The Beauty Cultivation Technique

The day before Madame Ying Shuang's return, Ji Yaoge finally left the Cangling Pavilion and returned to her residence.

Chi Xiu Palace became lively with Ying Shuang's return, as disciples who had been out training also returned, crowding the small mountain with male and female cultivators. The noise reached Ji Yaoge's ears through the curtain door of her stone cave.

Ji Yaoge remained seated cross-legged on her bed in meditation—another fruitless night.

"Senior Sister!" With a familiar call, a figure habitually barged into her cave.

Wearing a moon-white robe and a high bun, Bai Yan's attire today was quite handsome, adding a masculine grace—at least, until he reached Ji Yaoge's cave entrance.

As the curtain door lifted, revealing the interior, a cold blast of wind suddenly blew out, forcing Bai Yan to retreat two steps, his head and eyebrows covered in a layer of frost, his clothes damp.

Ji Yaoge emerged slowly from inside. "Junior Brother Bai Yan, I warned you not to barge into my cave."

Bai Yan, looking bewildered, pointed at her nose. "You..."

"Senior Sister is teaching you manners. Next time, remember to knock." Seeing him in such a state, Ji Yaoge felt quite satisfied.

"What was that?" Bai Yan glared at the cave entrance.

With a serious tone, she patted his shoulder. "Just a small talisman restriction to deal with people with no manners."

Bai Yan frowned, shaking his head to scatter the frost. Ji Yaoge covered her mouth and nose, stepping back, but he grabbed her wrist firmly, channeling his spiritual energy to turn the moisture into a white mist, blowing it towards her maliciously.

"Senior Sister has indeed improved," he said through gritted teeth.

Ji Yaoge flipped her hand to break free, retorting, "Same to you."

As the white mist dissipated, Bai Yan noticed a flash of defiance in her big eyes, a stark contrast to her former submissive gentleness. Yet, when he tried to take a closer look, she had already turned her gaze and started walking outside.

Just a trick of the mind.

————

"Madame Ying Shuang has arrived at Ju'an Hall. All the disciples are rushing to see her. I came to inform you out of kindness, but it seems it’s not appreciated!" Bai Yan muttered resentfully, lingering at the cave entrance before following Ji Yaoge.

But Ji Yaoge didn’t respond, pacing back and forth outside her cave, with no intention of leaving.

"Why inform me? As a low-level cultivator, I wouldn’t gain anything even if I squeezed in front of Madame. Why join the crowd?" she said nonchalantly.

"Such lack of ambition! What are you looking for?" Bai Yan grabbed her arm.

"Nothing much," Ji Yaoge replied, "I’m not going to Ju'an Hall. Madame will likely bring back many items that need to be sent to the Cangling Pavilion, so I'll be busy. If you want to go, you’d better hurry, or you might miss out."

Bai Yan hesitated for a moment, then waved his sleeve. "Fine, I'll go see. If there's anything good, I'll get you a share." In the end, his greed for whatever benefits Madame Ying Shuang might bring won out, and he left.

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Watching him disappear from sight and seeing her fellow disciples heading for Ju'an Hall, the surroundings quieted down. Ji Yaoge squatted to the ground, brushing her palm over the soil, and out popped a small grass figure.

About the size of a palm, the grass figure leaped into her hand.

This was one of the talismans she had made in the Cangling Pavilion, just like the restriction at her cave entrance. Both were basic defense talismans, hard for ordinary cultivators to detect. The one at her cave entrance was a spirit puppet talisman, which used mountain beast spirits to inhabit the puppet grass figure, making it a watcher for her cave. It wasn’t offensive, so even a Golden Core cultivator would have a hard time noticing it.

"Was there any trouble last night?" Ji Yaoge asked.

The grass figure gesticulated wildly. Watching for a moment, Ji Yaoge thought, "So, someone did come by." They came at night but didn’t act, likely probing her situation. "Did you see their face?" The grass figure shook its head, then jumped into the grass beside her, pointing far away.

"Let’s go," Ji Yaoge understood, following the grass figure.

————

Chi Xiu Palace isn’t big, and after a few days, Ji Yaoge had become familiar with most areas, except for the small forest on the west side, which she had never visited.

The grass figure led her to the base of a slope and stopped.

"You followed them here last night, and they disappeared?" Ji Yaoge pondered.

The grass figure nodded quickly.

"Alright, you can go back now." With a wave of her hand, the grass figure burrowed back into the ground.

The small forest wasn’t particularly remarkable, with sunlight filtering through the sparse trees, and the ground covered in a type of flower with purple calyxes and red petals. Ordinary but new to Ji Yaoge.

The breeze brought a strange scent, sweet with a hint of milky fragrance, resembling...

Ji Yaoge frowned.

...resembling a woman's natural body scent.

This place wasn’t off-limits. She had seen disciples go there in pairs, but when she asked Jiao Tao or Bai Yan about it, they always avoided the topic, which only made it seem more mysterious. Ji Yaoge took a couple of steps into the grass, contemplating whether to investigate further, when she felt a sting on her foot, as if something was crawling up.

"Hiss." She instinctively shook her foot and looked down.

A flower calyx, for some reason, had come to life and stung her foot. She quickly shook it off and squatted to examine the sting. It was just slightly red and itchy, with no other symptoms. Puzzled, she decided not to explore further and started to leave but suddenly noticed the itchiness spreading like wildfire across her body.

Looking down, her once-pale skin was now tinged with a faint red hue, just like the sting and the itch, spreading all over. She rubbed her skin through her clothes, feeling the itch deep in her bones, yet scratching provided no relief.

It was maddening.

She scratched her neck, loosening her collar, wanting to tear her skin off.

"Fool!" A low curse sounded as a man with a white cloth over his face flew over, pulling her out of the forest into an open area. Once there, he angrily removed the cloth, demanding, "Weren’t you supposed to be at the Cangling Pavilion? What are you doing here?"

Ji Yaoge couldn't speak, her body twisting uncomfortably, her collar already open, exposing her red plum undergarment and flushed skin. Her lips were red, and her cheeks were flushed—though not conventionally beautiful, her aroused state was naturally seductive, making Bai Yan’s eyes darken.

"What kind of flower is that? Is it poisonous?" she asked, still unaware, scratching and itching.

"Poisonous?" Bai Yan almost laughed, "Did you smell its scent and get stung by its calyx?"

"Yes," Ji Yaoge muttered.

Bai Yan circled her, seeing red marks on her neck and collarbone from scratching, and pulled her hand down. "Stop scratching. It’s useless. How do you feel?"

"Itchy." Ji Yaoge wanted to rub against a tree.

"Just itchy?" Bai Yan held her hands, asking.

"Hot." Sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Itchy and hot? That’s all?" Bai Yan found her clear eyes puzzling. "That can’t be right. Don't you feel anything else?"

"Like what?" The itch alone was driving her mad. What else was there? Ji Yaoge glared at him.

Bai Yan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly pulled her close, one hand caressing her cheek. The sudden closeness made Ji Yaoge momentarily forget the itch. She grabbed his wrist and twisted out of his grip.

"Are you looking for trouble?" she snapped, scratching her back.

"Odd, you’re resisting a man's touch?" Bai Yan, not angry, freed himself and adjusted his sleeves, looking curious. "Senior Sister, that flower is called Luan He. It’s the main ingredient in our sect’s secret aphrodisiac, Chun Xing Powder."

"Chun Xing Powder?" Ji Yaoge had never heard of it. "What kind of medicine is it? Can it kill?"

Bai Yan chuckled, "No, it won’t kill. It’s an aphrodisiac, used to enhance dual cultivation, cloud and rain, and also a love potion. It's one of our sect’s prized possessions."

"...," Ji Yaoge finally understood she had been drugged with an aphrodisiac. Her face turned red and green with anger, finally asking, "How do I cure it?"

"Cure? No, it’s a pleasure drug," Bai Yan laughed, correcting her. "You need to find a man and enjoy yourself..." He pointed to himself, about to offer but was cut off by Ji Yaoge's cold command, "Shut up! Tell me another way!"

Bai Yan, grinning, suddenly bound her with spiritual energy and threw her over his shoulder, leaping away.

————

With a splash, Ji Yaoge was tossed into a pool of icy water, sending droplets everywhere. The cold spring water shocked her, suppressing the heat and itch. She surfaced, glaring at Bai Yan, who was squatting on the shore.

"How long do I have to soak?" she ground out.

Bai Yan smiled innocently, "Normally, anyone affected would need to engage in lovemaking for three days and nights to be cured. Your case is unique—your body reacts, but your mind is clear. No one’s seen this before, so just soak."

Lovemaking... three days and nights... Ji Yaoge was so furious her lips trembled. She stood, then quickly sat back as the itch returned.

"Your sect is full of vile things!" she cursed, feeling humiliated beyond measure, wishing she could burn those flowers.

"Senior Sister, it's our sect. You entered before me, so don't forget your roots. Chi Xiu Palace is part of Mei Sect. If we didn't grow seductive plants and make aphrodisiacs, should we meditate and chant scriptures?" Bai Yan mocked, washing his hands in the pool. "You used to be quiet, but not this rigid. One Luan He flower and you’re this upset? You have a lot to learn."

"...," She really had changed.

Bai Yan splashed water at her, then sat on the shore. “Forget it. I’ll keep you company.”

Calming down, Ji Yaoge asked, "Did you go to Ju'an Hall? Were you following me?"

He raised an eyebrow, not denying it. "You’ve been acting strangely. I was worried."

"I’m investigating my injury. The culprit is likely within the sect. Knowing I’m awake, they might try to kill me." She watched his every reaction. Though potentially suspicious, Bai Yan was away during her attack, and if he meant her harm, he had plenty of chances. She needed help, and Bai Yan was the best option.

Hearing her, Bai Yan’s smile faded. "What exactly happened?"

"I'm not sure. Senior Sister Jiao Tao said two senior brothers found me unconscious in the valley, brought me back, and I woke up ten days later with no memory. But I vaguely recall a strong yin energy. I sensed it again at the Cangling Pavilion, so..."

"You think the culprit is in the sect, and stayed at the Cangling Pavilion for safety?" Bai Yan quickly deduced.

"Yes. I just returned to my cave and found someone outside last night. I set up a small restriction to track them, leading me to Luan He forest." She shared her findings, omitting her true identity.

"You should have told me sooner!" Bai Yan scolded. "With your limited cultivation, do you plan to investigate alone?"

"The culprit is powerful, likely using dark arts. The yin energy is strange. I didn't want anyone else involved." Ji Yaoge felt guilty. Her revelation would drag Bai Yan into this mess.

"Senior Sister, Bai Yan may be selfish, but I keep my promises." Bai Yan looked down.

"...," Ji Yaoge had no response. She wasn’t his real Senior Sister, yet she had inherited this bond, making her feel like a deceiver.

"Don’t force yourself to remember," Bai Yan saw through her thoughts, unaffected.

Ji Yaoge clenched her fists. Fine, she’d owe him this favor and repay it later. "Bai Yan, can you help me with something now?"

"What is it?" he asked.

"Go to Ju'an Hall and check who has the scent of Luan He."

If the person passed through Luan He forest, the scent would linger, and with all the disciples gathered at Ju'an Hall, it was the best chance to identify them.

Unable to leave the pool, she had to rely on Bai Yan.

————

Bai Yan agreed and left, leaving Ji Yaoge alone in the pool, surrounded by the sounds of nature. She found a rock to sit on and began meditating.

Though she knew it was futile, she refused to give up.

After a while, footsteps approached through the muddy ground.

"Yaoge? Been looking all over for you!" Jiao Tao waved from the shore. "What are you doing? Get out of there!"

Ji Yaoge opened her eyes, "Senior Sister Jiao Tao, what is it?"

"Madame brought back many treasures that need to be stored in the inner pavilion. They're already at the Cangling Pavilion. You need to go there!" Jiao Tao urged.

Standing up, Ji Yaoge found the heat and itch had subsided.

Three days and nights of lovemaking—Bai Yan had tricked her again.