The Holy Land of Soul Masters Everywhere

"Sister Yun'er, how was it? Cultivating felt pretty good, didn't it?"

Ye Qiu quickly went over and sat down beside Su Yun'er.

"Mm~ I finally understand why you can cultivate all day, Xiao Qiu."

Su Yun'er nodded. Looking at the young man who had come to the bedside, she gently wrapped her arms around his and leaned against his shoulder. Facing his profile, she said softly:

"The more I cultivate, the more refreshed I feel."

"Haha~ Of course. But that state doesn't last forever. If you cultivate for too long, you'll still get tired."

Ye Qiu smiled and drew her delicate body into his arms, his large hand roaming over her.

"Mm~"

Su Yun'er nodded slightly.

She had long since grown accustomed to her lover's caresses. Even when she felt shy, she no longer shied away.

"Next time, Xiao Qiu, you can just wake me up."

Ye Qiu shook his head. "It's all right. I only just got back myself, and my Sister Yun'er has rendered a great service. How could I bear to disturb your cultivation?"

"What great service?"

Su Yun'er asked in confusion.

"Your pills, of course, Sister Yun'er!"

Smiling, Ye Qiu gently lifted Su Yun'er's chin and gazed tenderly into her clear, bright eyes. "I bet you could never guess how much those pills of yours sold for," he teased.

"..."

Su Yun'er fell silent at his words.

She had no idea, but judging by Ye Qiu's expression, she understood that her pills must have been worth a fortune.

"Two hundred thousand!"

Ye Qiu didn't keep her in suspense for long and gave her the answer outright.

"Wh-what?"

Su Yun'er froze for a moment and stared at him blankly. "Two hundred thousand what?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"Two hundred thousand what?"

"Haha..."

Ye Qiu excitedly cupped Su Yun'er's face and repeated loudly:

"Sister Yun'er, two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"I traded three of your Qi-Gathering Soul Ascension Pills and one Recovery and Healing Pill for a full two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"..."

Su Yun'er went completely rigid. Ye Qiu's words struck her like a thunderclap, leaving her mind blank. In an instant, she lost the ability to think and could only repeat woodenly...

"Tw-two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins?!"

Holding her shocked face in his hands, Ye Qiu nodded emphatically. "That's right, Sister Yun'er. Just four pills for two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"Heavens!"

Su Yun'er finally came to her senses.

Her beautiful eyes widened, and she raised a fair hand to cover her mouth, her face full of disbelief.

"Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins..."

Su Yun'er murmured to herself.

At last, she understood firsthand why being a Soul Master was the most esteemed profession.

She also understood in concrete terms

why Ye Qiu had been so full of praise for her Soul Skill!

Su Yun'er gazed at Ye Qiu excitedly and murmured, "Xiao Qiu~ Does that mean we'll never have to worry about money again?"

"Haha... More than that. We couldn't possibly spend it all!"

Ye Qiu smiled,

and planted a hearty kiss on Su Yun'er's lips.

"Sister Yun'er, now you know how amazing your Soul Skill is, right? You've rendered a great service to our family!"

"Mm-hm~"

Her face rosy as a peach blossom, Su Yun'er nodded repeatedly, her lovely face filled with joy. She tilted her pretty face up, her eyes reflecting nothing but the young man before her.

She liked hearing Ye Qiu say things like "our family."

"It's thanks to you too, Xiao Qiu..."

Su Yun'er spoke softly, stretching her neck to give Ye Qiu a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Ye Qiu smiled and took Su Yun'er's fair hand, placing it over the Crystal Love around his neck. As he infused it with a little Soul Power, two streams of light emerged from the Crystal Love... A heavy bag full of coins appeared in each of their hands.

"S-so heavy..."

Su Yun'er stared fixedly at the bag of Gold Soul Coins in her hands.

By the look of it, there had to be a thousand of them, at least.

Her father had spent half his life working and probably hadn't earned even a tenth of that. Even so, it had been enough to keep her and Xiao Qiu fed and clothed.

"Of course it's heavy."

"There are a full thousand Gold Soul Coins in your bag, Sister Yun'er."

Ye Qiu was immensely pleased with himself.

He hefted the bag in his hand a few times and continued, "This bag has a thousand silver coins in it. And... I've also put ten thousand copper coins in the Crystal Love. In the future, when I pretend to come back from training, I can give Grandpa Tom some spare change... so he can share it among the villagers."

"Xiao Qiu, you've thought of everything."

Holding the money bag in her hands, Su Yun'er nestled gently against Ye Qiu.

"We can't forget our roots..."

Ye Qiu patted Su Yun'er's shoulder, lowered his eyes, and chuckled.

"Mm~"

Su Yun'er nodded in agreement.

Though the villagers hadn't treated her well, that didn't mean they weren't kind. They were only afraid of her eyes.

Before Xiao Qiu awakened his Martial Soul, he had relied on the villagers' charity to get by.

Su Yun'er had always believed...

that if she hadn't brought about her mother's death and didn't have these eyes, the villagers would surely have treated her well.

"All right, Xiao Qiu, put the money away first."

Su Yun'er's eyes dimmed slightly, but she forced a smile and pushed the money bag into Ye Qiu's arms. "Have you eaten lunch?" she asked softly. "If you haven't, I'll make you something..."

"There's no need, Sister Yun'er. I'm not hungry."

Ye Qiu shook his head, put both bags of coins away, and took Su Yun'er's fair hand. His expression gradually turned serious.

"Sister Yun'er, there's something I want to discuss with you..."

"Mm~ Go ahead, Xiao Qiu."

Su Yun'er nodded and listened attentively.

Ye Qiu pondered for a moment, then voiced the thought he'd had earlier.

"Sister Yun'er, I want you to register as a Soul Master at Spirit Hall. If possible... when they invite you, please accept."

"Huh?"

Su Yun'er's eyes brightened slightly at his words, and she broke into a smile. "Xiao Qiu~ I was just about to discuss that with you too."

"Huh? Why?"

Ye Qiu was taken aback, an odd look on his face.

Su Yun'er pressed her red lips together and clasped his hand in return. Gazing at him affectionately, she explained softly, "Because I want to help shoulder some of your burdens too, Xiao Qiu..."

"I'm already a Soul Master, but I don't know anything about the world of Soul Masters. I don't even understand the basics. How am I any different from before? I'll still be a burden to you... won't I?"

Guilt flickered in Su Yun'er's eyes, but there was even more resolve.

"When I was little, I heard..."

"Spirit City is the holy land of Soul Masters... I think if I could go there, I'd surely learn a lot and be able to help you a great deal, Xiao Qiu!"

As Su Yun'er spoke, she was full of motivation, a satisfied smile on her face.

It wasn't just her.

In the hearts of the villagers from all those villages,

it was Spirit Hall that went to the trouble of coming every year to awaken their Martial Souls.

It was the true and deserving holy land of Soul Masters in their hearts!

"Xiao Qiu, you don't know how happy I was when you just told me my pills could sell for so much... I thought I could finally be of a little help to you as you made your way through the Soul Master World..."

"But... Xiao Qiu..."

The smile gradually faded from Su Yun'er's face, leaving only an overflowing tenderness. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes as she leaned gently into Ye Qiu's arms, reluctant to part.

"But Xiao Qiu... I don't want to leave you. I can't bear to be apart from you..."

"Sister Yun'er... we won't."

Ye Qiu held her tightly in his arms and buried his face in her hair. "Even if you go to Spirit City, Sister Yun'er, we'll never be apart..."