11: Chapter 11 Relax, I'll take care of you.

Deep within the bedchamber of Hall of Eternal Life, the clamorous sounds of toasting and drinking from the outside world were thoroughly cut off by that thick purple-gold wooden door.

At this very moment, there was only silence here, along with an ambiguous atmosphere that was almost overflowing.

Dozens of thick Dragon and Phoenix red candles burned quietly, their flickering flames casting the entire bedchamber in a dreamlike glow.

Red curtains hung low, and the air was filled with a faint yet highly penetrating sweet fragrance. It was a specially made "Hehuan Incense," not strong, but capable of unsettling one's mind.

Su Qingge sat upright on the cloud bed covered in bright red brocade.

She tightly twisted the handkerchief in her hands, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Although the red bridal veil on her head had been removed after the grand ceremony, leaving only a thin veil, she still dared not lift her head.

That man was right in front of her.

Xu Chen did not rush forward; instead, he leisurely walked to the table and poured two cups of wine.

The wine was clear and chilled, exuding a rich Spiritual Qi.

He picked up the wine cups and turned to look at the Tai Chu Saintess, who was as nervous as a startled quail, the mischievous smirk at the corner of his mouth impossible to suppress.

"Wife."

Xu Chen's voice rang out in the spacious bedchamber, carrying a lazy, magnetic quality. "Why are you sitting so far away? Am I some kind of ferocious beast?"

Su Qingge's body trembled, and she finally mustered the courage to lift her head.

Through the hazy veil, she saw Xu Chen walking slowly toward her, holding two cups of wine. The candlelight cast a shadow on his handsome profile, making his eyes appear even deeper, as if they hid a vortex that could suck a person in.

"N-no."

Su Qingge's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. "It's just... I'm not quite used to this."

She was truly not used to it.

For nineteen years, she had been devoted to the Dao, and her life consisted of nothing but Cultivating and seclusion. Although those Senior Brothers admired her greatly, none had ever dared to cross the line in the face of her cold exterior.

But the man before her was different.

He hadn't just crossed the line; he had filled it in and was preparing to build a house on top of it.

"You'll get used to it slowly."

Xu Chen walked to the bedside and sat down, the bed sinking slightly under his weight.

Su Qingge instinctively wanted to shrink inward, but Xu Chen's free hand wrapped around her slender waist.

"Don't hide."

Xu Chen's voice lowered a few degrees, carrying an irresistible dominance. "Tonight is our big day. A moment of a spring night is worth a thousand gold; hiding back and forth, wouldn't that be a waste of this beautiful night?"

He handed one of the wine cups to Su Qingge.

"Come, drink this wine first."

Su Qingge looked at the wine cup, hesitated for a moment, then reached out with trembling hands to take it.

Their arms intertwined.

The distance closed instantly until they could hear each other's breathing.

Su Qingge could even count Xu Chen's long eyelashes and could feel the comforting masculine scent on him, mixed with the faint fragrance of wine, drifting right into her nose.

"After drinking this wine, we will be true husband and wife."

Xu Chen looked into her eyes, his tone uncharacteristically serious for once. "From now on, we share honor and disgrace, life and death."

Su Qingge's heart trembled.

Share honor and disgrace, life and death.

Was this it... had she entrusted her entire life to him just like that?

Looking at Xu Chen's sincere eyes, the last trace of confusion and resistance in her heart finally swallowed along with the wine.

"Mm."

She responded softly and tilted her head back to drain the wine in one gulp.

The spicy liquid slid down her throat, instantly turning into a warm current that exploded in her lower abdomen.

Whether due to the strength of the wine or shyness, Su Qingge's cheeks, which were already rosy, were now as bright as peach blossoms.

Xu Chen set down the wine cup and did not immediately proceed to the next step, but instead reached out to gently lift the last layer of thin veil from her face.

The veil slid off.

Revealing that peerless face capable of captivating all living beings.

Under the candlelight, Su Qingge was breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes, like clear autumn waters, shimmered with ripples, and her red lips were slightly parted, as if waiting for something, yet also seemingly afraid of something.

"Truly beautiful."

Xu Chen exclaimed sincerely.

His palm gently caressed her cheek, his fingertips stroking her delicate skin.

Su Qingge's eyelashes trembled violently, and her breathing became rapid.

She knew what would happen next.

This was the duty of a wife, and also... the necessary path for procreation.

However, she had absolutely no experience, and even her theoretical knowledge was extremely lacking. The library of the Tai Chu Holy Land only contained sword manuals and Mind-Cultivation Techniques; it had no books teaching people how to consummate a marriage.

"H-Husband."

Su Qingge nervously grabbed Xu Chen's sleeve, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. "I... I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of?"

Xu Chen asked despite knowing the answer, his fingers sliding down her cheek and stopping at her exquisite collarbone, gently tracing circles.

"Afraid of pain? Or... afraid that I will eat you up?"

Su Qingge bit her lip, her eyes slightly red, and said nothing, just trembling even more violently.

The cold poison in her body seemed to show signs of resurgence due to the intense emotional fluctuation; a bone-chilling cold rose from her Dantian, instantly making her previously burning body ice-cold.

Xu Chen keenly noticed this change.

His expression instantly turned serious.

"It seems this cold poison is even more stubborn than I imagined."

Xu Chen put away his teasing thoughts, waved his hand, and an invisible force surged out, instantly extinguishing half of the candles in the bedchamber, leaving only two flickering lights by the bedside.

The dimming light gave Su Qingge a slight sense of security, but Xu Chen's next words made her almost faint on the spot.

"Qingge, you feel it too, right? The Nine Yin cold Qi in your body is backlashing."

Xu Chen said solemnly, his tone as serious as if he were holding an academic seminar. "If not suppressed in time, not only will you be in unbearable pain tonight, but you might even damage your Foundation."

"Then... what should I do?"

Su Qingge felt cold all over at this moment, the bone-deep chill causing her to instinctively lean toward the only source of heat beside her—Xu Chen.

"I said before on the carriage that I am a Hongmeng Creation Origin Body, possessing the purest Yang Qi."

Xu Chen took her cold little hand and placed it on his chest. "Only we can save you."

"But..."

Xu Chen paused, a look of "difficulty" appearing on his face.

"But this kind of treatment requires the Yin and Yang Qi to merge without any obstruction."

"That is what is commonly called... Dual Cultivation."

"Furthermore, to ensure that the Yang Qi does not dissipate, we must... be completely naked."

Completely naked?

Su Qingge's brain exploded with a boom.

Although she had long been mentally prepared, when Xu Chen stated it so openly with the excuse of "treating an illness," she still felt so ashamed that she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"B-but..."

"There are no 'buts'."

Xu Chen interrupted her, his tone becoming firm. "Do you want to be frozen into an ice sculpture, or do you want to be obedient and be a healthy woman?"

"Besides, we are already husband and wife."

"What is there to be shy about in front of your husband?"

As he spoke, Xu Chen reached out extremely naturally and untied the sash at her waist.

That intricate Phoenix coronet and ceremonial robe fell away layer by layer in his hands like flower petals.

"Don't..."

Su Qingge instinctively wanted to cover her chest, but Xu Chen gently pressed her hands down.

"Be good."

Xu Chen leaned close to her ear, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a heart-trembling magic. "Relax, give yourself to me."

"I will be very gentle."

As the last outer robe slipped to the floor, Su Qingge was left with only a thin undergarment.

Her jade-like skin emitted a lustrous glow under the faint candlelight, and her perfect curves were faintly visible, enough to make any Saint lose their composure.

But Xu Chen did not rush to possess her.

He could feel the stiffness of Su Qingge's body and the coldness of her skin.

He pulled her into his arms, letting her back press tightly against his scorching chest.

"Can you feel it?"

Xu Chen asked in a low voice, "My body temperature."

Su Qingge nodded.

The man behind her was like a huge furnace, transmitting a continuous stream of heat; that warmth caused the chill in her body to dissipate by more than half in an instant.

She greedily snuggled backward, wanting to absorb more warmth.

"That's right."

Xu Chen chuckled, his hands wrapping around her waist, his palms pressed against her flat lower abdomen—that was exactly where the Dantian, where the cold poison gathered, was located.

"Next, I am going to start circulating my power."

"It might feel a bit strange, you have to endure it."

As his voice fell, Xu Chen focused his mind, and the Origin power of the Hongmeng Creation Origin Body began to circulate.

A scorching current of Qi flowed from his palms directly into Su Qingge's lower abdomen.

"Mm-hmm..."

Caught off guard, Su Qingge arched her slender neck and let out a sweet, soft moan.

That hot current was too overbearing; not only did it dispel the cold, but it was also like lighting a fire, burning through her Meridians and spreading throughout her entire body.

Her originally pale skin instantly flushed with a charming pink.

"Xu... Xu Chen..."

Her eyes were unfocused, and she was unconsciously calling out Xu Chen's name, her voice soft and sweet, as if she were acting coquettishly.

"Call me Husband."

Xu Chen corrected her, while his palms began to wander restlessly upward.

"H-Husband..."

Su Qingge had completely lost the ability to think at this moment and could only let Xu Chen do as he pleased.

She felt as if she were a small boat tossing in a storm, and Xu Chen was the only harbor.

"Good girl."

Xu Chen smiled with satisfaction.

He gently turned Su Qingge's body to face him.

At this moment, Su Qingge's hair was disheveled, her eyes were hazy, and that last remaining undergarment was already hanging precariously.

"Qingge, look at me."

Xu Chen cupped her face, his gaze burning. "What comes next is the real 'treatment'."

"Are you ready?"

Su Qingge looked at him, the shyness in her eyes gradually being replaced by a sense of determination and love.

She stretched out her arms, actively wrapping them around Xu Chen's neck, closed her eyes, lifted her chin slightly, and offered her own awkward, trembling kiss.

This action was worth more than a thousand words.

Xu Chen no longer hesitated and lowered his head to kiss those red lips he had longed for.

Only the flickering candlelight seemed to jump a few times in shyness, and then it was completely extinguished.