When Lu Xian’er woke up and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling and room, she couldn’t help but freeze. “Where… is this?”
Suddenly, she noticed something. Reaching to touch the corner of her mouth, she realized her veil was gone. Even her white dress had been changed into plain clothes. Her sword lay at the bedside.
At once, Lu Xian’er remembered the battle with Yan Bei, the conversation with the girl who had saved her, and how she had likely passed out from her injuries.
“Was I… rescued?”
At the same time, a blurry memory surfaced—of a man removing her skirt and touching her all over. But the memory was too hazy, leaving her unsure if it had really happened or was just a dream.
Just then, a girl entered the room carrying hot water and a towel. She had originally come to wipe her body, but seeing Lu Xian’er awake, she paused, then asked calmly, “Senior, how are you feeling?”
Perhaps because of her identity as a demonic cultivator, the girl wasn’t particularly warm toward someone from an orthodox sect like Lu Xian’er.
Filled with questions, Lu Xian’er immediately asked, “Where am I? And who are you?”
“This is Outrealm City, in an orphanage,” the girl replied as she wrung out the towel and handed it over. “As for me… I’m Qing Yue, a child of this orphanage.”
“Orphanage?” Lu Xian’er was stunned as she took the towel.
She also noticed that this girl, surprisingly, had the cultivation of 8th stage Postnatal Realm. Was she a genius raised in the orphanage?
While pondering, she wiped her face and handed the towel back. “Thank you…”
“If you want to thank someone, you should thank Xiaoxue and the Director. One brought you back, and the other pulled you back from the gates of death.”
Lu Xian’er paused. “Xiaoxue? The girl with the sword?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Bai Xiaoxue.”
Lu Xian’er nodded, at least now she knew the girl’s name. “And the Director you mentioned?”
“The Director is just the Director. He’s the one who took us in.” When Qing Yue mentioned Lin Yun, her tone carried a hint of warmth.
Lu Xian’er was surprised. So Bai Xiaoxue was also a child of this orphanage?
A place like an orphanage was usually just a place to shelter abandoned children, not a place known for producing geniuses like that girl. This only deepened her curiosity about this Director. Could he be some powerful expert living in seclusion?
“Where is your Director now? May I see him?”
“I figured you’d be waking up about now.” Lin Yun walked in with a smile and looked her over. “How are you feeling? Is your body any better?”
Seeing him made Lu Xian’er blink. Then her expression changed. “It’s you?!”
She shot up like a gust of wind, grabbed her sword, and pointed it at Lin Yun with a cold voice. “You scoundrel! What did you do to me?!”
Her sudden reaction made Qing Yue frown and step forward. “Hey, what’s your problem?!”
To Qing Yue, this woman was completely ungrateful. Of course she was upset.
But Lin Yun stopped her and calmly asked Lu Xian’er, “You mean the part where I undressed you? That was to save your life.”
Lu Xian’er pursed her lips and snorted, “So touching every inch of my body was for saving me too?”
“If I say yes, would you believe me?”
“If I believe that, I must be insane!”
Hearing that, even Qing Yue looked at Lin Yun with a suspicious expression. “Director… didn’t we agree no pervy stuff?”
Lin Yun coughed lightly and explained, “Heaven bears witness. I was seriously treating her. Otherwise, how could she have recovered so quickly?”
“In that case, show me right now,” Lu Xian’er said coldly. Then, without hesitation, she dragged the edge of her sword across her palm. Blood immediately flowed from the wound.
Her sword had special properties. Any injury it inflicted had powerful side effects—most healing pills wouldn’t work quickly on it.
Then she held the bleeding hand out to Lin Yun, whose mouth twitched slightly. “Damn, you’re not holding back at all, huh?”
Lu Xian’er snorted, “If you really can do it, I’ll apologize. If not, don’t blame me for getting rough!”
After maintaining her innocence for so many years, to have her clothes stripped and body touched all over by some man—how could she possibly accept that without proof?
Seeing this, Lin Yun sighed. He knew he had to prove himself.
“Alright, I’ll try.” He reached out and held her delicate little hand.
Her hand was slender, soft beyond expectation—almost boneless. It was the kind of hand one would hate to let go of.
“That fast?” Lu Xian’er frowned. It had been so quick she hadn’t even felt anything.
Aside from a brief sting, the wound felt completely healed. When she rinsed the blood off in the basin, she was shocked to find not even a scar remained. It was like a miracle.
“It’s… actually healed?”
“Do I need to say more?” Lin Yun shrugged helplessly. “My treatment method requires direct contact with the injury. You were wounded all over, and poisoned on top of that. If I hadn’t done what I did, you wouldn’t have survived.”
Lu Xian’er looked at her palm, then at Lin Yun, utterly stunned.
This technique… she had never seen or even heard of anything like it. Was this man… a powerful healer?
“How exactly… did you do that?”
“Not important. What matters is, are you healed or not?”
“I…” Lu Xian’er was silent for a moment, then sheathed her sword and bowed toward him. “I apologize for the misunderstanding. Thank you for saving my life.”
At least she was honest. Once she realized it was a misunderstanding, she apologized right away.
“No need to thank me,” Lin Yun said with a calm smile as he extended his hand toward her.
Lu Xian’er hesitated. Until today, she had never touched a man outside of her family. But he had saved her—and touched her already anyway—so she reluctantly reached out to shake his hand.
Unexpectedly, Lin Yun asked, “Miss Lu, what are you doing?”
“Uh… weren’t we shaking hands?”
“What are you thinking?” Lin Yun let go, waved his hand, and added, “Didn’t you just thank me for saving you? In that case, shouldn’t you pay a treatment fee?”
“…Huh?”
Lu Xian’er was dumbfounded. For so many years, men had always flattered her and showered her with gifts. This was the first time anyone had ever asked her for money.
“Then… how much do you want?”
“How about 300,000 black crystals? Sound fair?”