The sandalwood incense curled upwards, and the carriage was quiet.
Just as Gu Chengyin was immersed in his thoughts, a highly enchanting voice suddenly emerged beside his ear.
"Master~"
The voice was close at hand, the warm breath almost exhaling on his auricle.
With a kind of bone-tingling charm, like a feather gently scratching the most sensitive nerve.
But Gu Chengyin felt his hair stand on end!
Who is it?!
How could they get so close silently?!
His perception in the late stage of Foundation Establishment didn't notice this at all!
If the voice and breath weren't so real, Gu Chengyin would almost have thought it was his hallucination.
In a flash, the Azure Cloud Art in his body instinctively accelerated, and his true qi and spiritual power instantly condensed, about to expand outward.
A hand, as warm and cool as jade, gently rested on his shoulder.
The touch seemed gentle, but it carried a terrifying coercion that surpassed his realm, like a sudden overturning of a ten-thousand-foot deep sea, or a collapsing mountain pressing towards him.
Gu Chengyin stiffened all over.
This majestic coercion wasn't aimed at him, but carried the natural crushing force of Golden Core against Foundation Establishment.
The Azure Cloud Art running in his body seemed to be frozen, and his true qi and spiritual power collapsed and dissipated before they even took shape.
His whole person was like being bound by invisible chains, firmly nailed in place, unable to move even a fingertip.
Then, an extremely cold and beautiful face slowly appeared beside him.
"Auntie?"
Gu Chengyin's pupils shrank suddenly, and he subconsciously called out this title.
But then, he saw those eyes clearly.
They weren't Lin Qingyan's usual clear eyes like a cold pool, but... blood red.
The blood color wasn't ferocious, but rather breathtakingly demonic, like gems soaked in blood, faintly flashing in the carriage, flowing with a soul-stirring luster.
It's the inner demon!
Lin Qingyan's inner demon!
Gu Chengyin's heart was greatly shaken. Didn't she say it was already suppressed? Didn't she say she would wait for a suitable time to release it?
Why did it appear without warning here and now?
Before he could figure out the reason, Lin Qingyan's face with a demonic aura had leaned closer.
This time, she directly leaned over and rested her chin lightly on Gu Chengyin's shoulder.
Her soft black hair fell like a waterfall, and a few strands of hair brushed across his neck, bringing a slight itchy feeling.
The warm breath deliberately blew gently against him.
Then the bone-deep enchanting voice sounded again, with three parts grievance and seven parts coquetry:
"Master~ I miss you so much~"
Lin Qingyan rubbed her cheek lightly against Gu Chengyin's shoulder, like a cat craving affection:
"You were so cold to me yesterday~ You didn't even talk to me~"
Her voice was soft, sticky, and sweet, every word like being wrapped in honey, or quenched with poppy, able to soften into a person's bones.
Gu Chengyin couldn't help but tense up all over.
Imagine a fairy from the Nine Heavens who is usually cold and self-restrained, high above, and can only be viewed from a distance but not played with.
Suddenly shedding all her cold outer clothing, showing such a delicate, dripping, and bone-deep enchanting posture.
This extreme contrast, the taboo temptation, is enough to make an ordinary person instantly lose their guard and sink into it.
Fortunately, Gu Chengyin was not an ordinary person.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the throbbing in his heart, his eyes were clear, and his voice was deep and serious:
"Sit back."
No extra nonsense, straightforward.
Lin Qingyan's face suddenly showed a aggrieved expression.
Those blood-red eyes shone with water, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her red lips pursed slightly, looking as if she was about to cry.
Not only did she not step back, but she deliberately pulled the plain green shirt on her body slightly towards her shoulder.
The collar slipped off, revealing a section of snow-white, jade-like shoulder.
Her skin glowed brightly in the carriage, the lines as beautiful as carefully carved mutton-fat jade, and her collarbone was breathtakingly exquisite.
Lin Qingyan looked up, looking at Gu Chengyin with those blood-red eyes filled with water, pitiful and touching.
But Gu Chengyin's heart was as clear as a mirror.
The person in front of him was indeed Lin Qingyan.
But in reality, it was transformed by the inner demon.
And the real Lin Qingyan might be hiding deep in her sea of consciousness, watching all this coldly.
If he was really confused by this enchanting appearance and did something out of line...
The next moment, that Celestial Master Mansion's Jingzhe would probably jump right out of the sea of consciousness and give him a chill to the bone on the spot.
It's really hard to handle.
He had to satisfy the inner demon, but not too much, so as not to anger Lin Qingyan and bring trouble upon himself.
Is this a job a normal person can do?!
Gu Chengyin smiled bitterly in his heart, while maintaining a stiff face.
He spoke again, his voice already carrying a bit of warning:
"Don't always make me repeat it a second time."
These words were spoken calmly, but contained hidden coercion.
The inner demon Lin Qingyan blinked her blood-red eyes, and finally pouted, reluctantly sitting back in her original seat.
It was just that her eyes were still glued to Gu Chengyin, lingering like sugar silk, revealing undisguised craving.
Gu Chengyin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He estimated the time. From the Crown Prince's Palace to the Ministry of Rites yamen, the carriage would take about two quarters of an hour.
And since the inner demon appeared, it had only been a few sentences of effort, and there was still more than half of the journey left.
As long as he stabilized the situation, he should be able to solve it before arriving.
Gu Chengyin calmed his mind, looked at the demonic blood-red pupils opposite, and asked:
"So, what do you want now?"
To be honest, Gu Chengyin still didn't quite understand how to satisfy the inner demon of a Golden Core cultivator.
This thing is mysterious and profound, related to the obsession of the Dao heart and the origin of the soul, and can never be summarized by ordinary desires.
He had absolutely no experience in this area, so he could only take it one step at a time.
Hearing this, the inner demon Lin Qingyan's blood-red eyes rolled slightly.
Her gaze first fell on Gu Chengyin's face, pausing for a moment, as if admiring his appearance.
Then it slowly moved down, sweeping across his neck, chest, and finally... froze on Gu Chengyin's legs.
Then her eyes changed.
No longer aggrieved, no longer enchanting, but revealing greedy desire.
Like a hungry wolf eyeing delicious flesh and blood, or like a drunkard seeing aged fine wine.
She even stuck out the tip of her tongue and gently swiped it across her crimson lips.
The movement was slow and enchanting, carrying a highly suggestive tease.
Gu Chengyin: "...?"
His face darkened, and he immediately refused:
"No, be normal for me!"
Are you kidding me!
If he really agreed, he was afraid that the next second Lin Qingyan herself would come and sterilize him on the spot.
He wasn't stupid.
Seeing Gu Chengyin refuse so firmly, the inner demon Lin Qingyan's face showed obvious disappointment.
She pouted, her blood-red eyes misty, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke reluctantly, her voice filled with deep grievance:
"Then... I want to snuggle with Master~"
She said the word snuggle so softly and stickily, like a mochi wrapped in honey.
Gu Chengyin showed a suspicious expression on his face:
"Just snuggling?"
The inner demon Lin Qingyan nodded vigorously, her blood-red pupils filled with sincerity:
"Just snuggling!"
Gu Chengyin stared at her for a moment.
In those demonic blood-red eyes, at this moment, there was really only pure craving left.
Not lust, but almost a child's dependence and attachment to a close person.
Gu Chengyin pondered for a moment, and finally nodded reluctantly:
"Okay, then come sit over here."
As his voice fell, the inner demon Lin Qingyan's blood-red pupils suddenly burst with brilliant light.
She immediately stood up and, like a cheerful sparrow, drifted lightly to Gu Chengyin's side.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his, clinging to him tightly like a vine.
Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, her dark hair scattering across his chest. The comforting warmth of her body seeped through his clothes.
Lin Qingyan closed her eyes, a look of profound satisfaction blooming on her face, as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the entire world.
Gu Chengyin stiffened slightly, but he didn't push her away.
He lowered his gaze, looking at this entirely different side of Lin Qingyan beside him.
At this moment, she had tucked away all her seductive and demonic allure, as quiet and peaceful as a child who had finally found her way home.
She simply held onto his arm tightly, burying her face in his shoulder, her breathing even and steady.
She was being remarkably docile.
The taut string in Gu Chengyin's heart loosened just a fraction.
As long as she didn't cause any unexpected trouble, a little quiet cuddling like this was fine.
He turned his gaze back to the window.
The streets outside remained bustling, the sunlight as bright and beautiful as before.
Only the atmosphere inside the carriage had undergone a subtle shift.
Gu Chengyin thought to himself: once this inner demon faded and the real Lin Qingyan returned, he would need to have a serious talk with her.
She could at least give him a heads-up before letting this side of her out.
She couldn't keep pulling these startling stunts.
It was simply too terrifying.

ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!

ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!

lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...

or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?