322: Chapter 322 I Didn't Fail, Everything Is Under Control

The night was deep, and the moonlight was like water.

Inside Tingquan Residence, the spring passion gradually subsided.

Xu Ruyu lay on the bed, breathing heavily, his whole body soaked in sweat.

Madam Qingli lay softly against his chest; the flush on her exquisite face had not yet faded, her eyes were seductive, and her fingertips lightly traced circles on his chest.

"Xiao Yuer... you really are... getting more and more amazing..."

Her voice carried a post-coital laziness, soft and bone-melting.

Xu Ruyu grinned, his large hand gently stroking her smooth back. "As long as Sister Qingli is satisfied."

"Satisfied, very satisfied." Madam Qingli looked up and gave him a light peck on the lips, her eyes twinkling. "Big sister was almost falling apart from your tossing."

The two lingered in each other's warmth for a while longer before Xu Ruyu propped himself up and called out toward the door, "Xiao Nianyin, come in."

Outside the door, Xiao Nianyin's whole body stiffened.

She had already been standing outside for nearly an hour.

During this hour, the sounds inside the room had never ceased, rising and falling, slowing and quickening, like small knives carving into her heart piece by piece.

She bit her lip and clenched her hands, her nails nearly digging into her flesh, barely managing to control herself from covering her ears or thinking about those images.

Now, it was finally over.

But Xu Ruyu called her in.

To do what?

To serve them?

Xiao Nianyin took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked in with her head bowed.

The room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere, a mixture of sweat and a certain indescribable scent. Xiao Nianyin did not dare to look up, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor as she walked to the bedside.

"Go, fetch a basin of hot water and serve Sister Qingli to wash up." Xu Ruyu's voice sounded, as calm as if he were ordering the most ordinary task.

Xiao Nianyin's footsteps paused for a moment, then she responded, "Yes."

She turned and left, soon returning with a basin of warm water, which she placed on the low table by the bed. Then, she picked up a soft towel, soaked it, wrung it dry, and handed it toward Madam Qingli.

Madam Qingli did not take it, but instead looked at her with a smile. "Sister Nianyin, my body is so soft right now it feels like I have no bones; I can't move. You wipe me down."

Xiao Nianyin's hand froze in mid-air.

She looked up and met Madam Qingli's smiling yet mocking eyes, a wave of uncontrollable shame and indignation rising in her heart.

Let her wipe her?

Let her, Xiao Nianyin, wipe this woman's body?

But Madam Qingli just looked at her, neither rushing her nor yielding, simply watching her with that smile.

Xiao Nianyin's chest heaved a few times, but she eventually lowered her eyes, silently approached the bedside, and began to wipe Madam Qingli down with the towel.

Her movements were very light and unfamiliar, but she had to do it.

Every time she touched Madam Qingli's skin, as smooth as jade, her fingers would tremble slightly, and her face would grow a shade redder.

Madam Qingli seemed completely oblivious, lying there lazily and occasionally giving instructions: "Mhm, here... yes, a bit lighter... wipe over there too..."

Xu Ruyu had already gotten up, dressed, sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it in one gulp.

He watched the scene on the bed—the former Saint Realm Sect Master carefully serving another woman by wiping her body—and a faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Sister Qingli," he spoke, breaking the subtle atmosphere, "is there a more secluded Artifact Refining Room on Tianyin Mountain?"

Madam Qingli was slightly startled, then smiled. "A more secluded Artifact Refining Room? Xiao Yuer, is it because you failed at Artifact Refining during the day and, being unwilling to give up, want to try again?"

"You could say that." Xu Ruyu smiled.

"Actually, whatever Spiritual Artifact you want to forge, just give me the blueprints and I'll have someone forge it for you," Madam Qingli said. "Why do it yourself? You are now the Saint Preceptor of our Taihu Clan on Tianyin Mountain, and the Clan Chief is even your Dao Protector."

On Tianyin Mountain, there's no need to handle things like Artifact Refining personally."

Xu Ruyu shook his head. "No, sister. The things I want to forge, others cannot manage."

Madam Qingli raised her eyebrows, her interest piqued. "Oh? What could be so special?"

Xu Ruyu did not answer directly but asked, "Sister, what did you think of my performance at the Fire Cloud Cave today?"

Madam Qingli thought for a moment and said honestly, "I heard about it. Your Array Pattern were carved exquisitely, but your forging skills... indeed have room for improvement."

The last three items all exploded, and the juniors couldn't stop laughing at you."

"Then do you think I failed?"

Madam Qingli was startled. Seeing the faint smile on Xu Ruyu's face, her heart suddenly stirred. "You mean..."

Xu Ruyu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "Those three items today did indeed explode."

Everyone thought I failed, including those laughing Artifact Refining apprentices, including Elder Jinchan, and even including you, sister."

He set down the teacup, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "But sister, do you know? Those three items were meant to explode from the start."

Madam Qingli was stunned.

Xiao Nianyin, who was wiping Madam Qingli, also paused her movements.

"Meant to... explode?" Madam Qingli repeated, looking completely puzzled.

"Yes." Xu Ruyu nodded. "That was my first attempt, an experiment to put my ideas into practice."

The purpose of the experiment was not to create a finished product, but to verify if those Array Pattern were effective, if energy compression was feasible, and if there were problems with the structural design."

He stood up, walked to the bedside, picked up a fragment he had brought back during the day from the headboard, and handed it to Madam Qingli. "Sister, look. This is a fragment of the Compression Chamber from that 'Qi-Breaking Blunderbuss'."

Although it exploded, look at the Array Pattern on it; they are still clearly visible."

What does this show? It shows that my Array Pattern design is effective; the energy was indeed compressed into it."

The explosion happened because the Materials couldn't withstand that power, because there was a problem with the synchronicity of the Release Channel, and because the Pressure Relief Structure wasn't perfect."

He put down the fragment, his gaze burning. "This wasn't a failure. It was half a success."

Now I know where the problem lies. What comes next is improvement."

If the Materials aren't good enough, I'll change the Materials; if the structure is unstable, I'll change the structure. One day, I will make those things not explode."