The three of us arrived at the manor soon. The bird took flight immediately after going away leaving the three of us together.
Liang Yu excused herself to clean up, it seems that she was too exhausted by the events of her own trial and needed to refresh.
I also needed to do the same, my body stinks, excessively so, and I didn't even need to mention it.
"You would do well by removing all the grim, the servants should help prepare a bath for you, I'll tell them to ready new clothes for you," the old man said.
"It would be nice, but mention to them to not touch my robes, it'll harm them," I said.
"Worry not, most of the people hired here are powerful cultivators and they can recognize danger on sight, no one will try and directly touch your Pixy Hair-made robes," the old man said.
He even knew the robe's fabric, quite an eye this man has.
Two maids hurried over once they heard the old man's words and guided me to the nearest bathing area.
It was a personal hot spring at the back of the manor.
I washed first with warm water and made sure to clean up before jumping into the hot spring.
The heat was slightly below my liking, due to my innate ability to resist heat thanks to the Veridian Heart Flame, and as if the pool of water itself realized it, it slowly began increasing the temperature to almost boiling levels.
"Ah, this is a good life," I said as I had a small wet towel over my forehead and relaxed with my back to the stones.
I couldn't tell when I dozed off, I seem to have had a lot of stress building up, and being able to relax made me drop my guard and I immediately fell into a blissful sleep.
"Sh…ao"… "Shen Bao."
I heard, and immediately woke up, looking ahead, it was Liang Yu, with me in the hot springs.
She was wearing nothing but a towel and had a worried look on her face.
The towel seemed to be closely hugging her figure making it extenuating more of her figure.
She was too close as she spoke, "Are you alright? Is the heat too much?" she asked as she slowly pulled back some of the strands of wet hair behind her ear.
I might be dizzy, maybe from the heat of the hot spring, or maybe because blood was rushing somewhere else besides my brain.
"Yes," I replied concretely, "I'm good, and what about you, are you really not that worried about being half-naked with a man here?" I said.
"Ah, is that what's bothering you? No, I mean, why should I be embarrassed about this?" she said. "I want it," she smiled.
This caught me completely off guard.
"Huh?"
"What huh, I mean, you're strong and pretty good to look at, not to mention…" she said as she glanced down, "Your package is pretty interesting," she grinned.
'Ah shit, I'm gonna lose control,'
I sighed before slowly pushing her back, "As much as I would also like it, after all, I'm no saint, we can't," I said.
She seemed pretty disappointed and huffed as she pulled back away from me, her face was immediately turned into a scowl.
Shit.
I tried to say something but couldn't and time kept going on awkwardly like that.
Soon, she spoke up, "Do you have a wife?" she asked.
"No, she passed away, a long time ago," I said.
"Then… am I not to your liking? Or do you not appreciate a girl who actually speaks what's on her mind?" she asked.
"No, on the contrary, I mean, you're pretty much my type. Good body, full in all areas, and I mean it, you have a pretty damn good figure, and you're beautiful, not to mention, you're smart and able to pull your own weight in a fight," I said.
"Then why?!" she said, "After all that, why do you refuse me?!" she said.
"Because you'll die," I said.
And that was the truth.
"To be what I am, I cannot be with another," I spoke. "I am poison, my body, my blood, my flesh, and everything about me, it's all poison, the mere contact, even if its just skinship will cause anyone who makes direct contact with me to be poisoned. And I wouldn't want that to happen to you," I said smiling ruefully.
As if finally realizing it, her face turned slightly red.
"Oh, okay, it wasn't that you can't after all, right, I understand," she said.
The rest of the dip was still awkward and was lightly filled with occasional talks, like the weather and some awkward stuff like that.
The only problem was, I needed to leave the Hot Spring, but I wasn't wearing anything, and she seemed to be realizing that and refused to leave first.
I had to sign and accept the loss.
"I'll be leaving then," I said and stood up, only to receive an ogling stare and a grin on her part.
"Don't cut your hair," she said as I was leaving.
"Really? Why though? It's annoying and might get in the way of a fight," I said.
"You look better with long hair," she said.
"Looks can't save a life," I replied.
"But looks bring powerful allies, trust me, keep it long, or at least in a bun, I can help with that, I promise it'll look good on you," she said.
"Right, right," I replied, "Why not then," and then left the hot spring.
Once I was out, I saw the two servants with slightly red cheeks waiting for me with clothes.
They handed me a basket with my now cleaned clothes and asked me if they should help me dress.
"Don't worry about it," I replied and had them go away.
I looked down at myself and realized, that the old frail skin I used to have was no more, my whole body seemed to have been reconstructed from scratch.
I had chiseled ribs, and clear muscles, nothing too jacked or too buff, but just enough to show a healthy young body of a person who never neglects his gym nor skips on leg day.
My hair was already all the way down to my back and I could feel more power in my own body.
I dressed up and left the Hot Spring.
A servant was waiting for me outside, "Old Master Gin is waiting for you," the servant said.
So, the old man's name is Gin. I always addressed him as 'Old Man'.
I followed after the servant, outside the manor, and into an open garden, there was a small domed area in the middle of the garden where a table was set with tea that was brewed and waiting to be served.
I sat across Old Man Gin and waited for him to speak.
He raised his right arm folding the sleeves of his robe under them, then poured us both a drink. I, as the younger one, should have been the one to serve the tea, but considering that not even the servant dared serve it, it clearly meant that the old man wanted to serve it himself.
One could glean a bit of understanding of the old man from this.
He was a hospitable person but didn't really care to get his hands dirty if needed.
It was something to take note of for future references.
"Have a sip," the old man said and I drank once offered.
"You know, I envy the Poison God's disciples," the old man said, and this caught me by surprise.
"Why so?" I spoke.
"Because they really don't need to care if their food is poisoned, it can actually strengthen them," the old man joked.
I looked at the tea once again and took another sip, there was nothing in it, and it didn't even taste all that special either, there was no poison either as the old man awkwardly joked about.
"So, do you understand what it is to be a part of the Heavenly Academy?" the old man asked.
I shook my head, "If I say prestige, power, and honor is all I know, it is an incorrect statement, so I might speak the truth and say that I know not of the full implication of being a part of the Heavenly Academy."
"Good answer, it is indeed a part, and not all. Being a member of the Heavenly Academy means that you will be possessing a grandiose amount of backing, a powerful supporter, and a lot of resources to grow stronger. However…" the old man trailed.
"Nothing comes without a price, and I doubt the few hundred top-grade stones are enough for the Academy to put so much effort behind a cultivator," I said.
"Indeed, you are right," old man Gin sipped his drink and said, "Do you have what it takes to pay this price though?"
