“Pfft.
But I really must thank you for saving my life this time.
To repay this debt, what if I offer myself to you?
How about it, Brother Mu Fan?”
After staring at Mu Fan for a long moment, Shen Muyao chuckled, a bewitching, flower-like smile blossoming on her face.
“Th-That won’t be necessary.
I was just fulfilling my promise.
Besides, you’ve helped me before, so let’s just call it even.”
Right now, Mu Fan didn’t dare look directly at Shen Muyao.
The moment he saw her enchanting face, he was reminded of her soul-stirring allure from before.
His face instantly flushed crimson as he waved his hands dismissively and backed away, stammering.
Seeing Mu Fan act this way, Shen Muyao couldn’t help but smile again.
“Well, in that case, our friendship has been forged in a life-and-death trial.
You can’t keep being so formal with me like you used to, can you?”
Shen Muyao giggled and stepped forward, her mischievous face moving in close to his once more.
“Huh?
Wha-?”
Mu Fan blankly scratched his head, not understanding what she meant.
“Junior… Junior Sister Shen, what do you mean by that?”
“Still calling me Junior Sister Shen?
Call me Yaoyao!”
Shen Muyao stepped forward again.
“That’s… not appropriate, is it?”
Mu Fan retreated.
“Say it!”
Shen Muyao continued to advance.
“Yao…”
Mu Fan kept backing away.
Then, gritting his teeth, he forced a single word from his lips, “Yaoyao!”
“That’s more like it!”
Seeing his reaction, Shen Muyao finally let the mortified Mu Fan off the hook and spoke again.
“You didn’t agree when I offered myself to you earlier, but you did save my life.
So, if there’s anything you want…”
“I’ll agree to it, you know, Brother Mu Fan.”
As she spoke, Shen Muyao raised an eyebrow at Mu Fan, the implication in her words perfectly clear.
“Ahem, Yaoyao, stop messing around.”
Mu Fan looked at the little minx before him with a helpless expression, though he couldn’t feel any real annoyance.
“Tch, no fun at all.”
At his response, Shen Muyao pouted in dissatisfaction and her smile vanished.
“Actually, there is something I need your help with.”
Mu Fan pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Oh?”
Shen Muyao’s eyes lit up.
“Quick, tell me.”
‘She genuinely wanted to be able to help Mu Fan.’
“I’ve hit a bottleneck in my cultivation and urgently need a Cultivation Technique suitable for my current condition.
So, could you take me to the Library Pavilion?”
Mu Fan explained his reasoning.
“The Library Pavilion?”
Shen Muyao froze at his words.
‘She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been to the Library Pavilion.’
“Yes.
You know what happened before.
I’m no longer qualified to enter the Library Pavilion.”
Mu Fan nodded, a hint of melancholy in his tone.
“Are you sure it’s just a small thing like that?
Nothing else I can help with?
Like dealing with Feng Yuan?”
“No need.
I’ll deal with Feng Yuan myself.”
At that, Mu Fan shook his head.
‘He didn’t want to get Shen Muyao too involved in his affairs.’
“Alright then.”
Shen Muyao shrugged.
Then, with a swipe of her right hand at her waist, a Token with an ancient, unadorned charm appeared in her hand.
“Here.
Take my Token.
You can come and go from the Library Pavilion as you please with this.”
Of course, Shen Muyao didn’t tell Mu Fan that this Token had other, far greater uses beyond just accessing the Library Pavilion!
“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.
I get the feeling you don’t want to hear me say ‘thank you’.”
Seeing the Token, Mu Fan’s expression brightened.
He took it and spoke.
“That’s more like it.
You should just keep the Token.
It’s useless to me anyway.”
Mu Fan was about to refuse, but when he saw the slightly determined look on her face, he swallowed his words.
A moment later, the two of them straightened their clothes and finally stepped out of the Array.
“Yaoyao!”
Lu Xueqing, who had been waiting outside in a state of extreme anxiety, saw the unharmed Shen Muyao, and her eyes immediately reddened as she rushed forward.
“Thank goodness you’re okay!
If anything had happened, I… I could never have forgiven myself!”
“What are you saying?
You had good intentions.
Who could have known the Phoenix True Flame would be so difficult to handle?”
Hearing this, Shen Muyao simply smiled faintly, gave Lu Xueqing a comforting hug, and said softly.
“But the only reason I survived this time is all thanks to Brother Mu Fan.”
‘Shen Muyao genuinely hoped her friend would stop being prejudiced against Mu Fan, so she deliberately emphasized this point.’
“I misjudged you before.”
Lu Xueqing looked up at Mu Fan with a complicated expression, her voice strained as she spoke.
“It’s nothing.”
Mu Fan spoke with a placid expression.
‘Truthfully, he didn’t care what others thought of him.’
“Sigh… I was too arrogant about today’s matter.
Even though the danger has passed…”
Elder Xuan looked at Mu Fan and Shen Muyao guiltily as he spoke.
“Elder Xuan, you don’t need to take it to heart.
I know you had good intentions.”
Shen Muyao shook her head, her eyes holding no hint of blame.
At her words, Elder Xuan’s guilt-ridden expression softened somewhat.
“How about this?
I’ll consider this a favor I owe you.
If you need anything in the future, you can come find me at any time.”
After saying this, Elder Xuan turned to Mu Fan.
“And you, young man.
If it weren’t for you today, my reputation would have been utterly ruined.
In the future, you can come find me at the Profound Moon Pill Sect.
I’ll grant you a great opportunity.”
The Profound Moon Pill Sect!
Mu Fan was shocked to hear this, and his gaze toward Elder Xuan grew even more respectful.
The Profound Moon Pill Sect was the number one Alchemy Dao power in the Southern Domain’s Thirteen States.
Countless people yearned to have some connection with it; even the Taiqing Sect had to treat it with a measure of deference!
“Senior, you are too kind.
I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Mu Fan said, cupping his fists.
Elder Xuan nodded, a hint of admiration now in his eyes as he looked at Mu Fan.
Then, Elder Xuan bid farewell to the group and departed.
“I should get going too.”
After watching Elder Xuan leave, Mu Fan turned to the two women and spoke.
“Wait!”
Shen Muyao knew Mu Fan was heading to the Library Pavilion and immediately wanted to go with him.
Seeing this, Lu Xueqing stopped her.
“Yaoyao, I have something to talk to you about.”
“Can’t it wait until I get back?”
Shen Muyao waved her hand dismissively.
“This is very important!”
Lu Xueqing insisted.
“Forget it, I’ll just go by myself.”
Mu Fan had his suspicions, but he didn’t say a word.
With that, he turned and headed down the mountain.
“Mengyao, be honest with me.
You don’t actually have feelings for him, do you?”
Lu Xueqing looked at her childhood friend with a complicated expression.
“Of… of course not!”
Hearing this, Shen Mengyao’s heart skipped a beat, and she could barely get her words out.
“You can’t fool me.
In this world, besides your master, I’m probably the one who knows you best.”
Seeing Shen Muyao’s expression, Lu Xueqing instantly understood everything.