C23 He Could Take Advantage of Her

"Wow, the Fire Treasure Gourd, a Top Grade Magic Artifact. If I take it to the Wanbao Shop in Appropriate Prosperity City, I could easily get at least 10,000 Spirit Stones for it. Hehe, the Fire Essence True Pill is quite the treasure. My mother has been practicing a fire attribute cultivation technique for years, always hovering at the Qi Refining Stage. This will be the perfect gift to help her break through to the Foundation Stage. Oh, and the Thousand-fire Congealing Technique, which refines and purifies the essence of various Strange Flames, sounds incredibly mystical. It'll definitely be useful once I've fully rebuilt my physique."

Soong Yuan was joyfully inventorying his haul. As for dealing with Qian Xiaoruo, he planned to tackle that issue later.

After a day of restful meditation, Hsiao Yan felt much better. He could take care of himself without any issues, though the Vital Spirit within him was too thin to activate any techniques.

"Heh, this has to be Qian Ji's private savings—exactly 100,000 Spirit Stones." Soong Yuan arranged all the Spirit Stones into two large piles on the ground and, with a generous wave of his hand, declared, "Brother Yan, let's split it fifty-fifty."

"Don't... You risked your life to defeat the Vicious Thunder Grandma and earned these. I didn't contribute at all. It wouldn't be right for me to take them," Hsiao Yan, standing upright with a look of integrity, earnestly said.

Soong Yuan, in a cheerful mood, laughed and responded, "Not at all, Brother Yan. Without you, I would have been a goner in the Celestial Thunder Killing Array that night at the Thousand Thunder Inn. You played a crucial role and even got hurt because of it. You absolutely deserve your share of these Spirit Stones."

Moved by Soong Yuan's fairness and kindness, Hsiao Yan stopped objecting and accepted his half with gratitude.

Then, Soong Yuan laid out more than a hundred jade slips on the table, all of which he had found in Qian Ji's secret treasure room. Since he lacked the Vital Spirit to read their contents, he asked Hsiao Yan to help him take a quick look at the jade slips to gauge their worth.

Hsiao Yan picked out a dozen jade slips at random. With his Vital Spirit providing Enhancement, he swiftly reviewed their contents.

"Interesting," Hsiao Yan noted with a nod. "The Blazing Fire Sect specializes in fire-based techniques, but Qian Ji has collected an impressive array of cultivation methods—encompassing water, earth, stone, light, wood, and more. He even has techniques for alchemy, talisman creation, and weapon forging. It's a remarkably diverse and colorful collection."

"These will be useful. I've been eager to expand my knowledge of various cultivation arts," Soong Yuan said, pleased as he secured the jade slips.

He then took out two Storage Bags, one belonging to Qian Xiaoruo and the other to Vicious Thunder Grandma.

With Hsiao Yan's help, they opened Qian Xiaoruo's Storage Bag and extracted the Universe Compass, leaving the other items undisturbed.

However, when Hsiao Yan attempted to open Vicious Thunder Grandma's Storage Bag, he encountered trouble, failing after several tries.

Normally, a cultivator can open a Storage Bag with a surge of their Vital Spirit, allowing for the instant retrieval or storage of items with ease.

"It's probable that Vicious Thunder Grandma has applied a sealing spell to this bag. Without the correct unlocking technique, we can't open it," Hsiao Yan surmised.

"No problem," Soong Yuan stated firmly. "Let's not fuss over it now. When we return to Appropriate Prosperity City, Bai Su can solve it for us."

Then came the final issue: what to do with Qian Xiaoruo.

With a grave expression, Hsiao Yan solemnly cautioned Soong Yuan, "If you take advantage of Qian Xiaoruo while she's vulnerable, if you dare harm her... I will not forgive you once my Vital Spirit has fully recovered."

Hsiao Yan was a true gentleman.

"I know about Old Monster Qian's marriage proposal at Shennong Hall, and I've heard the rumors about Qian Xiaoruo—allegations of her draining her husbands' life force. These stories are ambiguous and unconfirmed, suggesting there's more to the story. You need to investigate this thoroughly, Soong Yuan. Don't hastily condemn Qian Xiaoruo as a villainess without knowing the whole truth."

As for the Universe Compass and the ordeal with the Celestial Thunder Killing Array at the Thousand Thunder Inn, we indeed came close to losing our lives. But we can't blame Qian Xiaoruo for that. It was our own desire for her item, and she had already given us a warning at the Hundred-plate House, offering us a chance to leave before the array was activated. We chose to stay, so we can't hold her responsible for the consequences.

Later, Xiao Qing pursued the culprit, unaware that it was you, Soong Yuan, who had obtained the Universe Compass. When she realized it was you, she stopped short of killing you. This hesitation was probably because of Qian Xiaoruo's earlier marriage proposal to you, indicating she wasn't at fault.

So, when you think about it, Soong Yuan, the bad blood between you and her isn't as severe as it might appear, right?

Hsiao Yan, with his clear, logical thinking, explained the situation to Soong Yuan.

Soong Yuan nodded, then silently rose and moved to the room next door.

Qian Xiaoruo was lying on the bed, her breaths light and even, her chest rising and falling slightly. Soong Yuan watched her, tempted to reach out and touch her.

"You've always called me 'trash' and looked down on me," he whispered to the woman who appeared to be sleeping. "When Qian Ji was willing to give me three secret treasures from the sect, of course, I asked for details, and you labeled me 'greedy' and despised me. Qian Xiaoruo, you've always treated me terribly. Whether it was in the Celestial Thunder Killing Array at the Thousand Thunder Inn or during Vicious Thunder Grandma's attack in the Quiet Room of the Blazing Fire Sect, you wouldn't have cared at all if I had died, right?"

"Why should I even keep you alive?" Soong Yuan asked himself coldly.

Then he answered himself, "It would be easier just to kill you."

Despite lying on the bed, Qian Xiaoruo's grace was evident, her face calm and smooth, locks of hair resting on her forehead, her beauty natural and unadorned. She truly was the most beautiful woman in Appropriate Prosperity City.

Back in the Quiet Room of the Blazing Fire Sect, Soong Yuan had watched her for a long time, unable to bring himself to kill her, and had instead brought her back with him.

Now, at this moment, he had to make a decision.

Soong Yuan stepped closer, sat down at the bedside, and looked down at Qian Xiaoruo. "Indeed, our conflict hasn't reached the point of life and death, so I won't kill you. But I can't just let you off easily. You've never once shown me kindness. Hmph, in the end, it was I who killed Vicious Thunder Grandma and saved you. And I bet, once you wake up, you'll still treat me with nothing but hostility."

Almost imperceptibly, a faint twitch appeared at the corners of Qian Xiaoruo's mouth, as if she were on the verge of smiling.

Soong Yuan resolved, "No, doing nothing won't cut it. First off, I need to pay you back for all the nasty things you've said to me. Secondly, I saved your life, and you should be thankful for that. I'm not suggesting you owe me your body or anything... but I, I, I, I'm entitled to some sort of reward."

He leaned in, intent on giving her a quick kiss and perhaps a little more...

Suddenly, Qian Xiaoruo's eyes flew open, and she delivered a sharp slap to Soong Yuan's face. She sat up swiftly, her anger boiling over as she scolded, "You're vile!"