FOYL ~ 04

Chapter – 04

Chu Yao, Steward of Tianxiang Pavilion

Cao Kun and Nangong Wan didn’t hesitate and walked straight to the courtyard gate. When they opened it,
they saw a young man covered in blood, his aura feeble, standing trembling at the entrance.

“Senior Li, what—what happened?”
Cao Kun could already guess the reason from the sight, but he still put on a terrified expression.
Beside him, Nangong Wan also sensed something was wrong, her body trembling and sobbing uncontrollably.

“J-Junior Cao… Brother Wang Ling… he’s vanished.
I waited for him the whole night at the rendezvous point. I’m afraid… things don’t look good!”
Li Ming spoke with difficulty, then turned and trudged toward his own home.

Upon hearing this, Nangong Wan’s eyes rolled back and she fainted.
Cao Kun, quick to react, caught her frail, delicate body in his arms.
Looking at the gentle, beautiful woman in his embrace who had passed out from the bad news, he sighed inwardly.
*Senior Wang, this wasn’t my doing.
Since your fate has ended here, rest in peace.
Everything at home is fine—don’t you worry!*

Inside Nangong Wan’s room,
she gradually regained consciousness.
She found herself lying in a broad, warm embrace.
Slowly opening her swollen, red-rimmed beautiful eyes, what came into view was a face full of mischievous smiles.
Instinctively, she tried to struggle, but Cao Kun wouldn’t give her the chance, exploring her instead.

“Junior, what are you doing?” Nangong Wan pleaded pitifully.
Cao Kun grinned wickedly and said:
“Sister-in-law, Senior Wang has most likely fallen.
He entrusted you to my care.”

Those words brought Nangong Wan back to reality—that was exactly the truth.
She was merely a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining. In this ruthless cultivation world where the strong preyed on the weak, without support, she simply couldn’t survive.
Take Qinshan Town, for example—if Cao Kun hadn’t taken her in, she would likely have become someone else’s plaything.
At the very least, Cao Kun was a menial disciple of the Hehuan Sect,
and at the third level of Qi Refining, he had a chance to enter the outer sect and gain protection.
Now that Wang Ling was presumably dead, she could only rely on Cao Kun.

Once she understood her situation, Nangong Wan gave up struggling and let Cao Kun do as he pleased,
putting on a fragile, pitiful look, hoping to awaken some compassion in him.

[Nangong Wan Submission Value +50] At that moment, the system’s notification sounded in Cao Kun’s mind.
Having anticipated this, Cao Kun caressed Nangong Wan’s flushed pretty face and grinned:
“Sister-in-law, from now on, you’ll stay with me.”

Nangong Wan’s face blushed with shyness, and she breathed like orchid:
“Junior, I’ll listen to you.”

“Hmm?” Cao Kun pinched her cheek firmly and deepened his tone.
“H-Husband… Wan’er will listen to you.”
Nangong Wan didn’t dare to defy Cao Kun; with tears streaking her gentle face, she spoke softly.

[Submission Value +10]

…………
Cao Kun wrapped his arm around Nangong Wan’s soft waist,
and his gaze unconsciously fell on the bed nearby, a wave of surprise rising in his heart.
It turned out Nangong Wan was still a virgin!

Thinking of this, Cao Kun reached out and gently stroked Nangong Wan’s delicate, flawless cheek, and asked with some confusion:
“Wan’er, why are you…”

Nangong Wan slowly lifted her eyes, a hint of shyness and unease flashing in them, and replied with a slightly trembling voice:
“Husband, Wang Ling planned to wait until he advanced to the outer sect before practicing cultivation together.”
She lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Cao Kun’s eyes, and rubbed her tender cheek against his chest.

Hearing this, a trace of guilt welled up in Cao Kun’s heart.
He hadn’t been gentle with Nangong Wan earlier, treating her rather roughly.
It seemed he needed to make it up to her properly.
So he took out a crystal-clear, flawless Qi-nourishing Pill from his storage pouch.
He handed the pill to Nangong Wan, then kissed her tempting, rosy lips and smiled:
“Wan’er, take this pill and refine it.
I believe within a few days, you’ll smoothly break through to the second level of Qi Refining.”

Only then did Cao Kun truly accept Nangong Wan, and he would never be stingy with his woman.
Nangong Wan stared at the pill, which exuded a rich medicinal fragrance, and was stunned:
“Husband, is this a flawless pill?”

“That’s right, Wan’er. Take it,” Cao Kun smiled.
Though she desperately wanted it, Nangong Wan still refused: “Husband, this pill would be more useful to you. Wan’er won’t take it.”

Cao Kun pretended to be angry, slapped her perky bottom, and said in a firmer tone: “If I give it to you, just take it!”
“Mmm~”

[Nangong Wan Submission Value +10]
[Congratulations, host! Nangong Wan’s Submission Value has reached 80 points. Reward: First-rank Pill Refining Mastery.] [Alchemist: Ranks 1 to 9]

Before Cao Kun could even shout in surprise, a vast amount of pill-refining experience flooded into his mind.
In no time, Cao Kun had absorbed all that experience and shouted inwardly:
“Awesome, System!”

He had never imagined that the Submission Value reward could be so heaven-defying. An alchemist was a profession rarer than one in ten thousand.
Although he was only a first-rank alchemist, it meant that the “wealth” among the basic cultivation conditions—”wealth, companions, methods, and land”—would no longer be a worry for Qin Tian in the future.

Looking at the dazed Nangong Wan in his arms, Cao Kun gave her a big kiss. This woman truly brought good fortune to her man.

“Husband, why are you so happy?” Nangong Wan could feel Cao Kun’s excitement and asked softly.
“Haha, Wan’er, I’ve got a beauty like you—why wouldn’t I be happy?”
Cao Kun grinned wickedly, his hands starting to wander again.

“H-Husband…!”

…………………
*Ten thousand words omitted here.*

“Wan’er, stay home and refine the Qi-nourishing Pill. I’m going to the market.
Once you break through to the second level of Qi Refining, I can take you to the outer sect.
We won’t have to live in Qinshan Town, constantly on edge.”
Cao Kun looked at Nangong Wan, who was tidying his clothes for him, and smiled.

Nangong Wan’s gentle, dignified face now carried a hint of seductiveness—
after her first taste of intimacy, she had become even more radiant and alluring, her entire being exuding the soft charm of a young married woman.
She had long since forgotten about Wang Ling and was now completely devoted to Cao Kun. He was her first man.
She smiled softly and said tenderly:
“Husband, Wan’er will listen to you.”

Seeing Nangong Wan’s enchanting appearance, Cao Kun felt a stirring again.
He decisively channeled his spiritual power to forcibly suppress it.
“Phew~~ I’ll deal with you, little vixen, when I get back.”
Cao Kun patted Nangong Wan’s small perky bottom, then walked out.

Watching Cao Kun leave, Nangong Wan recalled what had just happened, her face flushing with shyness and anticipation.
She had actually obeyed several of Cao Kun’s strange instructions.
Still, she was overjoyed inside—Cao Kun truly treasured her.

Elsewhere, before long, Cao Kun arrived at Tianxiang Pavilion in Qinshan Town’s market.
This was a business of the Hehuan Sect, usually managed by sect disciples and stewards.
It mainly handled item trading and sales, and occasionally held auctions.

Upon entering, Cao Kun used the Eye of Destiny to look at the mature, still-charming beauty behind the counter.

[Name: Chu Yao]
[Age: 45]
[Fortune: 2500]
[Submission Value: 0]
[Cultivation: Foundation Building Level 2]
[Spirit Root: Mid-grade]

“Senior Aunt, this disciple has some pills to sell.”
Cao Kun came before the mature beauty, clasped his hands in salute,
then reached into the storage pouch hanging at his waist.
He soon took out a pill that emanated a faint spiritual light and was flawless, handing it to Su Ru.

Chu Yao took the Qi-nourishing Pill and examined it closely.
When she saw that it was round, smooth, and utterly flawless, she couldn’t help but exclaim:
“Oh? A flawless-quality pill!”

Hearing Chu Yao’s surprised exclamation, Cao Kun revealed a faint smile, nodded lightly, and replied:
“That’s right, Senior Aunt. This disciple obtained it by chance.
Given my current cultivation and strength, consuming such a precious pill would be a waste.
So, I thought I’d exchange it for some spirit stones to support my cultivation needs.”

Chu Yao nodded in agreement after hearing Cao Kun’s explanation.
Then, her clear, melodious voice, like an oriole’s song, rang out again:
“Since you’re willing to part with this flawless Qi-nourishing Pill,
considering we’re from the same sect, I’ll offer fifty spirit stones. What do you think?”

Cao Kun was ecstatic inside. Fifty spirit stones!
For a menial disciple like him, it was a huge fortune.
Previously, he had been borrowing half a stone at a time—too much sorrow to speak of.
He quickly nodded and replied: “Thank you, Senior Aunt. I’m very satisfied with that price.”

Then Cao Kun spoke again:
“Senior Aunt, I’d also like to exchange for a hundred-year-old ginseng, a hundred-year-old astragalus herb, and a hundred-year-old spirit grass.”

Hearing this, Chu Yao’s face showed surprise, her beautiful eyes fixed on Cao Kun as she pressed:
“Nephew, these are all ingredients for refining Qi-nourishing Pills!
Could it be… you’re a first-rank alchemist?”

Chu Yao now began to regard Cao Kun seriously. Alchemists were very rare,
and once Cao Kun advanced to second-rank alchemist, she might one day have to ask for his help.

“Haha, Senior Aunt, it’s pure luck!” Cao Kun laughed heartily.
But inside, he was thinking of pulling this still-charming, seductive senior aunt into his arms.

Chu Yao’s beautiful eyes sparkled with brilliance, and she let out a charming laugh, her whole body swaying.
“Nephew, you’re being too modest~”
As she spoke, she handed Cao Kun the spirit stones and alchemy materials, and even playfully scratched his palm, saying:
“Here are 45 spirit stones and the alchemy materials you need.”

Cao Kun happily took the storage pouch and cursed inwardly,
*Tch, just you wait!*

*Chu Yao illustration…*