Damn it all, why did it have to be him!
Wen Shuangbai's fiery enthusiasm turned to ashes in that moment.
She pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed deeply, wondering whether she should even continue with this deal.
The young woman stood dejectedly in the middle of the road, with no shade in sight, the scorching afternoon sun mercilessly enveloping her.
Xie Ziyin toyed with the Mystic Heaven Mirror, quietly observing Wen Shuangbai's every move.
She looked utterly frustrated, as if she had no clue about any of this.
If this had been her scheme, Xie Ziyin could only say her acting was impeccable—because he couldn't spot any flaws.
Moreover, retracing the sequence of events, it had indeed been him who approached her first, all because he was short on funds.
In just a few breaths, Xie Ziyin reached a conclusion—this was pure coincidence.
Straightening up, he stepped out from under the tree and asked her in a detached, businesslike tone, devoid of personal feelings, "Are you still selling or not?"
Wen Shuangbai lowered her hand and shot him an annoyed glance before fishing out an alchemy furnace from her storage pouch and tossing it at him. "Selling."
The furnace flew straight toward his head, but Xie Ziyin reacted swiftly, catching it with one hand. His expression darkened as he retorted, "Is this how you conduct business?"
Broke and still picky.
Wen Shuangbai gave him a sidelong look. "I'm selling it cheap—what do you expect? If you want good service, go buy from the Treasure Pavilion."
The Treasure Pavilion was Qingzhou's most renowned shop, rumored to stock every kind of spiritual pill and magical artifact imaginable, with service so impeccable that every customer left singing its praises.
But even the cheapest seventh-grade alchemy furnace there cost over three thousand spirit stones.
Hearing this, Xie Ziyin fell silent and lowered his head.
He channeled his spiritual energy into the furnace, meticulously inspecting its quality.
He didn't exactly trust Wen Shuangbai's integrity.
Wen Shuangbai crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto her left foot while tapping her right foot impatiently on the stone pavement. "Inspect it carefully. Don’t come crying to me later if there’s a problem."
On her way here, she had already made up her mind.
The Xuantian Continent had no concept of warranties—transactions were strictly "as-is"—but she had been willing to offer her first major customer a one-year guarantee.
But now?
Dream on.
"Let me make this clear—any issues with the furnace after today are none of my concern."
Xie Ziyin gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, then glanced at her, slightly surprised.
Aside from the hideously carved runes on its surface, the furnace had no defects. In fact, it was rather decent.
He stored the furnace away and handed over seven hundred spirit stones to Wen Shuangbai.
She counted them meticulously on the spot, confirming not a single stone was missing, then turned to leave.
But just then, light footsteps approached from a distance, accompanied by a girl’s clear, melodious voice. "Brother Ziyin! Brother Ziyin, I finally found you… Ah, Senior Sister Wen? You’re here too…"
Double the bad luck.
She should’ve consulted a fortune-teller before leaving home today.
Wen Shuangbai forced a fake smile, said nothing, and was about to slip away like grease off a hot pan when Yu Xiaoxiao discreetly glanced at Xie Ziyin’s displeased expression and hastily grabbed her sleeve.
"Senior Sister Wen, could you stay for a moment? If you listen, there won’t be any misunderstandings between me and Brother Ziyin."
"No," Wen Shuangbai refused bluntly. "I’m in a hurry—"
"It’ll be quick!" Yu Xiaoxiao hurriedly pulled out an alchemy furnace from her storage pouch. "During our last mission, Brother Ziyin was badly injured saving me, and he even lost the furnace his father left him. It’s all my fault—I couldn’t live with myself, so I came today to give him this one."
Wen Shuangbai, who had been itching to leave, suddenly found her feet rooted to the spot.
Her eyes locked onto the alchemy furnace in Yu Xiaoxiao’s hands.
So beautiful. So exquisite. So luxurious!
This had to be the legendary second-grade Dragon-Coiled Cloud Alchemy Furnace from the novel—the one Yu Xiaoxiao gifted Xie Ziyin.
Second-grade… flawless craftsmanship. Absolutely breathtaking!
Her heart raced, blood pounding in her ears.
Though she stood in the same space, the voices of Yu Xiaoxiao and Xie Ziyin grew distant, only fragments reaching her.
"I already have a furnace."
"Brother Ziyin, this is different. I owe you… and since Senior Sister is here, we should clear things up—"
"We cleared it up last time."
The man’s voice was icy.
Before him stood two women—one a scheming antagonist who fancied him, the other the female lead the original owner of this body had loved.
Yet he wanted nothing to do with either.
Romance? Just a trick of hormones. What’s the point?
Without another word, Xie Ziyin turned and walked away.
Yu Xiaoxiao’s lips trembled. Gritting her teeth, she placed the furnace on the ground. "Brother Ziyin! Whether you take it or not, I’m leaving it here. After this, we’re even!"
With that, the girl in yellow robes mounted her sword and flew off.
Wen Shuangbai: "…?"
She blinked, glancing at Xie Ziyin’s retreating figure entering the medical hall, then at Yu Xiaoxiao vanishing into the distance, before finally settling her gaze on the lonely Dragon-Coiled Cloud Alchemy Furnace left on the ground.
Huh? They’re just… leaving it?
Amid the lush trees behind the medical hall, the woman in green robes circled the furnace, pacing back and forth.
Back in the modern world, there had been a running joke about scavenging discarded roses and gold rings from Valentine’s Day trash bins.
Wen Shuangbai wasn’t sure—if someone picked up a gold ring, would it count as theft?
Honestly, these two. If they’re fighting, why abandon the Dragon-Coiled Cloud Furnace?
It’s innocent!
If she gave it a new home… surely that wasn’t a crime?
Right?
Grinning, she snatched up the furnace and bolted.
A second-grade Dragon-Coiled Cloud Alchemy Furnace—a priceless treasure! Selling it could set her up for life on the Xuantian Continent.
Clutching her storage pouch, her smile stretched ear to ear.
But as she ran, an uneasy feeling crept in, and her grin faded.
This isn’t just some random loot.
Technically, this furnace belonged to Yu Xiaoxiao’s master.
Yu Xiaoxiao’s master was a low-key yet formidable figure on Qingling Mountain.
When Yu Xiaoxiao wanted a furnace, her master had let her pick one from the treasury.
The female lead had casually taken the most valuable one, and her doting master hadn’t batted an eye.
But if he found out she had "picked it up"? That would be a different story.
The novel hadn’t mentioned it, but the original owner’s memories reminded her—Yu Xiaoxiao’s master hated artificers, believing they only swindled swordsmen out of their money.
Ah, forget it.
She still had some principles.
With this in mind, Wen Shuangbai stopped at a fork in the road. Instead of heading home, she chose another path.
Five years ago, after the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion exiled Wen Feng and his family to the Outer Peak, the original owner had rarely visited.
From elders to junior disciples, everyone in the pavilion treated the Wen father-daughter pair like pariahs, their disdain written plainly on their faces.
The original owner couldn’t bear it, so she avoided the place.
Wen Shuangbai thought this was no way to live.
Lately, she’d been self-studying artifact forging. Though mostly smooth, she’d hit plenty of snags.
Of course, she’d resorted to asking questions on the Mystic Heaven Mirror.
But this couldn’t go on forever—she needed to find herself some good mentors and friends.
She had to break the ice with the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, to show them that she wasn’t like Wen Feng, that she wasn’t the same as before. She had turned over a new leaf and was now a diligent, hardworking flower of the sect!
Hmm, this Dragon-Coiled Cloud Cauldron would make the perfect peace offering.
Wen Shuangbai strode into the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion with a smile.
The crowd glanced up at her, recognized her, and then promptly lowered their heads in unison, pretending to be busy—completely ignoring her.
Many even exchanged looks with their neighbors, as if to say, "Here comes the daughter of that troublemaker again. Who knows what mess she’ll drag the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion into this time?"
Wen Shuangbai took it all in with a sweep of her eyes, pausing slightly when her gaze landed on a particular direction.
The door between the pavilion’s front hall and the rear courtyard was open, and from her angle, she could see an exceptionally elegant elderly woman sitting by the lotus pond, leisurely admiring the flowers while cracking melon seeds.
Even when she noticed Wen Shuangbai, the old woman remained smiling, even studying her with keen interest, radiating approachability.
The original owner of this body hadn’t visited the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion in years, so there were many unfamiliar faces.
Wen Shuangbai couldn’t tell who was who.
But with so many disciples and elders bustling about, and this old woman the picture of relaxation, she had to be someone of high status.
Perfect—she was the one!
Wen Shuangbai trotted over cheerfully and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Elder!"
The old woman, who had been reclining in a rattan chair, straightened up and smiled at her. "Hello there. What brings you here?"
"Elder, it’s like this." Wen Shuangbai pulled out the Dragon-Coiled Cloud Cauldron from her storage pouch and spun her lie without batting an eye. "I found this alchemy furnace on the road and didn’t know who it belonged to, so I thought to bring it here."
The old woman narrowed her eyes, studying it, then took a sip of tea. "This is quite the treasure. Why not keep it for yourself?"
Wen Shuangbai: "This does not belong to Shuangbai. To take it would be dishonorable."
Hearing this, the old woman chuckled and stretched out her wrinkled hand. "Then give it to me."
Wen Shuangbai hurriedly passed the cauldron over with both hands.
The old woman set it casually on the stone table, then scooped up a handful of melon seeds from the fruit tray and dropped them into Wen Shuangbai’s palm. "Good child, these are for you. Off you go now."
Little Wen: She had principles… but not many.
