Chapter 751: Chapter 479: For You Alone, I Hesitate to This Day
The next day at dawn.
Xu Zhenguan draped in inner garments, pushed open the window, letting the damp, earthy air after the rain flood the room, blowing through her tangled hair, dispersing the heavy odor inside.
Outside, the clouds had long parted, the rain ceased, and the gray clouds drifted with the wind. A round red sun rose in the east, and the sky was bright and peaceful.
She gazed at the sparrow perched on the tree in the courtyard, preening its feathers, recalling everything that happened last night, as if it were a dream.
The novel delight of experiencing intimacy for the first time; the sudden transformation from a girl to a married woman; the sense of security restored along with her cultivation to a half-step Celestial... each brought a myriad of emotions and endless thoughts to her heart.
Not something to tell others.
Yet... although compelled by numerous circumstances, after truly crossing this step, there’s no regret.
Even aroused a sweet sensation from the kind found in common newlyweds.
Recalling a year ago, back then, she only regarded Zhao Douan as a convenient shield, a pawn in her game. Who could have thought that a year later, the initial fake gigolo would become the true Imperial Consort?
But she did not dislike it, though she wouldn’t say it out loud, she clearly understood in her heart that her agreeing to Dual Cultivation was not solely due to an emergency.
The true reason for her decision was the affection that had unknowingly sprouted over the year, blooming and bearing fruit.
If it were someone else, she might have forcibly robbed and swallowed the Dragon Essence alone, yet she certainly wouldn’t have surrendered herself for mere throne or life.
"How far is Your Majesty from Heavenly Human?"
Suddenly, Zhao Douan’s voice came from beside her.
Zhao Douan, dressed in silk trousers and a silk robe, chest open, held two cups of water, and handed one over, asking softly.
Xu Zhenguan instinctively reached out to take it, drank half a cup lightly, and then said, "Barely touched upon, I have a premonition that with Dragon Essence dual cultivation, breaking through seems indeed possible."
In reality, growth in cultivation and frequency does not strictly follow the rule of one breakthrough per stage.
The further one goes, the number of attempts needed multiplies.
Thus, although Zhao Douan worked tirelessly through the night, he barely restored the Empress’s cultivation to half-step Celestial.
Due to the dispersal of Dragon Qi, her actual combat power is roughly equivalent to the full-strength "Magic God."
"I see... when quantity makes up for quality, as they say, great force achieves miracles. If it can be done, I am willing to face death a thousand times." Zhao Douan said with a serious face, adopting a demeanor of selfless sacrifice.
This is the confidence bestowed upon him by the "Green Lotus" gifted by Worldly Venerate.
Last night, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that the true function of the Green Lotus in his Sea of Consciousness was not to heal injuries or refresh when staying up late, but to swiftly restore energy.
Thus, relying on the Green Lotus bestowed by Worldly Venerate, although working overtime till dawn was tiring, he didn’t feel depleted.
In fact, looking at the Empress by the window right now, he felt another stirring of desire.
Xu Zhenguan glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, didn’t respond, gaining a deeper understanding of the shamelessness of this guy.
Her slender fingers held the cup, her gaze wandered, and she changed the topic:
"You noticed I’m thirsty too."
Staying hydrated and moisturized... Zhao Douan drained his cup of water, his tone casual:
"Since it’s not enough to break through, shall we continue?"
His serious tone sounded as if discussing a major political affair.
"..." Xu Zhenguan’s fingers trembled uncontrollably, taking a deep breath, suppressing her body’s reflex, she replied calmly:
"Stop it while it’s adequate."
After a pause, before Zhao Douan could speak, she added:
"I need to go out later to check if the villagers of Baihua Village have left safely and if there are any rebel forces nearby."
If the villagers hadn’t fled and were intercepted by rebels nearby, Xu Zhenguan’s heart would be restless.
Just say you want to rest... however, Worldly Realm doesn’t seem all that powerful... Zhao Douan earnestly said, "Shall I accompany Your Majesty?"
Xu Zhenguan shook her head, leaving a "Not necessary."
She rolled up her dress, forcefully maintaining composure as she escaped from the courtyard, making Zhao Douan chuckle silently. With Zhenbao’s current power, he’s not worried about her facing danger alone.
He slowly drank a pot of water, turned back to bed, intending to recuperate. Though Green Lotus is akin to a potently nourishing elixir, the repeated exertion still left him slightly tired.
However, upon discovering the damp bedding, he had to abandon rest, thinking for a moment, he decided to take the bedding to the courtyard and hang it on the clothesline.
He rummaged through the house to find dry bedding from other rooms.
Halfway through, a hunger sensation gradually surfaced, he slapped his forehead, turned and entered the kitchen. Before long, wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of the silent estate.
"By the way, doing this won’t lead to pregnancy, right..."
As he was cooking, Zhao Douan suddenly thought of this, paused for a moment, and realized Zhenbao, being a woman, probably considered this earlier and likely has a solution.
...
On the other side.
Xu Zhenguan walked out of the house, feeling a sense of lightness enveloping her. Confirming that guy didn’t follow, she suddenly took the jade bracelet off her wrist.
She infused Qi Mechanism, and this time, the sealed storage jade bracelet successfully opened, her Divine Sense entered, scanning over the various bottles and jars inside.
Eventually, the Empress retrieved a porcelain bottle left forgotten in the corner, never opened.
She pulled the cork out, poured three small pills out, thought about it, and fearing insufficiency, she poured three more, into the sandalwood mouth, down her throat, swallowing them forcefully.
After taking the medicine, only then did she show a relieved expression, her right hand rubbed her lower abdomen, turning her gaze resentfully towards the house behind.
With a soft snort, she then moved lightly, directly heading towards Baihua Village, seeing the entire village already empty.