Anning waited for Yao Xuelian to fall asleep, then quietly put on her shoes and got out of bed.

She opened the window and looked at the moonlight spreading down, then saw a branch of a rose in the courtyard reaching for the moonlight.

Anning jumped out of the window and hurried into the garden.

In the garden, two women were kneeling in worship towards the moon.

One of the women was wearing red, the other white, both extraordinarily beautiful, with alluring appearances.

Anning stood silently behind the two women.

After the two women had sincerely worshipped the moon, they suddenly turned around and saw Anning.

They were both frightened.

"You are, who are you?"

The woman in white saw Anning’s face in the moonlight: "Miss?"

The woman in red also remembered who Anning was.

During the day, they had seen Anning in the garden and knew she was the Yao family’s cousin.

"It’s me."

Anning smiled and sat on a stone: "Come over here."

The woman in white and the woman in red couldn’t detect any spell fluctuation from Anning, but they were still very nervous and scared, and walked involuntarily to Anning’s side.

Anning pointed to the artificial lake not far away: "What has become a spirit in there?"

The woman in red hesitated a bit, while the woman in white answered boldly: "It’s a river clam, the Yao family’s ancestral home has been here for hundreds of years, and has been renovated many times, but no one has touched that lake. That river clam has been in the river for hundreds of years and transformed into human form early on."

"Ha."

Anning let out a cold laugh: "In the Yao family, it cultivated to become a spirit using the spiritual energy accumulated by the family for years, and now it wants to harm the Yao Family people. I just wonder if there will be any karmic retribution for doing so."

"What do you mean by that, Miss?"

The woman in white was somewhat confused.

Anning smiled and pointed to two large blooming peonies not far away: "Your true forms are over there, right."

The woman in white shivered in fear, and knelt down with a thud in front of Anning: "Miss, we mean no harm. Please show mercy and do not destroy our true forms."

Anning brushed her sleeves: "I am not a ruthless person. It is not easy for spirits like you to take human form; if you have not done any evil, I will naturally not harm you."

She extended her right hand, fingers spread wide, and a blue flame burned brightly in the palm, making the white peony and the red peony fall to the ground in fright, not daring to move.

"There are ten kinds of divine fire in this world, do you know?"

Anning asked the white peony and the red peony, still playing with the blue flame in her hand.

The red peony and the white peony were just small flower demons, how could they know this?

The two flower spirits quickly shook their heads, terrified by the flame.

"Using Nanming Leaving Fire on you is really overkill."

Anning clenched her fist, and when she opened it again, the flame turned black: "Never mind, I should teach you a lesson. There are ten divine fires in the world, and the tenth is the Netherworld Ghost Fire..."

Anning opened and closed her right hand, each time displaying a different divine fire: "You’ve just seen the Nanming Leaving Fire, and now I’ll show you the Samadhi True Fire."

The white peony and the red peony trembled on the ground: "Miss, please restrain your divine skills. If you truly summon the Samadhi True Fire, just a little bit would turn us to ashes."

Anning sighed: "Very well, heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, and I shouldn’t destroy you."

This time, she clenched her hand and no longer summoned the divine fire.

The two flower spirits were immediately grateful: "Miss, rest assured, we only seek a place to live, we dare not harm anyone, let alone the Yao Family people. Although our mana is low, we will do our best to protect the Yao Family people, just please don’t drive us away."

The red peony cried and pleaded: "Those Taoists outside are hateful. When they see spirits like us, they don’t differentiate between good and bad; they just kill. Over the years, we’ve faced many dangers, and my sister nearly got burnt to death once. If it wasn’t for Mr. Yao kindly bringing our true forms to the Yao family, nourished by the family’s spiritual energy, we might still be injured now."

"You may rise."

Anning’s expression softened: "How much power do you spirits of grass and wood really have? Transforming just once already costs you greatly, to the point where a strong man could overpower you. The Yao family doesn’t need your protection. I only came here with good intentions, seeing that your cultivation journey isn’t easy, to offer some guidance."

"We will certainly heed Miss’s instructions."

The white peony stood up and bowed again.

Anning said: "Cultivators emphasize karmic retribution, just like that River Clam Spirit taking shape in the Yao family, which benefitted from the Yao family’s favor. She ought to repay this favor; otherwise, she’ll suffer the burning of heavenly fire. Yet, she ungratefully retaliates against benefactors, just fearful she’ll meet a bad end."

The red peony was startled: "Is it really this serious?"

"Do you think I’m joking with you?"

Anning snorted coldly.

Scared, the red peony immediately hid behind the white peony.

"You spirits, always attracted to handsome scholars, easily develop lingering feelings—this is your nature. I won’t meddle in this. But, as for the men of the Yao family, don’t you dare cause trouble; otherwise, don’t blame me if I use the Samadhi True Fire to turn you to ashes."

Anning warned the two flower spirits sternly.

"We dare not disobey, Miss."

The two flower spirits hurriedly knelt down again.

"Of course, if you behave yourselves, I’ll guide you as well, so you can reach fruition in your cultivation sooner."

Anning smiled, lifting each of the white and red peonies: "You lack good roots and inherited memories, not understanding cultivation. Your transformation was just due to favorable circumstances. Now, I’ll teach you a cultivation technique. Use it well in your secluded practice."

She pointed at the foreheads of the two flower spirits.

The two flower spirits quickly closed their eyes.

After a moment, when they opened their eyes again, they were overjoyed.

They knelt to Anning, kowtowing: "White Peony, Red Peony, pay respects to Master."

When they stood, Anning said with a laugh: "You both lack names and can’t always be called white peony and red peony, right? So, let me think of names for you."

She pondered for a moment: "Peony is also known as Lu Jiu, Shu Gu, Bai Rong, Hundred Rain Gold, Luoyang Flower, etc. White Peony, you shall be called Bai Rong, and Red Peony shall be Hong Luo, how about that?"

The two flower spirits smiled with delight, bowing: "Bai Rong, Hong Luo thank Master for the names."

Anning waved her hand: "It’s late, time I return to rest. You two, hurry back to your cultivation."

As soon as she stopped speaking, she vanished.

After Anning left, Bai Rong and Hong Luo retreated into their true forms with smiles, exchanging whispers between the two peonies.

Bai Rong said: "I never expected us to have such fortune. The cultivation technique Miss gave us is truly excellent. As long as we cultivate earnestly without committing any sins, we will undoubtedly achieve fruitful results."

Hong Luo kept smiling: "Sister, we must cultivate well and not disappoint Master. Once we succeed, we’ll surely make that River Clam Spirit kneel and beg for mercy."

The two peonies hadn’t been at the Yao family long, yet the River Clam Spirit had bullied them several times. The peonies harbored resentment in their hearts.

But as grass and wood spirits, they couldn’t compare to the fierce river demon, so they had to swallow their anger.

Now, with a good cultivation technique, once they achieved success, they wouldn’t fear the River Clam Spirit.

Hong Luo wrinkled her little nose: "That River Clam Spirit is so ugly, yet it transforms into Miss Xue Lian to seduce Young Master Fu. How shameless. No wonder Master was so angry over this; if it were us, we’d be furious too."