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Sincerity was always the best weapon.

Thinking about it, Yuyan found herself deeply moved by Yino's words; she couldn't bear to see him disappointed or sad.

Whether out of sympathy or real affection, Yuyan was certain that Yino had indeed taken up a part of her heart.

After a moment of silence, Yuyan finally smiled and answered him gently:

"Rest assured, I've accepted your pre-order."

"Really?"

"Fool, at your age, focus on cultivation. This young lady won't fall for a man with lower cultivation than hers."

Yuyan said casually, a common line among female cultivators, but from the Sword Immortal, it carried a nuanced tone.

In the past, when sword prodigies from other sects courted her, she had used similar words to reject them, though the phrasing varied and the tone wasn't as gentle as with Yino. The general message was always

"prove yourself worthy first, then I'll consider you a man."

Usually, this led to a duel, and the suitors quickly weighed their chances.

So, Yuyan had developed this habit as it always worked.

"That's great!"

Yuyan: "?...?"

"So, if I can beat Senior Sister in the future, does that mean I can take you home to get married?"

Unlike the countless men who had left a stiff impression on her, Yino showed no signs of disappointment at the gentle refusal; instead, his eyes lit up like he had seen a tasty morsel within reach, his lips curling with excitement.

For a moment, Yuyan couldn't help but shiver, instinctively hugging herself.

For some reason, she suddenly pictured herself defeated, Yino placing a red veil over her head, and carrying her off to the Grand Tutor's Mansion for a wedding ceremony in the middle of the night.

To Yuyan, this was absurd.

She didn't know why, but Yino's words had a strange power, like a spell. He seemed to be joking, but his words had an immediate impact on her imagination.

Honestly, Yuyan had always been beautiful and gifted, attracting many suitors over the years, but tonight, Yino's smile had really taken her by surprise.

Now her face was flushed, and she couldn't stop biting her lip, feeling a strange itch in her heart just thinking about that image.

"Yino..."

"Could it be that your father sent you to Wuji Sect just to bring me back to the Grand Tutor's Mansion as a daughter-in-law?"

At this point, the atmosphere had completely influenced Yuyan, stripping away her embarrassment as she playfully remarked.

Actually, her words weren't entirely baseless. Yino's arrival at Wuji Sect had always been a bit odd. He was never the waste everyone claimed, and now with his hidden talents, he had repeatedly impressed Yuyan, changing her view of him.

Plus, this whole arrangement was a deal between the Grand Tutor's Mansion and the sect leader, yet Yuyan was the one who had to take Yino back to Ranmo Peak to cultivate.

Since he arrived at Ranmo Peak, Yino had shown an unprecedented desire to pursue her.

There was definitely something fishy going on!

Yuyan had reason to suspect her master was planning to use Yino to arrange a marriage alliance with the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

On the other side, Yino was trying not to laugh.

He opened his mouth to deny it, but after some thought, he spoke with a touch of seriousness:

"Actually, I think the Grand Tutor's Mansion is pretty nice. With your heavenly beauty, Senior Sister, if you were to marry into my family, you'd be the most talented young lady the mansion has seen in a hundred years!"

"Then, my grand uncles would be grinning from ear to ear, and my father would rush to the ancestral hall to burn incense and thank the ancestors. Any good resources at the mansion would naturally be prioritized for you."

Yuyan: ? ? ?

The more Yino spoke, the clearer the image became. Yuyan could even recall the excitement of the elders at the Grand Tutor's Mansion when they learned their little grandson had married a woman favored by destiny, the whole place lit up with celebration.

For a moment, Yuyan's face grew even redder.

She didn't dare let Yino continue, quickly interrupting:

"Alright, alright! Yino, you're getting carried away. Are we going to try this new technique tonight or not?"

Yuyan was truly impressed by Yino now.

She didn't dare chat with him for too long, as his words had genuinely stirred something in her heart.

But, thinking about it, Yino wasn't lying. Many families and factions were eager to recruit Yuyan, and the more powerful the cultivation family, the more they valued the talent and bloodline of their heirs.

A woman like Yuyan, with the innate Frost Holy Physique, was a rare treasure for her bloodline. If she married into the Grand Tutor's Mansion and had children with Yino, the ancestors would die happily, knowing their lineage would flourish. Yino's status in the mansion would skyrocket, truly bringing honor to their ancestors.

But...

Such good fortune was just a thought for Yuyan.

Once she calmed down, she thought of her own circumstances. She was once the cherished daughter of an immortal family, but a heavenly fire turned her into an orphan. She still had her family's vendetta to settle and her father's chess puzzles to solve...

Wait, chess puzzles...?

Her gaze suddenly refocused on Yino's face.

She was trying to remember something serious to ground herself, but her father's chess puzzles seemed to hinge on Yino as well.

After all, if she wanted to learn chess, Yino was her only option.

So, why not marry him and go back to the Grand Tutor's Mansion to study the chess puzzles together...?

Wait!

Why had my thoughts circled back to this?

Yuyan blinked again, her heart unable to calm down.

She suddenly felt like this was destiny; no matter which path she chose, it seemed she couldn't escape Yino's help.

And Yino was so good at winning her favor. In just two months, he had gone from massaging her legs to feet, and with just a few words, he could make her imagine their wedding.

If he grew stronger in the future...

Yuyan didn't dare think about what their relationship would become.

It was as if the plot had been planned out, and she could see the end of their lives together!

"Senior Sister... Senior Sister?"

At some point, Yino had spoken up.

He was waiting for her to get ready so he could begin the technique, but Yuyan was lost in thought, her face alternating between blushing and looking shocked. Yino waited for a while, unable to get a word in.

To be honest, Yino was discovering for the first time just how vivid Yuyan's inner world was.

"Senior Sister, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Marriage is far off, and my cultivation is still way behind yours."

"It's getting late. Let's try out this new technique."

Yino interrupted her thoughts, rubbing his hands together, speaking casually.

At the same time, Yuyan blinked, coming back to reality from her wild imaginings.

But...

After thinking so much, even her gaze at Yino felt different now.

Like suddenly realizing the boy in front of her was her fated one!

For a moment, Yuyan couldn't quite accept this, but the absurdity was that she had come to this conclusion herself. It really seemed like it!

"Nothing... nothing..."

"Just thinking about the Grand Tutor's Mansion made me remember some family matters..."

Yuyan took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

At the same time, she lay down again, ready for the technique.

Yino looked at her and said:

"Senior Sister, I might need you to lift your clothes a bit. Otherwise, it's hard to channel energy through your dantian with a layer of fabric in the way..."

He said a bit awkwardly.

Originally, he was worried this would make the air tense.

But with the increasingly intimate atmosphere and the blush on Yuyan's face, he wasn't as concerned about awkwardness anymore.

"Mm... right..."

Yuyan bit her lip, realizing the issue.

She gently lifted her top with her hands, revealing a portion of her slender waist and a slightly raised, white abdomen.

Even though she had said it was nothing, when it came to lifting her shirt, Yuyan's bitten lips couldn't hide the slight embarrassment.

Yino stared for a moment, taking in her delicate waist and belly before carefully touching her.

He started with a single finger, lightly poking her small navel.

"...!"

Yuyan shivered but still bit her lip, pretending nothing was happening.

"Senior Sister, I need to measure four fingers below your belly button to find the dantian..."

Yino noticed her tension but still explained earnestly.

Yuyan didn't respond, taking it as consent.

Soon, after measuring, Yino found the spot on her abdomen and gently channeled in spiritual energy. As Yuyan's body faintly trembled, he confirmed the exact location of her dantian.

Then, he awkwardly spoke again:

"Um... Senior Sister... your skirt is in the way... could you pull it down a bit..."

"Not much, just two inches!"

Yino was afraid Yuyan would misunderstand, so he hastily explained.

Thankfully, since she had already agreed, Yuyan wasn't being so fussy. She gently pulled her skirt down a little, just enough to reveal her dantian without letting Yino touch anything he shouldn't.

"This position is just right, please close your eyes and bear with me for a moment..."

"I'm going to start drawing the formation."

He spoke, and his fingertips danced lightly on her abdomen.

In an instant, a strange, dark purple formation appeared on Yuyan's belly…