Chapter 20: A Dangerous Favor

“Senior, Ye Cha will engrave your kindness in his heart. Should you ever require my assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Ye Cha gazed at the high-grade spirit stones before him, his eyes wide with astonishment. He then sincerely thanked Ke Qian, showing no pretense of reluctance or feigned refusal.

No one could refuse such a considerable quantity of high-grade spirit stones. This was especially true for a minor cultivator like Ye Cha, who possessed only Qi Condensation stage cultivation and desperately lacked cultivation resources without any powerful backing.

Now, with these spirit stones, Ye Cha would be able to advance his cultivation swiftly.

Witnessing Ye Cha’s forthright acceptance of the spirit stones, a smile naturally curved Ke Qian’s lips. ‘He is indeed the man I, Ke Qian, have chosen,’ she thought, ‘not like those hypocritical cultivators of the righteous path.’

‘They clearly desire something deeply, yet outwardly, they feign indifference.’

Ke Qian held such disingenuous individuals in utter contempt.

The Demonic Path championed the law of the jungle and acting on one’s impulses. If you wanted something, you fought for it. What was a cultivator without ambition but a mere salted fish?

“Haha, there’s a use for you right now,” Ke Qian chuckled. “Although I can break one spiritual restraint rope, there are still seventeen left. First, use these spirit stones to raise your cultivation. Even with a Five-Element spiritual root, it should be enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Afterward, help me retrieve a book from the Ruyi Pavilion in the Lingtian Sect.”

Regarding Ye Cha’s repayment, Ke Qian was sorely tempted to say, ‘Just give yourself to me.’

However, considering their current predicament, she decided it was best not to flirt so casually.

Once they escaped their current plight, the sky would be vast for birds to soar, and the ocean wide for fish to swim. She could do whatever she pleased!

When Ye Cha heard the words “Ruyi Pavilion,” a puzzled expression crossed his face. He tilted his head slightly, a charming hint of confusion in his demeanor, which nearly made Ke Qian lose control.

‘Hold back, hold back,’ she told herself. ‘She absolutely had to restrain herself.’

“As a handyman entering the Lingtian Sect, you likely don’t know much about it,” Ke Qian explained. “Ruyi Pavilion is where inner disciples of the Lingtian Sect borrow books. When I anticipated being captured, I hid a book in the Ruyi Pavilion. With it…”

Ke Qian gazed into Ye Cha’s dark, shining eyes. For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to tell him everything.

Yet, Ke Qian quickly snapped back from her enthrallment with his beauty.

Though she believed that even if a minor Qi Condensation cultivator like Ye Cha harbored ulterior motives, he wouldn’t be able to achieve much, especially after she had poisoned him, Ke Qian instinctively recoiled from this feeling of growing attachment to a man.

Her last flutter of emotion had been centuries ago. After that damned man had committed suicide with someone else, Ke Qian thought she would never again fall for another man.

‘Men are merely playthings, devoid of the need for true emotion.’

No matter how much she liked Ye Cha, Ke Qian would not allow herself to develop feelings for him. Instead, she would keep him by her side like a pet, ensuring he never lacked cultivation resources and could advance unimpeded. That would be enough.

“It’s a book called ‘Basic Qi Condensation Cultivation’,” Ke Qian stated. “Once you retrieve it, come back to find me here. Do not come at other times, lest you be discovered by others.”

Immediately, upon realizing her growing attachment to Ye Cha, the smile quickly vanished from Ke Qian’s lips. After exchanging only a few more words, she promptly urged Ye Cha to leave the area at once.

When Ye Cha heard her words, his face did not show relief. Instead, he cast a lingering, reluctant glance at Ke Qian, his eyes seeming to hold nascent affection. Seeing this, Ke Qian felt her heart almost melt into a puddle.

“Senior, I will be careful,” Ye Cha said. “You here… must also take great care and look after yourself.”

Then, as if he had finally made a difficult decision, after speaking to Ke Qian, a mist seemed to cloud his eyes, making them redden as he swiftly turned and departed.

He left Ke Qian standing there, stunned and lost in thought, unable to recover for a long time.