After finishing speaking with Gu Baiqing, Mo Xuanli didn’t make things difficult for his master and found an excuse to leave.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Mo Xuanli almost couldn’t help laughing. He guessed that his master was probably worrying himself sick over having to live with him now.
But there was no helping it, there was an annoying person here eyeing his master. And since he had to endure so much for his master, he might as well treat it as a small bit of revenge.
“Xuanli, why are you smiling so strangely?”
Suddenly, Three Bean jumped down from under the eaves with Ao Hang.
Mo Xuanli looked at Three Bean, thought for a moment, then said, “From now on, you should just stay by the Divine Tree and handle the Spirit Gathering Array there. No need to run back and forth. The spiritual energy there is abundant, it’ll be more comfortable for you.”
“Huh?” Three Bean was stunned. “How can that be? Ao Hang still needs to protect you.”
Ao Hang raised an eyebrow. Doing work was fine, and he actually preferred being alone with Three Bean.
“No need. Matters over there are more urgent. I’ll have to trouble you.” Mo Xuanli said with a smile.
Seeing that Mo Xuanli had already said so, Three Bean could only look at Ao Hang. Ao Hang comforted him, “If anything happens, just summon me. No need to worry.”
In the end, Three Bean could only agree and left with Ao Hang.
It wasn’t that Mo Xuanli deliberately wanted to drive them away. It was just that if Three Bean got close to his master, he would definitely notice something. Three Bean wouldn’t play along with an act. To avoid his master being exposed, it was better to send them away.
After that, Mo Xuanli set up many barriers around their room.
Inside the room, Gu Baiqing naturally noticed the fluctuations of barrier spiritual energy and knew that Mo Xuanli had set them up. As expected, he handled things with such seriousness and meticulous care. Even if he was merely entrusted to look after someone, he would still do it to the best of his ability.
Soon, Lou Zixiao arrived with the assessment elders of Immortal Medicine Valley. The elders first needed to record their physical conditions. After the assessment period ended, they would then examine the changes in their bodies. Simply put: if there was illness, it would be treated; if not, the body would be strengthened. Ordinary people would be adjusted to their optimal physical state; cultivators would receive assistance in improving spiritual power and cultivation, and residual issues such as heart demons or qi deviation would be treated.
The entire conditioning and treatment process had to be recorded. In the end, points would be awarded based on the results.
During this process, if any witness was made worse, everything would be stopped immediately and the elders would take over treatment and recovery, and the assessment disciple’s results would be void.
So for the witnesses, there were safeguards in place, and no one worried too much.
Because each person’s situation was different, Lou Zixiao had to provide different methods of response, so it was impossible to deal with five people at the same time.
When Gu Baiqing was called in, he discovered that Mo Xuanli was also there, and seemed to have become half an assistant to Lou Zixiao.
Lou Zixiao maintained the formation, while Mo Xuanli helped organize the immortal herbs. The two stood at the table, looking unexpectedly harmonious.
Lou Zixiao was saying cheerfully, “Big Brother Mo, you’d better stop reminding me. It feels like cheating. Your medical insights are stronger than mine in many areas. I’ll rely on my own level. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely ensure your safety and won’t blindly show off my techniques.”
Mo Xuanli was about to say something when he suddenly turned his head and immediately noticed Gu Baiqing walking in.
Lou Zixiao was surprised by Mo Xuanli’s sharpness, thinking this was the reaction speed only an expert would have. Seeing Gu Baiqing, she smiled and said, “Young Master Bai, hello.”
The two were meeting face to face for the first time. Lou Zixiao was warm and lively, extremely adorable.
When facing her, Gu Baiqing found his smile unconsciously becoming more genuine.
As usual, Lou Zixiao began diagnosing him, but Gu Baiqing’s condition truly gave the young girl a headache.
“This… a normal person’s body?”
Mo Xuanli looked at Gu Baiqing and pressed his lips together. Since his master was here, he still wanted to find an opportunity to let Immortal Medicine Valley take a look, and the most capable one here should be Lou Xuan.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes flickered as he said, “Is it a very complicated situation?”
Gu Baiqing felt guilty, afraid that Mo Xuanli would say he wanted to take a look himself.
But in the next second, Mo Xuanli instead said, “Since you don’t want my help, I can’t interfere with your assessment. If it’s a complicated situation, can you ask your master?”
Gu Baiqing let out a sigh of relief. Lou Zixiao shook her head and said, “We can only let Master take a look after the assessment.” Afraid of scaring Gu Baiqing, she quickly comforted him, “Don’t worry, it’s just a bit strange. It has nothing to do with your physical health, so there’s no need to worry.”
Gu Baiqing nodded and said, “That’s fine. Since you can’t see anything clearly, Miss Lou can just adjust me for strengthening the body.”
Seeing how easygoing Gu Baiqing was, Lou Zixiao immediately beamed with joy. “Alright then, Young Master Bai, go into the formation.”
Mo Xuanli helped explain, “This is a basic conditioning formation. Everyone will stay in it for a while first.”
Gu Baiqing nodded and stepped into the formation. Instantly, he was lifted by the green light inside and floated up. Calm and unhurried, Gu Baiqing crossed his legs and sat in midair. In an instant, his whole body was filled with a spring-like sensation. Soon, his body was fixed in place by the technique. Since there was nothing he could do, he could only close his eyes and rest his mind.
However, the two outside the formation started chatting. As they talked, Gu Baiqing began to sense that something was off.
Because Mo Xuanli understood medical Dao, he subtly guided the conversation with verbal techniques, hoping to probe Lou Zixiao’s body.
At this moment, Gu Baiqing understood one thing, Mo Xuanli was definitely suspicious of Lou Zixiao’s bloodline. Using examination as a pretext, he wanted to verify her condition.
Lou Zixiao did not suspect anything and naturally agreed.
Curious, Gu Baiqing opened his eyes to look. The two did not avoid him.
But after Mo Xuanli used spells to conduct the most basic examination, his expression did not change at all, at least, that was what Lou Zixiao saw.
Gu Baiqing, however, clearly saw that Mo Xuanli was very disappointed. Evidently, Mo Xuanli did not find anything useful. It seemed that the restrictions within Lou Zixiao’s body were no weaker than those of Half-Step Mad.
Soon, Gu Baiqing came out of the formation. Lou Zixiao gave him a pill and asked him to stay and observe for a while, then ran off to modify the formation.
“Have the others all finished?” Gu Baiqing asked in confusion.
Mo Xuanli nodded and said, “Yes, getting ready to start the second round, spiritual energy.”
As he spoke, Lou Zixiao had already finished modifying it. “This is my latest improved formation. It can gather the spiritual energy of Immortal Medicine Valley for my use. Big Brother Mo, please.”
Mo Xuanli glanced over it, confirmed the formation, and was about to step forward.
But Gu Baiqing still couldn’t help asking, “It’s modified, are you sure it’s safe?”
Mo Xuanli’s lips curved into a half-smile, but he didn’t speak.
Lou Zixiao chuckled foolishly and said, “Don’t worry, safety is guaranteed. And since it’s the first try, the formation’s power is the strongest, it’s very good for Big Brother Mo. Later, maybe Young Master Bai can try it too. Even if you don’t cultivate, it’ll still be good for your body.”
Gu Baiqing didn’t really mind. With his identity as a normal person, he didn’t even need to participate in the second round.
Very soon, Mo Xuanli stepped into the formation and, like Gu Baiqing earlier, floated up and sat cross-legged. The difference was that this time, Lou Zixiao had to maintain the formation outside the entire time. As the formation activated, Mo Xuanli’s spiritual energy began to circulate. It seemed like a filtering process, screening out the bad and flawed parts, then supplementing them with fresh spiritual energy gathered from the surroundings, condensing it into the body and refining it again.
Lou Zixiao truly hadn’t exaggerated. The formation’s power was very strong. Gu Baiqing could see Mo Xuanli’s cultivation steadily climbing. Combined with what he had accumulated before, he was already close to a breakthrough.
At this moment, the formation suddenly produced a fluctuation. It wasn’t that something had gone wrong, but rather that the formation had reacted strongly with Mo Xuanli’s own spiritual energy, causing the area around Mo Xuanli within the formation to gradually heat up, as if fire were burning.
Mo Xuanli was visibly drenched in sweat.
Lou Zixiao murmured, “So this can happen too. I need to write this down.”
Hearing this, Gu Baiqing’s forehead was instantly covered in black lines. So Mo Xuanli had become her guinea pig?
Looking at Mo Xuanli, whose brows were tightly knit and eyes shut.
Lou Zixiao was still observing with great interest. Gu Baiqing couldn’t help saying, “He looks really hot. Is it okay?”
Mo Xuanli heard the voice and slowly opened his eyes, smiling gently. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Gu Baiqing thought to himself that even if this guy were being burned until his heart and guts ached, he would probably still say he was fine.
Lou Zixiao thought for a moment and came up with a way to deal with it. “Young Master Bai, can you help?”
Gu Baiqing naturally nodded without hesitation. “Say it.”
“There are some talismans on the rack behind you. Please bring them over,” Lou Zixiao instructed.
Gu Baiqing did as told. After bringing them over, he could basically confirm that the talismans were for cooling down.
Lou Zixiao then said, “Young Master Bai, please go in…”
Gu Baiqing thought Lou Zixiao was asking him to go in and stick the talismans on Mo Xuanli, so he walked straight in. Since the formation was currently only targeting one person, Gu Baiqing entering wouldn’t have any effect.
Mo Xuanli seemed a bit exhausted from being worked over by the formation. He opened his eyes, his eyelashes damp with sweat, and looked at Gu Baiqing with a soft, dazed expression.
Gu Baiqing wanted to laugh a little. He hadn’t expected Mo Xuanli to show such an innocent, completely unguarded look even in front of strangers. It made him look rather pitiful.
Just as he was about to move to help Mo Xuanli ease his discomfort, he heard Lou Zixiao outside the formation say, “Young Master Bai, first take off Big Brother Mo’s clothes. These talismans need to be attached directly to his body to take effect.”
Gu Baiqing’s raised hand froze on the spot, and Mo Xuanli’s soft, dazed expression also stalled for a moment.
Gu Baiqing awkwardly turned his head to look at Lou Zixiao.
Lou Zixiao explained, “The clothes he’s wearing all have spiritual power; they’ll interfere with the talismans. It’s better to take everything off.”
Gu Baiqing was startled. “Everything off?”
Lou Zixiao froze, then immediately blushed and said, “Just the upper clothes…”
Gu Baiqing turned back in shock, only to meet Mo Xuanli’s dark eyes, like a deep pool at night, bottomless, with the emotions inside impossible to discern. He only heard him say, “Sorry to trouble you, Young Master Bai.”
Gu Baiqing: …It’s just stripping a disciple’s clothes, right? He’s seen what his disciple looks like before, and besides, it’s only the upper clothes. There’s nothing awkward about it at all.
But when his hand touched that white jade belt, Gu Baiqing’s hand had already begun to tremble.
Mo Xuanli’s waistline was very pleasing to the eye. When loosening the belt, it was unavoidable to brush against the firm muscles of his waist and abdomen, lean and tight, like a cheetah’s, as if every inch there contained tremendous explosive power.
Waves of an invasive aura seemed to press toward him through this invisible force, making Gu Baiqing feel extremely uncomfortable.
The belt fell to the ground. Undoing the ties at Mo Xuanli’s side went fairly smoothly, but when Gu Baiqing raised his hand to remove Mo Xuanli’s outer robe from the shoulders, their gazes inevitably collided.
Mo Xuanli was suspended in midair. Though sitting cross-legged, he was level with Gu Baiqing, looking at him quietly, expressionless, yet making Gu Baiqing’s heart panic.
Why aren’t you closing your eyes at a time like this? Don’t you feel awkward?!
Gu Baiqing averted his gaze and stripped off Mo Xuanli’s outer robe. As he did so, he could clearly feel the breadth and shape of Mo Xuanli’s shoulders, solid and imposing. Though he had long known that Mo Xuanli was a bit taller and more built than himself, only at this moment did he truly feel the difference.
The instant Gu Baiqing’s arm passed over Mo Xuanli’s shoulder, how should it be described—there was a sense of steadiness and security. If one were to rest both arms on such shoulders, it would probably feel like clinging to driftwood while drowning: as long as you trusted completely, your heart could find peace.
As the outer robe slipped down and the inner garment was peeled away, the beautiful muscle lines at the shoulders were revealed: perfectly proportioned, not exaggerated, aesthetically pleasing yet hiding strength, very pleasing to the eye. Especially with that fair skin tinged with a healthy honeyed tone, damp with sweat, as if heat were rising in a hazy mist, making one dizzy and flushed.
Gu Baiqing felt that something was wrong with his head. How did simply taking off his disciple’s clothes become so agonizing? He subconsciously swallowed, though he himself didn’t even realize it.
But in the next second, Gu Baiqing froze.
As the inner garment was removed, a silver-white ring came into view.
Gu Baiqing’s expression changed slightly. Almost instinctively, he lifted his head. In that instant, their gazes collided again. It seemed that the other had been watching his every move all along. Now, it was as if he had thrown himself straight into that deep, dark pool.
Gu Baiqing’s heart jolted, as if something had cracked open.
Mo Xuanli’s gaze seemed to grow thick and heavy. He simply watched quietly, saying nothing.
It wasn’t until Lou Zixiao, worried, asked, “What’s wrong?” that—
Gu Baiqing snapped back to his senses, hurriedly lowered his head, and quickly stripped off the last layer of inner clothing, clumsily trying to stick the talismans on.
But because of the sweat, they wouldn’t adhere at all, and he couldn’t use spiritual power himself right now.
He heard Lou Zixiao say, “Young Master Bai, please wipe him dry a bit. If the talismans don’t stick, they won’t activate.”
Now Gu Baiqing was the one drenched in sweat.
Then he heard Mo Xuanli say, in a voice twice as hoarse as before, “Sorry to trouble you.”
Was he burned too badly? Why did his voice sound like that…
Gu Baiqing was stuck between advancing and retreating. He could only grab Mo Xuanli’s inner garment at random and roughly wipe Mo Xuanli’s body.
The inner garment was thin, and Mo Xuanli’s physique was beautifully defined.
As Gu Baiqing’s hand brushed over it, it really felt like running over a washboard. He didn’t dare look any longer. After finishing, he hurriedly stuck on the talismans and retreated out.
Halfway, he even heard Mo Xuanli say a quiet thank you.
Gu Baiqing truly couldn’t stay any longer. The room felt inexplicably hot. Finding an excuse, he fled the room in something like a rout.
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Aaaa I can’t wait 😭