Chapter 207: Night's Rest and Bath

Chapter 207: Night's Rest and Bath

"Lord!"

Xie Xiao Jiu lit the candle, and upon seeing Jiang Ning already inside the room, she was startled.

In a flash, Jiang Ning had silently made his way to the room in front of her without her noticing.

Such an uncanny ability meant that if Jiang Ning wanted to harm her, he could do so effortlessly.

"Lord!" Xie Xiao Jiu exclaimed, startled, but quickly composed herself and spoke.

Jiang Ning smiled and said, "I've been a bother these past few days."

Xie Xiao Jiu shook her head repeatedly, "It's fine! As long as you don't mind the simplicity of my place, that's all I ask for! Also..."

As she spoke, Xie Xiao Jiu's expression turned hesitant.

She continued, "I don't like being served by servants, so the courtyard I live in has none. If you need anything, I can take their place and serve you, Lord."

As she spoke, the calm expression she maintained in the candlelight gave way to a hint of shyness.

Jiang Ning chuckled and shook his head, "I'm just a commoner, not used to the habits of young masters from noble families!"

Hearing these words, Xie Xiao Jiu felt a sense of relief.

She then said, "Lord, I only have one bed here. Would it be alright for you to sleep on my bed? I just aired the bedding two days ago, it's very clean! And I always bathe before going to bed."

"What about you?" Jiang Ning asked, his eyes glinting with a smile.

"I'll just find a chair to sleep in for the night!" Xie Xiao Jiu replied.

"Would you truly not resent me if I did this?"

"How could I ever resent you?" Xie Xiao Jiu shook her head, her high ponytail swaying from side to side, "You've been so kind to me, Lord! I'm forever grateful! I'm just happy to be of help."

Jiang Ning, upon hearing this, smiled, "I couldn't possibly take a young lady's bed. I'll just find somewhere else to sleep for the night."

"Lord..." Xie Xiao Jiu began, but Jiang Ning interrupted, "No need for further discussion, just do as I say!"

Xie Xiao Jiu nodded slightly, "Yes, Lord!"

After their conversation, Jiang Ning stood up and walked out of the room.

With the day still young and enemies surrounding them, Jiang Ning knew he had to make the most of this time to enhance his strength.

Jiang Ning found a suitable spot in Xie Xiao Jiu's courtyard and continued refining the Dragon Tiger Sinew Pill within his body.

Meanwhile, Xie Xiao Jiu observed Jiang Ning for a moment from inside the room. Seeing his undivided focus, she turned and walked to the wardrobe, retrieving her clothes.

With the hot weather, she naturally wanted to take a relaxing bath to unwind after returning home.

The sweat on her body would make it impossible for her to sleep peacefully otherwise.

Usually, in the courtyard where she lived, she could act freely without any company.

But now, sharing a roof with Jiang Ning, she couldn't very well ask him to leave.

She could only seize the opportunity to bathe while Jiang Ning was engrossed in his cultivation.

After the bath was prepared...

Xie Xiao Jiu quietly closed the door, lowering the window.

The sound of her undressing echoed softly, and in the candlelight, her beautiful figure was reflected in the window frame as she slowly stepped into the bath.

At that moment, Jiang Ning finished a round of refinement, and when he raised his eyes, he saw her silhouette in the window.

He froze for a moment.

The sound of pouring water filled the air, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.

He had forgotten the inconvenience of sharing a roof with a woman.

Just listening to the sound of the water, his blood stirred, and his mind wandered.

As his blood boiled, Jiang Ning could only helplessly shake his head, dispelling the stray thoughts from his mind.

Then, he resumed his meditative state, visualizing a furnace, using his own blood and energy as fuel to refine the pill within, extracting its essence and removing impurities.

After half a bell's time...

The door creaked open, and Xie Xiao Jiu peered through the crack, checking Jiang Ning's position. Seeing him still in deep meditation, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, she opened the door, carrying a large bucket of bathwater and walked outside.

Xie Xiao Jiu, at this moment, was different from before.

Her long, loose hair now cascaded down, giving her a soft and alluring aura.

The ends of her hair, wet, formed droplets that fell onto her bare shoulders and ivory-like arms.

She wore a black flowing robe that reached her knees, and as she stepped over the threshold, she tiptoed, feeling a bit mischievous.

After her bath, she was only wearing this single piece of clothing.

Xie Xiao Jiu, with her hair still wet, crossed the courtyard to the other side.

Usually, when she was alone in her courtyard, she could untie her bindings and enjoy the rare relaxation, feeling free and at ease.

But now, there was a man in the courtyard, Jiang Ning.

Dressed in just a flowing robe, she felt a sudden surge of apprehension and nervousness as she stepped outside.

This apprehension and nervousness even gave her a faint, stimulating thrill.

She walked to the back courtyard to pour out the bathing water and then turned to head back to the front courtyard where Jiang Ning was.

Stepping through the round archway, she saw Jiang Ning slowly open his eyes and look over.

Xie Xiao Jiu's face immediately turned bright red.

Untying her usual bindings made her feel relaxed, but at this moment, she felt extremely embarrassed.

Only she knew how revealing it was to wear just a flowing robe after unbinding her chest.

Jiang Ning opened his eyes and saw Xie Xiao Jiu, who looked startled.

He was also taken aback for a moment.

His eyesight was incredibly sharp, allowing him to see clearly even in pitch-black darkness.

He couldn't miss the changes in Xie Xiao Jiu's body.

What was once a small hill had now turned into a grand Mountain, impossible to overlook.

He glanced at Xie Xiao Jiu and quickly looked away, noticing her discomfort.

Then, he closed his eyes again.

Seeing Jiang Ning close his eyes once more, Xie Xiao Jiu rushed back to her room like a gust of wind.

When she returned with a bucket of bathing water, her chest was back to its usual state, with several black cloth strips visible outside her flowing robe.

After a few trips, Xie Xiao Jiu finally poured all the water into the back courtyard.

Returning, she quietly watched Jiang Ning for a moment, then seemed to remember something and turned to the back courtyard again.

Half an hour later.

Xie Xiao Jiu saw Jiang Ning open his eyes again.

"Sir, I have prepared the bathing water for you. Would you like to take a bath?"

Jiang Ning opened his eyes and heard Xie Xiao Jiu's voice.

After a long session of meditating in the Furnace, his Qi and Blood were almost completely depleted.

Hearing Xie Xiao Jiu's voice, he nodded immediately.

"For me, taking a bath and soaking in the water can help restore my Qi and Blood, and my condition will improve."

"Then I'll go and adjust the water temperature for you, sir!" Xie Xiao Jiu said, then turned and walked back to her room.

As he opened his eyes, Jiang Ning noticed that Xie Xiao Jiu had changed significantly from before.

Earlier, her figure was so prominent that she could barely see her feet when looking down. Now, it was just a gentle hill.

Clearly, Xie Xiao Jiu had tied her chest again.

Thinking about this, Jiang Ning shook his head and stood up.

In Xie Xiao Jiu's room.

As Jiang Ning stepped over the threshold, he saw Xie Xiao Jiu pouring steaming hot water from a bucket into the bathtub.

The hot water cascaded down, producing a steady stream of steam.

Xie Xiao Jiu poured part of it, then bent down to mix the water with her hands, checking the temperature.

After a few more adjustments, she straightened up.

"Sir, the water temperature is just right. It's the most comfortable temperature for me."

Jiang Ning nodded and walked toward the bathtub.

The next moment, Xie Xiao Jiu came in front of Jiang Ning, bent down, and reached to untie his waist belt.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Ning was taken aback and quickly grabbed her hands.

Xie Xiao Jiu looked up at Jiang Ning and said matter-of-factly, "I'm helping you undress for your bath!"

"No need!" Jiang Ning shook his head repeatedly. "You can go out; I can handle it myself!"

Hearing this, Xie Xiao Jiu secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She was even more nervous than Jiang Ning.

After Xie Xiao Jiu left the room and closed the door, Jiang Ning finally relaxed.

Being bathed by someone else, especially a woman, would make him feel incredibly awkward. Just thinking about it made him feel uncomfortable.

He had never had such a habit in either his past or present life.

Then, he glanced around the room and felt a bit awkward.

The room's layout was clearly that of a young girl's bedroom.

Undressing in such an environment made him feel uneasy.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Ning only took off his outer clothes, leaving a pair of large shorts on.

Placing the removed clothes on a screen, Jiang Ning stepped into the bathtub.

"Sigh—"

As his right foot dipped into the water, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

He quickly lifted his right foot.

Then, he reached into the water to test its temperature.

Jiang Ning: ". . ."

His palm had just barely touched the water when his face showed his disbelief.

In his eyes, the water was hot enough to scald a pig, yet it was the very water that Xie Xiaojiu found most comfortable.

"No wonder people online often complain about women's bathwater being scalding hot!"

"Looks like it's the same everywhere!"

Jiang Ning shook his head.

With a thought, he used his Water Control Technique to quickly lower the water temperature by a few degrees.

After testing the water and finding it suitable, he stepped back into the bath.

"Ahhhh!"

Leaning back in the tub, Jiang Ning closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

Soaking in the warm water, he felt his exhaustion melt away, and the nearly depleted vital energy in his body rapidly replenished.

Xie Xiaojiu also quietly enjoyed the gentle evening breeze.

Tonight's wind was especially refreshing.

As it blew across her face, she felt the long-awaited coolness of autumn.

"It's already mid-September! According to past years, by this time, autumn would be in full swing." Xie Xiaojiu felt the cool wind, opened her eyes, and looked at the still-green leaves above her, letting out a sigh.

Wuuuuu—

The evening breeze blew past her, lifting the fallen leaves on the ground. Xie Xiaojiu's flowing robe clung to her slender, curvaceous figure, revealing her graceful, lithe body.

Her slender, smooth legs, barely covered by the robe, were on full display.

Unfortunately, no one was there to appreciate this beautiful sight.

After a while, Xie Xiaojiu turned to look inside the room.

Through the candlelight reflecting on the window lattice, she saw Jiang Ning lying quietly in the bathtub, motionless.

"With one more person, it's not as lonely, and it feels quite nice!"

Xie Xiaojiu's lips curled up slightly, and her eyes softened.

Dong, dong, dong—

Lying in the bathtub, Jiang Ning suddenly heard three knocks on the door.

"Sir!" Xie Xiaojiu's voice also sounded from outside the room.

"What is it?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Can I come in?" Xie Xiaojiu asked.

Jiang Ning immediately opened his eyes and saw that he was wearing only a loose pair of black underwear.

Then he said, "Come in!"

The door creaked open.

Jiang Ning turned his head and saw Xie Xiaojiu, wearing a black robe with golden embroidery, step over the threshold.

"Sir, I'm going to wash your clothes, is that okay?" Xie Xiaojiu asked tentatively.

"That would be a great help!"

Xie Xiaojiu's face immediately showed a gentle smile. "It's no trouble! My clothes need washing, and I can wash yours at the same time!"

Then, with a hint of apology, she said, "Sir, I don't have any suitable clothes for you to change into. If you don't mind, you can wear the ones I wore before."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning patted his head.

Before he went out, he hadn't thought this through.

Now, as Xie Xiaojiu mentioned it, he realized that he hadn't prepared any spare clothes to change into in his Sumeru Ring.

If his clothes were taken to be washed, he wouldn't have anything to wear for the time being.

He couldn't just walk around in his underwear, could he?

After all, he wasn't alone here.

There was also Xie Xiaojiu, who was close to his age.

Walking around in just his underwear would be quite inappropriate.

He hesitated for a moment.

"Let me see it first!" Jiang Ning said.

Xie Xiaojiu immediately turned and walked towards her clothes.

She rummaged for a while.

Soon, she was holding a white robe and walking towards Jiang Ning.

"Sir! Look at this!" Xie Xiaojiu came to the bathtub and slightly spread out the clothes in her arms for Jiang Ning to see.

Taking this opportunity, she glanced at the bathtub, seeing Jiang Ning wearing only a pair of loose underwear. She immediately averted her eyes, and a hint of disappointment flashed across her face.

"Will these clothes fit me?" Jiang Ning asked.

Xie Xiaojiu snapped back to attention and replied, "When I wore these clothes, they were a bit loose. If you wear them, they might feel a little tight, but you should be able to put them on."

"Let's try them!" Jiang Ning stood up.

Xie Xiaojiu was taller than him, slightly taller than Lin Qingyi.

He was about a head shorter than Xie Xiaojiu.

"If it's a bit loose on her, as she said, I should be able to wear it." Jiang Ning thought to himself.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end