At high noon, the warmth of the sun slightly dispelled the lingering chill of late winter.
Yan Shuyi dozed off at the table. When she woke, she saw Ji You packing his luggage.
While chatting around the brazier yesterday, the two had already discussed the various strange incidents that had occurred throughout the Qingyun World in recent days.
Young Master Jian knew that he was heading to the ruins on this trip, but she held different views on the Celestial Academy's arrangements.
"Have you considered that if this truly is a long-conceived conspiracy, then it must have been planned with meticulous care? Even if you go to those three ruins, you may not find anything—and you could even lose your life."
"I think so too, but... the matter of the evil seeds has to be resolved eventually."
Yan Shuyi looked at him. "Why?"
Ji You recalled the flower lanterns he had seen on the northern side of Wanzhuo Mountain that day. "I don't care how many cultivators die, but if those things truly are as the Affairs Management Courtyard's investigation described—no longer restricted to the ruins, and fond of eating living people raw—then they must be dealt with."
Yan Shuyi tilted her head at him. "What about your Inner Court quota?"
"People always have to make choices. Sometimes, I'd rather follow my instincts."
"I want to go out and have fun."
"?"
Ji You turned to look at her. "Your train of thought jumps around too much."
Yan Shuyi stood and gazed at the red sun beyond the door. "Take me out to have fun. I still haven't explored Shengjing."
"I haven't finished packing yet."
"Pack when we return. I want candied fruit. Buy me some."
Soon after, before the Celestial Academy's Mountain Gate, the little master of the Spirit Sword Mountain pulled an utterly ordinary Outer Court disciple out of Nishan and onto Yongsheng Street in the western city.
When they passed the Shengjing Bookshop, Ji You paused slightly, feeling as though he had forgotten to meet someone.
It was fine. That person wasn't important anyway.
When he came back to himself, Yan Shuyi had already gone ahead and entered an enormous ancient building. Three large characters were written upon the plaque above: Qionghua Pavilion.
This was a thousand-year-old merchant house catering to cultivators, specializing in the sale of spiritual pills, spirit stones, and all kinds of magical artifacts.
Its shops were spread throughout the Qingyun World. Even the finest spiritual pills produced by the Pill Sect could be obtained here.
Ji You had never come before, because its towering entrance seemed to say that paupers were not allowed inside.
As he approached, he took out his money pouch and inspected its contents, thinking that this was enough at most to buy some small trinket to placate her.
Instructor Cao was truly poor!
Why didn't he consider whether he himself had worked hard enough over the years?
Ji You smacked his lips and followed her into Qionghua Pavilion. By coincidence, several Celestial Academy students were on its first floor.
Among them were Lu Qingqiu, Du Zhu, Qian Yunxiao, and the others.
The three were all Instructor Ma's students. With Instructor Ma's birthday approaching, they had come to buy gifts for him.
Yan Shuyi did not know them. She pointed at a Green Jade Gourd on the shelf and had the shopkeeper take it down. After playing with it briefly, she clasped it in her hand and then pattered upstairs.
Lu Qingqiu watched for a long while before turning to Ji You. "Young Master Ji, did you bring a friend to buy magical artifacts?"
"Just looking around."
"I suspected long ago that Fang Ruoyao calling herself your fiancée was fishy. Now it seems that was indeed the case."
Lu Qingqiu pursed her lips as she looked upstairs. "That young lady must be the daughter of some Aristocratic Clan, right? At a glance, she picked out the finest storage artifact in the shop. That costs several hundred taels of silver."
After Ji You took away that Fairy who had suddenly appeared yesterday, the Outer Court had buzzed with discussion.
Combined with the fact that Ji You and Fang Ruoyao had never interacted before, quite a few people guessed that the supposed engagement was nothing more than a castle in the air.
However, the young lady of Yun Province felt somewhat uncomfortable, because she had always believed that Ji You was in love with her.
Du Zhu could not help turning around as well. "Brother Ji, coming to a place like this, did you not dare tell her that your Household is poor?"
Ignoring him, Ji You leaned close to Qian Yunxiao's ear. "When you go back, tell Instructor Cao that I'm not going to investigate the ruins. I may have to stay here and work off my debts, with children and grandchildren multiplying without end..."
Qian Yunxiao swallowed. "Brother Ji, stop her. The things upstairs are even more expensive..."
"?"
Ji You hissed and immediately headed upstairs. The others, eager to watch the excitement, followed after him.
By then, Young Master Jian had already selected many items, every one of them extravagantly expensive, making Du Zhu and the others' scalps tingle.
She then set her sights on a bow hanging at the highest point and ordered someone to take it down from the shelf.
Seeing the bow covered from end to end in Mystic Light, Lu Qingqiu thought that the price of this single bow probably matched everything bought earlier.
Yet when Yan Shuyi saw Ji You catch up, she suddenly stopped. She turned aside to look at a man's brocade robe nearby, took it down, and held it against him for comparison, leaving him slightly stunned.
Qionghua Pavilion sold no ordinary goods. This brocade robe was naturally a defensive magical artifact.
"This. Three sets."
"And boots. Prepare several extra pairs."
Yan Shuyi removed the jade token at her waist and tossed it to one of the managers in the building.
Qionghua Pavilion also had a so-called VIP system, but its jade tokens were not sold to the public. They were instead gifted to the Seven Great Immortal Sects and the foremost Aristocratic Clans.
Those holding jade tokens did not need to settle their bills when shopping at Qionghua Pavilion. The accounts would be sent directly to the sect affiliated with the jade token.
Young Master Jian spread open her palm. As a strand of spiritual radiance emerged from the Green Jade Gourd, all the items she had purchased earlier were stored inside it.
Then, she placed the gourd in Ji You's palm.
"Today, after seeing you play with those chopsticks, I decided to buy you a set of hidden weapons. They might save your dog life at a critical moment."
"Also, the evil seeds are not strong in combat, but there are many of them. Facing them with a bow and arrows, you at least won't be surrounded."
"The Green Jade Gourd can store things, so you won't need a bundle anymore."
"I... I lied before. I actually don't like peace and quiet."
After Yan Shuyi spoke, she realized Ji You was staring blankly. A thoughtful look also surfaced on her tender, delicate face.
She had never bought anything for a man before. It felt a little strange, as though it was not the same feeling as giving gifts to her senior and junior sisters.
Just then, she suddenly felt a hand come close. At such proximity, she could even sense the warmth of its palm.
Then she realized that this hand seemed to have pinched her cheek.
This wasn't a dream. Such a huge wealthy woman was actually real!
Ji You took a deep breath before realizing that he seemed to have pinched her cheek just now. He held his breath and looked over.
Unexpectedly, Young Master Jian, whose cheek had been pinched, did not raise her foot. Instead, her expression was somewhat dazed.
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