Chapter 248: Selling Oneself

“Get off him,” White Dew said coldly, her face covered in frost.

Chihuang did not let go.

Instead, she hugged him tighter, burying her face in the side of Jiang Huai’s neck.

She explained in a muffled voice, “I’m really helping him stay warm.

“Our Red Dragon Clan’s Dragon Essence is the ultimate Yang, burning and pure. It is most effective at dispelling Yin cold.

“I’m staying close to him and passing some Dragon Essence over. He isn’t crying out from the cold as much anymore.” She paused, her voice dropping lower.

“See? Isn’t he doing much better now?”

This was true, but it was also true that she did not want to move from beneath Jiang Huai.

She actually wanted to stay pressed against him until Jiang Huai woke up, so that the moment he opened his eyes, he would see her holding him tightly.

A small, subtle desire to ‘claim credit’ and ‘curry favor’ had quietly taken root in her heart.

Unfortunately, reality was not quite so wonderful.

White Dew took a few steps closer and narrowed her eyes to observe.

Jiang Huai’s condition had indeed stabilized quite a bit.

The furrow in his brow had smoothed out slightly.

Although he still mumbled incoherently from time to time, he was no longer screaming about the cold.

More importantly, she could not take Chihuang’s place.

After all, the White Dragon Clan was naturally cold. Even her skin and intimate paths were chillier than those of other races.

“Don’t stay in this state, or you won’t be able to see anyone.

“Su Yingman and the others are back as well,” White Dew said, her lips thinning slightly as she explained to Chihuang.

What would happen if Su Yingman and Tang Zhaoxue saw Chihuang stark naked like this? It would be utterly improper.

White Dew was already worrying.

With Jiang Huai injured to such an extent, she did not know how she would explain things to Su Yingman and the others.

Hearing this, Chihuang nodded, a flush of shame creeping onto the tips of her ears.

It was indeed inappropriate to meet others like this, but she was incredibly reluctant to let go of Jiang Huai.

After a moment of hesitation, a red light flashed across her body.

Her form shifted rapidly, transforming into a small dragon covered in crimson Dragon Scales.

The light rippled across her body, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Chihuang coiled herself tightly around Jiang Huai, resting her dragon head gently beside his pillow.

Her dragon body rose and fell in a steady rhythm, continuously passing pure, warm Dragon Essence through the contact between her scales and his skin.

White Dew watched the Red Dragon wrapped around Jiang Huai in silence.

After a moment, she ultimately said nothing more.

At least this was much better than the scene from before.

She let out a soft sigh, her gaze falling upon Jiang Huai’s haggard face.

Her eyes were filled with an indelible mixture of worry and self-blame.

In a courtyard where it was always spring, Spirit Flowers were in bloom.

A warm breeze brushed against the jade bells hanging under the corridor, creating a soft, rhythmic tinkling.

Su Yingman was dressed in a soft, misty pink skirt. A thin layer of powder on her face added a touch of charm to her appearance.

She leaned lazily against a stone table, holding a pot in her fair hand as she poured tea for herself and Tang Zhaoxue.

She sat with her legs crossed elegantly, her pink embroidered shoes swinging back and forth.

Her expression was one of rare relaxation.

“Finally, I can catch a breath,” she sighed with satisfaction after taking a sip of the clear tea.

During this period, she had led Tang Zhaoxue and Zhu Siyao across almost every region between the Central State and the Northern Plains.

On one hand, she was recruiting talented young cultivators who had been displaced by the destruction of their sects and the loss of their homes.

On the other hand, she was doing her best to gather the remnants of the Nine Heavens Palace.

In these turbulent times, it was the perfect opportunity to scout for talent and rebuild their foundation.

Su Yingman was putting in all her effort, vowing to make the Nine Heavens Palace entrusted to her by Qin Qingyue even stronger than before.

When they eventually achieved Ascension to the Immortal Realm, she wanted to be worthy of that trust.

Tang Zhaoxue sat opposite her, having changed into the black Elder robes of the Nine Heavens Palace. Her long hair was tied up in a dignified manner, with a few strands falling smoothly beside her cheeks.

She had followed Su Yingman’s lead in applying a bit of makeup, shedding some of her former coldness.

Her eyes now held a more gentle and calm aura.

She listened quietly to Su Yingman, occasionally refilling her tea.

From inside the house came the sound of Zhu Siyao and Chi Lian teasing Jianjia, accompanied by the cheerful low chirps of a little white dragon.

“Speaking of which, Husband Lord went to find White Dew. I wonder when he’ll be back. Will he — “

Tang Zhaoxue set down the teapot, a flicker of worry appearing between her brows.

The world outside was filled with Outworld Heavenly Demons. She didn’t know how Jiang Huai, as a single Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, was faring.

Her concern was written all over her face.

Su Yingman shook her head, her pink lips curving into a faint smile. “He should be fine. I heard from Zhu Siyao that he has a way.

“Husband Lord may seem easygoing, but he is a man of depth. Since he said he has a way, I believe he truly does.”

She paused, her fingertips gently rubbing the warm rim of her cup, her voice turning soft.

“It’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve seen him. I wonder if he misses me.”

It really had been too long. She wished she could be holding Jiang Huai right now, whispering endearments.

Tang Zhaoxue was startled, then nodded with a smile, her eyes sparkling with unsaid meaning.

She also felt it had been a long time since she had seen Jiang Huai. Naturally, she missed him.

Seeing her like this, Su Yingman’s mischievous side surfaced. She purposefully dragged out her words in a teasing tone.

“When I see him, I’m going to have some ‘intimate time’ with him all by myself first to share my private thoughts.

“You aren’t allowed to interrupt, okay?”

She was all too familiar with the other woman’s thoughts — even Qin Qingyue wasn’t as familiar with them as she was.

Sure enough, Tang Zhaoxue grew anxious upon hearing this. Forgetting her poise, she reached out to gently shake Su Yingman’s arm and whispered, “Why does it have to be by yourself? Don’t leave me out.

“Didn’t we agree on this?”

Su Yingman could accept being alone with him, but Tang Zhaoxue felt that two people were truly not as good as three. Too many people were bad, but too few were also bad.

Just as Su Yingman was about to tease her further, her expression suddenly shifted, and her beautiful brows rose slightly.

As a Great Ascension Stage cultivator, she was naturally very sharp. She immediately sensed that White Dew had returned.

“White Dew is back.” She set down her teacup and stood up, her skirt rippling slightly.

“Husband Lord must be back as well.”

She called out toward the house, “Siyao, Chi Lian! Jiang Huai is back!”

Before her voice even faded, the door was pushed open with a thud, and Zhu Siyao was the first to rush out.

Next came Chi Lian, carrying a squirming Little Jianjia, who was letting out urgent dragon cries. They walked out quickly.

The Xianzhou stopped near the entrance, and Su Yingman’s group soon arrived. They saw White Dew standing alone by the vessel.

She was still in her white robes, her temperament cold, but she could not hide the heavy gloom between her brows.

“White Clan Leader,” Su Yingman said as she stepped forward, a polite smile on her face. She asked gently, “Thank you for your hard work. Where is Husband Lord?”

Although everyone knew the relationship between White Dew and Jiang Huai, Su Yingman wasn’t sure whether to call her ‘Sister’ or not. Logically, White Dew would be her younger sister, but she felt White Dew might not like being called that.

It was better to leave such decisions to Qin Qingyue, the Main Wife, when she arrived. For now, calling her ‘White Clan Leader’ was the safe choice.

When Jianjia, in Chi Lian’s arms, saw her mother, her dragon body shook as she swam slowly toward White Dew.

Her Dragon Eyes held a clear look of flattery.

‘Mother, where is my father?’

Facing the expectant gazes of the women, White Dew felt conflicted. She truly didn’t know how to answer them.

If it were a normal injury, no matter how severe, she could tell them plainly. The path of a cultivator was full of hardships. Who wouldn’t be covered in scars after fighting Outworld Heavenly Demons?

But Jiang Huai’s current state — where his life’s Original Source had been nearly drained and he looked like a withered husk — how could she speak of it?

“He’s inside. You… go see for yourselves,” White Dew said softly, her tone laced with apology.

In the end, Jiang Huai had gone to save her and Chi Hong. It was her fault for not taking care of him.

Su Yingman’s expression instantly collapsed.

She gave White Dew a deep look, her eyes no longer holding their previous gentle smile. She strode toward the room.

The other women also sensed that the atmosphere was wrong and hurried after her.

Seeing this, White Dew had no choice but to follow. Her head was lowered in shame, and her usually straight back seemed to stoop slightly.

Pushing the door open, they found Chi Hong, who had recovered significantly and returned to her human form.

She was standing by the Bed of Soft Jade, her face pale and her brow marked with exhaustion.

Seeing Su Yingman arrive, she stepped aside, her face full of apology.

The worry in Su Yingman’s heart intensified.

She walked toward the bedside step by step, her expression becoming increasingly grim.

Until they saw him — the withered, nearly unrecognizable Jiang Huai.