"Huh? What did you say? You agree?" the old man asked incredulously. He had just been thinking about other methods, and he hadn't expected his disciple to agree.
"Yes, I agree to cultivate using this method," Qing Tan nodded affirmatively. Since it was going to be done anyway, why delay?
"But you..."
"Master, please don't say so much. I've already agreed to cultivate this way." Qing Tan felt even more embarrassed if she was pressed further, so she simply told her master directly.
"Alright, since you've agreed, let's do it that way." The old man hadn't quite recovered from Qing Tan's easy agreement. After receiving full confirmation, he continued, "The purer the Yin Sha physique of the person you have a relationship with, the better it is for cultivation. So originally, I prepared two candidates. One of them is someone you know, your senior brother, Chen Kui. However, Chen Kui is now preparing to enter the Life Profound Realm, and his strength is much higher than yours. If it's for cultivation, it seems a bit unsuitable. So now there's only one candidate left, and that's one of the Grand Elder's grand-disciples. You've met him once, that nameless one (in the original text, the Grand Elder used him to force Qing Tan into a relationship)." "This is just a figurehead, someone whose name hasn't even appeared yet, so let's call him Nameless for now. His Yin Sha physique is quite good. Are you still willing?"
Qing Tan frowned slightly upon hearing the name Nameless. She vaguely remembered him; he had always had feelings for her, but she hadn't been interested. Later, when the Grand Elder of the Dark Hall, not wanting her to become the Hall Master, forced her to abdicate, he even offered her the condition of marrying Nameless. This made Qing Tan dislike him even more. However, since her master had only given her this candidate, she could only reluctantly agree, "I am willing."
"You, you are willing?"
Seeing Qing Tan's almost immediate answer, the old man was slightly taken aback, finally sighing softly, "Since that's the case, go to the main hall to prepare. I'll go make the arrangements first."
After speaking, the old man left the room, leaving only the other two, Ying Huanhuan and the others.
"Qing Tan, you agreed so easily?" Ying Huanhuan looked at Qing Tan and asked directly.
"What else could I do? Dragging it out is the same thing, isn't it? It'll all be recorded anyway, so it's the same thing. So I might as well be direct," Qing Tan said helplessly. Since she had already decided to do it, why hesitate so much?
So what if she didn't like Wuming?
Did she like all the men she had been with before?
Obviously not. Yue Shan had obstructed the Lin family at every turn when they first entered Yan City. If it weren't for Lin Dong's powerful abilities, their Lin family would be gone. How could she possibly like Yue Shan?
And then there were Lin Feng and Lin Langtian, weren't they all people who went against her Lin family and her brother Lin Dong?
The only one who was alright was Lin Hong, but didn't Lin Hong bully her and her brother Lin Dong when they were kids?
Didn't she accept all of that?
So what if there's another Wuming?
As long as Lin Dong is happy, she can accept it.
Qing Tan took Ying Huanhuan's hand and led her out of the room, saying, "Let's go, Huanhuan, let's get ready first."
The two walked through several more halls and arrived at a room. This room was about the same size as the others, not much different. Inside the room was an even smaller room, the only difference being that this room had a bed.
"Is this it?" Ying Huanhuan looked around the room and said. The room was decorated mainly in black, and didn't look particularly special.
"Yes, this is it." Qing Tan looked around the room. This was the place her master had asked her to prepare. It was a relatively secluded spot within the Dark Temple; without orders, no one would come here, making it a quiet place.
"Huanhuan, I'm going to change my clothes in my room first," Qing Tan said, leaving Ying Huanhuan and going into the small room inside.
After a while, the door to the small room opened, and Qing Tan came out.
Emerging from the room, Qing Tan had shed her previous simple clothes. A large black bow adorned her hair, resembling a butterfly alighting on its head. She had changed into a black gothic-style dress with a rather large neckline, exposing almost her entire chest and collarbone area. Black fabric tightly covered her breasts, and because the area between them was exposed, her breasts, though not particularly large, appeared quite prominent. Qing Tan's neck... A leather belt was tied around her waist, with a black cloth strip connecting the two belts. Cloth strips also ran across her collarbone, forming a cross shape. The sleeves of her dress almost completely covered her slender arms; only the area from her shoulders to her elbows was covered by simple black fabric, while the area from her elbows to her wrists consisted of several folded pieces of black gauze, like inverted black lotus leaves, giving a light and airy look. A pair of delicate hands could be vaguely seen hidden beneath, making her appear very cute.
The lower part of the dress was black, and the hem wasn't short, covering more than half of Qing Tan's thighs. A black scythe was printed on the hem, symbolizing the Dark Scythe of the Dark Temple. Although the hem was black, there seemed to be white petticoats underneath, creating a slight curve to the skirt. Because the black hem was stretched, some of the white petticoats were visible, but this didn't disrupt Qing Tan's outfit. The black hem, adorned with the white petticoats, became even more adorable. Beneath the petticoats, the rest of the dress remained black, with Qing Tan wearing sheer black stockings that tightly hugged her slender, jade-like feet. The stockings accentuated the lines of her legs, and although she wore black stockings, their thinness couldn't conceal Qing Tan's fair legs beneath. So, after the initial layer of black, the focus shifted back to white, making her fair legs even more striking against the black stockings and black dress. Finally, there were Qing Tan's feet. She wore a pair of heeled boots, each adorned with two black ribbons that connected her delicate feet to the boots, wrapping around her ankles several times and tying into two bows at her calves. The heels weren't very long, but they still made Qing Tan appear taller, enhancing her overall proportions.
Now, Qing Tan had transformed into a gothic lolita, her flowing clothes and petite, alluring figure making her look incredibly cute. However, the embellishments on her dress and the slight upturn at the corner of her mouth, a hint of displeasure at the thought of being with Wuming, gave her a slightly mischievous air.
"Huanhuan, how do I look?" Qing Tan's displeasure vanished upon seeing Ying Huanhuan, replaced by a smile as she asked.
"Great! Why are you all dressed up so nicely all of a sudden?" Ying Huanhuan looked at Qing Tan with slight surprise.
"Hehe, Huanhuan, you dressed up especially for when you went out with Qing Ye, so I copied you," Qing Tan replied with a smile.
Ying Huanhuan rolled her eyes at Qing Tan's answer. Who knew if Qing Tan was trying to imply she was learning from her, or if she was teasing her for dressing up so nicely while going out with another man?
"Hehe, all dressed up, now we need to rearrange the room's furnishings."
After saying this, Qing Tan waved her hand, and the tables and chairs in the room began to float away. The furnishings gradually disappeared, presumably being moved elsewhere. Soon after, the room was cleaned up, leaving only a clean and tidy space. Then, the other person waved their hand again, and a sofa appeared in their view, landing in the center of the room.
"Alright, everything's ready."
Qing Tan clapped her hands and sat down on the sofa. The sofa's main frame was black, while the seating area had red cushions that connected with the armrest cushions, forming a unified whole. Whether it was the seat, armrests, or backrest, everything was bright red, perfectly highlighting Qing Tan's presence.
"Wow, not bad," Ying Huanhuan nodded, admiring Qing Tan's presentable appearance on the sofa.
"Hehe, thank you for the compliment, Huanhuan. Oh? You're here so quickly?"
Qing Tan accepted the compliment with a smile, but immediately exclaimed in surprise, because she sensed an aura approaching her. This aura belonged to Wuming himself, and Qing Tan hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly.
"Hehe, since you're here, I'll hide to the side for now. Enjoy yourself, Qing Tan!" Ying Huanhuan said with a mischievous grin.
Qing Tan stuck out her tongue at Ying Huanhuan, who was gradually disappearing. After Ying Huanhuan completely vanished, Qing Tan's expression calmed. She lazily lay back on the sofa, letting her petite body sink into it. Her right elbow rested on the cushion of the right armrest, her arm raised, her body tilted to the right, her head tilted to the right, her right hand supporting her right cheek. Her left leg was also raised, crossing over her right knee, with her left knee casually resting on it in a cute crossed-leg pose.
Just as Qing Tan finished this pose, the door opened, and Qing Tan, with a displeased expression, teased the slowly opening door.
"You're here?"