A Woman's Mind

Late into the night.

After settling Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan into their accommodations in the inner region, Chen Xiao returned to Cao Ying's small courtyard alone.

Stepping inside, Chen Xiao looked towards the stone table in the courtyard. An elder, dressed in blue robes and appearing to be around fifty years old, was sitting opposite Cao Ying.

Even though the elder seemed more like a senior, Chen Xiao could sense an unnatural restraint coming from him.

"Demoness, this is..."

Cao Ying glanced at Chen Xiao, then gracefully stood up. She spoke with solemnity, "Elder Ye Zhong, this is Chen Xiao. He can fully represent my Cao Family. Inviting you here this time was also his idea. You should have met him in the assessment hall."

Hearing this, Ye Zhong quickly rose, completely devoid of the usual arrogance of a Dou Zong expert.

The declining Ye Family no longer had the right to put on airs.

"So, it's young friend Chen Xiao. May I ask why you sought me out?"

The Cao Family had been flourishing in recent years, which made the remaining Four Great Clans quite envious.

Especially Cao Ying; her growth speed was astonishing, having already surpassed the Dan Family genius who was her equal just a few years prior.

The reason behind this was something all the great clans had been secretly investigating.

However, other than knowing that Cao Ying had been to the Northwest Continent once, they knew nothing more. Even the Dan Family, who knew slightly more, remained tight-lipped about it.

It wasn't until today, seeing Cao Ying's intimate behavior with a strange young man, that the great clans began to have some conjectures.

Cao Ying's words just now further confirmed that Chen Xiao had played a significant role in her rapid growth.

"Please sit down. The main reason I asked for the Grand Elder this time is for the Ye Family's Sun Fire Ancient Altar. I want to borrow that place for a while."

Gesturing for Ye Zhong to sit, Chen Xiao didn't beat around the bush at all and went straight to the point.

Ye Zhong understood inwardly but didn't speak, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, as if contemplating how to gain benefits.

Chen Xiao smiled slightly and said directly, "I know the Sun Fire Ancient Altar is a forbidden area of the Ye Family, and I also know there's a problem with the current Sun Fire Ancient Altar. No sun fire has overflowed for many years. As compensation for borrowing this place, I can help the Ye Family resolve the problem with the Sun Fire Ancient Altar."

"Furthermore, the Ye Family's current situation is worrying. If you finish last again in the next Five Great Clans assessment, your status will be precarious. I can also point the Grand Elder towards a clear path regarding this matter."

Since he needed to use someone else's property, offering some benefits was necessary.

Chen Xiao knew a little about this Ye Family Grand Elder; he wasn't an inflexible person. With these two conditions offered, he believed Ye Zhong would make a wise choice.

Under Chen Xiao and Cao Ying's gaze, Ye Zhong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup.

Clearly, Chen Xiao's conditions made it impossible for him to remain calm.

For the Ye Family, the situation with the Sun Fire Ancient Altar, along with matters related to the next Five Great Clans assessment, were pressing issues that needed immediate resolution.

As long as these two problems were solved, the Ye Family could buy more time and have a chance to return to their peak!

"Is what young friend said true?"

Meeting Ye Zhong's intense gaze, Chen Xiao slowly nodded.

He wasn't a complete gentleman, but most of the time, he was too lazy to make up lies to deceive people.

Seeing this, Ye Zhong immediately nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I believe young friend!"

The completion of this cooperation was even simpler than Chen Xiao had imagined.

After all, from Ye Zhong's perspective, the Sun Fire Ancient Altar was unusable anyway. Letting Chen Xiao try wouldn't result in any loss even if he failed.

Conversely, if Chen Xiao truly delivered on his promises, the Ye Family would see a turning point. There was no reason to refuse.

"Very good. In about half a month, I will bring Cao Ying and the others to the Ye Family."

"Then I will be waiting for young friend's arrival at any time. If there is nothing else, this old man shall take his leave first. Young friend, see you in half a month!"

Although Ye Zhong was very curious about Chen Xiao's identity and his relationship with the Cao Family, he had good judgment.

Now that the important matters were discussed, he had no intention of staying and being a bother. He immediately stood up and said.

Chen Xiao nodded, watching Cao Ying see Ye Zhong off.

After Cao Ying returned, the moonlight was soft, and only the two of them remained in the courtyard.

During the day, with Little Fairy Doctor and Zi Yan present, the Demoness Cao had been quite bold, even daring to tease Chen Xiao.

But now that there was no one else around, sitting opposite Chen Xiao, Demoness Cao felt inexplicably nervous. She didn't quite dare to look directly into Chen Xiao's eyes, showing the classic reaction of someone who had been bitten by a snake once and was now afraid of a well rope for ten years.

"I already gave Teacher the materials for the Heaven Soul Blood Fusion Pill earlier. Teacher also agreed, and can start refining it tomorrow."

Pretending to be calm, Cao Ying took a sip of tea. Her pretty face was unperturbed, and her tone was flat.

However, she overlooked a detail.

Chen Xiao spoke with a half-smile, "Was that my tea you just drank?"

As his words fell, Cao Ying froze as if struck by lightning. Her delicate body stiffened abruptly, and a blush instantly dyed her cheeks, even her earlobes burning hot.

Cao Ying's trembling fingers placed the teacup back on the table. The crisp sound of the porcelain cup hitting the stone table seemed to also strike her heartstrings.

She became increasingly flustered. In a daze, she realized that ever since she had proactively provoked Chen Xiao in the Black-Corner Region and ended up losing more than she gained, every time she faced this man, she felt inexplicably weak.

After all, Chen Xiao had seen through her proud facade to her true self – flustered, helpless, yet still trying to be strong.

"How can you be so stingy about a cup of tea? I'm your fiancée, after all," Cao Ying said, lifting her swan-like neck, trying to maintain her composure.

But she couldn't hold it for long. Suddenly, she clutched her chest and coughed violently, her face turning pale.

Chen Xiao got up and went behind her, helping her catch her breath. He only stopped when she seemed to recover.

"A side effect of the Burning Flame Art?"

Cao Ying nodded slightly. "Before, I just felt tightness in my chest and shortness of breath. But after reaching Dou Wang, I started having these symptoms occasionally. The more my strength improves, the more pronounced they become."

A damaged scroll is still a damaged scroll. It's been fine so far, but if another ten or eight years pass, the situation will only get worse.

Fortunately, Chen Xiao was already prepared for this.

"From today onwards, you won't have to suffer anymore. I specifically brought you a gift when I came here this time. Open it and take a look."

Chen Xiao smiled and sat down, no longer in the mood to tease her. He took out a black scroll from his Storage Ring and handed it to her.

From his expression, Cao Ying had already guessed what it was.

With anticipation, she opened it. As expected, it was the complete version of the Burning Flame Art!

"When Fourth Uncle returned, he said you would help me get the complete Cultivation Technique ready. I was really looking forward to it. When I saw you today, I remembered it, but since you didn't mention it, I didn't want to ask too much, in case you weren't prepared and felt embarrassed."

Cao Ying's slender fingertips gently stroked the surface of the scroll, a soft, charming smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

Recalling the events of the day, Chen Xiao had even skipped the pleasantries. As soon as they met, he threw a pile of tasks at her to handle.

Although she was mentally prepared and knew this was part of fulfilling their agreement, Chen Xiao's business-like attitude still made her feel a little choked up inside.

Women are such creatures – their thoughts are always intricate and inexplicable.

If you treat her like a fiancée, she thinks it's too fast.

If you're strictly business, she thinks you're heartless.

It wasn't until this moment, when Chen Xiao took out the Burning Flame Art, and she felt that Chen Xiao still cared about her quite a bit, that the little bit of emotion from the "Cao Enchantress" completely dissipated.

"What I say, of course, counts. Get ready over the next few days. These matters will require a lot of thought."

Cao Ying's eyes curved into crescent moons, with a hint of mischief in them. "It seems I'll be busy with my feet barely touching the ground from now on. But don't think you'll have it easy either. Once today's events spread, my father and the others probably won't be able to sit still. They'll definitely come to see you in person. They've been mentioning your name for more than just a day or two. Even Teacher Xuan Kongzi might come to see you. You should plan your countermeasures ahead of time so you don't get flustered when the time comes."

Chen Xiao wasn't worried about that at all.

"Let alone that we are still just a name; even if it becomes a reality one day, I'm not afraid."

"Dream on!"

"Heh heh, let's go. It's a long night. Let's deal with that Magical Beast corpse tonight first."

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