"Mmm..."
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Shenge suddenly heard a sound behind him. He turned around and saw the unconscious beauty of a sect master part her lips and let out a soft moan. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened.
Yun Yun gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling of the cave, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. She vaguely remembered being struck by the Amethyst Seal and pursued by the enraged Amethyst Winged Lion King. Then a figure in a golden robe had suddenly appeared, driven the Amethyst Winged Lion King back, and rescued her. But her injuries had been too severe, and she had passed out along the way.
Aside from a faint ache in her chest, though, the rest of her body seemed fine. The Battle Qi that had been depleted within her had also recovered somewhat. It was just that the Amethyst Seal restricted her, leaving her with little Battle Qi she could draw on.
This left Yun Yun quite puzzled. Had the golden-robed man healed her injuries?
"You're awake."
A voice as gentle as the early morning sun sounded beside the beauty of a sect master. Yun Yun tried to rise from the carpet despite her weakness, but Gu Shenge stopped her.
"You're still weak. You'd better not get up."
At his words, the beauty of a sect master hesitated for a moment, then obediently lay back down on the carpet. She turned her head to look at the golden-robed man who had saved her, and a flicker of surprise crossed her beautiful eyes.
Yun Yun had assumed he was around her age. She hadn't expected him to be so young—only three or four years older than her disciple, yet already strong enough to repel a sixth-rank magical beast with a single strike. He was probably a Dou Huang expert as well.
Of course, appearances could be deceiving. Perhaps he wasn't as young as he looked.
"Thank you for saving me, sir. Yun Zhi is deeply grateful."
The beauty of a sect master thanked Gu Shenge in a gentle, soft voice that held a trace of weakness. She didn't tell him her real name, continuing to introduce herself as "Yun Zhi."
Gu Shenge smiled faintly. "It was no trouble. You needn't thank me."
As he spoke, he took a Jade Ganoderma Pill from the System Space and handed it to Yun Yun, asking her to take it.
"This is a Jade Ganoderma Pill. It'll help you regain your strength. You'll be able to move again before long."
The beauty of a sect master didn't refuse. If he'd wanted to harm her, he wouldn't have waited until now. She reached out her snow-white arm, took the Jade Ganoderma Pill, and swallowed it. Its medicinal power became a warm current that flowed through her body. Gradually, Yun Yun felt less weak, and her strength began to return.
Yun Yun looked at Gu Shenge again, gratitude showing in her beautiful eyes. She asked gently, "Thank you for the pill, sir. I haven't asked your name yet."
Gu Shenge: "Juan Shoutian."
"Juan Shoutian..." Yun Yun quietly repeated the name. For some reason, it sounded familiar.
"Have you heard my name before, Miss Yun Zhi?"
Gu Shenge had heard the beauty of a sect master murmur his name and asked her. Yun Yun shook her head, saying it only seemed familiar, as if she'd heard someone around her mention it. She just couldn't remember who.
Seeing this, he didn't press her. He guessed Ya Fei had mentioned him while in Jia Ma Holy City, and word had later reached Yun Yun, which was why the name sounded familiar.
Yun Yun saw that there was no trace of medicinal powder on her chest, yet the claw wounds inflicted by the Amethyst Winged Lion King had healed, leaving only faint red marks. Her Battle Qi was recovering faster than it would have if she'd meditated. She guessed he had given her some valuable healing pills, and spoke up:
"Master Juan, my injuries have healed so quickly. You must have given me pills. What kind were they? I'd like to reimburse you for their value."
"No need. They were just two worthless pills. But I am curious: why did you provoke the Amethyst Winged Lion King? It's only a low-level sixth-rank beast, but magical beasts have stronger bodies than humans. Even though you're a three-star Dou Huang, you might not be its match. Why would a beautiful woman like you do something so unwise? Did the Amethyst Winged Lion King have something you wanted? A Purple Spirit Crystal or a companion Purple Crystal Source?"
Gu Shenge looked at Yun Yun as though genuinely puzzled, yet in just a few words, he'd revealed her purpose.
Seeing how closely he questioned her, and perhaps because he had saved her life and been so generous, Yun Yun didn't hide the truth. She told Gu Shenge why she had come to the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
"I only wanted to trade with the Amethyst Winged Lion King for a Purple Spirit Crystal. I didn't expect it to demand such an outrageous price—it wanted me to trade a Transformation Pill for it. When negotiations failed, I had no choice but to fight."
The beauty of a sect master sighed softly as she finished. The terms she'd offered had been generous enough, but the beast had still refused.
Gu Shenge listened, the smile at the corners of his lips impossible to conceal, then teased Yun Yun.
"Since you knew the Amethyst Winged Lion King was a lion, wasn't it only natural for it to make such an outrageous demand?"
The beauty of a sect master thought he had a point.
"Master Juan, what brings you to the Magic Beast Mountain Range?"
Gu Shenge: "Me? Nothing in particular. I just heard an Ancient Cave Mansion will appear here before long, so I came to wait."
"An Ancient Cave Mansion?"
At his words, Yun Yun recalled a piece of news she'd heard in Jia Ma Holy City some time ago. Supposedly, an Ancient Cave Mansion in the Magic Beast Mountain Range would appear in two months. It contained not only a Po Zong Pill and Heavenly Flames, but also a Nirvana Heart formed from the cultivation of a Dou Zong expert.
She told Gu Shenge what she'd heard, wanting to see if it was true.
Gu Shenge's expression turned solemn. His voice grew cold as he demanded of the beauty of a sect master, "How many people know about this?"
Seeing Juan Shoutian's sudden change of expression, Yun Yun knew he was angry that news of the Ancient Cave Mansion had spread. She answered cautiously.
"The news has probably spread throughout Jia Ma Holy City, but I don't know how many people believe it."
Gu Shenge fell silent, lost in thought. Yun Yun grew tense. She assumed that learning the news about the opportunity he'd been waiting for had leaked would make him furious.
Before long, however, Gu Shenge's expression eased. He no longer seemed so serious. He spoke again, not angry that more people knew about the Ancient Cave Mansion, but sounding carefree and wistful instead.
"Never mind. What's meant to happen will happen. No matter how many people come, none of them will take the Nirvana Heart from me."
Yun Yun breathed a sigh of relief. As she looked at Gu Shenge, there was a new glint in her eyes. Anyone else who learned that news of their opportunity had leaked would surely fly into a rage. At least, she had never met anyone so unbothered.
The beauty of a sect master was also curious whether the Nirvana Heart really was as the rumor claimed: the crystallized life's work of a Dou Zong expert.
If it was true, the Ancient Cave Mansion's appearance would surely unleash a storm of bloodshed across the Jia Ma Empire.
"Gurgle..."
A faint sound suddenly rang out, drawing Gu Shenge's gaze. Yun Yun's fair cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted away. She couldn't meet his gaze.
Gu Shenge's eyes shifted to the beauty of a sect master's stomach, where the sound had come from. Yun Yun's face grew even redder, like a piece of agate, and a wave of embarrassed misery rose in her heart.
"Hungry?" It sounded like a question, but his tone was certain.
Yun Yun nodded, blushing as she admitted it. Though the Jade Ganoderma Pill had restored her strength, her stomach was still empty.
Gu Shenge smiled knowingly, got up, and left the cave.
P.S. I'll plant a little hint here first. What do you think it could be?
Before you continue