Chapter 174: Good Deeds Deserve Rewards
Outside, the night was cool and breezy.
Inside Nan Xiaoxiang’s room, Chen Yin held her hand, his unique blue spiritual energy flowing through her meridians.
It was strange.
Nan Xiaoxiang was a mortal, and normally, Chen Yin would have to be extremely careful when channeling his spiritual energy into her body.
A cultivator’s potent spiritual energy could easily damage a mortal’s delicate meridians.
But his blue spiritual energy was gentle and flowed smoothly through her body, like a soothing rain, dispelling the lingering chill of the poison without any resistance. Chen Yin didn’t even have to control it.
It seemed his blue spiritual energy had more uses than he had realized.
After a while, beads of sweat appeared on Nan Xiaoxiang’s forehead.
She seemed a little flushed, her collar slightly unbuttoned, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin.
She opened her eyes, her gaze slightly downcast.
“Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Chen.”
Chen Yin didn’t reply, just silently withdrew his hand.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Nan Xiaoxiang lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
“I have a question,” Chen Yin suddenly said.
“When that boy was hitting you, did you feel… wronged?”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s body trembled slightly.
She took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with tears.
“Does it matter?” she whispered. “I was just doing what I had to do.”
“You didn’t have to save him. It was his choice.”
“I told you, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.”
Nan Xiaoxiang finally looked up, meeting Chen Yin’s gaze.
Her eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, but her resolve was unwavering.
Chen Yin was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
“…They won’t thank you.”
“I’m not doing this for their gratitude.”
Nan Xiaoxiang said seriously, “I simply chose a path and followed it.”
Once she had chosen her path…
…She would overcome any obstacle in her way.
Regret was not an option.
“I know you think I’m a scheming and hypocritical woman, Young Master Chen.”
She gently touched her hand, which was still slightly cold, and said, each word deliberate, “I don’t expect you to change your mind about me.”
“I just hope you believe that I truly want to save Ye Ling’er.”
Chen Yin looked at her intently.
After a long silence, he sighed softly.
“…You’re wrong.”
“I might think you’re scheming, but I’ve never thought you were hypocritical.”
Although Nan Xiaoxiang had lied to him about many things…
…She had never lied about her kindness.
She was a true healer.
“You said you weren’t doing this for a reward,”
Chen Yin pulled a milkshake from the System Shop, “but I’ll give you one anyway.”
Nan Xiaoxiang stared at the drink in his hand.
“What is this?”
“Try it and see.”
She hesitated. “You’re not really treating me like a child, are you? I was just doing what I thought was right. There’s no need for a reward.”
“You don’t have to take it.” Chen Yin’s gaze was calm.
But Nan Xiaoxiang took the milkshake.
The cold, sweet, and slightly tart flavor made her eyes widen in surprise.
“How… how can something be so delicious?”
“Just for today,” Chen Yin sat beside her bed, “you can have as much as you want.”
Nan Xiaoxiang stared at the milkshake in her hand, the refreshing taste lingering on her lips.
She suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
…She had been so determined.
To heal the sick, to do good, to expect nothing in return.
Even if she was misunderstood or wronged.
But if someone told her, when she was feeling down and discouraged:
You did the right thing.
You’re amazing.
This is a reward for being a good girl.
Nan Xiaoxiang suddenly realized that she wasn’t as strong as she thought she was.
She could still be moved to tears by such a small gesture.
She didn’t want to lose her composure in front of Chen Yin, so she took a deep breath, lowered her head, and continued drinking the milkshake, her hair falling forward, hiding her glistening eyes.
Chen Yin, seeing this, gently touched her back.
Nan Xiaoxiang flinched and was about to speak, “Young Master Chen—”
“Does it hurt?” she heard him ask softly.
He had noticed the bruise on her back, where the younger brother had struck her.
Even a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy could inflict a painful blow.
And Nan Xiaoxiang was just a mortal.
She bit her lip and didn’t answer.
A warm, soothing energy flowed from his fingertips into her back, easing the pain and swelling.
The warmth and the gentle pressure of his touch made her cheeks flush slightly.
“Is that better?”
“…Thank you, Young Master Chen.”
Nan Xiaoxiang bowed her head slightly, stealing a glance at him.
His expression was calm, his eyes clear, no hint of lechery or malice.
He withdrew his hand and said softly, “We might be staying here for a few days.”
“If you encounter something like this again—”
“There’s no need to dissuade me, Young Master Chen. I’ll still do it.” Nan Xiaoxiang said firmly, without hesitation.
“…I wasn’t going to dissuade you.”
Chen Yin glanced at her sideways. “Just call me next time.”
“At least, no one will be throwing stools at you while you’re trying to save someone’s life.”
Nan Xiaoxiang paused, her eyes widening slightly.
With that, Chen Yin left the room. The evening breeze blew through the window, carrying a chill. Nan Xiaoxiang finished her milkshake and walked to the window, gazing outside, lost in thought.
…Besides the old physician who had saved her…
This was the first time someone had supported her actions.
It… felt nice.
A faint smile touched her lips.
The next morning, seeing that Luo Luo was still fast asleep, Chen Yin went outside and stretched.
But he quickly frowned and wrinkled his nose, leaning against the railing with a look of disgust.
“What’s wrong? Feeling down so early in the morning?”
Qingying, dressed in her black bodysuit, landed beside him gracefully.
“I wanted to enjoy some fresh air,”
Chen Yin pouted. “But this damn place is filled with miasma. It’s suffocating.”
Qingying almost chuckled.
“What about you? Where did you go last night?”
“I went to contact the Ten Thousand—”
Qingying stopped mid-sentence, then snorted. “Why should I tell you?”
“Hey, I’m your employer!”
“Employers can’t interfere in their employees’ private lives, can they?”
“Private life?” Chen Yin looked at her with a playful grin. “Did you find a local boyfriend in the Wu Xuan Cave?”
The next moment, he ran away as fast as he could.
The railing where he had been standing was now broken.
“You vulgar scoundrel!”
Qingying gritted her teeth and glared at him.
“Seriously, though, there is a Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion branch in the Ten Thousand Mountains.”
“But it’s far. It took me all night to make a round trip.” She leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed.
“My, you’re quite diligent.” Chen Yin asked with a smile, “Why are you so eager to help me deal with those Shen Li pests?”
He had intended to contact the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion himself when they arrived.
But he had been too lazy and decided to settle in the Wu Xuan Cave first.
He hadn’t expected Qingying to take the initiative.
“I… I had nothing better to do.”
Qingying averted her gaze, her voice slightly muffled. “My training in the secret division makes it hard for me to stay idle, so I… I just helped you out, you lazy bum.”
Her voice trailed off.
Chen Yin looked at her with surprise. “Since when are you so helpful?”
“Hey! Don’t question my kindness! You ungrateful brat! I won’t help you next time. Hmph.”
She tossed a jade token at him and stormed off.
Chen Yin grinned, watching her leave.
Her tsundere personality was probably incurable, even by Nan Xiaoxiang.
He infused the token with his spiritual energy, and rows of text appeared before him.
“Top Secret. Access restricted to Supreme level and above.”
“Traces of Shen Li activity detected within the Ten Thousand Mountains within the past month.”
“Details unknown, location unconfirmed.”
Within the past month, huh… Chen Yin stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Ye Huang had arrived here six months ago. If the Shen Li members only appeared recently, it was unlikely they were after him.
Unfortunately, the Ten Thousand Mountains were vast, and even the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion’s intelligence network was limited here.
Obtaining more precise information would be extremely difficult.
But Shen Li only cared about Heavenly Dao Fragments and Chosen Ones.
If they were here, it meant they had caught wind of something.
Could it be related to the Wu Xuan Cave…? He wondered.
Suddenly, he noticed something from the corner of his eye and jumped in surprise.
“Whoa!”
A small, pale face was inches from his own, its large, watery eyes blinking at him curiously.
It was the young girl, Lian’er.
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
“I saw you standing there motionless, so I thought you had been stung by a bug. I wanted to see if you were dead.”
Her voice was innocent and pure, filled with a childlike curiosity.
Chen Yin’s lips twitched.
“…Couldn’t you have thought of something more positive?”
“But isn’t death the best outcome?” Lian’er said matter-of-factly. “Many of our poisons cause unbearable suffering. Your skin rots and festers, attracting insects that feast on your flesh, your blood turns sweet, and you even crave it yourself, and then—”
“Stop!”
Chen Yin wiped the sweat from his brow.
…I misjudged you. You’re already being very considerate.
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