Celestial Demon Starting from Attribute Points-Chapter 63: Hard to Guard Against

The life of the eldest young master, especially one from a family that dominates an entire county, can truly be called paradise on earth.

In the afternoon, with Rose at his service.

After sleeping until night, Tian Yuan had already returned.

This gentle, motherly young lady held a bowl of slowly simmered ginseng porridge, lightly lifting the hem of her lotus-shaped gauze skirt as she settled by the soft couch, feeding Li Xuan bite by bite.

She fed a mouthful, and Li Xuan would open his mouth to eat it.

When the porridge was finished, the young lady thoughtfully wiped his mouth before taking out another lunch box, smiling as she asked, "Would the gentleman like to guess what fruit is inside?"

Then she softly recited, "Gather the jade-green chambers of the green gate, cleverly infuse the scarlet blood at the center. Form a trio of flavorful dews, pour out the radiant nine-stage wine."

Finished with her rhyme, Tian Yuan’s smile was brimming as her long fingers playfully brushed against the box, teasingly said, "Do guess, my lord."

Li Xuan replied, "If I guess correctly, is there a reward?"

Tian Yuan said, "What would my lord like?"

Li Xuan answered, "I want my lady to be lofty and supreme."

Others wouldn’t understand this, but Tian Yuan heard and felt her heart skip a beat, she glanced back with a smile, lovingly replied, "I shall comply with my husband."

Li Xuan said, "It’s winter melon."

Winter melon, which is actually watermelon, was considered an expensive rarity back in those days, but the Li family’s status could still secure some. In the scorching summer heat, it was stored in the ice cellar and brought out to enjoy, offering great relief from the heat.

Tian Yuan opened the box, and indeed it was winter melon, but only a few slices were left, roughly a third of the entire fruit, as the rest was naturally reserved for Master Li, the lady, and Second Lady.

After another round of "husband feeding,"

Tian Yuan slowly slipped off her gauze skirt and undergarments, revealing her fair body.

Li Xuan felt a surge of affection, pulling her close to the bed and nestled under the covers, then pressed his chest against hers, feeling the rhythmic thumping like drumming, teasingly said, "Why does my lady’s heart beat like pounding rice?"

Tian Yuan’s cheeks flushed with warmth, yet she used her hands to push this mischievous husband aside, then with an entirely different demeanor, looked at Li Xuan with a sovereign gaze and said, "Since you want me to be lofty and supreme, then lie down properly; I shall have you stay put."

Li Xuan replied, "Then you must keep me tightly restrained."

Tian Yuan, who had never seen such brazenness before, had cheeks as red as peaches, almost dripping with heat.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes and flipped over swiftly.

The red candles flickered, and the curtains waved.

Shadows intertwined, with several rounds of affection.

Expressing all their yearning, unaware that three gongs had sounded outside the courtyard wall...

It was already the third watch of the night.

...

The summer night was sultry, despite the open windows, it remained oppressive.

After several rounds of intimacy, both were drenched with sweat, even their bodies stuck together, sticky and humid.

Tian Yuan moved her sore long legs, wanting to get off the bed to fetch some water, so her husband could wash.

But as soon as she tried to move, Li Xuan pressed her down.

"Rest, my lady, I’ll go."

Li Xuan flipped over Tian Yuan, donned a coat, and headed out.

Outside, he found a young maid standing by the door.

This maid’s looks might not match Su Qiang or Wei Yao, but she was fair in her own right, with a somewhat endearing cleverness in her face.

Upon seeing Li Xuan suddenly come out, she, like a startled little rabbit, quickly stepped back two paces and hurriedly said, "Young master... Qiao’Er was worried about you and the young mistress, so I came in the middle of the night to see if there was anything I could do... I... I just arrived."

Naturally, Li Xuan knew.

This maid had come quietly twice already, and this was the third time.

The first time was perhaps genuinely to serve him and Tian Yuan tea and water, but the second and third were likely because she couldn’t sleep.

Speaking of this maid named Qiao’Er, she was Tian Yuan’s personal maid, and technically, he could take her into his room directly, which to some extent was what Tian Yuan wanted to see.

In those times, it was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, and the main wife naturally hoped her people could have a place. Sometimes, when the main wife was ill or inconvenient, she would even suggest that her personal maid keep the master company.

As for Qiao’Er, she was given to him along with the mistress when she married; if the mistress married an old man, she’d be with an old man, or with an unattractive person if the mistress did so. But... with this young master of the Li family being so free-spirited and deeply affectionate, a man of both martial and literary talents, how could Qiao’Er not be moved?

That night, hearing the sounds from inside the room, she couldn’t resist getting closer to listen, and the more she listened, the more her mind was troubled, making it difficult to sleep.

At which time, Tian Yuan inside the room intervened and rescued the young maid. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Is that you, Qiao’Er?" Tian Yuan called out.

Qiao’Er quickly replied, "It’s me, mistress."

"Go and heat some water for the young master to bathe."

"Yes."

Qiao’Er responded, then bowed to Li Xuan, but dared not look at him, running off with a red face.

...

A moment later...

Li Xuan held the already sore Tian Yuan and thoroughly washed her in the bath barrel.

Qiao’Er took the opportunity to change the sheets, then knelt within the curtain to chase away mosquitoes, before slipping quietly out the back door.

After bathing, Li Xuan returned to the bed with his lady.

Tian Yuan used his left arm as a pillow, curling up like a cat as she nestled in his embrace.

Li Xuan felt utterly refreshed.

Home was indeed a haven for rest; upon returning for less than a day, he already completely regained his vigor.

Feeling the rising sleepiness, listening to the distant chirps and croaks, watching his lady’s soft hand draped over his waist, her white foot pressed against his ankle...

Li Xuan slowly closed his eyes.

For a moment, it seemed like all the killings, chaos, demons, and plagues... were far away.

Here, there was only a gentle haven.

...

...

Entrance to Half-Sky Gorge.

The several-zhang high barricades were cold and hard, set up in three layers at the narrowest point of the passage, sealing off the thoroughfare from east to west.

The bonfires were flickering, casting various shadows.

The Li family experts patrolled, and the government officials were stationed directly behind the barricades.

At this moment, Master Li was by a tent roasting some food, preparing to eat it himself while sharing some with his subordinates and the government officials.

Having heard how serious his son had described the matter, he naturally came personally.

This matter, without someone of status and authority overseeing it, would soon descend into chaos.

Previously... tasks like roadblocks were handled by the government.

Now in Xiongshan County, due to various reasons, there were no government officials left, and the remaining minor officials naturally followed the lead of the Li family. When Master Li ordered the road to be blocked, it was blocked.

But blocking the road was not that simple.

Master Li looked up to see the white-clad female hero from his son’s room sitting upright with her spear on a large rock above, guarding like a statue.

With Wei Yao present, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

After all, in Master Li’s heart, Wei Yao was indeed the top expert in the Li family.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

"Why is the road closed?"

"Let us through! We need to get through!"

"An epidemic broke out in the capital city, and we fled early. We are not sick! Anyone who is sick wouldn’t have made it this far!"

"Let us through!"

Master Li, with a start, quickly got up, instructed someone beside him to continue roasting meat, and walked forward, shouting as he went, "What’s going on, what’s going on?"

Outside the three barricades, dozens of people were looking pale and shouting to cross the barricades.

It seemed they had fled from the east.

A Li family expert was questioning their identities from afar.

The other party was answering normally.

Master Li listened carefully; this group had fled from Hundred Flowers Mansion, seeing danger, they set out early to come to Xiongshan County.

The Li family expert glanced at Master Li.

Master Li was no fool, saying, "Give them food and water, let them wait outside for a couple of days and see."

The Li family expert conveyed this, but the group became angry.

Some shouted, "Infected people are coming from behind, if we stay together, even if we are not sick, we will get sick!"

Others pleaded, "Please, sir, show mercy, let us through. It’s not easy for so many of us..."

Master Li spoke briefly to the Li family martial artist beside him.

The martial artist shouted loudly, "Didn’t you say that infected people couldn’t make it this far? If that’s the case, why can’t you wait a couple more days?"

The group fell silent.

Master Li gave further instructions to the martial artist, who continued to act as a loudspeaker, shouting, "It’s not easy for anyone! If we let you through and even one of you is sick, it would cause disaster for all of Xiongshan County."

"We are not sick."

"Master, you can’t just let us die."

The people continued to shout.

Suddenly, a soft cough was heard among them.

Their voices faltered; they saw a man clutching his chest, coughing.

Someone next to him explained, "This is not an epidemic, just a weak body, it’s been like this for years."

Master Li was somewhat uncertain but refused to relent, only ordering them to be guarded.

That group had no choice, watching the Li family martial artist and government officials with their blades in hand, they could only temporarily camp outside.

But after barely the time it takes to burn a few sticks of incense, dozens more people surged from afar.

Everyone caused another commotion...

...

As time passed.

Outside the barricades, the crowd accumulated more and more.

By dawn, it had grown from dozens to hundreds. Not only did it show no signs of stopping, but it also increased rapidly, on the verge of breaking a thousand.

Apart from this, loud coughing began to erupt among them, echoes overlapping, piercing to the ear, and occasionally faint cries were heard, as if someone had a nosebleed.

Master Li had come to guard the gorge, bringing only around a hundred people. Now looking at the vast crowd before him, he grew increasingly anxious.

If a conflict were to break out...

Not to mention the question of how to fight it.

Even if they did win, his group would all catch the plague.

The hot southeast wind blew from afar, making the battle skirts flutter loudly. Above, Wei Yao also grasped her spear tensely, her sharp eyes focused intently on the people coming through the gorge.

More and more people... like an accumulating flood, could at any moment sweep away the small rocks blocking the path.