumbling tone:
"A-Actually, the weather outside looks rather poor... it would ruin the mood. Why Don't, why don't we move to the study instead?"
Bad weather?
Chen Kuang looked up at the sky.
There were a few clouds up there today, sure, but sunlight was still shining through...
But in the very next moment, as if summoned from nowhere, a massive black cloud surged across the sky, blotting out the sun from every direction!
"BOOM!"
Thunder roared! Lightning flickered like serpents!
"WHOOOSH!"
Fierce winds swept through the courtyard, causing all the trees to sway violently.
"CRASH!"
Then came a torrential downpour, soaking the entire world in mere seconds.
It all happened within just a few breaths, catching everyone completely off guard.
Chen Kuang: "..."
He silently pulled out his Sea Dust Fan, which, most of the time, he only carried for aesthetic flair. With a gentle wave, the rainwater about to fall in the courtyard reversed and rose back into the sky.
This Sea Dust Fan truly possessed the power to "move the sea like dust."
As he continued to wave the fan, Chen Kuang gazed up at the sky, his eyes thoughtful.
To summon such wind and rain on a whim... this was truly the work of an immortal.
Some great expert had intervened?
But if so, what kind of high-level expert had so little to do that they'd help Lu Zhexuan pull off something like this...
But since things had already come to this point, Chen Kuang could only go along with it.
He turned to Lu Zhexuan and said solemnly, "In that case... there's nothing else for it. Please, Fellow Daoist, follow me."
Lu Zhexuan hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Chen Kuang led the way, turning down a couple of corridors before finally arriving at the rear courtyard.
This was also Lu Zhexuan's first time seeing the full layout of the residence... it was even larger and more refined than she had imagined.
Only when Chen Kuang opened the door and stepped into the room, and Lu Zhexuan followed him in, did she realize something was wrong.
This was not a study... but a bedchamber.
Lu Zhexuan's steps came to a stiff halt as she looked at the neat and tidy bed inside the room. Just then, she saw Chen Kuang turn a corner and open a side door.
And beyond that door, was the actual study.
Lu Zhexuan froze.
Chen Kuang glanced back at the bed and smiled in explanation:
"This room actually belonged to my disciple. His generosity was lacking, he only agreed to give me one room. So I had to divide it into a bedchamber and a study, and that entrance is the only way in. I hope Fellow Daoist won't mind."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhexuan instantly felt a bit embarrassed.
So it was just a misunderstanding on her part...
Chen Kuang led her into the study and invited her to sit before asking, "Fellow Daoist, what confuses you today?"
Her seat directly faced the door, and with one glance she could see the nearby bed. But she didn't dare look that way even once.
The Daoist nun turned her head slightly, tightly clutching the sachet in her hand, and said in a soft voice:
"Dual Cultivation..."
Chen Kuang feigned surprise: "What was that?"
Lu Zhexuan steeled herself, closed her eyes, and said:
"Regarding the path of dual cultivation... I have had had some doubts lately. I ask... I ask that Senior enlighten me."
By the time she finished speaking, her beautiful, fair face was flushed red, like a dewdrop-covered pink lotus about to bloom, standing alone in the water, delicate petals trembling as if awaiting someone's gentle plucking.
A man and a woman alone, discussing the Great Dao, how exactly was he to 'enlighten' her?
Chen Kuang stepped forward, leaned down slightly, and asked, "Are you serious?"
Lu Zhexuan opened her eyes, and his face was mere inches away.
She responded hoarsely, "I am."
Chen Kuang smiled: "Very well."
He... he agreed.
Lu Zhexuan's heart was in turmoil. She couldn't tell whether she felt relieved or even more nervous. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and her heartbeat raced even faster than during life-or-death combat.
What was she supposed to do next?
Before coming here, she had reread the dual cultivation section of the "Phoenix Codex Sutra" countless times. But now that the moment was here, she couldn't recall a single word...
As she hesitated, Chen Kuang straightened and walked past her to a nearby bookshelf. He took down a book, his lips curled in a faint smile.
Flipping it open, he murmured,
"'Yin and Yang in harmony, giving rise to unceasing transformation'... Previously, I discussed the Way of External Alchemy with you. As for this path of Dual Cultivation, it is, in fact, one of the orthodox internal alchemy methods."
Chen Kuang explained seriously,
"A true cultivator seeks the Innate True Lead, and must obtain it from the place where life and breath first emerge. Only then can one acquire the primal One Qi and return to the origin, to return to Heaven itself."
Lu Zhexuan blinked and muttered:
"I've studied these theories before..."
Chen Kuang walked behind her, resting a hand lightly on the back of her chair, feigning surprise:
"Oh? Then do you know, what is 'Innate True Lead'? And where is the 'place where life and breath first emerge'?"
He sounded so earnest that Lu Zhexuan dared not show any "improper thoughts."
She answered, "'Innate True Lead' refers to a woman's... woman's..."
Chen Kuang rolled the book into a scroll, tapped it lightly on the chair's back like a teacher testing a student:
"Woman's what? Didn't Fellow Daoist say you'd studied this?"
Lu Zhexuan nearly crushed the sachet in her hand before she could mumble out the answer quickly and quietly.
Chen Kuang chuckled:
"Then what is the 'place where life and breath first emerge'?"
This time, Lu Zhexuan couldn't bring herself to say it.
Chen Kuang sighed:
"Alas, it seems Fellow Daoist's learning is not yet thorough."
"How about reviewing this book of mine? Once you master the basics, we can discuss the Dao further."
He handed her the book.
Lu Zhexuan felt disheartened. She had prepared for this moment for days, and yet when the time came, she was still so useless...
She reached for the book in his hands, only to find it wouldn't budge. Puzzled, she looked up at him.
Chen Kuang said,
"This passage describes the 'place where life and breath first emerge.' Has Fellow Daoist understood it now?"
Lu Zhexuan was forced to look directly at the page for the first time.
The ever-modest Daoist nun glanced once and immediately looked away, as if scalded. Biting her lip, she whispered, "I understand."
Chen Kuang flipped another page and continued,
"This particular cultivation technique is designed for male practitioners, so it only records how to obtain 'True Lead.' If it were for female cultivators, it would also explain how to obtain 'True Mercury'..."
He turned toward her. "Does Fellow Daoist possess such a cultivation technique?"
Lu Zhexuan nodded. "I do."
Chen Kuang asked again,
"Then does Fellow Daoist know what 'True Mercury' is?"
Her face flushed crimson, her eyes darted everywhere but at him:
"The Yin within Li... that is 'True Mercury.'"
Chen Kuang pursued the question:
"And what exactly is 'the Yin within Li'?"
He spoke seriously,
"I haven't studied other cultivation techniques, and my knowledge is incomplete. I genuinely don't know, and I hope Fellow Daoist can enlighten me."
After all, to discuss the Dao, it couldn't just be one person lecturing, it required mutual exchange.
Lu Zhexuan thought about this. Remembering how Chen Kuang had helped her before, and now that he was asking for her guidance, she felt she had to offer something in return.
Moreover, in her eyes, Chen Kuang was a nearly omniscient senior cultivator. Compared to him, her talent was poor, and she often felt inferior.
But now that he had asked her for guidance, she felt a spark of confidence.
No matter what, she must teach him well!
Encouraged by this thought, she completely immersed herself in the "Dao discussion," suppressing her shame and said:
"'The Yin within Li' is ultimate Yin, to be drawn from a man's body."
Chen Kuang's smile deepened.
"And how is it drawn?"
Lu Zhexuan even tried to recall seriously. Just as she was about to speak, she froze.
Wait, what was she being so serious for?!
Now, was this not the perfect opportunity?
He didn't know.
Then why not demonstrate for him? A seeker of the Dao must pursue it through the Dao itself.
Lu Zhexuan bit her lip and summoned her courage:
"Words alone... are unreliable. I... I can demonstrate for you, Fellow Daoist. Try it once, and you'll understand."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.
The Daoist nun glanced up at Chen Kuang. Her fox-like phoenix eyes were now shrouded in misty clouds, gleaming with a damp, hazy light that held a sultry warmth.
She let go of the cultivation technique in her hands and subtly slipped the sachet into Chen Kuang's palm.
Chen Kuang's eyes darkened. He no longer teased her and said softly:
"Excellent... Where do we begin?"
Lu Zhexuan picked up the cultivation technique again, pulled Chen Kuang's hand toward her, and pointed to the passage,
"'The place where life and breath first emerge'... is here."
Chen Kuang pulled her closer. The two shifted positions, she now sat on his lap as he smiled: "Why didn't you remember earlier?"
Lu Zhexuan let out a soft, coquettish hum, lips trembling as she leaned dazedly into him: "Without practice... I can't remember."
This Daoist nun, normally filled with Righteous Qi, now acting coquettish, was absolutely lethal.
Chen Kuang took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
"Seems for the sake of your cultivation, Fellow Daoist... we must practice quite a bit more."