Back at the city gate, Guard Xu was still seething with anger as he remembered being deceived. A spirit stone might have been just a small amount, but what really irked him was being taken for a fool.

Then, suddenly, his eyes caught a familiar silhouette. That damn man! Without hesitation, he ran toward him.

Meanwhile, Bao Hui descended the trail with a mischievous smile on his face, his hands casually resting behind his back.

“Stop right there!” The shout echoed, making Bao Hui pause for a moment before slowly turning around, wearing an honest and innocent smile.

“Oh, guard! How can I help you?” His voice was gentle, as if he truly didn’t know the reason for the confrontation.

“You only paid for nine stones! If you don’t pay what you owe, I won’t let you enter the city!” The guard growled, clenching his fists.

“Haha, don’t worry, guard.” Bao Hui let out a warm laugh. “I’m leaving the city, not entering!”

Without waiting for a response, he turned his back and continued walking briskly.

The guard froze in place.

…

Bao Hui soon found the sect leader and Elder Lie outside the mountain and reported everything he had discovered—as if they didn’t already know.

“Hm… No spirit mines, no lost inheritance, no fierce beasts to hunt. And the nearest city of cultivators is absurdly far.” The sect leader pondered calmly, his face remaining impassive, as if discussing something irrelevant, completely disconnected from him.

Meanwhile, Bao Hui smiled like a dutiful fox, listening attentively.

Tian Zhu noticed his gaze and narrowed his eyes.

“It seems like you haven’t told everything. What good news do you have?” His voice was indifferent.

“Hehe! Leader, the lack of spiritual resources doesn’t mean I haven’t found a way to raise capital for our esteemed sect. After all, the children are still waiting for powdered milk money, and my old mother always dreamed of swimming in a pool of perfect spirit stones before she passed away.” Bao Hui stroked his hands with a gentle and innocent smile.

“Old Bao!” Elder Lie interrupted, already losing patience. “You don’t have children, and your mother has been dead for a long time! Stop talking nonsense and get to the point!”

“Hehe! Calm down, Elder Lie, you’ll like this one.” Bao Hui grinned mischievously before continuing. “I discovered there’s a powerful group of bandits in the region, and I’m sure they’re not lacking in spirit stones. When I heard this, I couldn’t help but be outraged! So, I thought: why not bring justice to the innocent who’ve been robbed and confiscate these ill-gotten goods to prevent them from being used for evil?”

His voice oozed justice and indignation, as if he truly hated crime.

But his persuasive tone seemed, in fact, to be trying to hypnotize Elder Lie.

“Humph! Bao Hui, I’ve known you for years, and I know exactly what you’re plotting. But know this: I, Old Lie, am only accepting this because I want to punish evil, not because I fell for your trickery!” Elder Lie gritted his teeth, irritated.

Bao Hui blinked innocently at him.

“Where?” Tian Zhu interrupted the two’s discussion.

“Leader, they don’t have a fixed hideout. But they always return to Black Rock Mountain, which is the only spiritual vein in the region. The problem is that they disguise themselves before returning, so they’ve never been caught. But don’t worry! We just need to watch for suspicious people who don’t look trustworthy, and then Elder Lie interrogates them. If they’re innocent, we let them go. If they’re just some random bandit, it’s pocket change. But if it’s our target…” Bao Hui smiled greedily. “Jackpot.”

Tian Zhu was silent for a moment.

“Alright.”

…

Aotian and Rihai walked calmly through the streets, after buying some necessities for Aotian, who was still a mortal. But Aotian’s mind was preoccupied with his plans.

‘I hope I don’t take too long to find these bandits. I can’t let my sect leader avatar enter the city yet, since his cultivation is too apparent, and I still don’t know how to camouflage the aura. If I can steal from the bandits and buy concealment techniques, I should be able to refine a high-quality version, and everything will be easier.’

Lost in his thoughts, he was suddenly pulled back to reality by a soft voice.

“What are you thinking about?” Rihai asked, staring at him with his bright blue eyes, full of curiosity.

Aotian smiled. Without warning, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek, catching her off guard.

“I was thinking about you,” he said softly, still smiling.

“A-Aotian, stop it! We’re in public!” Rihai blushed bright red, her shyness causing her to slap Aotian’s chest harder than she intended.

“Huf!!” Aotian’s eyes widened in surprise, the impact leaving him breathless, almost making him fall.

Rihai, seeing his reaction, was startled. Her body tensed with concern, and she rushed to his side.

“Aotian! Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” She quickly supported him, her face worried and her trembling hands touching his back.

Aotian felt the weight of his arm resting on Rihai’s soft shoulders. His gaze met hers, and he saw the concern in her eyes.

Forcing a smile despite the pain in his chest, he said, “I mean… huf!… as long as it’s not in public…” He tried to joke, but the pain stopped him from finishing.

Fortunately, his martial arts were strong enough to avoid serious injury, but he knew he needed to rest a bit to feel better.

They had already finished their shopping and were on their way home. With Rihai’s help, he managed to reach the floating platform, and soon they were in the apartment.

“I’m sorry, Aotian, I just… I got nervous with the sudden kiss,” Rihai murmured, feeling guilty.

“It’s not your fault, Rihai. I was the one who rushed. I’ll try to take it slower…” Aotian responded, feeling he had been too hasty.

“It’s… okay. I just… need some time to calm down. It’s not your fault.” Rihai stammered, blushing, but her gaze met Aotian’s, and she remained firm.

Aotian looked at her softly, smiling.

‘Taking it slow isn’t so bad either…’ he thought gently.

“Rihai. Put the sofa down and sit with me,” Aotian requested. She, still a bit confused, obeyed.

In an instant, a sofa appeared from his storage bag, and the two sat down, maintaining some distance between them.

“What happened, Aotian?” she asked, a bit lost, staring at him attentively.

“It’s nothing much, I just want to get to know you better. I want you to know me too,” Aotian replied with a warm smile.

Rihai stayed silent, feeling that she wasn’t ready to talk about her past, her secrets.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Huh??” Rihai was startled by the question.

“Your favorite color. What is it? Mine’s black, then red. A bit childish, I know, but men have these things.” Aotian smiled, sharing his own preference.

“Is this what you mean by ‘getting to know better’?” Rihai asked, confused but amused.

“Of course! This is important. I want to know Rihai, the woman I’m in love with!” Aotian said, with a gleam in his eyes.

“A-Aotian, stop it! You’re too direct, it’s weird!” Rihai blushed even more.

“Well, I like to be direct, it’s my way,” he shrugged, amused.

“Ugh, you’re direct even with your perverted stuff! I can feel your eyes on me from miles away.”

“Ugh! Don’t be so direct, Rihai, that’s weird!” Aotian laughed but also felt a bit embarrassed.

“Hmph!” She huffed, unhappy.

“And the color?” He insisted.

“What color?” She replied, looking away.

“Don’t change the subject! It’s pink, right?”

“W-What! How do you know?!” Rihai was surprised, but she felt embarrassed inside. She thought it was shameful to like such a feminine color—it didn’t match her wild personality.

“I saw your eyes shining near the pink decorations.”

“Okay, Mr. Know-it-all, then what’s mine…”

“Of course it’s…”

And so, a conversation about preferences unfolded between the two.

Aotian and Rihai were surprised by many things they hadn’t expected from each other.

Aotian was surprised to learn that Rihai had a compulsion to arrive early to places, while she was surprised to find out that he loved singing.

The conversation continued for a long time, and soon, without realizing it, they were closer than they had imagined. Rihai rested her head on Aotian’s shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around her soft shoulders, both still talking.

“…Heh? So we’re having a fishing contest! Let’s see whose uncle was the better teacher. Whoever loses has to admit they were telling fish tales!” Aotian smiled, their faces now so close that their breaths almost mixed.

During the conversation, they spoke about their families, and they both saw the loss in each other’s eyes. They knew they were both alone, and it only brought them closer. But instead of dwelling on the sadness, they shared only good memories.

“Ha! Then prepare for the biggest fishing beating of your life!” Rihai sat up slightly, moving her face away from Aotian’s shoulder to meet his eyes.

Their eyes locked, and their breaths began to synchronize.

Aotian, unable to resist, glanced at Rihai’s lips, slowly moving closer.

Rihai felt her heart race and, without hesitation, closed her eyes, waiting.

The brief memory of a few hours ago kept flashing in Aotian’s mind, reminding him of the promise to take it slow. ‘Well, three hours technically count as slow… right?’, He tried to convince himself.

Their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss, which soon intensified.

They lost themselves in the moment, their tongues intertwining, and Aotian, with one hand on Rihai’s shoulder, pulled her closer, feeling the softness of her body against his.

His other hand moved to her waist, holding her more firmly against him, as his body slowly leaned toward hers.

They found a more comfortable position and got lost in the kiss.

At some point, the hand that was caressing Rihai’s side moved down to her plump backside and squeezed it firmly, intensifying the tension between them.

The kiss became more urgent, their bodies pressing closer, breaths quickening.

However, when Aotian tried to go further, his hand nearing her breasts, Rihai stopped him, holding his hand.

“Aotian… huff!” Rihai gasped, her breath coming in short bursts. “Let’s take it slow, please…” Her soft, gentle eyes looked up at him, silently pleading.

“Alright…” Aotian nodded, pulling his hand back from where it was and bringing it to her waist again, gently pulling her closer, continuing the kiss.

And so, they continued kissing and caressing each other, until later, reluctant, they separated and went to their respective rooms.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep