After a brief silence, Ya Fei concealed the fleeting odd look from earlier and returned to her alluring, graceful demeanor. Her gaze rippled as she teased him with a smile. "What do you mean by this, young sir? Are you planning to offer yourself to me in exchange for the cultivation method you want?"
Xia Kong sighed inwardly.
He had thought that after watching countless short videos in his previous life and seeing every sort of beauty enhanced by every sort of filter, his self-control was already rock-solid. Only when he actually faced a woman like Ya Fei at close quarters did he realize how much he had taken for granted.
How could those virtual images on a screen compare to the seductive charm that emanated from this woman's very bones?
"Please stop teasing me, Sister Ya Fei. My name is Xia Kong. Concealing my identity earlier was not what I wished to do, and I hope you'll forgive me. Since we're going to pursue a deeper partnership, I naturally have to show some sincerity."
Xia Kong gave a helpless, wry smile. With a slight turn of his wrist, a plump, rounded, earth-yellow medicinal plant appeared in his palm.
"This is called a potato. It's another rare spiritual plant, capable of tempering the body and nourishing the meridians."
Meeting the curiosity and anticipation rising in Ya Fei's eyes, Xia Kong nodded slowly and said with conviction, "You guessed correctly, Sister. This potato is also tremendously beneficial to cultivation at the Dou Qi stage."
Ya Fei's beautiful eyes abruptly narrowed, and her vivid red lips parted slightly, her face filled with disbelief.
The Dou Qi stage was the foundation of the cultivation path. Cultivators at this stage had fragile meridians that simply could not withstand the fierce medicinal power of pills, making every step of cultivation like treading on thin ice. The slightest carelessness could damage their foundation and send all their previous efforts down the drain. An ordinary cultivator who advanced by one rank in a year was already considered exceptionally talented.
The Spicy Jade Xia Kong had produced earlier, which could gently aid cultivation at the Dou Qi stage, was already astonishing enough. Now he had brought out another medicinal plant that could both strengthen the body and nurture the meridians.
Two such rare wonders appearing one after another went far beyond anything Ya Fei had ever seen or heard of, leaving her unable to accept it for a moment.
Watching Ya Fei look almost dazed, Xia Kong's lips curved faintly upward.
"What is it, Sister Ya Fei? Don't you believe me? Do you think I'm exaggerating?"
A trace of hesitation crossed Ya Fei's brow.
This matter carried far too much weight.
Although she had a favorable impression of Xia Kong, logically speaking, someone who could produce an extraordinary medicinal plant never seen before might have discovered an ancient cultivator's cave abode, so producing a second was not entirely implausible. Yet reason still made it difficult for her to believe everything outright.
Xia Kong had expected this reaction from Ya Fei and felt no displeasure at all. His tone was frank and confident. "You're welcome to verify it yourself, Sister. But this matter has serious implications. You must not let word of it leak out."
Ya Fei naturally understood what an enormous storm would arise if news spread of two medicinal plants beneficial to Dou Qi-stage cultivators appearing in succession, and she immediately nodded solemnly. She had originally intended to summon Gu Ni, the second-tier Alchemist retained by the auction house, to examine its medicinal properties. After Xia Kong's reminder, however, she abandoned that idea and decided to try it herself.
She took the potato from Xia Kong. Its skin was somewhat rough, but it had been washed thoroughly. Turning slightly aside to avoid Xia Kong's gaze, Ya Fei parted her delicate lips and gently bit off a small piece.
It tasted somewhat raw, without any rich, unusual fragrance. Instead, it carried a faint earthy tang, and its texture was hardly delightful. Yet a warm current immediately flowed from her mouth into every limb and bone, slowly nourishing her body and meridians. Even her cultivation, which had stagnated for so long, began to stir, showing a faint sign of an impending breakthrough.
"Uh! Sister Ya Fei, this medicinal plant..."
Xia Kong had been waiting for Ya Fei to summon someone before explaining the different ways to eat potatoes. He had never imagined that she would trust him so much, disregarding the unknown risks and tasting it herself. Before he could stop her, two shallow, charming tooth marks had already been left on the potato.
Xia Kong could not help marveling inwardly.
Seeing Xia Kong's strange expression, Ya Fei's heart suddenly sank.
"Is this medicinal plant poisonous?"
Could my trust have been misplaced after all?
It did not occur to Ya Fei that the problem might be how she ate it. The earlier Spicy Jade could be consumed directly, so she assumed the same should apply to this potato.
"No, no, Sister, please don't misunderstand. There's nothing wrong with the medicinal plant itself. It's just that you don't eat it the same way as Spicy Jade!"
Xia Kong hurriedly explained with a wry smile, raising a hand to place a plate of prepared hot-and-sour shredded potatoes on the table.
"Sister Ya Fei, try this. I cooked it myself, using these potatoes."
Only then did Ya Fei's heart settle back into place. Inwardly, she muttered that her judgment could hardly have been wrong.
She shot Xia Kong an exasperated look, extended a slender finger, and flicked him lightly between the brows.
"If there was a way to eat it like this, why didn't you say so sooner? Instead, you made me embarrass myself and deliberately watched me make a fool of myself. You deserve a smack!"
Xia Kong rubbed his slightly numb forehead. Watching Ya Fei relish the food made his own mouth water, so he fetched a pair of chopsticks, and together they polished off the plate of shredded potatoes.
"Sharing such delicious food with Sister Ya Fei will make a fine story for me to tell."
"Heh, what a silver tongue. This potato's medicinal effects truly are outstanding. If it were put up for auction, its value would probably exceed even that of Spicy Jade. What do you have in mind, Xia Kong?"
"I'd prefer it if you could buy this batch of medicinal plants privately, Sister Ya Fei. My foundation is shallow, and I really can't withstand the storms that too much attention would bring."
Ya Fei considered briefly before speaking slowly. "Then we'll do as you say. I'll buy your potatoes for forty thousand gold coins each. How does that price sound?"
"That's a fair offer, Sister! Here are several ways to prepare potatoes. Consider them a small token of my goodwill."
With the deal settled, Xia Kong immediately took out all nine remaining potatoes he had obtained that day and arranged them on the table one by one.
Ya Fei had been discreetly watching Xia Kong all along, yet she still could not see where his Storage Ring was hidden. Still, she did not pry any further.
Before you continue