Chapter 5: You Remind Me of My Brother  

Li Fuguang had no idea that while Qin Miaoyan was smiling on the surface, she was inwardly scoffing at his stupidity.  

He shyly pinched his earlobe and said, “I’ve always wanted to ask—given your esteemed status, why are you so kind to me?”  

Anyone with half a brain wouldn’t ask such a question outright. Not only was it disrespectful, but it practically implied she had ulterior motives.  

Qin Miaoyan did tense up for a moment, but upon seeing his foolish expression, she quickly realized he was just genuinely curious.  

She didn’t answer.  

After all, a dumb dog didn’t need a reason.  

Soon, he spoke again, “Is there anything I can do for you, Your Eminence?”  

Li Fuguang looked at Qin Miaoyan earnestly. “I mean, once I recover, whatever you command, I’ll give it my all!”  

Qin Miaoyan had originally planned to coax him step by step—whether through threats or incentives, she had the means to make him comply with her wishes.  

But she hesitated to turn his handsome face into a puppet—after all, finding someone with looks like his wasn’t easy.  

Moreover, based on Qin Miaoyan’s “vast experience” with men, his broad shoulders, long legs, slender yet sturdy fingers, high nose bridge, thick black hair, and the stubble darkening his unshaven jaw all suggested he had a robust physique.  

A man like him would undoubtedly be “well-equipped.”  

To savor this fresh and eager prey, she decided to take her time.  

But she truly hadn’t expected that before she could even lay her trap, this foolish fish would leap out of the river and land right at her feet with a *plop*.  

Seeing his expression—as if he’d gladly lay down his life for her—Qin Miaoyan was genuinely amused this time.  

She flashed him a radiant smile, and Li Fuguang stared at her, utterly entranced.  

She was breathtakingly beautiful. Li Fuguang felt dazzled just looking at her.  

Unable to help himself, he blurted out, “In my entire life, I’ve never seen an immortal more beautiful than you, Your Eminence.”  

Such words bordered on insolence. If a righteous immortal had heard such praise from a junior, they would’ve been furious and taught him a lesson.  

But Qin Miaoyan had impure intentions from the start. Her attire these past few days had been deliberately seductive, hoping to stir his desires—otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought him to her private chambers to “care” for him personally.  

Yet no matter how hard she searched his eyes, she found not a trace of a man’s predatory or lustful gaze toward a woman.  

His eyes were as clear as riverbed pebbles—smooth and cool—much like his own brain, where any hint of flirtation would simply slide right off that polished surface.  

Qin Miaoyan didn’t know whether to laugh or scold him.  

“You really do have a lot of firsts in life!” she sneered.  

Li Fuguang actually nodded. “Yes, I’m young and inexperienced. Please don’t laugh at me, Your Eminence.”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” Fine, you’re young. Whatever.  

She wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or amused, but then it struck her—being young was a good thing.  

If he were over a hundred years old, there’d be no guarantee he hadn’t been involved with others. Though she enjoyed those who were experienced and playful, her favorite type was the untouched novice she could mold herself.  

She even entertained a cruel fantasy—when she eventually grew tired of him and cast him aside, would he still wear that same innocent, foolish expression?  

It would be absolutely *delicious* to witness.  

Human nature was vile—always eager to drag angels down to earth, to shatter perfection, to scribble on blank canvases.

Nineteen years old—what a wonderful age.  

Qin Miaoyan looked at him and instantly felt that if he was only nineteen, his foolishness wasn’t entirely unacceptable.  

So she laughed, then let a sorrowful expression creep onto her face.  

After so many years of life-and-death struggles and treacherous dangers, her acting skills had long reached perfection.  

Her expression now was laden with deep nostalgia and attachment, so intense that Li Fuguang felt his skin crawl, frozen in place.  

“Esteemed One,” he said uneasily, stepping off the bed and pacing barefoot on the floor, restless.  

“What’s wrong with you, Esteemed One?” He had never seen Qin Miaoyan wear such an expression before, and he was so flustered he didn’t know what to do.  

Qin Miaoyan had already calculated the perfect angle to gaze at him with a mournful sigh—she knew exactly how to evoke a man’s pity.  

But… who could’ve expected this little brat to suddenly stand up, ruining her carefully arranged pose and forcing her to look up at him!  

Li Fuguang had recovered quite a bit, his healing speed astonishing. Though Qin Miaoyan hadn’t given him the best healing pills—she didn’t want him recovering too quickly—his pure Wood spiritual root had accelerated his recuperation beyond expectations.  

Now, well-fed and rested, there wasn’t a trace of weakness left on his face. Standing tall and broad, he walked over to the table where Qin Miaoyan sat, and she realized the table barely reached his sturdy, long legs.  

Most humans rarely had any racial advantage over demons, at least physically.  

But this brat’s legs were even more robust than those of a half-demon horse shapeshifter Qin Miaoyan had once played with.  

She was momentarily distracted.  

Li Fuguang, however, found his own explanation for her behavior. “Ah!” he exclaimed, startling her.  

He leaned down and asked, “Is the Esteemed One… troubled by inner demons?”  

“Earlier, you said you were injured saving me because of inner demons. How can they be soothed?”  

His face was full of concern, not a hint of insincerity.  

Qin Miaoyan was speechless.  

For the first time in her life, someone had handed her exactly what she wanted without her needing to scheme for it.  

She let out a faint, incredulous laugh and said half-heartedly, “Yes, my inner demons are acting up.”  

She didn’t even bother pressing a hand to her chest, just stared up at the fool hovering over her.  

Let’s see if he buys it.  

Of course, he swallowed it whole, his concern turning to outright worry.  

“Then… am I disturbing your secluded meditation?”  

“Inner demons require seclusion, right…” he muttered.  

“I’ve mostly recovered, I can…” leave Nether Valley.  

Sensing his intention to flee, Qin Miaoyan cut him off, pressing a hand to her chest and feigning pain. “My inner demons… cannot be resolved through seclusion.”  

“But perhaps you can help soothe them.” She put on a fragile act, channeling her spirit power to drain the color from her face, leaving her pale and haggard, even the crimson of her lips fading to near nothingness.  

As expected, Li Fuguang immediately stepped forward, bracing a hand on the table. He wanted to touch her but hesitated, unsure where.  

Finally, he grabbed her wrist and forcibly channeled what little spirit power he had left into her.  

Qin Miaoyan: “…”  

Soon, Li Fuguang—still not fully recovered—turned pale from the pain of forcibly circulating spirit power through his torn meridians.  

Yet his gaze remained steadfast on Qin Miaoyan, his grip unrelenting.

His meager cultivation and pitiful spirit power couldn’t even be called a drop in the bucket—it was more like an ant falling into the ocean.

Qin Miaoyan saw him still straining himself and tried to pull her wrist back, but failed. Her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Was this little brat out of his mind?

Leaving aside her evil arts and the witchcraft few knew about, her orthodox cultivation had reached the Cocoon Soul Realm!

Cultivators who achieved the Cocoon Soul Realm could freely perform spirit descents on others and easily crush their divine souls.

Moreover, Qin Miaoyan practiced both orthodox and unorthodox methods, never fearing karma. Unlike orthodox cultivators who strictly adhered to the Heart of the Dao, she didn’t even have one. If she wished, she could perform body snatching anytime, transcending the cycle of life and death—how could she possibly have inner demons?

She was finding it hard to keep up the act.

Giving up, she forcefully withdrew her hand and pushed him away with spirit power, cutting him off: “Stop wasting your effort. It’s useless.”

She looked at Li Fuguang with a complicated expression and said, “My inner demons stem from within, not external injuries. Your meager spirit power isn’t even worth a grasshopper’s leg—it’s completely useless. Save it for yourself. If you keep forcibly channeling your spirit power, your meridians will tear and your Spirit Repository will shatter. You’ll be done for!”

Li Fuguang was indeed pushing himself too hard. He steadied himself against the table, swaying unsteadily, but his gaze remained full of concern for Qin Miaoyan, completely unfazed by her sarcastic tone.

“Then… what should we do?” he asked, his voice unsteady.

He genuinely wanted to repay Qin Miaoyan for saving his life and taking care of him.

But with no possessions to his name and shallow cultivation, he truly would go to the ends of the earth for her if she asked.

Qin Miaoyan didn’t doubt that in the slightest.

Which was why she found it both absurd and utterly baffling how stupid Li Fuguang was.

She rarely encountered such fools. Usually, simple-minded idiots like him wouldn’t last long—not just in the Cultivation World, but even among ordinary humans.

Fine, she’d give him his first life lesson.

Qin Miaoyan continued, “My inner demons are because… before I began cultivating, I had an elder brother who depended on me. He died saving me.”

At this point, she even shed a tear for effect.

“Aren’t you curious why I’ve been so kind to you, bringing you back to the valley?”

“Truthfully, if I just wanted to save you, I didn’t need to bring you to my side. I could’ve just handed you over to the disciples.”

“Right!” Li Fuguang nodded in agreement, having thought the same thing.

Qin Miaoyan was infuriated by his constant interruptions!

She glared at him before continuing, “The reason I brought you here is… I wanted to see more of you.”

This time, Li Fuguang was stunned. “See me?”

“Is it… because I look cheerful?” Li Fuguang touched his face. “My mother used to say I look cheerful, especially when I smile.”

“She said whenever she was unhappy, my smile would cheer her up.”

“So… does the Venerable One feel unhappy? Should I smile for you?”

With that, he grinned, revealing two cheek dimples and a row of neat teeth.

Qin Miaoyan gritted her teeth and hissed, “Stop smiling!”

Li Fuguang immediately stopped, shrinking back slightly.

Qin Miaoyan quickly masked her fierce expression and lowered her head, resuming her pitiful act.

She said sorrowfully, “When you smile… you don’t look like him anymore.”

“Like… who?” Li Fuguang asked.

“You resemble my brother,” Qin Miaoyan said. “The one who died saving me all those years ago.”

That’s right—her beloved elder brother.

Li Fuguang was visibly shocked. His lips parted, and his smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

Qin Miaoyan looked at him with an expression brimming with nostalgia and hidden anguish.

“All these years, I’ve never stopped missing him,” she said, a single tear slipping precisely from the corner of her eye.

Had she not seen Li Fuguang these past years, she might have nearly forgotten about that piece of meat she never got to taste from days gone by.

“My inner demons have been growing, yet the Inverted Sea of Pluto Stars reveals that Reincarnation has collapsed… He no longer has any chance of rebirth… I… I fear I’ll never see him again.”

Her tears fell like jade beads, dripping steadily as she wore a sorrowful, pitiful expression that tugged at the heartstrings.

Li Fuguang’s expression grew increasingly tense as he stood there awkwardly, before finally stepping forward after a moment.

Clumsily raising his hand, he attempted to wipe Qin Miaoyan’s tears with the sleeve he’d previously used to clean his mouth.

Seeing this, the veins at Qin Miaoyan’s temples bulged as she grabbed his wrist, barely managing to maintain her composure.

She continued, “If you truly appreciate me saving your life, could you pretend to be him? To ease my longing?”

“Just for a little while,” Qin Miaoyan said. “This way, I might find a method to completely rid myself of these inner demons.”

After she finished speaking, Li Fuguang’s expression once again turned vacant.

He withdrew his wrist and took a step back, his expression unreadable.

Qin Miaoyan’s demeanor gradually cooled as she fixed him with a sharp gaze. Though her features were exquisitely beautiful and alluring, the narrow space between her brows made her appear sinister and domineering when her expression darkened.

She stared at Li Fuguang, thinking that if he dared refuse, she’d drop the act, tie him up, and throw him on the bed to taste what she’d missed out on.

But just as she was losing patience, Li Fuguang looked at her with some unease.

“I really should be going home,” Li Fuguang said hesitantly.

He had sneaked away from home, and though he’d sent a letter a few days prior, he worried his parents would grow anxious if he stayed away too long.

Qin Miaoyan let out a cold laugh and stood, approaching him with each step radiating oppressive energy.

Li Fuguang felt his chest tighten, unaware of the impending danger.

“But I can’t just leave like this!” he continued.

Qin Miaoyan paused mid-step, the boiling Spirit power around her momentarily stilling.

He then stepped forward on his own, coming close to Qin Miaoyan as he asked nervously, “C-can I do it?”

After forcibly channeling Spirit power earlier, his head now felt heavy and his body was drenched in sweat.

“Can I really do it?” he asked, looking at Qin Miaoyan. “Do I… do I look like him? Like your brother?”

Thinking he was still trying to refuse, Qin Miaoyan replied expressionlessly, her voice icy, “You do. Otherwise, why would I bring you back?”

Li Fuguang took a deep breath, licking his dry lips. “I—”

“You’re unwilling?” Qin Miaoyan pressed aggressively.

“I’m afraid I won’t do it well.”

Qin Miaoyan scoffed, too impatient for further talk as she gathered Spirit power to subdue him first.

But Li Fuguang moved faster, stepping forward to grab her wrist as he babbled incoherently, “I’ll do it! I can do it!”

“What I mean is, if you say I can, then I can! Even if I can’t, I’ll make it work!”

His eyes shone with sincerity as he declared excitedly, “Your Excellency, treat me as your brother! I’ll cooperate however you want!”

Thrilled at the chance to help Qin Miaoyan, he took another step forward in her stunned gaze, wanting to say more—only for his vision to darken as he collapsed toward her.

Qin Miaoyan instinctively caught him in her arms, the Spirit power in her palms dissipating without a trace.

“You…”

“I feel so dizzy…” Li Fuguang, tall and broad-shouldered, leaned forward, nearly pressing his entire weight onto Qin Miaoyan.

Though in terms of cultivation, she could easily crush ten Li Fuguangs with just two fingers, and among female cultivators, she wasn’t particularly petite.

But Li Fuguang was even half a head taller than Li Xi had been in his prime, standing over eight chi tall—a full head above Qin Miaoyan.

As he collapsed forward, it was as if he enveloped her completely in his embrace, fitting together seamlessly.

His back, unable to bear the strain, arched slightly like a large pet seeking affection.

Qin Miaoyan held him firmly, her hand brushing against his waist—as lean and sleek as a panther, just as it appeared.

But before any amorous thoughts could surface, she felt Li Fuguang’s large palm reach the back of her head.

What followed wasn’t an intimate caress or a gentle stroke. Instead, he gave two firm pats—clumsy yet somehow comforting.

Then, from that mouth of his that never spoke pleasantly, came clear words whispered into her ear: “Don’t be scared, little sister, big brother’s here…”

With that, he could hold on no longer and passed out cold.

Qin Miaoyan: “…”