Chapter 988 Ah Qing's Gentle Paradise [Seeking Double Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month]
In the evening, on the couch, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and asked:
"Hmm? What is it?"
Ah Qing whispered:
“I asked my master to allow me to return every day, instead of having to stay in the Queen's Palace all the time…”
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, but the frown was quickly smoothed out by the girl's slender hands.
He asked:
"Would Lady Zhi Shuang agree to that? She's so controlling."
Aqing nodded, then shook her head:
“My master said it was possible, but she also made a request to me.”
"What are your requirements?"
"Seventh rank."
Ah Qing uttered these two words.
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought:
"You must reach the seventh rank of spiritual energy cultivation before we'll let you leave the Queen's Palace?"
"Yes, Master said that I can freely enter and leave the Queen's Palace when the agreement is reached."
Ouyang Rong was speechless for a moment, then chuckled slightly:
"She's quite good at bargaining."
Aqing's head was lowered, her fragrant neck as long and slender as a swan's:
“Brother, Master is doing this for my own good.”
Ouyang Rong asked:
"But you've only recently reached the eighth rank."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong, who had been through it all, shook his head:
"Reaching the seventh rank isn't that quick. Entering the seventh rank from the eighth rank is completely different from entering the eighth rank from the ninth rank. The difficulty is more than twice as high, and it also involves some mental challenges..."
"Because even the ninth and eighth ranks are considered low-grade Qi cultivators, while the seventh rank is already considered middle-grade. From low to middle grade, in terms of dantian spiritual energy, it's a qualitative leap. A middle-grade Qi cultivator can already be considered a master. Within the Sword Swamp, that would be a backbone Yue Maiden with a silver badge at her waist..."
Ah Qing listened silently to her brother's rambling without interrupting.
She spoke only after Ouyang Rong had finished speaking:
“Brother, I know.”
Ouyang Rong heard her gentle voice:
"However, I don't think it's that difficult, it won't take too long..."
After a pause, the pretty young woman nodded and said, "I'll try to finish it this year."
Ouyang Rong was taken aback for a moment, then remembered A Qing's extraordinary talent and was speechless.
Indeed, for someone with talent like Ah Qing to talk about speed or slow progress is rather narrow-minded.
If it weren't for A Qing's exceptional talent, which meant she didn't need Ouyang Rong's help at all, he would have given her the Transcendent Golden Pill.
Just as Mrs. Li next door said, his younger sister was indeed very worry-free for him, and her elder brother did not need to worry about matters such as cultivation.
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, feeling a sense of guilt towards A Qing for some reason.
He brought Aqing here. Although she said it was voluntary and she had no regrets, and although Liu's mother agreed that Aqing should follow her sworn brother closely, Ouyang Rong still felt somewhat indebted.
Ah Qing had no idea what her brother, who was lying on her lap, was thinking. She said with a hint of longing in her voice:
“Brother, once I reach the seventh rank, I will come back for meals every day and keep you company. With me taking care of the courtyard, you won’t need to work so hard.”
Ouyang Rong sighed and said helplessly:
"How could you be so silly? I brought you out here not so you could do laundry, cook, or take care of me, but so you could see the world and find what you want to do."
Aqing continued pressing Ouyang Rong's temples, tilting her head as she said:
"Ah Qing has been found, isn't she working on it right now?"
Ouyang Rong became increasingly helpless: "They can't possibly be forcing me to do this."
This joke, however, made Aqing think about it seriously for a moment, and she spoke with great earnestness:
“That’s one reason… Brother, Qing is living the life she loves right now. Look, my cultivation hasn’t been neglected, so it doesn’t affect my ability to go home and take care of you. There’s no conflict.”
Ouyang Rong pondered for a long time but still did not object.
He closed his eyes and remained still for a while before slowly speaking under the girl's gentle massage:
"As long as it doesn't interfere with your important business in the Queen's Palace."
Aqing, however, smiled and asked in return:
"What do you think is the important matter, brother?"
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes and glanced at the smiling girl above him.
When Aqing saw his look, her smile faded.
The brother and sister looked at each other for a moment, then looked away in unison.
Ouyang Rong kept his eyes closed, while A Qing looked away at the ground beside her. After a moment, she spoke softly:
"I know, brother. Ah Qing won't forget that matter. That... was the most important thing you brought me here for."
Ouyang Rong suddenly added, "Aqing's matter is also very important."
Aqing didn't speak, and after a while, she seemed to be muttering to herself:
"Is it important...? But, but not as important as that older sister."
Hearing these somewhat cryptic words, Ouyang Rong hesitated to speak.
But Aqing suddenly released her slender hands, as if she had finished massaging him. She then covered Ouyang Rong's face with her hands, rubbing them to warm him up as a final gesture... and also slightly silencing him before he could speak.
"Alright, brother, all done."
Aqing withdrew her hand, clasped her hands together in front of her, and rubbed them together happily.
Seeing her adorable pose, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but smile:
"Silly girl."
As he spoke, he tried to sit up.
"etc!"
Aqing suddenly shouted, pressed her hands against his chest, and pushed him back down.
His actions were stopped.
Ouyang Rong was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong?"
Aqing blushed slightly and whispered:
"Brother, your head has been pressed down for too long, and your legs are a little numb... I can't move... Brother, please don't move... Be gentle..."
She looked a little embarrassed and turned her head away, not daring to look at anyone.
When Ouyang Rong heard A Qing's embarrassed voice, he was both amused and exasperated.
"Why didn't you say so sooner that you pressed on the numb spot? You idiot! I could have moved over there, but you just kept stubbornly holding on..."
Ah Qing muttered to herself, "Who knew my brother would be so heavy..."
Just then, a creaking sound came from outside the bed.
The wardrobe was pushed open from the inside.
A little black spirit, who had been eavesdropping, poked its head out, its eyes seemingly glaring in the direction of the bed where the two were talking, and rebuked them:
"What...what are you doing? What's this 'heavy' or 'light'? What are you talking about?"
The atmosphere between the two on the tatami mat immediately quieted down.
It was already dark outside, and there were no lights on inside. Because it was pitch black, it was impossible to see the specific situation inside.
This only intensified Miao Si's curiosity, which was stronger than a cat's. She quickly jumped down from the wardrobe, ready to help, and didn't forget to mobilize the masses to overthrow the tyranny:
"Ah Qing, did Xiao Rongzi bully you? Don't be afraid, this fairy will back you up. He's really gone too far..."
Little Ink Spirit's indignant voice continued, mixed with the sounds of her running and jumping as she came:
"Good lad, this is the middle of the night, a man and a woman all alone, and he actually dares to do this... No, this fairy must take a look..."
Aqing: ……
Ouyang Rong: ?
Miao Si, filled with anger and anticipation, ran into the inner room, came to the bedside, and prepared to catch Xiao Rongzi in the act of adultery and stand on her moral high ground to severely condemn him... This was the most lewd group of followers she had ever had.
However, the fate of Xiao Mo Jing, who spreads rumors and makes a fuss, is predictable.
Before he could even jump onto the bed, a large hand in the darkness grabbed him, lifting him up and suspending him in mid-air.
"Let me go, Xiao Rongzi, you're so mean! You won't let this fairy see your naked body? You... you have the guts to do it, but not the guts to admit it? If you're so capable, then this fairy will respect you as a real man..."
Miao Si suddenly stopped speaking.
It wasn't a sudden pang of conscience; she simply saw Ouyang Rong.
The two were facing each other.
Ouyang Rong grabbed Miaosi and placed her above his face, saying nothing and just silently watching her.
For a moment, the two stared at each other blankly.
"Good...good man, haha, what brings you here, good man?"
Miao Si stammered for a moment, then asked respectfully.
Being so close, she caught a glimpse of Ouyang Rong and A Qing's clothing out of the corner of her eye.
Little Ink Spirit immediately became obedient.
Ouyang Rong nodded and asked, "What did the Immortal Lady just say?"
Hearing his somewhat unfriendly tone, Miao Si immediately frowned and timidly said:
"No, I didn't say anything, Xiao Rongzi. This fairy admits that I spoke a little too loudly outside just now. That was indeed wrong, and I have to apologize to you."
Ouyang Rong looked at the evasive little Mo Jing and said with a stern face:
"How about you kowtow again? You won't mention the mudslinging at all, will you?"
Miaosi's little face was full of innocent expression:
"What nonsense! This fairy is just concerned about you and Aqing."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"Please remove my name; how could the goddess possibly tolerate me?"
Miao Si immediately straightened her face and corrected him in a serious tone:
"Little Rongzi, what are you saying? You are a good older brother. I have never seen such an upright and handsome older brother. Aqing is so lucky to have followed you. I often tell Aqing in private that she should cherish her older brother and be blessed to have such a good life..."
Ah Qing, who was recovering from leg numbness, turned her head upon hearing this and was somewhat speechless.
I held back from speaking, lest I expose the train of witty thoughts that was already running wild.
She probably felt sorry for Little Mo Jing, afraid that she would be beaten by her brother again... How many times has the female immortal gotten into trouble because of her stubborn mouth... The pretty girl on the bed shook her head secretly.
Little did Miao Si know that her best friend A Qing had almost betrayed her, and she remained calm and composed as she looked sincerely into the eyes of Ouyang Rong, who was holding her by the back of her collar with one hand.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong curled his lip, casually tossed her aside, and muttered:
"I don't know who they copied from."
Miao Si replied almost immediately: "Of course I'll learn from you, Xiao Rongzi. I need to learn a lot from you."
He knew she meant it as praise and flattery, but to Ouyang Rong it sounded like an insult.
His face was stern, and he waved his hand:
"Get out of here, I don't have your thick skin."
"Yes, I just copied you, Xiao Rongzi."
Miao Si stood by the bed and nodded.
With her hands behind her back and her eyes blinking, she looked incredibly innocent and well-behaved. Anyone who didn't know her would think she was a very kind and innocent girl.
Speaking of which, Little Ink Spirit has fooled countless followers along the way. Anyone who ends up with her is set for life, well, literally.
Ouyang Rong did not deny it, but said with a stern face:
"Then why don't you learn it?"
Miao Si chuckled:
"Little Rongzi, you admit you're shameless, does that mean this fairy has learned your bad ways?"
Ouyang Rong flicked her fingers:
"Get lost."
Miao Si glanced at the two people on the bed again before leaving with her hands behind her back.
"Little Rongzi, this fairy will not accompany you to Qingliang Valley tonight. This fairy will stay at home and keep Aqing company."
She sighed, almost as if she wanted to pat Ouyang Rong on the shoulder and say something:
"Without my protection, you must take good care of yourself and not let anyone bully you. It doesn't matter if you get beaten up, but you are my follower. Hitting you is slapping my face, and I cannot tolerate that."
Ouyang Rong: ?
After resting for a moment, Ouyang Rong lay on his side and asked:
"Are you feeling better, Aqing?"
In the darkness, Aqing seemed lost in thought and did not answer until Ouyang Rong asked a second time, at which point she finally uttered a nasal sound:
"Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong lifted his head off A Qing's thigh, glanced back, and saw her silently rubbing her leg. He subconsciously reached out, wanting to rub it for her.
He reached out halfway, then realized what he was doing, lowered his hand, got off the bed, gave a brief explanation, and went to wash up.
"Aqing, get some rest. Your brother has gone out. He should be back before dawn, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Aqing, wait for me at home."
He paused, then added;
"If Mrs. Li and Young Master Lu from next door knock on the door at night and want to borrow the kitchen, let them have it. But remember, don't let them into our house... Miaosi will tell you the specifics later."
"Understood, brother."
Aqing responded, but she didn't intend to stay on the couch to rest. Instead, she got out of bed, put on her shoes, and followed them out.
Aqing personally escorted Ouyang Rong to the door.
Ouyang Rong carried a bamboo tube containing a picture of Peach Blossom Spring at his waist, but he didn't bring any magical thoughts with him tonight.
After walking a little further out, I looked back at the courtyard gate.
The pretty young girl by the door seemed reluctant to leave.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand and left gracefully.
...
Night falls at Qingliang Valley Dining Hall.
Ouyang Rong arrived not too late. After tidying up briefly, without cooking any dishes, Ouyang Rong went out again.
He arrived at the usual spot in Qingliang Valley, the pavilion by the spring, just in time for the appointed time.
This time, however, I didn't bring a food container.
Since it was only a brief meeting as agreed, they did not sit down for a meal.
As expected, Chen Jiaxin was late again.
Inside the pavilion, Ouyang Rong waited for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the tall, slender girl emerged from the forest and entered the pavilion, arriving rather late.
"This is her sword manual."
Ouyang Rong pulled a small blue-covered booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Jiaxin.
The girl in the sword-clad clothes glanced at his serious face, casually picked up the sword manual, didn't even look at it, and snorted coldly.
"This will not be repeated."
She casually stuffed the sword manual into her sleeve, left a single word, and walked away indifferently.
Ouyang Rong showed no displeasure as he watched Chen Jiaxin leave.
His expression was calm, as if he had expected this all along.
Just then, several clear wooden fish sounds rang out in my ears, though I didn't know where they came from.
To be honest, Ouyang Rong hadn't entered the Tower of Merit for a while, mainly because he hadn't accumulated any significant merit points.
It's either the merit gained from regularly performing good deeds like visiting the Xunyang Grottoes to create a long-tail positive feedback loop, or the merit gained from delivering vegetarian meals to the water dungeon every night by strangers.
However, this afternoon, while he was with Aqing, he also gained nearly a hundred merits, which was unexpected.
I vaguely remember that it was during the time he was resting on Aqing's lap that he became swollen in a daze.
Most of the merit came from Aqing, but it's unclear what he did right to elicit such a response from her...
(End of this chapter)
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