Second Chan shook his head with a wry smile! "Sect Leader Lin, I am a mere monk. I dare not harbor any lustful thoughts!"

"Oh?" Lin Qiongying smiled sweetly, glancing over there, and chuckled, "Then how about I marry Qi'er to you?"

Li Muzhan froze for a moment. He looked toward Li Yuqi, only to see Li Yu'er suddenly lift her head, her forehead flushed crimson. When she saw him looking, she hastily lowered her gaze again.

Li Muzhan chuckled softly, rubbed his nose, appearing quite troubled.

"What, you agree?" Lin Qiongying laughed. Li Muzhan sighed, managing a pained smile, "Sect Leader Lin, please spare me!"

Lin Qiongying smiled, "You had better think this through carefully. Once you pass this village, there won't be another shop like it. Miss this opportunity, and even if you beg again, I won't agree!"

Li Muzhan glanced over again. Li Yuqi possessed a graceful figure; not only was her appearance captivating, but her voice was also alluring—truly a rare beauty. Moreover, her nature was kind, which was truly uncommon.

He opened his mouth, genuinely unable to utter a refusal. Firstly, he feared hurting her feelings; secondly, the thought of such a moving woman belonging to another man made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

Lin Qiongying pursed her lips in a slight smile, "Very well, take your time to consider it. This is my token; take it. When you are free, come visit my Jade Immortal Sect."

Saying this, she took a piece of white jade pendant from her bosom, palm-sized, carved in relief with a beautiful woman, her silken ribbons fluttering as if moving against the wind.

"Yes, I will surely impose upon you another day," Li Muzhan said with a smile as he accepted it. It felt warm to the touch, exquisitely smooth and delicate, possessing a superb feel that made one reluctant to let go.

Although Li Muzhan had seen few pieces of jade, the moment he touched it, he knew this pendant must be extraordinary, certainly not inexpensive—perhaps fine mutton-fat jade.

Lin Qiongying glanced at Mei Ruolan and smiled, "A true man must keep his word. Don't just say it and then dare not set foot inside the gates of my Jade Immortal Sect again!"

"Yes!" Li Muzhan responded with a smile.

Lin Qiongying then retrieved another object from her chest—a rectangular piece of jadeite, palm-sized and vividly green, similar in size to the mutton-fat jade pendant just presented, though slightly smaller.

She handed the jadeite over, smiling, "This is a small trinket I obtained from an inaccessible place. I cannot cultivate its mysteries, so Zhanran, you study it."

Li Muzhan took it, feeling a cool touch, as if faint mist were contained within, swirling and drifting. The jadeite was carved with archaic patterns in intaglio on its surface.

Seeing his confusion, Lin Qiongying smiled faintly, saying no more. She merely waved her hand: "Alright, that is all for today. We must hurry back as well. Farewell, Miss Mei."

She waved toward the west: "Xian'er, Qi'er, let's go!"

The five women gracefully approached and bid farewell to Mei Ruolan and Li Muzhan.

Li Yuqi's face was crimson; she dared not look at him nor speak to him, stealing only fleeting glances, fearful of being noticed by others.

The cold and proud Senior Sister, however, stared directly at Li Muzhan, her eyes like still water that seemed capable of freezing.

Li Muzhan maintained a composed expression, inwardly sighing with bitter amusement. He realized he had wounded her pride; her cold demeanor was understandable. He decided to ignore it and offered her a slight, easy smile.

After the six women departed, they quickly began packing their belongings, preparing to leave.

"Zhanran, you truly won't agree?" Mei Ruolan pursed her lips, smiling.

After several days apart, Mei Ruolan’s attitude toward Li Muzhan had grown noticeably warmer, losing the distant coolness from before.

Li Muzhan shook his head with a wry smile, "Miss, you tease me too!"

"The Jade Immortal Sect... well, while the sect might not be top-tier, it cannot be underestimated," Mei Ruolan commented with a smile.

Li Muzhan replied, "I am admittedly ill-informed; I truly haven't heard of the Jade Immortal Sect."

Mei Ruolan nodded, "Indeed. Their practices are both righteous and unorthodox, and they have always kept a low profile, rarely stepping into the martial world. Many martial artists are simply unaware of them."

"Both righteous and unorthodox?" Li Muzhan savored those four words, looked at Mei Ruolan, and laughed, "So you mean they maintain their own peace, avoiding trouble?"

Mei Ruolan nodded, "Precisely! They only concern themselves with grievances and debts owed, ignoring trivial matters of right and wrong."

Li Muzhan smiled, "Truly clever!"

In a flash, he understood that such conduct was the most astute. For a female sect, grand notions of righteousness were unimportant; the most crucial thing was strength that inspired awe and deterred provocation. Otherwise, with such stunning beauty, which man wouldn't covet them, and wouldn't they have been consumed long ago?

Mei Ruolan smiled, "Although the Jade Immortal Sect is not widely renowned, their strength is considerable, and few dare to provoke them."

"Oh?" Li Muzhan looked surprised.

Mei Ruolan continued, "Every disciple is exquisitely beautiful, and many marry into the clans of powerful martial lords. If they ever truly angered the sect, would those martial lords stand idly by?"

Li Muzhan nodded with a smile, rubbing the table in admiration, "Impressive! Truly impressive!"

Mei Ruolan proceeded, "Furthermore, there are never a shortage of geniuses among the disciples of each generation of the Jade Immortal Sect." This Sect Leader Lin might be unknown in the broader martial world, not ranking among the elite, but there are top masters within the Jade Immortal Sect, they simply remain hidden."

"In that case, I really must go and see for myself!" Li Muzhan said with a smile.

Mei Ruolan cast him a suggestive glance, "It is rumored that the cultivation methods of the Jade Immortal Sect are peculiar, possessing the effect of preserving youth. All their disciples possess exceptional looks."

Li Muzhan chuckled softly, "Miss is joking!"

"Zhanran, can you truly resist?" Mei Ruolan pressed on, unwilling to let up.

"Heh heh," Li Muzhan offered a few nervous laughs, feeling a flicker of guilt.

Thinking of Li Yuqi's captivating features and figure, Li Muzhan’s heart fluttered, and he let out a sigh.

After chatting with Mei Ruolan for a while, the three of them set off directly and caught up with the convoy by evening. Seeing his return, Elder Ouyang and Elder Zhang both came forward to greet him.

Xiao Yuan had been rather cold toward him throughout the journey, sulking, and Gong Qingyun remained aloof and detached. Li Muzhan could only converse with Mei Ruolan.

From afar, Elder Zhang burst into hearty laughter, approaching with long, brisk strides. He clapped Li Muzhan heartily on the shoulder, stroked his snow-white beard, and said with a laugh, "Good, youth is indeed wonderful! Such a sturdy physique, a broken leg healed so quickly!"

Li Muzhan cupped his hands in a smile, "Elder Zhang, has everything been peaceful during this time?"

Elder Zhang's face flushed, and he smiled wryly, "It's strange, ever since you left, we've had hardly anything happen; no one has dared to block the road, haha!"

Elder Ouyang glanced at him and nodded.

After exchanging a few words with the two elders, Li Muzhan returned to the carriage to continue his recovery. Mei Ruolan and the other two women had yielded the carriage space to him.

At this time, the sun was still setting, painting the sky in hues of red and gold.

Once inside the carriage, Li Muzhan immediately took out the rectangular jadeite pendant and examined it closely before his eyes.

He recalled Lin Qiongying's parting words—that the jadeite held a secret. He had forcibly suppressed his curiosity during the journey but now took the opportunity of his recuperation to thoroughly investigate its mystery.

The competition was too fierce; having passed the peak excitement, he felt a lack of vigor this morning. However, everyone could rest assured; allow him half a day to adjust, and he would complete the ten-thousand-word requirement! D