Chapter 104: What a Ridiculous New Love!

Xiao Jihan gazed for a moment at the spot where the Medicine King had faded away before finally turning back into the house.

Yan Shu sat by the bed, her mood evidently low. “Master has left?”

“Yes.” Xiao Jihan replied quietly. “All feasts must come to an end. It’s getting late—we should pack up and leave as well.”

Yan Shu feared farewells most of all. In her past life, when orphanage companions left one by one, she never went to see them off. For this, she was called heartless, but it wasn’t lack of feeling; it was simply that she couldn’t bear to part, couldn’t stand separation.

She loved welcoming people home. Whenever someone returned, she was always the first to rush out and greet them. Over time, everyone slowly came to understand her.

Steeling herself, Yan Shu said, “Let’s go.”

There wasn’t much to pack in Medicine King Valley, but Yan Shu couldn’t help feeling reluctant, so she gathered all the little trinkets the Medicine King had used. Xiao Jihan collected the Medicine King’s cauldron for alchemy and some leftover medicinal herbs and spirit plants.

With most things packed, he made another turn, heading for the room he and Yan Shu had shared.

Yan Shu thought nothing of it, assuming he’d left something behind there. When he finished and stepped out, she glanced into the room—astonishingly, not only were all the knickknacks gone, even the bed had been taken. The entire room was empty.

Others would pluck feathers from a passing goose, but Xiao Jihan had left nothing behind—not even the goose.

He seemed not to notice anything amiss. Raising his gaze to Yan Shu, he said, “Let’s go.”

They closed the door, locked the courtyard, and took one last look at the place where they’d lived for ten years. Then, one after another, they stepped into the teleportation array.

A brilliant light flashed. When they opened their eyes again, they stood outside the great tree. The tree hollow was gone, as if it had never existed.

Soon, Xiao Jihan was transported as well. With his arrival, the array beneath their feet vanished.

Today was the last day the Brahma Secret Realm would close. Everyone was giving their all for a final chance; although there was no one nearby, traces of spells and sword energy danced faintly in the distance.

Yan Shu turned to Xiao Jihan and spoke softly, “We’ve been gone for ten years; word of our fortunes must have spread. News that you’re an eighth-tier alchemist and that I obtained the Breath Soil—it’s best not to let that leak out.”

“I’ve thought it through. If anyone asks, I’ll say I gained the Karma Fire Red Lotus. The reason we stayed in the secret realm for ten years is that, while we were inside, it closed and we couldn’t get out.”

A man’s guilt lies in the treasures he bears—Xiao Jihan understood this well.

He nodded. “That’s wise. But your acquisition of the Karma Fire Red Lotus—Yuwen Che knows about it. What if he exposes you? Or perhaps, he’s already spread the news?”

“He shouldn’t,” Yan Shu blinked. “He’s not the sort to gossip.”

Xiao Jihan’s face chilled a little, his brows furrowing. “You trust him that much?”

Yan Shu considered and answered, “Sister Yu after all is a demon. Letting her go was Master Kongwu’s wish, but ultimately, the three of us released her. If word got out, we’d be criminals. Yuwen Che isn’t foolish.”

--

“Besides,” Yan Shu continued, “he’s a good man, not one to gossip. He knew about the Phoenix Egg I got, too. Not only did he help me acquire it, he kept the secret for me.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Seems he means a great deal to you.”

“It’s not so much,” Yan Shu replied honestly. “I don’t know many people. He’s the first person I met outside the Xuantian Sect.”

Xiao Jihan’s eyes grew cold, his lips tightly pressed. He said nothing more.

Affection rating: 44 (favorable)
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Her favor had dropped by five points in succession. Yan Shu realized he was angry.

In the past, a five-point drop in favor would have made Yan Shu panic. But now, with dozens of points as a cushion, she felt no fear at all. In fact, she thought she could use this chance to correct his childish possessiveness.

So she said, “You shouldn’t be so petty. I can’t have only you by my side forever, and you can’t have only me.”

At this, Xiao Jihan’s whole body radiated coldness. He said in a frosty voice, “Why not?”

“Huh?” Yan Shu was puzzled. “Isn’t it normal? We both need regular social ties—it can’t always just be us.”

“Ha!” Xiao Jihan sneered, his cold aura intensifying as he stared at Yan Shu. “So, once you have it, you discard it like worn-out shoes?”

What kind of logic was that?

Yan Shu tried patiently to explain, “It’s not discarding, it’s—”

Affection rating: 39 (favorable)
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Yan Shu abruptly fell silent.

--

Xiao Jihan’s icy voice echoed, “Why aren’t you continuing?”

Yan Shu pressed her lips together. Could she admit she was scared?

Just a few words had cost her ten points of favor. If she stopped now, surely that was better.

His childlike possessiveness was even fiercer than she’d imagined.

“You want others by your side?” Xiao Jihan glared at her, voice cold and measured. “Unless I die, don’t even think about it!”

Yan Shu: …

With a cold snort, Xiao Jihan flicked his sleeve and strode ahead.

What the hell was this?

Watching his tall, indifferent back, Yan Shu was speechless—are you three years old?

Suddenly, gale winds rose, that familiar sensation returning. Yan Shu glanced at the thunderstorm gathering overhead, took a deep breath, silently repeated to herself not to bicker with a child, and calmed her anger before following him.

Yet Xiao Jihan had no concept of knowing when to stop, nor could he read faces.

Seeing Yan Shu catch up, he halted and shot her a cold look. “Why are you following? Aren’t you off to find a new lover?”

A new lover—seriously?

Yan Shu took a deep breath and managed a smile. “There’s no new lover, only you.”

In the past, such declarations would have raised his favor. But now, not only did the rating not increase, she was met with another cold laugh from Xiao Jihan. “Ha!”

The male lead was truly hard to please!

Her inner self was shouting in frustration. Yan Shu genuinely wanted to walk away and stop indulging his bad temper.

But then she thought, favor drops easily, but rising is hard. Though she was sure he wouldn’t kill her now, who knew if Heaven might destroy her for his sake.

Damn it—once she got his favor up to a hundred, she’d make trouble as much as she liked, pay him back for all the grievances she’d suffered!

Yan Shu reached out to tug his sleeve, gently swaying it, lifting her small face to look at him pitifully. “I was wrong. Please don’t be angry, all right?”