The voice sounded like Xia Xia's, but it wasn't hers at all. This was the voice of an older woman, accompanied by footsteps. The frozen moment between the strange lady and Shi Lan crackled with static electricity as the door opened and the voice shouted once again.
"Mother!"
Both criminals broke away from each other. The lady rolled aside and coughed, grabbing a bowl of water and hiding her face from the woman who had just entered. Meanwhile, Shi Lan cleared his throat and winced in pain.
The lady was older and taller than Xia Xia. Her narrowed eyes were still fixed on the entrance where her mother had come from; a moment later, they drifted back to Shi Lan, and her face contorted in irritation.
"Who is this ugly brat?"
Shi Lan had wanted to properly introduce himself as he did with Xia Xia, but he froze at the words the girl threw at him.
The lady herself was a comparable replica of the woman who had just left the room. She was tall, and her blooming mounds were fairly large, though they hinted that they had only begun their sumptuous growth. They were nothing compared to the woman's, which had felt like twin heavenly peaks shooting out of the clouds.
Her curves were sharp enough to be commended, but with the many shapes of curves Shi Lan had witnessed, he was not impressed by this one. Not in the slightest!
"What are you looking at? Did you forget your manners?! You pervert! Did my sister bring in a pervert this time?"
Shi Lan could respond if he wanted to. In fact, he already had several responses lined up. But this person was Xia Xia's sister, and the little girl — regardless of the circumstances — had decided to help him, even managing to bring him here after he fainted.
Shi Lan had been in situations where he was wounded and passed out on the street, and many people would simply pass by without offering help. Some would even laugh at him, calling him weak and spineless for the wicked world.
So he was not one to repay Xia Xia's help by insulting her sister.
He cupped his hands toward her and bowed his head.
"Wei Shi Lan greets this junior sister."
Upon hearing his greeting, the lady's eyes twisted with anger for some reason.
"Junior sister? You scoundrel, do you even know how old I am?!"
She stomped closer to Shi Lan, hurling bitter words at him.
"Hey! Xiao Fa!"
Xia Xia appeared at the doorframe, rolling up her sleeves and giving her sister a deathly glare, one that sent a chill down even Shi Lan's spine.
"Did Mother not teach you to respect visitors? How can you be so shameless, always picking on weaker people? This is why you'll never become an outer disciple of the Peach Blossom Sword Sect. Bah!"
Xiao Fa looked at her sister with disbelief mixed with anger.
"You! You'd better shut it!"
Xia Xia placed her hands on her hips like an old woman defending her stall in the market.
"Make me! You can only prey on spineless people, you coward! Fix that attitude of yours, or Peach Blossom will drift farther and farther away from you every year."
Shi Lan stared at the strange conflict between the two sisters. Although Xia Xia was clearly the younger one, she seemed far more like the senior than her sister Xiao Fa, who was only older in appearance and stature.
Xiao Fa couldn't say anything and could only stomp out of the room in anger.
Afterward, Shi Lan immediately appreciated the peace and quiet that followed. Xia Xia hurried over to him, speaking in a tender tone.
"Brother Lan, don't worry about my sister. She won't do anything as long as I'm around."
She beamed with a smile the next moment.
"Mother said you were very lucky to arrive early, and you're twice as lucky that she works at a medicine hall."
Shi Lan couldn't help but stare outside. It had only been for a moment, but the lady had carried a moist, earthy smell that refused to leave him. It was proof that she probably worked the ground often, and when it mixed with her sweat, it gave off an irresistible scent of sensuality.
Only a handful of people Shi Lan knew possessed such a unique constitution, one built solely for dual cultivation. If other women worked the land and sweated the way she did, they would only smell foul and unpleasant. This… this was truly a gift.
And the implication of this was that…
'That woman is flowing with so much yin Qi right now… If I can cultivate with her, it might help me figure out the Primordial Dark Sea. I might not have to go through intense body tempering and have my body break before discovering the nature of the Dark Sea.'
Body tempering was a necessary cultivation art for all cultivators, just as soul tempering was. Both had their advantages and disadvantages, and as a cultivator, one had to learn to balance them.
But for this body, starting with body tempering would be too intense, which was why Shi Lan sought to use that vast amount of yin Qi to awaken the Primordial Dark Sea. After that, he would proceed with body tempering.
'Besides, it would be a mistake to begin cultivation without understanding the nature of the Dark Sea.'
At that moment, Shi Lan set his sights on another man's wife—the mother of two. He did not care that her daughter was his benefactor.
He was going to have her.
*
*
*
After leaving the room, Chang'e quickly dropped the bowl of water she was carrying. It nearly spilled because she was shaking uncontrollably, and she did not know why.
She entered her matrimonial room. It was dark and carried the lingering smell of saltwater fish. Ragged clothes hung here and there, and the atmosphere was dim.
Chang'e sat down for a moment in silence. No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, she couldn't help it. She could practically feel his touch minutes after she had left. It was as if her skin remembered and refused to forget.
The way he held her and drew her close. The way he looked at her.
Even though he was not a stunning man like those from the renowned sects uphill, she had never seen someone look at her with such power and defiance… like a gaze vast enough to cover the sky.
He looked at her as though he owned her, even against her wishes.
Chang'e felt her entire body grow sensitive at the memory of that look, and she did not notice when her hand drifted toward her legs. When she caught herself, she withdrew and muttered,
"I'm a married woman. I must not involve myself in such debauchery."