452. Old Shop

“Cultivating?”

Ling Yuan stood at the doorway, her gaze lingering on Ah Yin’s flushed face. She couldn’t help but take a second glance.

“If Sister Ling Yuan has something to pass along, Nana can deliver it on her behalf,” Hu Liena said softly.

“Alright, once His Highness finishes cultivating, Nana, give him this letter,” Ling Yuan replied, retracting her gaze and pulling out a letter to hand over.

Hu Liena carefully accepted it.

“Don’t worry, Sister Ling Yuan. I’ll give it to Senior Brother in a bit.”

“You can give it to me now,” a familiar voice said clearly, catching the women’s attention.

Xiao Fei Die, still in her horse stance, suddenly noticed a figure appear beside her out of nowhere. Startled, she exclaimed, “Ah! M-Master Uncle?”

“Don’t panic. Take a break for now,” Qian Renjue said warmly, gently patting her head.

“Xiao Fei Die isn’t tired~”

Xiao Fei Die shook her head, nuzzling against Qian Renjue’s hand.

“Your Highness,” Ling Yuan greeted with a smile.

Hu Liena, delighted, turned around and wrapped her arms around Qian Renjue, giggling, “Senior Brother, here you go!”

“Hmm.”

Qian Renjue nodded slightly, ignoring Hu Liena’s soft and warm embrace.

He took the letter, unfolded it, and his expression grew a little odd.

Ling Yuan chuckled softly. “Your Highness, it seems we won’t be going out this afternoon.”

“Hah, that girl is being reckless,” Qian Renjue said with a smile.

He hadn’t expected Ning Rongrong’s jealousy to be so intense that she couldn’t wait a few more days. Still, he understood—it had been a long time since they last met.

Qian Renjue didn’t hide the letter’s contents, and Hu Liena, naturally, caught a glimpse.

Her expression turned slightly surprised. “Senior Brother, is it safe for that young lady to run off on her own?”

“She’ll be fine. The Seven Treasure clan has people shadowing her,” Qian Renjue replied, shaking his head. He gently flicked Hu Liena’s forehead.

“Ah! Haha.”

Hu Liena playfully acted out being punished, then giggled and released Qian Renjue.

“So, Your Highness, when shall we go find her?” Lingyuan asked softly.

Qian Renjue, already certain about the timing, chuckled. “No rush. She might run into Zhuqing. We’ll find her in a few days.”

“Then I’ll head back to the Alchemy Hall for now,” Ling Yuan said.

“Mm. Make sure to rest as well.”

Ling Yuan didn’t linger. The Spirit Hall was in great need of her alchemical expertise.


---

“Senior Brother~”

Hu Liena leaned into Qian Renjue’s arms, offering her tender, kissable lips. Her breath carried a sweet fragrance that stirred a burning desire.

Qian Renjue lowered his head and planted a light kiss, earning a soft murmur from her before pulling away.

“That’s enough. There’s still a child present.”

“Mm~ I’ll listen to Senior Brother,” Hu Liena replied contentedly, snuggling into his broad chest.

Xiao Fei Die, watching the scene before her, was deep in thought.

Her Master Uncle and Little Master Aunt were so good to her. Should she report this to her teacher as suggested?

“Hmph! That Qian Renjue—what’s so great about him?”

Ice Emperor snorted softly, her expression tinged with confusion. Why were so many people drawn to him?

Ah Yin, lightly touching her delicate nose, chuckled at Ice Emperor reaction.

The air seemed to carry a faint, cool sourness—the essence of a 400,000-year-old aged vinegar.

Qian Renjue turned to look at Ah Yin.

In a few days, he wondered, would Tang Hao follow along?

If he did, it might make things more interesting.


——————

Soto City

It was just after breakfast.

Xiao Wu had already dragged Tang San out for a stroll along the bustling streets.

Tang San didn’t look great—his face was bruised and swollen, and his body bore visible injuries.

His Blue Silver Grass martial soul was practically useless, with his spirit rings serving only as decoration.

Especially his second spirit skill—since obtaining it, he had never used it again.

When facing Dai Mubai yesterday, if not for his hidden weapons, Tang San would have been utterly defeated.

In contrast, Xiao Wu was in high spirits, her face beaming with a bright smile.

She moved gracefully, like a butterfly fluttering through the streets, darting between the crowds and shops.

Tang San, watching the lively girl before him, couldn’t help but smile despite his bruised face.

Protecting Xiao Wu was worth it.

What he hadn’t expected was that Dai Mubai turned out to be a student of Shrek Academy.

This realization brought a heavy pressure to his heart.

His Blue Silver Grass martial soul was, without a doubt, a useless martial soul at the moment!

Tang San had thought more than once about switching to cultivate his other martial soul. Yet each time, Yu Xiaogang firmly dissuaded him.

As Tang San stood deep in thought, Xiao Wu, munching on a skewer of candied crystal radishes, placed her hands on her hips and called out sharply,
“Tang San, have you gone stupid from that beating?!”

“Huh? No... I’m coming!”

Tang San snapped out of his thoughts and hurried to catch up with Xiao Wu.

She glanced at him and asked, “Do you want me to buy you some medicine?”

“No need. These small injuries will heal in a couple of days,” Tang San replied, shaking his head. If it wasn’t necessary, he didn’t want to spend Xiao Wu’s money.

“Alright, the ones I bought for you last time should still be enough,” Xiao Wu said, her expression smug.

Thinking back to the chaotic scene of “dog-eat-dog” yesterday, she couldn’t help but admire her own cleverness. Let’s see who dares call her a stupid bunny now!

Suddenly, Tang San stopped in front of a rundown shop, his eyes fixed on the signboard.

The unique symbols on the sign caught his attention. They resembled the emblem on the token his teacher always carried—an intricate design formed by several powerful martial souls interwoven together.

Tang San called out, “Xiao Wu, let’s check out this shop. The items here should be related to spirit masters.”

Xiao Wu nodded. “Sure, we’re just killing time anyway.”

The two walked toward the shop together. However, as they approached the entrance, Xiao Wu’s eyes were momentarily dazzled by a bright light.

Standing outside the shop was a strikingly beautiful girl with a youthful face.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist. Her figure was breathtaking, her posture upright and graceful.

Her youthful face bore a cold and indifferent expression as she quietly watched the street, as though waiting for someone.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Wu?” Tang San asked, puzzled by her reaction.

“Huh?” Xiao Wu responded with a mix of surprise and curiosity. “Is that... triplets?”

“Triplets?”

Tang San was taken aback. After seeing Dai Mubai with twins yesterday, could they really be running into triplets today?

As Tang San focused on the scene, he was stunned.

Two identical girls with striking figures walked toward each other on the street.

Neither paused, even as they were about to collide. Instead, they merged seamlessly into one, leaving behind a single figure.

“What just happened?”

Xiao Wu rubbed her eyes in confusion.

The girl, Zhu Zhuqing, paid them no attention. She moved toward her shadow clone, merging with it once more before entering the shop without a word.

“That must be a spirit skill!”

Tang San, his Purple Demon Eyes activated, watched Zhu Zhuqing’s retreating figure with a frown.

He thought he had seen a black spirit ring flash just now, but how could that be? She didn’t seem older than him.

“A spirit skill?”

Xiao Wu’s expression turned strange.

“This person’s really interesting, using clones to shop with herself!”

Unbeknownst to them, Zhu Zhuqing had only used her Nether Shadow Clone to locate this particular shop.

She didn’t want to miss out on obtaining the eighth-ranked Dragon Beard Needle.

Xiao Wu, full of curiosity, skipped lightly toward the shop.

“Let’s go inside and take a look.”

“Alright,” Tang San replied with a nod, following her in.