"You’re waiting for ?"
Looking at the red-clothed girl in front of him, Yun Xiao felt genuinely puzzled. Ever since they t at the Treasure Pavilion, this girl seed different towards him, yet he was certain that he had never t her before.
Reincarnated, Yun Xiao was always cautious. Even though she was a stunning beauty whose looks could overthrow cities and nations, beautiful won often brought calamities, and when they sched against others, they could be even more ruthless.
Until he understood her intentions, Yun Xiao would not deepen their association. Even if she had spoken up for him a few tis and even intervened once, he had already repaid these kindnesses with a piece of Divine Clarity Jade.
"You can call Xiaolan!"
Disregarding Yun Xiao’s attitude, the girl in the red dress began introducing herself, and upon hearing this na, Yun Xiao was even more certain that he never knew her before.
"If I’m not wrong, you are planning to go to Lingyun Mountain, right? What a coincidence, my ho is nearby. How about we travel together?"
Without waiting for Yun Xiao to respond, Xiaolan slightly curved her eyebrows, her expression a mix of a smile and not quite a smile, which raised Yun Xiao’s guard once again.
"How did you know I was going to Lingyun Mountain?"
Yun Xiao took a step back, his face full of wariness, which caused Xiaolan to barely restrain a laugh. This reaction made Yun Xiao feel sowhat embarrassed—was he being too obvious?
"This isn’t hard to guess. Since entering Xuri City, you’ve been asking around for the direction to Lingyun Mountain without any hesitation—I just happened to overhear!"
Xiaolan didn’t hide the truth, which indeed tallied with the facts, as the Lingyun Sect was located on Lingyun Mountain and Yun Xiao, new to the Lingtian Empire, naturally wanted to clarify things.
"So, you’ve been following since then?"
However, Yun Xiao remained vigilant. This woman had been following him all the ti—what was her purpose? Could it be she was sent by the Xuanyue Crown Prince?
"You know, I did help you a few tis. You were so polite back in the Treasure Pavilion, how co you start doubting everything as soon as we exit?"
As if sensing Yun Xiao’s caution, Xiaolan’s expression grew stern. After her remark, Yun Xiao’s face once again took on an awkward hue—indeed, her point was valid.
At least so far, Xiaolan had not shown any hostility. On the contrary, when Yun Xiao was in a dispute with Qiao Lin and Gong Qizhen, she had intervened to help him. His attitude now seed overly cautious.
Yet the girl’s purpose remained a mystery. Yun Xiao was unwilling to travel together, but since she had offered, it was unreasonable to just walk away.
After a mont’s thought, Yun Xiao folded his hands in respect and said, "I would like to extend my thanks for your assistance. However, I am not one to owe others favors. Let tell you sothing and consider your kindness repaid!"
Even though Yun Xiao had already given a piece of Divine Clarity Jade in the Treasure Pavilion to repay Xiaolan for her intervention then, he had not yet repaid her for her previous verbal aid.
"Sothing? What is it?"
Xiaolan seed bewildered, wondering why the conversation had suddenly taken this turn, and she curiously questioned, eager to find out what the young man wanted to say.
"You were making a deal with the Treasure Pavilion Master for an item before, weren’t you? If I saw correctly, that item was... a fake!"
Yun Xiao’s expression beca serious, and as he spoke, Xiaolan, who had been composed, suddenly transford, her face revealing shock as though she had encountered a trendous issue.
When Yun Xiao first entered Gong Qizhen’s room, he happened to see Xiaolan exiting and saw her place sothing into her Waist Storage right in front of him.
With Yun Xiao’s sharp eye, although it was just a brief glimpse, he imdiately saw that there was sothing wrong with the item. However, he had not expected such a strong reaction from the girl.
The girl known as Xiaolan, whether that was her real na or not, had an air and manner that did not belong to an ordinary person. Yun Xiao knew that even though the item might be worth hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins, it shouldn’t warrant such a dramatic reaction, should it?
"What... what did you say? It’s fake?"
As Yun Xiao contemplated, Xiaolan already spoke out in a tremble. She then swept her hand over her waist, and a piece resembling a withered vine suddenly appeared in her jade palm.
It was a three-foot-long object that looked like a common withered vine, but the subtle flow of green essence within it made it seem anything but ordinary.
"Isn’t this the ’Jade Liquid Vine’? But this essence, I have studied many ancient texts, it’s not false!"
Xiaolan carefully sensed the essence within the vine, revealing a hint of confusion in her eyes. She had spent countless days and nights studying to find this Jade Liquid Vine and had only rushed here after learning that the Treasure Pavilion in Xuri City might possess it.
Although Xiaolan was not a High-level ridian Refining Master, she trusted that she could not have mistaken the identification of the Jade Liquid Vine. Moreover, it had significant importance to her—if it truly was a fake, the entire Treasure Pavilion would have to bear her wrath.
"It is indeed the Jade Liquid Vine, but..."
Seeming to sense Xiaolan’s confusion, Yun Xiao slightly shook his head and said, "This Jade Liquid Vine is sowhat different from the normal ones!"
Without waiting for Xiaolan to speak, Yun Xiao asked, "If I’m not wrong, you bought this Jade Liquid Vine to save the life of soone important, right?"
"How... how did you know?"
Xiaolan was shocked again but still nodded and said, "My mother has been seriously ill for over a year, and is at the brink of death. Ancient texts record that the Jade Liquid Vine contains a rich life force; extracting its liquid marrow can sustain even the critically ill for at least six months!"
The girl’s tone was tinged with lancholy - obviously, her mother was ill, and since she was not a ridian Refining Master, this was the only thing she could do for her mother.
"That’s right, the liquid marrow of an ordinary Jade Liquid Vine can indeed save lives, but if you use the liquid marrow from this vine, I’m afraid the person who takes it will be poisoned to death in no ti!"
Yun Xiao confird his suspicion and directly shared his judgnt. Hearing this, Xiaolan’s legs went weak. That was her own dear mother; if things were as Yun Xiao said, wouldn’t that an she had hard her mother?
"You an... it’s poison?"
With disbelief across her face, Xiaolan couldn’t accept it, but for so reason, after the events at the Treasure Hall, she deeply admired the discernnt of the youth before her. If that were the case, then it might well be true.
"As I said earlier, this is indeed a Jade Liquid Vine. It’s just that before this vine matured, a highly poisonous ’Black Spirit Snake’ must have lived beside it. Year after year, the venomous snake’s saliva dripped onto the Vine, seeping into it, which ordinary people cannot detect!"
Yun Xiao explained once more in detail. This ti, Xiaolan looked closely and indeed noticed a faint trace of pitch-black color within the erald green of the vine, which was not apparent without careful scrutiny.
"What I just said about ordinary people does not include a Treasure Pavilion Master who is an expert in identifying treasures. Moreover, the Jade Liquid Vine doesn’t simply extend life; if consud, it can also greatly increase one’s cultivation. Now, why do you think Pavilion Master Gong Qizhen didn’t consu the Jade Liquid Vine himself?"
With Yun Xiao’s intelligence, he had already guessed much of the situation, and he faintly suspected that Gong Qizhen giving Xiaolan the Jade Liquid Vine had sothing to do with him.
It was obviously retribution - most likely because Xiaolan stood up for him at the Treasure Hall, angering the Pavilion Master. Furthermore, Xiaolan walked right into the line of fire, giving him the perfect opportunity to set a trap. It was simply the nature of that Pavilion Master.
Since the incident started because of him, Yun Xiao wouldn’t stand idly by. Otherwise, why would he involve himself in such matters if not for dealing with life-threatening dangers to others? Saving a life is more ritorious than building a seven-level pagoda; why not do it?
"That damn Gong Qizhen, I must tear down that Treasure Pavilion!"
After Yun Xiao’s explanation, Xiaolan finally understood and imdiately clenched her teeth, wanting to retaliate against Gong Qizhen right away.
Xiaolan knew that if she hadn’t been waiting for Yun Xiao outside the North City Gate, she might have actually administered the vine’s liquid marrow to her mother, turning it into poisoning rather than saving her.
"Yun Xiao, thank you!"
Realizing this, Xiaolan suppressed the urge to go after Treasure Pavilion imdiately. She bowed deeply to Yun Xiao as a sign of gratitude. Perhaps avoiding her mother’s potential poisoning was even more touching than saving her own life.
"Alright, like I said, I just returned the favor, no need to thank !"
Yun Xiao waved his hand. After this matter, he considered himself even with the quirky Xiaolan. From now on, their paths would diverge, like water not interfering with river water.
"Alright, you can go on ahead. I’ve got sothing else to do!"
Xiaolan bit her lip, and surprisingly, she didn’t insist on accompanying Yun Xiao, leaving him montarily astonished. However, he quickly understood.
It seed that the girl had a kind heart. By her deanor, she planned to go to Xuri City to confront the Treasure Pavilion but did not want to drag Yun Xiao into it, so she asked him to leave first.
"Forget it!"
Yun Xiao sighed inwardly but eventually said, "The Treasure Pavilion is entrenched in Xuri City, and it’s inconvenient to make a move inside the city. However, I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"
Just when Xiaolan was determined to stir up trouble at the Treasure Pavilion, Yun Xiao’s voice ca again, causing her to turn around.
"If we don’t make a move in the city, could it be that Gong Qizhen will co out on his own?"
Xiaolan was puzzled. But as the question fell, she saw the confident smile of the young man opposite her, who then seed to pat sowhere on his body. An invisible aura had already drifted towards the city.
"Don’t worry, he will definitely follow!"
Yun Xiao smiled faintly, touching a spot of light inside his garnt, then turned and walked away. Behind him, Xiaolan pondered for a mont and eventually followed suit. In her heart, she had developed a newfound trust in this young man.
About thirty minutes later, by the North City Gate of Xuri City, suddenly several imposing presences appeared. The leading two figures looked quite familiar.
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