Unexpected!!

At the Peach Blossom Immortal Abode, a peach tree stood every ten steps, and the courtyard was filled with fallen blossoms.

There were very few flowers left on the trees; instead, a thick layer carpeted the ground.

Something felt off!

The wind wasn't particularly strong.

But... Xu Xian wanted to run.

If only the conditions allowed it.

"Senior Sister, I'm back!"

Ye Xianyu, dressed in white and standing with peerless grace, stood quietly beneath a tree watching the falling petals.

Her back was to the youth, and she didn't say a word.

"Ahem!"

Xu Xian cleared his throat and knocked on the door three times.

Knock, knock, knock!

"The door isn't even closed," Ye Xianyu said, her voice cold with a hint of laziness. "Do you expect me to carry you inside?"

Xu Xian rolled his eyes, curled his lip, and made a face to show his dissatisfaction.

Only then did he enter the courtyard.

Stepping over the fallen blossoms, he tried to strike up a conversation. "They say that in the mortal world, April's fragrance has faded, but the mountain temple's peach blossoms are just beginning to bloom. It's early April, so logically, the peach blossoms should be at their most vibrant. Why have the ones here already withered, Senior Sister?"

Ye Xianyu glanced back at him.

Travel-worn? Looking a bit disheveled?

He was doing it on purpose!

She turned and approached him, one hand propping up her elbow and the other stroking her chin as she circled Xu Xian, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

She wasn't particularly interested in his appearance; after all, she understood exactly what was on his mind.

But this cultivation level...

It was somewhat difficult to decipher.

Xu Xian felt his skin crawl under her gaze, not daring to even breathe.

Then, it happened!

Ye Xianyu started getting hands-on, tugging at his arm one moment and poking his chest the next...

Xu Xian became inexplicably nervous, feeling as if his virtue was under siege.

"Senior Sister, looking is fine, but don't get all hands-on..."

"Men and women should maintain proper distance..."

"Just say what you need to say. I'm a man of principle. Alright, stop pulling at me..."

"Tsk, tsk," Ye Xianyu scoffed lightly. "Why are you getting so defensive?"

Xu Xian glared at her.

If I were touching you like this, wouldn't you be defensive?

Ye Xianyu strolled to the stone table by the small pond and slowly sat down. "Two months without a word, and now you're in the core formation stage. You've been keeping the good stuff for yourself, haven't you, kid?"

Xu Xian straightened his clothes and followed her.

"You could tell?"

"What did you eat?"

Xu Xian said nonchalantly, "Just an immortal plant, a Nine-Turn Immortal Lotus."

A clear glimmer of light flashed in Ye Xianyu's eyes, and a trace of shock crossed her cold, exquisite face.

She stared straight at Xu Xian and asked, "Is there any left?"

"Gone."

Ye Xianyu's brows furrowed.

"Not even a bit?"

Xu Xian said calmly, "Not even half a leaf."

Ye Xianyu fell silent for several breaths before spitting out two words.

"Glutton!"

Xu Xian was speechless.

"You spent these past two months in the extreme cold."

"You know that too?"

"Sit."

"Oh!"

Xu Xian deliberately chose the stone stool furthest away from Ye Xianyu.

Ye Xianyu gave him a reproachful look and reached out, spreading her snow-white, jade-like palm. "Hand it over."

"What?"

"Give me your dao jade."

Xu Xian protectively clutched the storage ring at his waist, feigning ignorance. "What are you planning to do?"

Ye Xianyu said forcefully, "I said hand it over."

Xu Xian stood his ground. "I just risked my life for the sect!"

"Are you giving it or not?"

"No."

Ye Xianyu narrowed her eyes slightly. "Don't force your senior sister to get physical."

"I give up." Xu Xian grumbled, reluctantly tossing the dao jade onto the table. He said sarcastically, "Take it, take it. Just consider my blood shed for nothing!"

He wasn't afraid; he simply had a guilty conscience.

Ye Xianyu gave a small 'che,' picked up the dao jade, took out her own, and started fiddling with them.

She didn't forget to lecture him. "You disappeared for two months without even sending a message back. Don't let this happen again."

Xu Xian was in a foul mood, so naturally, his words were sharp.

"How was I supposed to 'burn' one? I gave all my spirit incense to Little Ning back then. What did you want me to burn?" (Translator's Note: Spirit incense is burned to send messages).

"You didn't know to save one? Are you thick-headed?"

"Tsk~" Xu Xian scoffed, too lazy to argue. In that situation, he hadn't expected to live, so why would he have kept one?

After Ye Xianyu finished fiddling with the jades, she took a deep breath. "Done."

She casually tossed the dao jade back to Xu Xian.

"Here."

Xu Xian didn't even want to catch it; the thought of his merit points was heart-wrenching.

However, his divine sense subconsciously took a peek.

And with that one glance, Xu Xian was instantly stunned.

"Huh?"

At first, he thought he had misread it. He looked again—it was still a six-digit number, accompanied by a transfer notification.

[Ye Xianyu has initiated a transfer to you. Transaction amount: 105,000 merit points.]

Is this a mistake?

After confirming it multiple times, Xu Xian looked up at Ye Xianyu in disbelief. He didn't speak, but his gaze said everything.

Ye Xianyu looked back at him playfully, her silence equally eloquent.

Xu Xian swallowed hard and broke the quiet.

"What's the situation?"

Even though he saw it with his own eyes, he still couldn't believe it.

This senior sister, who usually wouldn't even let him borrow money, had actually transferred points to him.

And it was a massive sum of a hundred thousand.

Did Ye Xianyu have a sudden change of heart?

Ye Xianyu said calmly, "This is what you deserve."

Xu Xian was still completely confused.

Ye Xianyu explained slowly, "The matter of Yecheng's rebellion was resolved long ago. The Mission Hall calculated the reward points, but since they couldn't find you, I collected them on your behalf."

"The original base reward was 5,000. However, because this matter was so significant and your timely discovery helped the sect avoid unnecessary losses, an additional reward of 50,000 was added. It might not be much, but it represents the sect's stance. Both you and Little Ning received it."

Pausing for a moment, Ye Xianyu's gaze fell on the dao jade in Xu Xian's hand, and her voice grew more serious.

"As for the other 50,000 merit points, I am rewarding you in my own name as your senior sister. I know everything that happened—how you turned back and entered the dragon's den to rescue your fellow disciples, how you risked your life to cover their retreat, and finally, how you saved those children and settled them properly..."

"You did a very good job. Your senior sister is proud of you!"

Xu Xian's mind was a mess.

He had thought Ye Xianyu was going to hold him accountable for taking that mission.

He expected her to take back the points!

Instead, she had given him 100,000 merit points!

She hadn't even mentioned the fact that he had taken the mission to find himself.

This was truly an unexpected surprise.

"Senior Sister."

"What is it?"

Xu Xian gave a bitter smile.

"Nothing!"

Ye Xianyu teased, "Ask whatever you want to ask. Don't go suffocating yourself."

Xu Xian asked weakly, "About me taking that mission? You're not angry?"

He had originally thought he was in the right.

But now...

He felt like he was a criminal.

Ye Xianyu rolled her eyes at him and admitted frankly, "It would be a lie to say I wasn't angry."

"Uh."

"But..." Ye Xianyu's tone shifted as she continued, "You weren't wrong either. As long as it's within the rules, if you can earn it, that's your own skill."

"When you first entered the sect, I told you that in the Wendao Sword Sect, you eat based on your own ability. Everyone is treated equally. You can earn points however you want and reap whatever benefits you can. Don't be jealous when others earn them, and when you earn them, they should be yours."

"You found yourself and collected the mission reward. I don't see a problem with that. Although I feel a bit uncomfortable personally—after all, those were my points—my personal feelings cannot override the sect's rules."

Xu Xian listened, completely dazed.

"Really?"

"Nonsense."

Xu Xian breathed a sigh of relief, though his face burned with a stinging sensation.

He murmured, "That's good then."

Ye Xianyu leaned forward slightly and said cryptically, "However, your skin is quite thick."

Xu Xian was taken aback, then suddenly laughed. "I noticed that too, haha!"

Ye Xianyu: "..." It's even thicker than I imagined.

Xu Xian gave a mischievous grin.

"How about I share some with you?"

Ye Xianyu was momentarily stunned, her interest piqued. "That's not out of the question." She asked with intrigue, "So, how much do you plan to give me?"

Xu Xian said with a half-smile, "Senior Sister, you are very beautiful!"

"Hmm?" Ye Xianyu was confused by the non-sequitur.

Xu Xian chuckled. "So, don't think too beautifully!"