Across from him, two out of the three people were openly looking down on him, and even Li Miaoyin’s attitude was rather cold. But for Zhang Xian, these were mere trifles.

Back in the day, when he was about to marry the Princess of Daliang, several civil officials in the Grand Hall nearly banged their heads against the pillars in protest, and countless princes and nobles glared at him with murderous intent. Then, when he married the demoness Yu Rao from the Holy Sect, several old-timers from the orthodox sects were ready to slit their own throats, ranting about “purging the righteous path” and “being ashamed to associate with such a person.”

As long as you don’t feel awkward yourself, it’s always others who end up embarrassed. Over the years, apart from honing his martial skills, what he had really mastered was an iron skin thicker than the city walls. Even as the Duke of Zhen Guo, Zhang Xian was second to none!

Zhang Xian exchanged a few pleasantries with Li Miaoyin. According to her, their story was simple enough: they were both cultivators whose sect had fallen into decline. As Master and Disciple, they had retreated from the world, relying on each other for survival in this obscure Taoist temple for nearly a hundred years. Now that their lifespans were drawing to a close, all they wanted was to spend their remaining days in peace.

But Zhang Xian knew full well they weren’t telling the whole truth. Although Li Miaoyin’s cultivation level was slightly higher than Xuanwei’s, Zhang Xian could sense a severe internal injury lurking within her. If her story were true—if she’d been nursing this injury for a hundred years without healing—it was clear there was much more to it than met the eye.

And the herbs Xuanwei had gathered were no doubt for her use. Yet they were merely common herbs from the mortal realm, offering little more than a token gesture.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased somewhat, Zhang Xian finally cupped his hands in a respectful bow. “I apologize for any offense I may have caused earlier. Here are ten century-old Snow Ginseng roots, a small token of my apology to Daoist Sister Miaoyin for accidentally harming your Junior Brother.”

With a wave of his hand, a box appeared on the ground. The lid sprang open by itself, revealing numerous exquisite compartments filled with Snow Ginseng.

A spatial artifact!

Li Miaoyin and Xuanwei exchanged a glance, their hearts jolted by this unexpected discovery.

Li Miaoyin quickly returned the gesture with a Daoist bow. “Duke Zhen Guo is far too kind. This humble Daoist accepts your gratitude on behalf of Xuanwei.”

To ordinary people, these century-old Snow Ginseng roots were incredibly valuable. But to cultivators like them, they were mundane items, their medicinal properties only slightly better than common ginseng.

【Ping! Successfully gifted ten common century-old Snow Ginseng roots. Triggered return: Ten rare Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng roots.】

Finally, it’s happening again! Zhang Xian’s heart leapt with joy.

Then, he waved his hand once more. Two more boxes appeared on the ground, their lids springing open automatically. The first box gleamed with golden light, neatly stacked with bars of gold. The second box was crammed full of jewels and ornaments.

“These are some mundane treasures—gold, silver, and jewels. My presence just now disturbed your esteemed temple and damaged some of its facilities. Please accept these as compensation for repairs and renovations,” Zhang Xian said calmly.

??

What use could he possibly have for these mundane treasures? Is he insane?

Li Miaoyin felt utterly bewildered. Could it be that the Duke of Zhen Guo is simply mad?

As cultivators, what use do Xuanwei and I have for your mundane wealth? Do you really think we’d cherish such trivial things? And even if you’re giving gold, what’s the meaning of this box of jewels—red coral, pearl crowns, jade ruyi scepters—what kind of rubbish is this?

Li Miaoyin and Xuanwei hurriedly declined, but alas, their combined reluctance couldn’t match Zhang Xian’s thick-skinned persistence. In the end, they had no choice but to accept.

【Ping! Successfully gifted ten thousand taels of gold. Ninety-five percent of it had no effect on Li Miaoyin; five hundred taels triggered a return: Five hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones.】

【Ping! Gift of jewels ineffective. No return.】

Zhang Xian instantly understood—the System wouldn’t return gifts indefinitely. It seemed that only a small portion of this gold would actually benefit Li Miaoyin, perhaps enough to cover her daily needs, while the rest was simply useless to her. As for the box of jewels, it was clearly just thrown in for show.

But it didn’t matter. He had plenty of gold and jewels anyway. This was a steal!

Meanwhile, Xuanwei was secretly grieving. Not only had he been injured today, but he’d also forced Sister Miaoyin to transfer her True Qi to him. This back-and-forth exchange would likely cost both of them several years of their lifespans. Alas!

Behind him, Yu Yun wore an even stranger expression. This old rogue refuses to leave, showering gifts only on Sister Miaoyin—there has to be some ulterior motive.

As he pondered this, he glanced at Zhang Xian, whose face was brimming with eager anticipation. Suddenly, a terrifying suspicion struck him. Could it be…?

His face turned deathly pale in an instant.

“Ahem,” Li Miaoyin said hastily, fearing that Zhang Xian would keep giving gifts endlessly. “If the Duke has nothing else to say, perhaps he should come another time. I have evening rituals to attend shortly.” She quietly pinched Xuanwei’s arm as she spoke.

Xuanwei understood the hint immediately and managed a faint, blood-streaked smile. “This humble one also needs to stabilize his injuries.”

Leave? No way! Not until he’d squeezed every last bit of value out of Li Miaoyin would he ever leave this place.

Zhang Xian flipped his palm, conjuring several glowing stones. “These gems were obtained by chance and are of no use to me. They seem to be exactly the kind of Spirit Stones you mentioned, Daoist Sister. Allow me to present them to you as well.”

“Mid-grade Spirit Stones!” Li Miaoyin and Xuanwei exclaimed in unison.

Zhang Xian calmly placed the stones on the table before them. His fingertips still tingled with lingering spiritual energy—freshly produced by the System, still warm to the touch.

Xuanwei murmured, “Sister, these really are mid-grade Spirit Stones!”

His entire body trembled with excitement. With these few stones to nurture her, Sister Miaoyin could recover at least three levels of cultivation and extend her lifespan by another fifty years.

“This is far too precious; we cannot accept it,” Li Miaoyin said, her voice trembling. Ten mid-grade Spirit Stones were simply too valuable.

In her former sect, she had reached the peak of Qi Refining and was even a favored disciple personally selected by the Elder. Yet her monthly stipend had never exceeded dozens of low-grade Spirit Stones. One mid-grade stone was worth at least a hundred low-grade ones—and here were ten! Enough to sustain her cultivation for several years!

Zhang Xian took in their reactions carefully. Clearly, these mid-grade Spirit Stones were truly remarkable.

But every gift comes at a price. Zhang Xian smiled slyly and conjured a few more stones from his hand. “These Spirit Stones are of no use to me. Besides, I have plenty more. Daoist Sister Miaoyin, please do not refuse them again.”

He still has more?!

Li Miaoyin was shocked. This Zhang Xian possessed attack artifacts, spatial artifacts, and now even an abundance of mid-grade Spirit Stones—such wealth would make even established cultivators envious!

【Ping! Li Miaoyin’s Favorability toward you has increased by 15.】

【Ping! Mid-grade Spirit Stones successfully gifted. The gifted item originated from Li Miaoyin herself (via previous return), so no return can be triggered for her.】

Zhang Xian noted this mentally: It seems I can’t keep milking the same person over and over again. Items originating from a specific target can’t be re-gifted to them for a return.

Still, gaining a bit of Favorability wasn’t a loss. Higher Favorability made it easier to continue giving gifts later.

After receiving the Spirit Stones, Xuanwei and Li Miaoyin’s attitudes improved dramatically, completely convinced that Zhang Xian had no malicious intentions. Li Miaoyin’s brow, which had been furrowed for so long, finally relaxed into a rare, charming smile.

For a moment, host and guest were thoroughly delighted—except for Yu Yun.

That old rogue has already set his sights on Sister Miaoyin!

Master, please come to your senses! Danger!!