It's Hard for a Villain Character Not to Collapse - Chapter 22

Chapter - 22

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"You’re finally back! I was dying of curiosity!" Lu Zhui quickly waved his hand at Xiao Jiuci.

Ever since Qiao Han returned, his brows and eyes had been curved with joy, completely immersed in happiness, which only heightened Lu Zhui's curiosity to the point of scratching his head in frustration.

Lu Zhui had also been inside the Lingbao Pavilion, so he naturally knew how difficult it was to find a good magical artifact. He had to rely on his spiritual senses and intuition to find an artifact that resonated with him.

The quality of the artifact one could find largely depended on one’s cultivation level.

Even though Qiao Han went in with the young master of the Lingbao Sect, the combined cultivation levels of the two of them were far from sufficient. Judging by He Tong's expression afterward, it was clear that Wu Hao, their insider, had been of little help.

However, after they left, He Tong's shout made it seem as though she had suffered a significant loss.

How could Lu Zhui not be curious about this? He couldn’t believe it. Did Qiao Han really have such good luck?

At this moment, under the Hunyuan Tree, three brocade boxes were neatly placed on a stone table. Wu Hao had given Qiao Han the boxes to hold the artifacts, making them easier to carry while concealing their contents from others.

Xiao Jiuci observed Qiao Han, who looked like a young man who had stumbled upon a treasure, brimming with joy and eagerness to share. He appeared completely different from the person Qin Xiu Zhong had described.

Xiao Jiuci approached with an unchanged expression.

The moment Qiao Han saw Xiao Jiuci sit down, he immediately pushed the three brocade boxes in front of him, his eyes full of anticipation as he gazed at Xiao Jiuci.

Xiao Jiuci looked puzzled, "Do you… want me to open them for you?"

Qiao Han nodded.

Lu Zhui blinked, feeling something romantic was going on between them. Isn’t this more like presenting a gift to his lover?

Without overthinking it, Xiao Jiuci opened the first brocade box. Instantly, a wave of cold air spread outward, and a dazzling blue light shot out of the box. As the light faded, a finely crafted ice-element bow came into view.

The bow was crafted from pure ice crystals and white bones, with an ice-blue hue flowing like water across its silver-white body. It emitted a bone-chilling cold, as exquisite as an ice-sculpted masterpiece.

The moment it appeared, the surroundings seemed to be plunged into a cold winter's day, with the moisture in the air crystallizing into dazzling icy fragments.

“The… Frost Dragon Bone Bow!” Lu Zhui exclaimed in shock.

This was an exceptional magical artifact, close to the Earth tier, capable of growth, and requiring a master to bind with it. He Tong had once joked that the Lingbao Sect owned such a weapon that suited Xiao Jiuci perfectly, and if Xiao Jiuci married her, she’d ask for it as her dowry.

Yet here it was—right in front of him!

Lu Zhui stared at Xiao Jiuci in disbelief. Even the usually calm and composed Xiao Jiuci was stunned.

Qiao Han, brimming with pride and excitement, couldn’t suppress the upward curve of his lips as he urged Xiao Jiuci, “The second one, the second one now!”

With his mind still in a daze, Xiao Jiuci obediently opened the second brocade box.

Although it didn’t emit the same startling icy glow as the first, once the cold mist dispersed, an Ice-Scaled Armguard floated gently in the air.

Its material seamlessly shifted between soft and firm, glowing with a moonlight-blue hue. Under changing light, one could see the intricate combination of Frost Dragon fish scales and extreme ice crystals—a masterpiece of auxiliary ice-element artifacts. Though it was only at the Xuan level, its craftsmanship was impeccable and top-notch.

When bound to the arm, it greatly amplified ice-element spiritual energy, whether casting spells or wielding weapons.

At this moment, both Xiao Jiuci and Lu Zhui were utterly shocked—not only by the rarity of these treasures but also because both artifacts were ice-element.

Qiao Han, pleased with their reactions, eagerly urged Xiao Jiuci to open the third box. However, Xiao Jiuci’s hand paused on the final box as he raised his gaze to Qiao Han and asked, “What’s going on?”

Qiao Han’s eyes sparkled as he replied, “Do you like them? They’re perfect for you, right?”

Xiao Jiuci’s breath hitched. “You…”

Lu Zhui interjected impatiently, “Oh, stop talking! Open the third one already. I want to see what it is!”

Qiao Han also urged Xiao Jiuci to hurry up.

Xiao Jiuci could only lift his hand and open the third box. A soft glow began to spill out, revealing a delicate belt made of the purest ice crystals and finely crafted silver, lying quietly within.

“A belt? Is this a defensive artifact?” Lu Zhui asked curiously, as he’d never seen one like this before.

Though the first two artifacts were impressive, this was the true treasure Qiao Han had discovered.

Qiao Han immediately picked up the item with pride and explained, “This is an Ice-type Mo Yin. Mo Yin is a defensive spiritual artifact specifically designed to protect the Dantian. If the user has an Ice spiritual root and if you can continuously provide spiritual power to Mo Yin during attacks, pushing its defensive capabilities to the user's limits. It’s a flexible and personalized protective artifact.”

Lu Zhui was stunned, “This is a treasure!”

“Of course!” Qiao Han laughed, then turned to Xiao Jiuci and said, “Brother Xiao, these are all yours.”

At this moment, Qiao Han was genuinely excited. Thinking about how the original story handled the artifact selection made him furious.

Back then, Xiao Jiuci, as the protagonist, did indeed select three spiritual artifacts. Because of his good fortune, all of them were top-tier Xuan-grade treasures. However, they had nothing to do with him because he gave them all away—to the original body, Jiang Suwei, and Jiang Qiluo.

At the time, Xiao Jiuci noticed the conflicts among them and tried to ease the tension by offering gifts, but none of them appreciated it. The siblings thought the original body was unworthy of receiving Xiao Jiuci’s favor and should not enjoy the same treatment as them. Meanwhile, the original body believed that since they were Dao companions, all the good items should belong to him—why should they go to outsiders?

That part of the airship storyline was tragic for Xiao Jiuci. Not only did he gain nothing, but he also offended the Lingbao Clan and ended up being misunderstood. What a wronged protagonist!

Now that the outcome for the Lingbao Clan had changed, the gifting incident became difficult to navigate. From his position, Qiao Han couldn’t exactly meddle in Xiao Jiuci’s affairs before he entered the Lingbao Pavilion. Who would’ve expected a twist of fate? He ended up going in instead.

Qiao Han couldn’t help but sigh. It was because the protagonist was a good person and treated him well that he now had such a “good deeds beget good rewards” outcome.

When Qiao Han came out with the three treasures, the sense of satisfaction he felt was no less than suddenly getting an ice-cold cola on a hot day—refreshing!

Sure enough, his idol should tread such a path of great fortune, where all the best opportunities belonged to him.

At this moment, Xiao Jiuci was in a daze.

All three artifacts were Ice-type! Not a single Wood or Fire-type one.

Qiao Han’s actions were completely unexpected. For a moment, Xiao Jiuci didn’t know what to say and could only stare at Qiao Han in a daze.

But when he looked into Qiao Han’s eyes, he could only see the earnest and stubborn look in his peach-blossom-shaped, amber pupils—clean and clear like the sky after fresh snow. It was as though what Qiao Han did was entirely natural, not done to flatter or curry favor. From the start, Qiao Han’s goal had been set: to pick out three artifacts for him.

Why do this? Opportunities to enter the Lingbao Pavilion were rare—did he not want to gain any benefit for himself?

Qiao Han saw Xiao Jiuci staring at him without responding, and his heroic brows furrowed slightly.

“Did… Did I do something wrong?” Qiao Han’s excitement immediately faded as he asked nervously. Had he gone too far with his ‘sheep-shearing,’ making things awkward for the protagonist?

Noticing Qiao Han’s expression, Xiao Jiuci immediately gave a gentle smile, though his voice was slightly strained as if trying to cover his discomfort. “I’m just surprised. Why didn’t you choose anything for yourself? Since you were able to pick out these top-tier artifacts, you should’ve been able to find good ones for yourself too.”

Having understood Xiao Jiuci’s personality, Qiao Han had already expected this question. After all, if the protagonist had enthusiastically accepted everything, that would’ve been strange.

Qiao Han smiled and said, “You insisted on giving me the opportunity, so I could only do this. I really didn’t contribute much to the situation—that whole mess was just a misunderstanding. Besides, I’ve been clinging to you and making you protect me. I’m shameless, but even I wouldn’t feel right taking advantage of this chance.”

“Not to mention, I’m afraid of wasting it. I’m only at the Qi Refining stage; choosing three artifacts for myself would be too much. It’s rare to have a chance to ‘shear the sheep’ at Lingbao Gate, so of course, I had to make the most of it!” Qiao Han’s face was full of playful calculation as he raised his eyebrows. “Brother Xiao, don’t fuss with me over this. I worked hard to get these for you, so just consider it as me expressing my gratitude for your care these past days, and as a little way of currying favor with my future senior brother.”

Qiao Han’s words sealed off all of Xiao Jiuci’s retorts, as though this was the most reasonable course of action for someone with even average social skills.

For a moment, Xiao Jiuci was speechless. He could only look deeply at Qiao Han before turning his gaze to the three exquisite spiritual artifacts. Although he had willingly given up the opportunity, he now felt an inexplicable sense of guilt in accepting them.

But feeling Qiao Han’s slightly anxious gaze, Xiao Jiuci quickly raised his eyebrows, touched each artifact with his hand, and looked at Qiao Han with a smile. “Thank you. You’ve put a lot of thought into this—I really like them.”

Qiao Han immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

“But…”

Qiao Han tensed up again as Xiao Jiuci handed him the waist seal. “This one is for you.”

“Huh? But this…”

Xiao Jiuci said gently, “I know it’s Ice-type, but aside from that, Mo Yin itself is an excellent protective artifact. If necessary, I can transmit Ice's spiritual power to it, enhancing its effectiveness. Until you find a more suitable protective artifact, use this for now.”

That wouldn’t do! Qiao Han had carefully chosen this item to help Xiao Jiuci prepare for his future tribulations. He wasn’t sure if it would be enough, but there was no way he could waste it on himself.

Qiao Han wanted to refuse again, but when he looked up, he met Xiao Jiuci’s gentle yet firm gaze—warm as jade but resolute as ice. It carried an invisible command that left Qiao Han with no choice but to comply.

“Well… alright, then,” Qiao Han said blankly, but he immediately began scheming in his mind. When the relevant storyline arrived, he would force Xiao Jiuci to take it back no matter what. For now, he wouldn’t refuse the protagonist’s kindness.

Once the two confirmed the artifact allocation, Lu Zhui, who had been watching the scene, finally couldn’t help but click his tongue. “Tsk tsk, I’m so jealous The way you two constantly think about each other—it’s so beautiful.”

Qiao Han’s mouth twitched. Why did everything Lu Zhui said seem less serious?

Lu Zhui added, “Is this the joy of having a Dao companion?”

Qiao Han: Yep...

Lu Zhui continued, “I want a Dao companion too.”

Qiao Han, afraid that Lu Zhui might say something inappropriate, quickly changed the subject. "Brother Xiao, would you like to try the magic weapon to see how well it works?"

Seeing Qiao Han's excited expression, Xiao Jiuci smiled and stood up obediently.

Xiao Jiuci first strapped the arm binding onto his right hand, tightening the sleeves to hide his strength, which made his long fingers even more prominent.

He then stood tall, grabbing the bow with his left hand and drawing the string with his right. His posture became sharp and agile, and the lines of his body became fierce as he pulled the bow, instantly drawing the Frost Dragon Bone Bow to its full power.

Suddenly, tiny ice crystals began to form on the bowstring, eventually shaping into an ice arrow.

Xiao Jiuci leaped into the air, shooting the ice arrow he had created out of thin air toward the distance. The arrow, imbued with extreme cold, struck the ground and froze the surrounding area as if sealing everything in place.

This was just a demonstration by Xiao Jiuci, with the force intentionally held back.

When he landed, he turned to see that Qiao Han was already clapping enthusiastically, giving him a thumbs-up without hesitation, and praised, "Great!"

Meanwhile, Lu Zhui had already started gossiping with Qiao Han about He Tong's joke about gifting the Frost Dragon Bone Bow as a dowry gift.

Xiao Jiuci felt strangely flustered but then saw Qiao Han, with his eyebrows raised in excitement, asking, "Is that true?"

"You're that happy?" Lu Zhui had intended to make Qiao Han a little jealous.

Seeing Xiao Jiuci glance at him, Qiao Han immediately stood his ground, saying, "That means this magic weapon is really treasured. We're lucky we escaped fast enough."

Xiao Jiuci laughed as he recalled how they had hurriedly fled, "They are a large sect after all. It's not like they would act like that."

Xiao Jiuci spoke as he blood-imbued the Frost Dragon Bone Bow, acknowledging it as his own. He then merged it with his Ice Soul Sword. His Ice Soul Sword was his personal magic weapon and could continuously grow, making the Frost Dragon Bone Bow the perfect addition to his arsenal.

"That's not certain. The three items together essentially made the Lingbao Sect bleed a little. Didn't you hear He Tong's angry shout? We should avoid the Lingbao Sect for now; it's better than getting dirty looks," Lu Zhui said, chuckling maliciously. "But is this really yours, or…"

Qiao Han directly responded, "I really can't tell the difference, but I made the request, and Wu Hao helped me find it."

"He's that amazing?" Lu Zhui asked in disbelief.

"I have a keen eye for talent. His potential needs to be carefully explored," Qiao Han said proudly.

Lu Zhui chuckled and said, "I don't know if his potential will be fully realized, but he will definitely be trained hard. He's clearly someone who doesn't know better, bending his arm outward."

Qiao Han wanted to argue, but Xiao Jiuci joined in the laughter, saying, "Well, it's not bad. At least he proved he's not the useless young master people think he is."

Qiao Han nodded in agreement.

Lu Zhui smiled too, suddenly getting an idea. "Since everything went so smoothly today, how about..."

"How about what?" Qiao Han immediately cooperated, thinking it was some sort of celebration.

Xiao Jiuci also looked over, and Lu Zhui grinned mischievously. "How about we go to the spirit spring together?"

Xiao Jiuci: ?

Qiao Han: !!!

...

On the flying ship, Wu Hao was being punished by kneeling, but he still had a smile on his face.

Nearby, He Tong, who was watching him being punished, was cursing, not at Wu Hao, but at Qiao Han.

"Stealing my disciple, taking my man, and using the sect's treasure to bribe people—he's such a little demon, hmph!"

...

Meanwhile, the "little demon" was causing trouble.

On Puxian Peak, Jiang Yin was excitedly going over the accounts while saying, "It won't help, no matter how much you beg. You haven't built your foundation yet, so you can't use the spirit spring. Do you want to explode your body?"

"You know how precious this opportunity is to me. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance; I can't miss it!"

Jiang Yin laughed. "If you really want it, wait until you build your foundation. Let your senior brother dig a spirit spring on your Wuding Peak, and you can bathe in it every day with him. No one will stop you."

Qiao Han was excited. "But isn't it different? I'm talking about now, this very moment!"

Jiang Yin finally put down the account book and said meaningfully, "I see. Well, you can stay by the shore and watch, just don't go in the water. But even if you soak in the spirit spring, you have to wear undergarments, and the important bits won't be visible."

Qiao Han: ... Am I a perverted voyeur?

First of all, he declared, he absolutely wasn't trying to look at anything! He really just wanted to soak in the spirit of spring with the male lead.

Such an opportunity, such an experience, such a benefit—ahh, he wanted it! Even though he might have a chance to do it as a junior in the future, the opportunity was right in front of him now! If he missed it, he would regret it so much that he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night!

But the cold-hearted Jiang Yin said there was no way.

Why was there discrimination even in soaking in the spirit spring!

Qiao Han felt wronged, but he did not cry. Instead, he channeled his frustration into cultivating, determined to absorb all the wood-based spiritual energy from Puxian Peak. He was so irritated!

Thus, Qiao Han focused on absorbing spiritual energy in the spiritual field, while Xiao Jiuci and Lu Zhui went to soak in the spiritual spring as usual.

As night fell, a gentle mist filled the air around the mountain. The spiritual spring of Puxian Peak was located on the backside of the mountain, covering a vast area with many small pools. The spiritual energy gathered here formed a mist, making it an ideal place for cultivators to rest and recover after exhausting battles.

The pools were a deep, beautiful indigo, surrounded by lush spiritual plants. A soft breeze swept through, causing the fallen red leaves from the spiritual plants to float across the surface. A few of them drifted towards the men soaking in the pool, but when they reached Xiao Jiuci’s hand, they stuck to the mole on his finger.

A flash of magic lit up, and all the fallen leaves vanished as a protective barrier was raised above them.

On one side of the pool, two figures were seated, soaking in the spring.

“Ah, I feel like Xiao Qiao Han is definitely cursing me. How would I know about your situation here? You can’t blame me,” Lu Zhui said, trying to suppress his laughter but still sounding awkward.

“Probably not. He likely wants to focus on cultivating and saving time,” Xiao Jiuci replied. But as he recalled how Qiao Han had blushed with excitement when Lu Zhui had suggested this, Xiao Jiuci felt inexplicably soft.

Maybe... maybe he just wanted to soak in the spring, not necessarily to be with him.

Xiao Jiuci thought about it and suddenly shot a glare at Lu Zhui, feeling that it was all Lu Zhui’s fault for disrupting his thoughts.

After teasing Qiao Han for a while, Lu Zhui suddenly spoke up. “You don’t seem very happy.”

“Huh?” Xiao Jiuci was surprised.

“About the gift Qiao Han gave you. Although you were smiling, it didn’t seem natural,” Lu Zhui said. Though Lu Zhui often acted carelessly, he was quite observant when it mattered.

Xiao Jiuci froze for a moment, unsure of what to say. Logically, he should have been happy and grateful for such a generous gift, but something about it felt off.

Seeing Xiao Jiuci remain silent, Lu Zhui laughed and said, “It’s your first time encountering something like this, right? His actions surprised me too.”

Xiao Jiuci’s expression emptied.

Lu Zhui continued, “It’s the first time someone’s cared about him so much without receiving much in return.”

Xiao Jiuci felt a jolt in his chest.

Lu Zhui went on, “When you give kindness, you’ve never asked for anything in return. Since you’re strong and the senior brother of Qingyun Sect, everyone thinks there’s no need to repay you. Or they feel like they can’t give anything back and think you wouldn’t care. You’ve gotten used to it. But when someone returns your kindness and goes even further, you get confused. I think you’re just not used to being treated well. Haha.”

Xiao Jiuci stiffened and looked at Lu Zhui.

Lu Zhui teased him further, “You should be happy! You’ve got a good partner now. I used to think men were like this, but he’s not bad. Let me say something shameful — luckily his previous engagement was broken off, or you wouldn’t have gotten this chance. You should cherish it.”

Xiao Jiuci thought of Qin Xiu Zhong’s words: that Qiao Han was cold and selfish, questioning whether Qiao Han treated him differently. Xiao Jiuci lowered his eyes, trying to mask his confusion.

He wanted to believe that Qiao Han was just a sincere young man trying to change his destiny and that his warmth toward him was simply from admiration and a desire to be close to the future senior brother.

Xiao Jiuci didn’t hear much of Lu Zhui’s next words, since Lu Zhui didn’t understand the full situation. And he... he felt uncertain, which was unlike himself.

After their soak in the spring, Lu Zhui left for his sect, while Xiao Jiuci walked through the night to the spiritual field. From afar, he saw Qiao Han sitting cross-legged under a tree.

The moonlight bathed the night sky, casting a soft glow on Qiao Han’s figure, like a delicate veil draped over him. His handsome face was clearly illuminated by the starlight, and the gentle night breeze fluttered his robe and dark hair, creating a soft rustling sound as it swayed the tree leaves.

Around him, small green spiritual lights floated, resembling fireflies on a peaceful night, accompanying Qiao Han.

It was serene, natural, and harmonious as if he had merged with the surrounding wood-based spiritual energy.

As Xiao Jiuci approached, the small glowing lights hovered in front of him, as though verifying something.

He raised his hand and gently touched them. The lights, seeming to have a life of their own, playfully darted away before finally resting on the mole on his finger, flickering softly. Just then, Qiao Han stirred, and the lights drifted away.

Qiao Han, awakening from his meditation, blinked and found no one around.

He stretched, stood up, and went to find Jiang Yin. After asking, he learned that Lu Zhui had left and Xiao Jiuci had gone to meet Elder Mei.

Qiao Han naturally stayed in place, waiting for the male protagonist. During this time, Jiang Yin offered to give him some money, claiming it was his share of the idea he contributed. Qiao Han, of course, refused. After all, he was already getting free food and lodging at Puxian Peak, which he considered payment enough.

After a while, Xiao Jiuci returned, and together they went back to Wuding Peak.

And so, the daily routine continued.

When Qiao Han was fighting, he would casually break off a section of a tree branch to use. This was convenient for him as a wood-type cultivator, and he learned it by observing many disciples from Puxian Peak doing the same.

On the other hand, Xiao Jiuci fought with his bare hands, using only his magic to practice with Qiao Han. Under Xiao Jiuci’s training, Qiao Han also developed some techniques that suited him well.

In the following days, Xiao Jiuci seemed quite busy and no longer accompanied Qiao Han. According to Qiao Han’s schedule, he rarely saw Xiao Jiuci, but he always found food or other items prepared on the stone table whenever he arrived.

On the final day, Xiao Jiuci returned late. As he walked into the courtyard, he saw that Qiao Han's room still had light inside.

Holding something in his hand, Xiao Jiuci walked over and knocked on the door. No one responded, but since the door wasn’t fully closed, a light tap made it open.

Seeing the situation inside, Xiao Jiuci directly pushed the door open.

Inside, he saw someone sprawled on the desk, deeply asleep.

As he approached, Xiao Jiuci saw that the desk was covered with records and books related to the Qinglian Realm, and there were many notes scattered around, clearly showing Qiao Han’s serious preparation for battle.

But now, he was sleeping soundly, still holding the pen in his hand. He was so deep in sleep that he didn’t even wake up when ink marks were left on his face, and he was cleverly using the brush to prop up his drooping cheek.

Xiao Jiuci couldn't help but feel a deep sense of helplessness. He gently called out and patted Qiao Han's shoulder.

As a result, with that gentle pat, the person maintaining an awkward balance fell backward.

Xiao Jiuci instinctively reached out and caught him.

What was supposed to be a quick arm extension turned into a more stable hold as Qiao Han seemed to find a more comfortable position, rolling into Xiao Jiuci’s embrace.

Xiao Jiuci felt the weight in his arms and the heat from Qiao Han’s body. Looking down at the person in his arms, his expression was complicated, but he finally sighed and gently carried him to the bed.

Surprisingly, Qiao Han remained unconscious the entire time, never waking up.

Once placed on the bed, Qiao Han rolled over instinctively, clutching the blanket with both hands and feet. His sleeping posture was truly poor.

Xiao Jiuci's spiritual energy flickered, and the ink marks on Qiao Han’s face disappeared. With another helpless sigh, he left the room.

The next morning, Qiao Han woke up, completely unaware of where he had slept the previous night. Full of energy and determination, he began preparing for the day.

The inner disciple recruitment assessment of the Qingyun Sect was about to begin.

As soon as he stepped outside, he was surprised to see Jiang Yin in the courtyard.

"What are you doing here?" Qiao Han asked.

Jiang Yin smiled and said, "The senior brother must go prepare early. Let me take you to Qinglian Realm."

Qiao Han: "..."

Jiang Yin: "I’ve prepared anti-nausea medicine for you."

Qiao Han: "Then I’ll have to trouble you."

Soon, Jiang Yin led Qiao Han to the entrance of the secret realm in the Qinglian Realm.

The entrance was in a forest, where a large magic array hovered in the air, resembling a door to another space about to open.

When the flying sword landed, many people had already gathered around. Given that the event was organized by two major sects, its scale was impressive, with cultivators in the sky and on the ground.

As soon as Qiao Han landed, Jiang Yin led him toward the Puxian Peak disciples. To Qiao Han’s surprise, Jiang Yin had already set up a stall selling medicinal pills, and business was booming.

Just as Qiao Han was about to complain, Jiang Yin handed him a Qiankun bag. "Take this. It’s from us at Puxian Peak."

Qiao Han took the bag and peered inside, shocked to find it filled with high-quality medicinal pills, far superior to those sold at their stall and more complete than the ones he had prepared.

"What...?" Qiao Han couldn’t believe Elder Mei would be so generous.

Jiang Yin smiled. "You didn’t want your share of the profit before, but you must accept this now. We wish you success in the assessment. Perhaps you’ll even join our Puxian Peak directly."

Hearing this, Qiao Han smiled and accepted the gift. "Thank you for the good luck," he said before looking around.

Jiang Yin, knowing what Qiao Han was thinking, pointed in a direction. "Senior brother is over there with the disciples of Xuanyang Pavilion from Qingyun Sect. You need to register with them. Hurry up."

Qiao Han smiled and waved his hand, eager to meet the male lead before the assessment to boost his spirits.

Watching Qiao Han hurry off, Jiang Yin found it amusing. He thought that Qiao Han would be even happier soon.

These past days, Senior Brother hadn’t only been busy with the recruitment assessment but also had been working for their master. It was said that Senior Brother had set his eyes on some of their master’s treasures and wanted to buy them, but Master wouldn’t easily part with them. As a result, Senior Brother had to trade for rare spiritual plants and the remains of spiritual beasts. He had worked nonstop and only finished the exchange late last night.

Meanwhile, the disciples of Qingyun Sect and Yuxu Sect were already gathering to prepare for the opening of the secret realm. On either side were the registration areas where each sect was finalizing the spirit enhancements for their participants’ jade tokens.

Lu Zhui was casually walking around, wondering about the strange atmosphere in the air, with people setting up stalls selling all kinds of things, even roasted chestnuts, which smelled quite nice.

Lu Zhui was just about to go buy something when he spotted a familiar figure.

"Hey!" Lu Zhui reached out and tapped Qiao Han's shoulder. "What are you doing here? Not going to find Jiu Ci?"

Qiao Han was startled. "I was just about to, but I saw these—spiced chestnuts with spiritual energy."

Qiao Han had just picked up a portion, and Lu Zhui was about to ask for some to avoid having to wait in line again, but Qiao Han quickly dodged. "No, I have to buy them myself."

Lu Zhui laughed. "Still guarding your food? Oh, wait, it’s for Jiu Ci, right?"

Qiao Han didn’t mind much about this, but since he had read the original text, he knew the male lead liked them.

Just as Qiao Han was about to say something, he looked up and saw Lu Zhui’s face, and immediately felt speechless.

Lu Zhui gave a somewhat awkward smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not really," Qiao Han said with a twitch at the corner of his mouth as he stared at the bruise marks on Lu Zhui’s face. "Lu Zhui, are you this hated? Do people hit you every day?"

Lu Zhui sighed helplessly, then shot Qiao Han a glance before speaking. "It’s just a little fun with my sister."

Qiao Han’s eyes flickered. "Oh?"

"My sister’s name is Lu Xiang. She’ll be participating in our Yuxu Sect’s assessment too. You two should meet. Just a heads up, she’s pretty violent, so avoid her if you can."

Qiao Han certainly couldn’t avoid her.

After all, the main plot of the Qing Lian Realm was caused by this little sister.

Qiao Han roughly guessed why Lu Zhui had been beaten. He knew very well about the female supporting characters around the male lead. As an older brother who didn’t help his sister compete for admirers, Lu Zhui would naturally end up being beaten.

Qiao Han sympathized with Lu Zhui. If Lu Zhui knew that their engagement had already been annulled, he probably could have avoided the beating.

As Lu Zhui went on about how violent his sister was and how she beat people up, it seemed he was trying to warn Qiao Han in advance, probably anticipating trouble once they entered the Qing Lian Realm. Though no one would dare to make trouble in front of them, things might be different once they entered.

Qiao Han, however, was curious. "Your Yuxu Sect has quite a strict system. Even the Sect Master’s daughter has to participate in the selection competition?"

Lu Zhui answered, "It’s just a formality. Qing Yun Sect is the same way. You can’t just make someone an inner disciple just because of who their parents are."

While they were talking, they saw a group of people standing on a platform with a magic formation, clearly wearing the disciple robes of the two sects.

Naturally, Qiao Han spotted the male lead at once. He stood out among everyone, both in appearance and aura, the focus of countless curious glances.

But beside him was a young girl dressed in a pale yellow dress, with twin buns in her hair, probably around fourteen or fifteen years old, looking delicate and cute.

Lu Zhui paused for a moment, then complained, "I just left for a bit and this girl…"

He quickly took a few steps forward, intending to pull her away before she made things too obvious and Qiao Han started wondering what was going on.

But Qiao Han wasn’t bothered. After all, Xiao Jiuci had already noticed them, his gaze shifting over to meet Qiao Han's, and he gave a faint smile.

It had been a while since Qiao Han had seen the male lead, and his heart fluttered. He quickly ran over in a few strides.

"Jiu Ge, would you like some? Freshly roasted chestnuts," Qiao Han held out the bag, offering it to Xiao Jiuci with a look of pride.

Xiao Jiuci was momentarily stunned. Seeing Qiao Han handing it to him, he could only reach out and take it, the bag warm in his hands, releasing the scent he liked.

Lu Zhui was right—he really wasn’t used to this...

"Thank you," Xiao Jiuci reined in his emotions, "You... go ahead and register."

Qiao Han immediately complied and ran off to register.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiang had been pulled ten meters away by her brother but was struggling and ran back, looking shocked when she saw what was happening. She blurted out, "Is it the new trend to suck up to the examiners now? Xiao Shi Ge, don’t accept it."

There had been several groups before who had come to give gifts, all claiming to worship Xiao Jiuci, but he had rejected them all.

Lu Xiang didn’t expect this person to offer such a humble gift, yet Xiao Jiuci accepted it. "That guy must be trying to use you to get ahead. Just a bag of chestnuts, trying to take advantage of the Qing Yun Sect’s big senior brother’s favor? Is he out of his mind?"

Lu Zhui sighed and rubbed his forehead, cursing himself for not explaining things clearly to Lu Xiang.

At that moment, Xiao Jiuci slowly put the bag away and looked at Lu Xiang. "Sister Lu, you misunderstood. He’s Qiao Han... my Dao partner, he doesn’t need to flatter me."

Lu Xiang was stunned, staring at Qiao Han who was heading toward registration.

Wasn’t Qiao Han supposed to be a proud, arrogant person wearing all red? But the one just now looked completely natural, with no arrogance in his demeanor. He was wearing a green robe, completely different from what was rumored.

By now, Qiao Han had handed his jade token to Jiang Qiluo for registration.

Jiang Qiluo stared at Qiao Han with a cold gaze, his expression not friendly, clearly still holding a grudge from their previous encounter.

After all, the four hundred high-grade spirit stones were a heavy punishment when he returned, as Master Lu’s wife had scolded him fiercely for it.

Senior Sister Ou and her older sister had also been angry, thinking he had been duped by Qiao Han, but no matter how angry they were, it didn’t change anything—Senior Brother's heart had already swayed.

Recently, when Senior Brother had been busy, they’d checked on him, only to learn that it was for Elder Mei's matter, seeking a wood-type magical item, which only made them more upset and unwilling.

They all believed that Qiao Han was eager to join the Qing Yun Sect’s inner disciples, fearing that once the Sect Master returned and discovered the truth about the arranged marriage, he would be kicked out.

So deep down, they didn’t want Qiao Han to pass the assessment. Maybe then, they could justify kicking out the annoying person who was trying to take their Senior Brother away.

But Senior Brother had been helping Qiao Han all along.

Jiang Qiluo glared at Qiao Han, who smiled back without backing down. Soon, Jiang Qiluo’s eyes flickered as he lowered his head and continued to inscribe the spiritual energy into the jade token.

Once done, he mechanically instructed, "After entering, each jade token will have corresponding task information. These tasks are randomly generated based on the cultivation level of each participant. Collect them and place them in the designated Qiankun bag. At the end, scores will be tallied based on completion. I wish you a successful assessment."

These were the same words he’d say to every participant. Jiang Qiluo didn’t try to make things difficult for Qiao Han.

Qiao Han took the jade token and Qiankun bag, nodding. "I will pass."

Jiang Qiluo coldly snorted, “I think you’ll be the one to crush the jade tablet first.”

The Qinglian Realm was indeed a low-level secret realm, with almost no magical beasts inside, only spirit beasts and spiritual plants. Overall, it wasn’t very dangerous, making it the best place for Qi Refining Stage practitioners to hone their skills. However, there could still be unexpected situations. If the assessment personnel couldn’t hold on any longer, they could crush the jade tablet to immediately exit the secret realm. This was considered a life-saving measure.

However, in this case, even crushing the jade tablet wouldn't help.

Qiao Han still couldn’t reveal spoilers, so he could only follow the plot.

After completing the registration, Qiao Han glanced around, always feeling a sense of danger in the air.

Qiao Han turned around and walked back to Xiao Jiuci’s side. Xiao Jiuci waved at him, signaling him to come closer.

Qiao Han took two steps forward and saw Xiao Jiuci raise his hand and gently place it on his waist and abdomen from a distance. By the time Qiao Han realized what had happened, he felt the ink-silver waist seal emitting a faint coolness. It turned out Xiao Jiuci was transmitting ice-type spiritual power through the ink-silver waist seal, enhancing its protective level.

At first, Qiao Han didn’t feel anything, but when a woman next to them sharply inhaled, he turned around and saw a little girl glaring at him. Her cheeks were unconsciously turning red, which made Qiao Han feel inexplicably awkward. He hadn’t even touched her! What was going on with their siblings? Were they just out to embarrass him? But before he could speak, Lu Xiang was chased off by Lu Zhui.

Lu Zhui asked, “Are you ready?”

Qiao Han assured him that everything was fine.

After Xiao Jiuci finished adjusting the ink-silver, he reminded him of a few things, like a parent sending their child off for an exam.

Qiao Han listened attentively, even though he already knew, he still paid close attention to the advice of the male lead.

Once Xiao Jiuci finished speaking, he took out something and handed it to Qiao Han. “Put this on.”

Qiao Han froze. In Xiao Jiuci’s long, fair hand was a bracelet, looking like two jade ropes, one emerald green, and the other silver-white, twisted together, emitting a strong wood-type spiritual power.

Even though Qiao Han couldn’t tell its exact nature, he could tell it was a powerful magical artifact. He looked up at Xiao Jiuci with surprise.

“This is a wood-type magical artifact, Bi Xuan. It can be used during the Qi Refining Stage, both for offense and healing. I’m giving it to you late, but you can take your time to explore it in the secret realm. It won’t be hard,” Xiao Jiuci spoke gently.

In fact, the original Qiao Han had brought many magical artifacts from the Qiao family, but they were all fire-type, which he couldn’t use. He had planned to check them on the flying ship, but since there weren’t many that could be used at the Qi Refining Stage, and since he didn’t find the assessment difficult, he hadn’t thought to look for any magical artifacts. He hadn’t expected Xiao Jiuci to prepare one for him.

Qiao Han felt flattered and unsure how to respond. After all, this was the first time the male lead had given him a gift.

Xiao Jiuci had already reached out, grabbing Qiao Han’s wrist and putting the bracelet on him.

Instantly, Bi Xuan seemed to sense the presence of spiritual power and adjusted its size, wrapping snugly around Qiao Han’s wrist.

“Once it opens its spiritual intelligence, you can drip blood to recognize the master.”

Qiao Han was stunned for a moment, and without realizing it, the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears. “Thank you, Xiao Ge.”

Qiao Han didn’t know its value. He thought that since it could be used at the Qi Refining Stage, it probably wasn’t too exaggerated, but he didn’t know that Elder Mei, at this moment, was looking at the treasure vault and wondering if he had lost out.

Lu Zhui noticed Qiao Han’s lack of reaction and knew that he didn’t recognize the value of the gift. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Xiao Jiuci’s calm expression and decided it was better not to speak.

At that moment, the secret realm was about to open, so Qiao Han planned to head forward to prepare.

Xiao Jiuci hesitated for a moment but didn’t speak. Lu Zhui, on the other hand, curiously asked, “Hey? Isn’t there still one more gift?”

Xiao Jiuci’s expression stiffened slightly, and Qiao Han was immediately startled.

How lucky was he? The male lead had actually prepared two gifts for him.

At this moment, Xiao Jiuci only felt the object in his arms becoming inexplicably warm.

Qiao Han widened his eyes and looked at Xiao Jiuci with sparkling, expectant eyes. One gift was already enough, but two? He could shamelessly accept them.

Xiao Jiuci slowly lowered his gaze and finally took out a mountain-blue-colored headband, studded with countless small, colorful jade stones, and adorned with a magical seal.

“This is… for protecting your spiritual sense,” Xiao Jiuci explained.

Qiao Han didn’t understand at first, but then he heard Lu Zhui explain, “Some spirit beasts are good at attacking the spiritual sense. Although it won’t kill you, it can be quite a headache. My sister wears something similar. Wearing this can protect the spiritual sense to a certain degree. Although it’s not precious, it’s quite useful.”

Qiao Han thought it looked nice. This time, he felt too embarrassed to let Xiao Jiuci tie it for him. After receiving it, he tied it himself into his hair.

The small jade stones shimmered with a soft glow, and the mountain-blue headband wound around his dark hair, complementing Qiao Han’s handsome face. The moment he tied it, he could feel his spiritual sense becoming clear.

Xiao Jiuci’s gaze lingered on him for a moment.

At this point, the secret realm’s formation gate slowly opened, and a space filled with rotating spiritual energy appeared. Cultivators entered one after another.

Qiao Han waved at the two of them and joined the crowd, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Lu Zhui sent his sister off, then turned back to Xiao Jiuci, only to find Xiao Jiuci’s face filled with a complicated expression, staring directly at the entrance.

“What’s wrong? Are you worried about Qiao Han? You can watch him through the water mirror later.”

Xiao Jiuci withdrew his gaze. “It’s nothing. I just… hope everything goes smoothly.”

He only hoped that the headband would always stay in Qiao Han’s hair.

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