88: Chapter 88 For you, even going bankrupt is worthwhile

Within the Lakeside Cottage of Gu Garden, the lights were ablaze.

The auction had long since ended, but the monstrous waves it had stirred up were still fermenting and spreading crazily in every corner of Baifeng City.

The name Gu Yan was destined to ring throughout the skies this night, becoming the focus of discussion and awe for countless people.

However, as the protagonist of this storm, Gu Yan himself had long since cast the clamor of the outside world to the back of his mind.

At this moment, he was sitting quietly in Leng Yuechan's courtyard.

On the stone table, a jade box made of ten-thousand-year black ice, still emitting wisps of cold air, rested quietly.

Jin Feiyan had already tactfully taken her leave on the way back to the manor.

Before leaving, her sharp phoenix eyes had darted back and forth between Gu Yan and Leng Yuechan, filled with a certain complex, indescribable meaning.

Inside the courtyard, there was total silence.

Leng Yuechan sat opposite Gu Yan.

Her gaze was fixed intently on the jade box.

Her cold phoenix eyes were filled with excitement, longing, and even more... endless gratitude.

She knew that what this small jade box contained was not just a priceless Xuan-grade Spirit Medicine.

It was... the only hope for her to return to the path of immortality, a path that had long been severed!

A long, long time passed.

Only then did she slowly calm down from her intense emotional fluctuations.

She stood up and bowed deeply to Gu Yan, performing a formal salute.

This salute was more solemn, more... devout than any she had performed before.

"Young Master Gu..."

Her voice trembled slightly, imperceptibly, due to her excitement.

"This... grace of rebirth, this young woman..."

Her words were not yet finished.

When Gu Yan raised his hand and gently interrupted her.

He did not look at Leng Yuechan, but merely reached out and slowly pushed the black ice jade box, which was emitting a bone-chilling cold, in front of her.

Then, he raised his head, looking into her phoenix eyes that were shimmering with moisture from excitement, and spoke slowly in a tone that was gentle to the extreme, and also matter-of-fact to the extreme.

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly echoed within the silent courtyard, and also echoed within the lake of Leng Yuechan's heart.

"Mere worldly possessions,"

"If they can ensure your Dao path remains unimpeded,"

"Then even bankruptcy,"

"Is... worth it."

Boom!!!!!!!!!!

This sentence did not stir up any spiritual power fluctuations.

Yet it was as if a warm torrent capable of melting everything in the world had, in an instant, washed away the last, and most solid, ice wall in Leng Yuechan's heart!

Her delicate body, which was already trembling slightly from excitement, suddenly gave a violent shudder!

That beautiful face, which had never shown a hint of weakness even when her Dao foundation was damaged or when she was hunted by fellow disciples—all her strength, all her disguises, all her aloofness...

At this moment, completely collapsed!

A crystal-clear, yet scaldingly hot tear uncontrollably slid silently from her cold phoenix eyes.

It traced across her smooth, jade-like cheek, and finally, with a "plop," dripped onto the stone table in front of her, splashing into a tiny water droplet.

She was crying.

This proud daughter of heaven, who had never felt a shred of fear even when facing death.

At this moment, because of one man and a sentence that couldn't be simpler, she... was crying.

She knew that what the man before her had done for her had already far exceeded the scope of "repaying a debt," exceeded "allies," and even exceeded "friends."

Seventy-one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

A sum of terrifying wealth that would drive even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator mad!

Yet, for her—a "trouble" he had met only by chance—he had spent a fortune without the slightest hesitation!

He didn't even bother to say polite pleasantries like "don't mention it" or "it was nothing" afterwards.

In his eyes, it seemed that all of this was just...

Matter-of-fact.

What he valued was not her status, not her beauty, and certainly not any potential utility she might possess.

What he valued was simply her as a person.

It was her Dao path, which should have been brilliant but had nearly been severed!

This respect, this sense of responsibility, this... affection!

Made Leng Yuechan's heart, which had been frozen for years due to Sect infighting and betrayal by fellow disciples, feel what it meant to be... warm for the first time.

[Alert! Alert! Alert!]

[Target 'Leng Yuechan' detected, heart rate skyrocketing! Emotional fluctuations have exceeded the critical threshold!]

Inside his mind, the System, manifesting as a "Favorability Detector," was frantically spamming notifications!

[Analyzing her emotional data model... Analysis result...]

[Current Favorability: 99 (Deeply in love, devoted heart and soul)!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host! Side quest [Iceberg Melting Plan] completed with excess!]

[Host! You are too good at this! This old man's maiden heart... no, this old man's System core is about to be melted by you! I give this pickup line a perfect score! Requesting authorization to record this case into "The Heavens and Myriad Worlds' Strongest Wingman Textbook: Divine-Grade Edition"!]

Gu Yan ignored the System, which had started acting crazy again.

He just looked quietly at the beautiful woman before him, her face tear-stained yet pitifully lovely, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

He knew.

This iceberg, from this moment on, had completely...

Melted for him.

"Alright," he stood up, walked to her side, took out a clean handkerchief from his robes, and gently wiped the tear stains from her cheeks, "The ice heart grass is already in hand. The most urgent task is to heal your injuries as soon as possible, lest complications arise."

"Mm..."

Leng Yuechan let him wipe away her tears, as obedient as a tame little kitten.

Her phoenix eyes, still glistening with tears, no longer held any of the previous coldness or wariness when she looked at Gu Yan.

Only endless, inseparable... tenderness and reliance remained.

However, just as she prepared to take the black ice jade box and return to her room to heal,

A look of extreme complexity, mixed with shyness and embarrassment, appeared on her face.

"Gu... Big Brother Gu..." Her address for Gu Yan had already changed unconsciously, "This... this ice heart grass is indeed a Saint Grade item for healing. But..."

"But, having it alone is not enough."