Chapter 118: Chapter 98: Ji Mingyu’s "Perfect Plan

With a plan in mind, the three of them wandered around the market, purchasing items they needed for their upcoming exploration of the secret realm.

Gu Haitang and Qingqing were both rich ladies, spending money extravagantly. As long as they liked something, they’d buy it without batting an eye.

Throughout this process, Gu Haitang wore the token given by the Pavilion Master of Dongxian Pavilion, so no one dared to overcharge them; they paid fair prices.

Chu Xuan wasn’t as wealthy as the two of them, but his master had given him plenty of protective items before he descended the mountain. He only needed to make some minor purchases to fill in the gaps for the Heaven and Earth realms, so he didn’t actually buy much.

Speaking of which, in such a secret realm, Qingqing had treasure-seeking Divine Techniques, making her a great teammate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t search for specific treasures, like the Four Monkeys’ blood...

Thinking of this, Chu Xuan confirmed, "Qingqing, if I want to find a specific type of treasure, can you sense it within a certain distance?"

"Sure, but it depends on what it is," Qingqing replied without hesitation.

Chu Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately explained his purpose.

"Four Monkeys’ blood? Why do you want such a rare thing?" Qingqing was a bit puzzled.

"If you want me to use Divine Secret Techniques to sense it, you at least need to have a drop of that blood for me to use as a medium, or something else closely related to the Four Monkeys would work too."

Chu Xuan hesitated for a moment, which meant he’d have to hand over the Divine Command to Qingqing?

No, no, she’d definitely run away with it as soon as she got it.

"Let’s talk about it later. Besides, after the Hundred Flowers Feast, we’re going our separate ways, so talking about it now is pointless."

Chu Xuan originally thought Qingqing would say something like, "If you don’t hand over the treasure, I’ll never leave your side."

But unexpectedly, Qingqing’s eyes darkened for a moment, then she fell silent, seemingly accepting the situation.

Gu Haitang, seeing this, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, she didn’t completely let her guard down. She knew that similar treasure-seeking secret techniques could only be practiced by those with rare and highly sensitive perception abilities.

In the future, she must be careful in front of Qingqing, not letting her see through her origins and background.

...

Originally, Chu Xuan planned to just buy a few things and leave, but for some reason, he changed his mind and really took the two of them shopping.

"Qingqing, is there anything you like?"

Qingqing said glumly, "I like your treasure."

Gu Haitang’s expression shifted slightly before she understood and quickly returned to her graceful demeanor.

But this detail did not escape Chu Xuan’s eyes, leaving him speechless. He wanted to ask:

Haitang, what are you usually thinking about?

"There’s no way I’m giving you my treasure. Would you like me to buy you a small gift instead?"

Absent-minded Qingqing finally looked up at him, puzzled, "When someone shows unexpected kindness, they either have ulterior motives or are a thief. Do you have some agenda with me? Have you really fallen for me?"

"You don’t want it, right? Then forget it," Chu Xuan replied irritably.

"I want it! Better to take it than not," Qingqing immediately said emphatically.

"You didn’t say what you liked, so I’ll pick. No grumbling later," Chu Xuan agreed with her beforehand.

Qingqing was curious and somewhat expectant, but outwardly she seemed indifferent, merely nodding her head.

Gu Haitang was thinking: Why is he giving this woman something? And in front of me...

What exactly is their relationship? Who is this Qingqing?

In short, Haitang had too many questions. Though she wanted to ask them immediately, she held back, planning to inquire in detail when they were alone later.

Chu Xuan led them around, eventually walking into a jewelry shop.

The items here were naturally not mundane; at the very least, they were Magical Artifact-level jewelry, with some precious magical artifacts. But they were more focused on aesthetics, as those seeking combat magical artifacts wouldn’t shop here.

Under the enthusiastic service of the shopkeeper, Chu Xuan carefully selected a few beautiful accessories, including a silver phoenix hairpin and two water drop-shaped jade earrings for Qingqing to try on.

Qingqing said things like "Maybe I shouldn’t, I already have plenty of jewelry," but she was the most keen on trying them on, frequently asking Chu Xuan if they looked good.

Anyone could tell she was delighted inside.

Actually, Chu Xuan’s reason for giving gifts was simple. He thought they might not see each other again, so he wanted to leave her with a memento.

During this time, Gu Haitang’s gaze towards Chu Xuan was full of wistfulness, making him feel uneasy.

So Chu Xuan had no choice but to be as fair as possible, ensuring that what Qingqing had, Haitang also received.

And he painstakingly chose different styles, making sure the "small gifts" for both weren’t identical.

This wasn’t something Haitang demanded but was Chu Xuan’s own decision.

However, this only made Qingqing and Gu Haitang suspicious of Chu Xuan, wondering how he was so skilled at this.

Even the shopkeeper thought to himself: He’s an old hand with the ladies.

Chu Xuan, finding it both amusing and frustrating, repeatedly insisted that he had no history of being a scoundrel and certainly hadn’t been two-timing.

What, you mentioned the Celestial Evil Period? Forgotten, all forgotten. We’ll talk about it when I remember it later.

...

This scene was also observed from miles away by a certain woman.

Zhao Kong Mountain, Wuyou Valley, where it was spring all year round, the flowers were in full bloom, an earthly paradise rare to find.