Ning Fa maintained his composure, speaking with Ning Shaohong with a calm demeanor and a smile.
He also told her about the new appointment Ning Zhongyuan had given him.
Ning Shaohong said softly, "I never expected that in just a few short years, Xiao Fa, you've become an important figure in the family. Aunt Hong believes you'll complete this mission perfectly, and the position of Blazing Wind Hall Master will surely be yours."
Ning Fa replied with a few humble words.
Afterward, he inquired about Ning Shaohong's recent situation with concern before rising to take his leave.
Ning Shaohong, who had been beaming with joy and a blossoming smile just moments before, suddenly looked melancholic.
Ning Fa hadn't taken more than a few steps.
A gust of fragrant wind blew, and a soft, warm body pressed against his back, holding him tightly.
Ning Fa's entire body stiffened.
Ning Shaohong's melancholic voice came from behind him, "Xiao Fa, I thought you wouldn't come to see me."
Ning Fa's body trembled.
He truly hadn't expected Ning Shaohong to be so bold.
With this embrace and her words, she had essentially laid their relationship bare.
After Ning Fa had sensed their relationship changing, he had indeed subconsciously kept his distance from Ning Shaohong.
He hadn't expected that after suppressing her feelings, Ning Shaohong would directly break the unspoken barrier between them.
Ning Fa regained his composure.
He slowly turned around, looking at the beautiful, tear-streaked face before him.
Ning Fa suddenly said, "Aunt Hong, you should know that until I reach Foundation Establishment, I don't plan on taking a Dao companion. Also, I really want to ask you, do you like me, or is it because you're projecting your longing for my father onto me, leading to this 'loving the house and its crow' situation?"
Ning Shaohong's delicate body trembled, and a look of confusion appeared in her beautiful eyes.
Without waiting for Ning Shaohong's answer, Ning Fa gently broke free from her embrace and turned to leave.
But after taking just two steps, Ning Shaohong rushed forward again, hugging him tightly.
Her hoarse yet firm voice came through, "I like you, not because of your father!"
"And I know your ambitions; I... won't pester you."
After saying that, Ning Shaohong added in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, "Don't worry, my body is still pure..."
Ning Fa paused for a moment, then turned around, pulled Ning Shaohong into his embrace, lowered his head, and sealed her lips.
Tears welled up in Ning Shaohong's beautiful eyes. She wrapped her arms around Ning Fa's neck, responding even more passionately.
The clothes on their bodies became fewer and fewer.
The storm of passion began.
The room was immediately filled with a spring atmosphere.
A long while later, on the spacious sandalwood bed, Ning Shaohong nestled in Ning Fa's arms.
A blush still lingered on her face, and a smile played on her lips, her countenance like a blooming flower.
Ning Fa, however, stared at the evidence of their passion on the bed, feeling a sense of relief.
"You rascal! Where did you learn all these tricks?"
Ning Shaohong sniffled, playfully scolding him with a charming smile.
Ning Fa could only feign ignorance, and at the same time, he felt that after they had been intimate, the elegant and poised Ning Shaohong from before seemed to have returned.
Ning Shaohong gently pushed him away and said softly, "You should hurry and get busy. Your mission isn't simple. I suggest you go see Shiqin; she should have more detailed information about the Huang family."
Ning Fa felt that their thoughts were aligned; that was precisely what he had planned to do.
He immediately said, "Understood, Aunt Hong."
Ning Shaohong, however, knitted her brows, displeased. "You're still calling me Aunt Hong?"
Ning Fa touched his head and couldn't help but laugh, "Then, when we're out, I'll still call you Aunt Hong. But when we're alone, I'll call you Shaohong. How about that?"
Ning Shaohong smiled shyly.
Seeing Ning Shaohong's charming appearance, Ning Fa couldn't help but look up again.
He then flipped over and pressed down on her.
Ning Shaohong first let out a startled cry, which was then followed by whimpers.
After Ning Fa left, Ning Shaohong got up lazily.
At this moment, her eyebrows lifted.
A spiritual light flashed before her, and a phantom white lotus appeared out of thin air.
"Whoosh! Whoosh—"
Within a single breath, nine white lotuses appeared consecutively, circling Ning Shaohong.
A white lotus platform also quietly appeared beneath Ning Shaohong's feet, gently lifting her.
At this moment, a white lotus spiritual pattern also appeared between Ning Shaohong's brows.
It added a sense of sanctity to her beautiful face.
Ning Shaohong stared blankly, murmuring, "Forget emotions... forget emotions... if you don't feel emotions first, how can you forget them... I never expected to reach this point by chance after giving up..."
A smile of relief appeared on her lips.
Then, the lotus platform beneath her feet suddenly enlarged, enveloping her entirely.
Inside a pavilion on the fifth floor of Tongbao Pavilion in Tianshui Market.
Wei Shiqin and another woman in a blue dress were sitting at a tea table, conversing.
This woman bore a slight resemblance to Wei Shiqin, but was older.
She was not as delicate as Wei Shiqin, with more stern facial features, yet possessed a unique charm, still an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Moreover, this woman's aura was unfathomable; she was, in fact, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!
At this moment, both women looked somewhat displeased.
Wei Shiqin frowned, asking, "Sister, is this matter true?"
The woman in the blue dress sighed, "Little sister, even though I usually like to joke with you, I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."
"After repeated verification, the Soul Quenching Pills refined by Master Liu only have an auxiliary effect of two percent on cultivators breaking through to Foundation Establishment, or even less. To be more precise, it's just over one percent."
Upon hearing this, the usually composed and elegant Wei Shiqin's expression turned uncertain.
The woman in the blue dress continued, "Although this pill is still very precious, it seems quite unworthy considering its expensive spiritual materials and our enormous investment."
Wei Shiqin suddenly said, "Is it possible that Master Liu refined Failed Pills? That Soul Quenching Pill is an ancient formula. It should increase a cultivator's chance of establishing a foundation by about ten percent. Even if the description is exaggerated, it shouldn't be this far off."
The woman in the blue dress hesitated, "I thought so at first too, but I've seen the few Soul Quenching Pills Master Liu refined. Their quality is excellent, not at all like Failed Pills, and they are quite similar to the descriptions in the formula. Father also personally inspected them, and he didn't find any flaws."
Hearing that her father had personally inspected them, Wei Shiqin fell silent.
The woman in the blue dress sighed, "Accept fate. We need to cut our losses now. The remaining spiritual materials should still be enough to refine some Soul Quenching Pills. Even if they only increase the chance of establishing a foundation by one percent, they should still sell for a good amount of Spirit Stones at the auction."
"But once those spiritual materials are used up, that's it. All the preparations we made to gather these spiritual materials must be halted."
"The most important thing is the Silver Soul Grass in the Ning Family's Red Coral Stone waters. To speed up the growth of this spiritual grass, we even set up a small-scale third-tier Spirit Gathering Array in that area. The Spirit Stones burned over the years are an astronomical figure. We must stop it immediately. The remaining Silver Soul Grass should be harvested promptly; it can also be sold for a considerable amount of Spirit Stones. Let's recoup some of our losses."
Wei Shiqin remained silent for a long time. After a while, she said unwillingly, "But if we admit defeat like this, our lineage won't be able to hold its head up in the business world anymore. We will be left far behind by the Kong Family."