Chapter 1087: Deception or Returning from the Dead?

Jian Taiding didn’t know why he was wailing there; his elder brother was clearly dead. Yet, he was all alone, suffering from a crushing pain and injustice with no other outlet for his emotions, only his brother’s lifeless body nearby. Seeing his brother’s familiar face and recalling the care he had shown him in past years, a wave of sorrow washed over him.

Everything he had done was for his sister-in-law, but now she was giving herself to another man. What meaning did any of his efforts hold then? If Yu Yanluo had shown even a hint of unwillingness or struggle, he might have accepted it, only hating Zu’an. But her pretense of reluctance, followed by a yielding “As you wish,” had utterly shattered his Dao heart. She was clearly willing! The love he once felt for Yu Yanluo was now matched only by his hatred. Thus, his words against her were filled with extreme vilification and distortion. Of course, to him, this wasn’t distortion but simply how he perceived things. He was merely instinctively seeking someone to vent to, his eyes glazed over, rambling incoherently. He didn’t notice the faint cracks that now seemed to appear on the ice sculpture encasing Jian Yanyou.

Meanwhile, in the cold pond, Yu Yanluo let out a small gasp, instinctively clutching her chest, a deep blush spreading across her face. Zu’an was speechless. “Madam, you were so poised and composed just moments ago; why are you suddenly shy now?”

Yu Yanluo thought, *How could it be the same?* Before, she had resigned herself to her fate, merely intending for him to help her detoxify, after which they would go their separate ways. Naturally, she had let go of all inhibitions. But now that he was treating her this way, amidst her gratitude, she also knew that she couldn’t possibly sever ties with him afterward. Her shyness naturally returned.

“Be good, open your hands,” Zu’an said, assuming she was disoriented from the poison and trying to comfort her.

Yu Yanluo thought, *…I’m not a little girl wanting a lollipop; do I need to be coaxed like this?* Despite her internal吐槽, she instinctively followed his instruction and relaxed her hands.

*Oh, such a shameful feeling.* It felt as if she was completely opening her body to him. Even though she had navigated among heroes of the world for years and was well-traveled and mentally strong, she was still overwhelmed with shyness.

Zu’an, however, dared not delay, fearing he might genuinely lose control if he watched any longer. His fingers moved like lightning, rapidly tapping on her acupoints. After reaching the fourth layer, the Hongmeng Primordial Scripture could heal wounds and extend life. Though she wasn't injured, there were similarities. Ultimately, the “Bull’s Milk” potion, personally formulated by the Poisonous Child, was too potent, rendering the “Calming & Purifying Pill” ineffective. Now, Zu’an was using the coldness of the千年寒潭 water to suppress the corrupting heat within her, then introducing Primordial Qi into her body to guide the effects of the “Calming & Purifying Pill,” driving and concentrating all the corrupting heat throughout her body into one place. Finally, using the healing method of the Hongmeng Primordial Scripture, he would force the concentrated corrupting heat completely out of her body.

Yu Yanluo, who had been tormented by the unbearable internal heat from the “Bull’s Milk” and the biting cold of the pond water, felt an extremely uncomfortable sensation, a mixture of scorching heat and biting cold. As Zu’an’s fingers tapped, she felt warm currents of vital energy enter her body. That comforting feeling, like rain after a long drought, made her involuntarily let out a soft moan.

Zu’an thought, *…* Hearing that sweet, languid moan, Zu’an jolted, almost losing control of his vital energy. “With a pure heart, one remains calm even if the sky falls…” He hastily collected himself and continued to detoxify her.

Listening to his strange, muttered incantations, Yu Yanluo couldn’t help but chuckle. *This fellow is truly a fool. I had clearly given my implicit consent just now, yet he chose this particular way to save me.* Was he a fool, or a true gentleman? Gazing at his resolute face, like a marble statue, Yu Yanluo’s eyes softened.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but Yu Yanluo was by now perspiring heavily and could no longer maintain her initial composure. She felt several forces continuously clashing within her body: the coldness of the pond water, the medicinal properties of the Calming & Purifying Pill, the corrupting heat of the Bull’s Milk, and his unique vital energy. While the other three forces caused her extreme discomfort, only Zu’an’s peculiar vital energy brought immense comfort. That strong contrast made her involuntarily cry out in pleasure.

At first, she felt ashamed and gritted her teeth to endure, but gradually her willpower crumbled. She thought, *He’s focused on detoxifying me; if I just hum quietly, he probably won’t hear me.* So, she furtively opened her eyes a crack to observe his expression while letting out muffled hums from her throat. Sure enough, he didn’t seem to notice. She gradually breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon that feeling returned, and she had no choice but to resort to the same trick. Again and again, each time undetected. Later, she grew bolder, her sounds becoming more and more apparent. In a normal situation, she would naturally know that he couldn’t possibly not hear, but in this context, how could she think normally? As she became increasingly unrestrained, Zu’an finally couldn’t take it anymore. His voice was hoarse and thick, as if a fire was burning in his throat.

“Madam, could you please not make those sounds? Even a saint couldn’t resist that. I don’t want to fail at the last hurdle.”

“Ah?” Yu Yanluo finally realized that he had heard everything from beginning to end. Overwhelmed with shame and fury, she buried her head in the water and then bit him hard.

Zu’an hissed, sucking in a sharp breath. *This woman’s small mouth, usually so gentle, bites so painfully!* Fearing he might injure her with a counter-force, he remained still, letting her bite him, while he continued to focus on her treatment. Feeling his protective care, Yu Yanluo bit for a while, then felt a pang of apology. Adjusting her mood, she released her bite, resurfaced, and glared at him crossly. “You’re truly rotten!” At the same time, she rubbed her slightly sore cheeks. *Why is this man’s body so hard?* In her mortification and fury, she had used all her strength in that bite. With her cultivation, though she couldn’t bite through gold or iron, it should have at least drawn blood. Yet, after biting for a long time, her teeth ached, and all she left were a few shallow teeth marks.

Zu’an felt a little depressed. “I was kindly detoxifying you, maintaining proper boundaries from start to finish. How did I become the rotten one?”

“You stripped off my clothes, and your hands touched all over me. You call that maintaining proper boundaries?” Yu Yanluo retorted bitterly.

Zu’an pointed to her undergarments. “Aren’t you still wearing clothes? In my hometown, things like bikinis and two-piece swimsuits show more than what you’re wearing now. Besides, I’m treating you; a doctor sees no gender.”

“Oh? A doctor sees no gender, then why does the divine physician Ji Dengtu like to collect women’s underwear?” Yu Yanluo sneered.

Zu’an’s eyes widened. *She knows even that?* He could only explain, “Ji Dengtu is Ji Dengtu, and I am me.”

A blush flickered across Yu Yanluo’s face. “You’re even worse than Ji Dengtu! That vital energy of yours is so strange, it made me feel even more uncomfortable than when I was hit by the ‘Bull’s Milk’!”

Zu’an thought, *Were you uncomfortable? You were clearly so comfortable you couldn’t help but cry out.* But then he paused, remembering that when he helped Tang Tian’er heal last time, she also seemed unable to stop. *Does the Hongmeng Primordial Scripture also have the effect of pleasure-inducing vital energy when treating others?* No, it couldn’t be. He had never heard Qin Shihuang mention it before, nor had Mi Li. If it were true, she couldn’t possibly not know.

“Nothing to say now, huh?” Yu Yanluo felt a pang of guilt after her outburst. She knew she was being unreasonable, but what had just happened was simply too embarrassing. *I didn’t want to make those sounds, no, it was that scoundrel’s vital energy playing tricks. It was clearly improper!*

Zu’an could only say, “Alright, alright, it’s all my fault. Bear with it; there’s just the most crucial part left.” With that, his vital energy suddenly erupted. Yu Yanluo let out a cry, embracing him and trembling uncontrollably.

Zu’an breathed a sigh of relief. “Most of the toxins have been forced out. The rest will slowly recover; it shouldn’t affect you much now.”

Yu Yanluo gave him a plaintive gaze. With such a shameful moment completely exposed before him, how could she face him again in the future? After her trembling subsided, she finally calmed down and quietly pushed him away. The water in the bubble had by now been expelled by him, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, *He shouldn’t have seen it just now…*

As the toxins had been expelled, the internal heat vanished. Being sensitive to cold, she quickly shivered and instinctively hugged her shoulders.

“Your clothes are soaked. Change into these clean ones.” Zu’an had a good number of daily necessities in his Glazed Pearl, including clothes belonging to Chu Chuyan and Manman. But pulling out other women’s clothes at this moment would be foolish. So, he took out a set of his own clothes and draped them over her.

“Thank you…” Yu Yanluo’s mind was still blank at the moment. Wrapped in his clothes, feeling their warmth, she instinctively replied.

The two soon fell into silence, and a strange, romantic tension filled the bubble. Yu Yanluo’s red lips parted slightly. “Ah Zu, we just…”

Zu’an smiled faintly. “In urgent situations, one must act pragmatically. It was merely to save you, Madam. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“Oh.” Although she had wanted to say something similar, for some reason, his casual dismissal, as if nothing had happened, left Yu Yanluo feeling somewhat disappointed. Was he thinking of his wife? Duke Mingyue’s daughter, Chu Chuyan, he seemed to have a good relationship with her. Thinking of this, her mood became somewhat irritable.

Rage from Yu Yanluo: 222,222,222…

Zu’an was startled. *Why is she angry now?*

Just then, an enraged roar came from above: “You wretched pair inside, get out here!”

Rage from Jian Yanyou: 999,999,999…