“Pfft, what’s all the fuss about?”
Wu Yan (Inner) sat in mid-air with her legs crossed and arms folded across her chest, speaking with disdain.
“Wait, that’s not right.”
Having finally adjusted to the pressure emanating from the Inner Core, Tao’er stepped forward to examine it closely, her small face nearly pressed against it.
“Although it feels like the Soul Transformation Stage, this Inner Core is actually only at the Nascent Soul Stage!”
While Inner Cores from Nascent Soul Stage monster beasts were not common, they were still somewhat acceptable compared to those from the Soul Transformation Stage.
Tao’er stared intently at the two blood streaks on the Inner Core, marveling at the sight. “Even though its cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul Stage, it managed to condense two blood streaks. It wasn’t far off from the Soul Transformation Stage.”
She shifted her gaze from the Inner Core to the calm-faced Wu Yan.
“As expected, the rumors are true,” Tao’er said thoughtfully.
“What rumors?”
“The rumors that the Soul Transformation Stage Demonic Ape in the Secret Realm was killed by you, Fairy Wu!”
“Although Saintess Ji said that you were the one who killed the Demonic Ape in the Secret Realm, the general public assumed she was just being modest.”
Wu Yan didn’t care for such empty fame, so she had never heard these stories. She had only learned of it recently when Bai Zhiqiu mentioned it.
Tao’er produced a Huanghuali Wood Box from somewhere and placed the Inner Core inside. The wood grain on the box was intricate and chaotic; upon closer inspection, it almost resembled a screaming ghostly face. It was clearly top-quality Huanghuali wood.
Wu Yan didn’t react much to this. After all, Tao’er had handled treasures like Meteor Wind Iron before, so something like this wouldn’t cause her to lose her composure.
Tao’er carefully placed the wooden box on the long table and turned to Wu Yan. “1,500 High-grade Spirit Stones.”
1,500 High-grade Spirit Stones was no small sum. Even Master probably wouldn’t be able to produce that much at a moment’s notice.
Tao’er pulled an emerald card from her pocket and handed it to Wu Yan.
The card body emitted an elegant purple glow, like the first rays of dawn. At the very center was the unique symbol of the Tianbao Pavilion—a nine-story pagoda inscribed with the words “Tianbao Tongshen,” with a row of numbers etched into the top-left corner.
Seeing Wu Yan take the card, the smile in Tao’er’s pink eyes deepened. “Fairy Wu, this is the Tianbao Purple Gold Card. It is only given to guests whose transaction volume at Tianbao Pavilion reaches 10,000 High-grade Spirit Stones. Holders of this card can enjoy VIP treatment and a 20% discount at any Tianbao Pavilion branch. I am taking the liberty of gifting it to you in advance today.”
“The 1,500 High-grade Spirit Stones and 120 Middle-grade Spirit Stones from this sale have all been deposited into it.”
A rare flash of awkwardness appeared in Wu Yan’s dark eyes. Her right thumb unconsciously rubbed the edge of the card; the textured surface felt surprisingly comfortable.
“Thank you, Miss Tao’er, but this is a bit too valuable. I…”
“If she gives it to you, just take it! What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
Wu Yan (Inner) was very open-minded about such things. To her, everything under heaven belonged to her, and a small card was naturally no exception.
Seeing this, Tao’er reached out and pushed the card toward Wu Yan’s chest.
“Just accept it, Fairy Wu. Have you forgotten the promise you made to me back in Qingshan City? This is the second attachment to that promise.”
‘Was my promise really that valuable?’ Wu Yan wondered. But seeing Tao’er’s firm expression, she didn’t want to refuse her kindness.
Now that the Spirit Stones were in hand, the next step was her actual business.
Wu Yan placed the card on the table and asked Tao’er with a serious expression, “I would like to ask… what kind of gift would be appropriate to give?”
At the mention of gift-giving, Tao’er’s interest was instantly piqued. She leaned toward Wu Yan like a shrewd cat, her voice rising in tone.
“Is the recipient of Fairy Wu’s gift a man or a woman?”
Wu Yan felt strangely uncomfortable. “A woman.”
“Oh?” Tao’er raised an eyebrow, dragging out the sound intentionally.
Wu Yan had never given a gift before, neither in her previous life nor this one, regardless of gender. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be asking Tao’er what to give a girl now.
“I would recommend a hairpin.”
Tao’er’s animated eyes drifted to Wu Yan’s high ponytail, which was tied with a simple ribbon. Her lips curled into a sincere smile.
“A hairpin? That works.”
“Please wait a moment, Fairy.”
With that, Tao’er quickly left the room, leaving Wu Yan alone.
“Are you really going to give someone a hairpin?”
This time, Wu Yan (Inner) surprisingly didn’t mock her. Instead, she asked in a strange tone.
Wu Yan noticed the oddity in her voice and asked, “Yes. Is something wrong?”
Seeing how certain she was, Wu Yan (Inner) suddenly transformed into a cloud of red mist and vanished from the room, leaving only her lingering voice behind: “It’s nothing! You dead wood! You big idiot!”
A short while later, Tao’er returned to Wu Yan with an exquisite, long brocade box.
She opened the box, revealing a hairpin resting quietly on red velvet.
The hairpin was about 5 inches long and crafted from ice marrow. The body was slender and polished to a flawless finish, displaying a translucent ice-blue luster. The head of the hairpin was carved into a hollow, half-bloomed snow lotus. Light passed through the gaps in the petals, making it look as if it might fully bloom at any moment.
A refreshing chill wafted toward her, causing Wu Yan’s nerves—which had been taut from consecutive days of fierce battle—to relax.
Tao’er handed the brocade box to Wu Yan. “This hairpin was crafted by one of our top masters at Tianbao Pavilion. Both its function and appearance are top-tier!”
She playfully tapped her own hairpin twice. “This piece is polished from ice marrow and has a natural calming effect. Since it sits close to the Baihui acupoint, it can nourish the Sea of Consciousness during daily wear.”
“Furthermore, this hairpin is a defensive Dharma treasure. It can withstand three full-strength strikes from a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator. It truly is the best gift for a female friend.”
Wu Yan knew absolutely nothing about gift-giving, so she deferred to Tao’er’s suggestion. Since the other party said so, it likely wouldn’t be a bad choice. After all, everything Tao’er had done so far had been for her benefit.
However, what she didn’t know was that Tao’er had intentionally omitted something.
A hairpin, as a personal item worn constantly in one’s hair, carried a special meaning in both the cultivation and mortal worlds.
Gifting a hairpin was as a life commitment, a way to pledge one’s life to another.
Wu Yan was completely unaware of this. She simply felt the hairpin was powerful and highly practical.
“How many Spirit Stones?”
Since this hairpin was a Dharma treasure, which was one grade higher than a spiritual tool, it naturally wouldn’t be cheap.
“With the 20% discount, it’s 900 High-grade Spirit Stones.”
Tao’er didn’t offer any additional discounts this time. Given Wu Yan’s personality, she would probably refuse to accept it if the price were lowered any further.
Wu Yan carefully placed the long brocade box containing the hairpin into her Storage Bag and then handed the Purple Gold Card to Tao’er.
“The recipient will definitely like this gift!”
Even as Wu Yan left the Tianbao Pavilion, Tao’er was still standing at the entrance, waving goodbye.