You sit by the river and admire the scenery,
While someone else, enchanted, observes you from afar.
The sunset embellishes your countenance,
Yet you adorn the dreams of others...
"Tsk tsk, didn't expect that scoundrel to be quite talented."
Under the bright moonlight, Hu Guagua stands in the courtyard, mocking, as Aunt Nuan reports with a smirk.
A maid named Hua Er, head bowed respectfully, listens to the profound and beautiful poetry, her eyes flickering with subtle emotions.
"Hua Er, tonight make sure to terrify that scoundrel, make him cry for his parents. Let's see how he continues to pose as a poet to woo women!"
Hu Guagua snorts in annoyance, giving her instructions.
Hua Er replies, "Miss, rest assured. Tonight, I'll ensure you hear his terrified screams and cries. I won't disappoint you."
Aunt Nuan smiles and adds, "Just an ordinary person, Miss. Just wait; Hua Er's methods are not something that boy can endure."
Hu Guagua looks eagerly at the opposite house, anticipation on her face.
As night deepens, the moon shines like snow.
In the room, Yan Yu Chen sits cross-legged on the bed, studying an ancient book, while Qing Ya floats nearby, meticulously interpreting.
Having mastered the first phase of the out-of-body cultivation method in his mind, Yan Yu Chen focuses, closing his eyes to meditate, with Qing Ya eagerly watching.
If Yan Yu Chen succeeds in cultivation, it would be of significant assistance to him.
The first step in out-of-body cultivation is to let the Earth Soul leave the body and practice independently, refining a translucent and delicate soul to achieve success.
Following Qing Ya's translated cultivation method, Yan Yu Chen begins to meditate.
At first, there's no sign of progress. After an hour, feeling impatient, he inadvertently notices a spherical bead inside him.
Suddenly, he tries to activate the heat emitted by the bead, guiding it along the meridians towards the blocked passages leading to the Earth Soul at the top of his head.
The once cold meridians suddenly became scorching, and a mysterious force began to stir in Yan Yu Chen's mind—a sign that the Earth Soul was awakening, as recorded in the ancient book.
Feeling delighted, Yan Yu Chen continues to guide the surging heat towards his mind. Simultaneously, he envisions a stairway to heaven in his consciousness, ascending step by step.
Amidst swirling white clouds, the vast sky unfolds. As he reaches the final step of the staircase, the spherical bead within him spins faster, and the mysterious heat surges like tidal waves.
"Boom!"
After an unknown duration, his mind suddenly clears, akin to emerging from chaos into clarity. It's as if a long-lingering darkness is instantly replaced by radiant sunlight—a sudden brightness before his eyes!
"Young master, you..."
Qing Ya is startled as Yan Yu Chen's soul floats out from the top of his head. Is this the Earth Soul leaving the body, as described in the ancient book? But the book clearly states that it takes at least half a year of cultivation for such an achievement. This speed is astonishing; success right after beginning cultivation?
Yan Yu Chen hovers lightly on the ceiling, looking down at his seated body on the bed, serene and composed.
"So, this is what it feels like to have an out-of-body experience."
He controls his ethereal soul to descend, landing a solid punch on Qing Ya below with a resounding "thud," as if a physical blow were struck. It carries a tangible sense of substance.
Qing Ya, struggling to get up, wears a fearful expression. "Young master, what did Qing Ya do wrong? Why hit me?"
Yan Yu Chen smiles, saying, "I just wanted to see if my soul could hit yours. It seems to work quite well."
Qing Ya, with a look of grievance, couldn't help but admire, "Young master's soul is truly robust. Normally, newly out-of-body souls are fragile and may disperse with a gust of wind, but your soul is incredibly strong; it's truly astonishing."
Yan Yu Chen touches his face and body, thinking to himself: It must be because of that spherical bead within me. Even in this soul state, it seems I can still use those mysterious currents.
"Enough with the flattery. Let's go. We need to go out and take a stroll. I have to punish the wicked and promote the good, and quickly cultivate this Earth Soul."
Feeling excited about his newfound ability to roam and fly like Qing Ya, Yan Yu Chen playfully floats around the room for a while before preparing to pass through the wall.
At that moment, Qing Ya stops him, pointing to the window with a strange expression. "Young master, look there. It seems like a beautiful woman is spying on you."
Turning around, Yan Yu Chen indeed sees a stunning girl in a pink dress hovering on the steps outside the window. She gazes coldly at his body on the bed.
"Is she a soul too?" Yan Yu Chen asks curiously.
Qing Ya's gaze becomes complex, a hint of fear in his eyes. "Young master, she's not a soul. She seems to be a spiritualized monster. We need to be careful."
Yan Yu Chen, puzzled, asks, "Did she see us?"
Shaking his head, Qing Ya says, "She should only see your body. As for the soul, she can only see it if she uses a secret technique."
Observing from the window, Hua Er finds Yan Yu Chen's actions strange. Why is he sitting on the bed in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?
"Could this guy be sitting while sleeping?"
After waiting for a while and seeing Yan Yu Chen still motionless on the bed, Hua Er grows impatient. With a light push on the windowsill, her delicate body floats inside.
"Hey!"
Hua Er cautiously calls out. Seeing no response from Yan Yu Chen, she finally confirms that he's asleep.
She sneers, walks to the bed, and coldly says, "You darn scoundrel, daring to steal Miss's Golden Core. Tonight, I'll scare you to death!"
Closing her eyes, she begins to cast a spell.
"Golden Core?" Yan Yu Chen in the corner is silently shocked. Could the spherical bead inside me be the Golden Core she's talking about? And who is her Miss?
"Young master, this little demoness wants to transform and scare you. What should we do?" Qing Ya anxiously asks.
Yan Yu Chen ponders for a moment and says, "You transform into the most terrifying appearance and stand in front of her body. When she opens her eyes, she'll be scared by you. I'll immediately return to my body and deal with her."
Qing Ya agrees and instantly transforms into a terrifying and hideous ghost, hovering in front of the girl.
Yan Yu Chen floats up and swiftly re-enters his body.
Hua Er, now transformed into a bloody-eyed skeleton, opens her eyes. However, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a ghastly face covered in blood holes. She screams, shudders, and falls to the ground.
Panicking, she gets up to cast another spell. Meanwhile, Yan Yu Chen, sitting on the bed, suddenly awakens. He grabs her and pins her to the bed, raining down punches while scolding, "You dared to steal my underwear, and now, I've finally caught you!"
In an instant, Hua Er is bewildered by the beating. Just as she attempts to resist, Yan Yu Chen lands a punch on her chest, enraged, "So you're a female thief! Watch me burst your chest with one punch!"
With a radiant glow, he unexpectedly utilizes the power of the spherical bead within him.
Hua Er, feeling both ashamed and angry, wants to retaliate. However, she suddenly senses the magical power of her Miss's Golden Core. She abruptly wakes up, recalling her Miss's warning: she must not use magic against this scoundrel, as his body is connected to her Golden Core, and the consequences would be dire.
Filled with frustration and sporting numerous bruises, especially on her chest, she struggles to get up and hastily flees. She simply dares not fight back.
Her Miss's Golden Core that she has cultivated for thousands of years is now within this scoundrel's body, making her cautious about any retaliation.
"Thieving little girl! Where do you think you're going? Give my underwear back!" Yan Yu Chen, witnessing the demoness fleeing in panic, becomes even more confident. He shouts triumphantly as he chases her to the window.
"Master is mighty! Master is awesome! My admiration for Master is like a never-ending river, unstoppable like the flooding Yellow River..."
Qing Ya immediately follows, shamelessly flattering Yan Yu Chen.
In the neighboring courtyard, Hu Guagua sits under a peach blossom tree chatting with Aunt Nuan. She occasionally glances toward Yan Yu Chen's residence and impatiently asks, "Aunt Nuan, Hua'er has been inside for so long. Why haven't we heard that little scoundrel scream yet?"
Aunt Nuan smiles faintly, "Just wait a bit longer. Hua'er is probably still casting her spell. Miss, don't worry; that boy will definitely be terrified this time. He might not even be able to go to school tomorrow."
Hu Guagua, with a malicious smirk, says, "Humph, let him suffer. Let him mess with our Miss. It would be best if he ends up crying and wetting himself!"
At that moment, a white figure suddenly descends from the courtyard wall, kneels in a disheveled manner before Hu Guagua and tearfully pleads, "Miss, Hua'er is incompetent and deserves punishment. Please, Miss, make the decision... sniff... that scoundrel is so despicable. Please, Miss, take Hua Er's side, sniff, sniff..."
The two of them look on in astonishment. The lively and spirited girl who was full of vitality moments ago now appears disheveled, with a swollen nose and bruised face—a pitiful sight.
"Hua Er, what happened to you..."
"Sob, Miss, this servant was beaten by that scoundrel. It was so miserable. He even hit this servant's chest. Sob, sob, sob..."
"..."
Fox Gugu and Aunt Nuan, mouths agape, exchange bewildered glances.
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