Chapter 138: Let It Scout the Path Ahead First

"Later..." Xiao Jihan gritted his teeth. "These mortals used some kind of sorcery to conceal their tracks, making them impossible to trace. I had no choice but to find the person who lured me to the shop, beat him up, and reclaimed some of the silver. Fortunately, I hadn't taken all of my spirit stones with me."

Xiao Jihan placed all his remaining assets on the table: fifty mid-grade spirit stones and twenty taels of silver. While they were not exactly destitute, if they followed their original plan of traveling all the way to the Imperial City of Yunzhou, it might prove insufficient.

Xiao Jihan put the silver away and said calmly, "I had intended to exchange more to buy you clothes, jewelry, and cosmetics, and to take you out for good food. But that is no longer possible; we will have to wait until we reach the Imperial City."

Hearing that the money lost was meant for her, Yan Shu was immediately displeased. "Are we just going to let it go?! A direct disciple's monthly allowance is only one and a half mid-grade spirit stones. Losing one hundred and thirty all at once is like losing over seven years of allowance!"

The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. She looked up at Xiao Jihan and said, "No! We have to find a way to get those spirit stones back!"

Xiao Jihan said coldly, "After realizing I had been swindled, I went to the City Lord's Mansion to report it. However, they refused to accept the case, asking what evidence I had to prove the stones were lost in Xuantian City, and told me not to spout nonsense or tarnish the reputation of the Xuantian government."

Upon hearing this, Yan Shu understood. "So it's collusion between officials and thieves. No wonder you told me earlier that we should replace the City Lord."

Xiao Jihan gave a faint hum of agreement. His phoenix eyes fixed on her as he said, "I didn't want to tell you these things, but since you asked, I have told you."

Yan Shu looked into his phoenix eyes and suddenly realized he was telling her that no matter the matter, if she asked, he would tell her the truth of it.

Yan Shu felt that if there were a "favorability" meter above her head, it had likely gone up by several points just now.

She turned back and asked, "What do you plan to do? Taking this loss lying down isn't your style."

Xiao Jihan snorted coldly. "Every debt has its debtor. I have decided to infiltrate the City Lord's Mansion tonight and make that City Lord return every bit of the embezzled spirit stones!"

As a City Lord, he would undoubtedly have intricate ties to the imperial family, and there would certainly be cultivators protecting them. In this world, there were many rogue cultivators and those from small sects. These cultivators lived off the provisions provided by the city and the royal family; while it might seem like they were merely acting as thugs for mortals, it was a very comfortable job—far better than staying in impoverished sects or wandering alone.

The plot had already veered off course, and in the original novel, only major events held any reference value. Yet, Yan Shu felt a strange intuition that this matter should not be dug into too deeply; if they did, it would surely invite a mountain of trouble.

Conan had a habit of people dying wherever he went; while the "tragic and beautiful" male lead wasn't quite that lethal, he was always plagued by trouble—otherwise, how could he deliver satisfying slaps to his enemies' faces?

Yan Shu thought for a moment and said, "There must be cultivators protecting the City Lord. For the City Lord of Fantian City to dare shield thieves like this, he must be in league with them. Those cultivators are either turning a blind eye or are directly involved."

"We are here to enjoy ourselves. This is only our first stop; let's not stir up trouble. Tonight, we shall go together to find the City Lord, demand the spirit stones back, and as for everything else—no matter what we discover, let's just ignore it, shall we?"

"Besides, the day for accepting disciples is approaching, and Xuantian City will soon be bustling. Let's leave the trouble for our senior brothers to handle!"

Xiao Jihan nodded. "Very well."

Knowing Yan Shu loved to bathe, Xiao Jihan called for a servant to bring water, while he placed a restrictive barrier and stood guard outside the door. When Yan Shu finished, she casually asked if he wanted to bathe as well, and to her surprise, he nodded.

This time, it was Yan Shu's turn to stand guard outside. When the servant passed by, he gave her a strange look. Weren't these two immortals a couple? Why were they so formal about bathing?

Yan Shu met the servant's gaze and pretended not to understand.

After a while, Xiao Jihan opened the door. Behind him, his dark hair, dried by spiritual energy, hung loose, and his robes were wide open, revealing a sturdy chest. The firm pectoral muscles were half-hidden beneath the fabric, and a thick wave of masculine pheromones instantly washed over her.

An absolute beauty of the mortal realm!

Yan Shu quickly turned her head away.

Xiao Jihan looked at her reddened ears and cheeks, his tongue flicking across his lips. "What is the matter, Shu'er?"

Shu'er?

Yan Shu was about to speak when she heard Xiao Jihan whisper, "We are a couple now. Besides, if Yuwen Che can call you that, why can't I? In your heart, is my relationship with you less intimate than yours with Yuwen Che?"

Yan Shu: ...

Fine, you are the male lead; whatever you say is right.

It was just a term of endearment; Yan Shu couldn't be bothered to argue with him. "You... hurry up and put your clothes on."

Xiao Jihan looked down at himself, seemingly unaware of anything amiss, and asked with a serious expression, "Why so, Shu'er? My robes are merely a bit loose. You have seen me without clothes countless times, and you have even licked me, have you forgotten?"

What should have been a bloody and dark memory was suddenly transformed by his words into something suggestive. With that mention of "licking," Yan Shu couldn't help but recall the sensation of that tongue tip when she had first transmigrated.

Smooth, delicate, resilient, and even a bit sweet...

Yan Shu: ...

This feels so shameful...

Fortunately, Xiao Jihan did not press the matter further. After they called the servant to remove the bathtub, they sat on the bed to cultivate, preparing for their night infiltration of the City Lord's Mansion.

When night fell, the two quietly left the inn and headed straight for the City Lord's Mansion. There was no need to worry about the ordinary guards; they moved through the mansion like ghosts, heading straight for the backyard.

Upon entering the backyard, they immediately felt that things were completely different from the front, not just in the layout, but in other ways as well.

Xiao Jihan stopped and whispered, "Be careful. It seems there is some strange formation here. Look at that main house; it appears as if it is separated only by a thin mist, less than a hundred paces away, but in reality, it is much further."

As a possessor of the Pure Yang Physique, Xiao Jihan had a natural resistance to such things, but Yan Shu was different; she couldn't even see the thin mist.

She cautiously moved closer to Xiao Jihan and whispered, "What should we do? You know I understand nothing of this. Do you understand arrays?"

Xiao Jihan shook his head. "I do not. I understand neither talismans nor arrays. But no matter how powerful an array is, if one's cultivation is strong enough, it can be destroyed by force! Summon your Thunder Flood Dragon and let it scout the path ahead."