The night gradually fell, the moon bright and clear, draping everything in a light veil.
Trial Grounds.
She truly lived up to her reputation as one of the two great beauties, rivals even to
"I thought you weren't coming?" Xiao Ning'er's bright eyes rested upon Nie Li.
"Of course I'd come. I'm a man who keeps his promises," Nie Li said with a slight smile. "No matter how busy I am, I must first treat the injuries on your body."
"Thank you." Xiao Ning'er lowered her head, her voice soft, her heart filled with gratitude.
Nie Li looked down at her. Xiao Ning'er's appearance today was even more captivating than before. Her white silk dress outlined her slender figure, the fabric gently swelling over her chest. The long skirt extended to her knees, and one could almost sense the long, taut, elastic legs beneath, shaped by diligent training.
"It should be better now." Nie Li gently took Xiao Ning'er's jade-like foot. The delicate ankle felt like clear, crystalline snow jade, slender enough to fit perfectly in his palm, smooth and fine. The bruise from before had faded considerably.
"Mm, yes." Xiao Ning'er nodded. Her heart was full of gratitude towards Nie Li. Since he had massaged her ankle, she had slept exceptionally well these past few nights, without the pain she used to endure.
Although she had experienced this once before, having Nie Li's hand around her ankle still brought a faint blush of shyness to her cheeks.
As he massaged her foot, Nie Li spoke, "I'd like to ask you a favor. Could you help me?"
"Anything at all. As long as I'm able," Xiao Ning'er said, her eyes sincere.
"I have ten thousand Demon Spirit Coins here. I'd like you to send people to the various apothecaries to buy Purple Mist Herb for me," Nie Li said.
"Purple Mist Herb?" Xiao Ning'er was slightly surprised. "Why do you want to buy Purple Mist Herb?" Purple Mist Herb was a very cheap medicinal plant, generally only used for fumigation. The dried herb was burned like firewood, and the thick smoke it produced was effective at repelling insects.
Purple Mist Herb was abundant and incredibly cheap—one Demon Spirit Coin could buy a huge bundle. Every household in the
Aside from fumigation, Purple Mist Herb seemed to have no other uses. For Nie Li to suddenly spend ten thousand Demon Spirit Coins on so much of it—what could he possibly be planning?
"I have my own use for it," Nie Li said. The reason he asked Xiao Ning'er for help was that having her handle it would attract less attention. Nie Li was currently too much in the spotlight and needed to keep a low profile.
"How much do you need?"
"As much as possible. Whatever is available on the market, I want it all," Nie Li said.
Xiao Ning'er truly couldn't figure out what so much Purple Mist Herb could be for.
"Leave this matter to me. I'll advance the money for you. Ten thousand Demon Spirit Coins is nothing to me," Xiao Ning'er said. Although her family had fallen on harder times, they were still one of the great clans. As a direct descendant with exceptional talent, she had never lacked for money. She spent little and had saved up several hundred thousand Demon Spirit Coins over the years.
Nie Li considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Buy as much as you can first. You can advance the funds for now, and I'll pay you back double later."
"No need. This bit of money is nothing," Xiao Ning'er said quickly. She was happy to be able to help Nie Li. After all, his kindness towards her was immense, and she had no idea how to repay him. A few Demon Spirit Coins meant nothing.
After he finished the foot massage, Xiao Ning'er's cheeks grew even redder. Despite the previous experience, the intimate area he needed to massage next still made her extremely shy. Lowering her head in silence, she slowly unfastened the buttons one by one. Today, she wore a delicate pink lace garter, which made her look even more alluring and sensual than before. The subtle swell of her chest and the surrounding fair, tender skin were partially revealed.
That seductive pink lace, even more alluring than last time—faint hints of the soft curve beneath were visible. Nie Li quickly averted his gaze, focusing intently on massaging the bruise.
"Did you take your medicine on time after you went back?" Nie Li asked, his hands gently kneading and stimulating the acupoints around the area, helping the bruise to slowly dissolve. He occasionally felt the enticing softness beneath his fingers.
"Mm," Xiao Ning'er replied, her lovely face flushed a lovely crimson, enchantingly beautiful. She thought of how Nie Li had previously modified her cultivation technique and said earnestly, "Nie Li, ever since I started practicing the technique you revised, my Soul Power has grown much stronger. I think you are a true genius. Even if others haven't noticed your talent yet, when the day comes that you truly reveal your abilities, you will surely shine brilliantly!"
Xiao Ning'er gazed at Nie Li's handsome face, momentarily lost in a daze. A faint, inexplicable pang of sorrow and melancholy flickered through her heart. On that day, she feared she would no longer be able to stand beside him as an equal. Under this pressure, Xiao Ning'er had been training with exceptional diligence these past few days.