Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Ye Qingci ultimately bought the pair of evil-resistant ice silk white socks.

She herself couldn't explain why she bought them. Perhaps it was just that the moment she caught a glimpse of those socks, the image of Luo Yinghe suddenly appeared in her mind—her only personal disciple.

She has a lively and spirited personality, and her eyes always have a touch of coquettish charm.

Back in the Shangqing Sect, his favorite thing to do was to go to her palace and rummage through her wardrobe, but each time he would frown and shake his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.

"Master, these clothes of yours are so boring. You have such a stunning face, it's such a waste that you don't dress up properly."

Whenever this happened, she would just smile softly and respond gently, never taking it to heart.

Her century of solitary spiritual practice had long since transformed her into a person of aloofness and self-restraint.

But right after she escaped from the Shangqing Sect, she could feel that her life trajectory seemed to have completely deviated from the predetermined path at this moment.

Looking at the pair of white silk socks containing the evil spirits in her storage ring, she suddenly felt that trying something new that she had never experienced before might not be a bad idea.

I just wonder how that girl Luo Yinghe is doing now...

She wasn't worried about Luo Yinghe's situation. After all, with her talent, she was a once-in-a-century talent even in the Shangqing Sect, and no one in the sect dared to make things difficult for her.

It's just that I no longer have my own discipline...

That girl's unruly nature is probably beyond anyone's control.

With that thought in mind, she quickly returned to Wangyue Pavilion, by which time the sky was gradually darkening.

When Ye Qingci pushed open her hotel room door, she was taken aback and stopped in her tracks.

She discovered that Shen Weijing was actually in her room, leaning against the table by the window with a cup of tea in his hand.

He looked up at the sound coming from the doorway and his gaze fell on Ye Qingci.

She had changed into an elegant white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), maintaining the same cool and gentle style as before.

Ye Qingci looked at Shen Wei with some confusion:

"Young Master Shen, why are you in my guest room? Is there something important you need?"

"Um......."

Shen Wei remained silent for a long time, as if he was considering his words and trying to find a way to explain the current crisis in a way that would be easy for her to accept.

He briefly summarized what Wen Jingxing had told him that morning to Ye Qingci.

Finally, he put down his teacup and added:

"Therefore, we should choose a day to leave and not linger here."

Upon hearing this, a sense of unease arose in her heart, and she also felt that Qingyun City was indeed fraught with danger and it was not advisable to stay there for long.

She nodded gently, indicating her approval of Shen Wei's decision, her tone softening slightly: "Well, then so be it."

Shen Wei's gaze fell on the cyan jade token at her waist, which emanated a faint spiritual aura:

"Furthermore, you should now put away the sect's jade token at your waist; we can't afford to attract attention any longer."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingci did not hesitate at all. She immediately raised her hand, took off the jade token, and carefully put it into her storage ring.

After watching Ye Qingci do as instructed, Shen Wei slowly spoke again:

"To guard against the Demonic Sect, we will be sharing the same guest room from now on."

What?

Sharing a hotel room with him?

She instinctively wanted to refuse, but at the same time, she knew clearly in her heart that this was only to better protect her.

She bit her lower lip, her fingertips twitching slightly at the hem of her dress, trying to calm her inner unease.

In fact, after spending these few days together, she herself did not realize that the initial wariness and distance had gradually faded away.

Beneath her seemingly self-possessed and strong-willed personality, she had already developed a dependence on Shen Weisheng that she herself was unaware of.

However, the thought of being alone in a room with a man still instinctively stirred a sense of resistance within her.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally made a decision.

"Alright... then let's do as you say, young master..."

She softly agreed, then looked up at Shen Wei with a complex expression, containing not only shyness and embarrassment, but also a hint of trust that was not easily detected.

This sentence seemed to have used up all her strength.

She spoke wearily:

"I want to take a shower now."

"Um"

Shen Wei remained noncommittal.

Ye Qingci didn't know if Shen Wei genuinely didn't understand her meaning or was deliberately teasing her.

She spoke frankly:

"Then...could you...avoid this for a moment?"

"No."

Shen Wei's tone was firm.

"We don't yet know the full extent of the Demonic Sect's power, nor when they will make their move. If I retreat, you will be all alone, and if you are ambushed, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Hearing this, Ye Qingci felt somewhat annoyed.

She knew Shen Wei was right, but the idea of ​​taking a bath, such a private thing, in front of a strange man was really hard for her to accept.

But she also knew that her current situation didn't allow her to be sentimental.

Ye Qingci took a deep breath, clearing her mind of these complicated thoughts. No matter what, she had to wash away the dust and fatigue from her body today.

Wangyue Pavilion is actually a well-known brothel in Qingyun City, but they booked a private room where they would not be disturbed.

However, the room contains many illogical arrangements, seemingly designed to add ambiance.

For example, the bathing area was only covered by a thin layer of blue gauze.

Seeing this, Ye Qingci turned around and warned Shen Wei:

"You...you're not allowed to peek."

Ye Qingci's eyes narrowed, and she spoke with a hint of threat, but her slightly flushed cheeks made the threat sound more like a humble request.

"Of course, I am not the kind of person who would take advantage of someone's misfortune."

Shen Wei crossed his arms in front of his chest and answered in a calm tone.

Actually, he had already seen what he should have seen ten years ago, and he also seemed to have seen what he shouldn't have seen.

He was still young at the time, and taking advantage of being rescued by her and staying by her side, he would occasionally catch a glimpse of her when she was completely unguarded.

It wasn't that he was vulgar; it was just that Ye Qingci was too casual at the time.

Although he was over ten years old at the time, he grew a little slower than average, and in addition, he was very handsome.

He also has a very calm and composed personality.

Without a close look, one would likely mistake him for a reserved and shy little girl.

Therefore, Ye Qingci didn't seem to treat him like a boy back then, and often acted without any restraint in front of him...

He collected his thoughts, picked up a cup of tea, and looked out the window.

He felt a pang of emotion; Qingyun City was still as prosperous as ever.

As his thoughts wandered, he naturally recalled some past events.

This wasn't his first time in Qingyun City; in fact, he was quite familiar with the city.

Ever since Ye Qingci left without saying goodbye, he has been left to struggle and survive alone in this chaotic world.

In order to survive and to suppress the evil dragon within him, he simply became a professional assassin, making a living by taking on bounties.

Firstly, the lifeblood of those who commit numerous evils is precisely the nourishment that the Evil Dragon Demon most favors.

Secondly, the life of living on the edge of death would allow him to hone his skills amidst life-or-death situations, preparing him for future revenge.

With the evil dragon energy within him, coupled with the techniques left behind by Ye Qingci, he quickly rose to fame in the assassin world.

Until one day, he accepted a large reward offered by a powerful figure in the capital.

The bounty was for the capture and killing of a wicked cultivator who had stolen his favorite concubine.

But that evil cultivator was skilled in concealment and escape, and was extremely cunning. He pursued him all the way, traveling thousands of miles, and finally caught up with him in Qingyun City.

It was at that time that he met Ji Lingyuan.

Unfortunately, he didn't catch up with the evil cultivator, and instead ended up getting entangled with her...

Later, they became close partners, working together to complete countless difficult bounties and gaining a great reputation in the martial arts world.

However, after avenging his great enemy and putting an end to his obsession, he grew tired of that dark, blood-soaked life.

He left only a short letter and then departed.

He didn't know what Ji Lingyuan would think when she saw the letter—would she be angry, disappointed, or indifferent?

But then she thought that with Ji Lingyuan's personality, love and hate come and go quickly, and the departure of anyone would only make her depressed for a few days.

Perhaps she has long forgotten about him and is still living a carefree and unrestrained life in the martial arts world.

......

In Shen Wei's line of sight, in a room in a grandly decorated courtyard, the lights were dim, and the atmosphere was enchanting and ambiguous.

"Does that woman really think she's some high and mighty fairy? I'm afraid behind her back..."

Xu Yun lay on the bed, his tone full of resentment and bitterness. The humiliation he suffered at Jinxiu Pavilion during the day still lingered in his mind and was hard to calm down.

"Alright, alright, young master, don't get upset about such unlucky things anymore."

The alluring woman beside him reached out her delicate hand and gently stroked his cheek, her fingertips carrying a deliberate tenderness as she moved downwards, her tone seductive and captivating.

"Now, you can only look at me with all your heart, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yun's anger subsided considerably, but the rage beneath him was completely uncontrollable.

"Okay, of course... Hehe, with such a beautiful woman by my side, I certainly can't let her down."

Harmonious sounds soon filled the room, but they didn't last long before gradually fading away and eventually disappearing completely.

The alluring woman slowly rose, her face showing no trace of weariness from their passionate encounter; instead, she radiated health. She raised a hand to tidy her disheveled hair, her tone filled with disdain:

"This rich young master is so useless..."

She calmly dressed, slipped out of the Xu residence with ghostly movements, then crossed many roads and turned into a quiet alley.

Deep in the alley, a woman of equal beauty was already standing, dressed in red, with a touch of cold elegance in her eyes, quietly waiting for her.

She walked straight over and naturally began to pour out her grievances.

"Oh, Xiao Hong, I'm so unlucky. Why did they arrange such a fake rich young master for me?"

The woman called Xiao Hong chuckled, her tone tinged with a hint of shared misery:

"Heh, I'm not much better than you. That old geezer is so greasy, he's disgusting."

The seductive woman then changed the subject, "Sigh, if only I could become a saintess, I wouldn't have to serve these disgusting men anymore, and I could have a supreme status."

"You? Heh, don't dream. The Holy Maiden requires a pure virgin. You'll probably have to wait until your next life."

"Oh, why didn't you say so earlier..."

The seductive woman's face fell, her tone filled with frustration and disappointment.

"I thought as long as my cultivation level was high enough, I could become one. If I had known this would happen, I would have..."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Xiao Hong teased with a smile. "You should have said it a few years earlier. It's too late now."

"Hmph, Little Red, all you do is make fun of me!"

The seductive woman playfully shoved Xiao Hong.

A biting cold wind blew by, and their whispers and complaints were gradually swallowed up by the night.