CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: ABSORBING THE GIFT

When they returned to the courtyard, Luo Suyi had already instructed the maidservant to prepare hot soup. She got down from the man’s embrace and personally helped him remove his armor, attending to Lu Chengfeng’s bath.

Upon seeing the dark red stains on the armor, her expression changed slightly. She quickly grabbed Lu Chengfeng’s hand and asked, "Husband, are you injured?"

Lu Chengfeng lightly patted her soft hand and laughed, "Rest assured, it’s just some animal blood. I’m not hurt at all."

Only then did Luo Suyi breathe a sigh of relief, gently patting her chest, which caused a gentle tremor and stirred up waves of emotion. "That’s good. When you’re out fighting, you must be careful and prioritize your safety. As long as you’re safe and sound, that’s the greatest blessing."

As she chattered, she helped her husband remove his armor, as well as his outer and inner garments.

Once he was completely undressed, Lu Chengfeng himself stepped into the bathtub. The water temperature was just right, instantly relaxing his entire body. He leaned slightly against the edge, half-closing his eyes.

Since early morning he had been running around and battling all day. At night, he even went to Houde Square. Despite his inward cultivation being quite advanced, he still felt somewhat tired.

Luo Suyi saw her husband lying in the bathtub, his face showing unmistakable fatigue, which made her feel even more distressed. She removed her own outer robe, leaving only a pale moon-colored gown, and personally began to wash her husband’s body.

Being attended to by her soft, smooth hands, Lu Chengfeng’s body gradually relaxed. He suddenly remembered Tan Xiong’s instructions and said to Luo Suyi, "Suyi, today we killed a demon beast, so there’s some lingering demon qi on me. Let Granny Wang prepare some soapberries and sulfur stone."

Luo Suyi agreed with a nod, ringing the bell in the room. In no time, the maidservant responded from outside.

"Granny Wang, please prepare some soapberries and sulfur stone," Luo Suyi called out without opening the door.

Soapberries were regularly stocked in the courtyard, often used by the servants for washing clothes and bodies. There was also some sulfur stone in storage, useful for repelling the many snakes and insects found on the mountain.

Soon, the maidservant brought the items in. Luo Suyi put the soapberries and sulfur stone into the tub and meticulously washed her husband’s body from head to toe.

Once she was finished, she was sweating all over, and her thin gown was soaked through, revealing a large expanse of faintly visible fair skin.

Such attentiveness was nothing new. Initially, Lu Chengfeng was reluctant to trouble her, wanting to discourage her, but Luo Suyi insisted. Seeing he couldn’t refuse her, and also enjoying it, he stopped trying to dissuade her.

"Husband, I’ll dry you off. You go rest on the bed, and I’ll clean up myself and come over," Luo Suyi gently and attentively attended to her husband, ensuring his comfort before heading to wash up.

On normal days, after Lu Chengfeng’s bath, they would often indulge in intimate moments in the tub, or she would lean against the edge, enjoying indescribable pleasures.

This time, however, Lu Chengfeng was not in the mood. Firstly, he was indeed a bit tired, and secondly, he was preoccupied with the gift he had received.

Once on the bed, he knew Luo Suyi usually took a long time to wash up, needing about half a two-hour period, so he couldn’t help but close his eyes, and his mind lightly touched the golden light at his brow.

In a trance, he seemed to see the golden light at his brow burning fiercely like a flame. As his mind moved, it transformed into layers of pale golden ripples, sweeping over his entire body.

At the same time, countless memories surged through his brain, causing a sharp pain at his brow, as if a needle were piercing it.

Lu Chengfeng guarded his mind cautiously, not daring to glance at those memory fragments, only practicing "Embrace the Essence and Guard the One," allowing the golden light to spread and the memories to surge.

The last time he absorbed Zhao Changzhen’s gift, it was swift, taking only a few breaths, but fully digesting the gift took a few days.

This time, however, absorbing a gift from an Inner Peak Elder level took a full quarter-hour of time before the golden light dimmed, transforming into a darkened star, still suspended at his brow’s Spirit Platform.

Lu Chengfeng slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his still stinging brow, "It seems the more powerful and abundant the gift, the heavier the burden it places on me."

"If I were to receive a gift from a truly peerless individual now, given my current level of Inner Power Cultivation, I’d probably have my head explode."

He now felt some fear, realizing that he needed to explore the many subtleties of his talent slowly, understanding that he couldn’t just recklessly acquire a gift from anyone as he had imagined.

"However, with my meager Tenth Layer of Inner Strength, I’m already able to successfully absorb an Elder’s gift from the Inner Peak. Such talent is indeed extraordinary."

"Once I fully digest this gift and reach the realm of an Inner Peak Elder, I imagine there won’t be many in this world whose gifts I can’t absorb, right?"

Thinking of this gave Lu Chengfeng a sense of peace. He felt the future held great promise, and all his anxiety, unease, and underlying fears gradually dissipated.

After a brief moment of rest, he began to explore the memory fragments of Elder Li Guan, but only a brief exploration left Lu Chengfeng feeling overwhelmed.

Compared to Zhao Changzhen’s memory fragments, Elder Li Guan’s were clearly more vast and complex.

"With so many memories, it will likely take time to clear them completely. I’ll first locate the ’Profound Crane Shadowless Ghost-penetrating Sword Technique,’ and deal with the rest later."

Lu Chengfeng’s thoughts shifted. Using his gift’s guidance, it didn’t take long before he found all the memories associated with the ’Profound Crane Shadowless Ghost-penetrating Sword Technique.’

Not being greedy, he only organized the memories related to this Dharma method, passing time unknowingly.

Just after he had organized these memories, Lu Chengfeng felt a corner of the covers lift, and a smooth, delicate body snuggled up against him.

He opened his eyes and saw Luo Suyi already nestled into his embrace, her eyes a bit misty, her face shy yet irresistibly charming.

"Husband... I... I... I want..."

With this said, Luo Suyi’s earlobes turned beet red, overcome with shyness, letting out a soft whimper and burying her head in his chest, unwilling to come out.

Lu Chengfeng couldn’t withstand such teasing. All other matters were cast aside. He grasped her delicate waist, holding her close, and whispered in her ear, "You little vixen, daring to seduce me. Watch how I handle you."

As he said this, he had already toppled her beneath him.

Before long and amid the tumults, her silky hair spread across the bed, her fair arms clung tightly to his back, and as time ticked by, she even dug her nails deeply in.

Outside, the bright moon hung high, the night breeze blew gently, dispersing the few wisps of clouds lingering in the sky.

The trees on the mountain swayed in the wind, producing a rustling sound, harmonizing with the captivating echoes that drifted far, making the moonlit night ever more enchanting.