Lingbo curled up in the clouds, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound. Only after Huan Zong and Kong Hou left did she slowly exhale: “Senior, Senior Brother, you said they couldn’t be together, but I said the relationship between them wasn’t a simple male-female friendship.”

Fortunately, she hadn’t just boldly rushed out calling to them earlier, otherwise it would have been truly awkward to death. Competing with Kong Hou in beauty and dress was fine, but interrupting others’ sweet romance was not acceptable.

Chang De hadn’t expected Huan Zong and Kong Hou to truly come together. The cultivation world viewed matters of romance very casually—casual to the point of not valuing them. The way Zhenren Huan Zong and Fairy Kong Hou interacted with each other, he had only seen among mortals.

“We’d better go back.” Lingbo secretly turned around. Tonight Liuguang Sect was holding a banquet. She had no way to investigate Kong Hou’s dress and adornment, so she could only rely on her own performance. Both being five spiritual roots genius female cultivators, she absolutely couldn’t lose to Kong Hou.

“Alright.” Chang De noticed that Lin Hu in the corner had already discovered them. He cupped his hands toward Lin Hu, turned his flying sword around, and flew back to his own courtyard.

Wangyun Hall on Mingjian Peak was Huan Zong’s private residence. The entire palace was like a giant spiritual energy field. Every decorative item inside, every pillar, carried a unique energy field. Five spiritual roots cultivators residing within would find it extremely beneficial.

Compared to Liuguang Sect’s enormous wealth, Kong Hou suddenly felt that Yunhua Sect was actually quite poor.

“Most of these are things I obtained from various secret realms.” Huan Zong pushed open the cave door to the treasury. Inside, flowing light overflowed with color—richer than some sects’ treasuries.

Kong Hou looked at Huan Zong, then looked at the treasury. Was this a large-scale show-off-wealth scene?

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what would be good to give you.” Huan Zong held Kong Hou’s hand. “Whatever you like, just pick it yourself, alright?” After speaking, he placed a jade slip into Kong Hou’s hand. “With this jade slip, you can open the door to this cave dwelling.”

The jade slip felt cool to the touch. Kong Hou was stunned for a moment, then stuffed the jade slip back into Huan Zong’s hand: “I’m so scatterbrained and careless—I don’t want to be the housekeeper. Anyway, you as a person already belong to me, so what do I need a jade slip for? From now on, whatever I want, you can just fetch it for me. Isn’t that better?”

Huan Zong held the jade slip, somewhat bewildered: “Then shall we first go see what’s inside, and in the future when you want something I’ll fetch it for you?”

Kong Hou looked at Huan Zong with a smile, both amused and helpless: “Usually so calm and clever, how have you become so silly right now?”

Huan Zong was even more bewildered. What had he not done well?

“Let’s go.” Kong Hou hooked Huan Zong’s hand and walked into the treasury. Inside the treasury stood countless rows of treasure shelves, packed full of various magical artifacts and precious stones, arranged as casually as worthless rocks.

“This one.” Kong Hou casually picked a small, exquisite hairpin. This hairpin had a small array added to it—when held in hand it would emit a glimmering light. “There’s a banquet tonight. There will definitely be many female cultivators attending. I can’t let people say you have no taste, picking an unattractive yellow-haired girl.”

Hearing her words, Huan Zong walked to a door in the farthest corner and pulled open the small door. Inside was a side room filled entirely with various jewelry and precious gems, for both men and women. The pearl light in the room shone so brightly it hurt Kong Hou’s eyes.

“If only you could like these things, that would be wonderful.” Huan Zong laughed helplessly. “I don’t even know how to deal with all these things.”

“Ah!” Kong Hou looked at the hairpins, rings, pearls, and jade in the small room and jumped onto Huan Zong’s body to hug him. “Huan Zong, I finally understand why so many people like wealthy people.”

For the first time, she clearly realized just how formidable this man she was in love with truly was.

Handsome, high cultivation, and possessing countless magical artifacts and treasures…

“I must have saved the entire cultivation world in my past life to have met you.” Kong Hou turned to look at Huan Zong. No matter how dazzling the gems and magical artifacts were, they couldn’t compare to the brilliance of the man beside her.

“What?” Huan Zong was somewhat puzzled.

Kong Hou shook her head and closed the door for Huan Zong: “Take me back. I need to wash up and get ready.”

Huan Zong looked at the already-closed door, then at Kong Hou who was preparing to leave the treasury. Just now she had been so happy seeing the jewelry inside—why hadn’t she gone in to make selections?

“I’ve already selected the most valuable, most precious treasure in this treasury.” Kong Hou tilted her head to look at him. “If we don’t leave now, I’m afraid someone will come to steal it.”

“It’s just a hairpin, how could it be a treasure…”

“Right here.” Kong Hou walked out of the treasury with Huan Zong, then grasped his hand, interlacing their ten fingers. “I’m taking away the rarest, most precious treasure in all of Liuguang Sect.”

The wind blew open the clouds in the sky. The sky was crystal-clear blue, so beautiful it made one forget everything in joy.

“This rare treasure is willing to stay with you for a lifetime. Even if others come to steal him, he won’t leave. Just don’t lose him, alright?” Huan Zong lowered his head and gently drew close to Kong Hou, carrying a faint herbal fragrance. Kong Hou couldn’t help but reach out to embrace his waist.

“As long as the treasure doesn’t grow legs and run away, I’ll never bear to lose it for my whole life. I’ll hold it in my palm, hide it in my pocket, and let everyone know that he is my treasure.”

“So…” Huan Zong laughed softly. “Are you planning to give me a proper status?”

Kong Hou: “…”

So after doing all this, it was still about getting a proper status?

She coughed dryly and secretly scratched Huan Zong’s palm with her finger: “I will, I will. After this exchange conference is over, I’ll tell Master…” Halfway through speaking, she covered her mouth and shook her head. “I can’t say it.”

“Why not?” Huan Zong saw her eyes widen and lowered his gaze. “I’ve made things difficult for you.”

“It’s not like that.” Kong Hou explained. “Look at those people in story books—whenever they say ‘after I finish doing this, I’ll go do that important thing,’ generally people who say such things don’t end well. I’m someone who’s going to ascend to immortality with you. I can’t say things like that.”

Huan Zong laughed despite himself. The more he looked, the more adorable he found Kong Hou. He nodded: “As long as you remember you’ll give me a proper status, that’s enough.”

Kong Hou guiltily glanced around. Fortunately, there were no other Liuguang Sect disciples passing by. Otherwise, if they heard these words, wouldn’t they misunderstand her as the kind of scum who takes advantage then refuses to acknowledge it?

“I’ll take you back.” Seeing Kong Hou’s guilty little appearance, Huan Zong reached out to hold her hand. “Later, let Zhenren Qiu Shuang walk in front, and you come with me to the banquet together, alright?”

Kong Hou: “…”

Wouldn’t this be equivalent to telling everyone that the relationship between her and Huan Zong was intimately unusual?

“Is it not alright?” Huan Zong gave Kong Hou a gentle smile. “I’ve made things difficult for you. It would be more appropriate for you to go with Zhenren Qiu Shuang.”

When a handsome man who rarely smiles shows a smile that’s both tolerant and bitter, almost no woman can resist that beauty. Kong Hou was a woman. She was a woman with normal aesthetic appreciation. When her own man showed such an expression, she couldn’t suppress her heartache.

“Alright.” Kong Hou nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

Beauty was bewitching. She… she had no choice. This was a mistake that any normal woman couldn’t help but make.

“Kong Hou, I’m very happy.” The smile on Huan Zong’s face became even more gentle, like sweet candy coating, wrapping up Kong Hou’s entire heart.

Being able to make her man show such a smile—forget just appearing at a banquet with him together, even if it meant climbing a mountain of knives with him, she couldn’t bear to refuse. Her own man—besides doting on him, what other option was there?

“Greetings, Uncle-Master Zhong Xi, Fairy Kong Hou.” A Liuguang Sect disciple came over.

“Mm.” The smile on Huan Zong’s face immediately vanished, returning to an indifferent appearance. However, he was unwilling to release Kong Hou’s hand. “Young Lady Kong Hou is an honored guest of our Mingjian Peak. According to seniority, you may address her as Uncle-Master.”

“Yes.” The young sword cultivator saw Huan Zong and Kong Hou’s clasped hands. Though his heart surged with shock like stormy waves, his face respectfully saluted Kong Hou: “This junior greets Uncle-Master Kong Hou.”

“No need for excessive courtesy.” Kong Hou as usual tucked a brocade pouch into this disciple’s hand. “A meeting gift.”

The disciple secretly glanced at Huan Zong. Seeing he didn’t object, he reached out to accept it: “Thank you, Uncle-Master.”

After this disciple left, Huan Zong suddenly said: “Should I give a supplementary gift to your junior martial nephews and nieces?”

Kong Hou smiled: “If you’re willing to give it, I’ll thank you on their behalf in advance.”

Amused by her appearance, in just a short stretch of road, the two walked for most of an hour before returning to the palace where Kong Hou was staying. Wu Chuan, standing at the entrance, watched the two people holding hands, stealing glances at each other. Looking back at the junior brothers and sisters behind him—how was he supposed to help cover this up?

Several Yunhua Sect members watched with great interest, excitedly using telepathy to talk among themselves.

【I knew it—there’s nothing in the entire cultivation world that Junior Sister Kong Hou can’t accomplish. Foundation Establishment in four years, won over Wuwei Manor, and even managed to win over Liuguang Sect’s Zhenren Zhong Xi. A paragon of our generation.】

【Who would have thought that Zhenren Zhong Xi, usually so cold and noble, would have this appearance when together with Junior Sister Kong Hou.】

【Men—they always have many faces.】

【Senior Sister, I’m also a man…】

【Men who aren’t handsome enough—even if they have many faces, no one appreciates them. Junior Brother, life is cruel. You need to understand this early.】

【…】

Huan Zong bid farewell to Kong Hou. Seeing several Daoist friends from Yunhua Sect standing at the hall entrance, he slightly cupped his hands toward them before turning to leave. Returning to Wangyun Hall, Huan Zong said: “Lin Hu, have you found all the books?”

“They’re all here.” Lin Hu pulled out a thick stack of story books and handed them to Huan Zong. “The highest-rated, most popular story books on the market about pleasing women are all here.”

Huan Zong nodded and accepted them, but didn’t immediately flip through them. Instead he said: “Today I took her to the treasury and gave her the jade slip to open the treasury, but she refused it. Why is that?”

“Young Master.” Lin Hu laughed despite himself. “Young Lady Kong Hou is not a greedy person. This jade slip of yours probably can’t be given away right now.”

“Then how can I give it away?” Huan Zong furrowed his brows tightly.

“Perhaps when Young Lady Kong Hou is willing to become dao companions with you?” Lin Hu raised his eyebrows and seriously thought about this question. “Young Master, you must continue working hard.”

Huan Zong remained silent without speaking.

If they could truly become dao companions…

No, wait. Right now the main issue was still obtaining a proper status.

“Oh right, Young Master, there’s something I forgot to tell you.” Lin Hu pulled out a money pouch containing several hundred spirit stones.

“Why are you giving me this?” Huan Zong looked at the spirit stones in Lin Hu’s hand. He wasn’t lacking these things. What was Lin Hu doing?

“Young Master, the story books you wrote have made money.”

After writing story books for many years and losing countless amounts of money, he had finally made money. This could truly move all the bookshops in the entire cultivation world.

—

**Author’s Note:** Lin Hu: Could clearly make money with good looks and cultivation level, yet insists on making money by writing books. Is writing books really that easy to write?