"This is sweetbriar flower tea. Have a taste, Junior Sister."
Chi Yao had just sat down when Shen Yu handed her a cup of tea.
It was the very cup Ji Yunshang had wanted to drink earlier but hadn't.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Chi Yao was flattered. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she took the cup.
Fortunately, she managed to control herself, so the tea didn't spill.
But having learned her lesson from drinking the wrong tea last time, Chi Yao sniffed it first this time before drinking. Only after confirming it was just the fragrance of tea did she carefully take a small sip.
Unexpectedly, a soft chuckle suddenly sounded by her ear.
Chi Yao looked up and met Shen Yu's smiling eyes.
"I didn't grab the wrong one this time. Drink without worry, Junior Sister."
Shen Yu's teasing made Chi Yao's heart flutter, and her fingertips trembled even harder—the tea finally spilled after all.
Chi Yao quickly set down the teacup and frantically searched for a handkerchief, but the handkerchief she always carried with her was nowhere to be found at that moment.
Just as Chi Yao was flustered, a white handkerchief appeared in her view.
It was Shen Yu handing it over.
"Th… thank you, Senior Brother."
Chi Yao was dazed for a moment before taking the handkerchief. As she wiped up the spilled tea, she faintly caught a fresh, clean scent.
It was Shen Yu's scent, but compared to usual, something was different.
Mixed into that fresh fragrance was a hint of rouge and powder.
And Chi Yao knew it very well—it was her own scent…
Chi Yao's movements froze, and she looked up at Shen Yu in surprise. Only then did she notice that he was still wearing the outer robe she had returned to him.
So her scent really had lingered on her Senior Brother!
That vile thrill of excitement kept stimulating Chi Yao's nerves, making her body tremble slightly.
Her grip on the handkerchief tightened, and then it slowly slipped down below the table as she quietly tucked away the handkerchief that carried both their scents.
Shen Yu saw this movement clearly, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew more pronounced. The hand that had just offered the handkerchief gently rubbed its fingers together a couple of times.
"What Array Formation did you want to ask about, Junior Sister?"
Shen Yu's voice brought Chi Yao's excited emotions gradually back under control, only to be replaced by an even more hidden sense of thrill.
Under Shen Yu's gaze, she took out her Array Formation book and handed it over.
"I'm very interested in this Array Formation book you gave me, Senior Brother, but the formations later in the book are too complicated. I can't quite figure them out."
A scorching excitement was hidden in Chi Yao's eyes, becoming even more evident the moment Shen Yu took the book.
What she didn't know was that Shen Yu's gaze had just swept over her, precisely capturing the emotions she had been hiding.
A smile appeared at the corner of Shen Yu's mouth, and when he spoke again, there was a hint of bewitchment in his voice:
"It's all right. I'll teach you slowly, Junior Sister."
Shen Yu opened the book, glanced at it only once, then raised his hand and began drawing an Array Formation in the air.
It was exactly the one Chi Yao had failed to draw during morning lessons.
Shen Yu's movements were slow, allowing Chi Yao to see every step clearly.
Soon, an Array Formation identical to the one in the book formed before Chi Yao's eyes, and she immediately understood where she had gone wrong.
"I understand now! Thank you, Senior Brother!"
With that, Chi Yao raised her hand to try again.
This time the process went very smoothly. Chi Yao barely exerted any effort before a fully formed Array Formation appeared before her.
She looked at Shen Yu with delight, eager for him to teach her the next Array Formations.
But Shen Yu showed no intention of continuing. Instead, he looked at the Array Formation Chi Yao had drawn.
"The Spirit-Locking Array can drain a person of all their spiritual energy. It is extremely domineering and dangerous. Why would Junior Sister be interested in such a perilous Array Formation?"
Shen Yu's casual remark made Chi Yao's heart leap instantly, especially when his gaze turned toward her—her heartbeat quickened beyond her control.
This thrill of being discovered at any moment gradually transformed into an excitement Chi Yao had never experienced before, which in turn helped her calm down.
Stirred by this excitement, Chi Yao raised her eyes to meet Shen Yu's gaze.
"I've taken a fancy to a very beautiful Spirit Beast, but he's simply too hard to catch. So I want to learn some powerful Array Formations to capture him."
After saying this, Chi Yao felt even more excited.
It was tantamount to admitting, right in front of her Senior Brother, that she wanted to capture him.
Would her Senior Brother grow suspicious?
Chi Yao stared intently at Shen Yu, waiting for him to speak.
However, Shen Yu's answer took her by surprise. He did not press her about what Spirit Beast she wanted to catch, but instead said with a smile:
"A Spirit Beast that hard to catch—Junior Sister should prepare plenty of Array Formations."
Chi Yao couldn't have been more satisfied with this answer. The hand at her side was trembling uncontrollably, yet her voice remained steady as she spoke:
"Of course. Rest assured, Senior Brother, I will prepare many Array Formations. He absolutely will not escape."
With that, Chi Yao gazed at the face she had longed for day and night, and as if possessed, she couldn't help asking:
"Then does Senior Brother think I can catch him?"
"Naturally you can. Since Junior Sister has set her heart on him, then he is destined to be Junior Sister's."
Chi Yao's gaze grew steadily more fervent.
To her, Shen Yu's words were telling her that he was destined to belong to her.
In that case, Senior Brother had better not regret it later.
Even if he did regret it, she would never let him go.
…
Over the following days, Chi Yao went to consult Shen Yu about Array Formations every day, then applied the Array Formations he personally taught her onto the iron chains.
As the Array Formations on the chains multiplied day by day, Chi Yao's boldness grew as well. She was no longer content with having Shen Yu merely teach her—she wanted Shen Yu to personally lay an Array Formation on the iron chains.
At first, it was just a fleeting thought in Chi Yao's mind, but gradually this dangerous idea took root in her heart and could no longer be dispelled.
Just as Chi Yao was wondering how to carry out this plan, the morning lesson that day delivered the method right to her.
Today's morning lesson was on Array Formations, and Elder Li happened to be teaching a special kind of Array Formation called the Transference Array, which could be used to transfer other Array Formations.
"However, transferring an Array Formation requires a medium. I have some Cloud-Rock here for practicing drawing Array Formations—you may use this to practice."
After Elder Li finished explaining how to draw the Transference Array, he brought out a pile of Cloud-Rock.
The disciples were all very interested in this Array Formation. As soon as Elder Li finished speaking, they all stepped forward to receive their pieces.
When it was Chi Yao's turn, she had just received her Cloud-Rock and was about to return to her seat when someone suddenly bumped into her, and the Cloud-Rock in her hands accidentally fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister. I wasn't paying attention just now."
The moment Chi Yao looked up, she saw Ji Yunshang's face full of apology. Just as she was about to say it was fine, Ji Yunshang immediately walked toward the fallen Cloud-Rock.
"Let me pick it up for you, Senior Sister!"
By the time she finished speaking, Ji Yunshang had already picked up the Cloud-Rock. Seeing this, Chi Yao had no choice but to give up on retrieving it herself.
However, the moment Ji Yunshang turned around, a wisp of black qi suddenly appeared in her palm and, in the blink of an eye, burrowed into the Cloud-Rock and vanished.
Her movements were extremely covert, and her expression was flawless. When she handed the Cloud-Rock to Chi Yao, she even flashed an innocent, guileless smile.
"Here you go, Senior Sister—I picked it up!"
"Thank you."
Chi Yao hadn't noticed Ji Yunshang's little maneuver at all. She only wanted to hurry and test whether the Transference Array worked, so she took the Cloud-Rock straight back to her seat.
Chi Yao first drew the Transference Array onto the Cloud-Rock, then casually drew a defensive Array Formation on top of it.
When she activated the Transference Array, the Cloud-Rock immediately gave off a faint glow, and the defensive Array Formation on it was transferred onto the table.
It had actually worked!
Chi Yao was overjoyed. Seeing that her plan was feasible, she headed straight for Shen Yu's sleeping quarters as soon as morning lessons ended.
She arrived a little earlier than usual, and Shen Yu, as always, was standing beneath the tree in front of the hall.
He seemed to be practicing his sword, yet he kept repeating a single move, constantly adjusting its direction, as if searching for the right angle.
What is Senior Brother doing?
Chi Yao approached Shen Yu with a puzzled look. Just as she reached the tree, Shen Yu happened to swing his sword and turn around.
Their eyes met.
Shen Yu's expression suddenly stiffened, betraying a hint of awkwardness.
As Chi Yao's confusion deepened, Shen Yu slowly lowered his sword, his expression returning to normal.
"What brings you here, Junior Sister?"
"The Array Formation I want to learn today is far too complicated. I'm afraid I won't be able to master it right away, so I was hoping Senior Brother could draw it on a Cloud-Rock for me, so I can study it carefully when I get back."
This was the excuse Chi Yao had prepared long ago, yet the moment she handed over the Cloud-Rock, she couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
"Very well." Shen Yu's fingertip brushed across the Cloud-Rock, a faint smile surfacing in his eyes. "What Array Formation would you like to learn today, Junior Sister?"
"This one."
Chi Yao quickly handed over the Array Formation book.
Seeing Shen Yu's gaze fall upon the book, she couldn't help feeling a trace of anxiety. Her eyes stayed fixed on him, afraid to miss his slightest movement.
Soon, Shen Yu set the book down and raised his hand to draw the Array Formation on the Cloud-Rock.
A complex Array Formation took shape in Shen Yu's hands in mere moments.
"Done."
"Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Chi Yao hadn't expected the plan to go so smoothly. She joyfully took the Cloud-Rock, struggling to control her trembling, excited hands.
"I'll head back to study it. I won't disturb you any longer, Senior Brother."
All Chi Yao wanted at that moment was to hurry back and transfer the Array Formation onto the iron chain, so she didn't stay long.
What she didn't know was that Shen Yu's gaze had followed her the entire way. Only after her figure disappeared did he rub his fingers together, a look of obsession surfacing on his face.
"Junior Sister, you really are getting bolder and bolder."
…
The moment Chi Yao returned to her quarters, she couldn't wait to take out the iron chain and activate the Transference Array on the Cloud-Rock.
Because the Array Formation was so complex, the spiritual energy consumed during the transfer increased accordingly.
Chi Yao's meridians had not fully recovered, so circulating her spiritual energy was somewhat difficult, and the transfer of the Array Formation took extra time.
By the time the Array Formation had successfully been transferred onto the iron chain, fine beads of sweat had formed on Chi Yao's forehead. Yet she didn't feel tired at all—on the contrary, she was extremely excited.
As her fingertips traced over the Array Formation Shen Yu had personally laid down, her whole body trembled.
However, gradually Chi Yao noticed something was wrong. After that trembling faded, a familiar pain spread through her meridians once more.
Realizing something was off, Chi Yao quickly sat down in meditation and began circulating her Cultivation Technique.
But this time it had no effect at all, and the blockage in her meridians seemed to have grown even worse.
As the pain grew more and more intense, Chi Yao hurriedly rose and rushed to Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's sleeping quarters.
"Master…"
By the time Chi Yao saw Immortal Venerable Yun Yi, she was in so much pain she could barely speak.
This immediately made Immortal Venerable Yun Yi anxious. "My dear disciple, what's happened to you?"
"Master, the blockage in my meridians… it seems to have gotten worse again…"
Chi Yao's words came out broken and halting, and Immortal Venerable Yun Yi quickly helped her sit down.
He then took her wrist. As a stream of spiritual energy entered Chi Yao's body, the pain instantly eased, but Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's expression remained tense.
"My dear disciple, wait here. I'll go find someone to take a look at you."
With that, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's figure vanished from the hall.
When he returned, a tall, slender figure followed behind him.
Chi Yao looked closely and realized that the person her master had brought was actually Shen Yu.