"Fellow Daoist Li?!"
Shen Qing finally regained her composure and recognized the person in front of her.
Li Xian stepped out from the shadows of the trees. He was dressed in the green disciple robe of the Five - Element Daoist Sect. Half of his hair was tied up with a jade crown, while the other half cascaded down.
Under his sword - like eyebrows, his eyes were fixed on Shen Qing, as if there were stars twinkling in them. The upturned corners of his lips indicated that he was in a rather good mood.
"Just call me Li Xian. This is our third meeting. We're already familiar with each other."
Shen Qing:?
She wondered when strangers could automatically become acquaintances after three meetings.
"Hehe... Li Xian..."
But Shen Qing was not an ungrateful person. Li Xian was the number one among their peers after all, and they were both poor souls targeted by Lin Yibai. With this connection, Shen Qing instinctively regarded Li Xian as an acquaintance.
"Why are you here?"
Li Xian paused for a moment, then put away the jade bamboo message tube in his hand, hiding the information that Xiao Jinglan had asked him to come and watch the fun.
"I saw you a long time ago and thought I'd come over to say hello. But seeing that you were busy, I didn't want to disturb you."
Shen Qing awkwardly touched her nose and forced out a couple of laughs. "You... you saw everything just now."
For some reason, in Shen Qing's perception, there was an insurmountable gap between a genius like Li Xian and an ordinary person like herself.
Being seen in her overly dramatic state by the genius in her mind, Shen Qing felt a bit embarrassed.
Li Xian took two steps closer. Seeing the blush on the tips of Shen Qing's ears, the smile on his lips grew wider.
He took out a small box from his storage bag and handed it over.
"This is for you. When I passed by Qianlin City on a mission, I saw this. It reminded me of you, so I bought it."
Shen Qing took the box and opened it curiously. Her face immediately turned a bit grim.
She took out a jade pendant of a snarling kitten from the box and pointed back and forth between the kitten pendant and herself.
"This? Reminds you of me? When have I ever been like this?!"
Shen Qing complained madly in her heart. He even claimed they were acquaintances. They were clearly not familiar at all. How could he think this manic kitten was like her?
Li Xian didn't explain but brought up something else. "The jade used to make this kitten is the cold jade from Snow Lotus Mountain. Wearing it often will greatly help improve your spiritual root attributes."
Shen Qing's eyes widened instantly. She carefully held the kitten pendant and stammered, "This is... cold jade?"
"A small piece of cold jade worth a thousand top - grade spiritual stones?!"
Li Xian's eyes were filled with a smile as he gently nodded.
"Wow! How many spiritual stones must this be worth?!"
Shen Qing held the kitten pendant in surprise, and even its snarling appearance seemed cute.
This money - loving look made Li Xian couldn't help but laugh.
But after the surprise subsided, Shen Qing calmed down.
She reluctantly put the jade pendant back into the box and handed it back to Li Xian.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Li Xian's heart. The twinkling light in his eyes instantly faded, and the smile on his lips also dimmed.
Didn't Shen Qing like this kitten?
He felt a bit annoyed.
He should have known better than to let Master Wei carve it like this. Maybe if it was a dozing kitten or a kitten stealing food, Shen Qing might like it more...
Right?
But he still had a piece of cold jade. He originally intended to keep it for himself, but it wasn't impossible to carve a new one and give it to Shen Qing.
"You don't like it? I still have a piece of cold jade. What kind of shape do you like? I'll carve it and send it to you."
Li Xian's voice was soft. The cold jade in his mouth seemed like something worthless and everywhere on the street.
Shen Qing was deeply impressed by Li Xian's wealth.
This was a thick thigh! So thick!
How could she not like it? She liked it so much that she wished she could attach this jade pendant to her belt right now.
However, it was too precious. She had no way to return the favor. All the things on her body combined might only be enough to buy a piece of cold jade as small as a fingernail.
This large piece of cold jade was worth at least tens of thousands of top - grade spiritual stones.
Not to mention the price, more importantly, this cold jade was priceless and hard to come by!
"No, no. I like it very much, but... it's too precious."
Hearing this, Li Xian secretly relaxed. The light in his eyes lit up again.
"It's nothing. Just cold jade."
The old man Yu Xuzi seemed to still have a few pieces in his private treasury, just not as big as the one in Shen Qing's hand. If Shen Qing liked it, next time he would make the cold jade into a ring or an ornament and give it to her.
Just cold jade?!
Shen Qing shed tears silently.
Was this the gap between people?
"I can't accept such a generous gift without any merit. And we've only met three times. If you give me something this precious, I'll think you have other motives."
Although Shen Qing was very reluctant, she still refused.
"I do have other motives. Your intuition is really accurate."
"Ah?"
Shen Qing's hands trembled twice. Her first reaction was that Li Xian couldn't have taken a fancy to her, could he?
But after taking a closer look, she thought she was overthinking.
Li Xian's eyes were full of frankness, and his face showed polite detachment. His other motives should be...
"Do you remember what happened in the forest? Lin Yibai?"
Li Xian was stunned for a moment.
It took him a long time to remember who Lin Yibai was.
She was the crazy woman who had tried to kill him in the forest of Qingyun Sword Sect and had just flattered him obsequiously.
But in order to make Shen Qing accept the jade pendant, Li Xian didn't deny it and just nodded.
Shen Qing understood.
No wonder he was giving such an expensive gift. Since it was about his own life, he had to invest heavily.
However, the gift was still a bit too heavy. Shen Qing was still hesitating whether to return it.
On the one hand, Shen Qing's money - loving nature had been fully awakened in the Green Wood Hall. Once her hands touched this valuable cold jade, she couldn't bear to let it go.
On the other hand, she felt that taking someone's gift would put her in debt.
"Just accept it. Your senior sister is so vicious and... loves - turned - to - hate. I'm really scared. I'd like to ask you to protect me in the secret realm and help me guard against your senior sister. Consider this as the reward."
With this explanation, it was much easier for Shen Qing to accept.
So this was Li Xian's plan.
But this was also a good thing. Shen Qing had been worried that Lin Yibai would attack Li Xian in the secret realm. Now it was great. She had a legitimate reason to stay by Li Xian's side.
Li Xian was the number one among the Golden Core cultivators. Following him, she would definitely not suffer.
After making up her mind, Shen Qing declined a couple of times. Under Li Xian's "insistence", Shen Qing had to "reluctantly" wear the jade on her body.
Although the kitten on the pendant had a snarling appearance, Shen Qing liked it more and more.
"Thank you, Li Xian. If you need anything in the future, just say the word. I, Shen Qing, will go through fire and water without hesitation."
Li Xian watched the kitten pendant swaying back and forth on Shen Qing's waist and felt a genuine sense of satisfaction.
"Shen Qing, there's no need to be so polite. Please protect me well in the secret realm."
"Definitely!"
The two of them had a great conversation in the forest. Neither of them noticed that in the distance, Xiao Jinglan was covering his mouth with a look of horror on his face.
Oh my god!
He saw the senior brother smiling at a woman!!!
And he was smiling so stupidly, looking like a blossoming peach tree!!!