Body Tempering

Zhong Yi was, without a doubt, a master of chess.

In a mere few dozen moves, he had completely sealed off his opponent's avenues of attack.

The old man’s face flushed red as he muttered curses.

He had spent the last three days bitterly studying his ancestral chess manual, determined to use his forefathers' techniques to defeat this rival, but he never expected to lose so quickly.

"It makes no sense... The Ancestor said this strategy would remain unsolvable for three hundred years. How could this happen..."

The old man rubbed his goatee in bewilderment.

Zhong Yi struggled to stifle a laugh.

To him, this chess manual was simply too antiquated.

"Fine, fine. I accept my loss... I have nothing of value to give you, but if you have any use for this ancestral pill recipe, take it."

Convinced of his defeat, the old man graciously fished a brocade pouch from his pocket and tossed it to Zhong Yi.

[Side Quest (Ancestral Chess Manual) Completed!]

[Reward Obtained: Lost Body-Tempering Pill Recipe (High Grade) x1]

Seeing the system prompt, Zhong Yi was overjoyed, practically jumping in place with delight.

"Hahahaha! Fellow Daoists, Su Di'er's path to immortality is secured!!"

...

...

Zhong Yi spent half a day gathering the herbs mentioned in the recipe from the immortal peaks outside the town.

He then spent a little more time visiting the market to commission someone to refine them.

Refining the pills was quick; as long as you paid, you got the goods.

Although it defied common logic, such things were commonplace in Lu Ze's illusions, and the cultivators were long accustomed to it.

Zhong Yi returned to the inn in high spirits, holding the pill recipe.

Then, he realized another very serious problem—

The method for using this Body-Tempering Pill required grinding it into powder for a medicated bath.

After listening to Zhong Yi's flushed explanation, a fleeting blush crossed Su Di'er's cheeks.

"Li Ang..."

Su Di'er pointed at the large wooden tub before her, eyeing Zhong Yi skeptically.

"You don't just want to see me..."

"Pff, pff, pff! I—I am absolutely not that kind of person!!!"

Zhong Yi’s face turned beet red. He waved his hands frantically, flustered as a young boy.

"This recipe is incredibly precious. It must be used in conjunction with a medicated bath to... to be effective..."

"A-And..."

"I'm only responsible for mixing the medicinal solution. I absolutely will not step half a foot into this room. You can rest assured!"

In his nervousness, Zhong Yi started rambling.

His frantic behavior was quite awkward.

But to his surprise, no Behavior Points were deducted.

Which meant...

The real Li Ang would likely have reacted in much the same way in this situation.

Seeing Zhong Yi's reaction, Su Di'er was instantly amused.

"Ahem..."

The young girl coughed lightly and teased, "Li Ang, you saved my life. Offering myself to you in return is only proper..."

"D-Don't talk nonsense! Let's just get started!!!"

Zhong Yi shouted, cutting her off as he rushed to fetch hot water.

Behind him, the girl's laughter rang out like silver bells.

...

The medicinal solution was soon mixed.

Amidst the girl's teasing laughter, Zhong Yi pushed Su Di'er into the bathhouse and then forcefully shut the door.

The bullet screen instantly erupted with laughter at the scene.

[Ol' Zhong, you talk a big game about cultivation, so why are you acting like a virgin little brother right now?]

[Honestly, it doesn't look like he's acting.]

[Su Di'er has total dominance in this regard~]

[I'm curious, what would happen if Ol' Zhong actually went in?]

[Streamer, if I gift you a 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect,' can you take us inside for a look?]

[You bunch of beasts! She's just a child!]

...

"W-What Ten Thousand Swords? We are people of the Orthodox Path; how could we harbor such depraved thoughts!!"

Zhong Yi shook his head firmly in response to the chat's teasing.

In reality, even if someone wanted to do that, they wouldn't be able to.

With the character behavior system in place, "Li Ang" would not allow the player to do anything that crossed the line.

At this moment, Zhong Yi was separated from Su Di'er in the wooden tub by only a door.

The girl scooped up the medicinal liquid with her hands, creating splashing sounds that drifted through the cracks of the door to Zhong Yi's ears.

Despite it being the sound of ordinary water, Zhong Yi felt restless, his face burning.

"This shouldn't be..."

Zhong Yi muttered to himself, and then realized something was wrong.

Under his character panel, there was a pink negative status effect: [Restless].

Clearly, the illusion had actively added this—it was Li Ang's current psychological state.

He must be a shy and introverted type...

Zhong Yi smiled helplessly and began silently reciting the Calming Mantra in his heart.

"Li Ang, what are you doing?"

From behind the door, the girl's crisp voice sounded slightly muffled. An image of Su Di'er speaking amidst thick steam involuntarily appeared in Zhong Yi's mind.

"I'm... I'm reciting a mental cultivation method. I'll teach it to you later."

Zhong Yi lied quickly, his old face blushing.

"Li Ang..."

"Hmm?"

"Have you really never thought about it?"

"Thought about what?"

"Letting me offer myself to you or something?"

The girl's voice ended on a laugh, clearly teasing him.

"..."

Zhong Yi fell silent.

It was his first time encountering such a situation, and he honestly didn't know how to respond...

"Am I not pretty?"

"No, you're very pretty."

"Then why do you have no interest in me?"

"Listen, Su Di'er, you're still young..."

"I'm not a child anymore!"

"Okay, okay... Su Di'er, just soak properly. Don't let anything below your neck surface from the water."

Zhong Yi scratched his head, quickly changing the subject.

"Li Ang, come in for a second."

"Until you have fully absorbed the medicinal power, dried yourself, and put on your clothes... that is absolutely impossible."

"Tch, boring Li Ang."

The girl's voice carried a hint of disdain, which confirmed to Zhong Yi that she was joking, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

The air fell silent, leaving only the pattering sound of water.

"Ahhh!!!"

Suddenly, a scream came from the bathhouse.

"What's wrong!?"

Zhong Yi shot up.

"It hurts... It hurts so much! There's something wrong with the medicine!!!"

The girl shrieked in panic.

Zhong Yi didn't have time to think; he pushed the door open and rushed in.

"Are you alright!?"

Through the thick steam, Zhong Yi could only see a pair of slender, tender feet kicking at the edge of the wooden tub.

And the girl's face, faintly visible, wearing a mischievous grin.

"Hehe~"

Zhong Yi finally realized it was Su Di'er's prank.

Fortunately, the bathhouse was full of steam, and the medicinal liquid was an opaque dark green, so nothing could be seen.

"You..."

Zhong Yi was about to speak.

The girl scooped up a handful of water and splashed it at Zhong Yi...

...

[Congratulations! Su Di'er has successfully tempered her body. Level increased to 1.]