The question stumped Jiang Huai.
He didn’t have many friends in the sect, mainly because he was rather lazy and didn’t bother maintaining friendships. While he maintained an image of a gentle and amiable Senior Brother, his relationships with others were cordial but not deep. He truly had no close friends.
Upon reflection, he realized he was closer to Wen Wanwan mainly because she was beautiful. Wen Wanwan’s figure and appearance perfectly matched his aesthetic – a slender waist and long, shapely legs were a pleasure to behold. Her voice, though clear and somewhat cool, wasn’t intentionally frigid; it softened pleasantly when she chatted with him.
Thus, he found himself unable to answer Wen Wanwan’s question for a moment.
“To me, it was merely a small favor,” Jiang Huai finally replied after some thought.
“For Senior Brother Jiang Huai, it was a small favor, but for Wanwan, it’s a monumental kindness,” Wen Wanwan’s eyelashes drooped further. “Senior Brother Jiang Huai has been so good to me, it always makes Wanwan think of things she shouldn’t.”
“Oh? What things?” Jiang Huai was taken aback.
But as soon as he asked, Wen Wanwan bowed her head even lower. Jiang Huai thought he saw her ears flush a deep red. After a long pause, he heard her softly, somewhat hesitantly, say, “Wanwan once thought… Senior Brother Jiang Huai wanted my body.”
Jiang Huai felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.
A moment later, however, Wen Wanwan continued, speaking again, “But if Senior Brother Jiang Huai truly wanted my body… when I came to borrow that thousand Spirit Stones, Senior Brother Jiang Huai could have named his price. Wanwan said back then… she would agree to any condition Senior Brother Jiang Huai had.”
“Yet Senior Brother Jiang Huai lent me the thousand Spirit Stones without asking for any conditions. This has made Wanwan even more anxious and uneasy. There’s nothing else about me that Senior Brother Jiang Huai would want, which is why I’ve been tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep. It’s also why I’ve wanted to save Spirit Stones each month to repay Senior Brother Jiang Huai as soon as possible.”
“So… Wanwan doesn’t understand,” Wen Wanwan finally raised her head. Her fingertips lightly pinched the hem of her skirt, and she mustered all her courage to meet Jiang Huai’s eyes, saying softly, “If… Senior Brother Jiang Huai wanted my body…”
Before she could finish, Jiang Huai interrupted her, his voice gentle, “Don’t say such things.”
“Does Senior Brother Jiang Huai also think I’m cheap?”
“Wait, when did I ever say that?” Jiang Huai was surprised again.
Wen Wanwan seemed to grow more anxious. She lowered her head again, “The other day, when I came to borrow Spirit Stones from Senior Brother Jiang Huai… I told Senior Brother Jiang Huai that I was willing to agree to any of his conditions… it was as if I was preparing to sell myself to Senior Brother Jiang Huai…”
Jiang Huai wanted to say something to comfort her, but it seemed she still had more to say, so Jiang Huai wisely remained silent, listening to her continue, “At that time… my sister’s severe illness flared up, and Wanwan was desperate. Li Qiusheng from Medicine Refining Mountain found me and said he would give me eight hundred Spirit Stones, in exchange for… letting him play with me for three months.”
“I chased him out of the courtyard and cried for a very, very long time after closing the courtyard door. Later, I heard from Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters that Senior Brother Jiang Huai was a very good person… Ever since I was brought to the sect, I had always heard of Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s name and had been silently looking up to him from a corner. After crying for a long, long time, Wanwan thought… if I had to sell myself, I should at least get a good price, so I came to find Senior Brother Jiang Huai.”
“But Senior Brother Jiang Huai gave me a thousand Spirit Stones but didn’t ask Wanwan to do anything. So Wanwan couldn’t help but overthink things.”
As she spoke, a few tears welled up in Wen Wanwan’s eyes. Perhaps thinking of the bitterness in her heart during that time, Jiang Huai took out a handkerchief and gave it to her, saying softly, “We are disciples of the same sect, so we should naturally help each other. You don’t need to overthink things.”
But as soon as Jiang Huai said this, the tears at the corners of Wen Wanwan’s eyes could no longer be held back and fell like raindrops. Jiang Huai quickly took the handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, “There, there, why are you crying?”
But Wen Wanwan just cried without speaking. Jiang Huai felt helpless; he had always found it difficult to see women cry and even harder to comfort them, so he could only silently wipe her tears. After a while, Wen Wanwan stopped crying and murmured softly, “Senior Brother Jiang Huai…”
“Yes?”
“You really don’t want my body?”
“No, I don’t.”
Wen Wanwan turned her face slightly away and said very, very softly, “If Senior Brother Jiang Huai wanted it… Wanwan would seriously consider it.”
“I told you, that’s not the case!” Jiang Huai’s face was full of helplessness. “Do I look like a beast to you?”
“Not at all… it’s Wanwan’s fault… for overthinking… and always feeling uneasy in my heart,” Wen Wanwan quickly replied, but her eyelashes quietly drooped again. Her gaze fell on her calves beneath her skirt, and her ankles beneath the hem were slender and snow-white.
“Don’t overthink things. The Inner Sect Competition is only a few days away. Don’t skimp on the Spirit Stones you use for cultivation anymore. Practice your sword well.”
“Okay.” Wen Wanwan nodded gently. “Can I… still ask Senior Brother Jiang Huai for guidance on sword techniques?”
“Of course.”
In the months prior when Wen Wanwan had come to repay her debt, Jiang Huai hadn’t accepted her Spirit Stones and had also guided her in sword techniques. Wen Wanwan was among the first to visit when he was injured. Later, because she needed to break through to the Late Stage Foundation Establishment, she had specifically told Jiang Huai that she wouldn’t have time to visit for the next month.
Now that she had reached Late Stage Foundation Establishment, there were still many disciples at the same cultivation level in the Inner Sect. Her cultivation was not considered profound. Those disciples used nearly a hundred Spirit Stones for cultivation each month, but she only used ten.
Moreover, her Grand Xuan Sacred Body had not yet fully awakened. If it did, her cultivation speed would increase by leaps and bounds.
Wen Wanwan stood up and returned to her room, taking out a Black Iron Sword. Standing in the moonlight of the courtyard, she said softly to Jiang Huai, “If there’s anything that needs improvement, please tell me, Senior Brother Jiang Huai.”
As she spoke softly, she sat down by the stone chair, removed her white embroidered shoes, and placed her white and tender little feet on the bluestone ground paving the floor. She picked up her fine sword and stood up, practicing the sword technique she had learned from Ten Thousand Swords Mountain under the moonlight.
Wen Wanwan belonged to the disciples of the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain sect. All disciples on Ten Thousand Swords Mountain were sword cultivators. Most disciples of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain practiced the Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords, which was divided into thirteen stages, with each stage adding a new variation.
Wen Wanwan had practiced the Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords for twelve years and had reached the tenth sword in her understanding of the sword technique.
Jiang Huai leaned back on the stone chair, quietly watching the girl in the white gauze dress diligently practicing her sword in the moonlight. Wen Wanwan’s figure was slightly more plump than his Master, Chu Xianning, not as excessively slender. Under the light gauze, her snow-white long legs revealed a faint outline in the moonlight. Jiang Huai suddenly realized that she seemed to be wearing only this single white gauze dress.
Watching a beautiful woman practice sword was always a pleasure. Jiang Huai watched intently for a long while until she completed all ten sword forms. Due to severe spiritual energy consumption, beads of sweat appeared on her body, causing her dress to cling to her, revealing a certain seductive charm.
Jiang Huai stood up. “Give me the sword.”
Wen Wanwan threw the sword to Jiang Huai. Holding the sword, Jiang Huai reenacted all the movements she had just used. He then began to earnestly explain the flow of spiritual energy in the subtle details, as well as the mastery of force application and transition of moves. Wen Wanwan listened attentively, but her eyes seemed to reflect a hint of infatuation.
Jiang Huai had no spiritual energy left, but his sword skills were no slower than Wen Wanwan’s. Half an hour later, Jiang Huai felt he had taught her all the essential points he could. “Alright, learn these first. Ask me again if you encounter any further difficulties.”
“Okay.” Wen Wanwan nodded gently. Just as Jiang Huai was about to bid farewell, she suddenly stepped forward. Holding a handkerchief in her slender, white hand, she approached Jiang Huai and began to gently wipe the sweat beads from his face, saying softly, “Senior Brother Jiang Huai is sweating so much.”
“It’s alright, I just haven’t moved much in a while and am feeling a bit unaccustomed.”
“Wanwan just bathed. The water in the bathhouse is still hot… If Senior Brother Jiang Huai doesn’t mind, would you like to bathe in Wanwan’s bathhouse?” Wen Wanwan’s hand moved to his neck, diligently wiping away the fine sweat on him, her voice soft and her eyes gentle.
A ding sounded in Jiang Huai’s ear again.
[Your generosity towards Wen Wanwan, though a simple gesture for you, was the only glimmer of hope in her despair. Consequently, she holds deep gratitude towards you. She mistakenly equates this gratitude with romantic feelings for you. Currently, her mind is hazy, viewing you as an almost perfect fantasy. She is highly likely to acquiesce to any request you make.]
[Accept her request and tell her you are feeling fatigued and ask her to bathe you and wash your body.]
[Mission Reward: Low-grade Experience Scroll x1, Evil-Suppressing White Silk Gloves x1]
Jiang Huai silently dragged the System’s idiotic and suggestive mission to the pending list. Many times he wished he could forcibly shut down the mission, but he couldn’t.
Who doesn’t have a fleeting evil thought now and then?!
“No…” Jiang Huai was about to refuse, but Wen Wanwan seemed to lean even closer, her body almost pressed against Jiang Huai’s. Her eyes gazed at him tenderly, her snow-white cheeks flushed, her voice trembling with shyness, “Wanwan… can wash Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s body…”
Jiang Huai almost agreed.
He expressionlessly pinched his own waist hard, instantly snapping back to reality. The next second, he placed his hands on Wen Wanwan’s shoulders. Wen Wanwan’s body trembled, and she seemed to regain some clarity.
“Heh, you’re testing Senior Brother Jiang Huai with this? Do you think Senior Brother Jiang Huai can’t withstand such a test?” Jiang Huai suddenly reached out. His hands, which were on her shoulders, moved to pinch her face. “Go and bathe properly and get some rest. Senior Brother Jiang Huai truly has no improper intentions towards you. Practicing well is the best way to repay Senior Brother Jiang Huai.”
Jiang Huai’s tugging contorted Wen Wanwan’s snow-white face into various cute shapes. Her eyes revealed a trace of grievance, and her voice was muffled, “Wanwan wanted… to comfort Senior Brother Jiang Huai.”
“Oh? Comfort me why?”
“Everyone in the sect knows that Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s engagement was broken by Luo Qingyu… Senior Brother Jiang Huai must be very sad right now, but he’s still forcing a smile when dealing with Wanwan.”
“No way, look, Senior Brother Jiang Huai is clearly smiling broadly.” Jiang Huai looked at her with helplessness. “There’s a hidden reason behind this matter. Luo Qingyu is currently living in my courtyard. Alright, alright, go to sleep early. Don’t talk nonsense like this again next time.”
Jiang Huai released Wen Wanwan’s face. The parts of her cheeks that he had pinched were now flushed. She murmured softly, “Senior Brother Jiang Huai… are you leaving?”
“Yes, I’m going back to sleep.”
“Mmm…” Wen Wanwan lowered her head. That soft “Mmm” carried a great deal of disappointment.
