Volume One The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Forty-Five Wash Up and Go to Sleep

Upon hearing his two questions, Peach Blossom paused thoughtfully, feigning a shy and indignant pout. "Why do you want to know how to open the second, third, and even higher floors of the Fragrant Pavilion? What are you planning? What, do you already find me lacking and want to go looking for other girls?"

Indeed, a woman's jealousy knows no bounds of age or status. Chen Chang'an hurriedly coaxed her, "No, no, how could I? Sister Peach Blossom, in my heart you are irreplaceable, one of a kind."

"How I wish to give you the very best the world has to offer, only to find, in the end, that the best is you!"

With a shiver, Peach Blossom was jolted as if struck by lightning. Her defenses crumbled under the onslaught of Chen Chang'an's cheesy, earthy declarations, straight from the twenty-first century, and all her jealousy instantly vanished.

Clearing her throat, she answered, "To open the higher levels of the Fragrant Pavilion is, in part, related to one's own strength—your cultivation level, that is. But only in part. The key is whether you can gain their approval."

"Their... approval?" Chen Chang'an couldn't help but grin.

Peach Blossom nodded, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Mm, perhaps they're watching you right now."

"Uh..."

A chill crept down Chen Chang'an’s spine. The thought that he was being observed in secret was unsettling. Had their passionate kiss just now been witnessed in its entirety? The very thought made his scalp tingle.

Feeling awkward, Chen Chang'an quickly changed the subject. "Sister Peach Blossom, honestly, I was just curious. My heart is only for you. Whether I can open those upper floors doesn't really matter."

"Why is it, then, that the plaque outside bears only the words 'Fragrant Pavilion'?" he pressed on.

"Hmm..."

Chen Chang'an craned his neck, brimming with interest.

Peach Blossom drew out her answer, then suddenly shifted. "All I know is that the plaque became damaged nineteen years ago. As for the specific reason, only the eldest sister knows."

"Eldest sister?" He latched onto another clue.

Peach Blossom glanced up at the highest floor of the pavilion. "Yes, the eldest sister, who resides on the seventh floor."

"Alright then!"

In truth, the answers he received to both questions were vague at best, too nebulous to provide any useful guidance for his future plans to visit the Fragrant Pavilion.

No matter. Take things as they come. Why hurry? It's not as if there's some pressing need. With a grin, Chen Chang'an said, "That's all for now, sister. It's cold outside; you should go in and rest before you catch a chill. I'll stay out here and practice my Immortal-Slaying technique a bit longer."

After that heated kiss, he felt content and only wanted to devote himself to cultivation. As the ancients said: when your heart harbors no woman, your sword becomes divine. As a young man of ideals and ambition, his career must always take precedence.

Peach Blossom, hearing this, smiled softly. With her left hand, she pinched the sleeve of her right and reached into thin air, her fingers opening and closing as she produced two objects—a tattered sheepskin scroll and a heart-protecting mirror gleaming with golden light.

She explained crisply, "I'm not sure how cultivation realms are classified outside these walls, so I can't be too specific. But this heart-protecting mirror can at least withstand two fatal attacks of moderate strength. As for the sheepskin scroll, it contains an ancient formation. You'll have to comprehend it yourself."

She handed both items to Chen Chang'an, then, shyly lowering her gaze, turned and retreated indoors.

Chen Chang'an stared at the prizes in his palm, lost in thought yet brimming with joy. The formation was of secondary importance—the heart-protecting mirror was what truly mattered, for it was a lifesaver.

He had a particular fondness for such thousand-year-old treasures.

Stowing it away, Chen Chang'an held the green bamboo stick and, with a heart set on defying fate, resumed his practice of the Immortal-Slaying technique. Strands of blue light intertwined, deep and shallow, ceaselessly slashing forth with rhythmic, powerful blows.

His movements grew lighter and more agile, his technique increasingly familiar.

After more than thirty hours, Chen Chang'an let out a long sigh, his waist aching, and left the Fragrant Pavilion, returning to a secluded corner of the Black-Clad Guards’ compound. As he steadied himself, he was amazed to see rows of brightly lit houses and mottled shadows cast by the trees in the courtyard.

Further off stood a towering nine-story building reaching up into the night, each level aglow. Looking up, he saw sparse stars and drifting clouds, the moonlight faint and ethereal.

Excitement overwhelmed Chen Chang'an as he gazed at the scene before him, oblivious even to the long string of mucus hanging from his nose. His eyesight had fully returned, and even earlier than expected.

"To see the light again!"

Chen Chang'an clenched his fists in exultation. His long years of darkness had finally come to an end—well, not years for him, only weeks, but the original owner had suffered for years.

It was clear: the former owner had been unlucky, while he was blessed with great fortune.

"Hahaha, hahahaha!" Chen Chang'an laughed up at the sky.

Not far away, on the watchtower of a building, Cao Wu stood shoulder to shoulder with a tall, burly man whose limbs were thick and whose eyes were fierce and round. They had been watching Chen Chang'an in the courtyard all along.

Of course, they hadn't seen his visit to the Fragrant Pavilion—though he'd been inside for more than forty hours, to them, it looked as if he had only dozed off.

The man was none other than Cheng Mulong, another deputy commander of the Black-Clad Guards, also a seventh-rank master of life and death.

Hearing Chen Chang'an's manic laughter upon regaining his sight, Cheng Mulong felt an unprecedented discomfort: veins bulged on his forehead, and his mouth twitched violently. "This... this is the one you said could become an elite of the Black-Clad Guards' Class of '09?"

"Screaming in the middle of the night—doesn't he know people are trying to sleep? Is he insane?"

Cao Wu raised an eyebrow. "He is, in fact, insane. He's blind."

Cheng Mulong rolled his eyes. "These days, even the blind can join the Black-Clad Guards. I only have one nomination as deputy commander. You're sure you won't regret this?"

Cao Wu's eyes sparkled with conviction. "No regrets. I believe he will accomplish great things before long."

Cheng Mulong scoffed inwardly but stubbornly replied, "Oh? You can recommend him for the test, but you can't control everything else. This guy is a nutcase—he'll be eliminated during the trial."

Cao Wu's expression didn't change as she responded firmly, "No. Not only will he pass the trial, but I wager he will finish in the top three."

With a loud slap, Cheng Mulong struck the railing, mouth twitching even harder in disbelief. "I'll bet on it!"

"What are the stakes?" Cao Wu turned her face slightly.

Cheng Mulong declared solemnly, "If Chen Chang'an finishes in the top three, I'll run naked around the Black-Clad Guards' training ground. If he doesn't, you must don a flowing celestial dress and dance for us."

"Agreed. Remember your words," Cao Wu replied, utterly unruffled.

...

In the courtyard, Chen Chang'an laughed until all his pent-up joy was drained away. He quieted down and headed for room 05 on the second floor of the Armory Building—after all, Su Wanqiu was still asleep, and as her betrothed, he ought to show some concern.

Besides, now that his sight was restored, he was curious to finally see what his future wife looked like.

Arriving at the door, he pushed it open with a creak, focused his gaze, and was greeted by Su Wanqiu's true appearance. More than that, he saw two lofty, proud peaks—she had removed all her clothing, including her undergarments, and was tending to the wounds on her chest.

At that moment, the club in his trousers stiffened, and two streams of blood trickled from his nostrils. His mouth formed a perfect circle of surprise, and above it, a face of flawless, breathtaking beauty, with delicate features and enchanting eyes.

This woman could topple a city!

Six words flashed unshakably through his mind.

Thank goodness he was a responsible, upstanding husband, not one to discard his wife just because of the pleasures of the Fragrant Pavilion, Peach Blossom's company, or the favor he'd won with Princess Changning during her investigation.

To lose such a stunning woman would be a crime.

No wonder Yuan Yunfei pursued her so relentlessly—shameless old lecher! My wife is not for you to covet!

Su Wanqiu, noticing a shadow cast across the doorway, jumped up in alarm, hastily grabbing her clothes to cover herself. But seeing it was only Chen Chang'an, she relaxed. Whether they were truly husband and wife was another matter, but since he was blind, what did it matter if she was dressed or not?

She slowly removed the clothes she'd used to cover herself, baring those two perfectly rounded mounds once more, and tended to her wounds as she asked, "Hey, why are you having a nosebleed?"

Chen Chang'an wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Uh, well, I bumped into a light pole outside. No, a lamp post."

"You should be more careful. By the way, a girl named Cai'er just came to say that it was Deputy Commander Cao Wu of the Black-Clad Guards who arrived in time to save us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have survived the night."

Su Wanqiu spoke idly.

Chen Chang'an nodded along. "Yes, luckily for us. That bunch were the masterminds behind the case, come for revenge. But don't worry. I'm planning to join the Black-Clad Guards—after that, the Su family will have official protection, at least someone to rely on."

"Incidents like this will never happen again."

"You... what did you say?" Su Wanqiu, her twin peaks quivering, took a few quick steps forward, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief.

Chen Chang'an, feasting his eyes on her ample charms, swallowed and replied, "I said, incidents like this will never happen again."

Su Wanqiu shook her head. "The sentence before that!"

Chen Chang'an was puzzled, but since he had just enjoyed a full view, he patiently repeated himself, "Yes, luckily for us. That bunch were the masterminds behind the case, come for revenge. But don't worry. I'm planning to join the Black-Clad Guards—after that, the Su family will have official protection, at least someone to rely on."

He repeated it, word for word, with the same intonation and cadence.

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqiu immediately put on a look of utter disdain. "It's late. Go to bed early."

To put it plainly: wash up and sleep; you can dream of whatever you want.

Chen Chang'an: "..."