She Couldn't Have Taken a Fancy to Me, Could She?

The fragrance of tea curled through the air. Only after Yun Mo had taken a sip did Luo Fanchen lift the cup before him and taste it.

Its fragrance lingered on his lips and tongue. The spirit tea became a warm trickle that ran down his throat and through his organs, pleasantly warm with a faint heat, before turning into pure spiritual energy stored in his meridians and acupoints.

"Phew—good tea."

Luo Fanchen let out a long breath and kept savoring it. A delicate bitterness lingered on every taste bud, refreshing him to the core.

This tea was a good deal higher in grade than the Jade Shoot he had drunk last time. Every breath seemed to carry its fragrance, easily overpowering the rich smell of blood and cooked meat in the Treasure Pavilion. He quite enjoyed it.

"This is the first picking of Jade Shoot. It yields only two or three pounds a year and is usually reserved for the pavilion master."

Yun Mo's eyes curved with a smile as she refilled Luo Fanchen's cup. "I'm glad you like it, my lord."

Hearing that it was reserved for the pavilion master, Luo Fanchen nearly sprayed his tea.

This was clearly First-Tier High-Grade spirit tea. One cup was worth a Meridian-Opening Pill. Was this something they served guests? Yun Mo wasn't planning to fleece him for Spirit Stones, was she?

Luo Fanchen quietly set down his cup. "How much Spirit Dust is this tea per cup?"

"This year's harvest was plentiful. This is only last year's tea, and the pavilion master dislikes old tea. If you like it, my lord, I can take it upon myself to give you some."

Yun Mo gave a graceful curtsy. She did not sit, but remained standing to attend to him.

"Give it to me?"

Luo Fanchen froze for a moment, unable to make sense of it.

The leaves were vivid green and brimming with spiritual fragrance. How did they look like old tea?

Even if they were old, a First-Tier High-Grade spiritual herb was still a rare treasure. At the Treasure Pavilion, it would be sold on the third floor, with limits on how much anyone could buy.

By the door, Xiao Cui's pupils widened in shock. She had never seen Fairy Yunmo act so deferentially. As for First-Tier High-Grade Jade Shoot, she had seen several inner disciples of the Clear River Sect ask to buy it, only to be politely refused.

First-Tier High-Grade spirit tea—could they just give that away?

"This batch of Spirit Sprouts ripened a little early and lacks some flavor. Another batch of fresh tea will mature this year. When it does, I'll send you some to try, my lord."

Yun Mo tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing a lustrous, rounded earlobe.

"When you visit the Treasure Pavilion in future, my lord, you can use the token to summon me directly. I nearly neglected you today. Please accept this by way of apology."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue. How could he turn down a bargain?

It seemed that the Heavenly Heart Art had earned the Treasure Pavilion a great deal. Otherwise, why would they be willing to treat him to Spirit Sprouts?

He was not so confident in his charms that he thought Yun Mo was trying to please him for his own sake. She was at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, while he was at the fourth. If they fought, this delicate-looking woman would probably thrash him without mercy.

"The Heavenly Heart Art will take a little longer. The pavilion master is escorting it personally. It should arrive around the middle of next month."

"There's no rush. This time, I'd like to buy a Breath Concealment Pill."

Luo Fanchen shook his head. Breath Concealment Pills were expensive to begin with, and the Treasure Pavilion's markup was steep. He dared buy only one.

"Just one? Forgive me for asking, my lord, but are you leaving Flying Cloud Market soon?"

"Yes. I've taken a few assignments, so I came to buy a Breath Concealment Pill for protection."

Luo Fanchen nodded. Yun Mo pressed her lips together, deep in thought.

She was well informed. Naturally, she knew someone had taken twenty bandit-suppression assignments from the stewards' office in one go a few days ago. Judging by the departure date, it was probably Lord Ling.

A disciple of the Profound Sects truly hated evil with a passion and sought nothing in return. The evil cultivators and bandits nearby had seen their last peaceful days.

"Will one be enough? Things have been unsettled outside the market lately. The Water Marsh Gang has been causing trouble. They're roving raiders, ruthless and lawless, with considerable ties to the Yi Wood Sect. Please be careful, my lord."

The moment she said it, Yun Mo's expression changed. She had overstepped.

Lord Ling belonged to the Orthodox Profound School. How could he lack sources of information? He had deliberately chosen to hunt bandits while the Water Marsh Gang was active. Surely he meant to break their swagger and defend the innocent.

Bandit-suppression assignments took a long time and paid very little. In the end, he probably would not even earn back the Spirit Stones for a single Breath Concealment Pill.

That was it. His lordship could not bear to see the Water Marsh Gang slaughter mortals and Rogue Cultivators, so he had sacrificed time he could have spent cultivating to draw his sword and help them.

The way disciples of the Profound Sects cultivated truly was beyond ordinary people like them.

"The Water Marsh Gang..."

Luo Fanchen paused. He vaguely remembered hearing the name somewhere, but could not place it.

He was about to ask for details when Yun Mo changed the subject with a smile. They were not close. It was already kind of her to give him a warning; pressing her for answers would be rude.

Most valuable intelligence came at a steep price. Unfortunately, his purse was light, so he could only commit the name to memory.

"All right. Then get me two. First-Rank Low-Grade Breath Concealment Pills will do."

Luo Fanchen took a sip of tea and decided not to save those Spirit Stones after all.

If there was a chance of running into raiders, he could not rely on luck. A Breath Concealment Pill could be divided, but doing so would weaken it. He wanted to keep a whole pill for himself and another for Mo Xue, just in case.

"How many Spirit Stones?"

Luo Fanchen sighed and gripped his nearly empty Storage Bag, his heart twisting like a knife.

He had four Spirit Stones left. He feared there would be little of them remaining.

"I recently refined a few Breath Concealment Pills. My technique was clumsy, so although their spiritual essence is perfect, they look too poor to sell."

"Since you need them, my lord, I can give them to you. I do have one request, though."

Yun Mo's gaze remained serene. She had wanted to give Lord Ling the pills outright, but feared he would be wary and refuse, so she came up with a reason.

"The Treasure Pavilion's trade routes have recently been harassed by bandits, and our losses have been considerable. The bandits are cunning and hard to track down, so we've had no choice but to let the matter rest."

"If you could deal with the bandits on our trade routes while you're out, my lord, I'll give you several Breath Concealment Pills."

Luo Fanchen swallowed. Several Breath Concealment Pills? For free? Had he heard her right?

His expression stiffened slightly. "Do they have cultivators? How strong are they?"

"I would never make things difficult for you, my lord. With your abilities, it will be effortless."

"Do you know my cultivation level?"

"The Fourth Level of Qi Refining."

"And it'll still be effortless?"

"Of course. You haven't paid the balance yet, my lord. I would never deceive you."

Yun Mo smiled gently. Though Lord Ling was only at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, his True Essence was far more abundant than that of others at his level, and the techniques of the Profound Sects were exquisitely powerful.

Dealing with a raider at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining would be like crushing an ant.

Luo Fanchen relaxed a little.

That made sense. He still owed them over a hundred Spirit Stones. Presumably, these were just a few raiders at the first or second level of Qi Refining who were good at fleeing.

He was no expert in combat, but dealing with a few early-stage Qi Refining cultivators would be easy enough.

"Here are the Breath Concealment Pills and spirit tea. Please accept them, my lord."

Yun Mo summoned Xiao Cui and had her bring two beautifully wrapped brocade boxes for Luo Fanchen. Flattered beyond belief, he even forgot to check their contents.

He had spent no Spirit Dust and gotten all this for free? In all his life, he had never seen a pie fall from the sky.

"When the Heavenly Heart Art arrives, may I deliver it to you personally?"

"Sorry for the trouble, Fairy Yunmo."

Luo Fanchen had no reason to refuse. If the Treasure Pavilion wanted to, they could easily find his residence. There was no point in hiding it.

"Not at all. This is the route our caravan will take. If it doesn't align with your travels, please don't feel obliged."

"I'll see it done."

Luo Fanchen took the route map and glanced over it. A few stretches overlapped with the route for his own assignments; the rest were out of his way.

Yun Mo personally escorted Luo Fanchen out. Only when they passed the second floor did she belatedly realize she had gotten carried away.

How could she have forgotten the Demon Beast meat? She had nearly neglected his lordship.

"Xiao Cui, take my token and fetch a Bear Paw and three pounds of the choicest meat."

Yun Mo sent the words quietly by voice transmission. Xiao Cui froze and took the token with trembling hands. The Bear Paw and choice meat were the finest parts of the Golden Roar Bear, originally set aside to nourish the pavilion master. They were going to sell them to Lord Ling?

Many Clear River Sect disciples could not even buy an ordinary piece of fat. Who was this Lord Ling?

She hurried into the Kitchen Pavilion and, under the envious gazes of several stewards, packed the choice meat into a jade box and took it away.

By the time she returned, Yun Mo had escorted Luo Fanchen to the entrance.

Xiao Cui quickly handed over the jade box. Yun Mo accepted it and offered it to Luo Fanchen respectfully with both hands, her voice as soft as flowing water.

"The pavilion recently happened to catch a Golden Roar Bear. Its flesh and blood are very beneficial to Qi Refining cultivators."

"A Golden Roar Bear?"

Luo Fanchen swallowed and stared fixedly at the jade box.

No wonder the Treasure Pavilion had been filled with the aroma of meat today. They had caught a Peak First-Tier Demon Beast—rare even in Flying Cloud Market.

Its spiritual energy was abundant and gentle, and its vital energy rich. It was just what he needed to consolidate his cultivation and help Mo Xue break through to the Second Level of Qi Refining.

He had already planned to buy some Demon Beast meat to prepare for Mo Xue's breakthrough.

But though he wanted to buy it, his purse was light. If he had not bought a high-grade Mystic Method before, he probably would not even have qualified to purchase the offal.

"Indeed. Please be sure to eat it today or tomorrow, my lord. After that, most of its spiritual energy will dissipate."

Luo Fanchen opened his mouth helplessly, wondering how to refuse. But Yun Mo had already placed the jade box in his arms. She bowed politely, then walked back into the Treasure Pavilion without looking back.

When he tried to follow, the crowd of cultivators behind him had packed the entrance tight. He could no longer get through.

"She didn't charge me any Spirit Stones? She just gave it to me?"

Luo Fanchen stood dazed with the jade box in his arms. Luckily, it sealed in the spiritual energy and aroma. Otherwise, the cultivators around him would already have swarmed him.

"Yun Mo couldn't have taken a fancy to me, could she?"

Luo Fanchen muttered in a daze. He could think of no other reason the Treasure Pavilion, famed for its shrewd calculations, would let him walk away with such a windfall.

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