Chapter 15
As Jian Huan jumped off the carriage, the bright sunlight forced her to close her eyes instinctively.
After a night of drowsy, bumpy travel inside the carriage, the sight of the lush greenery around her gave her a sense of disorientation, as if she had traveled through time.
The carriage owner, Ma Congcong, led the spirit horse, lovingly patting its back while grinning at everyone: "We've arrived at Azure Dragon City. The city gate is right over there. If you ever need a ride again, you can find me. My Xuantian ID is Ma Congcong."
The others bowed to Ma Congcong before dispersing, some going alone, some in pairs, blending into the crowd entering the city and gradually disappearing from sight.
Jian Huan shielded her eyes with her hand, squinting towards the city gate under the direct sunlight.
No matter if she looked from left to right or right to left, the characters 'Azure Dragon City' were unmistakable.
Absolutely genuine.
Shen Jizhi stood behind her, equally silent.
Neither of them had dared to sleep on the carriage last night, staying vigilant in case Ma Congcong had any tricks up his sleeve, ready to react immediately.
But—
Ma Congcong had shown no signs of any tricks throughout the journey.
For a moment, both of them felt a complex mix of emotions.
Unable to tell if they were disappointed or relieved.
Ma Congcong looked curiously at these two passengers: "Uh, is there anything else you need?"
Jian Huan snapped back to reality, took out her Xuantian Mirror, added Ma Congcong, and asked: "Brother Ma, will your carriage be flying back to Approaching Immortal City tonight?"
Ma Congcong looked a bit embarrassed: "Not tonight. I'll let the horse rest, and we'll head back tomorrow."
Jian Huan: "I see. Do you know of any other drivers?"
She and Shen Jizhi still had to return tonight.
Ma Congcong smiled: "You can check the teleportation array. There are actually many people like me around there, but they don't openly do business. You should be able to find someone if you look around."
Jian Huan clasped her hands: "Thank you!"
She glanced at Shen Jizhi, who was still affectionately stroking the horse, and waved her hand, calling out: "Stop looking, let's go."
Jian Tianxia was waiting for Jian Huan at the city gate.
They had been chatting on the Xuantian Mirror for nearly a month, and Jian Huan's intuition told her that Jian Tianxia was a good person, so she didn't bother to cover her face.
Jian Tianxia also didn't cover his face. He was a spirited young man, quite handsome, with a sword on his back and healthy, tanned skin.
Jian Huan handed over a stack of talismans wrapped in white paper, and Jian Tianxia handed her a bundle.
The bundle was heavy, instantly filling the void in her heart with satisfaction.
Jian Tianxia seemed a bit embarrassed.
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He hadn't expected the talisman master to be so young and beautiful.
"Master Qian, my teammates are waiting for me at the teleportation array, I have to hurry back," he said. Normally, he would count the talismans in front of the seller, but with such a beautiful master, he didn't think she would need to cheat.
If she wanted to cheat, she wouldn't be selling talismans; there were plenty of men willing to be deceived by her.
Jian Huan opened the bundle and checked to make sure there were no stones mixed in, then weighed it, feeling it was about right.
It wasn't suitable to show off wealth in a crowded place like this, so she didn't count the stones one by one.
"Yes, yes, you should hurry," Jian Huan was very friendly to her customers, her eyes smiling, "Be careful on your way, and you can always find me if you need anything in the future."
Jian Tianxia hurriedly nodded, clutched the talismans, and ran off.
Shen Jizhi watched Jian Tianxia leave, saw him take the wrong path and then return, running towards another street.
He snorted inwardly at this, then shifted his gaze to Jian Huan's face, filled with curiosity.
Unexpectedly, Jian Huan suddenly turned her head.
She was quite surprised: "Why are you still here?"
She thought he had left long ago, but he had actually been standing quietly behind her?
Shen Jizhi's gaze slightly froze, then he calmly withdrew it, took a step, and left a sentence: "If I had known this, why didn't you entrust this matter to me? I would only charge you three..."
Jian Huan felt like everyone around her was giving her malicious looks.
She carefully hugged the bundle, following Shen Jizhi, and retorted directly: "If I had known this, why didn't you entrust your debt repayment to me? I wouldn't even charge you any stones."
In modern times, when she was a child, she didn't even want her parents to handle her red envelopes.
Who was he? He wanted to handle her four thousand and five stones?
Dream on.
Shen Jizhi felt a bit mocked because of the three stones: "……"
Shen Jizhi glanced at her: "Why are you following me?"
Jian Huan chuckled: "You watched my entire transaction process. It's only fair that I watch your debt repayment process."
In truth, she was curious and wanted to know how much he owed.
This man was a tight-lipped person. If he didn't want to talk about something, it would stay buried in his heart forever.
Shen Jizhi refused: "No."
Jian Huan spread her hands: "Rejection invalid. You could have left earlier, why did you stay?"
Shen Jizhi fell silent.
He also wondered to himself why he hadn't left earlier.
Jian Huan kindly explained a human weakness for him: "I understand, everyone has a curiosity to peek into others' privacy. I can overlook it. But please also satisfy my curiosity."
Shen Jizhi: "……"
Unable to refute.
She always had strange, twisted logic.
In the main hall of the Chu family, Jian Huan sat next to Shen Jizhi.
Chu family servants filed in, serving them tea, accompanied by snacks to go with the tea, and fresh fruits to cleanse the palate.
These were just ordinary foods for commoners, but they brightened Jian Huan's eyes.
At Jade Clarity Sect, every day was about Fasting Pills, occasionally having spiritual food to change the taste.
But soft, sweet cakes, watermelons glistening with water, and plump purple grapes had been absent for a long time.
Jian Huan picked up a lotus seed cake, took a light bite, and the fragrant lotus flavor mixed with sugar's sweetness spread on her tongue, sweetening her heart.
The butler hurried in, bowed to the two, and said to Shen Jizhi: "Master Shen, Master Chu is out on business today. I've just sent someone to call him back, please wait a moment."
Shen Jizhi owed money to their Master Chu, the butler knew. But no matter how much Shen Jizhi owed, he was a direct disciple of Jade Clarity Sect, and he had to be treated well when he came.
Master Chu had said, one matter at a time.
Shen Jizhi didn't touch any of the cakes or fruits, not even the tea.
He avoided the butler's bow, as always, keeping a distance: "Thank you."
The butler knew his personality and didn't say more, just left after giving instructions, leaving the place to Shen Jizhi and Jian Huan.
Shen Jizhi closed his eyes and sat down to circulate his spiritual energy.
Jian Huan held a teacup in one hand and a cake in the other, her eyes wandering around.
The Chu family's furniture looked a bit old, but the layout was well-thought-out, like a once-wealthy family that had fallen on hard times.
She finished the cake, took a big gulp of tea, took out her Xuantian Mirror, and tapped on Gong Feihong's Xuantian ID.
[Qian Duo Duo has talismans: Brother Feihong, do you know the background of the Chu family in Azure Dragon City?]
That day, Gong Feihong came to get talismans from her, and they exchanged Xuantian IDs, adding each other later.
It turned out that Gong Feihong was a Xuantian Mirror enthusiast. As long as it wasn't an emergency, he could reply instantly to any message, always ready to respond.
As the direct son of the Gong family, he knew a lot about the Nine Provinces Continent, a veritable walking encyclopedia.
Jian Huan treated him like a Baidu.
[Gong Feifei: The Chu family in Azure Dragon City? I have some impression. The previous head of the Chu family, it seems, was also a disciple of our Jade Clarity Sect.]
[Qian Duo Duo has talismans: Really? What else?]
[Gong Feifei: I don't know the specifics, I'll ask our senior brothers and sisters for you!]
[Qian Duo Duo has talismans: Great, hurry up!]
Jian Huan put down her Xuantian Mirror and focused on drinking tea and eating.
After she refilled her teacup three times and finished a plate of cakes, Gong Feihong returned.
[Gong Feifei: ! Are you asking for Brother Shen?]
[Qian Duo Duo has talismans: Well... what's the matter?]
[Gong Feifei: The head of the Chu family two hundred years ago was quite close to Brother Shen's master. It's said he borrowed a lot of money from Elder Gu. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed in ascending to the Nascent Soul stage and died during the thunder tribulation.]
[Gong Feifei: The descendants of the Chu family don't seem to have much talent for cultivation, but a dying camel is still bigger than a horse. They should be living well in the human world.]
Jian Huan looked at the spacious, bright hall and the imposing gate outside, nodding.
Indeed, they were doing well.
Gong Feihong was still talking when an old man with white hair, hunched over, walked in from outside, followed by the butler.
Jian Huan said goodbye to Gong Feihong while unobtrusively observing the old man.
It seems that Master Chu had been informed by the steward, as he greeted Jian Huan first: "Greetings, Jian the Immortal."
Jian Huan quickly stood up: "Good day, Master Chu."
Master Chu is over seventy years old, making him a senior to Jian Huan in age.
However, Shen Jizhi's master is several hundred years old, and Master Chu's great-great-great-grandfather was of the same generation as Shen Jizhi's master.
Shen Jizhi is only one generation younger than his master, so by that reckoning, Master Chu should address both of them as ancestors...
Master Chu's face is wrinkled with age, and he looks very tired, but his eyes remain sharp.
He glanced at the empty plate in front of Jian Huan and gave the steward a look.
The steward quickly gave instructions to the servants.
Master Chu forced a smile: "Our hospitality is lacking; please forgive us, Jian the Immortal."
Jian Huan waved his hand: "Not at all, not at all. You're too kind."
After exchanging pleasantries, Master Chu approached Shen Jizhi.
Shen Jizhi took out a Mustard Seed Pouch from his robe and pulled out a large sack.
When the sack was placed on the ground, it made a faint clinking sound like small stones.
Aliali: 674b4422c4f3f33ac4a005c8Shen Jizhi said: "Master Chu, this is the thirty thousand spirit stones my master owes your family. Please take a look."
Jian Huan: "!"
Wow, he actually managed to save thirty thousand!
Master Chu didn't even glance at the sack of spirit stones.
He let out a long breath, as if deflating, and his knees buckled as he was about to kneel.
Shen Jizhi frowned and reacted quickly, catching him: "Master Chu, what is this...?"
Master Chu's face was filled with sorrow, and his aged hands, covered in age spots, gripped Shen Jizhi's arm, trembling: "My only granddaughter has gone missing, it's been ten days, and no matter how we search, we can't find her. I've also asked many cultivators for help, but still, nothing. Shen the Immortal, I beg you to help me with this. Chu Chu is the last hope of our Chu family. These thirty thousand spirit stones can serve as a token of gratitude."
Hearing this, Shen Jizhi was taken aback and instinctively looked at Jian Huan.
Jian Huan was holding a grape, but accidentally, it slipped from her hand and rolled on the ground, finally stopping at Shen Jizhi's feet.
She too was looking at him.