Chapter 135: A Trace of Guilt-Cultivation Strategy: Winning the Male Lead’s Favor from the Start(The young lady walks with confidence, unafraid to go her own way.)

Hearing this, Yan Shu let out a soft laugh.

Xiao Jihan glanced at her, a rare trace of embarrassment crossing his features. After all, he was the male lead; he had to be given some face. Yan Shu quickly stifled her laughter, cleared her throat, and asked, "Do you know where Sun Changfeng was sent?"

"It seems he was sent to some small town." Xiao Jihan regained his composure, returning to his usual indifferent demeanor. "Although his cultivation has been crippled, with the spiritual energy I transferred to him, he won't be easily bullied in the mortal realm. Plus, he still has spirit stones; even with only thirty years left to live, he can live quite comfortably. However..."

"However what?" Yan Shu pressed. "Is he still unconvinced? Does he intend to come after us for revenge?"

"Of course not." Xiao Jihan looked at her as if she were a fool. "Sun Changfeng is now merely a mortal; how could he possibly challenge a cultivator? Moreover, in the entire cultivation world, those with higher cultivation than your senior brother can be counted on one's fingers. Even if he wanted revenge, he lacks the ability!"

"Er..." Yan Shu asked, "Then what were you referring to?"

Xiao Jihan frowned. "It is just that Sun Changfeng will not be content retiring in a small town, and Qiu Shuoran will not let him rot there, either."

Yan Shu fell silent. She sat on a stone, resting her chin in one hand while poking the campfire with the other. "You mean to say that Qiu Shuoran will bring Sun Changfeng back?"

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan gave her an approving look. "Whether Qiu Shuoran fled on his own or was expelled from the sect, the sect has disowned him. Bearing the identity of a disgraced disciple, even if his status in the mortal realm is high, he will still be criticized. But if he brings Sun Changfeng back, things will be different."

Yan Shu nodded in realization. "If he intends to build a good reputation, he will publicly claim that out of respect for his master, he is willing to stand by his teacher—who committed wrongs and implicated him—and support him until his final days."

Xiao Jihan nodded. "For him, this is the safest path."

Yan Shu scoffed. "He thinks quite highly of himself. If things go wrong, he might even try to throw mud at our Xuantian Sect! Once we reach the Imperial City, I will certainly teach him a lesson!"

"No rush," Xiao Jihan said, watching her. "Haven't you always yearned for life in the mortal realm? Since we are already out, let's explore properly. It’s not too late to head to the Imperial City later; besides, it will take him some time to retrieve Sun Changfeng."

To be able to eat, drink, and wander about in the mortal realm—that would be perfect! In her past life, she loved traveling; how could she pass up such a golden opportunity? Wait...

Yan Shu looked up at Xiao Jihan. "Do... do you have any spirit stones? I don't have a single one."

Xiao Jihan replied calmly, "Naturally. Two days ago, I made a special trip to the General Affairs Pavilion and collected my monthly allowance for the next ten years."

A direct disciple’s monthly allowance was one hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones. Ten years meant eighteen thousand low-grade spirit stones and one hundred and eighty medium-grade ones! While it didn't seem like much in the cultivation world, it was more than enough for them to live lavishly in the mortal realm! Besides, once they reached the Imperial City, they could sell pills at the Wanbao Pavilion.

Yan Shu was delighted and gave him a thumbs-up. "You really are a clever one!"

"It is not that I am clever; it is simply that you do not pay much attention to such matters."

As the sky gradually turned pale, Xiao Jihan suddenly remembered something and said to Yan Shu, "Give me your Profound Spirit Mirror."

Yan Shu handed it over, puzzled. "What do you need the mirror for?"

Xiao Jihan’s expression turned cold. Without answering, he channeled his spiritual energy into her mirror, then handed his own to her. He said coldly, "What do you think?"

"Er..." Could she be blamed? From the moment she transmigrated, it had been over ten years. Aside from the days she was trapped by the formation when she first entered the Fantian Secret Realm, they had been inseparable, like conjoined twins. How could she have thought of using the mirrors? Besides...

Yan Shu channeled her energy into his mirror, handed it back, and looked at him. "It makes no difference whether we have the mirrors or not. Wherever you go, whatever place you are in, I will find you. I will never lose you!" After all, the heavenly lightning was chasing her! She couldn't lose him even if she wanted to!

Favorability: 41 (Affection)
Favorability: 42 (Affection)

"Is that so?" The corners of Xiao Jihan’s mouth lifted slightly, his dark phoenix eyes shimmering. "Are you so sure?"

"Of course!" Yan Shu said with confidence. "If you don't believe me, you can test it. No matter where you go, I will definitely be within fifty miles of you! If you shout with your spiritual energy, I will certainly hear you!"

The sky had grown bright. Xiao Jihan smiled and leaned down to extinguish the campfire.

Seeing his expression, Yan Shu was unhappy. "You don't believe me? I'm telling the truth, you can try it!"

Xiao Jihan looked up at her. "There is no need."

"Why not?" Yan Shu, who had been dying for a moment of solitude to catch her breath, urged him, "Just try it, you won't lose anything!"

Xiao Jihan still refused. He looked into her eyes, his gaze deep and bottomless. "I possess very little. I am still busy holding onto what I have; why would I intentionally create separation?"

Hearing this and meeting his dark gaze, Yan Shu suddenly found herself unable to speak. She even felt a tinge of guilt for having tried to coax him into leaving earlier.

Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Jihan shifted his gaze and said softly, "Look, the sunrise is beginning."

Yan Shu turned to look. On the horizon where the earth met the sky, a pale, fish-belly white began to emerge. Slowly, the sun breached the horizon, red and glowing, staining everything around it in shades of crimson.

Yan Shu had read many poems describing the sunrise but had never seen one with her own eyes. Sunrise could be viewed from mountaintops, plains, deserts, or the seashore. Throughout history, scholars and poets had written countless beautiful descriptions, but no amount of reading could compare to the splendor and impact of seeing it in person. Watching the sunrise brought a sudden peace to the heart, filling one with vitality and life.

Ten thousand rays of light spilled across the earth, illuminating not just the world, but the human heart.

Watching the rising sun, Xiao Jihan murmured, "In the past, I feared the sunrise most of all, because it meant another day of suffering was beginning. So, even though I have faced the sunrise countless times, I never once looked at it. But now, I am willing to."

Yan Shu listened quietly, realizing that his words meant he truly trusted her—perhaps even relied on her. He was beginning to open his heart, accepting her presence, and little by little, sharing the past he never wished to recall.

Xiao Jihan turned to look at her. "Are you not curious about my past?"

Yan Shu shook her head and picked up a stone, tossing it into the nearby creek. "I'm not curious. You said yourself that it was painful, so let's never mention it again. In any case, you are now an eighth-grade alchemist, your spiritual roots have fully transformed, and all those hardships are in the past."