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Wen Xu did not understand, but he knew how to fob people off. "My things were all stolen."

"What kind of person was that? So undiscriminating that they even stole Grain-Repelling Pills!" Bian Chunchou spoke indignantly, then quickly came to his senses. "No, something is very wrong with you. Anyone who dared come to Yonglu Mountain's selection would never rob a fellow candidate of Grain-Repelling Pills. What exactly is your purpose in seeking me out?"

Bian Chunchou merely lacked experience; he was not actually stupid. He had already drawn the low-grade spirit sword at his waist. "Speak!" Of course, he did not dare truly kill someone, but he could still scare them a little. After all, that was how it was done in television dramas.

"I..." Wen Xu cleared his throat, his complexion turning another shade paler. He lay prone on the ground, openly exposing his vital points beneath the weapon. "I did indeed approach you with an ulterior motive, benefactor."

Wow, so that was how it was. People's hearts in the cultivation world truly were no longer what they had once been. "Go on, then."

"I do not know where to begin, but as you said, benefactor, if I truly harbored ill intent, I could not possibly have starved myself until I was too weak to move. I... to tell you the truth, I do not know where this place is. I stumbled into it by mistake." After saying this, Wen Xu smiled bashfully. Though he could not recognize other people's faces, he knew that he himself was rather good-looking.

"Stumbled in by mistake? That is absolutely impossible. The Cloud-Breaking Secret Realm is a spirit herb realm belonging exclusively to Yonglu Mountain. Yonglu Mountain would not fail to stop even an ordinary Qi Refining Stage cultivator. The more you speak, the more outrageous you sound."

Wen Xu gave a bitter smile. "To tell you the truth, seven days ago, three people began pursuing and trying to kill me for no reason. Today, I had exhausted every last trick in my bag. Unwilling to die at their hands, I jumped off a cliff in fury. I never expected to land on you, benefactor, and yet I survived by sheer luck. I will remember your life-saving grace in the depths of my heart."

That really did not look like an act... But the trope of falling off a cliff and into a secret realm, wasn't that supposed to belong to transmigration protagonists like him?

Bian Chunchou was half-convinced, half-suspicious, and did not lower his sword. "Then what exactly do you want from me?"

"I... am hungry, but I have nothing on me. There are no animals here, so I cannot hunt, nor can I determine whether the fruit on the trees is edible. So, benefactor, could you..."

What a damn straightforward purpose. For a moment, Bian Chunchou was rendered speechless, but then he quickly shrieked, "What? There is fruit on the trees? What does it look like? Why did I not see any? That is impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Xu did not describe them outright. He only said, "Actually, I am not quite sure either. I was so hungry that my vision had gone blurry, and I was walking with my eyes closed. I only felt that I kicked quite a few fruits, but the surroundings were far too quiet, and there were no animals about, so I did not dare eat them."

Bian Chunchou: !!!!!!

If the other party had carefully described what the fruit looked like, Bian Chunchou would instead have been less inclined to believe him. But judging by this fellow's condition, he had starved himself into such a state. Cultivators were so proud by nature; it was unlikely he would use such a clumsy excuse to deceive anyone.

He was beginning to itch with anticipation.

"Um, brother, how about we make a deal? I will treat you to Grain-Repelling Pills, and you take me to pick the fruit. How does that sound?"

Wen Xu nodded without even thinking. "All right."

"So readily? There is not some trap, is there?"

"No. I am merely an ordinary mortal, and besides, plotting against one's benefactor deserves to be struck by heaven and thunder." Wen Xu considered himself a man of some principles. Though his principles could sometimes stretch and shrink with ease, there was no need to lie about this.

Bian Chunchou thought it over and decided to gamble. After all, if he did not gamble, he would end up at the bottom. If he did, he might still be able to salvage things. Killing was forbidden in Yonglu Mountain's preliminary trial. If the gamble failed, the worst that could happen was direct elimination. From then on, he would seal away his heart and lock up his love, never again believing the promises of any handsome man.

Of course, the main thing was that Grain-Repelling Pills were not worth much. Rounded up, this was basically him trapping a white wolf with empty hands.

"Hey—wait, someone like you is still an ordinary mortal? Then how are the rest of us ordinary people supposed to live!" Handsome without knowing it—somehow, that made him even more trustworthy.

After Wen Xu ate the Grain-Repelling Pill, warmth soon spread through his stomach, and the sensation of hunger quickly vanished completely. How miraculous. If pills like these spread beyond this place, they would surely be highly sought after by those observing mourning. Having eaten nothing but little green vegetables and napa cabbage for three years, Wen Xu believed he had some right to speak on the matter.

"No, I..."

Bian Chunchou met those unfocused eyes again. How strange—he could not see his own reflection in them. "You—"

Wen Xu touched his face. "Did I frighten you again, benefactor?"

Those eyes remained unfocused. Bian Chunchou could not help waving a hand before them. "You cannot see?"

Wen Xu had originally planned to explain. To prevent others from discovering that he could not distinguish faces, he had prepared ten thousand and one reasons in his mind to explain his abnormality, but... perhaps being blind was not such a bad thing.

He was no longer a beggar, did not need to sit for the civil service examinations, and could not possibly return to Jade Isle Commandery. Besides, a blind man could clearly lower other people's guard. Wen Xu's thoughts turned, and he immediately nodded. "Sorry, you still saw through me, benefactor. I thought I had hidden it well."

After saying that, he even closed his eyes outright and tore a strip of cloth from his hem to cover them.

Bian Chunchou: I am truly terrible!

"No, that is not right. Aren't you a cultivator? How could a cultivator possibly be unable to see?" So long as one had enough spirit stones, unless something was wrong with the heart, Dantian, or Spiritual Root, even severed limbs could regrow on the spot, as perfect as the originals.

Wen Xu froze. No wonder this person had seemed excessively wary of him—he had mistaken him for one of his own kind. Wen Xu immediately considered his words before speaking. "I do not understand what you mean, benefactor. I am not a cultivator."

Though concealment and pretense might perhaps have benefited him more, he knew far too little information. The chance of being exposed if he pretended to be a cultivator was too high. Wen Xu still decided to be more frank. This person had a good heart. At least since Wen Xu could remember, he had rarely received such kindness without expectation of repayment. Most things in his life had been earned through his own efforts.

Therefore, when facing someone like this, if possible, he did not wish to display his overly calculating and worldly side.

"That is impossible. Your Qi Sea has clearly been opened!"