Heavens' Laughter

"This…" Feng Shen muttered, scratching his cheek awkwardly as he avoided his personal servant's concerned gaze.

He looked off to the side, searching for some excuse that might deflect her attention.@@novelbin@@

The last thing Feng Shen wanted was to deal with his personal servant fussing over him.

He let out a small, almost sheepish laugh:

"Well, you know how it is... things got a little messy, that's all." Feng Shen's tone was casual, almost dismissive, as if brushing off the obvious evidence of what he'd endured.

"But—" Yùn Yì hesitated, wanting to press further, but she quickly reminded herself that it wasn't her place to question him.

As long as the Second Young Master was unharmed—or at least claimed to be—she would let it go.

However, she couldn't ignore the smell…

Gore, sweat, and something indescribably foul clung to the Second Young Master's form:

"Um—" Yùn Yì ventured hesitantly, trying not to sound rude, "you're, uh, smelling a bit… strong right now."

Feng Shen glanced back at his personal servant, raising an eyebrow at her comment.

His golden eyes shifted downward, taking in the state of his skin and robe.

The gore, dirt, and blood clinging to his skin and fabric were impossible to miss.

It was clear Feng Shen was in a less-than-pristine condition.

"Ah~ not a big deal," he said casually, brushing off her concern with a wave of his hand:

"I'll just wash up. I passed by a nearby river on my way back." Feng Shen's tone remained nonchalant, as if his current state was nothing out of the ordinary.

After all, to Feng Shen, such a mess was common for him in his past life.

Being covered in blood—whether it was his own or that of those he slaughtered—had become a routine part of his life.

Washing up was something Feng Shen rarely bothered with, more out of laziness than anything else.

Though he simply didn't care.

In fact, Feng Shen found the scent of blood lingering on him satisfying.

Yùn Yì let out a small sigh of relief, glad that the Second Young Master intended to wash up, even if he seemed indifferent about it.

Despite her almost fanatical admiration for him, she couldn't deny how much she disliked this new, overpowering stench.

'I want the old smell back…' Yùn Yì thought.

She missed the Second Young Master's usual scent—which was strangely comforting, though she'd never dare say that out loud.

Though the thought of it made Yùn Yì's cheeks flush, and before she knew it, she was turning around to hide her embarrassment.

'Ah~!!! Why am I like this!?'

Covering her face with her hands, Yùn Yì tried to shake the warmth spreading across her skin, silently scolding herself for letting such thoughts get to her.

'Am I really that much of a pervert!?'

Ever since Yùn Yì became the personal servant of the Second Young Master, she had noticed a strange change in herself.

Back in the Mortal Realm, she had never cared about such things—romantic or otherwise—and certainly never toward any man.

But now, for some inexplicable reason, Yùn Yì found her thoughts straying in ways that left her feeling both flustered and frustrated.

She couldn't deny it—she didn't particularly like this shift in her behavior.

It left Yùn Yì constantly embarrassing herself, fumbling her words, or coming across as downright silly.

She sighed inwardly, wishing she could go back to the composed person she used to be, rather than this overly self-conscious version of herself that always seemed to surface around the Second Young Master.

Seeing his personal servant acting strangely, Feng Shen could easily guess the reason behind her behavior.

It was obvious she had developed a strong crush on him.

For someone as experienced as Feng Shen—at least mentally—it wasn't hard to recognize the telltale signs.

He wasn't dense, far from it.

His personal servant's blushes, her nervous gestures, and the way her gaze lingered just a moment too long all spoke volumes.

It amused Feng Shen in a very sadistic way, though he didn't let it show.

With a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, he decided to let his personal servant's antics slide for now.

After all, Feng Shen wasn't particularly interested in addressing it outright. That would only make things unnecessarily awkward—and he had more important matters to focus on.

Which was cultivating.

However, Feng Shen had no intention of simply ignoring his personal servant's infatuation.

He planned to skillfully nurture his personal servant's crush, subtly leading her emotions along until it blossomed into love—then push it further, guiding her into obsession.

Feng Shen knew the power of devotion, especially when it reached a point where rationality no longer held sway.

He knew if he could mold his personal servant's feelings into a yandere-level obsession….

She would become perfect—willing to do anything for Feng Shen, even if it meant sacrificing her life without hesitation.

'Ahaha~ now that would be amazing... So many ways of ending her life~.' Feng Shen couldn't help but entertain the thought, his mind drifting to the future with a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Unfortunately, before he could savor of such a sight, he knew he had to first reap the benefits of his personal servant's Absolute Zero Physique.

"Well, I'm going to wash up. Just stay here and start cultivating. It should come naturally," Feng Shen said:

"Ah~ I almost forgot."

Feng Shen put away the core into his robe and vanished from where he stood.

A second later, he reappeared, holding a couple of apples and carrots in his hands, dropping them onto the ground:

"Alright! You got your food. So I'll be back in a little! Bye, bye!"

Feng Shen didn't bother to wait for a reply, as he again vanished.

His mind was focused on what he needed to do.

First, Feng Shen needed to wash himself, the blood and gore that clung to him.

Then, he had to cultivate the Sky Tyrant's core.

Yùn Yì watched as the Second Young Master disappeared once again, her eyes lingering on the spot where he had been.

A small frown tugged at her lips.

Yùn Yì' wanted to offer to help the Second Young Master clean off, to tend to his wounds, but the very thought of it made her face flush with embarrassment.

Her cheeks burned even more intensely that it felt like smoke could almost pour from her head.

"Uh~ enough! I need to focus!"

Quickly, Yùn Yì shook her head, as she slapped herself on both cheeks, trying to clear the silly thoughts that had clouded her mind.

"Now is not the time for such distractions!"

Yùn Yì knew the Second Young Master had told her to focus on cultivating, and that was exactly what she would do.

She would eat after she cultivated!

With a deep, steadying breath, Yùn Yì awkwardly lowered herself to the ground, sitting cross-legged.

Her hands rested on her knees as she adjusted her posture, trying to calm the fluttering in her chest.

Yùn Yì was slightly nervous.

The task ahead wasn't just about gaining strength—it was about proving her worth to the Second Young Master.

Closing her eyes, Yùn Yì let out another slow breath, trying to center herself.

As Yùn Yì's mind quieted, the sounds of the forest faded away.

For a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped.

The usual rustle of leaves, the distant call of birds, and even the wind's soft whisper seemed to vanish.

In their place, Yùn Yì found herself deep within her own mind—within her Sea of Consciousness.

'Ugh, crap! I didn't mean to open this! How do I—wait, no! Ugh, why is this so complicated?! How do I get out of here?'

Yùn Yì couldn't help but sigh, feeling a little frustration, as she looked around her Sea of Consciousness.

She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, as she had hoped it would be a vast, infinite expanse.

It was more like a cramped kiddie pool.

Yùn Yì opened her eyes.

"It's fine... I can do this! What did Grandfather say? Ah~ right! Cultivators focus on their surroundings for the Qi!"

Closing her eyes, Yùn Yì took another deep breath, this time feeling the energy of the world around her.

With each inhale, she began drawing in Qi, the vital force that flowed through everything.

Yùn Yì began channeling it through her meridians. Her three dantians became increasingly harmonious.

Despite this…

Suddenly, Yùn Yì's eyes snapped open, her breath coming in short bursts as the overwhelming surge of Qi began to flood her senses.

The sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

It was as if the entire world around Yùn Yì had suddenly pushed forward, and all the Qi in all the realms were rushing toward her at an uncontrollable pace.

The fast accumulation felt almost suffocating, like she was drinking from a river that was too vast for her to handle.

"... Maybe I should just eat. Cultivating's probably way harder on an empty stomach, right?"