64: Chapter 64 Unexpectedly, I secretly increased his favorability.

The smile on Jiang Xuan's face froze instantly.

The air fell silent, and the atmosphere became slightly awkward.

Top Courtesan did not linger, bowing slightly once more.

Beneath her white veil, a faint, polite yet awkward smile was vaguely visible, and her cold indifference was quite apparent.

Then, she strode away with her long legs, leaving behind a trail of faint lotus fragrance as she walked on by herself.

Jiang Xuan rubbed his nose, watching her graceful figure, feeling speechless.

Why are the young ladies at Yifeng Pavilion all so full of personality?

Ji Yanran is a money-grubber who explodes at the slightest touch.

This Top Courtesan is even worse; she acts polite on the surface, but in reality, she doesn't give him any leeway at all!

He is, after all, a Cultivator of the Qi Refinement Stage who just displayed his Divine Might; would it kill you to play along and offer a few words of praise?

Just as Jiang Xuan was complaining in his heart, a soft "creak" sounded.

A wooden door not far ahead pushed open, and Ji Yanran walked out, covering her face, and closed the door behind her.

Hearing the movement, Top Courtesan, who was walking in front, stopped in her tracks.

Turning back to look, she immediately stepped forward to meet her, her voice filled with genuine concern:

"Sister Yanran, your face… are you alright?"

Ji Yanran barely managed to squeeze out a smile and shook her head: "It's fine, it will be better once I apply some medicine."

Top Courtesan looked at the swollen slap mark, her chest rising and falling slightly with anger.

She gritted her teeth in indignation, though her soft voice sounded more like she was acting spoiled:

"Those hateful male Cultivators, relying on a few minor Spells, trample upon the dignity of us sisters just like that!"

Jiang Xuan, who was just about to step over, heard this and the corner of his mouth twitched violently.

Good grief, young lady, be angry all you want, but can you add a qualifier?

That one phrase "male Cultivators" dragged every male Cultivator in the world into it!

He deliberately gave a heavy dry cough: "Ahem!"

This sudden noise in the corridor immediately attracted the attention of both young ladies.

Jiang Xuan ignored Top Courtesan's slightly awkward gaze and walked straight to Ji Yanran, pulling out a gentle smile:

"Miss Yanran, you aren't hurt too badly, are you?"

Ji Yanran looked at Jiang Xuan's handsome and composed face, and an indescribable surge of bitterness and emotion welled up in her heart.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her voice tinged with a hint of hoarseness: "I must thank Shopkeeper Jiang for stepping in this time."

"If not for Shopkeeper Jiang speaking up for justice, I fear I would have been like a mute eating coptis today, suffering in silence."

"Not only would I have been beaten, but I would also have been saddled with a rotten debt."

Jiang Xuan waved his hand dismissively: "Don't mention it, it was just a small effort."

"Besides, I trust Miss Yanran's character."

"You are a smart person; how could you possibly do something as foolish as stealing so brazenly?"

"It must be that person surnamed Tan who has malicious intentions, making false accusations, wanting to extort back what he had already given away."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yanran's slender body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

She had spent her time welcoming guests in this Yifeng Pavilion, accustomed to hearing men's vulgar language and hypocritical sentiments.

Never before had any Cultivator been willing to look at her as an equal and say without hesitation that they trusted her character.

She raised her head, meeting Jiang Xuan's clear and open eyes.

She discovered that there was not a shred of hypocrisy or play-acting in them, only genuine sincerity.

Ji Yanran felt her nose ache suddenly, and she bit her lower lip tightly; her eyes turned red instantly, and she couldn't hold back the mist of tears.

Her voice was choked up: "Thank you, Immortal, for believing in me… Today, I have caused you great trouble."

Jiang Xuan looked at her stubborn and enduring appearance and sighed in his heart.

He casually took out a small cyan jade bottle from his Storage Pouch and handed it over:

"Take this. It is a high-quality skin-regenerating ointment; apply it to your face, and it will heal quickly without leaving a scar."

The small cyan jade bottle hung in mid-air.

Ji Yanran, however, stood there blankly, as if she had been stunned.

Her hands were gripping her skirt tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh, and she was slow to reach out and take it.

Top Courtesan, who was on the side, saw this and couldn't help but step closer, calling out softly:

"Sister Yanran…"

Ji Yanran then suddenly snapped back to reality.

She sniffled, forced a smile, and reached out with trembling hands to take the jade bottle:

"Thank you, Immortal… for your great kindness."

[Ji Yanran Favorability +10]

Hearing the crisp notification sound in his mind, Jiang Xuan's mouth curled into a satisfied smile.

He didn't stay any longer and smiled lightly: "Alright, go back to your room, apply the medicine, and rest. I shall take my leave."

With that, he brushed off his sleeves, turned around, and strode away cleanly and decisively.

Top Courtesan watched quietly as Jiang Xuan's tall figure disappeared around the corner.

Only then did she withdraw her gaze and look at Ji Yanran beside her, asking softly:

"Sister Yanran, is this Shopkeeper Jiang perhaps your intimate guest?"

"He treats you… seemingly differently from others."

Ji Yanran looked down at the jade bottle in her hand, which emitted a warm and cool Aura, and gently rubbed her thumb against the bottle.

A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of her mouth: "You are overthinking it."

"He is a great Cultivator of the Qi Refinement Stage; what am I?"

"He is just kind-hearted; seeing that I was pitiful, he simply bestowed a bit of kindness upon me."

After speaking, she turned and returned to her room, closing the door with a "bang."

Top Courtesan stood alone in the corridor, looking at the closed wooden door, remaining silent for a long time.

She turned her head, her gaze falling on the pool of withered lotuses swaying in the wind outside the courtyard wall, a strange look that others could not understand appearing in her eyes.

...

At dusk, the sun hung low in the west.

Walking down the street on his way back to the shop, a notification sound suddenly popped up in Jiang Xuan's mind without warning.

[Top Courtesan Favorability +1]

[First Encounter: Meeting on the Immortal path, feeling like old friends at first sight, a glimmer of light appears.]

Jiang Xuan's steps faltered, and he was stunned on the spot, then immediately chuckled.

This Top Courtesan appears cold as ice on the surface, keeping people at a distance.

Who would have thought she would secretly increase his favorability behind his back?

It seems that his demeanor just now, combined with his outstanding appearance,

ultimately cast a stone into this beauty's heart.

Sigh, my charm is too great; I attract romantic encounters wherever I go.

Jiang Xuan rested his hands behind his head, watching the blood-red sunset in the sky, unable to help but feel a sense of emotion.

In this man-eating Immortal Realm, the law of the jungle is the ironclad rule.

Today, Ji Yanran took that slap; if it had been outside the town, would she even have her life left?

Most likely, there would only be two outcomes: rape then murder, or simply being killed directly.

Tingfeng Town appears peaceful on the surface, but behind the scenes, Cultivators are still trampling on Mortals and throwing their weight around.

A Mortal's life is like grass; to survive, one must wag their tail and beg like a dog.

But after today's incident, an alarm bell rang in Jiang Xuan's heart.

His strength at Qi Refining Stage 7 is passable among the bottom-tier Loose Cultivators.

But if he encounters a true expert, it's still not enough.

If that Tan Wei today had been at the 8th Stage of Qi Refining or the 9th, he would never have been able to suppress the opponent with just his Aura.

He would inevitably have had to cough up Spirit Stones to avert disaster.

Increasing his cultivation is the only hard truth.

Unknowingly, he walked back to the corner of the street in the west of the town.

From afar, Jiang Xuan saw a light purple silhouette outside the threshold of his own Yunyou Shop.

An Luoling had her hands twisted in front of her, standing on tiptoe, looking in this direction with eager anticipation.

As soon as she saw Jiang Xuan's figure, a bright smile bloomed on her quiet and pretty face.

She immediately lifted her skirt, took small steps, and ran to meet him, bringing with her an intoxicating scent of roses.

She looked up, her eyes like purple glass filled with joy, her voice clear and sweet:

"Big Brother Jiang, you've finally returned. You must be exhausted after running around all day, right?"

"Come into the shop and rest. Luoling has brewed hot tea for you and will knead your shoulders and hammer your legs to relieve your fatigue."