Must favors always be repaid?
Am I really such a person?
If I am, it would be a disgrace to the name of the Thunder God.
In A Lai's mind, he recalled the scene of his mother visiting him in the hospital and overheard a conversation: "Repaying a favor doesn't mean you have to give yourself away..."
But then again, given Fangfang's strong-willed nature, similar to her mother's, would she truly love me once she sobered up? With my current unpredictable fate and uncertain future, if she regrets it later, it might cast a shadow over her heart for the rest of her life...
A Lai was being kissed repeatedly by Fangfang, his hormones surging, making his heart race wildly, caught in a struggle within...
"Ahem..."
His grandfather's cough echoed from the room.
A Lai quickly pulled away from Fangfang and hurriedly prepared to serve his grandfather by bringing him water.
When he returned, he saw that Fangfang had already collapsed on the dining table. He quickly helped her to the bedroom, removed her shoes and outer clothes, covered her with a small blanket over her stomach, placed a thermos and a cup of tea by her bedside, and told her to drink more if she felt thirsty or call him if she felt upset.
When he turned back, Fangfang was already fast asleep.
After arranging everything, A Lai returned to his room, lying on the bed and savoring the lingering sensation of Fangfang's breath on his lips. Smacking his lips, he thought, "So this is what a girl's breath feels like, so indescribably wonderful, like a wave of heat warming the heart."
"Heh heh."
"For now, I'll let you off the hook. But when I, A Lai, truly rise to power, I'll make sure you're utterly enthralled."
It was already late.
A Lai had something urgent on his mind and didn't dare to linger. His arm still ached slightly, reminding him of the peculiar osmanthus tree in the courtyard. He went outside and climbed up the tree.
The branch junctions of the osmanthus tree were quite spacious and flat, making it an ideal spot for A Lai to sit cross-legged and meditate to heal his wounds.
A Lai relaxed and focused his mind, following the meditation techniques taught by Elder Liaokong. He placed his palms over his abdomen and breathed naturally, letting his mind guide his energy. Strange hieroglyphic symbols appeared inside his body, starting to circulate.
When Liaokong had passed away, these mysterious symbols had appeared within A Lai's body. As he silently chanted "Om Mani Padme Hum..." his dantian warmed up, and true energy surged, entering a meditative state.
At the same time, A Lai felt his root chakra open, drawing an unusual energy from the depths of the osmanthus tree into his dantian, where it merged with the energy from the symbols, forming a unique and miraculous true energy.
In no time, his dantian was filled with this energy, which spread like countless tiny ants, rushing toward the painful area in his arm. The wound began to feel warm, swollen, and tingly, as a weak electric current ran through his body, making him sweat slightly.
The night sky was full of stars, and the cold, sinking moon hung high above the branches of the osmanthus tree, its silvery light casting a dappled shadow on the ground. A gentle breeze carried the rich scent of osmanthus, filling the entire courtyard. The fragrance entered A Lai's room, soothing his heart.
At this moment, A Lai's crown chakra naturally opened as well, allowing the fragrant osmanthus energy to flow into his dantian. His dantian became filled with this energy, and his entire body seemed to be bathed in the fragrance, immersing him in a dreamlike state. He then closed his root chakra to retain the energy.
After half an hour, he felt a sweet saliva form in his mouth. Following the method taught by Liaokong, he swirled the saliva in his mouth several times before swallowing it in three gulps, guiding it down to his lower dantian before ending the meditation.
Dawn was breaking.
A Lai returned to the courtyard, tiptoeing back to his room, feeling wide awake. He then heard Fangfang calling out for water in the next room. He quietly pushed open the door and poured some hot water for her, saying playfully, "You really drank a lot last night."
Fangfang, still disheveled, threw on her outer coat, gulped down the warm tea, and smiled, "It seems I did. You didn't take advantage of me, did you?"
A Lai grinned mischievously, "Oh, I definitely did. You were so drunk you wouldn't know even if I did. Heh heh."
Fangfang blushed and murmured, "Well, even if you didn't today, you will someday."
She then looked at A Lai's right arm and said, "Let me see if your wound is red or inflamed."
A Lai boasted, "I'm fine. Who am I? Even lightning couldn't kill me."
Fangfang scolded, "Stop bragging. If it gets infected, you have to come with me to the city hospital. I'm counting on that arm of yours to take care of me."
Without waiting for a response, she began unwrapping the bandages layer by layer, only to be shocked into silence. The wound was gone—there wasn't even a scar. She insisted on having A Lai take off his shirt to check his entire body, mumbling, "There was a wound last night. Where did it go? Where's the scar?"
Seeing Fangfang's dumbfounded expression, A Lai couldn't help but laugh.
"I know where it went. You kissed me last night, and my wound just vanished."
"Is that possible? Am I not human, but a demon? Or perhaps an angel come to earth?"
"Ha ha, Fangfang, you've got it right. You're an angel in white."
Fangfang shook her head, "That doesn't make sense. How can it be explained scientifically? Where did it go?"
Her mind raced, thinking there must be some secret ancestral remedy A Lai was hiding from her. But since he wasn't telling, she decided to drop it. A Lai always liked to play tricks on people.
Early in the morning, Grandpa was standing in the courtyard, staring at the osmanthus tree in astonishment.
"A Lai! Fangfang!"
"Come out to the courtyard!"
The two hurried out.
"Ha ha."
"Look at this."
"This thousand-year-old iron tree has bloomed."
Grandpa was grinning from ear to ear.
A Lai inspected the tree closely. The layers of green leaves shone as if coated in oil, glistening in the morning light, with fragrance wafting everywhere. The trunk remained the same, with no flowers in sight, yet the tree appeared more lush and vibrant, displaying its majestic presence.
On the seven branches, tender buds had begun to sprout, bursting forth with countless pinkish osmanthus flowers, exuding a faint, sweet aroma, captivating all who beheld them.
The entire courtyard was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus.
Fangfang gazed at the ancient tree in wonder, marveling at its peculiarities, and inhaled the rare, delightful scent, completely entranced.
Excitedly, she grabbed A Lai's hand and shook it, saying, "A Lai, I wasn't wrong, was I? I dreamed of hearing flowers bloom, and it really happened!"
A Lai was also taken aback. Could this be related to his meditation last night? Did the mysterious characters he recited or his special abilities trigger this osmanthus tree to bloom?
...
Throughout the day, Fangfang tutored A Lai in his studies, but noticed he was often distracted, still lost in the fragrance of the flowers.
She grew anxious but patiently continued to teach him, especially since he seemed particularly interested in the topic of electricity. She knew A Lai was still playful at heart, so she tried her best to guide him.
...
Three days later.
Under Fangfang's guidance, A Lai had perfected his secret weapon, after numerous trials, and felt very satisfied with the results.
That night.
A Lai checked his electronic watch—it was past three in the morning. He quickly dressed, tiptoed to Fangfang's door, and peeked inside, seeing her sound asleep. He quietly slipped out of the courtyard and headed straight for Leiyin Temple.
Mile was already waiting at the back gate of the temple. Without exchanging many words, the two went straight to the scripture library.
As A Lai was about to enter the hidden room, a shadow blocked their way and sternly asked, "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"
Mile responded, "Master Yuantong, is it your shift tonight? It's me, Mile."
Yuantong coldly replied, "The middle of the night is strictly off-limits. Even you cannot enter. Please leave immediately, or I won't be so polite."
Mile, irritated, asked, "What do you intend to do?"
Yuantong retorted, "What do you intend to do?"
Seeing the two of them about to clash, A Lai suddenly remembered something.
He quickly said, "I have an entry pass signed by Elder Liaokong."
Yuantong replied, "That doesn't matter. Elder Liaokong has passed away. Your pass is no longer valid and can only be used during the day."
A Lai was stunned, thinking to himself, "Damn it! Is my carefully planned operation about to be thwarted by this stubborn fool?"
Thinking quickly, he pulled out the pass from his pocket
and said, "Take a good look. If you don't let me in, you'll regret it."
...