Chapter 216 Misunderstanding and Deal! The Six-Month Agreement!

"Great Master Dong Xuan! My name is Qian Rongrong! May I become your disciple?!"

This crisp, pleasant, and nervous young girl's voice was like a drop of cold water falling into a boiling oil pan, instantly shattering the nearly solidified air in the hall, which had been filled with dangerous and ambiguous tension.

She had been leaning over intimidatingly.

Su Qingxue, the Nine-Tailed Fox with her jade-like foot stepped on the chair,

suddenly stiffened her delicate body.

The icy anger and embarrassment in her enchanting purple eyes receded like a tide, replaced by caught-off-guard astonishment and a hint of displeasure at having a good thing interrupted.

Almost instinctively,

her figure spun elegantly like light smoke, instantly drifting down from the desk in front of Jiang Yun and silently standing slightly behind him. Her demeanor regained some of its coldness, save for the faint blush remaining on her cheeks from her anger and the recent close contact.

It was difficult for it to fade completely for a moment.

Jiang Yun also felt a sense of relief.

The terrifying pressure that had been weighing down like a mountain suddenly vanished, allowing him to catch his breath.

He immediately sat up straight.

He adjusted his slightly messy black robes, his face under the mask also showing some tension as he coughed twice, trying to alleviate the extremely awkward atmosphere.

Because that posture just now... was truly too... unseemly!

Anyone seeing an exquisite woman almost pressed against them, with one foot stepped on the middle of their chair, would have extremely rich associations!

A misunderstanding!

Clearly,

Qian Rongrong, who had rushed in, misunderstood... At a glance, she saw Great Master Dong Xuan sitting up straight in a slightly flustered manner, while that white-clothed woman, who was too beautiful to be a Mortal, stood beside him with cheeks that seemed slightly flushed... Add to that the Great Master's two coughs... Qian Rongrong's head buzzed, and her mind went blank for a moment!

Immediately following,

boundless embarrassment and panic submerged her like a tsunami!

"S-sorry! I'm sorry!"

Qian Rongrong's pretty face turned beet red,

like a ripe apple.

She hurriedly covered her eyes with both hands.

She explained incoherently,

"Great Master Dong Xuan! I... I didn't do it on purpose! I saw the door wasn't closed tightly and thought... thought no one was here, so I came right in... I didn't expect you... you were busy... I... I'll leave right now! Leaving now!"

After saying that,

she didn't dare look into the hall again.

Like a startled fawn, she spun around and fled as if running for her life.

She even forgot to close the door behind her.

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Leaving behind only a faint lingering fragrance and the sound of frantic footsteps.

Jiang Yun's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

The words "Wait! It's not what you think..." didn't have time to leave his mouth.

He could only give a bitter smile toward the empty doorway.

"It's over..."

Jiang Yun lamented in his heart.

He lowered his hand helplessly.

"The glorious reputation of my Dong Xuan identity... could it be ruined just like this? This Qian Rongrong, of all times she could have come, she had to pop up at a moment like this... What exactly does she want? To become a disciple?"

"I hope Qian Rongrong doesn't go spreading rumors..."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He felt that the events of today were more exciting and troublesome than the past sixteen years combined.

Beside him,

Su Qingxue the Nine-Tailed Fox also let out a slightly unnatural light cough.

"Ahem..."

She clearly realized that the scene just now was easily misunderstood.

However, she quickly adjusted.

She pulled her attention back to the main topic.

Her tone regained its previous dominance, but seemed to have a few degrees less killing intent.

It was replaced with a bit of a 'you must take responsibility' persistence.

"Hmph, this Sovereign doesn't care about that. In any case, you must help this Sovereign get that five-colored origin divine seed. This is what you owe this Sovereign; don't forget, this Sovereign is your savior."

She emphasized the word 'savior' specifically.

Hearing this, Jiang Yun

no longer dwelled on the misunderstanding just now, turning his thoughts back to the game of wits with this cunning fox.

He shook his head.

His tone was serious as he said, "Let's each take a step back."

"I agree to try and help you, but you must agree to one condition of mine."

"Otherwise, even if I use that favor, this matter is off the table. That divine seed is too precious; I may not necessarily be able to get my hands on it, and even if I can, it will require an unimaginable price. A single favor is not enough."

"You...!"

Su Qingxue's beautiful eyes glared.

The anger she had just suppressed seemed about to rise again.

This human!

He was simply pushing his luck!

But seeing Jiang Yun's calm and determined gaze, and thinking of the Five Elements Origin Law contained within that five-colored divine seed—thinking that if she could use this object as her seed, her long-stagnant cultivation Bottleneck would surely be broken, and it might even allow her to touch Law power or even Origin Laws in advance, adding a crucial bargaining chip for that great matter in the future... the temptation was simply too great!

She forcibly suppressed the annoyance in her heart.

She took a deep breath.

Her words grew a few degrees colder.

"Fine! Tell me first, what is the condition? If it's too excessive, this Sovereign would rather not have that divine seed and leave right now!"

She put on a posture of being ready to turn hostile at any moment.

Jiang Yun had long expected her to react this way.

He calmly said, "My condition is very simple: protect my safety when I need it, for a period of half a year."

"Protect your safety?"

Hearing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Su Qingxue's beautiful eyes, and then, as if she had heard something hilarious, she looked Jiang Yun up and down with a tone full of mockery.

"With your current status, as a Grand Elder of the Appraisers Guild, you have various forces vying to associate with you. I don't know how many Human Race experts would be willing to act for you, many of whom have strength far exceeding mine. You need this Sovereign to protect you? Is that not a joke?"

Jiang Yun smiled slightly.

His voice from under the mask carried a hint of frankness.

"You're right, but those promises and protections are given to the identity of Dong Xuan, the Grand Tutor Level Appraiser. Whereas my original identity..."

He paused, his tone meaningful.

"...is just a lonely, helpless ordinary youth. Unless absolutely necessary, I will never easily expose the secret that Dong Xuan is Jiang Yun. Therefore, when I am active as Jiang Yun, the protection of those big shots is like distant water that cannot quench a nearby fire."

Su Qingxue's eyes moved slightly.

She seemed to understand Jiang Yun's concerns and intentions.

Dual identities did indeed bring convenience,

but they also brought risks.

Jiang Yun continued,

"Rest assured, I won't ask you to go to your death. You only need to step in and handle opponents you can manage when I encounter trouble. If we meet a powerful enemy that even you cannot handle, I will decide whether to expose my Dong Xuan identity based on the situation to ensure we are both safe. This half-year will be a period for us to observe each other and establish a degree of trust, and it's also to repay part of the favor while providing me with some security and motivation to obtain the divine seed."

In truth, more than that,

Jiang Yun didn't want to face a being who could burst into murderous intent at any moment every day.

If the condition was reached,

it wouldn't just mean having an extra bodyguard; it would also eliminate the constant threats from this Nine-Tailed Fox. Why not do it?

These words

were reasonable and fair, stating the need while also giving a bottom line, and tying the interests of protection and obtaining the divine seed together.

Su Qingxue was silent for a moment.

She quickly weighed the options in her heart.

Protecting a Gold Rank human boy for half a year wasn't too difficult for her.

Although the provincial city was full of experts, with her concealment methods and strength, as long as she didn't actively provoke the top-tier existences, protecting Jiang Yun shouldn't be much of a problem.

Furthermore,

just as Jiang Yun said, these six months would also serve as an observation period. She could better understand this mysterious human youth and his Heaven-Defying appraisal ability.

If possible,

she also wanted to be on good terms with Jiang Yun,

making ample preparations for her own future.

Exchanging a six-month bodyguard term for his promise to go all out to help obtain the five-colored origin divine seed seemed... not like a loss?

After all, without his help, it was almost impossible for her to get that treasure from the Appraisers Guild.

"Good!"

Su Qingxue finally made a decision, her cold voice ringing out.

"Half a year it is. After half a year, whether the divine seed is in hand or not, we are even, and this Sovereign will no longer care if you live or die. At that time, perhaps... you and I will truly go our separate ways and have no more involvement."

When she reached the last sentence,

there seemed to be a trace of indiscernible complexity in her tone.

"Go our separate ways?"

Jiang Yun caught that slight abnormality in her tone.

He couldn't help but ask curiously,

"To be honest, I'm quite curious. What exactly is the reason that makes you willing to take such a huge risk, disguising yourself as a human and infiltrating the heart of the Human Race?"

Hearing this, Su Qingxue

glanced at Jiang Yun.

A deep and difficult-to-fathom light flashed in those purple eyes, but it was quickly covered by coldness.

She did not answer Jiang Yun's question.

She only emphasized with a displeased tone,

"Don't ask what shouldn't be asked. This Sovereign has already agreed to the condition; you should fulfill your promise and find a way to help this Sovereign get the five-colored origin divine seed. Remember, if you don't get it for me, or if you do a perfunctory job, this condition... will not take effect."

She bit the words 'not take effect' very hard.

"Rest assured, I, Jiang Yun... oh no, I, Dong Xuan, will naturally do my best in what I've promised."

Jiang Yun smiled and didn't press further.

Everyone has their own secrets.

Especially this Nine-Tailed Fox Sovereign with her sensitive identity.

She seemed to have even more secrets.

He stood up.

He stretched his limbs, which had grown a bit stiff from sitting for so long, and looked out the window.

Twilight had deepened, and soft lights were dotting Tian Jian Peak.

"Alright, no one should be coming to deliver gifts now."

Jiang Yun smiled.

"It's also time to formally take my leave from President Yun Xi and return to the Su Family."

He turned to Su Qingxue, his tone relaxed

and slightly teasing.

"Incidentally, I can also go and test the waters to see if I can request that five-colored origin divine seed that you, Her Majesty, the Fox Sovereign, are so obsessed with."

Su Qingxue's eyes lit up, but then she looked at him with some suspicion.

"You're going now? Are you sure? That President Yun Xi is unfathomable; would he easily give such a great treasure to you?"

"How will we know if we don't try?"

Jiang Yun spread his hands,

appearing as if he were simply doing his part and leaving the rest to fate.

"There has to be a start. Let's go, come with me to see President Yun Xi?"