11: Chapter 11 Fellow Daoist, please speak; I will certainly answer all your questions.

Her breathing became increasingly rapid, shifting from the initial silence to a light tremor.

In the end, she couldn't help but let out a short gasp, her cheeks flushed with a searing heat.

Su Yue suddenly opened her eyes, flipped over to sit up, her chest heaving significantly.

Without a word, she stepped off the bed barefoot, hurried to the water vat in the Backyard, and bent down to splash two handfuls of cold water onto her face.

Only after cleaning herself up did she wipe the water droplets from her face with her palms and take several deep breaths of the cold night air.

Once the temperature on her face had dropped to a level she deemed not too embarrassing, she walked back into the room.

Jiang Xuan leaned against the headboard, watching her return with a leisurely expression.

Su Yue kept a straight face, climbed back onto the bed, lay down, and pulled the thin quilt tightly around herself, leaving only her face, still glistening with water droplets, exposed.

"Sleep."

Her tone was sharp and brooked no argument.

It was as if she were telling him that this was enough and he wasn't allowed to cause any more trouble.

This time, Jiang Xuan didn't torment her further.

He lay down and reached out to pull her into his embrace.

Su Yue's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

She didn't pull away, nor did she lean into his chest, just lying there stiffly.

But after a good while, her breathing gradually steadied, and her tense body slowly lost its rigidity.

The room became quiet once again.

The moonlight shifted across the window paper, and the patch of silver-white light cast on the floor moved to a different position.

From the distance came the chirping of insects, faint and fragmented, like someone whispering in a corner.

Su Yue's voice suddenly emerged from the darkness, very soft, her tone flat and devoid of fluctuation:

"I... would like to continue staying here to recover from my injuries tomorrow."

Jiang Xuan smiled: "Of course, no problem. I won't charge you rent."

Su Yue was silent for a moment: "Thank you..."

Jiang Xuan didn't reply, simply tightening his arm around her.

After a while, Su Yue's breathing gradually became long and slow, and she fell into a deep sleep.

She had expended a lot of energy today; healing during the day and going through this ordeal at night meant her body had long since reached its limit.

Jiang Xuan closed his eyes, the crisp scent of plum blossoms lingering at the tip of his nose, his consciousness gradually blurring.

In a daze, his mind was still chiding himself: Jiang Xuan, oh Jiang Xuan, you cannot continue to sink like this!

...

The next morning.

Jiang Xuan opened his eyes and turned his head to glance at Su Yue, who was still fast asleep beside him.

She was lying on her side, her dark hair scattered across the pillow, her breathing long and steady.

She had been worn out from last night's ordeal and was now fast asleep.

Jiang Xuan didn't wake her; he got out of bed lightly, dressed neatly, and walked to the Backyard.

The morning air carried the chill of dew; he sat cross-legged on the stone platform, closed his eyes, and began to Cultivate.

Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flowed slowly along his Meridians, tempering the Spiritual Qi within his body strand by strand.

The world says immortals are blessed, and all desire to achieve Ascension to the Purple Heavens.

Yet the path to immortality is long; even with the System by his side, he must focus on his Cultivation to attain the Dao.

After completing one full circulation, Jiang Xuan exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes.

The Spiritual Qi within his body was slightly more solid than it had been yesterday.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and walked to the front yard to open the shop door.

Flipping the small wooden sign at the entrance to the "Open for Business" side, Jiang Xuan returned to sit behind the counter and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

Not long after, the light at the doorway dimmed.

A tall figure appeared outside the threshold.

The visitor was tall and slender, with regular features, thick eyebrows and a dense beard, dressed in a short martial arts outfit.

Jiang Xuan's eyes narrowed; this person's Aura was obscure and profound, far surpassing any Cultivator he had seen these past few days.

He quickly stood up and walked over with a smile: "It is a true honor to have a Fellow Daoist visit my humble shop."

"I wonder if you are looking for Talismans, Medicinal Pills, or perhaps a suitable weapon?"

Wu Yingshan scanned the shop's interior, his tone indifferent: "Shopkeeper, do you have any items for protection or nourishing the spirit?"

Jiang Xuan nodded with a smile: "Although my shop is small, it is fully equipped. I wonder if you have any other specific requirements, Fellow Daoist?"

"Something like a jade pendant would be best, for ease of carrying."

"We do."

Jiang Xuan made a gesture of invitation, led him to sit by the tea table, and poured him a cup of spiritual tea.

He then turned back to the counter, took out a wooden box from underneath, placed it on the tea table, and opened it gently.

Inside the box lay a piece of jade about half the size of a palm.

The entire piece was a pale cyan color, like the sky after rain, translucent and crystalline, as if a pool of unmelting green water was sealed inside.

Jiang Xuan channeled a wisp of Spiritual Qi to lift the jade pendant, suspending it in mid-air: "This is a Grade 1 Spirit Treasure, the Clear Sky Jade Pendant, sourced from a high-quality spirit jade vein in the Northern Mang Mountain."

"It contains extremely pure and gentle Spiritual Qi; wearing it not only nourishes and strengthens the Primordial Spirit at all times but also resists the harassment of low-level illusions."

"Furthermore, when encountering sudden attacks, it can automatically trigger a clear light barrier."

"Although it cannot block a Divine Ability of immense power, it is sufficient to block some insidious sneak attacks at critical moments, preserving a glimmer of hope for survival."

Wu Yingshan leaned in to examine it closely; inside the jade, faint wisps of white flowing clouds were slowly drifting.

He reached out and held it in his palm; the texture was warm and smooth.

His mind, previously restless from slaughter, actually calmed down slightly.

"Not bad, I'll take it. How many Spirit Stones?"

Jiang Xuan smiled slightly: "Meeting is fate. I'll give you a discount, Fellow Daoist; one hundred and ninety-eight Spirit Stones will suffice."

Wu Yingshan didn't even frown, taking a Storage Pouch directly from his sleeve and handing it over:

"There are two hundred Spirit Stones inside; please count them, Shopkeeper."

Jiang Xuan loved straightforward buyers like this.

He took the Storage Pouch, scanned it with his Divine Sense, and after confirming it was correct, smiled: "You are straightforward, Fellow Daoist, but what are these extra two Spirit Stones for?"

Wu Yingshan tied the jade pendant to his waist and said: "I would like to inquire about someone from you, Shopkeeper."

Jiang Xuan quickly said: "Fellow Daoist, please speak. I will certainly tell you everything I know, without holding anything back."

[Congratulations, Shopkeeper, on completing a transaction. Transaction price: 200 Spirit Stones. Obtained Cultivation rebate: 40. Obtained Contribution Points: +1!]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 3]

[Progress: 89.1%]

The next second, Wu Yingshan waved his hand.

A purple demon leech about a finger long appeared in his palm, twisting its body and making a faint hissing sound.

"I am searching for a tall woman wearing a white brocade robe; she is injured."

"The blood-thirsty demon leech I raised has already memorized her Aura, but when I tracked it to the entrance of your shop, the scent vanished."

"I wonder if you have seen her, Shopkeeper?"

When Jiang Xuan heard the first sentence, his heart skipped a beat.

Isn't this talking about Su Yue?

So this big client turned out to be here for a manhunt!

However, upon hearing that he couldn't find her Aura, Jiang Xuan suddenly realized.

It was the magic array set up by the System that acted as a cover.

He put on an appropriately troubled expression: "Although my shop is a small business, I have rules about protecting customer privacy."

"However, seeing that you are a straightforward person, Fellow Daoist, you are surely not a villain of extreme evil."

"To tell you the truth, that young lady did visit my shop yesterday; she bought a few Medicinal Pills for her injuries and then left."

"As for anything else, I am not aware."