Her cheeks were slightly red, yet she immediately put on a stern face, lightly tapping Li Huayao's forehead:
"Not focused on work, just gossiping around!"
"If you dawdle any longer, I'll make you copy books as punishment!"
Though her words were severe, Huang Wangyou's heart felt sweet, and even her earlobes turned pink.
Li Huayao covered her forehead and secretly laughed:
"Got it, Little Senior Sister, I'll get to work right away."
As she turned away, she secretly rejoiced in her heart:
"Finally made Little Senior Sister blush and her heart race, I've regained some ground."
...
Inner hall.
In front of an altar.
At the center, there was an aged portrait.
The woman in the painting had gentle brows and eyes, bearing a seventy percent resemblance to Huang Wangyou.
Huang Yueyang stood silently before the altar, gently inserting three sticks of incense into the burner with his fingertips.
Blue smoke curled up!
As he looked at the portrait, he murmured softly:
"Yu Ying, Wangyou has grown up and found someone she likes. That child is reliable and steady, you can rest assured."
...
Afternoon.
Chen Sheng finished his work.
Once again, he was coaxed by Wangyou to play chess with her.
Huang Wangyou propped her chin up while staring at the chessboard, her phoenix hairpin gently swaying with her tilted head movement.
Her eyes suddenly lit up:
"I'll take this black piece of yours!"
"Don't rush."
Chen Sheng smiled and placed a piece, just in time to cut off her attack.
Huang Wangyou exclaimed, "Oh no!" Just as she was about to play dirty, she saw a figure in a blue robe approaching.
Huang Yueyang had been standing under the corridor for a long time. He glanced at the phoenix hairpin on his daughter's head, deliberately waiting for them to finish the game before speaking:
"Follow me to the inner hall."
Chen Sheng and Huang Wangyou exchanged a glance and saw a hint of apprehension in each other's eyes.
The two hurriedly followed.
Inside the hall, the sandalwood aroma lingered.
When Huang Yueyang turned around, his gaze lingered on Chen Sheng for a long time, making him quite uncomfortable.
"Dad! Why are you staring at Brother Yun like that, it's scary!"
Huang Wangyou couldn't help but put her hands on her hips again, like a little fox protecting its cub, but her cheeks were red, lacking any intimidation.
Huang Yueyang sighed softly, his tone full of helplessness:
"A grown girl can't be kept at home."
"Dad!"
Huang Wangyou's face turned even redder. She stomped her foot and acted coy, her phoenix hairpin swaying along with her movement.
Huang Yueyang stopped teasing her, and with a wave of his hand, he took out a jade scroll from his storage pouch, not saying a word, but handing it to Chen Sheng.
Chen Sheng instinctively took it.
Huang Yueyang spoke:
"This is my life's secret manual of alchemy."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng's heart trembled, and he quickly looked up:
"Master, this..."
Huang Yueyang looked at him, his gaze shifting from serious to gentle:
"Take it, my most cherished daughter and this heirloom secret manual, are both entrusted to you today."
Huang Wangyou's eyes sparkled as she shook his shoulders to remind him:
"Dad has agreed!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng immediately fell to his knees with a 'thud,' kowtowing three times, with his forehead making a light sound against the stone floor.
He spoke sincerely:
"Master has been as kind as a mountain to me! After my parents passed, you taught me the Alchemy Dao and helped me grow up. From now on, you are my true father, and I will take good care of Wangyou and ensure a peaceful retirement for you!"
Huang Yueyang quickly helped him up, patting his shoulder with relief:
"Good child, get up. Tomorrow, let your uncle come, and we'll settle the marriage."
"Dad!"
Upon hearing this, Huang Wangyou rushed into Huang Yueyang's arms, with tears mixed with a smile in her voice.
Chen Sheng solemnly nodded: "Yes!"
...
Early next morning.
Qin Dajiang arrived with gifts, smiling.
The elders of both families sat around the main hall, brewed new tea, and discussed the details, finally setting the wedding date to May 7th, an auspicious day.
Huang Wangyou counted the days on her fingers, as fair as green onions, then suddenly leaned towards Chen Sheng's ear, with a touch of playful grievance in her voice:
"Brother Yun, it's still ninety-seven days, so long!"
She looked eagerly at Chen Sheng, who affectionately flicked her nose:
"Master and Uncle Qin have approved, we should be patient and wait."
Huang Wangyou quickly turned her face, puffing her cheeks, and hummed lightly:
"Who's in a hurry to wait? You're making it sound like I'm desperate to marry you."
Chen Sheng chuckled softly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a voice only they could hear:
"But Brother Yun is eager to marry you home."
"Pfft!"
Huang Wangyou burst out laughing, reaching out to give his arm a playful pinch, but it was so gentle it felt like a tickle.
"Always trying to flatter me!"
Yet her sparkling eyes were already filled with the sweetness of honey.
...
Time slowly passed.
Two months later, the green bamboo in the courtyard sprouted new shoots again.
Inside, on a bamboo bed, Chen Sheng sat cross-legged as usual, cultivating Qi.
After several hours, the refined mana flowed through his meridians, but his dantian felt blocked by an invisible barrier, no matter how he urged it, there was no sign of progress.
Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness flashing across them:
"Those who came before did not deceive me, this bottleneck is truly like a chasm."
Half a month ago, he had smoothly reached the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, then unsurprisingly encountered a bottleneck.
In recent days, he deeply understood what it meant to hit a 'bottleneck chasm' and 'make no progress.'
Chen Sheng sighed quietly:
"For ordinary people facing such stagnation, persisting for months is no easy feat. If someone can persist for years, they truly have extraordinary perseverance."
After initially understanding the bottleneck, he didn't intend to test whether he had such extraordinary perseverance.
Two days later, Chen Sheng adjusted his state to the best, slowly taking out an elixir pill from the storage pouch—it was the Purple Cloud Pill.
Completely purple, with a rich pill fragrance that made one's mouth water.
He consumed the pill, and it melted upon entry. A vast, rich spiritual power surged like a fountain into his limbs and bones, and the Qi Refining Technique deeply ingrained in his bones began to stir.