Chapter 231: I Usually Don't Laugh

Zu An fell silent. Even with his usual thick skin, he couldn't help but blush at that moment.

However, noticing Mi Li’s slightly flushed cheeks, he calmed down instead. “Queen Sister, I’m a bit curious. Since you’re in a spiritual form now, I can understand you materializing clothes, but why would you blush?”

Mi Li suddenly turned back and glared at him fiercely. “Are you very pleased with yourself, you rascal? If I chop off that troublesome thing of yours, let’s see how pleased you’ll be then!”

With a wave of her hand, the Tai’a sword flew directly towards him, poised to strike between his legs.

Zu An was scared out of his wits. He instantly darted back to bed, pulling the brocade quilt tightly around himself. “Queen Sister, don’t be impulsive, please! This concerns your happiness for the rest of your life.”

“Hmm?” Mi Li raised an eyebrow, and the Tai’a sword instantly lowered slightly.

Zu An hastily explained, “I meant, if a lustful person like me couldn’t be a man anymore, I’d surely feel life had no meaning and might just give up. That wouldn’t be good for you, would it, Sister?”

“A lustful person?” Mi Li snorted. “You certainly know yourself well, don’t you?”

Seeing her put the sword away, Zu An finally breathed a sigh of relief, while grumbling to himself, *Was this sword even mine anymore? Why did it seem to obey her entirely now?*

“Put your clothes on. I have something to tell you,” Mi Li said, standing with her hands behind her back, her gaze no longer on him.

Hearing her solemn tone, Zu An also set aside his playful demeanor. He hastily put on his clothes, and as he dressed, he noticed the blush of red on the bedsheet, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Once dressed, he quickly asked, “Queen Sister, what is it?”

Mi Li turned around, and seeing him neatly dressed, her expression softened slightly. “I want to talk about your movement technique. Earlier, when I saw you fighting Zhang Han and the others, your movements were incredibly elusive and uncanny. But when you fought me, they seemed to become much more sluggish. Last night, when that Shi Lezhi character was chasing you, the same thing happened again. What exactly is the problem?”

After all, such an amazing movement technique was a life-saving skill, and she hoped Zu An would learn more of them.

At the mention of it, Zu An’s face fell. “It’s a tearful tale,” he sighed. “This movement technique seems to have been designed specifically for eunuchs.”

“Eunuchs?” Mi Li was taken aback, instinctively glancing at his legs and wondering how he could possibly be connected to them.

Zu An’s face flushed. “Uh, you promised you wouldn’t laugh!”

Mi Li let out a haughty snort. “I have witnessed countless upheavals; how could I possibly laugh at a simple statement from you?”

It was ridiculous; a queen’s training began from childhood, and maintaining a straight face was fundamental. Otherwise, if she were to suddenly burst out laughing in front of court officials, it would bring shame upon the royal family.

Zu An secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He then told her about the “Sunflower Mirage” and how that part of him had been sealed previously.

Mi Li listened, her lips slightly parted. Her eyes curiously darted between his face and his legs, and then she let out a giggle.

Zu An’s face darkened. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

Seeing him look like a wronged child, the smile on Mi Li’s face grew more pronounced, until she was shaking with laughter.

Zu An was speechless.

Mi Li tried to suppress her laughter. “My apologies, I generally don’t laugh… unless I can’t help myself…”

She didn't even finish her sentence before she burst into laughter again.

Zu An was incensed. “Laugh, laugh, go on and laugh! Laugh yourself to death, for all I care!”

After a long while, Mi Li finally caught her breath. “I truly didn’t expect it. You certainly have a tragic past, don’t you?”

Zu An turned his head away. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

Mi Li, however, leaned closer. “Don’t be so petty. Tell me what’s bothering you. It’ll relieve your pent-up feelings and make me happy. It’s a win-win, isn’t it?”

Zu An was utterly bewildered.

This woman truly knew how to add insult to injury. If he weren’t afraid of losing a fight against her, he would have pinned her down and spanked her by now.

“No wonder those people reacted that way when they learned you gave the Wuzong Illusionary Lotus to Chu Chuyan. So, that was the medicine you used to unseal it,” Mi Li said, extending a slender finger whose nail seemed painted with impatiens juice. She lightly hooked his chin. “You really go all out for women, don’t you?”

Feeling the soft sensation on his chin, Zu An was surprised. “Aren’t you in spiritual form? Why do you still have a sense of touch?”

Mi Li withdrew her hand. “Hmph, my current state should be called a semi-spiritual body, existing between phantom and solid. I can have a sense of touch whenever I wish.”

Zu An froze. *Didn’t that mean… they could do certain things then?*

Thwack!

With a sharp sound, the Tai’a sword vibrated slightly.

Zu An gasped, clutching his palm. “What was that for?!”

“Who told you to be full of filthy thoughts?” Mi Li snorted.

Zu An instantly sprang up, pointing at her and exclaiming, “You said you couldn’t read my thoughts!”

Mi Li gave him a sidelong glance. “I’ve seen more of the world than you have. What kind of cunning do young people like you possess? I can see right through you.”

Zu An asked, puzzled, “Then why can you speak directly into my mind?”

Mi Li replied calmly, “That’s merely the life-and-death bond, which has established a mysterious connection between our souls. Our souls can communicate freely at a unique frequency.”

“You even know a term like ‘frequency,’” Zu An said, his eyes wide.

“I’ve already told you that our souls are closely intertwined,” Mi Li explained. “Many words I say will automatically transform into forms that are familiar and easy for you to understand.”

“Is that so?” Zu An said, half-believing, half-doubting.

Mi Li clearly had no desire to argue about such things with him and went straight to the point. “Though your cultivation level is low, your insight is exceptional. You were actually able to accurately determine that your Sunflower Mirage is only suitable for eunuchs. By rights, someone of your cultivation level, or even an eighth-rank master, might not be able to figure out why. Are you truly a legendary genius?”

“Naturally,” Zu An said with a proud look. “Don’t you know who I am?” In his heart, however, he was ceaselessly thanking various masters like Dongfang Bubai, Yue Buqun, and Lin Pingzhi.

“Describe the detailed qi circulation route of the Sunflower Mirage to me, don’t miss a single detail,” Mi Li said after a moment’s thought.

Zu An nodded without hesitation, directly divulging the full details of the “Sunflower Mirage.”

After listening, Mi Li fell into contemplation. After a long while, her lips parted slightly. “This set of movement techniques is indeed remarkable, but some parts seem to have gone astray. I’ll modify it for you, incorporating some features of my lightness technique. When you circulate your qi, activate the various acupoints like so…”

As she spoke, she began to demonstrate, her figure dancing gracefully like a startled swan, truly light enough to stir no dust. She moved like a faint cloud veiling the moon, drifting like a swirling breeze bringing back snow.

Zu An watched, dumbfounded, thinking to himself how truly cruel the First Emperor had been, to have sealed such an ethereal woman for thousands of years.

“Were you paying attention just now?!” Mi Li asked, after finishing her demonstration. She had noticed his somewhat distracted gaze and couldn’t help but feel a little displeased.

“Of course I was paying close attention,” Zu An immediately replied.

“Then how much do you remember?”

“I remember almost all of it.”

“Is that so? Then demonstrate it for me,” Mi Li sneered. She knew he had been staring fixedly at her just moments ago, not actually learning. This was a perfect opportunity to teach him a good lesson.

“Alright!” Zu An recalled the steps in his mind, then suddenly opened his eyes and took a single stride. Instantly, two of his figures appeared in the room, each possessing an aura identical to his own, so convincing that even he himself could barely tell them apart.

Unfortunately, as he took his second step, his qi faltered, his feet tangled, and he tumbled to the ground.

Zu An looked embarrassed. “Just a slip-up. How about I try again?”

Mi Li was dumbfounded. “Have you learned this before?”

“Yes, I have,” he replied. “Aren’t these just modifications based on the Sunflower Mirage? It’s just that it never had this shadow-splitting effect before.” Zu An recalled the situation and realized that the power of this movement technique was now many times greater than before.

Previously, the Sunflower Mirage excelled in its incredible speed and elusive movements, allowing one to advance or retreat without any warning. Now, however, this set of movements also offered a powerful deceptive effect.

Imagine: two identical figures suddenly appear before an enemy on the field—not mere afterimages, but entities possessing the exact same aura as the original. The enemy wouldn’t know which figure to attack, effectively granting one an extra life.

Mi Li stared at him. “No, I meant the verbal instructions I just gave you.”

“No, you just taught me once. Is it difficult?” Zu An suddenly had a peculiar look on his face. “Queen Sister, how long did it take you to learn this back then?”

Mi Li immediately turned her face away, her expression coldly arrogant. “When I learned this back then, I could create four figures on my first try. Your mere two figures are only barely acceptable.”

Although she said so, she was blushing fiercely inwardly. Back then, it had taken her a full month just to manifest two figures!