Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from the entrance, followed by Die Yi running in breathlessly, blinking her eyes.
"Auntie, Auntie!"
Her voice followed, sounding like a cuckoo bird.
"What's the matter?"
Key Smoke touched her toes. The crimson polish on them had already dried, making them look rosy and delicate.
Die Yi glanced at the pile of romance novels on the desk and scoffed internally before saying,
"Elder Su has woken up!"
Key Smoke retracted her feet and placed the captivating romance novel on the table. For some reason, ever since Su Bei had given her that box of what he called 'popping candy,' she had been feeling restless and found herself subconsciously paying attention to him.
"How are his injuries?"
Although she had forcibly suppressed the unfamiliar ripples in her heart, she still cared about that strange man. This was unusual, as injured members of other sects rarely stayed at the Sacred Sanctuary for healing.
"He seems to be doing okay... I guess. He has eight broken ribs, and all his meridians are torn. What a shame, he almost died..."
Key Smoke: "..."
Die Yi's cheeks flushed, as if she had inadvertently let something slip. She stuck out her tongue and asked,
"Auntie, why do you treat Elder Su so well? Why do you care for him so much?"
"..."
Key Smoke was momentarily stunned, then picked up the novel in her hand and smacked it on Die Yi's head.
Looking at the swollen bump on Die Yi's head, Key Smoke, whose own maturely beautiful face held a hint of an unnatural expression, snorted coldly, "I told you to keep an eye on him because *you're* the one who wants to take him as your master. Otherwise, why would I, the Saintess, go to such lengths to keep him here in the Sacred Sanctuary?"
"What strange notions fill that head of yours all day?"
"All of this is for you! What does it have to do with me?"
"..."
She then rambled on for quite a bit.
Die Yi bowed her head, not daring to make a sound, thinking to herself, I only said one thing, why did Master talk so much?
Then Die Yi saw Key Smoke casually slip on a pair of sandals. Her glossy toenails were dotted with crimson. Key Smoke then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and draped a white robe over herself.
"I know you're anxious, so I'll accompany you to see Elder Su," she said.
"Take this First Grade Meridian Pill with you and give it to him."
"..."
With that, she took an item from her storage ring and walked towards the door, leaving a bewildered Die Yi behind.
When did I ever say I wanted to see him? Die Yi wondered.
「...」
Ji Nanjue turned to look at Lin Jinyu. Thinking it wasn't a big deal, he casually said,
"Empress, you should return that Linglong Pearl to Elder Su."
"..."
Lin Jinyu's eyes flickered slightly, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip.
I originally planned to use this Linglong Pearl as leverage to get my dudou back from Su Bei, but now... this is forcing my hand!
Her eyes burned with resentment as she looked at the oblivious Ji Nanjue. You fool, still so pleased with yourself? That man has already trampled all over your dignity! He's seen your woman, every inch of her, and is even using her dudou for who knows what unspeakable things! And you? You're still acting like you're two peas in a pod with him! You were almost made a cuckold, don't you realize?!
Seeing everyone's gaze turn towards her, the Empress took a deep breath. Unwillingly, she took out the Linglong Pearl from her storage ring and handed it to Su Bei.
Su Bei's eyes lit up. He smiled and reached out to take it, then—he tugged, but she held fast.
Su Bei's smile remained fixed. "Then Su Mou would like to thank the Empress."
"Elder Su is too polite. Does this Esteemed One truly care about such a small token of gratitude from Elder Su?"
Tug—
"Su Mou understands, understands. 'After using it,' I will naturally return it to the Empress."
Tug—
Lin Jinyu's eyes instantly widened, her voice rising sharply, "You still want to use it!?"
"..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something and forced a smile. "You must take good care of the Linglong Pearl."
"..."
Finally, the Linglong Pearl, which indeed resembled a large glass marble, returned to Su Bei's hands. He met Lin Jinyu's resentful gaze, which looked as if it could kill.
Su Bei raised his hand, picked up the Qingping Sword, and tapped her arm three times with it. Clearing his throat, he said, "Eldest Sister, isn't that main door open too wide? Please close it; it's rather chilly."
"..."
The crowd watched the two of them with peculiar expressions, as if Su Bei and Lin Jinyu were engaged in some silent charade. Only Wenren Pingxin, who seemed to have a slight inkling of what was going on, suppressed a smile and moved towards the main door to close it.
However, he then noticed Key Smoke, dressed in a silk white shirt, approaching with a young woman behind her.
"Greetings, Saintess."
Why would the Saintess come here? he wondered, surprised.
"My niece insisted on coming here to see Elder Su. I had no choice but to bring her," Key Smoke said with a smile, gently stroking Die Yi's hair, completely ignoring the resentful gaze from someone nearby.
"..."
Dan Wulan's gaze had already fallen upon that woman. She remembered seeing this same peculiar woman in the night rain when she first arrived at the Sacred Land, on the evening Su Bei had deciphered the mysterious stone.
She looked suspiciously at Su Bei. Could that woman really have some connection with him?
Xiao Ruoching and Mo Li exchanged a glance for some reason, their eyes full of hostility as they sized up the woman hidden behind Key Smoke.