4: Chapter 4: Naturally, I dare not deceive the immortal.

She paused at the entrance for a moment, looking up at the four characters on the plaque: "Yunyou Shop."

Then, she turned to the side and carefully read the bamboo plaque hanging next to the wooden door:

"The Dao of Cultivate is mysterious and ever-changing, evolving on its own, with the universe hidden within."

"Traveling the four corners of the world, gathering all the rare treasures under heaven; only those with destiny may find it."

"All living beings are at ease, the Great Dao is impermanent, why not come in and take a look, Fellow Daoist?"

She hesitated for a moment and poked her head into the shop.

Jiang Xuan, who was behind the counter, saw her at a glance, stood up immediately, and walked over to greet her with a smile.

She was not a Cultivator; there wasn't a trace of Spiritual Qi fluctuation on her.

"Miss, what do you need? Come in and have a look; it doesn't matter if you don't buy anything."

His tone was easygoing and warm, without any of the condescension that Cultivators usually show toward Mortals.

A Xiang looked at him with soft, timid eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke softly:

"Immortal Master… I would like to buy a clear heart pill."

"We have them, please come in." Jiang Xuan stepped aside to make way and gestured for her to enter.

A Xiang walked in, clutching the hem of her skirt. Her steps were small and light, and her entire demeanor exuded nervousness.

She was a Mortal, and in the presence of a Cultivator, she naturally felt inferior.

Even though Jiang Xuan welcomed her with a smile, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Jiang Xuan took a small jade bottle from the wooden shelf behind the counter and pulled out the stopper.

He channeled a wisp of spiritual energy to support the mouth of the bottle, and a Medicinal Pill about the size of a fingernail slowly floated out.

The Medicinal Pill was deep blue and crystal clear, with a very thin layer of white frost covering its surface, refracting a cold luster under the light.

A crisp, faint fragrance immediately permeated the air.

It was like a cold wind blowing through a deep winter snowfield, refreshing and carrying a hint of secluded vegetation, rushing straight into the nostrils and drilling into the mind.

A Xiang couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling as if her brain had been doused with cold water.

The muddled feeling was swept away, and her whole being felt much clearer.

Jiang Xuan smiled and introduced it: "Miss, this clear heart pill is a first-grade Medicinal Pill, and the main ingredient is hundred-year-old congealed cold dew."

"After a Cultivator consumes it, the medicinal power turns into a cool stream of energy that rushes straight to the spiritual platform."

"It can extinguish the restlessness and distracting thoughts in one's heart, washing away any growing Heart Demon."

"It stabilizes the spirit and clears the spiritual platform, having miraculous effects in preventing Qi Deviation during Cultivate."

He paused and held up four fingers: "However, the price is not cheap: forty Spirit Stones each."

After hearing this, a trace of hesitation appeared on A Xiang's dignified face.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke: "Immortal Master, could it be a bit cheaper?"

"Immortal Master Bai Yuan introduced me here; she said your prices are very reasonable."

Jiang Xuan was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't expected that girl to be so efficient. She had left early in the morning, and less than two hours had passed before she brought him a customer.

He praised her inwardly, but his smile remained unchanged:

"Since Fellow Daoist Bai Yuan introduced you, naturally I cannot charge the original price."

"I will take two off for you; thirty-eight Spirit Stones. How does that sound, Miss?"

A Xiang bit her lower lip gently, lowered her eyes, and spoke with a sense of embarrassment that was hard to put into words:

"Immortal Master… to be honest, I only have thirty-six Spirit Stones."

Jiang Xuan looked at her but didn't speak immediately.

Thirty-six Spirit Stones was already a significant amount for a Mortal.

Spirit Stones were the currency circulated by Cultivators. For a Mortal to obtain Spirit Stones, they either had to work for a Cultivator or exchange a large amount of worldly gold and silver.

When converted, it was almost like trading their entire net worth.

Moreover, coming to buy a clear heart pill was nine times out of ten not for herself.

After all, for a Mortal like her to eat a clear heart pill, wouldn't that be a waste of a precious item?

It was most likely an errand for some Cultivator behind her.

Jiang Xuan shook his head, though his tone wasn't harsh:

"Miss, I am a businessman. If I sell it to you for thirty-six, I won't even cover my costs."

A Xiang's body visibly trembled.

She raised her face, and her almond-shaped eyes were quickly covered with a mist of tears, her eye rims turning red:

"Immortal Master… I beg you to show mercy."

"My younger sister finally managed to guide Qi into her body, but she was plagued by a Heart Demon while trying to Cultivate."

"Now, she is muddled all day long and can't even recognize her own family."

"This Medicinal Pill is her only hope…"

"But as a Mortal, I truly have no ability to earn more Spirit Stones."

As soon as she finished speaking, she bent down abruptly, her knees about to hit the floor.

Jiang Xuan was quick-witted and stepped forward, reaching out to support her arm and steadying her.

"Miss, what are you doing? Get up quickly."

As his palm touched her forearm, through her sleeve, he could feel her skin was slightly cold and still trembling.

After the distance closed, a faint scent of pear blossoms drifted over, carrying a touch of warmth and softness in its sweetness.

Jiang Xuan let go and stepped back half a step, looking at her: "Business is about mutual benefit."

"Why don't you try another way? Show some sincerity, and I'll see if I can make an exception."

After A Xiang was helped up, she stood in place, nervously rubbing her fingertips.

She secretly glanced up at Jiang Xuan.

This young Immortal Master was truly outstanding in appearance.

And even though he was a Cultivator, he didn't have the slightest air of superiority toward a Mortal like her.

Her gaze lingered for only an instant before she hurriedly lowered it, staring at the tips of her shoes.

The room was quiet for a dozen breaths.

A Xiang finally spoke, her voice very soft:

"If the Immortal Master is willing to sell it to me for thirty-six… I will do anything."

Jiang Xuan was slightly stunned and looked at the woman in front of him again.

Although she was over thirty, she was well-maintained; her skin was delicate and fair, her face was dignified and beautiful, and her figure was curvaceous.

Every gesture she made carried the gentle charm unique to a mature woman.

It was completely different from the youthful, innocent feeling of Ye Baiyuan.

Her voice when she spoke was soft and glutinous, unhurried, with a natural submissiveness that made one's ears feel soft.

In his previous life, a woman with this temperament walking on the street would probably turn every head.

Jiang Xuan reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen beside her temple behind her ear.

His movements were very light, his fingertips brushing against the skin on the edge of her earlobe, touching and then immediately pulling away.

A Xiang's body visibly stiffened, and the skin above her neck was quickly dyed with a light pink.

"Really?" Jiang Xuan asked in a low voice.

A Xiang was a bit dazed, caught off guard by this sudden gentleness.

She nodded subconsciously: "Yes… naturally, I dare not deceive the Immortal Master."

Jiang Xuan smiled: "Then come over tonight and warm my bed."

As soon as the words fell, A Xiang froze in place.

Her almond eyes were wide open, her lips parted slightly, and she stared at him blankly, not blinking for a long time.

The room was so quiet that one could hear the faint sound of tree branches being blown by the wind outside the window.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Xuan shrugged and said in a casual tone:

"Of course, if you are not willing, forget it. I won't force you."

This sentence made A Xiang snap back to reality. She waved her hands in a panic, her face flushed to the root of her neck:

"No… Immortal Master, I am not unwilling!"

"I was just… too surprised…"

Jiang Xuan was a bit curious: "Surprised by what?"

A Xiang lowered her head, her hands having nowhere to rest, her fingers twisting back and forth.

Her voice was very soft, carrying a sense of self-abasement:

"The Immortal Master has an extraordinary bearing and unparalleled elegance…"

"I am already past my prime and never dared to imagine… that I could repay you in this way."

In this world of Cultivation, Mortals are as humble as ants before Cultivators.

What could a Cultivator lack? There are plenty of young and beautiful girls.

Why would he look at a Mortal woman like her, who is thirty years old, has been married, and has no Spiritual Root?