The news about Nie Li exposing the Scarlet Sunburst Pattern as a plagiarized work by the Sacred Family's first house master had spread throughout Glory City like wildfire.
Rumors said that when the current house master of the Sacred Family, Shen Hong, expressed his desire to pay a visit to the Snow Wind Family, he was denied by the City Lord.
Because of this, any marriage talks between Ye Ziyun and Shen Yue immediately fell through before they could even begin.
Naturally, Nie Li, the sole culprit behind exposing the Sacred Family's wrongdoing, felt extremely proud of himself, knowing that he had at least stopped one of the tragic events in his life.
In his previous life, Ye Ziyun had been Shen Yue's betrothed, and they would have almost gotten married if not for the destruction of Glory City.
Besides that, another event occurred the following day after Nie Li exposed the Sacred Family scandal.
After class, Nie Li and Shen Yue got into a confrontation over a girl. Apparently, Shen Yue caught Nie Li talking to Ye Ziyun, which made him jealous and led him to pick a fight with Nie Li.
Witnesses said that it was a brief fight, with Shen Yue trying to overwhelm Nie Li using his soul force. However, it backfired on Shen Yue, resulting in him falling on his butt, trembling, and wetting his pants once again for the second time in a week.
Naturally, this outcome dragged the reputation of the Sacred Family even further down. Shen Yue, being a direct descendant of the current house master, had put on an embarrassing display, tarnishing the image of both his father and the Sacred Family as a whole.
While all of these interesting events were happening, Xue Hui, on the other hand, busied himself with training Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling in their cultivation during the day, while helping Xiao Ning'er with her training at night.
Xue Hui was hands-on with their training due to the complexity of the cultivation techniques he had imparted to them.
Any Supreme cultivation technique required a deep understanding of the fundamentals and a solid foundation at the beginning of one's training.
After all, the speed of growth in cultivation only felt rewarding at the start, but once cultivators reached a certain realm, those who neglected their foundation would always find themselves regretting their actions.
It was a trap that many cultivators could easily fall into.
Thus, Xue Hui made it his mission to guide each of them through their foundation-building stage to ensure that they would not ruin their potential.
This was also the reason why Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er could be seen walking together as they headed toward the hunting grounds.
Different from her usual clothing, Xiao Ning'er's current attire could only be described as a mix of cute and elegant, unlike the plain-colored outfits she normally wore.
Glancing sideways, Xiao Ning'er's cheeks grew crimson as she watched Xue Hui savor the taste of the frozen delight they had bought while strolling through the streets toward the hunting grounds.
The sight of the two of them walking together attracted the attention of the people around them, who wondered about the identity of this lovely couple.
The two of them were simply pleasing to look at. Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui were both extremely attractive people; one was the goddess of the younger generation, while the other was a strikingly handsome boy.
Ignoring all the glances around them, Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui walked at a relaxed pace, occasionally stopping to sightsee or buy things.
'It's almost like we're on a date.'
With that thought in mind, Xiao Ning'er gently bit her lower lip as a flutter stirred in her stomach.
They had been spending time together for almost a week now, and every time, Xiao Ning'er would try her best not to misunderstand Xue Hui's actions.
But Xiao Ning'er was having a hard time doing so. Xue Hui was such a delight to be around. He would always help her improve herself while also making sure she wouldn't push herself too hard like before.
They would also sit together and talk about many things, which helped Xiao Ning'er learn more about Xue Hui.
One thing Xiao Ning'er noticed during their time together, which she found amusing, was that Xue Hui was almost like a sheltered person.
Xiao Ning'er came from a noble family, meaning she had been sheltered to some extent for most of her life. Even so, she was at least aware of some of the simpler things around Glory City, like the frozen delight they had tried.
So it surprised her to learn that Xue Hui didn't know much about the things one could stumble upon in the streets.
It was strange since Xue Hui was such a knowledgeable person when it came to things like cultivation, medicine, and inscription patterns, yet something as simple as street food was something he had never tried before.
Xiao Ning'er found that endearing, and somehow, it also felt relieving. Despite his overwhelming talent in so many areas, there were still things Xue Hui was unaware of, which made him feel more within her reach.
Xiao Ning'er let out a soft giggle at the thought.
"Something funny?" Xue Hui asked curiously, wiping his mouth with a cloth after finishing his frozen delight.
She shook her head and smiled. "Nothing, it's just a random thought. So, how about the food? Did you enjoy the taste?" Xiao Ning'er inquired.
Xue Hui's lips curled upward as he nodded. "Yup, never knew they were selling this kind of frozen delight on the streets. Compared to the ones I tried before that used high-quality ingredients, this one uses demon beast fats and artificial flavoring instead."
Cupping her mouth to stifle a laugh, Xiao Ning'er's shoulders trembled. It was funny hearing Xue Hui's assessment. The childlike wonder in his expression gave Xiao Ning'er the urge to pinch his cheeks.
Holy Orchid Institute, Hunting Grounds
Eventually, Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui arrived at their destination.
Sitting cross-legged, Xue Hui guided Xiao Ning'er through the process of removing the impurities from her body.
While impurities could be cleansed during cultivation, many still remained within the body, causing blockages in the meridians. Using a special method to flush out all the impurities in the body was what Xue Hui was helping Xiao Ning'er accomplish.
Time passed, and Xiao Ning'er successfully removed almost eighty-five percent of the impurities from her body, making her feel far more sensitive to the spiritual energy around her, which greatly excited her.
However, the moment she caught a whiff of herself, her excitement immediately vanished.
Impurities were unpleasant. They felt disgusting to the touch and smelled rancid.
For a maiden like Xiao Ning'er, being covered in that disgusting gunk almost brought her to tears.
"P-Please don't get near me, Xue Hui. I-I smell... Please stay where you are and turn around," Xiao Ning'er said in panic.
Xue Hui complied and turned his gaze away. He fully understood how uncomfortable it felt to have that gunk sticking to one's body.
Xue Hui remembered the chaos that followed after Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling removed the impurities from their bodies.
Compared to them, Xiao Ning'er's reaction was fairly subdued.
Xue Hui lifted his hand. In front of him, a deep blue-colored sphere floated in the air, followed by the aura of water attributes spreading throughout the forest.
This circular object was one of Xue Hui's Origin Spheres.
Just like the Ten Whiskers Water Attribute Needles, this Origin of Water contained pure water attributes, allowing Xue Hui to control the element of water to a great extent.
"Ning'er, I will help you remove the impurities. Just keep calm and hold your breath for a second." Hearing Xue Hui's words, Xiao Ning'er nodded and took a deep breath while waiting for Xue Hui to do his thing.
In an instant, a stream of water rushed toward Xiao Ning'er, submerging her in a warm and soothing sensation as it removed all the gunk covering her body.
With a pulling gesture, Xue Hui drew all the water completely out of Xiao Ning'er's body, leaving her completely dry without any trace of impurities on her.
With the source of the disgusting feeling gone, Xiao Ning'er let out a sigh of relief and sent Xue Hui a grateful look.
"T-that was something," Xiao Ning'er exclaimed, quickly taking out a bottle of perfume from her interspatial ring and spraying it on herself while Xue Hui kept his gaze turned away from her.
Night darkened, and with their training over, both Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui called it a night as they headed out of the hunting grounds.
Deep into the night, the moon above illuminated the world below, veiling the entire forest in its soft glow.
The two strolled in silence, Xiao Ning'er walking with a noticeable skip in her steps as she stole glances at Xue Hui beside her.
Etching every detail of Xue Hui's face into her mind, Xiao Ning'er felt a warm sensation filling her heart.
With her eyes fixed on Xue Hui, Xiao Ning'er found herself lost in her memories: the engagement, the hopelessness that followed afterward, and her desperation to go against her fate. Everything changed for the better when she met Xue Hui that night.
Lost in her thoughts, Xiao Ning'er didn't notice when they stopped moving. The two of them stood in silence, their eyes locked onto each other.
Nervously, Xiao Ning'er reached out and grasped Xue Hui's robe, her fingers feeling its silky fabric as she tightened her hold.
"Ning'er?" Confused, Xue Hui tried to ask her what was wrong, but Xiao Ning'er remained quiet, her expression flashing with different emotions.
Letting out a shaky breath, Xiao Ning'er spoke in a soft, trembling voice, her gaze fixed on Xue Hui, making sure he could clearly see her expression as she conveyed her feelings.
"I-I never thanked you for helping me that night, Xue Hui… and for continuing to do so." She paused, biting her lip as she stepped closer to him. "Sometimes, I wake up in panic, thinking that what happened that night was nothing but a dream." Lowering her head, her hands began to shake. "I-I was afraid. Ever since I got engaged, I felt like there was a chain wrapped around my neck, and it kept getting tighter as the days passed."
Xiao Ning'er closed the distance between them, pressing her forehead against Xue Hui's chest.
"Then you showed up. You healed me and gave me a path to escape." Xiao Ning'er looked up, their faces only inches apart. "I remembered you. You're that boy riding the white beast. I remembered that day because it was also the day my life began to crumble. Then I saw you, and for some reason, I wished for you to save me."
Xiao Ning'er's eyes teared up, her lips trembling as her grip on Xue Hui's clothes tightened like a lifeline.
"I just never imagined that you would actually appear and save me."
With her emotions running high, Xiao Ning'er stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Xue Hui's cheek.
"Thank you, Xue Hui."
Surprised by her actions, Xue Hui stood frozen in shock, his hands unconsciously moving to Xiao Ning'er's waist to support her body.
The two remained still. The moonlight above was briefly covered by a drifting cloud, casting the forest into momentary darkness except for the single spot where they stood, as if even the moon could not bear to miss the sight of them.
At the same time, hidden deep within another part of the forest,
A group of women hid among the bushes, all dressed in black clothes to better conceal themselves while spying on the two.
Chen Linlin, Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling had been following Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er.
Ever since Xue Hui bid them goodbye to meet with Xiao Ning'er, Mei Lin had convinced everyone to follow him under the pretext of protecting Chen Linlin's position as the first wife. Mei Lin was worried that Xiao Ning'er was trying to steal Xue Hui away from Chen Linlin.
Chen Linlin found the notion laughable, but when even Jing Ya and Yue Ling agreed with Mei Lin, she decided to follow their lead.
As they observed, the four girls initially found nothing suspicious since Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui truly were practicing cultivation.
However, as the night deepened, the atmosphere gradually began to shift.
That was when the four girls witnessed Xiao Ning'er pouring out her worries to Xue Hui before eventually gathering the courage to kiss him.
As expected, the girls exploded at the sight.
"Cheating, cheating! The boss is having an affair!" Mei Lin exclaimed accusingly. Her dumbfounded expression somehow looked comical as she pointed at Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui with trembling fingers.
"Master, why!?" Yue Ling sniffled beside her, the look of betrayal on her face making it seem as though Xue Hui had shattered the perfect boyfriend image she had of him.
Jing Ya, the only one among the trio who remained composed, let out a deep sigh. Unlike the other two, she at least understood that Xiao Ning'er was the one who initiated the contact, and judging from Xue Hui's expression, he had clearly been caught off guard.
Worried about Chen Linlin, Jing Ya turned to check how she was handling the situation, only to become confused upon seeing Chen Linlin sniffling while biting into her handkerchief.
"Linlin, are you okay!?" Jing Ya asked in confusion, unable to understand what Chen Linlin was thinking.
"Xiao Ning'er is so pitiful. I'm glad Hui-hui helped her." To Jing Ya's surprise, instead of anger, Chen Linlin looked more moved by the sight of another girl kissing her fiancé.
"You heard what they were talking about?" Jing Ya asked, only to be answered by a nod from Chen Linlin. Considering the distance between them and the pair, it should have been impossible for Jing Ya to hear anything, so it surprised her that her friends were capable of such a feat.
Jing Ya's eyes drifted back toward Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui, relieved that there was no fight or anything of the sort.
As long as Chen Linlin was neither hurt nor angry, then Jing Ya had nothing to fuss over.
Now the question in Jing Ya's mind was how Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui's relationship would progress after tonight.
End of Chapter 45