Zhou Kai steadied himself and suppressed the faint stirring thoughts in his mind. Now was not the time for such distractions. Business came first.
He first took out the Storage Pouch he had just obtained, the one that belonged to that unlucky fellow from the Celestial Spring Sect.
“Heh, not bad.” A faint smile curled at the corner of Zhou Kai’s lips.
Five hundred low-grade spirit stones. Not a lot, but not little either. More than a dozen crystal-clear Qi Gathering Pills, and five Rejuvenation Pills that radiated vitality. Besides that, there were several sets of spare clothes, two jade slips of basic cultivation techniques, and some miscellaneous talisman materials.
“What a pity the White Jade Folding Fan turned to dust…”
After sorting out the spoils, he finally shifted his gaze back to Shen Hanyi.
She slowly opened her eyes. Her hazy vision took a while to focus before she could clearly see Zhou Kai right in front of her.
That face, carrying a trace of roguishness yet somehow tinged with sincerity, now appeared to her like a lurking beast.
“You…” Her voice was hoarse and dry, barely audible.
Instinctively, she tried to grasp the sword at her waist, only to be horrified to find that she did not even have the strength to lift her arm.
The aftereffects of activating the Sword Embryo were far worse than she had imagined. At this moment, her dantian was completely empty, her meridians throbbed with pain, and she could not muster even a trace of strength. She had truly become meat on the chopping board.
Seeing the vigilance and distance in Shen Hanyi’s eyes, Zhou Kai immediately switched to an extremely sincere expression, even carrying a hint of grievance, as if he were about to swear to the heavens that he was a good person.
“Fairy, don’t panic! Don’t panic!” He quickly waved his hands, stepping back slightly to create some distance and show that he meant no harm. “I am Zhou Kai, and I absolutely have no ill intentions toward you!”
He cleared his throat and began his performance, counting on his fingers with a serious face as he listed out the “debts of gratitude.”
“Fairy, look, let’s sort this out. First, back in the forest, you suddenly stabbed me with your sword. I didn’t die and even managed to run away. Doesn’t that count as you owing me one life?”
Shen Hanyi fell silent. At that time, her condition had been too poor to finish him off in one strike. What did that have to do with showing mercy?
Zhou Kai ignored her speechless look and continued, “Then, that Chen Family guy, Chen An, at the 6th stage Qi Refining Realm, tried to capture you. It was me, Zhou Kai, who stepped in at the critical moment and attacked from behind… ahem, I mean, assisted from behind, and helped you kill him! That’s risking my life to help you. Doesn’t that count as another life you owe me?”
Shen Hanyi remained silent. She remembered it clearly. Zhou Kai had first shouted, “Brother Chen, I’ll help you,” and then immediately threw all his talismans at Chen An’s back. Assistance? That was shamelessness.
Zhou Kai became more and more enthusiastic, as if he truly were a hero sacrificing himself for righteousness. “Finally, and most importantly, that guy from the Celestial Spring Sect was so fierce. He was just about to kill you. Who was it again? Still me! Zhou Kai! I came back, disregarded my own safety, exhausted all my resources, and blasted him into pieces with a full set of talismans and artifacts! This life-saving grace can’t be ignored, right? That makes three lives!”
“So you see,” Zhou Kai spread his hands, his expression utterly sincere, “Fairy, before and after, you owe me three lives.”
Shen Hanyi was left somewhat dazed by his twisted logic. Her weakness left her without even the strength to refute him.
Seeing her remain silent, Zhou Kai thought his sincerity had moved her. He quickly pressed forward, playing the role of an honest man and appealing to emotion.
He let out a long sigh, his face showing traces of hardship and helplessness.
“Sword Fairy, I won’t hide it from you. I’m just a minor Guest Elder from a small Qi Refining family. My cultivation is low, and life is hard. Back in the forest, when I saw you lying there without any aura, I thought… I thought you had unfortunately passed away. That’s why I thought… ahem… since you are a senior expert, you must have extraordinary items on you, so perhaps I could… borrow them for a look, to commemorate your elegance…”
As he spoke about “borrowing for a look,” his voice lowered, and a faint, appropriately placed blush appeared on his face, as if he had only intended to collect some belongings as keepsakes.
“Who would have thought that you are blessed with great fortune and strong fate? When I saw you were still alive, I was both shocked and delighted! Just now, when you fought that cultivator from the Celestial Spring Sect, even though I, Zhou Kai, am timid, I have long admired you! Even if it meant risking my life, I couldn’t just stand by and watch you fall into danger! Fairy, tell me, wasn’t it difficult for me to put aside past grievances and risk my life to save you?”
His words were full of emotion and conviction, so moving that even Zhou Kai himself almost believed them.
After laying the groundwork for so long, seeing that the timing was right, Zhou Kai suddenly changed his tone. A confident smile appeared on his face, and his gaze turned professional.
“To be honest, although my cultivation is not high, I do have some reputation in alchemy. I am a genuine 2nd Grade Alchemist.” He straightened his chest. “Just now, I briefly examined you. Your injuries are extremely severe. The damage to your meridians is secondary. The most troublesome issue is the life-bound Sword Embryo within your dantian…”
He deliberately paused, observing Shen Hanyi’s reaction.
Sure enough, upon hearing the words “Sword Embryo,” Shen Hanyi’s previously indifferent gaze tightened instantly.
That was the foundation of a sword cultivator. It was her path. No one understood better than her how severe the damage to her Sword Embryo was.
Zhou Kai rejoiced inwardly, knowing he had struck her weak point. He immediately threw out the bait.
“Your Sword Embryo has dimmed, covered in cracks, and your foundation has been severely damaged. Your cultivation has even fallen from the 7th stage Sword Dominion Realm to the 5th stage Sword Dominion Realm. In such a situation, ordinary pills would likely have little effect. However…”
He smiled mysteriously and flipped his wrist. Two exquisite white jade bottles appeared in his hand.
Carefully, he opened the stopper of one of the bottles.
Buzz!
An extremely rich and refreshing medicinal fragrance spread out.
Just by smelling this fragrance, Shen Hanyi felt that the dried-up spiritual power within her body seemed to stir slightly, and the pain in her meridians eased a little.
Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the jade bottle.
“This is a top-grade pill among 2nd grade pills, the True Condensing Pill. Although its primary effect is to repair and stabilize the dantian and qi sea, the immense and pure medicinal power it contains also has remarkable effects on a life-bound Sword Embryo like yours. While it may not act quickly, it is more than sufficient to stabilize your injuries when combined with meditation.”
He shook the two jade bottles in his hand and added, “I happen to have two pills. One of them is an extremely rare high-grade True Condensing Pill.”
After saying that, he fell silent, simply looking at Shen Hanyi with a gaze full of sincerity and expectation, waiting for her response.
In his mind, Zhou Kai had already begun calculating.
Three life-saving favors, plus a life-saving pill delivered at the right moment. Under this double impact, this ice-cold beauty should melt, right?
According to the usual script, what should come next would be—“Young master, your great kindness cannot be repaid. I can only…”
He could already imagine that cold fairy, her pretty face flushed, shyly saying those classic words.
The notification sound of the Confidante Interaction System seemed to be ringing in his ears already, and a flood of exchange points was beckoning to him.
Just thinking about it made him a little excited.
However, reality was often harsher than any script.
After hearing Zhou Kai’s “three lives” theory, smelling the tempting medicinal fragrance, and feeling her body’s craving for the pill, Shen Hanyi remained silent for a moment.
She lifted her still cold eyes and looked at Zhou Kai. There was no trace of shyness or gratitude in her gaze. Instead, there was an unfamiliar, extremely serious scrutiny.
Then, gathering a breath, she spoke in a calm, almost cold tone, word by word.
“Zhou Kai.”
“I, Shen Hanyi, distinguish clearly between kindness and enmity.”
“You saved me three times. I will remember this.”
“In the future, I will kill three people for you. No matter who they are or how high their cultivation is, as long as you name them, I, Shen Hanyi, will take their heads.”
“If I am not strong enough and cannot kill those three…”
She paused, her expression completely unchanged, as if stating a simple fact.
“You may use your sword, or anything else, to stab me three times. I will not have a single complaint.”
“… ”
The smile on Zhou Kai’s face froze.