Inside the luxurious upper offices of the Liu Family Auction House, the pretty clerk nervously knocked on a heavily warded door.
"Enter," a calm voice called from within.
The clerk opened the door and imdiately dropped into a respectful bow. "Princess. How can this lowly one be of service?"
The "Princess" standing by the window turned around.
"Stand up, sister Xiao Ran. Do not call Princess anymore. I have severed my ties with the mortal empire. And haven’t we call each other ’Sister’ for years?"
Xiao Ran scratched her head then lifted her gaze.
Standing in front of her was Liu ng.
However, the aura Liu ng projected right now was entirely different. The soft, curious, and slightly naive expression she always wore around Su Bai was completely nonexistent.
Here, she radiated the sharp authority of a royal heir who had been trained in the ruthless matters of the world since childhood.
Liu ng wasn’t dumb. Not by a long shot.
But whenever she was around Su Bai, she couldn’t help but feel like a wide-eyed intern again. Su Bai’s perspective on life was so profoundly different that she genuinely loved asking him for advice.
She only felt a little bad that because of her act, Su Bai constantly treated her like a junior intern who needed protecting.
Liu ng sighed, leaning against her mahogany desk. "Sister Xiao Ran, I received your urgent ssage. How did our supply of Shattered-Soul Oblivion Pills run out so suddenly? Are that many cultivators trying to kill themselves this quarter?"
Xiao Ran hesitated. An awkward expression crossed her face. "Actually, Sister... it’s only one cultivator. He bought out the entire stock."
Liu ng frowned. "A single buyer? Is soone trying to monopolize a poison for an assassination plot?"
"I don’t think so," Xiao Ran smiled wryly. "I think you actually know the cultivator who bought them all."
Liu ng tilted her head. "Is it a disciple from the Radiant Sky Sect?"
Xiao Ran nodded. "It’s Senior Su Bai from Clear Cloud Peak—"
Before she could even finish the sentence, the heavy mahogany chair screeched loudly against the floorboards.
Liu ng’s authoritative aura completely shattered. Her face drained of all color, turning deathly pale.
"What happened?!" she cried out. Her voice cracked with sheer panic. "Why is Senior Brother Su buying suicide pills?! Did his foundation finally collapse?! Please, tell the details!"
Her face was etched in raw agony. She didn’t even realize how loudly she was shouting. Her royal composure was entirely forgotten at the thought of Su Bai in pain.
Seeing her terrifying overreaction, Xiao Ran quickly raised her hands and recounted the entire story. She explained how Su Bai had been buying the pills for days, completely unfazed.
Finally, Xiao Ran shared her grand theory: that Su Bai was simply using the suicide pills to "build empathy" for mortal suffering.
As the explanation finished, Liu ng visibly deflated. She pressed a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart. A soft, genuine laugh bubbled up from her lips.
"Hehe... yes. That sounds exactly like Senior Brother Su," Liu ng giggled.
She rembered how the sect was currently worshipping him as an untaintable Saint. She thought that Su Bai’s Dao Heart was so terrifyingly pure that lethal poison probably just tasted like bitter tea to him.
A sharp glint returned to Liu ng’s eyes. She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"Sister Xiao Ran," Liu ng declared. "Halt all public sales of the Oblivion Pill."
Xiao Ran tilted her head in confusion. "Halt sales?"
"Yes," Liu ng smiled mischievously. "From now on, the Liu Family Auction House is no longer a public vendor for that item. All future stock will be dedicated to Senior Brother Su."
***
That night on Clear Cloud Peak, Su Bai was deep in thought.
He was thinking about the terrified street vendor who had "left" him the cursed Jade Slip. He wanted to find the man to ask where the slip was excavated. If he could find the origin point, he might find a manual perfectly suited for his Reversal Body.
But unfortunately, the vendor had completely vanished from the mortal city, leaving Su Bai with a dead end.
Suddenly, his Peak Master token vibrated. The defensive array detected a visitor at the base of the mountain.
Su Bai checked the spiritual signature. It was Liu ng.
Curious, Su Bai let her climb the steps uninterrupted. A few minutes later, she arrived at the summit. She was clutching a woven basket covered with a cloth.
"Senior Brother!" Liu ng called out. "I brought sothing for you!"
"Good evening, Junior Sister," Su Bai offered a polite smile. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Liu ng stepped forward and smiled proudly. "I heard everything from the Liu Family Auction House today."
Su Bai completely froze.
His brain short-circuited as he realized sothing.
’Liu Family Auction House. Liu ng. How did I not connect those assets?!’
If she was connected to the Auction House, his secret supply chain was blown.
"Are you... affiliated with them?" Su Bai asked cautiously.
Liu ng waved her hand dismissively. "We are sowhat connected. They provide raw materials to Verdant Peak, and I am one of their alchemists. But don’t worry, Senior Brother! I know exactly what you are doing!"
Su Bai’s heart plumted.
Then, Liu ng dramatically pulled the cloth off the woven basket.
"I heard you needed pill dregs to temper your Dao Heart and build mortal empathy!" Liu ng announced proudly. "So, I brought you the direct refuse from the Verdant Peak Alchemy Hall!"
Su Bai stared at the basket.
It was absolutely overflowing with the darkest, most toxic, foul-slling pill dregs he had ever seen. It was a concentrated payload of pure, unadulterated chaotic EXP.
Su Bai stared at the sweet, smiling girl in front of him.
Suddenly, a booming, completely unrestrained laugh burst from his chest. It was the first ti since he had arrived in this terrifying world that he had laughed with genuine, unbridled joy.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Liu ng in a tight hug.
"ng, you are an absolute lifesaver," Su Bai laughed. "You are now my favorite logistics supplier."
Liu ng instantly went rigid. Her brain completely shut down.
Her face turned the color of a violently boiling tomato. She could feel the solid warmth of his chest, and the scent of cold pine wrapped around her.
She had expected him to offer a nod of thanks, not a physical embrace!
It ward sothing very deep inside her.
"H-Hehehe," Liu ng giggled nervously. She didn’t push him away. Instead, she leaned into it slightly, burying her red face against his shoulder.
After a mont, Su Bai rembered his professional boundaries and gently released her, stepping back.
Liu ng visibly deflated.
"These materials are incredibly useful to ," Su Bai said, not even bothering to hide his excitent. "I will return the favor, Junior Sister."
"You don’t have to, Senior Brother," Liu ng replied softly. "You already did. Hehe."
Su Bai was slightly confused by the cryptic answer.
Soon, he gestured toward the distant silhouette of her peak.
"Actually, this accelerates my tiline perfectly," Su Bai announced. "Junior Sister, I will go to Verdant Peak to learn Alchemy tomorrow morning. Please send the Elders my regards."
Liu ng’s head snapped up. Her eyes glowed like twin suns.
"I will notify them imdiately!"
"Thank you, ng," Su Bai smiled warmly.
He watched the girl spin around and practically sprint down the mountain steps, giggling the entire way down.
When she was finally gone, Su Bai turned back to the basket sitting on his courtyard.
’Ti to eat,’ Su Bai grinned, picking up the basket.
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