Chapter 45: Bai Yueguang, the leader of Hehuan Sect 6, spends a fortune on men

It was a hazy night by the lake. Wen Qianning and Ji Hanlin walked into an inn together. The waiter was very busy. Upon hearing their purpose, he could only smile awkwardly and said,

"Excuse me, my two distinguished guests. The market opened today and the place was fully booked early. Now there is only one upper room left, and it has a lake view. If you don't mind, you can stay here for one night."

Wen Qianning glanced at Ji Hanlin hesitantly, feeling that it wasn't appropriate for them to share a room just yet. She was about to refuse, but he agreed so decisively: "Then please get us a room upstairs. Sorry for the inconvenience."

She tilted her head, a hint of doubt in her eyes. Ji Hanlin seemed to see her hesitation and explained, "It's getting late now. I'm sure other inns are crowded. Why not stay here for the night?"

Hearing him say this, Wen Qianning didn't say anything else. She just told the waiter to bring them hot water later and then closed the door.

The room was elegantly furnished, and the window faced the lights in the center of the lake, with red lights and green shadows swaying and floating on the water.

The two sat down separately, Ji Han sat alone by the window, while Wen Qianning made tea and read a book at the table. The room was quiet and gentle, as if they had long been accustomed to such silent nights together.

Ji Hanlin glanced at Wen Qianning who was reading seriously with her head down. Her brows softened in the mist of tea.

She suddenly remembered how she was mistaken for a couple by the hairpin stall owner in the market today and she smiled and clarified that they were siblings, and she couldn't help but frown.

He had no idea what kind of feeling it was to be unhappy. Ascetics were supposed to be pure-hearted and free from desires, but when he thought of this incident at this moment, he felt a fire burning in his heart, making him feel depressed and uncomfortable.

"Why do you always say that I am your younger brother?" Ji Hanlin asked.

Wen Qianning was startled. She looked up at him, feeling a little dazed and unable to react. "Ah? Because... I told you, if I ever have a brother, I want one like you."

She responded casually, not taking Ji Hanlin's question seriously, and turned around to continue flipping through the book.

Ji Hanlin sat in silence for a while, then suddenly stood up and walked towards the door: "I'm going to the backyard to see if the water is ready."

Wen Qianning hummed a "hmm" when she heard that, without even looking up, still immersed in the pages of the book. After a while, she finally realized, "Wait! Why are you boiling water for the bath? That's the waiter's job!"

But he had long since disappeared.

Beside the stove in the backyard, the firewood crackled and the hot water steamed. Ji Hanlin raised his sleeve slightly to wipe the moisture from his forehead. With a focused expression, he confirmed that the water temperature was just right and added some spiritual herbs with a faint soothing aroma into the wooden barrel.

Wen Qianning must be tired after traveling so fast these days.

He remembered that she never liked herbs with strong flavors, so he chose the mildest one.

The night wind blew, and the moonlight shone on his handsome eyebrows and eyes, showing a calmness that was inconsistent with his age.

He had never done these kinds of serving work before. He had once been the pride of the Qingyun Sword Sect and had never fetched water or burned firewood for anyone. He even rarely did these trivial tasks himself.

But since he came to the Hehuan Sect, he didn't know when he got used to doing these things for her personally.

However, Ji Hanlin was unwilling to delve into what this meant.

When he carried the wooden barrel into the room, Wen Qianning was leaning on the couch in a daze. When she saw him coming back with the wooden barrel with his wrist slightly red, she immediately frowned.

"Xiao Lin, you..."

"No problem, I'll do it anyway. You can wash with peace of mind. After all, I know the Sect Master's habits." Ji Hanlin said lightly, turning around to take the clothes she had left on the table and hanging them on the hanger outside the screen. "The water is just right. Lingju grass can calm the mind. You're tired from walking today, so it's okay to soak for a while."

She stood there in a daze, somewhat speechless. After all, he was only eighteen years old, and had once been a prodigy in the cultivation world. Now that he had lost his cultivation, he was still humbly doing odd jobs for her, boiling water for her. As the sect leader, she seemed like a hands-off boss.

Wen Qianning sighed, feeling a little touched. She sniffed and walked into the bathroom.

The wooden barrel there was emitting steam, and the fragrance of the chrysanthemum grass lingered in the mist. The moment she sat down, she was surrounded by warmth, and her body and mind relaxed.

When the sound of water rang out behind the screen, Ji Hanlin sat quietly at the table and could feel the familiar breath lingering not far away.

He didn't think about anything deliberately, but his heart beat faster involuntarily... Wen Qianning was taking a shower inside, and he was sitting outside watching. Even the slightest movement would make him nervous.

Ji Hanlin closed his eyes and sighed softly.

After a while, the sound of water gradually subsided, and Wen Qianning walked out from behind the screen with wet hair. She was wrapped in light clothes and a robe on the outside. Her cheeks were slightly red due to the heat, and her whole body looked like a peach blossom that had been steamed by water and had turned a blurry color, radiant and charming.

Ji Hanlin was about to avoid her sight, but he couldn't help looking at her a few more times. He walked to the window, wanting the night breeze to cool his hot heart.

Wen Qianning, who was standing aside, was completely unaware of Ji Hanlin's abnormality. Feeling tired, she lay down on the couch to rest.

The young man was originally sitting alone by the window. After a long time, he turned around and looked at the person sleeping on the couch.

The woman slept very quietly. Ji Hanlin couldn't help but stand up and walk closer. He squatted down and gently tucked the corner of the quilt for her. When he touched her wrist, she murmured something in her dream, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "Hanlin..."

He paused, staring at the woman's sleeping face in disbelief, as if something in his heart had exploded.

Why was Wen Qianning calling out her own name even in her sleep? Could it be that she was also...

The young man was making random guesses here, half out of sweetness and half out of anxiety, but he didn't know... In fact, Wen Qianning was dreaming about him in the previous world.

Although the system says that the male protagonist is not the same person in every novel copy world it manages, the system will uniformly generate the male protagonist according to Ji Hanlin's appearance.

But for some reason, Wen Qianning unexpectedly dreamed of the scene of being with Ji Hanlin in the previous world tonight, so she unconsciously called out his name in her sleep.

Ji Hanlin looked at her silently for a while, and the corners of his lips slowly curled up slightly.

Outside the house, the lake breeze was stirring gently and the lights were dim. The boy quietly returned to the quilt spread on the floor and went to sleep, his heart no longer calm.

*

Early the next morning, before dawn at Yundu Lake, Wen Qianning and Ji Hanlin had already gotten up early and walked into the lakeside market together.

Today's market was far more lively than yesterday's. Stalls lined the lakeside, selling everything from spiritual herbs and materials to magical instruments and talismans, and even all sorts of exotic beast eggs. Cultivators thronged the area, and even members of the major sects were secretly investigating.

But the two of them had only one purpose for this trip - chalcedony.

It is a rare thing that is said to have been born from the spiritual mines on the seabed. It can nourish broken spiritual roots and gradually revive spiritual veins.

The news was not very accurate. All we knew was that a sea trader from the South China Sea would make a secret move today, and the transaction would take place at the Guiyu Houseboat on the east bank of Yundu Lake.

When they passed through the main area and found the pleasure boat, many monks had already boarded it. Although the boat was simple, the cabins were a different world with the atmosphere of a secret city.

Wen Qianning handed over the talisman and obtained the qualification to enter. She received two bronze masks and was led into a side room on the second floor with Ji Hanlin.

"Only thirty people will be accepted for today's secret auction. All bidders must be wealthy or noble. Your identities must not be revealed during the auction. You can only bid by raising your token." Wen Qianning said to Ji Hanlin while putting on his mask. "I'll come forward later. Don't say anything."

Ji Hanlin nodded and followed her.

Not long after, a clear bell rang, and the lights in the cabin suddenly became brighter. In the center, a round platform emerged, half-covered by a red veil. An elderly sea merchant was sitting behind it, looking at everyone with a smile.

"My fellow Daoists, the item being auctioned today is a chalcedony. There's only one of this, so I won't go into detail. You all know its value." He spoke calmly, "There's no reserve price. There are thirty bids, and the highest bidder wins."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a commotion in the place.

Wen Qianning's eyes moved slightly, and he thought to himself, there is no reserve price... It is obvious that he wants to test how many spirit stones everyone can offer, but it also means that the item really exists and is not an ordinary item, so he is so confident that others will pay a high price for it.

The audience remained silent for a few breaths, and then the red veil was slowly lifted, revealing the contents of the wooden box underneath.

It was a piece of jade shaped like crystal, emitting a faint blue glow, and its entire body flowed like water.

"That's chalcedony!" someone whispered.

The old sea merchant smiled and said, "That's exactly it. This chalcedony comes from the secret area of ​​the sunken sea. It has been nurtured by the dragon whale in the deadly land for a hundred years. It naturally absorbs the power of the sea spirit. Refining it can warm the spiritual roots and nourish the meridians."

"Then the bidding begins now!"

Wen Qianning raised the token in his hand without hesitation: "Five hundred spirit stones."

After the voice fell, the whole audience fell silent for a moment. It was obvious that her offer was not low and was approaching the limit of the upper-level monks of ordinary sects.

But in this secret filming, there would be no only ordinary monks.

Then, another masked man raised a sign: "Seven hundred."

"Eight hundred."

"one thousand."

The bidding prices kept rising.

Ji Hanlin sat behind Wen Qianning, looking at the woman who was supporting her chin with one hand and twirling a strand of her hair with the other hand out of boredom, looking calm and composed, and his heart softened unconsciously.

"Two thousand." Wen Qianning raised the sign again.

There was no other way. Their Hehuan Sect had such a rich foundation and such a solid material basis that it allowed her to spend money like water.

The venue fell completely silent, and everyone was secretly wondering who was bidding and how powerful he was.

After a while, no one dared to raise the price with this woman who had asked for such a huge sum. The old man on the stage said loudly: "Two thousand high-grade spirit stones, deal!"

The spiritual jade was wrapped in a talisman and flew into Wen Qianning's hands. She caught the chalcedony. It was warm and delicate, and there was indeed spiritual energy flowing in it.

Ji Hanlin took the chalcedony from her hand and whispered, "Thank you, Sect Master."

No one had ever been so kind to him, no one had ever cared about him so much, he thought.

Does it feel good to spend a fortune on a man? Wen Qianning tilted her head and smiled, "There's no need to thank me between you and me. If you can really use this to restore your cultivation, then I won't lose anything."

At the moment when the two looked at each other, some strange emotions arose in Wen Qianning's heart. She couldn't tell what they were, but she just felt that the way Ji Hanlin looked at her was a little... different.

Wen Qianning didn't think much about it. She didn't want to stay here any longer because the chalcedony treasure had not yet completely recognized its owner and needed to be refined as soon as possible to prevent any accidents.

So she cleared her throat and said to the young man, "Let's go back to the inn first. Although you have bought this treasure, it has not yet truly recognized its owner. I need to go back and help you refine the chalcedony."

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The author has something to say: The cheat code for the heroine is so thick hhh Comment on this chapter to get a red envelope~ [Spread flowers]