Chapter 9: You Still Have a Home in Jiangzhou?

"Li Zhu!" Shen Qinghe ran over, worry written all over her face. "Are you okay?"

Shen Lizhu was choked by the collar around his neck, unable to speak a word. A wave of suffocation washed over him, his face turning bright red.

He reached out and struggled to say, "Dao... Daoist..."

Pei Yan let go.

Shen Lizhu fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time.

Shen Qinghe quickly squatted down to help him up.

Pei Yan remained standing straight, arms crossed. His black eyes held a faint, deep gaze. He said nothing, yet he displayed the arrogance of youth to the fullest extent, subtly radiating a sense of pressure.

He Xi felt that pressure.

Shen Qinghe helped Shen Lizhu up and scolded him with no gentleness in her voice. "You know your body is weak, yet you still climbed a tree? Li Zhu, do you think your life is too long?"

Li Zhu coughed twice and said nervously, "The hibiscus flowers bloomed beautifully today, especially the one on the highest branch. It was the most vibrant, so I wanted to try and see if I could pick it."

Sure enough, he was holding a hibiscus flower in his hand. The flower was protected extremely well, not damaged in the slightest, but his palm had been scraped raw and bleeding from gripping the tree trunk.

Shen Qinghe guessed what Li Zhu intended to do with the flower, but there were outsiders present. Frustrated at his recklessness, she chose to drop the topic for now.

She turned to Pei Yan and flashed a brilliant, sweet smile. "Daoist, thank you for saving Li Zhu!"

Pei Yan didn't even look at her.

Shen Qinghe puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction again. Following Pei Yan's gaze, she saw an unfamiliar girl.

The girl was beautiful. She stood quietly, yet drew attention nonetheless.

Shen Qinghe looked her over for a moment and asked, "Who are you?"

Shen Lizhu hurriedly introduced them. "This is our aunt's daughter, He Xi."

Shen Qinghe naturally knew she had an aunt, who had a daughter two months older than herself. Since Shen Rongcheng was getting married, her aunt's family would naturally come to drink the wedding wine.

Not long ago, Shen Lingshu had mentioned that their cousin A Xi would arrive a few days early.

Shen Qinghe withdrew her appraising gaze and smiled warmly. "I'm Shen Qinghe. Everyone calls me A Qing. I'm two months younger than you, so I should call you Senior Sister."

Shen Qinghe added, "Oh right, you don't know this Daoist yet, do you?"

Before her brain could catch up, He Xi blurted out, "Yes, we don't know him."

Pei Yan let out a low "Hmph."

He Xi broke out in a cold sweat.

Shen Qinghe was like a little sun, radiating warmth and enthusiasm wherever she went. She became familiar with anyone instantly. Since she was the only one who seemed close to the Daoist, she took the initiative to introduce him.

"I came back to my hometown to pay respects to my parents. On the way back to Wufang City, I encountered a water ghost. It was dangerous; I almost got eaten! This Daoist saved me. You guys didn't see it—the Daoist was amazing! With just a *swish*, he killed the water ghost!"

It was clear that the image of the Daoist in blue robes killing the ghost swiftly and decisively had left a deep impression on her.

Shen Qinghe grinned and said, "The Daoist saw that I was alone, so he kindly escorted me home..."

Pei Yan: "It wasn't kindness."

Shen Qinghe was interrupted and froze for a second.

Pei Yan stared fixedly at the girl in front of him and stated clearly, "I want to make money, she spends money. It's merely an employment relationship, not kindness. If she didn't have money, I wouldn't bother with her."

He Xi's eyes wandered. She wanted to respond to his words but feared that the Shen family members would tell her father about Pei Yan coming to the Shen residence.

Her father would probably turn the carriage around halfway and beat the couple apart, delaying their marriage once again.

What Pei Yan said was, of course, the truth.

But Shen Qinghe felt inexplicably uncomfortable. If there were no outsiders here, it might be fine, but with others present, her discomfort only intensified.

Shen Lizhu asked curiously, "I thought people outside the mundane world didn't care about material possessions. What difficulties has the Daoist faced that he lacks silver so much?"

Pei Yan answered briskly, "Saving money, buying a house, marrying a wife."

Shen Qinghe looked surprised.

Hearing this, Shen Lizhu confirmed that this young Daoist belonged to the Zhengyi sect. He murmured softly, "I've never seen such a grounded Daoist before. I always heard that Daoists are pure-hearted and desire-free. Today, I've truly gained some insight."

Shen Qinghe said, "So the Daoist plans to marry. But if the other party requires you to buy a house and have money before agreeing to marry you, then she's just vain and greedy. The Daoist slays demons and eliminates evil spirits, guarding the righteous path of the human world—what noble character! Why toil and struggle for such a vulgar person?"

The more she spoke, the more indignant she became.

Don't let Shen Qinghe's carefree, heartless demeanor fool you. She actually possessed great integrity and despised women in the world who coveted glory and relied on external things. She always believed that true feelings should not be tainted by even a hint of copper smell.

He Xi kept her head down, picking at the hem of her clothes, saying nothing.

Before Shen Lizhu, standing nearby, could open his mouth, a cold, sharp gaze landed on him from the side.

Pei Yan raised his eyes casually. His pitch-black pupils swept lightly over Shen Qinghe's exquisite attire, moving from the shimmering cloud brocade skirt, to the translucent jade hairpin at her temple, and finally to the high-quality jadeite bracelet on her wrist.

With a touch of casual mockery, he said, "Miss Shen speaks with such righteous indignation. How lofty indeed."

Shen Qinghe lifted her chin, chest out, looking entirely unashamed. "That's simply the principle. Affection lies in sincerity. Talking about houses and money is utterly vulgar."

"Is that so?" Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, his tone thin and sharp. "Then may I ask Miss Shen, how much is this silk and satin outfit, these pearls and gold ornaments worth?"

Shen Qinghe froze. She instinctively pulled her sleeves together, looking uncomfortable. "Th-this... this was bought for me by my father and brothers as my wardrobe."

Pei Yan let out a low scoff, the amusement not reaching his eyes, which were filled with transparent sarcasm. "Miss Shen wears gold and silver, lives in luxury, enjoying the wealth and stability earned by her family day after day, feeling completely at ease without thinking she covets glory."

The boy's features were originally handsome and bright, but now they carried a piercing sharpness. "When it comes to me, earning money by slaying demons myself, just wanting to provide a courtyard for the person I love and protect her peace for a lifetime, does that make my beloved a vain woman who covets worldly things?"

His voice was cold and crisp. "You can enjoy wealth and glory with a clear conscience. On what grounds must my clean and beautiful girl follow me through wind and dew, living in poverty?"

Shen Qinghe's face instantly turned pale. Her previous righteous indignation vanished completely. Her lips moved for a long time, but she couldn't utter a single rebuttal. She was ashamed, embarrassed, and mortified.

He Xi secretly raised her eyes. Her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly, as if scattered stars had fallen into them, filled with genuine joy.

Pei Yan keenly caught that hot, sparkling gaze.

The fierce, sharp aura he had projected while arguing suddenly retracted. Most of the chill around him silently dissipated.

His spine instinctively straightened slightly, carrying undisguised pride and secret satisfaction at being recognized by his crush.