Chapter 2

At the end of March, in the Jiangnan night, the river water was icy cold.

When Ling Yun first plunged into the water, even his iron-clad nerves were jolted by the icy chill, and it took him a while to gradually adapt to the water temperature.

The almost dried blood on his head, face, and clothes immediately dyed the surrounding water a dark red, but the river water was flowing, and the blood and the black impurities expelled from his body were quickly washed away.

As his body gradually became clean and refreshed, Ling Yun felt very comfortable.

But what made him even more comfortable was that he had just sensed the aura of the Seven Stars Grass.

The Seven Stars Grass, in the vast world of cultivation where spiritual energy was abundant, was only considered the lowest-grade auxiliary herb, generally used by those who had just begun cultivation, from the peak of physical training to the second level of Qi cultivation. However, compared to this Earth, where the spiritual energy was as thin as a vacuum, the Seven Stars Grass was like a miraculous elixir in Ling Yun's eyes!

Ling Yun felt the faint, elusive threads of spiritual energy from the Seven Stars Grass and couldn't help but sigh, his face full of fat trembling. He finally sincerely thanked the heavens he had cursed countless times.

Based on the direction of the spiritual energy, Ling Yun confirmed that the Seven Stars Grass was hidden in some bushes on the other side of the river, but he didn't immediately go to look for it.

He was excited, but not in a hurry. After all, no one here recognized this spiritual herb, let alone come to compete with him. For Ling Yun, who always collected treasures, this Seven Stars Grass was already considered his property.

His glasses were now covered with water, blurring his vision. He casually took them off and threw them on the riverbank, muttering, "This thing is really uncomfortable to wear!"

Ling Yun gently rubbed his eyes and wiped the river water from his face. He looked around, feeling that no one would come at midnight, so he took off all his clothes and began to wash his fat body in the water.

While washing, he groaned, "Oh, this fat body, I really don't know how this top-notch waste managed to eat so much and get so fat! I hope after losing weight, I can be at least half as handsome as I used to be..."

Unfortunately, Ling Yun had no choice, so he could only silently plan his weight loss strategy.

A sudden screech of brakes startled Ling Yun, who was leisurely cleaning his body in the water. He knew someone had come, so he instinctively crouched down, only exposing half of his head to observe the riverbank.

The car door opened, and a slender woman's figure stumbled out and walked unsteadily towards the river. The car then immediately started and drove away.

"What's going on? Is she trying to drown herself at midnight? Life is so good, why would she come out to die... Is she here to snatch my Seven Stars Grass?" Ling Yun pondered, moving closer to the riverbank to avoid being seen by the woman.

"Crack..." The woman, clearly agitated and panicked, didn't even notice Ling Yun's clothes scattered on the riverbank. She stumbled to the river, bent her head sharply, and began to vomit violently.

Hearing the "crack," Ling Yun's face twitched, and he winced in pain, "Oh no, my poor glasses, which survived so many disasters without breaking, were crushed by this woman's foot!"

Although they were uncomfortable to wear, he could have thrown them away if he didn't want to wear them. But what was the deal with her crushing them with her foot?

By now, he had a clear view of the woman's outline. Her delicate face was even more beautiful in the dim night, and her figure was perfect, with all the right curves. Especially in her short skirt, her long, white legs were particularly eye-catching in the night.

For some reason, the woman's clothes were a bit disheveled. When she bent over to vomit, Ling Yun could see the undulations under her collar, and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

"Such a big and white!"

Ling Yun was a cultivator, but he was not a saint. With such a beautiful woman in front of him, he couldn't help but look more. Just as he was about to sneak a few more glances, an unexpected change occurred!

The woman was clearly very drunk and couldn't maintain her balance. Her foot slipped, and her body leaned forward, "splash," she fell into the water!

Ling Yun was drenched in sweat! Although he was fat, he was 1.8 meters tall, and the water was deep enough to reach his armpits. If the woman couldn't swim, she would surely drown!

Soon, he had his answer. The woman really couldn't swim. The icy river water made her choke several times, and the panic of suddenly falling into the water made her flail and scream for help!

This woman clearly had a story. Ling Yun didn't want to get involved, but he knew that if she shouted and attracted people, he would be accused of molesting her!

Sweat! In the middle of the night, with his clothes scattered on the riverbank and his naked body in the water, and the woman's disheveled clothes and frantic cries for help, what would people think?

Thinking of this, Ling Yun had no choice. He immediately came to the woman's side, scooped her up with his left hand, holding her waist to keep her head above water, and quickly covered her mouth with his right hand to prevent her from screaming!

Ling Yun felt the smoothness of her skin. He glanced at her chest and silently praised, "Yes, just as I thought, it's really big and white!"

A man who doesn't take advantage of such a situation is a fool. Ling Yun saved the woman's life and took a good look at her chest, considering it as her way of thanking him.

However, the woman showed no gratitude. Her beautiful eyes were wide open with fear and despair. "Mmm..." She couldn't scream, but her body struggled fiercely, and her white legs kicked wildly in the water, trying to break free from Ling Yun's embrace!

Their bodies were tightly pressed together, and she clearly felt that this fat man, who had appeared out of nowhere, was completely naked!

The woman's clothes were soaked, clinging tightly to her well-proportioned body. Ling Yun, naked, felt the heat from her body, and he couldn't resist!

A term from this world popped into his mind: "wet and seductive."

"Don't move! I'm saving your life! If you move, I'll let you drown!" Ling Yun, not knowing how to be gentle, threatened her.

Seeing the fear in the woman's eyes, Ling Yun felt a bit embarrassed. He thought, "Do I look that much like a bad guy?" He forced a smile and whispered, "Miss, I'm not a bad person. I have no ill intentions. I was already here bathing when you came. If you promise not to scream, I'll let you speak. Okay?"

The woman seemed to realize that Ling Yun had been there all along and wasn't taking advantage of her. However, their current position was too intimate, and she could feel a certain change in Ling Yun's body.

She quickly nodded, her face flushed, and blinked to signal Ling Yun to release her mouth.

Ling Yun only slightly moved his hand, afraid that she would scream again. In their current state, he would be unable to explain himself!

To his surprise, the woman didn't scream again. She only softly said, "I'm not a prostitute. You... let me get to the shore first."

Her voice was low but melodious and pleasant to the ear.

"Not a prostitute? If not a prostitute, then a gentleman?" Ling Yun was puzzled. If it weren't for the dim night, he would have seen that the woman's face was already as red as fire. Holding her in his arms, he was reluctant to let go, but he immediately carried her to the shore and carefully helped her stand.

"Don't come out!" The woman, afraid that he would follow her, shouted as soon as her feet touched the ground.

Ling Yun had some sense. He appreciated her beauty, but he had no other intentions.

After helping the woman to the shore, he stayed in the water, even squatting to keep only his head above water.

"Ah-choo!" The water was icy, and the night wind made the woman shiver as soon as she stepped on the shore. She couldn't help but sneeze.

"My shirt is over there, but it's wet. You can wring it out and wear it. But you have to leave my pants for me; I need to go back later."

Ling Yun, though not gentle, was still a man. Seeing the woman's legs shivering in the night wind, he offered his shirt.

"Then... what about you?" The woman was moved but didn't turn around, hesitating to ask.

"I'm a winter swimmer. This cold is nothing to me; I'm used to it!" Ling Yun lied, "Besides, I'm so fat that my body is better than any clothes!"

The cold water had sobered the woman completely. She knew Ling Yun was lying.

A winter swimmer who was so fat? Swimming in the middle of the night? Don't believe it! But seeing that Ling Yun had no ill intentions, she finally overcame her embarrassment, turned around, and asked, "I'm Lin Menghan. Thank you for saving me. What's your name?"

Ling Yun didn't want to have any further entanglements with the woman, so he said with a righteous expression, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I don't seek repayment. Miss, please leave quickly, don't catch a cold..."

Since he had already given her his shirt, he didn't mention his broken glasses. He decided to be a good person all the way.

Lin Menghan, secretly looking at his righteous, fat face, thought, "Actually, this fat man isn't ugly, and his heart is not bad. It's just that he's a bit too fat... Oh my, what am I thinking?"

A cold wind blew, interrupting Lin Menghan's thoughts. Feeling the cold, she didn't hesitate and found Ling Yun's shirt, wrung it out, and put it on.

With the shirt to block the wind, she felt much warmer.

Ling Yun didn't care about the shirt. He just wanted Lin Menghan to leave so he could go to the other side of the river to find his Seven Stars Grass.

Seeing that Lin Menghan seemed to have more to say, he quickly interrupted, "Miss, I beg you. Although I can withstand the cold, I've been in the water for two hours. Please be kind and leave so I can get out and put on my pants, okay?"

"I'm not a prostitute!" Lin Menghan, thinking the fat man was deliberately insulting her, turned cold and scolded.

Remembering the intimate moment, Lin Menghan's angry face turned red with embarrassment. She finally glanced at Ling Yun in the water with a complex expression and ran away.

Delayed by Lin Menghan, Ling Yun was getting anxious. He waited until she was out of sight, then quickly grabbed his clothes, put them on, and went to the other side of the river, bare-chested, to find his precious Seven Stars Grass.

Ling Yun focused on the faint spiritual energy, lying flat in the grass by the riverbank, carefully searching through the grass, not daring to be careless.

He found it!

Ling Yun was overjoyed! For him, who was eager to improve his strength for self-protection, no amount of beauty could compare to this thriving Seven Stars Grass!