Chapter 17: Is She Acting Out Against Him?
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Every three months, Qingyun City holds a cultivator’s market, where all sorts of rare items that are usually unavailable can be traded. Yun Zhao wanted to buy a sword sheath for Fuguang and Bloodthirsty Sword, but after an hour in the city, they still hadn’t arrived at the spirit artifact stalls.
The reason was...
Qi Yan was clutching a pile of snacks. Yun Zhao, ever fickle, discarded the old for the new whenever something caught her eye.
“There are candied hawthorns too,” she said, buying two skewers. “Qi Yan, try some.”
Qi Yan looked disgusted. “I don’t eat that.”
Low-grade spirit fruit dipped in sticky syrup didn’t look very appetizing...
After swallowing the last hawthorn, Qi Yan used a cleansing technique to clean his hands. “Not bad, barely edible.”
“Oh,” Yun Zhao said regretfully, putting away the spirit stones. “Then I won’t buy more. I was planning to buy them all and savor them slowly.”
Qi Yan was speechless.
Yun Zhao chuckled, “Just kidding.”
After this encounter, Yun Zhao realized Qi Yan liked sweet and sour flavors, making future feeding sessions to raise favor much easier!
They arrived smoothly at the cluster of spirit artifact stalls without encountering any troublemakers. Yun Zhao was a bit disappointed; she had hoped to witness some dramatic scene like in novels.
Qi Yan remarked, “Look at the clothes you’re wearing. Maybe you should read fewer novels.”
Yun Zhao shrugged.
Indeed.
They were dressed in the Qingyun Sect’s disciple uniforms—who in their right mind would dare provoke them?
Yun Zhao put away the small trinkets she’d bought and focused on finding a sword sheath.
After wandering around, they finally found a stall.
The cultivator selling sword sheaths greeted them warmly, “Are you two looking to buy a sword sheath? Take a look here; I have a full range.”
Yun Zhao glanced over the variety—every material and style imaginable.
She squatted down with Qi Yan to slowly pick out one they liked and even had Qi Yan take out Bloodthirsty Sword to try.
“How can you know if it fits without trying? Hurry up.”
“Just buy any,” Qi Yan said impatiently, pulling out Bloodthirsty Sword. “You pick for it.”
Then he wandered off to another stall to look at spirit artifacts.
Yun Zhao ignored him, eagerly comparing sword sheaths with Bloodthirsty Sword, finally choosing a silver-white one that matched best.
Just as they finished, Qi Yan returned and paid the spirit stones for the sheath. “What about yours?”
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“Fuguang is still the same,” Yun Zhao shrugged. “I’ll buy a sheath after I figure out how to restore its original form.”
If the sword and sheath clashed in color, she would lose her mind!
Qi Yan scanned the remaining sheaths and picked a golden one out. “This one suits Fuguang well.”
The cultivator seized the opportunity, “Good eye, friend. These two are a matching set, the couple’s edition!”
“If you want both, I can give you a discount.”
Qi Yan paid without hesitation. Yun Zhao touched the golden sheath. “How do you know it fits Fuguang? Have you seen it before?”
“Of course,” Qi Yan gave her a sidelong glance. “I have a wound on my left shoulder—he stabbed me there. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
When on earth did that happen?!
Yun Zhao couldn’t recall the memory and changed the subject. “Hey, that looks like a ready-made clothes shop. Let’s check it out.”
She dragged Qi Yan over and picked out several outfits at once.
The Qingyun Sect issues disciple uniforms, but casual wear must be purchased individually.
Yun Zhao thought righteous people preferred white clothes. She had Qi Yan try on white ones, which indeed brightened his gloomy aura considerably.
“This one looks good too,” Yun Zhao said excitedly. “Try it on.”
After trying on all the chosen clothes, Yun Zhao concluded—not that the clothes were pretty, but Qi Yan looked good in them.
So she waved her hand decisively, “We’ll take them all!”
They practically emptied half the shop, buying only men’s clothes. Qi Yan changed back into his disciple uniform. “Aren’t you buying anything?”
Yun Zhao sighed. “Me? No, funds are tight lately. You go ahead and spend.”
Qi Yan was momentarily stunned. He opened his mouth but said nothing, silently handing Yun Zhao a storage pouch.
“What’s this?”
“There are spirit stones in the sect’s supplies,” Qi Yan snorted. “I have money. I’m not spending yours.”
Yun Zhao couldn’t help but smile. “Qi Yan...”
Just then, Song Zhiyuan entered, fanning himself. “Junior Brother Qi, I doubt your spirit stones are enough to pay for all these clothes.”
Qi Yan witnessed a sudden change in expression as he watched Yun Zhao’s face fall instantly. “What business is it of yours?”
Song Zhiyuan paused mid-fan. “Just a friendly reminder, Junior Brother Qi.”
Yun Zhao rolled her eyes. “Do you think we need you?”
Qi Yan watched coldly, wondering why Yun Zhao seemed to dislike Song Zhiyuan even more than he did.
“Senior Sister Yun, Senior Brother is only being kind.”
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Xue Huairui whispered behind Song Zhiyuan, “If your spirit stones aren’t enough, I have some.”
Yun Zhao wasn’t so cold-hearted toward Xue Huairui. “Thanks, Junior Sister Xue, but it’s not necessary.”
The timid shop owner nearby said weakly, “Guests, these total twenty-one thousand eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones. I’ll give you a discount—twenty thousand will do.”
Song Zhiyuan looked at the mountain of clothes, displeased. “Twenty thousand mid-grade spirit stones, Yun Zhao, you really are generous.”
He didn’t care about the clothes themselves, but all the care and affection once belonged to him alone.
Now it was given to someone else—Qi Yan, whom he despised most in life—and Song Zhiyuan’s heart burned with resentment.
“You’re saying that,” Yun Zhao crossed her arms, “I am generous because Qi Yan is my junior brother. No matter how much I spend on him, I don’t mind.”
“If I spent even a low-grade spirit stone on someone else, my heart would ache to death.”
Yun Zhao clutched her chest, feigning heartbreak.
Song Zhiyuan stiffened, then said calmly, “At least, you used to be kind to me. You visited that unhuman thing in the dungeon every day, just to tease him into giving you a smile.”
[Favorability -20, current favorability 7]
Yun Zhao: “!”
Song Zhiyuan! Damn you!
Suddenly, Qi Yan grabbed her hand, his gaze heavy. “Senior Sister, it’s getting late. We should head back.”
“Of course,” he smirked, “If you want to chat longer with Senior Brother Song, I don’t mind waiting.”
Yun Zhao quickly waved her hand. “What’s there to talk about with him? Let’s go.”
No way—just a few more words, and her favorability would drop to zero!
Ignoring Song Zhiyuan, she held Qi Yan’s hand and left. Once in an alley, Qi Yan released her hand.
Cautiously, Yun Zhao asked, “Qi Yan, are you upset?”
The favorability just plummeted so much—she had worked hard to raise it!
See? This was exactly why she disliked Song Zhiyuan. His foul mouth never uttered a kind word and dragged her into trouble!
Yun Zhao wanted to cry but had no tears.
Qi Yan pressed his lips together. “Are you being nice to me just to spite him?”
Yun Zhao was stunned. “What?”