In Jiuli Hall.

After a thorough cleansing, not only was her soul pure and devoid of impurities, but her rate of strength recovery had also significantly increased. Even her state of mind had reached an astonishingly high level. During the day, the romantic topics discussed by Jiang Ling'er and the other young disciples had left her feeling somewhat uneasy, but after the baptism of the Ming Emperor's soul-cleansing incantation, that feeling had completely vanished.

She slowly lay on the ground.

Just then, there was a noise outside the door. Jiang Yourong quickly sat up, covering her inadvertently revealed charms.

Wang Xiu walked in, with Jiang Ling'er slung over his back. The girl was clinging to his neck like an octopus, her cheeks flushed and her eyes closed as she muttered incoherent words.

Jiang Yourong's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"She's fine, she just fainted!" Wang Xiu reassured her.

"How could you be so rough with her? Our Ling'er has been frail since she was a child! You have no idea how to treat a lady gently!"

Wang Xiu was speechless. He was stunned for a moment before he understood what Jiang Yourong meant. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "We didn't do anything! Ling'er just fainted after smelling a type of spiritual herb and falling into an illusion, that's all!"

Hearing this, Jiang Yourong was at a loss for words, her fair cheeks instantly turning crimson. Still, she refused to let it go. "...That's what I mean. You took her out and didn't watch over her. What if something had happened?"

Wang Xiu was exasperated, but he nodded repeatedly. "You're right, it's all my fault, all my fault."

Seeing him concede, Jiang Yourong finally dropped the matter. She forcefully pulled Jiang Ling'er off Wang Xiu, laid her down on the bed, and tucked her in.

Observing this, Wang Xiu bowed respectfully. "Senior, on the way back, I fed Ling'er a Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixir. She should wake up soon. If you're still worried, it's alright to feed her another!"

Jiang Yourong waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, alright. She is my disciple; I know how to take care of her. Is there anything else? If not, you can leave!"

Wang Xiu rubbed his nose. Why is Senior's temper so short all of a sudden? It seems she was genuinely worried about Ling'er and got a little angry.

He gave an awkward smile and cupped his hands. "Then, this junior will take his leave!"

Jiang Yourong didn't turn around. She just listened as Wang Xiu's footsteps gradually faded away, followed by the sound of the courtyard gate closing. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief, clutching her ample chest. "That was so embarrassing. Thank goodness I reacted quickly..."

She shook her head, wondering why on earth her thoughts had drifted in that direction. Fortunately, I managed to smooth it over. Otherwise, how could I ever face these two juniors again? I'm so quick-witted.

「The next day.」

Wang Xiu arrived at the main hall at the entrance to the blessed land. Today's loan services had not yet started, but lines of disciples were already queuing at the door. Xiao Qingyu sat behind the beaded curtain, her chin resting on her hand as she seriously flipped through a ledger, occasionally picking up a pen to make a note with an earnest expression.

Wang Xiu quietly appeared behind her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, "What are you writing, Senior Sister?"

"Ah?"

Xiao Qingyu jumped, then relaxed when she saw it was Wang Xiu. Patting her impressive chest, she rolled her eyes at him. "Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Wang Xiu chuckled. "How would I dare? If I scared Senior Sister to death, wouldn't Spirit Turtle Peak be trampled flat by the hordes of your admirers?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qingyu feigned a pout. "So that's all you're afraid of? I thought you couldn't bear the thought of losing me. It seems I was just being sentimental!"

"Er..." Wang Xiu's eyes darted around. "If Senior Sister requires it, I can find it hard to part with you!"

"..." Hearing this, Xiao Qingyu couldn't help but roll her eyes. What did her 'needing' it have to do with anything?

"Alright, you didn't come here just to amuse me, did you?" Xiao Qingyu's beautiful eyes shifted as she glanced at him.

Wang Xiu retorted, "And why not?"

Xiao Qingyu snorted. "When have we ever met that you didn't need something from me?"

At that, Wang Xiu paused, thinking back carefully. It seemed she was right. He coughed twice to hide his embarrassment, then said with a serious expression, "This time is different, Senior Sister. Look!"

Before he finished speaking, Wang Xiu formed a seal with one hand. A tiny, snow-white cub appeared before them. It looked around at its surroundings in confusion before subconsciously moving closer to Wang Xiu and nuzzling his palm with its head.

Xiao Qingyu's gaze was fixed on the little tiger, her eyes shining with an unprecedented light. She instinctively reached out to grab it.

Wang Xiu saw this and couldn't help but smile to himself. It seems I made the right move. The lethal charm of a cute pet is something even a woman as cool and composed as Senior Sister Xiao Qingyu can't resist!

But Xiao Qingyu was, after all, Xiao Qingyu. Despite her inner yearning, she managed to suppress the urge and turned her beautiful eyes to Wang Xiu. "What is this?"

Wang Xiu grinned. "A gift for you, Senior Sister!"

Xiao Qingyu's eyes narrowed slightly as she smiled. "Sweet talk and now gifts... spill it. What do you really want?"

Wang Xiu held up a hand in a gesture of innocence. "You've wronged me, Senior Sister! I swear, there's nothing else! I just genuinely wanted to thank you for always taking care of me. That's all!"

Xiao Qingyu stared into his eyes, confirming he wasn't lying, before saying in a sweet voice, "So you do have a conscience!"

With that, she scooped the little tiger into her arms and began to play with it.

After a while, Wang Xiu finally spoke. "I just need a favor from you today, Senior Sister. When you're handling the loans for our fellow disciples, please let them know...

"Repay a total of one thousand Spirit Stones, and you can receive a Qi Refinement Realm Soul Pet for free!

"Repay a total of ten thousand Spirit Stones, and you can receive a Foundation Establishment Stage Soul Pet!

"And so on!"

At his words, Xiao Qingyu's movements froze. Her gaze, now fixed on Wang Xiu, gradually filled with murderous intent. "So, this tiger you gave me... you were planning to give them away for free anyway?"

Wang Xiu hastily explained, "Absolutely not! The Soul Pet I gave you, Senior Sister, has been specially trained by me. It's not only obedient and sensible, but it's also quite strong in combat! Its potential for growth is extremely high! It's in a completely different league from the ones I'm giving them! I swear it!"

This little tiger had hatched that very morning from a Soul Egg that Wang Xiu had refined using the Ming Emperor's Soul-Imprisonment Scripture. It was a fully realized form, capable of continuous growth by devouring souls. It was on the same level as Jiang Ling'er's big white rabbit.

Hearing Wang Xiu's emphatic words, the murderous intent in Xiao Qingyu's eyes finally faded. She rolled her eyes in a captivating manner and said, "That's more like it!"

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