Princess Shaohua Arrives

Shen Jingchuan followed Liu Zhong to the gate, where he saw two women standing there. Both were dressed in simple clothes and wore veils that concealed their faces, but their figures were slender and their demeanor was elegant and refined, quite unlike ordinary women.

He sensed a fluctuation of Spiritual Qi emanating from the other person, and secretly activated the "Heavenly Eye Peering into Truth Instruction," scanning the other person through the thin veil.

The woman at the head of the group was brimming with Spiritual Qi, her cultivation clearly at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. The maidservant standing beside her was also at the Qi Refining Third Layer. Shen Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat. Damn, the more he looked at their figures and postures, the more familiar they seemed. A thought flashed through his mind...

"So it was three..."

The woman on the other end spoke first, interrupting:

"What, Young Master Shen, you almost don't recognize me after such a long time apart?"

The voice, tinged with a teasing laugh, came through the thin veil, sounding very familiar.

It really was her. Shen Jingchuan immediately withdrew his Law Technique, smiled, and stepped aside to make way for her.

"So you're a distinguished guest! I was mistaken. Please come in."

The group entered the mansion and went straight to the main hall. Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli, having heard that a female guest had arrived, also came to keep her company.

Upon entering the main hall, the guests and hosts took their seats. The Third Princess removed her veil, revealing a bright and somewhat heroic face. The maid behind her also removed her veil and stood by with her hands at her sides. Qinghe and Ju'er served tea and then quietly withdrew.

Shen Jingchuan picked up his teacup in a gesture of respect and said:

"It is truly an honor for my humble abode that Your Highness would grace us with your presence."

"Alright, stop with the nonsense."

The Third Princess smiled and waved her hand, her gaze naturally falling on Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli sitting to the side.

Shen Jingchuan then introduced:

"Your Highness, this is my wife, Lin Qingyao. This is Bai Ruoli."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli rose and curtsied to the Third Princess.

"No need for formalities, please have a seat."

The Third Princess raised her hand in a gesture of support, her gaze falling on Bai Ruoli, her smile deepening.

"This must be the renowned Master Bai of the Great Qian, right? I heard many rumors about you when I was in the Capital."

Bai Ruoli lowered her head slightly and spoke calmly:

"Your Highness flatters me. Those were all past accolades and should not be taken seriously. I have long since left the entertainment industry and only wish to stay at home and live a peaceful life."

The third princess nodded, her attitude very amiable. She took out two small, plain brocade boxes, each about the size of a palm, from her sleeve and handed them to the two women respectively.

"Since this is our first meeting, I haven't prepared anything extravagant. These two boxes of Jade Countenance Pills are made from spiritual herbs; they are mild and can be taken by ordinary people. Taking one pill a month can nourish the complexion and regulate Qi and Blood. They're nothing much, just a small token of my appreciation."

After entering the main hall and taking their seats according to who was the host and who was the guest, Xiao Mingshu raised her hand and removed her veil, revealing a bright and spirited face. The maid behind her also removed her veil and stood to the side. Qinghe and Ju'er served tea and quietly withdrew.

Xiao Mingshu's gaze fell on Shen Jingchuan, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and a faint Spiritual Qi silently swept over him. Shen Jingchuan's Divine Sense was sharp, and he immediately noticed it, knowing that the other party had used the Qi Gazing Instruction to probe his cultivation level.

"Shuyao told me you'd already Qi Refining Second Layer, but I didn't believe it at the time," Xiao Mingshu said with a smile, withdrawing her gaze. "Seeing it with my own eyes today, it's true."

As soon as the words were spoken, Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli, who were sitting to the side, both froze, their hands holding teacups pausing for a moment.

The two women exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise—they only knew that their husband practiced martial arts every day, but they had never thought that he was at the Qi Refining Second Layer, and for a moment they were caught off guard.

Seeing their expressions, Xiao Mingshu immediately realized what was going on and chuckled:

"Oh dear, I was being rash. Haven't you told the two ladies about this yet?"

"It's alright." Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, his tone calm. "They're not outsiders, it's just that I've only just started to understand things and haven't had a chance to explain in detail to them yet."

Shen Jingchuan gave the two women a wink, and they bowed and withdrew.

Xiao Mingshu nodded knowingly. After they left, she stopped hiding and, with a thought, produced a brocade pouch, which she placed on the table and pushed in front of Shen Jingchuan.

"Let's not talk about that. This is something you asked me to do, and I've taken care of it."

There are a total of seventy Spirit Stones. As you said, I exchanged half of them for pills that can be used in the Qi Refinement Realm. I have Qi Gathering Pill, Qi Nourishing Pills, and Spirit Cleansing Pills. They are all common items in the market. The names are written on the porcelain bottles, so you can tell at a glance.

The remaining half of the Spirit Stones are also in the bag; please check and count them.

Seeing the brocade pouch appear out of thin air in her hand, Shen Jingchuan understood immediately. He reached out and moved the pouch to his side, without opening it to check the contents, and simply smiled, saying, "How could I not trust something Your Highness has personally handled? There's no need to check it."

After a pause, he tentatively asked, "Just now I saw you take something out of thin air. Could it be the legendary Storage Law Artifact?"

Xiao Mingshu smiled upon hearing this, raised her right hand in front of him, revealing a simple black silver Ring on her finger:

"You have a good eye; this is Storage Ring. It seems that although your cultivation is still in its early stages, you do know a thing or two about these things."

I've only heard snippets of information about it, but I've never actually seen the real thing.

Shen Jingchuan didn't beat around the bush and asked directly:

"May I ask, Your Highness, how many Spirit Stones does this cost in the market? I'd like to buy one for myself; it'll be convenient for carrying small items around."

"Since you don't know, I'll explain it to you."

Xiao Mingshu withdrew her hand:

"There are several types of these Storage Law Artifacts. The most common one is the Storage Bag, which is the pouch that cultivators often carry on their waist. It also comes in different sizes and grades."

The smallest entry-level model is about three feet square inside, enough to hold some pills, Spirit Stones, and personal clothing. It can be bought for twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones and is readily available in the market. Almost every cultivator with a little wealth owns one.

A better space of five or six feet would cost fifty or sixty Spirit Stones.

She paused, then pointed to the Ring on her hand:

"As for Storage Rings, they are much more difficult to craft. A basic one, about five or six feet square, costs at least one hundred and twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones; a mid-grade Ring with ten feet of space costs three hundred Spirit Stones. And then there are even larger ones, five or six feet square, which are high-grade Law Artifacts and cost over a thousand Spirit Stones."