The Morning After: A Dragon’s Nature and a New Path

That night.

Two hours later.

“Master, perhaps we should just give up…”

“Yi’er, are you starting to dislike your Master?”

“Ah? No, I could never dislike Master.”

“Then why won’t it come out!”

“Uh… Master, do you know about lubrication?”

“What lubrication?”

“It’s just…”

“( ˃᷄˶˶̫˶˂᷅ )”

“Hiss… Master, please don’t use your teeth…”

****

When the morning sun streamed into the room the next day.

The faintly wild scent of the previous night had already dissipated.

Pei Yunxiang, exhausted from a night of fervent activity, was still deeply asleep.

Xia Yi carefully pulled the brocade quilt over her and gently wiped away the traces at the corner of her lips.

Despite Xia Yi’s gentle movements, Pei Yunxiang stirred awake.

“Mmm~ Yi’er ♡”

After letting out a languid moan, Pei Yunxiang opened her eyes.

Seeing her beloved ‘good disciple’ gazing at her tenderly, Pei Yunxiang, having experienced the previous night, no longer maintained her reserved coolness.

She was like a large, yet soft, serpent.

Her delicate hands wrapped around Xia Yi, and her entire body pressed against him, her ample bosom pressing against Xia Yi’s robust physique, before she closed her eyes once more, peacefully enjoying this long-absent tenderness.

Pei Yunxiang’s unabashed movements allowed Xia Yi to glimpse the red marks and remnants left between those two snowy peaks from the night before.

Memories of the previous night were reawakened; Master’s noble yet infinitely alluring and beautiful face stimulated a certain peerless weapon, which once again showed signs of resurgence.

“Yi’er, don’t tease, you’re poking me…”

With an unconscious grasp from Pei Yunxiang, Xia Yi completely lost control and fully awakened.

“Yi’er, you…”

This complete awakening from Xia Yi also roused Pei Yunxiang, and the scorching heat seemed to spread like wildfire, causing her lovely face to flush crimson.

“You little rascal~”

Marveling at the young man’s boundless vigor, Pei Yunxiang playfully scolded him, intending to shrink back into the brocade quilt, but Xia Yi stopped her.

“Master, no!”

With a puzzled look from Pei Yunxiang, Xia Yi spoke earnestly:

“Master, you should rest well. If we go again, you’ll be exhausted. I’ll find a way to resolve this myself…”

With that, Xia Yi made to get up and leave Pei Yunxiang’s tender haven.

But before he could even lift his head, Pei Yunxiang’s jade-like hand pressed him back down.

“So, you plan to go find Junior Sister Miaoyun?”

Xia Yi: ‘!’

The moment Pei Yunxiang uttered the words ‘Junior Sister Miaoyun,’ Xia Yi froze.

“Foolish boy, our Dragon clan doesn’t adhere to the concept of one-on-one relationships. As long as one has the ability to conquer them, I don’t care how many there are. As long as you, Yi’er, hold your Master in your heart, that’s enough…”

Upon hearing Pei Yunxiang’s words, he couldn’t help but turn over, wanting to express his true feelings.

“Master, I…”

But before Xia Yi could speak, a slender, jade-like finger pressed against his lips.

“I know, Yi’er. Your Master isn’t stopping you from seeking out Junior Sister Miaoyun for her own good.”

“Your Master doesn’t know how long you two were so wild, but Yi’er, such matters require moderation. The day you brought Junior Sister Miaoyun back, I could tell that excessive indulgence had depleted her Primordial Yin (TL Note: Yuan Yin, the fundamental yin essence of the body, crucial for cultivation), preventing her from forming her Golden Core (TL Note: Jiedan, a crystallized spiritual core formed by cultivators, marking a significant stage in immortal cultivation).”

“I told her to recuperate properly and replenish her Primordial Yin these past few days. You are not allowed to act recklessly before she forms her Golden Core, understood?”

Recalling Fei Miaoyun’s fervent singing of ‘Mangzhong‘ (TL Note: A popular Chinese song whose lyrics are often associated with themes of love and longing, here used humorously to imply passionate activity) to help him evolve his spiritual root, Xia Yi asked with concern:

“Master, Miaoyun, she’ll be alright, won’t she?”

“Her constitution is unique, so it won’t have a significant impact; she just needs proper rest.”

“That’s good then. Thank you, Master.”

“Foolish boy, between you and me, there’s no need for thanks. Are you still uncomfortable? Does Master need to help you?”

“No, Master. I don’t want you to be burdened any further.”

With that, Xia Yi resolutely got up and walked into the bathing room. He quickly conjured a tub of icy water and jumped in.

His ‘Second Brother’ (TL Note: Èr Dì, a euphemistic term for the male genitalia), whose vitality was exceedingly vigorous due to the Extreme Yang True Flame, gradually calmed down under the chilling stimulation.

“Yi’er, such stimulation isn’t good for you.”

However, before Xia Yi could fully calm down, Pei Yunxiang walked in, draped in a sheer veil.

“Master, you!”

Pei Yunxiang’s move instantly rendered all of Xia Yi’s efforts futile!

“Be a good boy, Yi’er, warm the water. Let Master help you~♡”

Xia Yi: ‘…’

The moment Pei Yunxiang walked over, licking her red lips with an air of nonchalance, Xia Yi finally understood what was meant by the innate nature of dragons being truly that.

White flames, in but a moment, transformed the icy water into comfortably warm spring water.

By the time Xia Yi and Pei Yunxiang emerged, bathed and clean, it was already dusk.

‘…………’

Looking at the blood-red setting sun, Xia Yi felt a bit speechless.

He couldn’t help but question the meaning of transmigration, why humans cultivated immortality, why birds flew, and why life fell into slumber…

Having already entered Sage Time (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘hyeonja taim,’ referring to a moment of post-clarity or disillusionment after an intense experience.), it was perfectly normal to ponder philosophy, wasn’t it?

“Yi’er, what are you thinking about?”

Unlike her strictly modest attire worn in front of outsiders, Pei Yunxiang dressed quite casually when it was just Xia Yi and herself.

Her dark hair, still damp, cascaded loosely, and a loose white daoist robe draped over her graceful figure. Unbound by a sash, she simply held it closed with her hand to keep it from parting. Her embroidered shoes were worn like slippers, her perfectly pink heels exposed to the air.

“Master, can you teach me alchemy?”

Although he knew cultivators wouldn’t catch a cold, Xia Yi still pulled up Pei Yunxiang’s daoist robe, covering her fair, rosy shoulders.

“Yi’er, why do you suddenly want to learn alchemy again? Didn’t you say before that you weren’t interested in alchemy and only wanted to learn the sword?”

Clinging to Xia Yi’s arm like a small bird, Pei Yunxiang followed him back into the room.

“I just feel it would be a bit wasteful to only use this Extreme Yang True Flame for combat.”

Igniting the Extreme Yang True Flame, he resumed the treatment to purge the invasive Evil Cold Yin Fire (TL Note: Xie Han Yin Huo, a malevolent and chilling yin-aligned spiritual flame that corrodes the body) that plagued Pei Yunxiang.

“I see. Yi’er’s Extreme Yang True Flame is indeed very suitable for alchemy. Moreover, your Extreme Yang True Flame also possesses purifying effects, coupled with your already powerful spiritual strength, Yi’er, you might just be a super alchemy genius.”

Enduring the scorching pain on her ‘tail,’ Pei Yunxiang, hearing Xia Yi’s suggestion, finally realized her terrifying potential in the path of alchemy.

“However, the path of alchemy requires a considerable amount of time. What about your sword dao, Yi’er?”

“No problem, Master. Miaoyun is here. I can have her instruct me in sword arts.”

“Junior Sister Miaoyun? Indeed, Junior Sister Miaoyun’s sword techniques are far more exquisite than mine.”

Pei Yunxiang excelled in the pill dao; before her severe injury, she herself was once a high-grade alchemist.

However, due to her current restricted power, she could at most refine third-grade pills.

Xia Yi had previously shown little interest in alchemy, thinking: ‘If one cultivates immortality, why bother with lab reports? If you’re not flying on a sword, what kind of immortal cultivation is that?’

He had asked Pei Yunxiang to teach him sword arts, and it was the sword-unskilled Pei Yunxiang who had then brought him to join the Star-Moon Sect.

“Very well then. Tomorrow morning, you’ll practice sword arts with Junior Sister Miaoyun. In the evenings, you’ll learn alchemy with me.”

Crushing another pill and scattering it onto her ‘roasted dragon tail,’ Pei Yunxiang made her decision.