"Right then," Isabella said, waving her hand to open her own Dou Jie (Battle Sphere/Realm), rummaging inside for something. "Do you have enough money? I have some here if—" Money? Qian Jin suddenly remembered something he had completely forgotten since returning to Yongliu: the treasure trove of gold bricks he had earned from Lucifer Ni-Han inside his Dou Jie. He had originally intended to give the money to Luo Qingqing to help with her business funding, but that plan had been totally derailed by Uncle Mu Gui Wuxin and the City Lord's son. "It seems you don't need it then." Isabella gently shook her hand in front of her chest. "Then I won't disturb you two lovebirds. Enjoy your date." Lovebirds? Qian Jin frowned, wanting to clarify something, but realized Isabella wasn't listening at all; she had already turned and walked toward the academic building, while Biluo beside him buried her head very, very low.

"What a pity..." Isabella stretched languidly, swaying her hips slightly. Her long legs kicked up her backside high, tightly encased by her very short skirt, drawing the gaze of many passing students. "I thought perhaps I’d get an invitation from the little warrior, but I seem to have been snatched away." Qian Jin turned to look at Biluo. The timid female mage kept her head down, silent as usual, only staring at the ground. The two fell into a wordless silence.

"Speaking of which..." Qian Jin broke the awkward silence, feeling somewhat curious. "Didn't you go to class? Why are you back?"

Biluo slightly raised her head, timidly poking her delicate little hands out from beneath the wide, black magic robe, pointing toward Qian Jin's chest. "Book... book bag..."

Qian Jin slapped his forehead. He finally understood what the female mage was referring to. As a warrior fighting alongside mages, he was always responsible for the burden-carrying aspects. Biluo’s large, heavy book bag naturally wouldn't be carried by the mage herself. To avoid occupying her hands, the book bag had been tossed into his Dou Jie.

Without her textbooks, going to class would be useless for Biluo. Naturally, she had come back for her book bag, but then she ran into the business with Ai Bijia, and thus bravely stepped forward to help.

"Then..." Qian Jin scratched his head. "Let's go."

Biluo nodded emphatically, clasping her hands nervously beneath her magic robe, following closely beside Qian Jin as they began to walk slowly forward. Strange, curious gazes drifted toward them from all directions once more.

Yongliu City was the very center of the entire province.

Powerful families from all over, if they had the capability to infiltrate their influence into Yongliu City, would absolutely not hesitate to develop and expand within it, promoting the exceptional vibrancy of this city. The wide avenues, though lacking the aristocratic air of Qian City, were still brimming with the thriving commercial hustle of the nouveau riche.

Food, drink, entertainment, necessities, and even useless trinkets!

With the sole exception of those prohibited military-grade magic weapons that were being exported, there was nothing that couldn't be bought on the streets of Yongliu City.

Walking through the bustling streets, Qian Jin realized that, strictly speaking, this wasn't his first time, nor his first day in Yongliu City, yet he had never truly strolled its thoroughfares.

Biluo followed quietly beside him. Judging by the frequency with which her large hat swiveled back and forth, this quiet, even timid girl also possessed the common feminine desire to shop.

"Mai... Mai..." Qian Jin strolled along casually until he suddenly felt Biluo’s footsteps halt beside him. Her gaze was fixed on a nearby clothing boutique.

Huh? Qian Jin turned and saw Biluo standing motionless at the entrance, seemingly staring at a particular spot inside the hall—a transparent glass cabinet displaying a wooden mannequin carved entirely from pure wood.

The mannequin was dressed in a shimmering gown: a sky-blue, off-the-shoulder, narrow evening dress. Silver threads were exquisitely embroidered to resemble blooming snow lotuses, perfectly complemented by a pale gold gemstone necklace that exuded nobility without losing its fresh, transcendent aura.

Even worn by a lifeless wooden figure, the evening dress imparted an indescribable beauty, as if it were a goddess sculpted by a master artisan over countless years.

Shimmering! It was truly a gorgeous evening gown! Qian Jin raised a finger, pointing at the dress on the mannequin, his gaze landing on Biluo as he softly asked, "Like it?"

Biluo nodded with a minuscule motion, almost imperceptible. Had it not been for Qian Jin, who had honed his Divine Archery skills to develop exceptionally keen vision, he might have truly missed the slightness of her nod.

Qian Jin smiled. This Biluo, who usually buried her head in researching magic, clearly had excellent taste when it came to selecting clothes. It seemed women really were innately gifted in this area.

"Then, let's go in and take a look." Qian Jin stepped forward, reaching out to push open the inner glass door, moving aside to clear the entrance path for Biluo.

Biluo pulled her magic hat down even lower and hurried inside. She quickly bowed to the two uniformly dressed young attendants who approached her, momentarily stunning the staff—what guest starts by bowing upon entering?

Qian Jin quickly moved forward two steps, placing his hands on Biluo’s arms to steady her upright posture, and smiled at the two still-dazed clerks. "You all carry on, we'll just look around for a bit." The two clerks somewhat perplexedly stepped aside, secretly observing the strange pairing of Qian Jin and Biluo. The female mage seemed extremely timid, so why did the male warrior act with such composure? Although nothing in his gestures suggested arrogance, everything appeared remarkably peaceful, yet it was precisely this tranquility that gave off a distinct air of magnanimity, as if he wouldn't be flustered or anxious no matter what he faced.

Qian Jin surveyed the clothing store and realized it was genuinely a vast establishment. Hundreds of wooden mannequins displayed outfits in countless different styles. Coupled with the multi-colored glass ceiling reflecting rays of light into the shop, it constantly gave visitors a sense of being enveloped in a dreamlike abundance.

"Huh? Ajin!" Qian Jin's body trembled slightly. That voice was incredibly familiar! Or rather, only one woman called him by his name like that—no, only one female mage would call him that!

Lucifer Liushui! Qian Jin turned back in surprise to see three women pushing open the door and entering the shop. One of them was Lucifer Liushui; the other two were Gu Yuejiaying and Luo Qingqing.

The eyes of the three women were filled with curiosity, shock, doubt, and incomprehension as they looked at Qian Jin—the person who should be attending classes at the Conquest Academy, yet was found in the city's most luxurious, beautiful, and fashionable clothing store.

"What a coincidence..." Qian Jin awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He had considered going back to find a few beauties to shop with, perhaps offering Biluo some consultation on clothing choices, but then he thought about how he would answer if these three asked why he needed an evening dress.

We students have a dance tonight, and I plan to attend with Biluo. You three can stay home and count the stars.

What would Luo Qingqing and Gu Yuejiaying do? Qian Jin couldn't quite imagine, but he could guess Lucifer Liushui's reaction; she would definitely insist on going, and even if he refused, he could still expect to find that female mage appearing at the ball, dressed seductively and stunningly.

Precisely because of this possibility, Qian Jin had abandoned the idea of asking the three for help. He never expected to run into them here.

"Biluo?" Luo Qingqing, holding up her skirt with both hands, quickened her pace toward Biluo. She looked at Biluo, then at Qian Jin, a faint shade of disappointment—and even a hint of wistfulness—flickering in her eyes.

Qian Jin felt completely uneasy under Luo Qingqing's mournful gaze. He realized that some looks in this world carried incredibly destructive power; even Saint-tier powerhouses with forbidden spells and fighting techniques couldn't compare to Luo Qingqing's silent, unspoken wistfulness.

Gu Yuejiaying walked up behind Luo Qingqing and gently patted her shoulder, looking at Qian Jin with a trace of reproach in her bright eyes. "We told you long ago, we accept little sister Biluo..."

Qian Jin sighed up to the heavens. Compared to the inevitable trouble Lucifer Liushui would cause regarding the evening dance, the current situation was far more pressing—a choice had to be made: "The situation is this. Tonight, the academy is holding an internal dance, and Biluo is my dance partner... so we came out to pick out a gown for the occasion..."

The wistfulness in Luo Qingqing's eyes diminished only slightly. Qian Jin looked at her in confusion. "You don't believe me?"

"I believe..." Luo Qingqing rubbed her index fingers together lightly, lowering her head and replying softly.

"Then..." Qian Jin was even more bewildered. "If you believe me, why the look?"

"I'm not blaming you for being with Sister Biluo..." Luo Qingqing looked up at Qian Jin, her tone filled with envy. "It's just... I've never been out shopping alone with Brother Jin before."

Just for that? Qian Jin stared at Luo Qingqing speechlessly. Because they hadn't gone shopping alone? That caused such a look of despair? This... it seemed that understanding what women thought was a hundred, a thousand, perhaps even ten thousand times harder than studying fighting techniques or Qi cultivation.

While fighting techniques were intricate and Qi was complex, compared to the inner workings of a woman's mind, they were utterly simple! Simplistic beyond measure!

Gu Yuejiaying stepped forward slightly, looking at Qian Jin. A faint shadow of melancholy also touched her bright eyes. "You haven't taken me shopping alone either."

Is shopping alone that important? Qian Jin desperately wanted to ask the beautiful women before him, but he vaguely felt that if he actually asked, these three might kill him on the spot.

Regarding this matter of going shopping alone... Qian Jin's eyes darted around. He decided he would seek out Hua Yanjian later to ask her perspective on this issue. Thankfully, he knew at least one female warrior.

"Next time, next time..." Qian Jin nodded, sweat beading slightly on his forehead. "Next time, we'll go shopping alone."

The dark clouds of despair vanished instantly from Luo Qingqing's face, replaced by a smile of joy and happiness that dominated her beautiful features. A hint of pleasure also softened the edges of Gu Yuejiaying's eyebrows.

Lucifer Liushui, who had been holding back and standing silently for a long time, finally jumped in: "And me! I want one too..."

PS: A brief explanation regarding recent events: I participated in the Tianhou Author's Wenchuan trip. I had to run around a lot during the day. Honestly, I saw so much, felt so much. The power of words feels terribly inadequate. Neither the tragic devastation caused by the disaster in Wenchuan nor the glorious, rapid reconstruction over the past three years can be adequately expressed through text.

Reconstruction truly is a miracle. Only those who experience it firsthand can grasp the shock of this miracle and truly understand what 'when one side suffers, eight sides come to the rescue' means.

In the evenings, I communicated with many authors, which inevitably involved drinking. I don't handle alcohol well; I get drunk after a little, and extremely drunk after too much. I ask for your understanding.

What I grasped most strongly from this trip to the disaster area was this single word: Miracle.