Chapter 23: Mysterious Lady

Zu An was momentarily stunned. Seeing her evident embarrassment, he grew curious. "Just tell me," he urged. "We've been through thick and thin together, we've even bathed together... *ahem*, scratch that last part. What I mean is, we're friends now, so don't hesitate to say whatever's on your mind."

Ji Xiaoxi retracted her playfully raised fist and then, with some embarrassment, said, "Um, my father is currently refining a medicine that requires the gallbladder of a Fierce Black Jackal. As you know, after today's events, there probably won't be any Fierce Black Jackals left in Jackal Valley for quite some time. It will be very difficult to find this ingredient later. I was wondering if you might be able to sell me some?"

*Zu An thought, "If she only knew I was originally planning to give these to her father, I wonder what her reaction would be."* His mouth, however, was quicker than his mind. "How much are you willing to pay?" he asked.

Ji Xiaoxi replied, "Ordinary gallbladders aren't expensive, but the market price for a Fierce Black Jackal's gallbladder is 10 silver taels each."

Zu An was taken aback. "This item sells for such a high price?" he thought. But then, a moment's reflection brought understanding. Fierce Black Jackals are inherently ferocious, and even among ten, one might not possess a gallbladder. Collecting them was a life-threatening gamble; a moment of inattention could easily lead to a brutal and complete demise.

His eyes darted. "That calculation isn't quite right, is it?" he said. "Currently, in Brightmoon City, this item is likely 'priced but unavailable'—meaning, it has a price, but you can't find it on the market." He reasoned that if it were readily available, Divine Physician Ji would have already purchased it and wouldn't have needed to issue this task. He paused, then continued, "And you just mentioned that there won't be any Fierce Black Jackals in Jackal Valley for a while. So, it's predictable that the price of this item will skyrocket very soon."

Ji Xiaoxi blinked, then instinctively nodded. "You're right, you make a good point. I hadn't thought of that. I'm really sorry."

Zu An was dumbfounded. He had only meant to test her, yet she had apologized proactively. This little girl truly had a timid and yielding personality. Thinking of Divine Physician Ji's demeanor, he couldn't help but wonder if she was truly his biological daughter.

"How about this, I'll buy it at a unit price of thirteen... uh, no, fifteen silver taels. Does that work for you?" Ji Xiaoxi looked at him expectantly, "This is all the money I have."

Seeing her timid and cautious manner, Zu An couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Divine Physician Ji. What was the point of his relentless pursuit of wealth if he had a daughter with such a yielding personality? Sooner or later, all that fortune would just end up benefiting some undeserving son-in-law.

"Alright, how many do you want to buy?" Zu An replied.

"Thank you!" A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Xiaoxi's eyes. "I'd like to buy ten. Is that too many?"

"Not at all, not at all, you can have all of them." Zu An laughed, handing over all twelve gallbladders from the bag. Anyway, these were just meant to offset the consultation fee; any extra were useless to him. Now, at fifteen silver taels per piece, the total income was 180 silver taels. Deducting the 100-tael consultation fee, he still made a net profit of 80 taels. He wondered if Ji, the physician, would spit blood upon hearing this.

Ji Xiaoxi quickly waved her hands, her small face flushing red. "No, no, I don't have enough money to buy that many."

"The extra two are free, they're a gift for you," Zu An said casually, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're friends, after all!"

"Really?" Ji Xiaoxi's face lit up with surprise. She couldn't help but exclaim, "You're such a good person!"

"Don't just hand out 'good person' cards," Zu An grumbled, looking annoyed. Just as he was about to say something else, he suddenly gasped, "Huh? My... my hand, why does it hurt so much?"

Ji Xiaoxi stuck out her tongue. "Oh dear, I almost forgot! My father put 'pervert-repellent cream' on my clothes. I'll get you the antidote right away!"

A vision of Divine Physician Ji laughing heartily seemed to appear in Zu An's mind. He thought, "No wonder that guy felt at ease letting his daughter go into the deep mountains alone to collect herbs. He had protected her from head to toe."

Ji Xiaoxi fumbled in her small backpack, pulled out a porcelain bottle, and applied its contents to his hand. She then pulled his hand closer, blew on it gently, and looked at him anxiously. "Does it still hurt?"

Looking at her small, palm-sized face, Zu An couldn't help but smile. "It was hurting a lot, but after you blew on it, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Ji Xiaoxi's face immediately turned red, and she couldn't help but retort, "You're not serious!"

Zu An couldn't help but sigh. "Xiaoxi, are you this kind to everyone? If you meet other bad men, you'll be taken advantage of."

Ji Xiaoxi instinctively replied, "I don't let men touch my body. You're different from normal men."

Zu An: "..."

*So she sees me as a sister?* he thought. *It's a pity my keyboard can't collect my rage points, or it would definitely be off the charts this time.*

Ji Xiaoxi, realizing the problem with her words, quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I..."

Seeing her anxious face and inability to explain, Zu An gently patted her head. "Don't worry, we're friends. I don't mind." Since she was treating him like a sister, he decided he should properly utilize this advantage. In his past life, hadn't many scoundrels pretended to be gay to get close to female friends, eventually leading to them sharing a bed and then more?

"Pfft, who's a scoundrel? Definitely not me!"

As Zu An was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed Ji Xiaoxi looking at him with great sympathy. "Um... there's some powder in my hair too..."

Looking at his hand, which was swollen like a black bun, Zu An felt like crying but had no tears. "Didn't you just take a bath?"

On the way back to the city, a young man and a young woman walked along a mountain path. Midway, the girl suddenly moved closer to the boy, who then jumped aside as if burned.

"Don't touch me!" Zu An glared at the girl opposite him, a wary expression on his face.

Ji Xiaoxi looked apologetic, her small mouth pouting slightly in a wronged manner. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just now."

Zu An also knew that he had brought it upon himself, and blaming her was unreasonable. "Alright, alright, there's nothing for you to be sorry about. Ultimately, it was my own fault. By the way, how did you create that water curtain when you were in the water earlier?" Having come to this world, he yearned for all kinds of cultivation knowledge like a sponge craving water.

Ji Xiaoxi's eyes widened. "Were you secretly watching me then?"

Zu An's heart skipped a beat; he had forgotten about that. He quickly said, "I only slightly opened my eyes because I hadn't heard you say you were ready and was a bit worried about you. Don't worry, I didn't see anything; you had covered yourself with a water curtain, didn't you?"

Ji Xiaoxi nodded skeptically, then replied, "Third-rank cultivators can project their vital energy a short distance, forming armor, energy walls, and similar constructs within three feet of themselves. My water curtain works on the same principle."

"I see." Zu An gradually understood. It seemed that second rank involved making the skin tougher, while third rank allowed the projection of true energy. He wondered what effects higher ranks would bring.

Ji Xiaoxi suddenly stopped, tilting her ear as if listening for something. "Brother Zu, did you hear anything?"

"What?" Zu An asked. Why hadn't he heard anything?

"Sounds of fighting and killing," Ji Xiaoxi said, her delicate eyebrows furrowing. Clearly, she didn't like such violent matters.

"Let's leave quickly." Zu An instinctively wanted to run. If he were a powerful figure, he wouldn't mind going to show off, but now even a random young girl had a higher cultivation level than him, proving that this world was too dangerous. It was better for him to keep a low profile. Survival to the very end—that's the true path to victory!

"We should still go take a look," Ji Xiaoxi said, grabbing his arm. Her usually gentle eyes now held a hint of determination. "Someone might need help."

Noticing her pure gaze, Zu An's heart softened. "Alright, but don't blame me if I run first if it gets too dangerous later. Oh, and you didn't put any poison on your hand, did you?"

"Don't worry, it's not poisonous!" Seeing him agree, Ji Xiaoxi's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.

The two followed the sounds of fighting and found a convoy being besieged by a group of black-clad figures in another valley. The convoy's guards were desperately fending off the attackers, but the black-clad figures were more numerous and clearly skilled, their moves ruthless. Many of the convoy's guards had already fallen in pools of blood. It was only a matter of time before the remaining few were dealt with.

Zu An noticed that all the guards were dressed in white, with golden embroidery on their collars and cuffs. They looked handsome and imposing.

"Damn, how luxurious," Zu An thought. "Even the guards' clothes are so extravagant." He subconsciously glanced at his own rather coarse attire, feeling a bit resentful. Compared to them, *they* looked like young masters from a ducal manor, while *he* looked like a guard!

"But what's the use of dressing well? They're all just flashy but useless." Zu An noticed them retreating steadily, which somewhat balanced his mood.

"It's the Blackwind Fortress gang!" Ji Xiaoxi gasped in a low voice. Although she was kind and innocent, she wasn't foolish. She didn't rush out recklessly but instead pulled Zu An to hide behind some distant bushes to observe. Now that the situation below was clearly decided, rushing out would only be a pointless sacrifice. Yet, seeing the people being massacred, she felt extremely conflicted.

"Blackwind Fortress? Such a bland name. This bandit group must be some insignificant low-level players, right?" Zu An couldn't help but quip.

"Not at all," Ji Xiaoxi shook her head, her expression solemn. "Blackwind Fortress is a bandit group established by the great bandit Chen Xuan. These people are ruthless and possess considerable cultivation. For years, they've been robbing and killing merchants outside the city. Countless people have died by their hands."

Zu An couldn't help but ask, "Then why don't they send troops to suppress them? With so many masters in the city, do they just let these bandits run wild?" Based on the information he had gathered earlier, most of the high-level martial forces in this world were recruited by official authorities. Therefore, even the official military strength of a single city should be more than enough to contend with mere bandits.

Ji Xiaoxi explained, "Over the years, Duke Chu and City Lord Xie have sent countless troops to eliminate them, but these people are as swift as the wind, always appearing and disappearing unpredictably. If the city's forces arrive in small numbers, they get wiped out. If the forces are large, the bandits simply hide in the mountains and vanish. They only reappear after the city's troops withdraw. That's why they've always been a major headache for Brightmoon City."

Zu An couldn't help but inwardly criticize the Chu family's incompetence. When he was with the Chu family, everyone seemed so arrogant, yet they couldn't even handle a single bandit group. Suddenly, he realized something and asked, "Are the Blackwind Fortress members always able to successfully evade the large bandit suppression forces?" After getting confirmation, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Given that situation, there must be inside informants in the city collaborating with them!"

Ji Xiaoxi nodded. "Brother Zu, you're so clever. My father said the same thing."

A picture of the slovenly, drunken middle-aged man—greedy for money and fond of adult picture books—surfaced in Zu An's mind. It was truly hard to imagine him seriously analyzing anything.

"Madam, we'll hold them off! Please, get away quickly!" A white-clad guard in the fray shouted back towards the carriage behind him while fending off enemies.