Song Wen did not know whether his words had worked, or whether Feng Xin understood that lying before Song Wen would bring him no benefit.
After a brief hesitation, Feng Xin flipped his hand and produced a crystal—the very kind he had excavated earlier.
"Reporting to Senior Ji, this junior was digging for Worry-Forgetting Stones."
Song Wen looked at the crystal in Feng Xin's hand and asked in puzzlement.
"Worry-Forgetting Stones? What use do they have?"
"Senior does not know of Worry-Forgetting Stones?"
Feng Xin seemed somewhat surprised and nearly asked the question on instinct. Yet before Song Wen could reply, he began explaining.
"This item contains pure source qi. Source qi, together with corpse baleful qi, Yin Nether ghost qi, and several poisons, can be refined into 'Worry-Forgetting Bewitching Qi.' One need only absorb a wisp to feel... light as an immortal, with one's mind in a daze and every sorrow forgotten."
"By your account, this is something that leads people into depravity. Why are you so determined to search for it?" Song Wen asked.
Feng Xin grinned. "Senior does not know. To most cultivators, Worry-Forgetting Bewitching Qi truly is poison that burns through the intestines, something they avoid like the plague. But there are always those who crave pleasure—especially certain young masters and ladies who know neither heaven's height nor earth's depth, seeking only to live drunk and dream of death. They flock to Worry-Forgetting Bewitching Qi like ducks to water."
He raised the crystal in his hand and continued.
"This single Worry-Forgetting Stone can fetch the high price of thirty high-grade spirit stones. During this outing, this junior found fourteen Worry-Forgetting Stones in total. I offer them all to Senior, to repay Senior for saving my life."
As he spoke, one crystal after another appeared before him.