270: Warm Nights in Southern Xinjiang

Inside the tent, the Glazed Lamp wick flickered gently, casting soft, fragmented shadows onto the brocade couch through a Shark-silk lampshade as thin as a cicada's wing.

Widow Ya leaned against a soft pillow, her ink-black hair spread loosely over her shoulders, with a few strands still damp with light sweat.

Her voice was as raspy as sandpaper soaked in morning dew, carrying a trace of complex emotion after just recovering from extreme exhaustion. She lowered her eyelids and replied in a low voice:

"...Thank you, Husband. This concubine is no longer in any trouble."

When the word "Husband" left her mouth, the end of the word trembled slightly, adding a touch of genuine softness and reducing the previous awkwardness and distance.

The sense of humiliation from being suppressed earlier was gradually fading like the morning mist in the Southern Border under Situ Jun's sincere pity.

She finally stopped resisting and began to try to accept this sudden new identity, and the man beside her who controlled her fate.

Situ Jun nodded, his fingertips gently brushing through her hair.

"That is good. As for the Seal on your Dantian, it only restricts the use of your Nascent Soul power and will not affect the growth of your Cultivation."

Just then, Hua Hanxiang's cautious voice came from outside the tent, carrying a hint of testing:

"Husband? Sister Ya? Are you... finished? Can I come in?"

Hearing this, Widow Ya's cheeks instantly heated up again. The numbness and heat from the Dual Cultivation seemed to linger in her every limb. She instinctively wanted to pull over the brocade quilt to cover her exposed shoulders and the faint red marks on her collarbone, but Situ Jun gently pressed down on her wrist.

He looked at the shyness swirling in her eyes, and a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth. That smile reached his eyes, carrying a hint of indulgence:

"Come in."

The tent curtain was gently lifted, and Hua Hanxiang poked her head in. She first looked carefully at Situ Jun, then glanced at Widow Ya, whose face was flushed pink and whose eyes were shimmering. Her eyes instantly curved into crescents, and she giggled, slipping inside like a nimble kitten.

"Sister Ya, how do you feel now? Are you much more comfortable?"

Hua Hanxiang leaned by the couch, propping her elbows on the edge, and asked with a giggle. Her tone was full of playfulness, and her eyes were curved like crescent moons:

"I knew Husband was the most amazing. I was worried you'd be uncomfortable before!"

Widow Ya was so embarrassed by her question that she gave her a reproachful glare. However, there was no anger in that look; instead, it carried a touch of the charm of a woman who had just experienced intimacy.

The corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint red, like they held a pool of spring water, adding to her mature feminine charm as she said:

"You girl, you're getting more and more disrespectful!"

"Oh, we're all Husband's people now. We're sisters, so why bother with seniority!"

Hua Hanxiang waved her hand dismissively, not feeling that there was anything wrong with her words at all.

She stood up and reached out to hook Situ Jun's other arm, her head resting gently against his arm as she followed up curiously:

"Husband, is the stubborn poison in Sister Ya's Meridians gone? And that Seal, will it affect her Cultivate?"

"It is no longer a problem."

Situ Jun raised his hand and rubbed Hua Hanxiang's hair, his fingertips gliding through her soft strands, his tone carrying a clear sense of gratification:

"Yaer was originally at the Nascent Soul Stage; she was just trapped by the yin poison. Now that the yin poison is removed, she only needs a few days of good rest to recover most of her strength. With your Sister Ya here, we will have an extra boost in the Southern Border, and we'll be more certain when dealing with the Nether Crow Cave Mansion matters."

"Mm-hmm!"

Hua Hanxiang nodded vigorously, then turned to look at Widow Ya with a sincere gaze:

"Sister Ya, from now on we'll assist Husband together. When Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave opens, we'll go in together and strive to get more treasures! Then we'll have more ability to protect ourselves and won't always have to let Husband worry by himself."

Looking at Hua Hanxiang's smiling face without any grudge, and feeling the warmth and strength from Situ Jun's arm, the last trace of estrangement in Widow Ya's heart gradually dissipated.

She sighed softly, a sigh that carried past frustrations but also current relief. Then, a truly charming smile rose at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes shimmered, bright and moving, as if a frozen lake had finally thawed, rippling with light:

"Alright."

The Glazed Lamp in the tent still flickered, its warm yellow glow reflecting the figures of the three, stretching their shadows long and overlapping them.

Hua Hanxiang chattered about the trivial matters of the camp, saying that the kitchen had recently picked a type of Spirit Mushroom unique to the Southern Border, and the soup brewed from it was exceptionally fresh. She mentioned that the Disciples on guard duty had discovered some big figure arriving in the valley, and some people speculated about the vast wealth Daoist Ming Ya had plundered and hidden in the Immortal Cave.

Widow Ya would occasionally interject, adding information about various tribes in the Southern Border. Her tone gradually changed from its initial restraint to a natural one.

Situ Jun listened quietly, leaning against the pillow by the couch. He occasionally added a few words when the two reached key points, such as reminding Hua Hanxiang that although Spirit Mushrooms were fresh, they needed to be paired with other spiritual materials to avoid their cold nature harming the body, or advising Widow Ya on what to pay attention to while recuperating.

The atmosphere completely relaxed, without the initial awkwardness and distance. The relationship between the three became subtle and harmonious in this warm night, like a hot spring with just the right temperature.

Outside the window, the night wind still blew gently, rustling the fallen leaves outside the tent, carrying the unique chill of the Southern Border late at night.

But the warmth inside the tent was like a lit charcoal fire, enough to dispel this chill and bake every corner warm and comfortable.

Situ Jun looked up at the sky outside the window. The night was deep, and the sky was studded with stars, brighter and denser than the starry sky of the Northern Border.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the two on the couch, his tone gradually becoming a bit more serious:

"The time when the Restriction is weakest is likely not far off. Yaer, how much do you know about the Southern Border and the Nether Crow Cave Mansion? Tell me in detail. Especially the situation of the other major powers."

Hearing this, Widow Ya's expression instantly turned serious. The previous languor and shyness vanished, replaced by the steadiness and calmness of someone who had long held a high position.

She sat up straight, the collar of her plain inner garment sliding down slightly to reveal her slender neck, yet there was no hint of frivolity; it only made her seem solemn:

"Yes, Husband. There are indeed many powers coveting the Nether Crow Cave Mansion this time..."

She began to recount the information she knew, including several great Sects with Nascent Soul Cultivators (on the surface, they were Half-step Nascent Soul), some strange and powerful Loose Cultivators, and information about potential hidden Imperial Dynasty spies. It was deeper and more secretive than the information from the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce.

Hua Hanxiang also listened quietly on the side, adding a few words from time to time.

Situ Jun's gaze was calm, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the couch as he took in all the information, constantly refining his next plan.

With the addition of Widow Ya, a true Nascent Soul Stage expert who was familiar with the local forces of the Southern Border, his confidence in seizing the treasures left by Daoist Ming Ya increased by several points.