Chapter Twenty-Three: Young Master, what are you thinking about?

Bai Xiyue held the Foundation Establishment Pills, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude. She had never expected Lin Fan to press four of them into her hands.

Since she had begun serving Lin Fan, her cultivation speed could not be described as advancing by leaps and bounds—it was more like advancing by leaps and miles.

Her natural aptitude was poor. Although she had been taken in as a disciple by Su Xingyue, she knew full well that Su Xingyue had only accepted her because of her appearance, intending to use her beauty to secure cultivation resources.

Initially, she had been reluctant when Su Xingyue ordered her to attend to Lin Fan. After all, she was to serve a mere mortal, and according to the established rules, she would effectively belong to him. To a cultivator, the prospect of surrendering oneself to a common mortal was deeply unappealing. Furthermore, Su Xingyue had tasked her with spying on him.

She had resigned herself to a bleak existence, yet who could have foreseen that her cultivation would break through on the very first day she met Lin Fan? Later, he had gifted her a pile of Qi Condensation Pills, pushing her cultivation even further. Now, with four Foundation Establishment Pills in her possession, she felt that the sixth level of Qi Condensation was within her reach. Such a rate of progress was something she had never dared to dream of. Moreover, she could clearly sense the special care Lin Fan showed her.

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Xiyue takes care of my daily life and has been with me the longest, so it is only natural that I give her a little more reward."

Su Fei pouted, acting spoiled, "Young Master, you are being too biased! Are we not as good as Sister Xiyue?"

Lin Fan laughed, reached out, and pinched Su Fei’s cheek. "You all have your own merits; you are all equally precious to me. It’s just that Little Yue’er is introverted and never fights for anything, so I naturally have to look after her a bit more. Besides, you spend your days either playing or cultivating, while Little Yue’er attends to my every need, which greatly reduces her own cultivation time." As he spoke, he looked at Bai Xiyue with tenderness.

Bai Xiyue felt embarrassed under his gaze. She lowered her head and whispered, "Young Master, this is only what I should do." She felt a surge of gratitude; ever since she had come to his side, she felt as if she were living in a dream.

"Alright, all of you, go on now. Cultivate diligently, and once your cultivation levels improve, there will be plenty more rewards!"

...

At the Su family estate, in Su Mei's cultivation chamber, Su Mei and Su Xingyue sat facing each other. On the stone table between them lay an exquisite storage bag.

"Mother, the cultivation resources the master gave are all here."

Su Mei gently opened the bag, revealing over ten bottles of Foundation Establishment Pills and a large pile of spirit stones.

"So many Foundation Establishment Pills and spirit stones!" Su Mei’s beautiful eyes widened, and her breathing quickened. She reached out with a slightly trembling, jade-like hand to pick up a bottle and uncorked it. A rich, medicinal fragrance wafted out, refreshing her heart and spirit. Just by smelling it, she felt the spiritual energy within her stirring, as if it were about to burst forth.

These were Foundation Establishment Pills! Each one was worth a fortune, a treasure that countless Foundation Establishment stage cultivators dreamed of. Su Mei felt as if she were dreaming; it felt surreal. With these resources, she was confident that she could break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment in a short time. Even the late-stage was within her grasp!

"I didn't expect your master to be so generous, giving away so many of these pills." A glint of greed flashed in her eyes as she parted her red lips, her voice turning alluring. "Tell me, if we were to exploit this ability of Lin Fan's and sell it a few more times... wouldn't our Su family rise to the heavens?"

Su Xingyue was startled and quickly waved her hands to stop her. "Mother, you must not think that way! We have already taken a huge risk once. If it weren't for the sake of helping you raise your cultivation quickly, I would never have resorted to such a desperate measure." She paused, lowering her voice. "This Lin Fan is our foundation; he is the secret weapon of our Su family! With him in our hands, given enough time, not to mention the Golden Core stage, even the Nascent Soul stage is not out of the question!"

Su Mei calmed down after hearing this. She let out a long breath, steadying her excited emotions. "It was my greed that clouded my judgment. You are the clear-headed one; under your leadership, the Su family will surely grow stronger. You are already at the eleventh level of Qi Condensation; take some of these spirit stones and raise your cultivation to the twelfth level as soon as possible, then step into the Foundation Establishment stage! That way, our family will have two Foundation Establishment cultivators! In this Linjiang City..."

...

In Lin Fan's small courtyard, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light on the ground. He lay on a recliner in the shade, enjoying a rare moment of peace. Su Yun knelt before him, her soft, delicate hands massaging his legs with just the right amount of pressure.

Lin Fan appeared to be dozing, the corners of his mouth curled up as if he were having a pleasant dream. In reality, however, his heart was racing with excitement because of the attribute panel, where numbers were constantly flickering.

[Ding! Ji Qingwan is cultivating, Cultivation +50]
[Ding! Su Mei is cultivating, Cultivation +2]
...

Lines of notifications scrolled rapidly across his vision, leaving him dazzled.

"At this rate, I feel... within three days, my cultivation will surpass Su Xingyue’s and I will step into the Foundation Establishment stage! By then, the Spirit Locking Technique Su Xingyue cast on me will automatically dissolve. Once that happens, no one in this Su family will be able to hold me back! The only trouble is Ji Qingwan, that Golden Core expert; if I want to leave the Su family, I have to wait until she is gone!"

Lin Fan calculated silently in his heart.

"Young Master, what are you thinking about? You're even smiling while you sleep?" Seeing the smile on his face, Su Yun stopped massaging his legs and stood up to knead his shoulders. A lock of her dark hair fell, carrying a faint scent of orchids, brushing against his cheek like a feather, tickling him. The fragrance drifted into his nostrils—it was Su Yun’s unique scent, subtle yet intoxicating.

"To have such a beautiful girl by my side, I'd be happy even in my dreams!" Lin Fan said with a smile, though he didn't open his eyes, continuing to enjoy her service.

Su Yun leaned down slowly, her red lips close to his ear, her warm breath spraying against his earlobe, sending a shiver of numbness through him. "Young Master, you only speak in jest. We have been in this courtyard for over three months, and you always sleep alone at night." Her voice carried a hint of shyness. "How about tonight..."

Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze landing on Su Yun’s snow-white neck. She was wearing a pale pink dress today, the collar slightly open, revealing smooth skin that glowed enticingly in the sunlight. Lin Fan felt his throat bob; this woman was truly testing his resolve.

However...