Luo Qingci kicked him twice more, confirming that Huigu Laozu was completely still, then stepped back a few paces.
She looked down at her hands.
Her palms were bright red, slightly swollen, and bloodstains clung to her knuckles.
She shook her hands, flicking the blood off.
Luo Qingci turned around and realized he had walked up to stand three steps behind her at some point, holding a handkerchief in his hand—dark blue, folded neatly.
She looked at the handkerchief, then at her bloodstained hands, hesitating for a moment.
“Wipe them,” he said, his tone as flat as if he were saying, “Nice weather today.”
“Thank you.”
Luo Qingci took the handkerchief and bent her head to wipe her hands.
The fabric was exquisite, soft and smooth to the touch, with dark patterns embroidered along the edges—clearly something valuable.
Using it to wipe her hands felt a bit like wasting treasure.
But she had no better option; she couldn’t exactly use her sleeve.
“Keep it.”
Xiao Han turned around, his back to her, and crouched down to search through Huigu Laozu’s belongings.
Luo Qingci paused for a moment, then tucked the handkerchief away.
She’d wash it and return it to him later.
Xiao Han moved quickly, his technique as skillful as a seasoned mission veteran.
He pulled out a Storage Ring, a Qiankun Pouch, bone talismans from the sleeves, a jade pendant from the waist, and even a dagger hidden in Huigu Laozu’s boot shaft, laying them all out neatly on the ground.
“Yours.”
Xiao Han pushed the Qiankun Pouch and Huigu Laozu’s Storage Ring toward her.
Luo Qingci blinked.
“Mine?”
“You killed him.”
“You fought him.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
Luo Qingci fell silent.
She looked at the pile of items on the ground, then at Huigu Laozu lying there, who really had been slapped to death by her own hands.
“I’ll take half, then,” Luo Qingci said, crouching down to start dividing the spoils.
She split the Spirit Stones into two piles, divided the larger Magic Artifacts into two shares, hesitated over the Technique Jade Slips from Huigu Laozu, and only took one ordinary one, pushing the few that seemed higher-grade toward him.
Xiao Han stood beside her, watching her seriously divide the items on the ground without a word.
Muted white light from a Moonlight Stone leaked through a crack in the sewer ceiling, falling on her.
She kept her head down, revealing the back of her neck—a stretch of skin so pale it was nearly translucent.
Her hair fell from her shoulders, the tips stained with a bit of mud and water, glinting faintly.
She thought it was just a small mission, no need to bring the jade pendant her Senior Brother had given her, the one containing their Master’s Sword Intent.
So she’d left it in her Storage Chest.
If Xiao Han hadn’t shown up today, and Huigu Laozu had taken her away, no one in the sect would even know where she’d gone.
From now on, she had to bring that jade pendant everywhere!
“How did you dare come after a Golden Core Stage cultivator?”
“I thought it was just a normal mission.”
Luo Qingci’s voice dropped.
“The intelligence only mentioned Shadow Rats. It didn’t say there was a Golden Core evil cultivator…”
“For this kind of mission, the intelligence usually comes from the last person who took it. That person was lucky and didn’t run into Huigu Laozu, so they assumed the area was safe. But Huigu Laozu has been active in this region all along—he just doesn’t come out often. You ran into him; maybe it was bad luck.”
Luo Qingci fell silent, suddenly feeling a chill of fear.
“You heard what that bastard said too. You have the Taiyin Xuancha Constitution.”
“What?”
“The perfect furnace physique. Haven’t you noticed you’re getting more and more beautiful? My advice is to stay inside the sect from now on and not come out.”
“But…”
She stood up.
“I’ve used up the Spirit Stones my Master left me. I can’t depend on my Master to support me forever. Training takes Spirit Stones, eating takes Spirit Stones, everything takes Spirit Stones. Otherwise, how can I grow stronger…”
Xiao Han extended a finger and tapped the pile of Spirit Stones on the ground.
Luo Qingci followed his finger—the pile she had split contained about two hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, dozens of medium-grade, and five high-grade.
Converted, it was ten times the reward for a C-Class Mission.
“Is that enough?”
“Enough,” she said honestly, even feeling it was a bit too much.
Xiao Han nodded, collected the high-grade Technique Jade Slips into his Storage Ring, then grabbed Huigu Laozu’s corpse, casually tossed it, and a ball of flame surged from his palm.
He threw it out casually, and in less than three breaths, Huigu Laozu was completely gone, not even ash remaining.
That flame.
Luo Qingci took another look.
She remembered when Xiao Han had broken through the bone wall earlier, the same flame had flickered in his palm.
What kind of technique, what kind of constitution, could cultivate such fire?
Luo Qingci didn’t ask.
Her relationship with Xiao Han wasn’t close enough to ask questions like that.
“Let’s go.”
Xiao Han extinguished the flame and turned toward the exit.
Luo Qingci followed behind him, carrying her Storage Pouch.
The sewer path was hard to walk on—slippery ground, cold water dripping from above every now and then.
Luo Qingci stayed about five steps behind him, her gaze unconsciously falling on him.
Why did he come here?
How does he know about my constitution?
Does he have some ulterior motive for me?
Is it safe for me to follow him?
No.
Luo Qingci shook her head internally.
What was she thinking?
This man was her lifesaver—not only had he saved her life, but he’d also helped her split Huigu Laozu’s spoils.
If she coldly said, “Thanks for the life-saving grace, I’ll be going now,” who knew if this Golden Core big shot would grab her back?
“We’re here.”
Xiao Han’s voice broke her train of thought.
She looked up and realized they had unknowingly reached the sewer entrance.
Looking up from the well opening, she could see a small patch of night sky, a deep blue canvas dotted with a few stars.
Xiao Han climbed up first.
He simply stepped on the cracks in the well wall and scrambled up in two or three moves, fast as the wind.
Luo Qingci’s gaze landed on the edge of the well.
Xiao Han stood beside the well opening, one hand extended, looking down at her.
Luo Qingci took a deep breath, tied the Storage Pouch to her waist, freed her right hand, and grasped his hand.
Warm.
With a slight pull from Xiao Han, she floated lightly off the ground and landed steadily on the grass beside the well.
“Thank you.”
Luo Qingci let go and stepped back.
“You’re welcome.”
Xiao Han smiled at her.
Xiao Han didn’t respond to that.
He turned his head and looked at the distant mountain shadows, silent for a few beats.
“You going back to Qingyun Sect?”
Luo Qingci shook her head.
“Have to report the mission to the City Lord…”
She pointed toward the City Lord’s Mansion.
Xiao Han glanced in the direction she pointed.
“I’ll escort you.”
Luo Qingci paused, instinctively about to say, “No need,” but swallowed the words before they could leave her mouth.
Because right now, she was really out of strength, and her spiritual energy was nearly spent.
Any random cultivator could snatch her away now.
She really did need someone to guide her.
The realization made her dejected.
I’m a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
In mortal cities, I should be someone to look up to.
Why am I running into so many Golden Cores just doing one mission today…
“Then… I’ll trouble you.”
She said softly.
Xiao Han didn’t say anything more.
He lifted his foot and walked.
Luo Qingci followed behind him, keeping a distance of about two or three steps, the two of them one after the other.
The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, painting the earth silver-white.
Luo Qingci walked on her own shadow, head down, watching the tips of her shoes alternately brighten and darken in the moonlight.
She wanted to find something to say, but didn’t know what.
She’d already said thank you countless times; saying it again would seem insincere.
Ask why his cultivation was so fast?
That was his private business, not appropriate to ask.
Talk about cultivation?
He was Golden Core, she was Foundation Establishment—what was there to talk about?
It would just be crushing.
So she chose silence.
Xiao Han walked in front, thinking, ‘Say something, won’t you? Isn’t it awkward for the two of us, a man and a woman, to just walk together in silence? If you can’t find anything to say, at least praise how awesome I am. I saved you, you know. When else would you praise me?’
So, unable to hold back, Xiao Han turned his head and smiled at her, making Luo Qingci freeze.
‘Senior, why are you suddenly smiling at me?’
Why was he smiling?
Did he think her silence was awkward and wanted to lighten the mood? Or did he find the way she slapped that old man ridiculous?
Or did he want her to say something?
Say something?
What?
“Mr. Xiao, that elbow of yours was really cool”?
No, too fake.
“Mr. Xiao, your Golden Core cultivation is truly something to aspire to”?
No, too groveling.
“Mr. Xiao, would you like to visit Qingyun Sect? My Senior Brother makes great food”?
No, no, no—that’s practically inviting him.
“Um…”
Luo Qingci suddenly spoke.
Xiao Han’s steps slowed slightly, but he didn’t turn around.
“Hm?”
“Senior, why did you save me?” she asked.
Xiao Han came to a complete stop.
He stood in the middle of the street, the moonlight bleaching him white.
Luo Qingci stopped too, standing three steps behind him, looking at his back.
The silhouette looked very quiet in the moonlight—the lines of his shoulders smooth, the hem of his robe lifted by the night breeze, swaying gently.
Luo Qingci regretted the question the moment she asked it.
‘Why did you save me?’
— how did that sound?
Too ambiguous, like something a girl would say to a chivalrous hero in a mortal romance novel.
Xiao Han turned around and looked at her.
Luo Qingci felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.
She wanted to look away, but felt that doing so would seem guilty, so she forced herself to meet his eyes.
“Just passing by, happened to lend a hand.”
Xiao Han’s expression was calm.
‘Why did I save you? You’re my fiancée—how could I not save you? With such a beautiful fiancée, in my past life I couldn’t find one even with a lantern. You ask why I saved you? Should I say, “Because I’m low and I covet your body”?’
‘Er… that’s not impossible either.’
‘No.’
Xiao Han suddenly realized a serious problem—if he actually said that thought out loud, how would he be any different from Huigu Laozu?
Of course, there was some difference.
The difference was that Huigu Laozu coveted her constitution, while he simply thought Luo Qingci was a bit pretty.
But the core logic was the same: coveting someone’s body.
No, no, no.
Xiao Han shook his head internally.
‘I am a True Gentleman. I don’t do things like this.’
“Just passing by…?”
Luo Qingci repeated Xiao Han’s words, the corner of her mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.
Unfazed, Xiao Han said, “I came here for a walk.”
Luo Qingci sized him up from head to toe.
‘A walk into someone else’s sewer? Is the aboveground air not fresh enough? You had to come underground in a mortal city to breathe methane? Want me to build a septic tank for you so you can breathe more?’
She thought all this, but didn’t dare say it.
‘Come on, he’s a Golden Core True Person…’
A Golden Core True Person taking a walk in the sewer of a C-Class Mission—the excuse was so absurd she didn’t even know where to begin mocking it.
But since he said so, she couldn’t very well ask, “Were you following me?”
That would be too rude.
Besides, he had just saved her, given her spoils, and was escorting her back.
“Then… Senior, your walks cover quite a broad area,” Luo Qingci said dryly.
Xiao Han glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly, and didn’t say anything else.
He turned and continued walking.
“You don’t need to call me Senior. Call me Xiao Han, like last time.”
“Okay.”
Luo Qingci paused.
‘Was he the easygoing type?’
“Xiao Han?”
“Yeah?”
“Um… aren’t you interested in my constitution?”
“Of course I am.”
Xiao Han smiled.
“You have the Taiyin Xuancha Constitution, the perfect furnace physique. Dual Cultivation with you would skyrocket your cultivation.”
“So you also…”
“But that’s a loser’s way of thinking.”
Xiao Han didn’t stop walking, his voice clear and faint, especially distinct in the night breeze.
“Cultivation gained by plundering others’ constitutions or taking shortcuts through Dual Cultivation—the Foundation is hollow, the Dao Heart is flawed. You’ll be stuck at a bottleneck your whole life, never touching the true peak of the Dao.”
He tilted his head up at a 45-degree angle, moonlight falling on his handsome features, his expression open and composed.
“When I, Xiao Han, cultivate, I rely on myself alone. I have no need to pave my path with others’ physiques, and I disdain such lowly deeds as forcing others and coveting their origins.”
Luo Qingci’s steps faltered slightly.
She stared at his profile, her heart jolting.
‘Such ambition!’
‘Was he really a True Gentleman?’
‘Had I judged a gentleman’s heart with my own petty mind?’
“But… many cultivators in this world would jump at the chance to encounter a physique like mine.”
“That’s because their vision is too shallow, their perspective too small.”
Xiao Han smiled faintly.
“A true cultivator cultivates their own Dao Heart, not relying on external things or scheming against others. Besides…”
He paused slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over her pale, delicate face.
‘What physique? My Innate System Body is far superior to your constitution.’
‘Still, I need to protect my little fiancée well.’
Aloud, he continued calmly: “If I truly wanted to raise my cultivation, I have plenty of methods. I don’t need to set my sights on you.”
Luo Qingci bit her lip, and the stone that had been hanging in her heart suddenly fell gently.
“Then why did you just say you were interested…”
She muttered under her breath, unable to help herself.
Xiao Han chuckled lowly, his voice carrying a hint of laziness.
“was only honestly telling you about the unique characteristics of your physique so that you’d be aware of them and be more cautious in the future. Not because I’m greedy.”
“I’ll remember that,” Luo Qingci quickly replied, silently vowing to wear the jade pendant close to her body from now on, never leaving it.
The night was quiet.
The two of them walked slowly along the street, bathed in silver-white moonlight.
The night breeze rustled the treetops.
The earlier awkward silence had quietly dissipated, replaced by a relaxed and gentle atmosphere.
After hesitating for a moment, Luo Qingci couldn’t help looking up at him.
“Xiao Han, did you really just happen to pass by on a walk today and run into me?”
She still couldn’t help her curiosity.
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t believe someone would go for a walk in a remote sewer ruin.
Xiao Han’s gaze flickered slightly, his expression unchanged.
He lied with a straight face: “I’ve been in seclusion in the nearby mountains recently. With nothing to do at night, I wandered around randomly. I happened to walk into that area and sensed the evil cultivator’s malevolent aura, so I went down to check. I didn’t expect to run into you in danger.”
The excuse was watertight, and his tone was perfectly natural.
Luo Qingci blinked skeptically and looked him over again.
Something felt off, but she couldn’t find a flaw.
Since he said so, pressing further would make her seem tactless.
She had no choice but to suppress her doubts and said softly, “Regardless, thank you for saving me twice today and sharing the spoils… I’ll remember this kindness. In the future, if there’s anything you need me for, as long as it’s within my ability, I’ll do my best to help.”
Hearing this, the corners of Xiao Han’s mouth lifted into a faint smile.
He turned to look at her.
“Oh? You said that. I’ll remember it.”
The moonlight illuminated the girl’s clear eyes.
Her earnest, obedient look when thanking him was both cute and endearing.