"Go ahead; it's settled then," Li Yue Shuang said with a playful smile.
Yang Fan felt a tinge of conflict within as he left Li Yue Shuang's room, the echoes of her alluring whispers still resonating in his ears.
As he stepped outside, he encountered Xing Lao Er, who approached him with a question: "Yang, how is my fifth sister's injury?"
"She is completely healed," Yang Fan replied with a smile.
Having said that, he prepared to take his leave.
"Wait," Xing Lao Er suddenly called out, a mischievous grin on his face. "Besides treating my sister's injuries, did the healer share any other conversations or engage in other activities with Yue Shuang?"
Yang Fan gave him a quizzical look. "Of course. What's so strange about that?"
This time, it was Xing Lao Er who was left bewildered, as Yang Fan's response seemed so inherently reasonable.
"As a healer, it's vital to have a comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition beyond merely treating their injuries," Yang Fan explained patiently.
With that, he bid farewell to Xing Lao Er and made his way back to the previous hall.
"How peculiar..."
Xing Lao Er remained puzzled by the notion of "a comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition."
Upon exiting the room, Yang Fan exhaled lightly, recalling the soft whispers of Li Yue Shuang and shaking his head. He mused, "If it weren't for the sake of advancing my cultivation, I wouldn't have descended to such a state."
Having treated two cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refinement, his cultivation had increased yet again. At this rate, he was not far from advancing to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.
Just then, Yang Fan faintly heard the sound of Xing Lao Er entering the room and conversing with Li Yue Shuang.
With a flicker of intention, he entered a peculiar state of merging with the surrounding environment, where the subtle life waves within the spatial region became vividly clear to him. Each gust of wind, every breath, and heartbeat resonated in his mind.
Within a radius of sixty yards, every rustle of grass and every fluttering leaf fell under his keen awareness.
"Did that healer take advantage of you, my fifth sister?"
Xing Lao Er inquired.
"Hmph! Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to take advantage of me," Li Yue Shuang's somewhat aloof voice replied.
…
Yang Fan smiled faintly and stepped into the earlier hall.
As soon as he entered, he sensed the rustle of murmurs as nearly everyone's gaze fixed upon his face.
Among the multitude of eyes, he detected a blend of warmth and envy.
"Stay calm, stay calm," he thought to himself.
Unfazed by their stares, Yang Fan's expression remained serene as a placid lake, indifferent to how others perceived him.
"Sit upright and behave properly; if you've done no wrong, there's nothing to fear," he reassured himself, walking naturally into the hall and ignoring the mixed glances that surrounded him.
Seeing Yang Fan's composed demeanor, the surrounding cultivators couldn't help but exhibit disappointment.
They had expected him to show signs of guilt or embarrassment, yet they underestimated his remarkable composure.
As Yang Fan settled onto the cushion, the monk Sejie approached him, grinning slyly. "Little brat, be honest. Given your speed, it shouldn't have taken so long to treat those minor injuries."
With that, he subtly cast a soundproof barrier around them.
This barrier would only prevent sound from traveling outward, unable to block the intrusion of spiritual consciousness. However, all present were in the Qi Refinement stage and could not project their consciousness outward.
"Was it that long?" Yang Fan replied with a slight smile. "I merely engaged in a brief chat with them."
"Alas!" Sejie shook his head, appearing exasperated. "From my countless experiences with women, it seems this lady is icy on the surface yet warm within. While she presents herself as frosty and proud, deep down, she is quite lonely."
Upon hearing this, Yang Fan couldn't help but regard Sejie with newfound respect.
Recalling the gentle whispers Li Yue Shuang had shared before his departure, he found himself more inclined to agree with Sejie's assessment.
"And let me share a secret: this 'Ice Lily' is still a hundred percent untouched," Sejie chuckled. "What I said earlier was just to provoke her. A while back, a lecherous scoundrel almost succeeded in taking advantage of her, leaving a shadow in her heart."
As Sejie spoke, his expression grew complex. "It's a pity that this lass is not easily won over; I'm afraid I lack the fortune to enjoy her, but you, my lad, may have a chance."
Yang Fan's face bore an odd expression. How could this monk, of all people, harbor such lustful thoughts?
"Surely, you're not that failed scoundrel?" Yang Fan remarked, somewhat bemused.
At this, Sejie's expression changed dramatically. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he scanned the room, hastily shushing Yang Fan.
"Could it really be you?"
Seeing Sejie's panicked demeanor, Yang Fan struggled to stifle a laugh.
"Little brother, please keep this matter under wraps for me." Sejie implored.
"Alright, I won't bring it up first," Yang Fan conceded, not wishing to offend the monk, a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, but felt compelled to advise, "From a healer's perspective, I must warn you. You are merely at the threshold of cultivation; if you become excessively infatuated with women, not only will you lose the path to immortality, but your lifespan will also diminish significantly."
Sejie, realizing the wisdom in Yang Fan's words, sighed, "The path to eternal life is not something we mere mortals can aspire to. Let alone the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages; even reaching the Spirit Gathering stage seems unattainable for a lifetime. Given this, why not indulge a little in these fleeting years?"
"The greatest peril on the path of cultivation is the loss of confidence. If you possess even a glimmer of belief, hope will surely follow," Yang Fan replied in a calm tone.
Ever since he practiced the "Xianhong Jue," he felt an untroubled tranquility, taking neither pride in nor impatience for the path of immortality, finding his own unique understanding in the realms of perception.
"I shall take your words to heart, esteemed healer." Sejie sighed, and in that moment, he realized that the healer before him was far from the simpleton he had perceived.
Spending time with Yang Fan, even this notorious lecher found a sense of kinship, feeling a tinge of shame in comparison.
Once they had conversed for a while, Sejie withdrew, and Yang Fan began to meditate with his eyes closed.
As time passed, numerous cultivators entered the hall, mostly those heading to the "Xiuyu Pavilion."
As dusk approached, the sky grew dim.
At that moment, five individuals emerged from the "Tianxing Boat," among them Li Yue Shuang, Xing Lao Er, and Ma Lian Lao San.
The other two were a gray-haired elder and a young man in a brocade robe. The former exuded simplicity and humility, while the latter carried an air of arrogance.
Yang Fan couldn't discern the elder's cultivation level, but he recognized the young man as a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.
The five of them were all cultivators of late-stage Qi Refinement or above.
"In half an hour, the 'Tianxing Boat' will set sail. Everyone here, please follow us to the Qingjiang River," the young man in brocade announced, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd.
Having said that, the five led the over a hundred cultivators from the hall, walking through a somewhat dim corridor for several miles.
Once outside the passage, a chill breeze greeted them, and as Yang Fan looked up, the turbulent waters of the "Qingjiang River" came into view.
"Elder brother, please summon the 'Tianxing Boat'," the brocade-clad youth said respectfully to the elder.
The elder nodded and approached the riverbank.
Drawing in a deep breath, he focused his energy, his hands intertwining as wisps of spiritual light danced around him. Runes swirled in the air, and he murmured an intricate incantation.
After a brief moment, the waters surged dramatically, the current roiling with vigor.
At a pivotal moment, the elder produced a silver, sword-shaped token from his hand, channeling his magical power into it, and with a soft command, he declared:
"Appear!"
Boom!
The river split in two, depths reaching dozens of fathoms.
In an instant, a massive ironclad vessel rose from the depths of the river, resembling a prehistoric behemoth.
The surface of this vessel shimmered with a mysterious blue glow, effectively shielding it from the encroaching waters.