Wan Qingluan stared at you in shock, even forgetting to withdraw her hand. "H-how do you know about my cultivation technique?!" Her face was full of astonishment. This secret was known only to herself and Yan Zhixue.

You grinned. "Guess!"

Wan Qingluan's already fearful expression grew even more panicked. She stood frozen in place, not daring to move.

However, after decades of interaction in previous simulations, you were intimately familiar with her fearful personality. You barked sharply, "I'll protect you for today. After that, you're free to go. Don't be ungrateful!"

Your words hardly sounded like protection. Wan Qingluan trembled, her delicate face scrunching up as if about to cry. Without another word, you simply grabbed her and dragged her along.

Though only at late-stage Marrow Washing, your combat strength rivaled peak Essence Refining. Wan Qingluan was currently only at peak Organ Fortifying—no match for you at all. Unlike the third simulation where she had always been several cultivation levels above you.

"The hunter has become the hunted!" you thought as you led Wan Qingluan away from the Yajiangkou military camp.

Bai Chen saw you returning with a beautiful woman and hurried over. He looked at Wan Qingluan, then back at you in surprise. "Senior brother, is this how you pick up women? Just grab one off the street?"

Too lazy to explain, you simply scowled. "Shut your trap, old chatterbox!" The bullied Bai Chen immediately closed his mouth.

The three of you headed southeast toward the Danxia Sect. Yajiangkou was about ten days' journey from Danxia. Only after half a day of dragging Wan Qingluan along did you think to ask her original destination.

She said she'd been heading to the Dragon Gate Inn northwest of Cangwang Desert. You froze awkwardly—you'd dragged her in nearly the opposite direction.

"Nothing urgent at Dragon Gate Inn, right?" you asked.

Wan Qingluan glanced at you. "Not urgent..."

"Good enough." You took her hand again and continued walking. As she looked at your clasped hands, the resistance in her eyes lessened considerably. Your Heavenly Desire Formless Technique cultivation gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Bai Chen trailed behind, muttering as he watched your back, "No wonder he never visits brothels—just takes what he wants from the streets. No class!" He secretly vowed to cultivate harder until he too could snatch people openly without consequence.

By evening, as darkness fell, the three of you checked into an inn—you sharing a room with Wan Qingluan for protection (absolutely no other intentions), while Bai Chen had his own. Should any improper thoughts arise, may Zhao Tiezhu immediately meet misfortune.

That night, you emerged hand-in-hand with Wan Qingluan to invite Bai Chen to the night market. After prolonged knocking revealed his absence, you assumed the old lecher had gone brothel-hopping again. So just the two of you went.

The night market street blazed with lantern light, alive with shouting vendors, crying children, and laughing patrons. You bought numerous snacks—all Wan Qingluan's favorites, as you knew her tastes intimately. She nibbled at each treat in turn, her small mouth glistening with oil, overwhelmed by the abundance.

"Good?" you asked smiling.

"Delicious~" she replied, her first relaxed smile all day.

Spotting fried glutinous rice balls—a shared favorite—you released Wan Qingluan to make the purchase. After paying, you sensed her bouncing over behind you. Without turning, you simply reached back. Wan Qingluan naturally placed her hand in yours without a second thought. She was growing dependent on you.

Back at the inn, you let Wan Qingluan take the bed while you sat cross-legged on a chair to cultivate. Stuck at late-stage Marrow Washing for some time, you could feel the thin barrier to peak Marrow Washing—breakthrough was imminent.

As a qualified fourth-grade pill refiner, you now had ample internal spirit pills. You resumed your old heroic pill-popping ways, stuffing them into your mouth by the handful, treating them like meals. This reckless consumption left Wan Qingluan wide-eyed with shock as she lay watching from the bed until sleep overtook her.

The room filled with Wan Qingluan's kitten-soft breathing as you continued cultivating through the night.

Then—BOOM!—an internal detonation at midnight startled Wan Qingluan awake. She sat bolt upright, staring as vast quantities of liquefied true qi raged within you like tidal waves against a dam. You'd broken through to peak Marrow Washing!

Combined with your previous ninefold true qi condensation, you were terrifyingly strong now. Even facing someone three major realms higher at initial Dragon Transformation stage, you'd dare confront them—whether you could win was another matter, but you had the confidence now.

"Wonder if I can take that expert by Duan Qian's side now..." you mused. Based on prior deductions, that expert was at least Dragon Transformation. "Still not stable enough—can't get cocky!" you reminded yourself.

Noticing Wan Qingluan gaping at you with her rosy little mouth agape, you teased, "What? Never seen a handsome devil break through before?"

"Y-you're only peak Marrow Washing?" she stammered, having sensed your cultivation level during the breakthrough.

"Yeah. Got a problem?"

Her beautiful eyes shone with disbelief. Though a full major realm above you at peak Organ Fortifying, she'd been utterly helpless against you earlier. Unable to sense your cultivation before, she'd assumed you were at least Essence Refining—never imagining you were just some piddling Marrow Washing martial artist. The revelation left her speechless.

Finally, she managed sincere praise: "You're amazing!"

You smirked. "Someone used to tell me that often too—usually at night though."

Wan Qingluan looked confused. "Sleep now. Won't wake you again," you said, assembling a makeshift bed from chairs before drifting off.

Next morning revealed Wan Qingluan in her 'loving' personality—radiating human kindness. She collected eight stray dogs, nine stray cats, and even a "lost" little girl (who turned out to just be playing outside her own home until Wan Qingluan "rescued" her). The frantic parents were nearly reporting her to authorities until you returned the child with ten taels for their trouble.

"Could you at least ask before collecting people?" you chided, poking her flawless forehead.

"I didn't see any adults around her..." Wan Qingluan sat on the bed, wringing her hands.

"Lots of places don't have adults around! I don't have adults around me—why not collect me?"

She studied you seriously. "You're too heavy to collect."

You sighed—this was your own karma anyway. As Wan Qingluan curled up contritely in the corner like a scolded child, you said, "Your fearful phase is over. Go back to Dragon Gate Inn yourself—I'm returning to Danxia Sect."