Countless chaotic thoughts, like fragments, were scattered in the corners, mixed with broken memories.
When his spiritual sense approached, he felt as if he could experience the lives of those people.
The fear of being completely devoured by Aether, the longing for loved ones, the regret and unwillingness of unfulfilled last wishes... but there was no killing intent.
This was completely different from the demon blade mubi, whose will contained only kill! Kill!! Kill!!!
He raised his head.
The largest mass of chaotic thoughts still occupied the very center of the Sea of Consciousness, its endless tendrils seemingly connecting completely with Bai Xian... So, his Martial Aunt's expressions were exceptionally varied today.
But, was it all for this? Even her life didn't matter.
Yun Ming wasn't even sure if her consciousness was still clear; her outrageous behavior just now was probably also influenced by these chaotic thoughts.
And when the research went wrong, she didn't even activate the formation to eliminate the influence, probably knowing that she couldn't take any more stimulation, like a bomb that could explode at any moment, maintaining a delicate balance.
This foolish Martial Aunt, and she still dared to knock him out.
Couldn't she have discussed it with him properly, or was she already delirious when she was at the Hoshimi Family?
Yes, you won't die.
If you won't die, does that mean you can act recklessly?
"..."
Yun Ming's face was expressionless as he began the cleanup, ignoring Bai Xian's constant murmuring beside him in the Sea of Consciousness.
It wasn't until later, when Bai Xian took his hand and hugged his waist from behind, that she offered a rare apology.
"Yun'er, please don't be mad at me, okay?"
Yun Ming still didn't speak, pushing her hand away, but after getting tired from the cleanup and exhausting his spiritual energy, he rested briefly and exited the spiritual sense space.
By this time, the sky was already ablaze with the brilliant evening glow.
A disciple from within the pass brought dinner and was knocking on the Wuji Hall door. Yun Ming got out of bed to open it and greeted his junior sister.
"Second, Second Senior Brother?"
His coldly indifferent face was quite frightening.
The young girl had never seen her usually cheerful Second Senior Brother look like this before; although he was looking at her, he seemed to be ignoring her, lost in other thoughts.
"It's nothing, thank you... Give me the things, I'll take them inside."
This time, the door didn't close.
Yun Ming raised his hand and opened the window as well.
A breeze blew through, bringing with it the noisy sounds of the fellow disciples in the temple; even late at night, people were still coming to have their fortunes told and their divinations cast.
Bai Xian shivered.
She had known all along that Yun'er would be angry.
But she hadn't expected him to be so angry; she was confident that as long as she cleaned it up in time, at most, she would just fall into a coma for ten days to half a month afterward.
Or... half a year?
"If chaotic thoughts occupy your spiritual sense, you'll turn into a madman or a fool..."
"You taught me that."
Yun Ming gently blew on the steaming rice porridge, spooning it to the woman's lips, speaking to himself.
"..."
Perhaps influenced by the chaotic thoughts, Bai Xian was not as 'heartless' as usual, constantly seeking amusement; she truly perceived Yun Ming's worry.
Should she call it a good thing?
Yun'er was worried about her.
But she didn't know how to coax a child, let alone a man; she honestly accepted the feeding.
A strange fear welled up in her heart.
The heat of the rice porridge hadn't dissipated; instead, it seemed to have been reheated and was even hotter. She opened her small mouth and exhaled.
She almost couldn't swallow it.
She couldn't spit it out, nor could she swallow it.
Finally, she clumsily swallowed it, wrapped in a layer of Aether, and a little still overflowed from the corners of her mouth.
"Hot."
"Oh, I did it on purpose. Open your mouth."
"..."
Bai Xian didn't speak, looking deeply at Yun Ming, and obediently opened her mouth. This time it wasn't hot, but bitter.
A talisman spell had been cast on it with spiritual power.
This spell was one she had taught Yun Ming, to make hungry people feel full and bitter things taste sweet.
The principle was empathy, allowing the other person to experience one's own perception of a certain five senses, or to awaken a feeling from their memory.
The little fellow really held a grudge.
He'd only been tricked once when he was little, and he remembered it to this day.
She drank mouthful after mouthful, savoring the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy; these were all commonplace, and in fact, they were tasteless to her.
However, she usually tried to experience them and act normally... She stared at Yun Ming, who was still stubbornly feeding her, so childish... he should know better.
But what could she do? Her Martial Aunt doted on him.
In the last spoonful of rice porridge, the spiritual energy had almost solidified.
Even without consciously sensing it, one could guess that Yun Ming was preparing a surprise for her at the end, as if afraid it wouldn't be strong enough.
If this is enough to make you stop being angry, then your Martial Aunt isn't afraid~
Bottoms up!
Cough, cough, cough—
The last mouthful was spat out, an ineffable anger, yet this anger wasn't about destroying the world, but self-reproach... like her heart was being squeezed to death!
Words choked in her throat.
Wanting to touch, yet only able to clench her fists tightly.
"Why did you spit it out?"
"..."
"I'm sorry..."
"So Martial Aunt can apologize."
Yun Ming meticulously picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, removing all the rice grains, and finally cupped the woman's face in his hands.
His warm breath brushed against her cheeks, tickling slightly.
Bai Xian felt a little uncomfortable; that spiritual energy was constantly affecting her body and senses, but if she were to erase it, Yun'er would probably be unhappy.
She couldn't quite bear it, so she leaned against Yun Ming's chest, her palm resting on his heart, greedily feeling his presence.
"Are you still angry?"
"What is Martial Aunt talking about? How dare I be angry with Martial Aunt?"
"..."
This stubborn temper, she wondered who he learned it from.
Bai Xian didn't really want to act like a demure young woman, but Yun Ming responded to gentleness, not harshness. Well... then she must have learned it from herself.
Strange karma... She blushed and looked up, staring at Yun Ming's face, once full of youthful vigor, now a cold, stern 'little tyrant' due to his anger.
Some strange terms appeared in her mind.
If she thought about it that way, wouldn't she become a 'little pampered wife'... Never mind, why think about him?
Yun'er's happiness was most important.
"I'm going to kiss you, my overbearing Martial Nephew. If you don't say anything, I'll assume you want to kiss me too."
Yun Ming remained cold, as if he had no heart.
But this didn't mean he didn't act; he knew Bai Xian wasn't joking, and if she said she'd kiss him, she would.
However, who allowed her to kiss him?
If you treat me as a Martial Nephew, do what a Martial Aunt should do. If you treat me as more than just a Martial Nephew, please consider my feelings!
And in your current state, if you kiss me, I'm afraid your obsession will turn into a demon, affecting the spiritual sense space, and you'll go crazy... Yun Ming reached for a pastry and put it into her small mouth.
While she was still stunned, he flipped her over onto his lap. He had said that a mischievous female like his Martial Aunt must be severely disciplined.
He meant what he said!
"No resisting."
Slap!
Bai Xian's eyes widened suddenly. She had guessed... but she hadn't expected him to actually hit her? Didn't she have any dignity? Even if he was angry, there should be a limit.
"If you move again, after I heal you, I will sever our Martial Aunt-nephew relationship forever!"
This was not PUA; severing the Martial Aunt-nephew relationship meant establishing a revolutionary friendship... Yun Ming added this in his mind, though he wouldn't say it out loud. He was just an unfeeling iron hand, *slap, slap, slap!*
Until his hand hurt and his spiritual energy was depleted, Bai Xian didn't utter a sound. The mischievous female still had a bit of a stubborn streak, but Yun Ming had hit her with spiritual power mixed in!
It inevitably felt very strange.
She knew that the spiritual energy was rushing towards her Tianxin acupoint, meant to help her suppress the spiritual sense space, but having it surge from that particular spot... it was indeed unbearable... She was about to lose control; she wanted more spiritual energy.
During this, the woman couldn't help but groan, but she didn't beg for mercy.
Only when Yun Ming stopped did she raise her eyes, full of resentment.
"Had enough hitting?"
"No, from now on, whenever I want to hit you, you must obediently listen."
By this time, Yun Ming's anger had subsided.
His Martial Aunt had obediently let him do such a thing, so it seemed she was truly reflecting and acknowledging her mistakes.
Naturally, he, being the bigger person, was magnanimous.
However, he felt that the more he suppressed this spiritual energy, the stranger his Martial Aunt became; even her eyes had changed... Wait a minute!
"Alright, then, Yun'er, have you thought about how you'll take responsibility for me, your Martial Aunt, behind your First Senior Sister and Hong Dou's backs?"
Bai Xian made no attempt to hide it; her eyes were already replaced by lustful chaotic thoughts, even if some clarity remained.
But there was no intention of suppressing them.
She used to think Yun'er was still young, but could being young justify doing such things to his Martial Aunt? Yun'er was truly too much.
You do the first day, I'll do the fifteenth.
She pushed the young man back onto the bed, tore open his collar, and fiercely bit him just below his neck, above his collarbone.
"You shouldn't move either. My love poison is acting up, and if you resist, I don't know what might happen..."