Song Zhi, Bai Dongsheng, and Tang Liren went out to the village committee square.

An hour later, they returned.

Bai Dongsheng briefly explained the current situation. “There’s definitely a black bear in our village. They usually come in the fall, but this year, for some reason, they showed up even before the Dragon Boat Festival… Maybe they’ve just had cubs! The village has decided to halt work for now, form teams, and take turns patrolling in shifts. We’re also coordinating with the neighboring Jixiang Village!”

Tang Liren added, “The men will guard the outer perimeter, and the women will form teams to guard the village entrance. I already signed up for me and Lizi. We’ll both join the patrols. Xingzi, we’re leaving the house to you!”

Bai Xingxing replied, “Got it, Mom! Don’t worry!”

Taotao shrank into the corner of the kang, her eyes darting around.

She had been worried about not having a chance to go deep into the forest, and now, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

Taotao quickly hugged Little Grape and gave it a few instructions. She planned to use the black bear’s intrusion as a chance to head into the forest and meet Grandpa. She needed to ask him to find a way to drive the bear deeper into the forest, away from where he lived. She definitely didn’t want to run into the bear.

Bai Dongsheng, as the leader of Production Team One, had to leave first to discuss patrol arrangements with the other team leaders. He grabbed a hatchet for self-defense and handed a kitchen knife to Song Zhi.

Song Zhi weighed it in his hand, set it down, and said he’d rather head to the blacksmith’s shop to find a more suitable weapon.

After saying goodbye to the family, he left. But just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something, turned back, and walked over to the kang bed. He reached out and patted Bai Taotao’s head.

Feeling the surge of spiritual energy, Taotao’s face immediately lit up with joy.

Seeing her radiant smile, Song Zhi couldn’t help but smile too. He said, “Taotao, be good and stay home. Don’t go anywhere.” His voice was soft and low.

Bai Taotao nodded obediently, but a glimmer of cleverness flashed in her eyes.

Only then did Song Zhi leave, looking satisfied.

The others: …

Bai Zhengqian and Tang Liren exchanged a look.

Having been married for years, they shared an unspoken understanding. Right now, dealing with the black bear was the top priority. They decided to wait until things calmed down before addressing Taotao and Song Zhi’s situation.

Before long, someone in the village began beating a gong outside. “Production team leaders and group leaders, along with the women’s representatives from each team, head to the village committee for a meeting!”

Bai Dongsheng and Tang Liren prepared to leave.

Tan Fenghui, cradling her belly, looked nervous. “Dongsheng, you have to be careful!”

Bai Dongsheng smiled, tidied his wife’s hair, and said, “Don’t worry. There are plenty of people in the village!” Then he told Hongdou and Huangdou, “Listen to your mom, and take good care of the house!”

Hongdou and Huangdou obediently agreed.

Bai Zhengqian also said, “Liren, keep an eye out. I’m already an old man… Don’t end up giving me more trouble before I’m even healed!”

Tang Liren snapped, “Of course I’ll be careful! I just earned eight work points yesterday!” She grabbed a shoulder pole and marched off energetically.

Bai Dongsheng left as well.

Xingxing, being only sixteen, still made Bai Lili worry. After tidying up the house, Bai Lili took Xingxing to the kitchen, told her what to cook for dinner, and explained what chores to do while staying home.

Once she finished giving instructions, Bai Lili grabbed a rolling pin and headed out.

Taotao pretended to focus seriously on her needlework. Seeing the household full of elderly, weak, and young members just sitting around bored, Bai Taotao’s eyes flickered. “Dad, why don’t you take a nap here?”

Bai Zhengqian hummed in agreement.

Tan Fenghui also urged her children to take an afternoon nap. After finishing her sewing, Bai Taotao began tending to the flowers and plants she cared for in the yard.

After tidying the yard, Taotao fetched water with a small bucket and went into each room to water the potted plants.

Since she often did this, silly Xingxing didn’t suspect anything.

By three or four in the afternoon, Taotao told Xingxing, “I’m exhausted. I’m going to my room to sleep… Don’t disturb me!”

Xingxing agreed.

Taotao entered her room, left a note, then stood by the door, listening to the sounds outside. When she heard Xingxing start cooking dinner, Taotao tied a small basket around her waist, placed Little Grape inside, quickly opened the door, and slipped out. She grabbed another small basket from the yard and then ran into Song Zhi’s room.

Song Zhi’s room had double doors, and one of them led outside.

Taotao carefully opened the outer door, looked around, and, seeing no one, quietly closed it behind her before running off.

Avoiding the patrolling women, she ran straight up the back mountain. First, she stopped at a spot where she usually picked wild fruits and filled half her basket. She then asked Little Grape for Song Zhi’s location.

Once she had a general direction, Taotao set off.

By now, the sky had started to darken.

Following Little Grape’s information, Taotao walked deeper into the forest. Before long, she faintly sensed Song Zhi’s spiritual energy.

Not caring about anything else, she put her hands on her hips and shouted, “Song Zhi!”

“Taotao?”

Someone immediately responded from a distance.

Judging by the voice, it was definitely Song Zhi.

Before long, Song Zhi and another villager hurried over.

When Song Zhi saw Bai Taotao, his expression darkened. After exchanging a few words with the villager beside him, he quickly walked over, his face serious. “Does your dad know how mischievous you are?”

Taotao had just used her spiritual power and felt her fingers slightly stiff. She quickly grabbed Song Zhi’s arm. “He knows! He even told me to take good care of you!”

Then, she started frantically absorbing his spiritual energy.

Song Zhi: …

“Taotao, stop fooling around. I’ll take you home first!” Song Zhi said.

He flipped her hand over, clasped it, and pulled her along.

Taotao, being small, was easily carried along like a kitten by Song Zhi as he changed direction.

“Wait! Wait!” Taotao quickly made an excuse. “Song Zhi, I’m hungry. Let me eat first…”

Song Zhi didn’t budge. “Eat at home!” It was too dangerous here.

Taotao tried again. “I-I-I brought you food. I’ll leave as soon as you eat, okay?” She just wanted to buy some time.

Song Zhi remained unmoved, dragging her along as he said, “I already have food…”

With his long legs, he had already taken more than ten steps in the time it took to speak.

Taotao panicked. At this rate, they’d reach her house in ten more minutes!

Thinking fast, she shouted, “Song Zhi! I came to sneak into the cornfield with you!”

Song Zhi stumbled and almost fell!

He grabbed her waist with both hands, his face full of disbelief. “…Who taught you this nonsense?”

Taotao scoffed inwardly. Only this guy would describe such a wonderful thing as dual cultivation as “nonsense.” No sense of romance at all! Besides, how could dual cultivation be nonsense? It was clearly a great thing!

“Speak! Who taught you this?”

The veins on Song Zhi’s forehead bulged as he growled.

Taotao had always been well-protected by her family, as pure as a blank sheet of paper. There was no way she could know about this unless someone deliberately taught her! Who would do that? Taotao was so beautiful and innocent—what kind of intentions did that person have???

Taotao was startled.

Why was Song Zhi so worked up? He was even angrier than her mother, Tang Liren!

Oh, right! Could it be… that he had issues in that area, which made him especially sensitive about this topic?

Yes, yes, yes! In her past life, her sect, the Meizong Sect, had fallen into decline and could only sustain itself by selling medicinal herbs in the lower realm. The most profitable business? Aphrodisiacs! Clearly, some men…

Tsk tsk. Who would’ve thought someone like Song Zhi, with such a great physique, might also…

What a shame. She had even planned to cultivate with him!

Taotao pouted, feeling a little wronged.

To Song Zhi…

He suddenly realized that maybe his tone had been too harsh and scared Taotao.

So, he softened his voice. “Taotao, be good and tell me—who taught you this?”

Taotao was already upset that her carefully chosen dual cultivation partner seemed to have performance issues. Pouting, she muttered, “What’s wrong with digging through cornfields? Plenty of people do it! I even saw a man and a woman doing it in a cornfield with my own eyes!”

“Who?” Song Zhi demanded angrily.

Taotao replied, “I don’t know! But I heard them say that the man was coming to our house to propose marriage…”

“Zhang Jianzhang’s eldest son?” Song Zhi gritted his teeth.

Taotao shrugged. “How would I know? I don’t even recognize him!”

Song Zhi took a deep breath.

Fine, Zhang Jianzhang’s eldest son it was!

Song Zhi ground his teeth in fury.

Meanwhile, Taotao was already thinking about alternatives. If dual cultivation with Song Zhi was off the table, there had to be other ways to practice, right?

So, using terms she thought Song Zhi could understand, she earnestly said, “Song Zhi, if we can’t dig through cornfields, that’s okay. We can kiss instead.”

She looked at him expectantly, hoping for his agreement.

Song Zhi froze as if struck by lightning!

Seeing Taotao’s innocent, clear eyes looking at him with hope, his heart pounded like a drum, and his face turned bright red.

Song Zhi took a few deep breaths, forcing down the improper thoughts bubbling up, and asked through gritted teeth, “Was this also Zhang Jianzhang’s eldest son’s idea?”

Just what exactly had this little girl witnessed?!

Taotao kept watching his reaction carefully.

He seemed… even angrier?

So, did that mean he couldn’t even kiss? Or didn’t know how to??

Taotao was very disappointed. She pouted, feeling wronged and muttering weakly, “It was Sister Naqian who taught me…”

Song Zhi’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!

Clenching his fists, he silently vowed—Yan Naqian was dead meat!

Taotao was still full of doubts. It was one thing if Song Zhi had physical problems, but how could he not even manage a kiss? No, she couldn’t be fooled by appearances. She had to test him!

As it happened, Song Zhi was still holding her, maintaining a stance of interrogation, with the two of them face-to-face. However, since he was much taller, Taotao’s eyes only reached his chest.

Suddenly, Taotao stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, and pulled him down with force, pressing her lips against his.

Song Zhi’s eyes widened in shock.

In her past life, Bai Taoji had been rescued during her downfall and taken in by her master, who inducted her into the Meizong Sect. Her sole mission was to become the beloved consort of Immortal Emperor Song Zhi.

For this, she had trained and studied diligently.

One of the Meizong Sect’s secret techniques involved kissing.

Her master would first collect peach blossom tears from peach trees and mix them with other ingredients to create a thick, transparent syrup. Once cooled in molds and slightly processed, these would turn into small, round, crystal-clear balls called peach tear pills.

Peach tear pills had fillings.

The outer layer was coated with powdered sugar, then a layer of peach tear gel; beneath that was a layer of tooth-achingly sour hawthorn juice, followed by another layer of peach tear gel; then came a layer of honey as sweet as nectar, and at the very core was the most poisonous and bitter golden-tipped snake gall!

Every day, her master made Taotao eat these delicate pills.

She had to be extremely gentle while eating them.

First, she lightly licked off the powdered sugar, then softly sucked on the bouncy peach tear gel layer. After carefully removing that layer, she had to use just the tip of her tongue to push away the sour hawthorn juice, pressing it away bit by bit with her lips. Any larger contact with her tongue would make the sourness unbearable!

Once she overcame the hawthorn layer, she had to slowly suck away the tasteless peach tear gel to finally savor the rich, sweet honey inside—the part Taotao loved the most!

She couldn’t rush, nor could she finish too quickly. Good things had to be savored!

To enjoy the honey properly, her master even trained her tongue to move up and down, sweep side to side, and swirl in circles—there were countless techniques!

The goal was to use every possible method to savor the honey slowly.

But once the honey was finished, she had to stop immediately!

If she got greedy and tried to lick out the last bit of sweetness, she might break through the peach gel layer and taste the snake’s venom!

Taotao had been careless twice, and both times, she ended up tasting the bitter, fishy snake gall. Though her master had saved her from dying of poison, the experience left her vomiting so badly that she never dared to try again!

However, it was all just theoretical practice for Bai Taoji. Before she could find a chance to try it out with the Immortal Emperor, she fainted during the Immortal Emperor’s birthday celebration and arrived in this world.

So, Taotao tightly clung to Song Zhi’s neck, instinctively practicing the steps for eating the Peach Tear Pills:

First, lick gently, then softer…
Then suck gently…
Push with the tip of the tongue carefully…
Move the tongue in circles…
Finally, suck slowly and bite carefully…
…
Mission accomplished!

Taotao was very happy; she had finally eaten Song Zhi!

And, eating Song Zhi felt completely different from eating Peach Tear Pills!

— Eating Peach Tear Pills was delicious, with the subtle sour thorn juice paired with the sweet Jiuyu honey. No matter how good it tasted, her master made her eat dozens of them, and she did get a bit tired of it.

— But eating Song Zhi, although it wasn’t as sweet, was spiritually thrilling!

Having succeeded, Taotao looked at Song Zhi with a mischievous smile.

Song Zhi was dumbfounded.

What… kind of divine experience was this?

At this moment, a villager shouted from a distance, “Song Zhi! Hurry up, we’re going on the mountain patrol…”

Taotao’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed Song Zhi’s hand and started running.

However, they ran in the opposite direction of where the villagers were heading.

Song Zhi, in a daze, was being dragged along.

With Song Zhi’s spiritual support, Taotao felt bold enough to directly contact the old man. [Grandpa! Where are you? I’ll find you right away!]

The old man immediately replied, [Thank you, Taotao. My old friend the Night Owl will bring you… It might take some time, as you’ll have to travel until dawn to reach me.]

Just as the old man finished speaking, the faint sound of a bird of prey flapping its wings echoed through the night sky.