Shen Manyi walked over and sat down across from Xiao Mo. She poured him a cup of tea first, then tentatively spoke up.
"Brother, actually… those seeds… I stole… no… brought them out from the Shen family!"
Xiao Mo picked up the teacup, his fingertips gently tracing the warm porcelain wall as he calmly uttered three words.
"I figured."
He remembered that when they first met, she had told him she'd emptied out the Shen family's storeroom.
He just hadn't expected the Shen family to have such good things.
"Then aren't you curious about how I made them grow so well overnight?"
Shen Manyi blinked, carefully observing his expression.
Xiao Mo thought of the Spirit Spring water she had given him to drink.
A faint glimmer of understanding flashed swiftly through his deep, dark eyes.
"You don't need to tell me."
He set down the teacup, his voice brooking no argument.
"What's yours is mine."
"With Benzun, there are no exceptions."
The words seemed to come out of nowhere, yet Shen Manyi miraculously understood.
He meant that he didn't need to know all her secrets, but everything she had, he would protect.
An indescribable warmth instantly enveloped her heart.
"Brother…"
Her eyes grew hot again.
Just then, hurried footsteps once more echoed from outside the hall—and this time, more than one pair.
"Little girl, the tattletale is back again."
Tangyuan looked up, its gleeful voice ringing in her mind.
"And this time, she brought backup."
The moment Shen Manyi heard that, her scalp went numb.
Again?
She was just about to hide behind Xiao Mo when the Great Elder strode in quickly, leading a middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue robe with a refined, scholarly face.
As soon as the middle-aged man saw Xiao Mo, he respectfully bowed.
"Disciple Jiang Yan pays respects to Martial Uncle."
The Sect Master of Guiyuan Jianzong—Jiang Yan.
Shen Manyi's heart skipped a beat. This was getting serious.
After finishing his bow, Jiang Yan's gaze fell upon Shen Manyi, carrying a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.
"This must be Young Friend Shen."
"Sect Master, Great Elder."
Shen Manyi immediately moved to stand beside Xiao Mo, her face full of vigilance.
"Do you need something from me? Let me make this clear first—my brother is right here, so you're not allowed to gang up and bully me!"
Hearing this, a wry smile appeared on Jiang Yan's face, while the Great Elder beside him shook his head like a rattle-drum.
"Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare! Young Friend Shen misunderstands. We've come this time to discuss something with you."
"What is it?"
Jiang Yan glanced at the radiant medicinal garden outside the hall, his eyes filled with shock and longing. He chose his words carefully.
"Young Friend Shen, to be honest, those Immortal Herbs you planted mean a great deal to our Guiyuan Jianzong.
The Third Elder of the sect carries an old injury and urgently needs the Seven-Haze Exquisite Flower to heal his soul.
And if the Dragon Blood Vine could be refined into pills, it would greatly boost the strength of our sect's disciples…"
Unlike the Great Elder, who had directly demanded, he appealed to her emotions and reason.
Shen Manyi understood—they'd sent someone else to play the good cop, hoping she'd willingly offer it up.
Her eyes darted around, then her little face fell as she pretended to look troubled and mumbled.
"But… these are all things I planted for my brother."
"My brother works very hard at cultivation and needs these things to nourish his body."
The two men exchanged glances at her words, completely dumbfounded.
Nourish the Jianzun's (Martial Uncle's) body?
What a joke!
But the Jianzun himself sat right there, expressionless, neither confirming nor denying—which made them even more uneasy.
Jiang Yan had no choice but to steel himself and go along with her words.
"Martial Uncle is indeed hardworking, but… Young Friend Shen, look, these Immortal Herbs are growing splendidly—surely you won't use them all.
How about this: you hand over the surplus to the sect for handling, and the sect will certainly not treat you unfairly!
Contribution points, magical treasures, Medicinal Pills—anything the sect has, you can pick and choose!"
"This old fox is dangling a carrot!" Tangyuan ranted wildly in her mind.
"Could any of those things compare to the Dragon Blood Vine? He's trying to get something for nothing!"
Shen Manyi knew that too, of course.
These were extinct Divine Grade Immortal Herbs, nurtured by her with Kongjian Lingquan's water—extremely precious.
"I don't want those."
Shen Manyi shook her head, counting on her fingers as she began to tally things up in all seriousness.
"My brother is a Sword Cultivator, as you know. Sword Cultivators are all very poor."
"Just look at this Tai Shang Feng—there's nothing here. It's cold and bare, can't even afford a decent ornament."
"I planted these things because I wanted to sell them for Spirit Stones, to buy my brother nice clothes and delicious Lingguo."
"To make this place beautiful."
"That way, my brother can hold his head high when he goes out, right?"
"Nonsense! How could the Jianzun be poor?!" the Great Elder blurted out instinctively.
"Then have you given my brother any Spirit Stones?" Shen Manyi shot back.
The Great Elder was left speechless.
The sect's offerings were delivered on time every year, but the Jianzun had never asked for anything extra, and they'd never once considered that he might be short on money.
By now, Jiang Yan understood completely.
He instinctively glanced at his shishu seated at the head of the hall. The other's expression remained indifferent, but that silence itself was a form of tacit approval!
So that's what Shishu was doing—using this young girl as an excuse to secure benefits for Tai Shang Feng in a roundabout way!
Well, it made sense. Shishu had lived a life of ascetic detachment for thousands of years.
Now that he finally had a delicate little one by his side,
it was only natural that he would plan for her in every way, wanting to give her the best.
Having figured this out, Jiang Yan spoke up generously and directly.
"Shishu has contributed so much to the sect, yet we failed to even consider your daily needs. This is this nephew's negligence!"
With that, he turned to Shen Manyi. "Young friend is right! We were remiss before!"
"Here's what we'll do—from now on, everything this herb garden needs, including top-grade Spirit Soil and the Spirit Gathering Array, will be fully covered by the sect!"
The Great Elder also snapped to attention and quickly added.
"Not only that! Every month, the sect will additionally supply Tai Shang Feng with twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
"Consider it… an allowance for Jianzun and the young friend's daily expenses!"
"Furthermore, from now on, should the young friend have any need within the sect, a single word is all it takes—the entire Guiyuan Jianzong will comply without exception!"
"That's more like it."
Shen Manyi was overjoyed inside, but her face still wore that reluctant expression.
She walked to the edge of the hall and plucked a petal from the Seven-Haze Exquisite Flower.
"Here, this is for you. Remember to deliver the Spirit Stones."
"My brother said one must keep their word. In the future, if you want anything, remember to come three days in advance with sufficient sincerity to place an order with me."
"Yes, yes! Thank you, young friend!"
The Great Elder received the petal as if it were a priceless treasure, his hands trembling as he took it and carefully placed it into a top-grade jade box.
Jiang Yan also let out a long sigh of relief.
His gaze at Shen Manyi had shifted from looking at a junior to looking at a little ancestor who needed to be properly worshipped.
The two left with profuse thanks, afraid she might change her mind.
Shen Manyi watched their retreating figures, clapped her hands in satisfaction, and turned back into the hall.
The moment she looked up, she met Xiao Mo's deep, dark eyes.
"Brother, wasn't I amazing!"
She ran to his side, tilting her face up like she was offering a treasure for his approval.
"I earned you so, so many Spirit Stones!"
The smile in Xiao Mo's eyes could no longer be hidden, spreading like a thawing lake in spring, rippling with gentle warmth.
He leaned forward slightly, and a crisp, cold fragrance, accompanied by an overwhelming presence, instantly enveloped Shen Manyi.
"Mm, very impressive."
His voice was low, carrying a barely perceptible huskiness, his warm breath brushing against Shen Manyi's ear.
Shen Manyi's cheeks flushed visibly, turning red before one's very eyes.
"Ooh~ little girl, you're almost cooked! Ready to eat! Hahaha~"
Tangyuan's irritating voice suddenly burst into laughter in her mind.
"Shut up!" Shen Manyi snapped, flustered and furious.
"Aiyo, what's there to be shy about? Such a thick thigh to cling to—wouldn't it be better if you just secured him?"
Shen Manyi's head was practically sinking into her chest.
"Can you stop talking nonsense? He's my brother…"
"Tsk, not by blood."
Tangyuan's eyes widened, wearing an expression of someone disappointed by wasted potential.
And just then, Xiao Mo reached out and touched her ear.
Asking in all seriousness: "What's wrong? Why are your ears all red?"
Shen Manyi felt that if she stayed any longer, she would spontaneously combust!
She blurted out a quick-witted shout.
"Ah! I just remembered! The herb garden! Right, the herb garden's Spirit Soil hasn't been turned yet! I need to go right away!"
With that, without waiting for Xiao Mo's reaction, she dashed out in a fluster.
Xiao Mo watched her fleeing figure, and a very soft, very pleased chuckle escaped his lips.
That little girl really couldn't handle being teased.