Chapter 212: Your Gaze Is Not Right

Zu An was startled. "You're awake?"

Mi Li sneered repeatedly, "If I didn't wake up now, you'd have given all my things away to other women."

Zu An looked embarrassed; being caught red-handed was awkward. However, skilled at changing the subject, he quickly asked, "How can you speak in my mind? Can you read my thoughts?"

"Before, we signed the 'Life and Death Pact,' so in a sense, our souls are bound together. Naturally, we can communicate on a soul level. As for reading your thoughts," Mi Li scoffed, "you needn't worry. I have no interest in your filthy thoughts."

"No interest and ability are two different concepts, aren't they?" Zu An immediately grew nervous, feeling as if he were completely exposed.

"A person's soul and thoughts are very mysterious. Unless soul-searching techniques are employed, they are not easily read. Even with soul-searching, one can usually only read fragments, and it causes irreversible damage to the target," Mi Li explained coldly. "If you're unsure, try reading my thoughts."

Zu An, of course, was uneasy, and immediately tried to read her thoughts. Unfortunately, even using all his might, he still couldn't read anything.

"Is this woman lying to me?" Zu An felt a bit uneasy. After all, he lacked common knowledge about this world and didn't possess as many skills as she did. Perhaps mind-reading had a special method.

His heart stirred, and then he began to fantasize about Mi Li kneeling on the ground, calling him master...

*Smack!*

The Tai'a Sword suddenly vibrated, leaped up, slapped his cheek, and then quickly returned to its sheath on his back. Its speed was so swift that he couldn't react at all.

"Didn't you say you couldn't read my thoughts?" Zu An exploded in anger.

"Your gaze was off," Mi Li replied indifferently.

Zu An was speechless.

*You're hiding in the Tai'a Sword, and the sword is on my back. Which eye of yours could see my gaze?*

"Alright, I'm going back to sleep," Mi Li snorted. "Don't give my things to anyone, or I'll kill whoever you give them to."

"You're a grown man, using a woman's belongings to impress other women? How shameless! Bah, scoundrel!"

After scolding him thoroughly, Mi Li fell silent once more.

Zu An was speechless. This woman had said she was in slumber repairing her soul, yet as soon as he touched her things, she reappeared. Was she truly asleep or just pretending?

"What are you doing? Talking to yourself?" Qiao Xueying, who was not far away, looked confused. She had only seen his face fluctuating between light and dark, as if he were ill. "And what's going on with your sword? Why is it moving on its own?"

Zu An and Mi Li had been communicating on a soul level. Although they'd exchanged many words, to an outsider, it had seemed like mere moments, so Qiao Xueying hadn't noticed anything unusual.

"It's nothing," Zu An explained awkwardly. "I just had a sudden inspiration and thought of a new sword art, so I briefly experimented with it."

"Your new sword art is for hitting yourself in the face?" Qiao Xueying looked at him strangely.

"Of course not. It was just a failed experiment," Zu An laughed awkwardly, naturally not wanting anyone to misunderstand him as having strange habits.

Qiao Xueying suddenly realized, and huffed, "I asked you for a gift, and you were thinking about sword arts? Never mind, if it's so difficult for you, then don't bother."

Thinking of Ji Xiaoxi's larger stone, she felt a burst of annoyance. From the look of it, he probably didn't have anything larger than that, and she couldn't possibly snatch the one from Ji Xiaoxi, could she?

Knowing it rationally was one thing, but emotionally it was another. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Rage value from Qiao Xueying +333!

Detecting her rage value, Zu An felt a headache coming on. Mi Li had just made it clear that her things couldn't be given to other women, so now, not only the large elemental stones but even the small ones were out of the question.

However, Qiao Xueying had indeed given a lot to him, and it would be heartless to give her nothing at all.

*But what did I have now? I had left the underground palace in too much of a hurry and didn't have many things with me.*

Zu An patted his body, and suddenly, an idea struck him. He remembered another item: the Marrow Cleansing Pill!

So he quickly checked his rage value, discovering he had accumulated a bit more in such a short time!

*I'm practically a genius!*

Of course, he also had to thank those lovely classmates.

He quickly went to the shop and spent ten thousand points to buy a Marrow Cleansing Pill. The moment he redeemed it, he suddenly recalled how he had once complained that only a fool would spend so much rage value on something so expensive...

*Looks like I really shouldn't have jinxed myself!*

Just as he took out the Marrow Cleansing Pill, his eyes narrowed. He noticed that the price for the pill in the shop seemed to fluctuate. He quickly checked; on the surface, there was nothing, but a careful count revealed an extra zero at the end!

A whole hundred thousand!

*What the hell!*

Zu An nearly jumped. Could the price actually change? It was ten thousand before, now a hundred thousand. Would it become a million next time?

His expression was extremely grim. He had originally planned to give one to each of his acquaintances, but now it seemed that idea was impossible.

On second thought, he somewhat understood. Items that enhance aptitude were inherently extremely valuable. Ten thousand rage points had seemed expensive before, but now it appeared far too cheap.

No wonder the system gradually increased its price. He figured from now on he should only redeem it when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, he might be able to afford the second one at a hundred thousand, and perhaps even the third at a million, but a fourth at ten million would be utterly impossible.

He gently leaned Ji Xiaoxi against a large tree behind them, then approached Qiao Xueying and offered her the Marrow Cleansing Pill. "I don't have any Heaven-grade primeval stones left, so I'm giving you something even more precious."

Looking at the unassuming pill in front of her, Qiao Xueying's face was skeptical. "What could be more precious than a Heaven-grade primeval stone?"

"Just eat it," Zu An said, bringing it to her lips.

"What is this?" Qiao Xueying instinctively recoiled a bit, looking at him warily. "It's not an aphrodisiac, is it?"

Zu An was speechless.

*Is that really how you see me?*

"Yes, do you want to eat it?" Zu An decided to just give up and go with it.

Qiao Xueying's face flushed slightly. The pill's unusual fragrance filled her nostrils, awakening a deep longing within her soul, making her swallow. "I doubt you'd have the guts for that."

With that, she opened her cherry lips and swallowed the pill.

Her tongue accidentally brushed his fingertip, and Zu An felt a jolt. This woman was indeed soft all over.

Qiao Xueying's heart also skipped a beat, and her face became a little unnatural. She quickly changed the subject, "What exactly is this pill for?"

"It can raise a person's aptitude by one level," Zu An replied.

"How could there be such a heaven-defying pill in this world?" Qiao Xueying frowned, clearly disbelieving.

"You'll know soon enough if it works," Zu An said, not bothering to argue.

Just as Qiao Xueying was about to speak, she suddenly felt a surge of warmth spread throughout her body, dispersing into every limb and bone. It was as if every pore was cheering.

Her expression changed, and she quickly collected herself, beginning to guide and refine the medicinal energy.

After an unknown period, she slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was noticeably brighter than before. She could smell the air more sweetly, clearly see the trembling wings of a distant dragonfly, and even discern the subtle swaying patterns of grass, just like Zu An's reactions after he took the pill.

"This... this really can improve aptitude!" Qiao Xueying exclaimed, her face full of disbelief.

Zu An rolled his eyes. "I just told you, and you refused to believe me. Am I the kind of man who talks nonsense?"

Qiao Xueying grumbled internally. *This guy always loves to boast; who knows what's true and what's false with him.*

Still, she remained in a state of shock and pleasant surprise, biting her lip. "I'm sorry!"

Zu An was taken aback. "Why are you apologizing?"

Qiao Xueying's expression was complex. "A pill that can enhance aptitude like this is unheard of; it's definitely one of the most precious elixirs in the world. Once word gets out, various factions would surely scramble for it. If I hadn't kept pressuring you for a gift, you wouldn't have wasted such a valuable pill."

"How is it a waste?" Zu An smiled. "Besides, no matter how precious it is, it's not as precious as your 'half-life bond.' We're practically family now, having faced life and death together, so saying things like this makes us seem like strangers."

"Family..." Hearing these words, Qiao Xueying's heart trembled. She suddenly lowered her head, her expression unclear. A thousand words welled up inside her, but in the end, they only became two: "Thank you."

"More than all that, you should probably be concerned about taking a bath. You don't smell too good right now," Zu An said playfully, waving his hand in front of his nose.

Qiao Xueying paused, then noticed a faint layer of grime on her skin. It looked like it had just been expelled from her body, likely impurities cleansed by the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

As a young woman, she was naturally clean. She glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed. "Why didn't you say something sooner!"

*This guy is really a jerk. I was so touched just now, and he completely ruined the mood.*

Rage value from Qiao Xueying +250!

Zu An suppressed his laughter. "There's a small river over there. Go wash up and change your clothes."

He had just noticed the male students heading in that direction, so he remembered the location.

"Do you want me to borrow some clothes from Xiaoxi?"

"No need!"

Qiao Xueying struggled to sit up and took a change of clothes from a ring on her hand.

Zu An paused, surprised that this woman also had a storage ring. He couldn't help but mutter, "You saw how disheveled I was earlier, and you didn't offer me any clothes."

"Hmph, I only have women's clothes here. Do you want to wear them?" Qiao Xueying slowly stood up. Elves had vigorous life force, and Ji Xiaoxi had previously given her the divine healer Ji's sacred healing medicine. Combined with the Marrow Cleansing Pill's effects, she had now regained much of her mobility.

"No!" The thought of being nicknamed "cross-dressing king" at school made Zu An shiver, and he quickly shook his head. "By the way, you're still so badly injured. Do you want me to help you wash?"

"Get lost!" Qiao Xueying snapped back a single word, then walked by herself towards the small river.

Zu An subconsciously checked the backend keyboard. He immediately felt a pang of disappointment. Where was the rage value?

Just then, Qiao Xueying, who had walked some distance away, suddenly stopped and beckoned to him.

Zu An raised an eyebrow. "What, changed your mind and decided you want me to help you wash? Don't worry, my scrubbing skills are absolutely top-notch."

Qiao Xueying rolled her eyes, ignoring his words directly. "Come here and stand guard for me, so no one else comes back and sees."

"What if I see?" Zu An was momentarily stunned.

"Then I'll gouge out your eyes!" Qiao Xueying snorted, then turned and walked away. Faintly, a hint of crimson could be seen on her neck, peeking from her collar.