Hot Springs

Hua Er was still a little annoyed with Jiang Ci. If that girl hadn't cried out like that, she could have bargained the entry fee down by at least half. Now, two or three days' worth of earnings were completely down the drain, and she hadn't even gotten a thank-you out of it.

Walking ahead while pulling Jiang Ci by the wrist, she grew more frustrated and indignant the more she thought about it. Her lips were turned down in a heavy pout, looking as though someone owed her a fortune.

Yet as she dragged Jiang Ci into the city, the girl did nothing but smile like a fool. Her lips were slightly curved, and her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears.

Hua Er was bewildered. Do I really look that much like a good person? She had just been shamelessly haggling at the city gates, yet this girl had followed her without a second thought, not even asking for her name.

Besides... her wrist was so slender, soft, and fair. Holding it felt like holding a piece of soft, warm jade, or a hand warmer pulled straight from one's chest in the dead of winter, or a piece of freshly steamed glutinous rice cake. Hua Er's fingers tightened unconsciously before she quickly loosened her grip, terrified of hurting the girl or seeming too forward.

The irritation in her chest began to dissipate as mysteriously as it had arrived. Her thoughts scrambled in a chaotic mess, drifting from Jiang Ci's face to her wrist and back again.

She let out a couple of mock-serious coughs and cleared her throat, forcing her voice to sound stiff and detached.

“Do you even know who I am? You've got some nerve following me into the city just like that.”

Jiang Ci looked up at Hua Er's profile. Hua Er refused to meet her gaze, keeping her eyes glued to the path ahead, though the tips of her ears were bright red. Jiang Ci's smile faded, replaced by a solemn, earnest expression. “No matter who you are, you are our benefactor,” she said, her voice steady and deliberate. “I will absolutely repay you for the entry fee. Please, let me write you a promissory note.”

Hua Er's stern facade crumbled. Is that really the issue here? This girl was incredibly naive, entering the city with a complete stranger without a care in the world. Wasn't she afraid of being eaten alive? Hehehe... As the thought crossed her mind, Hua Er began to amuse herself. Her lips curled upward, her eyes narrowed into pleased slits, and her pace grew noticeably lighter.

A vivid image flashed through her mind—Jiang Ci sitting by the window of Huamanlou, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, her silver-white hair cascading over her shoulders, her grey, glass-like eyes reflecting the evening sky. And she would be right there beside her, hehehe...

She quickly shook her head, scattering the daydream. What on earth am I thinking? The poor girl hadn't even settled in yet, she was still carrying a comatose man on her back, and she didn't even know who Hua Er was. Letting her imagination run wild like this was simply shameless.

Jiang Ci watched her, feeling that this... well, senior, was rather temperamental. One moment she was puffing with anger, and the next she was grinning like a cat that had successfully swiped a fish. She tentatively asked, “Senior? Is something wrong?”

Hua Er snapped out of it, her smile freezing before she hastily wiped it away. She cleared her throat with a couple of sharp coughs, trying to look respectable, though her ears burned hot enough to bleed. Damn it, what is wrong with me? I've humiliated myself three times in a single day! First the nosebleed, then the swooning, and now daydreaming on the street. She, Hua Er, was a respectable figure in Everspring City. Why was she acting like a lovesick, green teenager who had never seen the world?

She straightened her posture. Though she felt incredibly self-conscious after putting on a serious front so many times, she still had to maintain her dignity.

“My surname is Hua. You can call me Second Aunt, or Sister Er—either is fine.” She paused, then asked with forced nonchalance, “Is Little Eleven your friend, or...?” The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. It was far too obvious. She quickly turned her gaze to the side of the road, her heart pounding like a drum. Please don't let him be her cultivation companion. Please, anything but that! I finally found a woman who perfectly fits my ideal aesthetic. Please don't let her be taken!

Jiang Ci hesitated. Her relationship with Lu Yan? She had been asked this question several times already. In the Abandoned Guest Hall, Hong Jiu had asked, Du Qi had asked, and Yao Wu had asked as well. Every time, she found herself at a loss for words. Was he her benefactor? Her creditor? Her savior? She owed him more and more, and her attempts to repay him could never keep pace with the debt.

When she had carried him out of Black Mountain Fort, she had thought, Let this count as my repayment to you. Yet upon arriving at Everspring City, even the fee to enter had been paid by his friend. She had carried him all this way, but his friend had footed the bill. She had no idea how to settle the ledger anymore.

Seeing Jiang Ci lost in thought, Hua Er raised her hand and waved it in front of her face. “What's wrong? You don't have to answer if you don't want to,” she said, feigning indifference while her fingers clenched tightly inside her sleeve. She was terrified of what she might hear.

Jiang Ci lowered her gaze, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Her voice was barely a whisper, as if she were speaking to herself as much as to Hua Er. “There is nothing to hide. He is my benefactor... or perhaps my creditor.” She paused, then added, “He saved my life, and I have tried to help him in return. But compared to what he has done for me, whatever I do never seems to be enough.”

Hua Er's heart leaped. A benefactor! So they aren't cultivation companions! Fireworks erupted in her mind, though she kept her expression perfectly blank. Only the slightest twitch of her lips betrayed her joy, and she quickly suppressed it. She couldn't laugh; that would give her away. Nodding with solemn gravity, she said, “A benefactor, I see. Then you must indeed do your best to repay him.” As long as they aren't together, I still have a chance!

She led Jiang Ci deeper into the city, her steps so light and bouncy she might as well have been walking on clouds. Jiang Ci followed close behind, entirely bewildered by Hua Er's sudden shift in mood. She could only conclude that this senior's temperament was utterly baffling.

Beyond the outermost city wall lay a second, slightly shorter wall. As Hua Er led Jiang Ci through this second gate, the oppressive heat wave suddenly vanished, replaced by cool, moist air. Lush green trees of varying heights lined the path in orderly arrangements. Each one was meticulously pruned, their branches sprawling elegantly and their leaves gleaming with a healthy, well-tended luster.

Neat rows of buildings lined the streets, constructed from grey bricks and dark tiles, with copper bells hanging from their eaves that chimed softly in the breeze. However, most of these roofs featured thick, prominent chimneys that belched greyish-white smoke, carrying a faint scent of sulfur into the air.

Hua Er skipped over to Jiang Ci's side and winked playfully. “This is the true inner city of Everspring City. Welcome!” she said, her voice filled with a touch of pride, as if she were showing off a prized possession. Jiang Ci stared at the sights before her, momentarily speechless.

Hua Er led Jiang Ci along, rattling off explanations like rapid-fire beans while pointing toward the blue-robed disciples patrolling the walls. “Everspring City used to be a resort town. Anyone in the Northern Border who wanted to soak in the hot springs came here. But after the Formation Sect fell and the Northern Border collapsed, this place became the front line. It just so happened that those artifact-refining fellows had nowhere else to go, so they came and took over the city.”

She gestured toward the guards on the walls, her tone laced with mild disdain but lacking any real resentment. “Even though those bastards are absolute masters of extortion, they do get things done. They harnessed the volcano beneath Everspring City for artifact refining, stubbornly turning a sleepy farming and hot spring village into this fortress of iron and steam.”

Jiang Ci followed her gaze. The disciples stood tall and straight, their armor glinting coldly under the sunlight, and the red tassels on their spears danced in the wind. She had never seen such a disciplined garrison anywhere else in the Northern Border. The Artifact Sect kept this place guarded as tightly as an iron fortress.

Jiang Ci nodded thoughtfully, her perception of the Artifact Sect shifting. Back in the Central Continent, the rumors she heard about them were rarely positive—they were painted as stubborn old fools, greedy blacksmiths, and simple-minded brutes who knew nothing but how to hammer iron. But standing here, looking at the patrolling guards, the smoking chimneys, and the beautifully maintained greenery, she realized the Central Continent Alliance's portrayal was wrong. The Artifact Sect might not be saints, but they weren't villains either. They were the ones keeping this city safe.

As if suddenly remembering something, Hua Er's eyes lit up. “Speaking of hot springs, the ones here are truly spectacular!” She pointed toward the distant snow-capped mountains, where thick plumes of white steam rose from the slopes like fallen clouds. “Soaking in a hot spring on a snowy peak with a couple of flasks of fine wine by your side is absolute heaven on earth. Once we get to Huamanlou, I'll take you for a soak.” Jiang Ci was about to decline, but Hua Er cut her off, her voice buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

“We're here. Huamanlou is just ahead.”