Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Beams of light and shadow soared from various parts of the secret realm, swiftly heading toward Fang Quan's Treasure Hall.

Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage, who had yet to master sword flight and lacked flying treasures, could only stand below, gazing longingly.

Two cultivators who had been following Jian Huan and her group of five, hoping to benefit from the secret realm, stomped their feet in frustration.

"If I had known, I would have borrowed or bought a flying treasure before coming in!"

"This is such a huge loss! Who could have guessed that this small secret realm would house a grand treasure hall of a powerful expert?"

"In all my years, I’ve never encountered a treasure hall. It’s said that treasure halls are filled with riches…"

"I regret not cultivating harder and failing to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage. I’ve missed so many opportunities at critical moments!"

"..."

The cultivators on the ground were filled with envy, jealousy, regret, and helpless rage as they stared at the treasure hall.

In their imaginations, those who had entered the hall must already be rolling in wealth.

But—

Inside Fang Quan's Treasure Hall, the cultivators who had rushed in with excitement and bloodshot eyes were now all silent.

They had spent an hour searching every corner of the hall, but found nothing of value…

Jian Huan emerged from a nearby pavilion, holding a bamboo stick, her usually smiling eyes now cold as ice.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Cultivators who encountered her stepped aside, not daring to provoke her.

Some had seen that it was this female cultivator who had opened the doors to Fang Quan's Treasure Hall.

Someone capable of opening a treasure hall was not to be trifled with.

Jian Huan felt a knot of frustration in her chest, neither rising nor falling.

Earlier, when Shen Jizhi had flown her up here, she had eagerly taken two Spirit Recovery Pills in preparation for the upcoming treasure hunt.

Back in Azure Dragon City, Elder Chu had given her, Shen Jizhi, and Baili Dao a bottle each.

She had always been frugal with them, only taking half or one pill at critical moments.

This time, she had splurged on two pills, only to feel like it might all be for nothing.

She walked into the hall and looked up at the central portrait.

It depicted a man wearing a headscarf, with a beard, holding a sword.

In their haste to search for treasures, no one had stopped to examine the self-portrait of the hall’s owner.

Below the portrait, a few bold characters were written: 【Fang Quan, the Strongest Swordsman in the Nine Provinces】

Jian Huan had often seen titles like 【The Strongest X Cultivator in the Nine Provinces】 on the Xuantian Mirror, so she was no longer surprised by such claims.

Just then, Shen Jizhi came down from the second floor, his expression also looking grim, likely having found nothing.

Jian Huan felt slightly better and called out to him, "Shen Jizhi."

Shen Jizhi paused, "?"

Jian Huan waved him over, "Come here."

Shen Jizhi hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over.

Jian Huan crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, "Fang Quan, ever heard of him?"

Shen Jizhi shook his head, "No."

Jian Huan clicked her tongue, "So the title of 'Strongest Swordsman' is probably just hype."

Shen Jizhi glanced at her, "Not necessarily. A cultivator who could build a treasure hall in a secret realm wouldn’t be weak."

Jian Huan sniffled, feeling down, "But his treasure hall seems to have no treasures, just books—"

Every corner was filled with books, all kinds of books.

Classics, Buddhist scriptures, local customs of the Nine Provinces, folk tales, medical texts…

The girl’s voice trailed off, soft and tinged with a hint of tears.

Shen Jizhi instinctively looked at her, then pointed to the side of the portrait, "He wrote here, 'Books are priceless, read more books.'"

Jian Huan stared at the two lines of text, speechless.

It wasn’t wrong, from Fang Quan’s perspective. He believed books were invaluable treasures, so filling his treasure hall with priceless items was beyond reproach.

But as everyone knew, buying books could be expensive, yet selling them often meant they were weighed by the pound.

The books in Fang Quan's Treasure Hall were all common, and no one was willing to use their limited Mustard Seed Pouch space to carry books that would fetch little at market.

An hour later, a group of cultivators left Fang Quan's Treasure Hall. Another hour passed, and more left.

Staying here any longer would be less productive than going back down to hunt some demonic beasts.

Before long, only a handful of people remained in the hall.

Jian Huan and her group of five were still there. They had worked hard for ten days to open Fang Quan's Treasure Hall, and with such a significant investment, they were unwilling to leave empty-handed.

The sun set, and the moon rose above the willow branches.

Fang Quan's Treasure Hall stood among the clouds, and through the lattice windows, the stars and moon of the night were clearly visible.

Jian Huan, tired from reading, reached out to grab a star that seemed within reach, but as her hand moved closer, the star disappeared, and she caught nothing.

She withdrew her hand, and the star reappeared.

"It’s fake," Jian Huan chuckled, shaking her head. She tossed the book she had skimmed onto the pile of finished ones and picked up the next.

She still believed that Fang Quan's Treasure Hall couldn’t just be filled with books.

The two lines Fang Quan had written beside his portrait, 'Books are priceless' and 'Read more books,' might have a deeper meaning.

Was he hinting at something? Was there something hidden within the books?

The new book Jian Huan picked up had a dark blue cover, titled "The Joys of the Mortal World."

"The Joys of the Mortal World?" she murmured, puzzled. "A novel?"

Jian Huan opened the first page—it was blank.

She scratched her head, confused, and flipped to the next page. Her expression instantly turned slightly odd.

So this was the kind of 'joy' it referred to?

The book was well-preserved in the treasure hall, with vivid illustrations, handsome men and beautiful women, rich in color and variety.

For the past half-month in the secret realm, Jian Huan had been exhausted every day, her nerves constantly on edge.

Now, she decided to take her time and read through "The Joys of the Mortal World."

It was just a way to relax, nothing excessive.

Shen Jizhi came down from the second floor and immediately spotted Jian Huan sitting among the piles of books, leaning against the window wall.

The starry sky twinkled behind her as she held a book, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes as if they had just been fished out of water.

Shen Jizhi frowned slightly.

The others upstairs had each found something, so Shen Jizhi had come down to check on Jian Huan.

Judging by her expression, had she also found a clue?

But her gaze seemed different from when she usually spotted treasures. It was more like the look in his dreams…

Shen Jizhi lowered his eyes, pushing the thought away.

He stepped closer, maneuvering through the scattered piles of books, and stopped in front of her, looking down at the book in her hands.

With just one glance, the calm on Shen Jizhi’s face cracked.

His brown pupils rippled with a hint of hesitation, "What are you reading?"

With a loud thud, Jian Huan reflexively closed the book.

But realizing it was Shen Jizhi, she relaxed.

If it had been Wen Jiu, Yin Yusheng, or Yang Ye, she would have been mortified.

But Shen Jizhi was fine—he was like a brother. Back when they found that box of adult tools in Qi Wan’s room, she had even shared it with him.

Jian Huan reopened the book and replied matter-of-factly, "An erotic book."

Shen Jizhi, "…I know what it is."

Jian Huan, "Then why did you ask?"

Shen Jizhi, "…"

Shen Jizhi’s voice faltered as he looked down, "Cultivators shouldn’t be reading this."

Jian Huan looked up at him, puzzled, "Cultivators can’t read this? Fang Quan read and collected it. Besides, I’m not a Buddhist cultivator—"

She paused, then added, "Some Buddhist cultivators are even more open than you."

Ran Mu'er had told her that some Buddhist cultivators had quite complicated relationships with their partners.

Shen Jizhi was momentarily at a loss for words, watching as Jian Huan flipped another page before finally saying, "I’ve never… engaged in such things."

Jian Huan nodded absently, not looking up, "I know. Once you’ve paid off your debts and have some money, you could find a partner for dual cultivation."

Shen Jizhi, "?"

Shen Jizhi clenched his fist slightly, lowering it behind his back, "Have you thought about this?"

If she hadn’t thought about it herself, why would she suggest such a… thing to him?

Jian Huan nodded, "Yes."

Shen Jizhi, "??"

Thinking of her future plans, Jian Huan put the book down and gazed ahead, her eyes filled with longing.

She rested her chin on her hands, "Once I’ve built my house, become a Jade Clarity Sect elder, and have a million spare spirit stones, I can start enjoying life."

Shen Jizhi, "Finding a partner is part of your enjoyment?"

Jian Huan waved her hand, "It’s just one possibility, not a must. I’m just saying, if I meet someone good-looking and suitable, I wouldn’t refuse."

She wasn’t against marriage, but she wasn’t against desire either.

After all, food and lust are human nature.

A strange emotion lodged itself in Shen Jizhi's chest, and he chuckled dryly, "You think that just because someone is good-looking and suitable, why would they choose you?"

Jian Huan straightened her back confidently, "Because I have money."

Shen Jizhi wasn’t entirely convinced, "And you’d be willing to spend it?"

Jian Huan looked at him, her expression one of exasperation, as if she were dealing with a hopeless case, "By then, I’ll have plenty of money. Why wouldn’t I be willing to spend it?"

Shen Jizhi fell silent, standing still for a moment before abruptly turning and walking away.

Jian Huan was baffled. What was his deal? He showed up out of nowhere, and now he’s leaving just as suddenly.

She called out, "Hey, Shen Jizhi, did you come here for something?"

Shen Jizhi paused mid-step.

He had indeed come to see her for a reason, but the conversation had taken an unexpected turn.

His tone was calm and detached, "I just wanted to let you know that while you’ve been reading those books, Yang Ye and the others have already made progress."

Jian Huan was stunned, "What?!"

With a loud thud, she tossed the comic book aside and rushed upstairs without another word.

Shen Jizhi remained where he was, watching her hurried departure. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, veiling the unreadable glint in his eyes.

He truly hadn’t expected her to think that way.

Once she had money, she’d go looking for a partner, huh?

Not bad.