Yun Liu listened and laughed as well.
Heaven-rank spiritual medicine isn’t some cabbage wholesale at the marketplace.
“Do you take me for an immortal? Zhenyuan Pill is a Nascent Soul medicine primer. If Canghai finds out, a fourth-grade Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master, he’d go mad!”
“Right now, aren’t you a living immortal in the eyes of the Grand Elder and Mr. Kuai? Whatever happens, I wouldn’t be surprised anymore.”
“That’s not necessarily true….”
The white-clad youth’s smile turned mysterious.
If he used Minghuang Demonic Art in front of the little secretary at this moment, it would be more than surprise—it would be horror.
Poor Qin Sister already had a brother gone astray.
If she found out the ghost by her side was suspected to be the Demon Cult Saint Son, she’d faint from shock!
“Relax, I promise it’s not edible.”
“Then is it drinkable?”
Qin Yao hesitated, her face full of reluctance.
Lately, she felt as if she’d been kept!
If it wasn’t Zhenyuan Pill, then it was some precious treasure like Shen Awakening Elixir.
As a Golden Core Cultivator, her entire worth was just a few hundred thousand; how could she afford spiritual medicine worth five figures at a time?
At first, the junior sisters all joked that the waste Junior Brother of Celestial Phenomena Peak had the luck to snag the little rich mistress of Clear Mist Peak, hugging the leg of the Mistress of Xiangfang Pavilion.
Qin Yao even worried that Yun Liu would feel uncomfortable.
But now, the situation had reversed!
Even the thin-skinned Senior Sister had experienced that frustrating feeling of being a little secretary clinging to a big spender, envied to death by that group of stinky girls like Huo Tian Tian.
Qin Yao gently opened the box.
A refreshing fragrance wafted out—not strong spiritual energy, but a delicate scent.
“Huh, the latest from Cloud Dream Manor?”
The scent of Sunset Lotus was elegant and unique, making Qin Yao’s eyes light up.
Cloud Dream Manor was a famous luxury brand among female cultivators across the Nine Provinces.
Its perfumes and powders were renowned, known even by plain-faced “Yuhai Village Girls” like her.
“Don’t like it? Then I’ll give it to someone else, like the Shiyu, Xinran, or Tan’er sisters you mentioned just now.”
Yun Liu reached out to take it.
Qin Yao hurriedly stuffed it into her chest, puffing out her cheeks.
“You dare? If you gave it to me, it’s mine!”
A moment ago she was unwilling, but now she curved her lips and secretly rejoiced as she held the perfume.
So happy.
Yun Liu looked thoughtful, a little amused.
Sister Qin truly wasn’t like ordinary cultivators.
She remained unmoved by rare, high-grade heavenly spiritual medicine but couldn’t part with a small common gift.
The title of Star Isle’s top cash-withdrawing princess was well-earned.
It touched her heart—he’d have to reward her later.
Others didn’t know, but Little Yellow Hair was the easiest to please—a few cakes or sweets could shut that glutton’s mouth.
It was rare for tonight to be free of light bulbs.
Qin Yao leaned against Yun Liu, indulging in the ultimate thrill of forbidden love.
“Don’t spend money on me behind my back again. For your Foundation Stabilizing and Core Formation ahead, you’ll need plenty of Spirit Stones. You can’t waste them on me.”
Qin Yao placed her fingertip on Yun Liu’s lips, calculating the couple’s future cultivation expenses.
Currently, the famous Master of Jueyun Peak spent more than he earned—generous to a fault.
Now the housekeeper handled all accounting in Shanhai Pavilion, scrutinizing every expense.
Not even the Pavilion Master or his wife could dip their hands in the treasury!
“I want to. Can you stop me?”
Yun Liu twisted his mouth and made a face, utterly arrogant.
Qin Cha’s background wasn’t strong.
During Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, resources were scarce, so she had to scrimp and save, leading to flaws in the Ling Qi Golden Core within the Jade Palace.
Fortunately, it wasn’t completely set; with careful care, there was still room for repair.
The drought starves while the flood drowns—the fortune that even Ji Xing Shu Qiu couldn’t beg for his daughter, Qin Yao still found hard to enjoy.
“I’m serious!”
Qin Yao raised her brows, tugged Yun Liu’s ear, and muttered softly.
She slowly took a long box from her sleeve and, as if in a huff, slammed it into the youth’s hand—a gift she had prepared too.
“What’s this?”
Yun Liu opened the purple case.
A cold long sword fell into his hand.
The flying sword was less than three feet, of the water attribute, light and sharp.
“Weren’t you short of a good weapon? I got this demon bone by accident a few years ago and had the Mist Veil Peak’s Chief forge it into a spirit weapon. Originally, I wanted to congratulate you on rebuilding your qi sea and passing the Five-Phase Trial, but who knew…”
Who knew someone would withdraw from the sect immediately after recovery, leaving the Yanding Sword Contest in the second half of the semester useless?
Qin Yao blinked, a little flushed.
She’d prepared the sword long ago but never found the right moment to give it.
Previously, the Lady Boss had no legitimate reason.
Now, it was because she felt it was unpresentable—after all, this second-grade Xuan-Tier Spirit Weapon was rather plain compared to the grand gestures of a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master.
Qin Cha explained earnestly, “Don’t underestimate this Fishbone Sword. Though it’s a second-grade Xuan-Tier Spirit Weapon, if reforged with Origin Water Spirit Material, it can be upgraded to third-grade Earth Rank. Golden Core Stage cultivators can use it too!”
The girl’s expression was serious, worried her beloved would look down on her.
But Yun Liu only found her incredibly cute, barely able to contain his fire.
Qin Xing could have traded the fish bone for wood attribute materials to reforge her own sword and boost her combat power, but she chose to spend a fortune in Spirit Stones to forge a sword for a useless Qi Condensation Junior Brother—just to celebrate his survival.
Yun Liu gripped the flying sword, lifted Qin Yao’s chin, and teased, “You dare say that to me?”
“Why not? Mist Veil Peak’s Chief owes me a favor. I got him to process it for free, hehe.”
Qin Xing covered her mouth and giggled, calculating every penny.
Yun Liu suddenly understood.
He’d truly found a treasure.
“Too bad such a precious gift has to be stained with blood tonight…”
Boom!
As if in response to the youth’s meaningful words, a thunderous roar echoed in the night sky, drawing the entire city’s people to look up.
A scene of golden fireworks exploded, setting off a chain of feather lanterns that embroidered a magnificent landscape in the sky.
At the height of the lantern festival, as all eyes were lifted, the rats in the sewers received a certain signal.
Fire and chaos erupted in the south of the city, spiritual energy surged in the north, and Demonic Sect Fiends moved in the confusion.
“It’s begun.”
Yun Liu’s face was half-hidden in the darkness, expression unreadable.
Qin Yao’s smile faded.
She nodded lightly, took up her sword, and rode her spirit to the appointed place.
The Feather Lantern Festival’s all-night celebration was as joyful in the first half as it was bloody in the second.
Once the main cast approached the Sundial Immortal Mansion, the plot would trigger, a long cutscene would play, and the entire city would be plunged into pre-dawn darkness.
Then, the Royal City of Feather Capital would become a Dungeon Instance.
The underground scene would shift, and omnipresent demonic cultivators would unleash monsters to wreak havoc on the dynasty.
Meanwhile, the main missions of Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were to rescue civilians.
As long as they destroyed the Four-Direction Demonic Node set by Madam Jing Rui, the crisis would be averted.
The palace rebellion had nothing to do with them.
Yun Liu watched the southern fire grow, gently stroking the fishbone long sword.
It seemed as if he’d done nothing, yet also everything.
Tonight, no one would sleep.
On one side was the Fake Princess, supported by the Demon Cult Saint Son, plotting to steal the kingdom.
On the other, the Northern Fief Prince, rescuing the True Princess under the banner of purging evil from the court.
No doubt, both sides had much in common.
That’s right—the true mastermind was stirring trouble on both sides, sending the honest Imperial Guards to surrender to the northern fief under the True Princess’s name, bringing news that the Nation Master had been murdered by Madam Jing Rui, vowing to slay the Evil Cult and reclaim the King’s Seal.
“Good luck. Dawn is coming.”