Lu Xun couldn't help but freeze in place, his eyes showing a hint of astonishment. He couldn't help but think of a TV drama he had watched in his previous life, where a cold and proud demoness wanted to study.
The book was somewhat unconventional, but considering she was an illiterate woman, she probably wouldn't think of that.
"Why do you suddenly want to read books now? What were you doing earlier?" Lu Xun pursed his lips and helplessly said, "Reading is more tiring than you think. It's not as simple as you imagine."
"No, I must!"
"Who asked you to always speak in such a refined manner that I can't understand? What if you're scolding me, and I have no idea what you're saying?" Xuan Yin frowned slightly, showing a hint of annoyance. "Anyway, you must teach me, otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite to you."
Oh no, this is really troublesome! You dare to learn, but how can I dare to teach?
Lu Xun hesitated for a moment and said bitterly, "Don't mess around, my lady. You should focus on your cultivation. Don't think about these miscellaneous things. If your master finds out, you'll definitely get scolded. It doesn't matter if you get scolded, but I'll be finished. She doesn't hold back when she takes action. What if your dear husband gets… gets beaten to death?"
"My master won't get angry for a reason such as this. Just relax. After we go back, whenever it's the rooster hour, come and teach me how to read," Xuan Yin said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Also, you're not allowed to call me dumb, not allowed to yell at me, not allowed to put pressure on me, not allowed to lay a finger on me, not allowed—"
"Stop!"
"Neither this nor that, what's the meaning of my existence then?" Lu Xun rolled his eyes and said irritably, "You learn it by yourself. I don't want to teach you to read. It's too tiring."
Xuan Yin also realized that her demands were a bit excessive. She lightly bit her cherry lips, a touch of helplessness in her coldness, and said softly, "You figure it out yourself then. Just don't do anything disrespectful to me. Otherwise, I'll chop you."
"…"
"Don't worry. As for me, Lu Xun, I consider myself a gentleman. I won't do anything to you. Besides, I can't beat you." Lu Xun pursed his lips, continuing, "Where will you be studying?"
Hearing Lu Xun claim to be a gentleman, Xuan Yin immediately thought of the indecent things he did in the past two days: first using his head to bump into her buttocks, then randomly grabbing her buttocks, and finally holding her hand. What kind of gentleman was he claiming to be?
"In your room," Xuan Yin answered quietly. "I'll be studying in your room. When we get back, remember to clean it up."
"Alright, alright."
Lu Xun had no room to refuse and directly agreed. He spoke softly, "Tomorrow, I'll buy you some books. But, how far do you want to study? Do you want to achieve great accomplishments, or just learn some poetry and lyrics? Let me make it clear first. I, your dear husband, am only half of a scholar. If you want to reach the level of Confucius, I advise you to give up."
"My expectations aren't high. As long as I can understand your refined words, it's enough," Xuan Yin said, curling her lips and speaking calmly. "I know my own limitations, so I won't try anything beyond my abilities."
"That's quite simple," Lu Xun smiled and said, "Rest assured, my wife. Your dear husband will do his best."
After saying that, he paused for a moment and cautiously asked, "Wife, has your master, well, attended school?"
"…"
"Whatever you do, don't call her anything like 'elderly' or similar terms. She hates it when others say she's old," Xuan Yin said nonchalantly, "As for whether my master has attended school or not, she did teach me how to read and recognize characters. But I only learned to recognize characters. The little fox, on the other hand, has mastered poetry and lyrics to some extent, but her level is just so-so."
Speaking of this, Xuan Yin's face showed a hint of annoyance. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but swallowed her words back.
"Oh."
"It seems your master has some knowledge. I thought she was similar to you, with a well-endowed chest and nothing el...," Lu Xun grinned foolishly, quickly changing the subject, and said earnestly, "Anyway, since your master's main concern isn't wine, let's buy the books tomorrow and then head back."
Xuan Yin shook her head and solemnly said, "I'll check the celestial signs tonight. If there's really no trace, we'll go back."
"Oh."
"I'll listen to my wife," Lu Xun smiled.
Xuan Yin gave him a cold sideways glance but didn't say much. After these two days of getting along, she no longer resisted the title "my wife."
Of course, it was only limited to their private interactions. If they were in front of her master or the little fox, she would be embarrassed to death.
"As for addressing me as 'my wife'…"
"Don't dare to say it in front of my master and the little fox," Xuan Yin said indifferently, "Otherwise, I'll definitely chop you."
Oh, she's really the epitome of self-deception, turning a deaf ear to the truth.
Lu Xun thought casually and continued studying the packet of diarrhoea medicine in his hand.
Seeing that he was distracted and not paying attention to her, a slight trace of annoyance surged in Xuan Yin's heart.
When she spotted him playing with a bag of white powder, a vengeful thought crossed her mind. Of course, she knew that his pure yang body was impervious to all poisons, so this unknown powder wouldn't harm him in any way.
"Lu Xun!"
Xuan Yin's reprimanding voice startled Lu Xun, causing him to tremble all over and accidentally spill the sweat medicine all over his face.
Seeing his disheveled appearance, a faint smile appeared on her cold and beautiful face, as enchanting as the plum blossoms in the cold winter.
"Why did you suddenly yell so loudly?" Lu Xun asked angrily, "What do you want?"
"Forget it."
"When I remember, I'll tell you," Xuan Yin replied coldly.
"You…" Lu Xun stared at the distant cold and aloof demoness and suddenly realized that she might be much more mischievous than he had imagined.
***
The night in the deep mountains was very quiet. At the rooftop of the dilapidated temple, Xuan Yin sat there observing the celestial signs, her face showing confusion and puzzlement, but more so a sense of helplessness.
Could it be that there really are remnants of Heavenly Dao Diagram in the hidden cave? But who could have taken away the remnants just before my eyes?
As she pondered, a name suddenly popped into Xuan Yin's mind – Su Jingyi.
Su Jingyi was one of the few peerless experts in the current Zhao Dynasty who could rival her master. She was the head of the Daoist sect and a loyal guardian of the country.
Although she was a woman, her status was so high that even the emperor had to be wary of her. If she took action, she could indeed stealthily take away the remnants in front of Xuan Yin without anyone noticing.
However, someone of her level would emit an earth-shattering pressure that could be felt within a radius of twenty miles. It probably couldn't be her.
As Xuan Yin was racking her brains, she suddenly heard someone shouting under the eaves.
"Wife! Wife!"
"I want to go to the rooftop. Come and get me."
Coming back to her senses, Xuan Yin couldn't help but furrow her brows and muttered under her breath, "He's quite clingy."