320: Chapter 320 So what if I'm humiliating you? Am I supposed to repay evil with kindness?

With that, Xu Ruyu stood up, walked over to Xiao Nianyin, and looked down at her.

His gaze was very calm, so calm that there wasn't a single ripple.

"Xiao Nianyin, why do you think I let you warm my bed and serve me? Because I need a maid? There are so many Disciples in the Taihu Clan; I could find any one of them, and wouldn't they be better than you, who knows nothing?"

Xiao Nianyin bit her lip and remained silent.

"Heh, I did it on purpose," Xu Ruyu said word by word. "I just wanted to see what the once high-and-mighty Saint Realm Sect Master would look like when she lowered herself to serve others."

"I just wanted to see if you ever imagined you would one day fall to this state when you looked at me with those eyes back then."

Xiao Nianyin's tears flowed even more fiercely, but she stubbornly held her head high, refusing to let herself avoid his gaze.

"Do you feel humiliated now? Do you feel angry?" Xu Ruyu continued, "Then, when you were at the Black Water Pool watching me nearly die, did you ever think that I would also feel humiliated? Did you ever think that I would also feel angry?"

Xiao Nianyin opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing would come out.

Seeing her like this, Xu Ruyu suddenly smiled, a very faint smile. "Xiao Nianyin, I am no Saint."

"How you treated me before is how I treat you now. It's very fair, isn't it?"

He turned around, walked to the window, and stood with his back to her, his voice returning to its previous laziness:

"If you feel this is me humiliating you, then you can leave right now."

"I'll have someone inform the Taihu Clan, and you, Xiao Nianyin, can leave Tianyin Mountain tonight."

"From now on, the world is wide; you can go wherever you want, Xiao Nianyin. I, Xu Ruyu, promise I will absolutely not hinder you."

Xiao Nianyin was stunned.

She looked at Xu Ruyu's back; it wasn't particularly tall, even a bit thin, but at this moment, it seemed exceptionally firm.

She tried to find a hint of a threat, a hint of wanting her to stay, or a hint of insincerity in his words, but she could find none.

His tone was too calm, as if he were talking about a trivial, insignificant matter.

He truly didn't care whether she stayed or left.

Xiao Nianyin suddenly realized that from start to finish, she had been wrong about one thing.

She thought Xu Ruyu needed her.

Needed her, the former Saint Realm Sect Master, to bolster his reputation; needed her to become a fighting force for the Hehuan Sect after she recovered her cultivation; needed her... as a woman to satisfy his desires.

But now she understood.

Xu Ruyu didn't need her.

He didn't care at all whether she stayed or left.

He let her stay only out of... a kind of goodwill bordering on pity? Or perhaps he was just too lazy to deal with the trouble?

And the reason she stayed was not because Xu Ruyu needed her, but because she needed Xu Ruyu.

She needed his special Physique to maintain her life force, needed to settle down under the protection of the Taihu Clan, needed him to help her restore her cultivation in the future, and needed him... to be the only person she could rely on in this unfamiliar environment.

She, Xiao Nianyin, had nothing left to lose.

If she left Tianyin Mountain, where could she go? Enemies everywhere, cultivation completely lost—what would happen to a beautiful, destitute female cultivator?

She didn't dare to imagine it.

Silence spread through the room.

After a long time, Xiao Nianyin slowly loosened her clenched fists and lowered her head, no longer looking at Xu Ruyu's back.

Her movements were very slow, as if every action required immense courage.

She walked to the bed, reached out, and untied her sash.

Her moon-white outer skirt slipped down, revealing the thin silk Nightgown underneath. She lifted the covers, crawled in, and curled into a ball with her back to the room.

Xu Ruyu turned around and looked at the mound under the covers and the small section of ice-blue hair tips peeking out, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't speak; he simply sat back in the bamboo chair, picked up the notes on Artifact Refining, and continued reading by the light of the Moonstone.

Time passed in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, a soft knock came from the door.

"Xiao Yuer, are you there?" Lady Qingli's voice, seductive to the bone, rang out.

Xu Ruyu put down the notes and got up to open the door.

When the door opened, Lady Qingli was standing in the moonlight, graceful in a pale purple dress.

She had clearly dressed up with care; her hair was piled high, revealing a slender swan-like neck, and two small Moon-essence Stone earrings hung from her earlobes, shimmering with a soft light in the moonlight.

Those soul-capturing peach blossom eyes held a smile, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, and her entire being exuded a lazy yet fatal charm.

"Sister Qingli is here, come in quickly." Xu Ruyu stepped aside.

Lady Qingli stepped into the room, her gaze sweeping across the interior and quickly landing on the mound on the bed and the exposed ice-blue hair tips.

A flash of sly amusement crossed her eyes, but she said nothing, simply following Xu Ruyu to the hall to sit down.

"Coming to see me so late, is something the matter?" Xu Ruyu poured her a cup of Spiritual Tea.

"Can't I come to see you if nothing's the matter?" Lady Qingli's eyes rippled as she took the teacup and took a light sip. "I heard you were blown up three times in the Fire Cloud Cave today? Those juniors were laughing quite merrily. I was worried, so I came over to check."

"Well, are you hurt?"

Xu Ruyu smiled and rolled up his sleeves, revealing several bruises and scratches from shards. "Just superficial wounds, no big deal. But I was indeed blown up quite miserably; even my hair was standing on end."

Lady Qingli reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the bruises on his arm, a hint of heartache flashing in her beautiful eyes. "You, why be in such a rush? The Dao of Artifact Refining is broad and profound; how can it be mastered overnight?"

"If you lack Materials, tell me; if you lack manpower, I'll arrange it for you."

"If you keep acting recklessly on your own like this, what will happen if something goes wrong?"

"It's fine, I know what I'm doing," Xu Ruyu laughed. "Only by exploding can I get data, and only with data can I improve. Although it blew up three times today, I've already found several problems."

"Next time I improve it, it will definitely be better."

Lady Qingli looked at him, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

This young man, despite his low cultivation, always had a resilience and confidence that couldn't be ignored.

It was as if, in his eyes, no difficulty was insurmountable.

"By the way," Xu Ruyu suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice, "is there any news on what I asked you to keep an eye on? Regarding the movements of Mo Feng and his group."

Lady Qingli's smile faded slightly, and she nodded. "There's some progress."

Mo Feng has been in close contact with Kumu and Hu Yong lately, meeting privately several times in places away from prying eyes.

"It's not clear what they're discussing specifically, but it's certain that they are... very dissatisfied with you."

"As expected." Xu Ruyu gave a cold laugh. "Let them jump around; as long as they don't cross my bottom line, it's fine."

"I'll keep watching," Lady Qingli said. "You should also be careful yourself; try not to leave Qixia Valley alone."

"If anything happens, call me at any time."