Yuanshi nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Taiqing listened to the frank debate between the two. His expression was clear, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
“Your heart is rare, Fellow Daoist. The Wu tribe's hope of survival this time lies in you.”
Yuan Heng: !!!
She quickly waved her hands in refusal. “I don't deserve such praise, I don't deserve it. It all depends on the Wu tribe's own fortune.”
What an enormous credit, what a massive karma! Having taken the Wu tribe's treasures, it was already mutually understood that their karma was offset.
She did not dare claim such a monumental achievement.
Taiqing only smiled without speaking, though his gaze toward Yuan Heng held a few more degrees of approval.
It was rare to find someone so pure and kind in the Primordial World.
After a few more casual remarks, Taiqing and Yuanshi left her to Tongtian's care.
After all, she was technically his guest, so the two of them went off to tend to their own matters.
Seeing his two older brothers depart, Tongtian relaxed his posture a bit. Propping his chin up with one hand, he stared blankly at Yuan Heng's suddenly relaxed small face.
A smile played across his brow. “Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, you look quite different from how you were just chatting so eloquently with my two brothers.”
Feeling that she was quite familiar with Tongtian, she mirrored his posture and slumped over the stone table. “Please don't make fun of me, Fellow Daoist Tongtian.”
Yuan Heng's eyes darted around. After ensuring that both Fellow Daoist Taiqing and Fellow Daoist Yuqing had truly returned to their rooms, she whispered to Tongtian, “To tell you the truth, Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I feel a bit uncomfortable if I spend too much time with people I don't know very well.”
“Moreover, I perceive Fellow Daoist Taiqing to be very detached and aloof... He has this air of sacred, inviolable dignity.”
“And I've heard that Fellow Daoist Yuanshi values etiquette and order. I've always been wild and free, so I was a bit afraid of displeasing him.”
“Mhm... When you keep up your guard for too long, relaxing suddenly makes you look a bit different from before.”
“I am familiar with you, Fellow Daoist Tongtian, so you won't mind, right?”
Yuan Heng's eyes were filled with sincerity. His reflection stood in her clear, water-like eyes, as if he were the only person in her gaze.
The tips of Tongtian's ears turned slightly warm. He lowered his gaze, his eyelashes trembling slightly. “Ahem... You'll get used to it once you visit a few more times, Yuan Heng.”
“My eldest brother and second brother are actually very nice people. You have a straightforward personality, Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, so they will definitely like you as well.”
Yuan Heng: Ah??
Well, there was no need to force things. Even if they weren't particularly close, being nodding acquaintances was perfectly fine.
In reality, Taiqing and Yuanshi, who had heard their conversation loud and clear: “...”
Was Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng somewhat lacking in common sense? If one did not set up a barrier, even a whisper of their names would cause a mental resonance in them.
Besides, their hearing was extremely sharp. They had only just returned to their rooms and had not yet sealed their five senses.
And their little brother didn't even bother to warn her.
Sigh~
Suddenly remembering something, Yuan Heng realized there was still someone she hadn't seen. She scanned the courtyard but still couldn't find the mouse she had been thinking about.
She asked Tongtian, “By the way, Fellow Daoist Tongtian, where is Duobao? Why don't I see him?”
Tongtian's drifting thoughts snapped back instantly. “Him? He said he was going to prepare a gift for you.”
“Reasonably speaking, he should have returned by now.”
How strange. Duobao had said he would be quick. Why hadn't he arrived after all this time?
Just as Tongtian was wondering about the reason, Duobao's short, chibi-like figure suddenly appeared before them.
He looked as if he had just crawled all the way up from the foot of the mountain.
“Master! Senior, I've arrived.”
Duobao panted slightly. Once he caught his breath, he stepped forward to bow. “Disciple pays respects to Master and Senior.”
Having paid his respects, Duobao immediately scurried over to Yuan Heng's side without looking back. “Senior, it has been so long!”
“Before, I hadn't taken form yet, so I never got to formally thank you for bestowing treasures upon me.”
“Now that I can finally meet you, thank you, Senior, for the many treasures you gifted me previously~”
Yuan Heng fell into deep thought as she looked at little Duobao, who barely reached her thigh. Why did he look like this after taking form?
A tiny, chubby little thing.
Seeing her puzzled look at Duobao's Dao Body appearance, Tongtian quickly laughed and explained, “Hahaha, Duobao took form because you gave him too many spiritual materials. He ate too well, the medicinal power accumulated, and he ended up eating himself into taking form prematurely.”
The more he spoke, the more amusing he found Duobao. “His cultivation isn't high enough yet, which is why he is only this small, hahaha.”
Duobao: “...”
Boohoo, if Master kept publicizing this, this mouse would have to jump off Mount Kunlun to end all his sorrows.
Yuan Heng raised her hand to help the bowing little Duobao up, a warm smile gracing her face. “There is no need to thank me.”
“I simply found you cute and it brought me great joy. No repayment is needed.”
Well, she was more than willing to pay for her own emotional gratification.
But Duobao was truly a polite and grateful little mouse. My, how incredibly endearing.
The tiny Duobao stood before Yuan Heng and bowed with cupped hands once more. “Senior, my Martial Uncles and Master often teach me to be grateful and repay kindness.”
“Senior treats me so well, I cannot be an ungrateful mouse!”
As Duobao spoke, he fished out a very miniature model of a palace from his Duobao Bag.
It looked both exquisite and grand, resplendent with gold and jade.
“I spent thousands of years gathering all the materials and asked my Second Martial Uncle to refine this palace. I am gifting it to you today, Senior. I hope you like it~”
Yuan Heng: !!!
This, this, this...
How did Duobao know she wanted a beautiful house?
Yuan Heng reached out and accepted it, her face filled with delight. Her gaze toward little Duobao was incredibly gentle. “But you spent so many years gathering these materials, and you even asked your Martial Uncle Yuanshi...”
“Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
Duobao blinked his round, apricot-like eyes, a trace of bashfulness appearing on his chubby face. “These are materials I specifically searched for on your behalf, custom-made for you, Senior... Of course I must give it to you.”
Yuan Heng reached out to pat his head. “Since it is your sincere gesture, I shall accept it.”
“However, since I interact with your master as peers, how can I simply take something from a junior?”
Yuan Heng took out several magic treasures she had brought along casually before leaving home, presenting them one by one before Duobao.
“Here... pick a few you like.”
Duobao: !!!
Aaaaah, why was Senior testing a little mouse like this again?
So many innate spiritual treasures?!
The high-grade spiritual treasure Canglan Sea Pearl, the mid-grade Ten Thousand-Veined Bone Silk, the Qingwu Jade Screen, as well as the Origin-Returning Bead and the Moon-Veined Cold Jade...
Over a dozen of them...
“Senior... these are far too precious. I... I can't accept them!”
Duobao steeled his heart and shut his eyes tightly to stop looking at them, though a stream of tears—no, drool—trailed from the corner of his mouth.
Yuan Heng didn't say anything, simply shoving them into his hands. “Oh, just take them! I have plenty!”
“Take them!”
What else was there to say? Duobao packed them one by one into his innate treasure, the Duobao Pagoda.
Since Senior was being so hospitable, this mouse would gladly accept them all!
Rate on N.U.
