61: Chapter 61 This is simply an insult to my professional appraisal skills, Manager Jiang!

"Hmph! You lowly slave, how dare you steal my things!"

"Slap!"

A crisp, resounding slap shattered the tranquility within the building, immediately followed by the gasps of onlookers outside.

The drinkers in the main hall frowned one after another, craning their necks to look toward the door with dissatisfied expressions.

Jiang Xuan's heart stirred, and he summoned the System panel to take a glance.

The countdown for Ji Yanran's limited-time event had almost reached zero.

It seems trouble has come knocking.

He stood up, fished a Spirit Stone from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the table, producing a crisp "ding" sound.

The maid in the pink dress holding a wine pot nearby saw the lustrous Spirit Stone on the table, and her eyes instantly widened to the size of saucers.

This table of exquisite dishes and wine was worth, at most, half a Spirit Stone.

This Immortal Master actually gave a whole one!

The remainder was all her tip!

The maid's cheeks flushed with excitement, and she hurriedly bowed deeply, her voice filled with irrepressible joy:

"Safe travels, Immortal Master, this servant respectfully sees you off! Welcome back next time!"

...

At this moment, on the bluestone street outside Yifeng Pavilion.

Ji Yanran sat slumped on the ground, one hand covering the side of her Face that was swollen high, a clear, bright red fingerprint visible on her fair skin.

Her hair was disheveled, with a few strands of dark hair sticking to the corner of her mouth, which was oozing blood.

Her frail body trembled slightly, and she bit her red lips tightly, yet she stubbornly refused to let the mist in her eyes fall.

Beside her stood a man wearing a light green Daoist robe.

The man looked down at her from above, his eyes full of disdain and coldness, as he harshly scolded:

"Hand it over quickly! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

A circle of passersby quickly gathered around, pointing and whispering at the slumped Ji Yanran, the sound of their discussion buzzing.

The two Mortal guards stationed at the building's entrance saw this and, biting the bullet, stepped forward two paces to block the middle, cupping their hands as they advised:

"We hope the Immortal Master will calm his anger; we have already notified Madam Feng."

"Please wait a moment, Immortal Master, until Madam Feng comes out to uphold justice."

As soon as the words fell, a figure dressed in luxurious brocade, still possessing mature charm, stepped gracefully over the threshold while waving a round fan.

"Oh, I wondered who it was; it turns out to be Fellow Daoist Tan."

"Why such a big temper?"

Proprietress Sun Zhi wore a seductive smile, her gaze sweeping over the slap mark on Ji Yanran's Face.

Her voice carried a sharp edge hidden within softness: "How has this girl of mine offended you?"

"If her Face is ruined and she can't receive guests, you will have to compensate quite a few Spirit Stones."

As soon as she appeared, the guards and girls outside the door bowed in salute.

This Proprietress Sun Zhi was the person in charge of Yifeng Pavilion, known as Madam Feng.

Everyone in town knew that Yifeng Pavilion had the backing of the Town Master, so ordinary Cultivators would never be foolish enough to come here to cause trouble.

Tan Wei performed a one-handed obeisance, smiling without warmth: "Fellow Daoist Sun, I was a bit impulsive in my haste, please forgive me."

"But I, Tan, certainly did not come here to cause trouble without reason."

He flipped his wrist, and a snow-white mouse, half the size of a palm, appeared in his palm.

The mouse's pink nose was twitching frantically toward Ji Yanran on the ground, emitting "squeak, squeak" sounds.

This was a very common Rank 1 Yao Beast in the cultivation world, a Spirit-Seeking Mouse.

Born with a keen sense of smell, it could not only track Qi but also had a chance to sniff out hidden Spiritual Plants and rare treasures.

Most ordinary Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators would carry one with them to search for treasures and scout paths.

Tan Wei snorted coldly, his tone certain: "A few days ago, I lost a jade pendant that I had worn for many years."

"It wasn't until today that I realized something was wrong, so I used the Spirit-Seeking Mouse to track it all the way here, and in the end, this Spirit-Seeking Mouse locked onto this woman."

He pointed at Ji Yanran, who was keeping her head down in silence, his Face full of disdain: "Seeing her, I finally remembered!"

"That day, just after walking out of this gate, this lowly slave deliberately leaned against me."

"It must have been while I was drunk that she stole the jade pendant!"

The Spirit-Seeking Mouse's reaction could not be faked. Once this evidence was presented, the murmurs of the surrounding crowd grew louder.

Proprietress Sun Zhi frowned slightly, looked at the Spirit-Seeking Mouse, and said unhurriedly: "Fellow Daoist Tan, do not be anxious."

"Although the girls of my Yifeng Pavilion come from humble backgrounds, they all understand the rules and would absolutely not commit such filthy acts as you describe."

"Furthermore, she is just a Mortal woman; how could she steal something from the hands of us Cultivators?"

"Even if you were drunk, that reason is too far-fetched."

"There must be some misunderstanding."

She looked down at Ji Yanran, her tone becoming a bit helpless: "Yanran, what exactly is the situation?"

Ji Yanran sat slumped on the ground, her two delicate hands slowly clenching the green skirt hem.

After several breaths, she opened her mouth with a hoarse voice: "That day... an Immortal Master did indeed reward me with a jade pendant."

Proprietress Sun Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and reached out her hand: "Since that is the case, take out that jade pendant and show it to Immortal Master Tan."

Ji Yanran mumbled with dry lips, saying in a low voice: "I... I sold it."

Upon hearing this, Tan Wei let out a sneer: "You lowly slave, you are certainly quick."

Proprietress Sun Zhi's brows locked tight: "Which shop did you sell it to? Go and redeem it quickly!"

"Once this matter is over and your innocence is proven, it won't be too late to exchange it for money."

Ji Yanran remained sitting on the ground, her head hanging even lower: "The Spirit Stones... have already been spent."

"I beg Madam Feng to lend me thirteen Spirit Stones; I will go and redeem it..."

Proprietress Sun Zhi was stunned upon hearing this.

She looked at this delicate woman on the ground, seemingly thinking of some inside story.

A trace of intolerance flashed in her eyes, finally turning into a helpless sigh: "You, oh you..."

And Tan Wei, upon hearing this, sneered: "That jade pendant of mine is a treasure worth twenty Spirit Stones!"

"You actually only sold it for thirteen? You are truly a short-sighted Mortal!"

In the crowd, Jiang Xuan, who was still watching the show, heard these words and was amused to the point of laughter on the spot.

Good grief, it's one thing to frame someone, but you're trying to act tough in front of me?

Twenty?

This is practically an insult to the professional appraisal standards of Manager Jiang!

Just as Proprietress Sun Zhi was preparing to take out Spirit Stones to settle the matter, Jiang Xuan pushed through the crowd and strode out.

A clear male voice exploded on the noisy street:

"This Fellow Daoist, I see that your cultivation is not low, yet you are bullying a weak Mortal woman in the street, and speaking nonsense with such unearned confidence."

"You have truly lost all Face and demeanor of a Cultivator!"

Once these words were spoken, the entire scene was in an uproar.

The onlookers were all stunned.

No one expected that there would actually be a Cultivator willing to stand up in public for a Mortal woman from a brothel and offend another Cultivator!

Proprietress Sun Zhi's hand, which was taking out Spirit Stones, froze in mid-air, and she turned her head to look with a stunned expression.

Ji Yanran, who had been keeping her head down, was also shaken by this sudden voice, her delicate body trembling.

She slowly raised her head, and through her disheveled hair, her almond-shaped eyes, filled with mist, looked over in disbelief.

When she saw the tall, calm figure clearly, she was completely stunned.

Tan Wei's expression turned gloomy instantly; someone actually dared to slight his Face in public for a Mortal woman of the Mortal World!

He looked over with a cold Face, his Divine Sense immediately turning into an invisible needle and probing over, wanting to test the newcomer's background.

However, as soon as that Divine Sense approached Jiang Xuan, it was like a clay ox entering the sea.

It was instantly and casually neutralized by an equally solid aura.

Tan Wei's heart trembled; no wonder this kid dared to step forward, it turns out he also has the cultivation of Qi Refining Stage 7!

He narrowed his eyes, his tone icy: "This Fellow Daoist, since this matter has nothing to do with you."

"I advise you that it is better to avoid extra trouble; do not invite disaster upon yourself!"