Chapter 70

It's natural for men to have desires.

Song Qingshi himself was no exception, but years of isolation, spent with alchemy cauldrons and medicinal herbs, his mind consumed by research and texts, had gradually dulled his desires... After all, one couldn't exactly feel desire for a cauldron or an anatomical specimen, could they?

Yue Wuhuan, however, was a captivating beauty, exuding irresistible allure.

Living and dining together, with frequent physical contact, Song Qingshi occasionally felt flickers of desire. Yet, his reactions were remarkably slow—his body would take at least half an hour to respond, by which time the moment had long passed. Mindful of Yue Wuhuan’s past trauma, he dared not act rashly, simply pretending nothing had happened.

Now, having fallen in love, he began to truly understand the taste of desire, and it felt rather pleasant. But Yue Wuhuan had clearly expressed his unwillingness, and Song Qingshi wished to respect the person he cherished. Relying on his Nascent Soul cultivation and years of experience controlling the Nether Fire within him, he effortlessly suppressed the nascent desires, preventing them from gaining any foothold.

He was obedient; without explicit permission, he would never trespass.

But what exactly was going on with Yue Wuhuan now?

Song Qingshi shifted uneasily, and the more he moved, the more unsettling the sensation became. The pressure against his lower abdomen seemed to grow harder and hotter. He quickly moved away, took Yue Wuhuan’s hand, and gently treated the bite marks on its back. Using this familiar task as a distraction, he slowly pieced together the clues in his mind, seeking an answer.

Clue One: Yue Wuhuan had been using medicine made from Tianxin Bamboo, which had the side effect of suppressing desire.

Clue Two: After the Tianxin Bamboo was used up, Yue Wuhuan’s desires intensified.

Clue Three: Yue Wuhuan had bitten himself, and his breathing was unsteady, indicating he was fully conscious—this was no mere erotic dream.

Clue Four: The only person near Yue Wuhuan was him.

Clue Five: Yue Wuhuan’s body was rigid, his eyes avoided direct contact, and his ears were flushed—all signs of guilt.

After bandaging the wound, Song Qingshi synthesized all the clues and made a logical deduction: "Wuhuan, are you experiencing a physiological, perhaps sexual, reaction to me?"

He saw no shame in this, so he spoke without circumlocution.

Yue Wuhuan’s innermost thoughts were laid bare, his expression shifting rapidly as if he wished to vanish into the earth.

Song Qingshi, oblivious to his embarrassment, continued his reasoning. Yue Wuhuan had once described such matters as terrifying, but upon careful reflection, Song Qingshi realized that in Yue Wuhuan’s accounts, the suffering was always borne by the recipient, while the aggressor was met only with simple disdain and disgust. This likely meant Yue Wuhuan feared being the recipient and loathed being the aggressor.

Fear implied absolute impossibility, but disgust could change depending on the context or the person involved.

Now, Yue Wuhuan’s body was reacting to him instinctively.

Song Qingshi reached a bold conclusion. However, having little experience in such matters, he struggled to find the right words. Finally, recalling a phrase from a storybook, he asked directly: "Do you want to f—"

"Enough! I don’t! Stop saying such shameless things!" Yue Wuhuan, at his limit, sharply cut him off. He glared at the man before him, who uttered such provocative words with utter unawareness, fearing he might lose control and bind him with Blood King Vine, then brutally take him on the bed.

His head throbbed harder, his body grew more agitated—he desperately needed cold water to cool down.

Noticing his discomfort, Song Qingshi asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I’ll be fine if you stop talking nonsense!" Yue Wuhuan gritted his teeth, got out of bed, draped his outer robe, and rushed towards the bathing chamber. After two steps, he paused, turned back, and commanded, "I’m fine. Don’t follow me!"

Song Qingshi immediately retracted his foot, which had been poised to put on shoes, and dared not move.

Yue Wuhuan cast him two wary glances, confirmed his obedience, and then hurried away.

Song Qingshi felt a pang of hurt. Yue Wuhuan rarely spoke to him so harshly, and he genuinely didn't know what he had said wrong. It was a natural physiological instinct for every man, something taught in medical textbooks. Since Yue Wuhuan had desires, and he himself didn't mind, what was wrong with discussing how to fulfill them? He felt his deduction about Yue Wuhuan's feelings wasn't incorrect, so why was he suddenly being accused of shamelessness?

Perhaps the word "fuck" from the storybook was too crude and blunt. Should he have used "physical intimacy," or the medical term "same-sex relations"? Or perhaps "releasing desires"?

In the future, he resolved to choose his words carefully, mentally drafting them and observing the other person's reactions, rather than speaking without thought.

Analyzing Yue Wuhuan’s condition and his own understanding, in such matters between men, the recipient endured pain while only the aggressor found pleasure. So, if Yue Wuhuan felt desire for him yet suppressed it with medicine, choosing to suffer rather than harm him, didn't that mean he truly loved Song Qingshi?

Thinking this, Song Qingshi’s spirits lifted again.

Pain was nothing—what couldn’t a Nascent Soul cultivator endure?

He decided to wait a few days for Yue Wuhuan to calm down before properly discussing the matter.

In any case, the side effects of Tianxin Bamboo were too severe; it must never be used again.

...

Yue Wuhuan seemed deeply bothered by the incident and avoided him for days, canceling their morning and evening kisses and even discontinuing his nightly companionship.

Recognizing Yue Wuhuan’s strong resistance, Song Qingshi temporarily abandoned the idea of discussing certain medical topics. He took some painkillers to alleviate the increasing pain of his deteriorating Nascent Soul. Each day, he busied himself with research on the Black Death Butterfly, refining various elixirs, and organizing medical records for Qing Luan.

Bypassing Yue Wuhuan and the Night Rain Pavilion, he sent a private letter to Immortal Lord Ye Lin, offering a substantial reward for a cultivation technique that could transfer spiritual power to another. For some reason, Ye Lin took a long time to reply, and when he did, his letter rambled on for a thousand words, boasting about the joy of his newborn daughter.

In the cultivation world, female cultivators who reached the Golden Core stage would cease their monthly cycles, becoming infertile, their Dao hearts often firmer than many male cultivators.

Female cultivators above the Golden Core stage were rare, but each was a formidable powerhouse.

Immortal Lord Ye Lin’s beloved was a Golden Core female cultivator. They had met in a secret realm and shared centuries of devoted love. Ye Lin, cherishing his wife, had never planned for children. Unexpectedly, his wife was severely injured in a plot, her Golden Core damaged, and she was brought to Medicine King Valley for treatment.

After diagnosis, Song Qingshi suggested sealing her Golden Core and nourishing it daily with spiritual liquid for seven or eight years to allow for gradual recovery.

With her Golden Core sealed, her cultivation would be affected, temporarily halting progress, and her "Crimson Tide" showed signs of returning.

So, the couple seized the opportunity to have a child?

Reading Ye Lin’s letter, which raved about his daughter Ye Pengpeng’s intelligence, beauty, and rare metal-element single spiritual root—complete with images—Song Qingshi felt that doting parents were much the same in every world. He thoughtfully sent two bottles of metal-attribute Qi Induction Pills as a congratulatory gift.

At the end of the letter, his question was finally answered.

Immortal Lord Ye Lin explained that techniques to seize another’s cultivation were extremely rare, and even if they existed, they were well-guarded secrets, not obtainable through money or trade. He then joked that if Song Qingshi wanted to absorb the spiritual power of a weaker cultivator, there was a simple method—the Furnace Cauldron Technique, using dual cultivation to drain the other’s cultivation.

This was an unorthodox technique, but not hard to find.

Now understanding what a Furnace Cauldron was, Song Qingshi decisively placed an order, asking Ye Lin to procure books on the Furnace Cauldron Technique, dual cultivation, and intimate arts for study. Though Yue Wuhuan’s reaction had left him somewhat fearful, he knew that in the cultivation world, many same-sex cultivation partners thrived—pain could be endured, and injuries could be treated.

As long as he was certain Yue Wuhuan liked him and desired him, that was enough.

His Nascent Soul was slowly deteriorating, his cultivation dissipating—the future was unclear.

Every day, he felt the urgency of time and refused to waste it on any games of pursuit. He wanted to try and release the shadows in Yue Wuhuan’s heart, to directly confront that terrifying beast, no matter the cost.

...

When Immortal Lord Ye Lin saw Song Qingshi’s order, he fell deep into thought.

The entire cultivation world knew that Young Master Wuhuan was Medicine King Immortal’s forbidden lover. Though Yue Wuhuan had denied it several times, who would believe him? Song Qingshi might be eccentric, but if he didn’t love someone, and hadn’t received any benefits, how could he have bought Spirit Marrow, killed Xie Que, and done so much for him?

What did Yue Wuhuan, who left Golden Phoenix Manor with nothing but his beauty, have to offer to win Medicine King Immortal’s favor?

Ye Lin understood—men often loved through desire. Yue Wuhuan’s altered appearance might even be Song Qingshi’s doing to keep the beauty for himself.

The streets were flooded with their tales, written with such passionate intensity...

Even his wife had bought several copies, reading them with relish.

In short, Yue Wuhuan and Song Qingshi were absolutely not innocent! The order in his hand was proof! Clearly, Song Qingshi had grown tired of their usual routines and wanted to try something new! But what interesting tricks could Young Master Wuhuan not have already experienced?

Immortal Lord Ye Lin fell into deep thought.

Song Qingshi had gifted his daughter quite a few Qi Induction Pills—these were valuable items, so he must repay the favor generously.

Yue Wuhuan had an excellent cooperative relationship with him, helping him earn vast sums of money, so he had to take care of him as well.

He decided to send his wife to help pick out some exciting yet not overly harmful techniques, keeping them within Yue Wuhuan’s tolerance and ensuring the beauty wouldn’t be too worn out. Additionally, he would advise Song Qingshi against using dual cultivation techniques. Although such methods could enhance pleasure in bed, and the Wood Spiritual Root had decent recovery abilities, prolonged use would severely damage Yue Wuhuan’s health.

A Nascent Soul Cultivator draining a Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn’t gain much cultivation anyway. If he lost control and drained too much, it could outright destroy the *dantian*.

Back then, Yue Wuhuan had risked his life on the Life-Death Arena to retrieve medicine for him and even researched jade beauty cream, earning a fortune in spirit stones…

Even a merchant like him couldn’t help but be moved by such loyalty.

The more Immortal Lord Ye Lin thought about it, the more emotional he became. Since Song Qingshi had made the request through private channels, he decided to include some earnest advice in his letter, urging him to show restraint in bed, to strictly follow the reference books provided, prepare healing medicines, pay attention to Yue Wuhuan’s condition, and be gentle—lest he break the other’s heart.