149: So you can talk!

Great Xia.

Bianzhou.

The Demon Suppression Division branch was hidden inside an inn.

At this moment.

Inside the guest room.

"Miss Hongxiu, this mission's Perfection was thanks to you. Thank you." A Demon Suppression Division scout clasped his hands and thanked her, his eyes showing not only respect but also a trace of admiration.

He was stunned upon learning that Miss Hongxiu, standing before him, had only started cultivating half a month ago and had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.

As expected of someone personally brought into the Demon Suppression Division by the Inspection Envoy.

At the same time, like many members of the Bianzhou Demon Suppression Division, he felt compassion for this gentle, ethereal beauty. It wasn't surprising; anyone who interacted with Hongxiu was touched by her kindness, marveling that such a benevolent woman—uncontending, uncoveting, always considering others—could exist in this world... However, he dared not speak of it, as he was too far beneath her.

With no hope on the path of cultivation, how could he dare mislead such a beauty?

Furthermore, rumor had it that the high-ranking official in Bianzhou was also pursuing Hongxiu, so small fries like them could only keep their feelings buried deep.

Across from the scout.

Hongxiu revealed a slight smile and said softly, "There's no need to be formal with me. I am also happy to be able to help you all..."

Compared to before, Hongxiu now had a look of greater resolve. Her temperament had also subtly changed after cultivating. Dressed in a long blue dress, her skin was like snow, and the glances from her beautiful eyes revealed an otherworldly, untainted aura, like a celestial maiden. Especially when she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, making people unable to help but look twice.

After the Demon Suppression Division scout thanked her again, he clasped his hands and left, his hesitant, wanting-to-say-something look before departing making Hongxiu feel a bit awkward.

After he left, the quiet fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in red sitting beside her finally spoke.

"Sister Hongxiu's charm is truly immense. I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry such a wonderful Sister Hongxiu..." The Girl in Purple propped up her face and looked at Hongxiu, teasing her with a giggle.

She and Hongxiu entered the Demon Suppression Division together. Her background was tragic; her entire family had died miserably at the hands of the Yao Race. When the Demon Suppression Division arrived, she was the only one left, hiding in a corner. After discovering her cultivation talent, she was sent to the Demon Suppression Division Headquarters.

She was taciturn at first, but after interacting with Sister Hongxiu, whose presence felt like melting glaciers, she gradually emerged from the shadows.

Since then, she had always stayed by Hongxiu's side.

Hongxiu shook her head, a look of determination appearing in her eyes, and said softly, "I will never marry in this life."

"Ah!" the Girl in Purple exclaimed in surprise.

"Why??"

"Sister Hongxiu, you've always worked so hard alone, why don't you find a suitable husband?"

"Could it be that Sister Hongxiu already has someone in her heart?"

Hongxiu stared blankly at the teacup in front of her, momentarily unsure how to answer. Just as she was about to say no, her heart inexplicably felt a sharp pang of pain, and her face instantly turned pale.

"Sister Hongxiu, why are you crying?" The Girl in Purple quickly grasped Hongxiu's slightly cold hand, looking anxious.

"I... I... I don't know..." Hongxiu's voice was panicked. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes, and she nervously gripped her own thigh.

The Girl in Purple quickly pulled a string of Candied Hawthorns from her pocket and urged, "Sister Hongxiu, quickly eat some Candied Hawthorns! You said that whenever you were sad as a child, eating one instantly made you feel better. I bought these especially for you today..."

"Mhm, mhm, I'll be fine after eating one..." Hongxiu quickly nodded, took the Candied Hawthorns, and started eating.

Sure enough!

After eating the second one, Hongxiu's tears stopped, and her breathing became much steadier.

This made the Girl in Purple feel relieved, but also full of doubt.

How could these ordinary Candied Hawthorns from the street act like a Spirit Pill for Sister Hongxiu... "You are very strange. Why is your hair blue?" the Girl in Cloth Clothes asked in surprise. Her face was smeared with dirt from work, and her small hands were covered in chilblains and calluses, yet her eyes held an indescribable innocence.

In front of her, a Boy in White Clothes who looked about fifteen years old, slightly older than her, sat cross-legged in the Dilapidated Temple, eyes tightly shut, remaining silent, his white clothes tattered.

Seeing that the other party didn't speak, the girl felt too embarrassed to press further. She then busied herself with cooking. The vegetables were self-grown, and the rice was bought with the wages she had just received today. The black pot in her hand had thumb-sized holes around the rim. Despite such a difficult life, her face was always beaming with smiles.

Only when the aroma of the food wafted out did the Boy in White Clothes' eyelids flutter slightly.

The girl quickly finished eating. After tidying up, she walked over to the Boy in White Clothes.

"Here, if you don't mind, have some. It might not be great, but it will fill you up..."

The Boy in White Clothes remained silent.

The girl pouted, placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of the boy, and then turned to leave. As she glanced at the full meal, she couldn't help but swallow.

The sun set in the west.

The girl returned, exhausted and massaging her shoulders. The bowl and chopsticks were still in the same spot, and the vegetable porridge inside was untouched. This made her slightly unhappy; it was the first time she had felt somewhat angry.

"If you weren't going to eat, you should have said so earlier! How can you waste food like this!"

With that, she angrily took the food away and ate it herself in big mouthfuls, glaring at the Boy in White Clothes, but feeling a hint of disappointment in her heart.

Was he also looking down on me?

Soon.

Night had fallen deep.

The girl habitually took out her patched bedding and laid it out. Then she took out a quilt that was relatively much newer and placed it in front of the Boy in White Clothes. Without speaking, she turned and lay down.

After an unknown amount of time, the Boy in White Clothes finally opened his eyes. His blue pupils held a trace of unusual color. He glanced sideways at the girl curled up in her quilt, and then looked out at the biting cold wind outside the Dilapidated Temple.

In this weather, how could such a thin quilt ward off the winter cold? Moreover, to save firewood, the girl hadn't dared to light it for herself, instead placing it next to him.

This, for him who often heard about the scheming and deceit among the Human Race, was the first time he felt moved.

An inexplicable Dao Rhythm spread out, dispelling the coldness inside the Dilapidated Temple. The girl's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and her expression became peaceful.

The next day, at the break of dawn.

The girl opened her eyes, slightly surprised that she felt warm all over.

The next second.

She immediately got up, checked the sky, and thought, "Oh no, how could I oversleep!"

She immediately finished tidying up in a rush and dashed out of the Dilapidated Temple, even forgetting about the Boy in White Clothes who had already opened his eyes nearby.

It wasn't until she returned to the Dilapidated Temple, feeling a bit lost—she had worked so hard to find that job.

However, upon entering the Dilapidated Temple, she heard a voice she thought was the most beautiful in the world, and she froze completely.

"I don't need to eat, nor am I afraid of the cold. You can use those things yourself."

The girl stared at the boy, mouth agape, and exclaimed in surprise, "So you can talk!"

"Huh!"

"Your eyes are blue too! That's so strange!"

"But they are very beautiful!"

"What is your name?"

"You don't look like a child from a poor family. Were you perhaps kicked out?"

"Why don't you need to eat? Aren't you hungry?"

The girl instantly opened the floodgates of conversation, asking questions continuously, as if she hadn't talked to anyone for a very long time.

The boy frowned slightly. Being naturally unskilled at conversation, he didn't know how to respond, so he simply closed his eyes and stopped talking.

Seeing this, the girl stuck out her tongue, feeling a little embarrassed.

However, at that moment, the girl's expression changed drastically, because the Boy in White Clothes suddenly fell to the ground, convulsing, his face twisted in pain, and black Demonic Runes spread all over his body.

"W-w-w-what... what happened to you..." The girl was frightened, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she rushed to the boy's side, squatted down, and asked with great concern.

The Boy in White Clothes, however, gritted his teeth, his expression resolute, his blue eyes full of disdain, as if saying, *How can a mere Void Return Demonic Technique suppress me?* Yet, the pain felt capable of burning his Soul. After all, this was a Royal Bloodline Divine Ability, not an ordinary Demonic Technique. Had it been any other Cultivator in the Spirit Transformation Realm, they would have long been reduced to dust.

But the next instant, the Boy in White Clothes felt a sweetness in his mouth. A string of Candied Hawthorns that the girl had always treasured in her waist pouch was taken out. Although some time had passed, thankfully, they hadn't completely spoiled.

"Don't be afraid, just eat one and you'll be fine. My mother said that no matter how much it hurts, eating Candied Hawthorns makes the pain go away quickly..." The girl patted the boy's back while feeding him Candied Hawthorns.

Although this actually had no effect on the boy, his brow noticeably relaxed slightly, a fact that even the boy himself found unbelievable.

His pain lasted for three full days, and the girl stayed by his side for those three days. During this time, she went out a few times, returning each time with a freshly bought string of Candied Hawthorns, having used up all her savings.