Yan Zhen felt increasingly uncomfortable under her stare. Pretending to focus intently on his ice cream, he muttered, “Fine, if you don’t want to say it, forget it.”
Yi Xian’er smiled faintly and withdrew her gaze. She took another lick of her ice cream before replying, “Oh, I really do want to tell you. In fact, I’d love to say it every single day—over and over, until you’re sick of hearing it.”
Yan Zhen’s expression grew even more awkward.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t.”
Yi Xian’er scooted her hips closer, pressing half her body against his. “Are you scared?”
“No.”
“You clearly are.”
“…”
“Tell you what. Give me a bite of your ice cream, and I won’t say another word.”
Yan Zhen felt provoked. Without hesitation, he stuck out his tongue and licked a full circle around the entire scoop, coating it thoroughly with his saliva. Only then did he say generously, “Here you go!”
Yi Xian’er glanced at the now slick, evenly licked ice cream, then at Yan Zhen with cream smeared on his lips. She said softly, “Well, in that case, I won’t hold back.”
Before he could react, she reached out with both hands, cupped his face, and kissed him right there under his puzzled gaze.
Yan Zhen’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Yi Xian’er closed her eyes and sucked gently on his lips. Then she darted out her pink tongue, meticulously licking away every trace of ice cream from the corners of his mouth.
“Somehow, the honeydew flavor tastes even sweeter like this,” the girl murmured. Her tongue glided over her own lips in aftertaste, her posture carrying a seductive allure.
Yan Zhen was utterly caught off guard by the sudden assault.
“What was that for? We’re in public—everyone’s watching.”
Yi Xian’er blinked her beautiful eyes innocently. “You said I could have a bite of your ice cream.”
“I didn’t say you could have the bit on my mouth.”
“But that’s what makes it ‘a bite’~”
“…”
Yan Zhen shot Yi Xian’er a glare, wondering how she’d turned into this. She was nothing like the persona established in the script.
Why couldn’t she just maintain her character like he did? She kept breaking it left and right, leaving Yan Zhen feeling numb.
“Fine, whatever. Just tell me about the Evil Scale Fire Crystal already.”
Yi Xian’er knew full well how important the Extreme Flame was to Yan Zhen, so she held nothing back. She explained everything in detail from start to finish.
Yan Zhen listened carefully, cross-referencing it with the script’s information. Once he confirmed it all matched, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“Thanks. But just hearing about it doesn’t give me a clear picture of the spot. After the treatment’s done, I want to head into the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range and check it out myself. Xian’er, if you’re free, would you come with me?”
Yi Xian’er’s lips curved up in a playful smile. “I could, but what’s in it for me?”
Yan Zhen recalled the conditions Yi Xian’er had mentioned in the script. He held up one finger. “One million crystal coins.”
Yi Xian’er shook her head. “Sister Ji Ya just gave me twenty million crystal coins. What do I need your one million for?”
Well… Yan Zhen’s expression froze.
In the script, Yi Xian’er was just an ordinary mystic cultivator. One million crystal coins was generous pay for guiding him on a herb-picking trip into the mountains. But they’d just split the hundred million crystal coins they’d shaken down from the Second Shopkeeper and Third Shopkeeper—twenty million each. Suddenly, one million felt stingy.
This was the backlash of deviating from the script.
“Then I’ll give you my twenty million too.”
Yan Zhen upped the offer.
Yi Xian’er remained unmoved. “I don’t want crystal coins.”
“Then what do you want?” Yan Zhen frowned slightly. Teaming up with Yi Xian’er for the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range was definitely a key plot point. He needed to prepare in advance. “Anything I have, I can consider giving you.”
“Come closer,” Yi Xian’er beckoned, motioning for him to lean in. She lowered her voice and whispered in his ear, “Before you treat Sister Ji Ya, I want to help you get in the mood first. Then you can start the treatment.”
Yan Zhen blinked, processing her words. His young face flushed slightly. “Wh-what’s the point of that?”
“Because I’m your assistant~ A good assistant has to support you from start to finish.”
Her words left him baffled.
Yan Zhen thought for a moment and asked, “Xian’er, are you mad at Sister Ji Ya or something?”
“Me? Dare to get mad at her? She’s your good big sister, with vast wealth and influence—even her guards are Mystic Kings and Mystic Generals. I’m just a little woman clinging to you, stuck at the Mystic Practitioner Realm. I have to rely on poison to protect myself.”
Yi Xian’er sighed in self-pity.
“If Sister Ji Ya doesn’t hold it against me, that’s already a blessing. Why would I ever pick a fight with her?”
“…”
That tone—like a harem wife full of deep grievances—made Yan Zhen decide not to dig any deeper into their relationship. It would only give him a headache.
Women were such a hassle. He really should stick to the “no female leads, just leveling up and fighting monsters” route provided by System-chan!
“So, what do you say? Deal or no?” Yi Xian’er sneaked a bite of his ice cream. “Agree, and I’ll take you to find the Fire Crystal Stone in the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range. Otherwise, you’re on your own, wandering blindly.”
“Whatever, as long as it doesn’t mess with Sister Ji Ya’s treatment.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“Mm.”
Yan Zhen fell silent and focused on his ice cream.
“Want some of my vanilla flavor?”
“No thanks.”
Once they finished their ice cream, Yan Zhen said he needed to buy some materials. Yi Xian’er followed him to the mineral section.
In this mystic world, talk of minerals inevitably led to stone gambling.
And stone gambling was prime territory for a protagonist to show off: peering right through a stone to spot priceless gems inside, leaving the crowd in awe, raking in cash and favors. Endless opportunities.
On the Mystic Heaven Continent, stone gambling revolved around Mystic Crystals.
Mystic Crystals were condensations of heaven and earth mystic qi—rare minerals. The everyday crystal coins were made by alloying metal with trace amounts of Mystic Crystals.
Over in the Jialan Holy Land, they barely used crystal coins anymore; pure Mystic Crystals were the currency.
After buying the minerals he needed, Yan Zhen—on the shopkeeper’s recommendation—headed to the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce’s stone gambling venue, triggering the classic stone gambling show-off plot point.
The shopkeeper and the venue manager were underlings of the Second and Third Shopkeepers. Assuming Yan Zhen was clueless and just a pretty boy under Ji Ya’s skirts, they plotted to scam him, bleed him dry, and then make Ji Ya bail him out.
But Yan Zhen possessed the Extreme Flame and the Fire Refining Starry Sky, making him hypersensitive to fire-attribute treasures. Get too close, and the crystal pendant around his neck would heat up faintly.
That was something his beautiful female master had taught him, so Yan Zhen confidently rummaged through the raw stones and found exactly what he wanted: a Fire Mystic Crystal.
The raw stone was about the size of a human head. When cut open, it burst with red light, revealing a chicken-egg-sized Fire Mystic Crystal inside.
The stone had cost just over ten thousand, but the crystal—impure as it was—fetched millions. A massive windfall that turned the shopkeeper’s and manager’s faces green.
They tried to lowball him into selling it back. Yan Zhen refused outright. The Fire Mystic Crystal was one of the key materials for refining the Evil Scale Fire Crystal, and the leftovers would aid his cultivation. It was too valuable to part with.
