74: Chapter 74 Accidentally Desecrated the Willow Goddess

As she passed by the room of Xiao Nannan and Chu Tianjiao, her footsteps paused slightly.

From inside the room, vague and ambiguous sounds drifted out, a mix of panting and whispers; even through the door, one could feel the lingering intimacy and entanglement within.

The Willow Deity's cheeks heated up imperceptibly, and she shook her head gently. Without listening further, she walked straight toward an empty room on the other side.

Pushing the door open to enter, she closed it behind her. With a flick of her finger, pale green formation patterns spread out, forming a strict soundproofing and protective array that isolated all outside noise.

She sat cross-legged on the couch, eyes slightly closed, and began to organize the findings from her ten-year inspection.

Information from countless Star Domains, the degree of fragmentation of the Great Dao, the distribution of Forbidden Zone Supremes, traces of Undying Medicine, and remnants of the Desolate Era... countless pieces of information were rapidly sorted in her mind, gradually piecing together a complete picture of the era.

Throughout the night, the Willow Deity sat in meditation, comprehending the Dao without ever closing her eyes.

The next morning, the first ray of sunlight spilled into the room through the window lattice.

The Willow Deity slowly opened her eyes; a sharp light flashed through her pupils before they returned to their usual clear and gentle state.

She stood up and pushed the door open. Just as she stepped out, she saw the door to the neighboring room also push open with a creak.

Chu Tianjiao walked out looking utterly listless, his eyes bloodshot and his face pale as paper. His footsteps were unsteady, and he looked as if most of his spirit had been drained away, appearing even weaker than yesterday—a picture of being completely sucked dry.

Upon looking up and seeing the Willow Deity standing nearby, Chu Tianjiao's eyes instantly lit up, like a drowning man catching hold of his last life-saving straw.

He practically stumbled over, and before the Willow Deity could react, he plunged into her embrace, burying his head deep in her chest and tightly wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his entire body against her.

The Willow Deity instantly froze in place, her clear eyes filled with disbelief, her face showing a look of shock for the first time.

She had lived for endless ages and had always been cold and aloof. Even when facing peers of the Immortal King level, she had never experienced such an intimate and discourteous gesture, let alone being so proactively embraced by a Junior True Immortal, which was somewhat transgressive.

She instinctively raised her hand to push Chu Tianjiao away, but he held on for dear life as if she were his only support. His whole body trembled slightly, carrying the exhaustion and fear after a night of being tormented.

Embracing like this, they stumbled back a few steps and retreated into the Willow Deity's room. The door was gently closed by the momentum, and they eventually collapsed together onto the couch.

Lying on the couch and looking at Chu Tianjiao curled up on top of her like an infant, the Willow Deity felt a wave of helplessness for a moment.

She could clearly sense that Chu Tianjiao harbored no ill intent; he had truly been pushed to his limit by Xiao Nannan. Exhausted in body and mind and nearing a breakdown, he had lost his composure like this.

Considering his terrible state—his True Immortal Origin severely depleted and in desperate need of blood Qi and vitality—the Willow Deity sighed softly and ultimately did not push him away forcefully again.

She slowly raised her hand, proactively cradling Chu Tianjiao's head and gently comforting him. Simultaneously, strands of gentle life essence and Daoist aura quietly surged into Chu Tianjiao's body.

With the Willow Deity's silent permission and nourishment, Chu Tianjiao's tense body gradually relaxed. His previously strained expression eased as he instinctively snuggled closer, his movements becoming more unrestrained, yet without any hint of profanity—it was pure exhaustion and dependence.

An unknown amount of time passed until it was afternoon and the sun began to slant westward.

Chu Tianjiao suddenly jolted awake from his daze, instantly realizing where he was and what he had done.

He hurriedly scrambled off the Willow Deity, his face flushing bright red. Filled with both terror and guilt, he backed away repeatedly with cupped hands, his voice trembling: "Senior Willow Deity, I am sorry! I... I was confused for a moment and lost my manners. I hope Senior can forgive me!"

The Willow Deity slowly sat up and straightened her slightly disheveled dress. Her face remained calm, showing no sign of anger or joy, as she spoke plainly: "It is no matter. You were simply too tired and lost control of your mind; it was not intentional."

She paused, her tone natural and flat. "It was merely resting in my arms for a while. I used my Origin Essence to help restore your blood Qi; it is not a major issue."

However, she knew in her heart that what had surged into Chu Tianjiao's body was not ordinary vitality, but her own core Immortal King Life Source.

“Alright, you have rested enough. It is time to go back,” the Willow Deity urged softly.

“This Junior is truly terribly sorry. Since Senior does not blame me, it makes me feel even more uneasy.”

Chu Tianjiao lowered his head, looking sincere. “Perhaps it is because I hold Senior in such high esteem that I lost control today and did something so absurd. It is all my fault.”

“Enough. I do not even mind, so why should you, a grown man, be so coy?”

Looking at him like a child who had done something wrong, the corners of the Willow Deity's mouth curled up slightly into a faint smile. “It seems the pressure your wife puts on you is indeed too great.”

“In the future, if you are truly too exhausted to hold on and have nowhere to go, you can come to me.”

“I may not be good at comforting people, but providing you with a stable place to lean on is no problem.”

Hearing this, Chu Tianjiao's cheeks grew even hotter. He waved his hands repeatedly, embarrassed to the extreme: “No, no, there is no need to trouble Senior Willow Deity. This Junior can handle it himself.”

After saying that, he practically fled in a panic. He gave a deep bow to the Willow Deity, then turned and hurriedly left her room, not even daring to look back.

Walking quickly all the way back to his and Xiao Nannan's room, Chu Tianjiao pushed the door open only to find Xiao Shitou already waiting inside, seemingly for quite some time.

Seeing his teacher return, Xiao Shitou originally had a smile on his face and was about to report his plans. But as his gaze landed on the corner of Chu Tianjiao's mouth, he froze instantly. Then, with a face full of awkwardness and helplessness, he couldn't help but remind him:

“Teacher, I know you and Nannan have been affectionate these years, but... could you wipe the corner of your mouth first? The mark is just too obvious.”

Chu Tianjiao was stunned and instinctively touched the corner of his mouth. His fingertips felt a faint milky fragrance and a moist trace.

He suddenly realized what it was, and his face turned bright red instantly. He hurriedly pulled a clean towel from his robe and frantically wiped his mouth clean, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

“Ahem...” After wiping it clean, Chu Tianjiao deliberately put on a stern face and forced a change of subject. “Why are you waiting for me here? Just speak your mind.”

Seeing that his teacher was embarrassed to the limit, Xiao Shitou stopped teasing him. He composed himself and spoke seriously:

“I want to leave Undying Mountain for a while to travel around and see the descendants of my two Disciples from back then. I wonder which generation they have reached and how they are faring.”

Chu Tianjiao only wanted to skip the previous topic as quickly as possible. Hearing this, he didn't think much and nodded in agreement:

“Very well, go then. Remember to hide your aura well and do not reveal your identity to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from the Forbidden Zone Supremes, and do not easily interfere with the affairs of the mortal world.”

“This Disciple understands.” Xiao Shitou nodded solemnly and bowed to Chu Tianjiao. “Then this Disciple shall set out now and return as soon as possible.”

Having finished, he stayed no longer, turned around, and stepped out, leaving the room directly.