Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Before entering the secret realm, it was still autumn outside. Upon emerging, the chill in the air was unmistakable.

At the entrance of the Jade Clarity Sect, the ginkgo tree bore only a few withered leaves on its branches.

This journey had been quite fruitful.

Each person received 86,000 spirit stones, and combined with the treasures they had found in Fang Quan's Treasure Hall, their total haul nearly reached 100,000.

In terms of the spirit stones acquired at the end, Wen Jiu had the most with 160,000, followed by Yang Ye and Yin Yusheng.

The most valuable item Jian Huan had obtained in the Treasure Hall was spirit iron, though it had already been forged into a spirit sword, which she chose not to sell. Thus, she ranked fourth with 100,000.

Fifth was Shen Jizhi, who had just over 98,000.

However, the experiences Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi had in the inheritance illusion couldn't be measured in spirit stones.

In any case, the five of them and the pig were all quite satisfied. After agreeing to meet again if the opportunity arose, they went their separate ways.

On the way back to the small hill, Jian Huan flew on her sword alongside Shen Jizhi. She asked with a mix of excitement and nervousness, "Do you think our Purple Jade Grass has sprouted?"

Shen Jizhi was also pondering this question and replied somewhat uncertainly, "It should have, right?"

Jian Huan sighed, "I hope the fruit has been doing its part."

Shen Jizhi nodded in agreement.

Winter, the season when all things wither.

Yet, on the small hill, there was a burst of springtime vitality.

The previously half-dead first-grade spirit tree had now sprouted new leaves. The tender green color flourished under the warm winter sun.

On the eastern and western sides of the first-grade spirit tree, small purple grasses had emerged, delicate and adorable, swaying in the breeze.

They had sprouted!

Overjoyed, Jian Huan crouched down in front of the first-grade spirit tree and called out happily, "Fruit, we're back!"

At the base of the first-grade spirit tree, a small green figure lounging comfortably with its legs crossed visibly trembled.

This was undoubtedly bad news, very bad news.

How long had it been since it had enjoyed some peace, and now these two were back?

The Earth Fruit Spirit shook its head, covering its tiny ears with its matchstick-like hands, deciding to pretend it hadn't heard anything.

After waiting for a moment without any response, Jian Huan extended her right hand, channeling her spiritual energy.

A rune appeared in her palm.

She gently tugged on the spiritual thread that appeared, pulling out a blob of jelly-like substance from the ground.

The jelly-like blob lay limp and lifeless on the ground, showing no signs of movement.

Jian Huan poked it and said to Shen Jizhi, "It seems like it doesn't want to talk to us."

Shen Jizhi glanced down, then slowly took out a box of soil from his storage pouch and opened the lid.

Almost instantly, the jelly-like blob stood up and instinctively asked, "What kind of soil is that?"

It smelled quite fragrant.

Shen Jizhi's gaze fell on the wooden plaque of the first-grade spirit tree as he lightly tapped the box and replied leisurely, "First-grade spirit soil."

The Earth Fruit Spirit: "..."

On the third day back at the Jade Clarity Sect, Shen Jizhi used the spirit stones he had barely warmed up to pay off two small debts totaling tens of thousands. After settling them, he still had nearly 20,000 spirit stones left.

The next debt was 100,000, and 20,000 spirit stones weren't enough to cover it. He would need to save up more.

After paying off the debts, Shen Jizhi didn't return to the Jade Clarity Sect immediately.

It had been raining for the past two days. In the streets of Approaching Immortal City, the townsfolk wore thick cotton clothes and carried oil-paper umbrellas, hurrying along.

Flying on swords was prohibited within the city.

Shen Jizhi, dressed in black with his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, walked through the cold winter rain.

He didn't carry an umbrella because he didn't have one.

The rain soaked the strands of hair on his forehead, and crystal-clear droplets continuously slid down his exquisite features, enhancing his aloof and distant demeanor.

"Sir, wait!" A woman suddenly ran out from a nearby house, her skirt immediately getting wet as rain splashed around.

She held an oil-paper umbrella and shyly offered it to him, "You don't have an umbrella? It's such heavy rain, and it's winter—you might catch a cold. Here, take this umbrella..."

Shen Jizhi didn't stop, walking past her, "No need, thank you."

The further he went into the alley, the fewer people he encountered. Shen Jizhi stopped in front of a humble courtyard.

The door was ajar, and Shen Jizhi pushed it open.

The heavy wooden door creaked, and the Medicine Granny inside immediately asked warily, "Who is it?"

"Medicine Granny, it's me," Shen Jizhi walked through the front yard to the eaves, using his spiritual energy to dry himself off.

He lifted the door curtain, bent down, and entered the somewhat low doorway.

Inside, medicine was being brewed. The cold wind from outside blew in through the lifted curtain, causing the charcoal fire to burn brighter.

The medicine had been brewing for a while, and bubbles gurgled within, filling the air with a slightly bitter aroma.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The Medicine Granny was organizing herbs in front of the medicine cabinet. She glanced over with her old eyes, "What do you want now?"

Shen Jizhi ignored the Medicine Granny's disdainful attitude.

From the time he was ten and broke his arm in a fight over business, meeting the Medicine Granny, she had always looked down on him.

But so what? The Medicine Granny charged cheaply, and that was enough.

Shen Jizhi pulled up a wooden chair and sat down, pondering for a moment before saying, "I think I might have been affected by some illusion-inducing incense. Could you take a look, Granny?"

He was clear about his feelings for Jian Huan.

But that dream still felt strange and unsettling.

The Medicine Granny frowned, "Can you explain in detail?"

Shen Jizhi briefly recounted the events of the past few days in the Lotus Secret Realm, omitting the specific details of the dream.

After listening, the Medicine Granny asked, "Old woman, I just want to ask you, it's been so long. Even if you were affected by the incense back then, how am I supposed to tell now?"

Shen Jizhi looked up, "Granny, you misunderstand. I just want to know if there are any remnants in my body."

After a pause, he added, "Just a check, no treatment. One spirit stone should be enough, right?"

"Yes—" the Medicine Granny drew out the word, putting down the herbs in her hands and wiping them on her apron. She walked over to Shen Jizhi and placed her hand on his forehead.

After a while, she withdrew her hand and gave a wry smile, "Young man, your one spirit stone is going to waste."

That meant there were no remnants.

Shen Jizhi nodded, stood up, took out a spirit stone from his pocket, handed it to the Medicine Granny, and left.

The Medicine Granny watched the black-clad youth disappear into the rain, then turned back to organizing her herbs, "Come out, he's gone."

As soon as she spoke, a figure silently descended from the second floor.

The Medicine Granny didn't look up, "You actually used Soul-Soothing Incense on him."

"I was afraid the Calming Incense wouldn't work," the man replied, "Soul-Soothing Incense is more reliable."

"Besides," the man chuckled, "Soul-Soothing Incense only brings out what's truly in one's heart. I just helped him discover it earlier, isn't that good?"

Under the camphor tree at the Equipment Forging Hall, Jian Huan stood with an umbrella, waiting for Shen Jizhi.

The afternoon rain grew heavier, large drops pounding on the oil-paper umbrella, creating a continuous patter.

Occasionally, disciples of the Jade Clarity Sect passed by—some with umbrellas like Jian Huan, some shielding themselves with spiritual energy, and others simply letting themselves get wet.

Jian Huan had been waiting for a while.

By her calculations, he should have returned by now. She wondered where he had gone after paying off his debts.

Jian Huan squatted down, resting the umbrella on her shoulder, staring at the rippling puddles on the ground as she silently recited incantations.

Suddenly, a pair of rain-soaked boots appeared before her, and a cool male voice came from above, "What are you doing here?"

Delight spread across her features. Jian Huan grasped the umbrella handle, looked up, and raindrops fell on her eyebrows, lashes, nose, and lips.

She instinctively closed her eyes, straightened the umbrella, stood up, wiped her face, and said cheerfully, "You're finally back! I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Through the rain, Shen Jizhi looked at her and sighed almost imperceptibly, "Why didn't you wait inside the Equipment Forging Hall?"

Jian Huan moved closer, raising the umbrella to shield him as they walked forward, complaining, "I was inside at first, but your colleagues kept teasing me about us, so I came out."

Their true relationship was that of creditor and debtor, but on the surface, they were engaged.

Shen Jizhi was cold-faced, so those people didn't dare tease him, but seeing the approachable Jian Huan, they couldn't resist their curiosity.

Shen Jizhi nodded, taking the umbrella from her, "Where did you get this umbrella?"

"Jiang Mian lent it to me."

"I see," Shen Jizhi looked at her, "So, what do you need from me this time?"

"Hey, why do you say it like that?" Jian Huan lightly slapped his right arm with the back of her hand, "Do I only come to you when I need something?"

"Alright then, you can leave now," Shen Jizhi handed the umbrella back to her.

"Wait, wait," Jian Huan stopped him, "Alright, I do have something to talk to you about."

Shen Jizhi: "..."

He knew it.

This person never sought him out without a reason.

Jian Huan leaned closer to Shen Jizhi and pulled out the blueprint for the mountain retreat: "During lunch, I took some time to ask around, and something doesn’t add up."

Shen Jizhi looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

"You told me earlier that building the main courtyard would only cost fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones," Jian Huan gritted her teeth, "But at lunch, my senior brother told me it would cost eighty to ninety thousand! The materials like spirit wood and clay alone would cost forty to fifty thousand, and hiring people to build would cost another forty to fifty thousand."

Jian Huan currently had over a hundred thousand spirit stones on hand and had already planned to build three main rooms first.

But upon asking, the budget far exceeded her expectations. Although she could afford eighty to ninety thousand, who would willingly spend that much if it could be done for fifty to sixty thousand?

This matter was urgent, so Jian Huan didn’t want to wait until evening to find Shen Jizhi, which was why she was standing here to intercept him.

After listening to her, Shen Jizhi nodded and corrected, "I said it would cost at least fifty to sixty thousand, not just that much."

Jian Huan: "..."

Jian Huan muttered under her breath, "Same old trick as those merchants."

They lure you in with a ‘starting from 99’ tagline, only for you to realize that the word ‘starting’ is the key.

Shen Jizhi raised an eyebrow: "What?"

"Nothing," Jian Huan held the blueprint, not unfolding it, and looked up at him under the umbrella, asking seriously, "So, how can I achieve that minimum cost?"

"When I told you," Shen Jizhi reached out, gently wiping away the lingering rainwater on his forehead, then paused.

Jian Huan’s gaze instinctively followed his hand: "What?"

Shen Jizhi smiled faintly, a rare occurrence: "I didn’t include the labor cost for hiring builders."

Jiang Mian’s oil-paper umbrella was a soft pink, casting a faint rosy glow on his face, accentuating the dampness of his features with a touch of allure.

Shen Jizhi rarely smiled.

Because it was so rare, when he did, Jian Huan found herself momentarily dazed.

He really was, quite, handsome.

But since they spent so much time together, Jian Huan had grown used to it and often didn’t notice.

Feeling a little guilty, Jian Huan coughed lightly and shifted her gaze to the blueprint in her hands.

Shen Jizhi looked at Jian Huan’s slightly damp hair, deep in thought.

After a moment of silence, he continued, "Because I can build it myself, I excluded that cost when calculating."

"...Alright," Jian Huan’s heart stirred slightly, and she looked up again, a hint of temptation in her expression, "Then, would you like to earn this money from me?"

Shen Jizhi unconsciously rubbed the wet ground with the sole of his boot: "Go on."

Jian Huan had already thought it through: "Deduct forty thousand from the total, and you’ll build it for me."

She trusted Shen Jizhi’s skills. If he were to build it, she wouldn’t need to worry much or act as a supervisor.

Plus, the deduction would come from the budget, so it wouldn’t hurt as much.

Shen Jizhi didn’t respond immediately, his gaze following Jian Huan’s slender shoulders to the world outside the umbrella.

The rain seemed to have lightened, falling softly and continuously.

He was deep in thought.

Jian Huan swayed slightly in place, waiting for a while. When he still hadn’t replied, she urged, "Hey, Shen Jizhi, give me an answer. Yes or no?"

Shen Jizhi snapped out of his thoughts and looked down: "Open the blueprint and let me see."

"Oh," Jian Huan complied and unfolded the scroll a bit.

Shen Jizhi reached out, his index finger circling the edge of Jian Huan’s blueprint, where his land began.

There, two side rooms were drawn.

He said, "Build the three rooms here first, two on your side and one on mine."

Jian Huan: "Huh?"

"The materials for fifty to sixty thousand aren’t the best. The main room is where you’ll live for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. Don’t you want to use better materials?" Shen Jizhi said calmly, "Why not build the side rooms first? We’ll build them together. We’ll each pay for our own materials, but I’ll only charge you twenty thousand for the labor. That way, we’ll both save on half a wall’s worth of materials. A win-win, don’t you think?"

Jian Huan didn’t respond immediately, frowning at her blueprint.

Shen Jizhi didn’t say anything more.

He had said enough.

Sure enough, after a moment, Jian Huan looked up, stood on her tiptoes, and patted his shoulder with a bright smile: "Smart thinking, Shen Jizhi!"

Shen Jizhi smiled faintly: "You flatter me."

With the matter settled, he handed the umbrella back to her: "We’ll discuss the details later. I need to head back now."

Jian Huan took the umbrella, still praising him: "Your idea is really clever. When—"

She tilted her head, tucking the umbrella between her neck and right shoulder, freeing her right hand to draw a line on the edge of the blueprint: "Not only will we save on half a wall now, but when we have more money later and build the outer wall, we’ll save on this section too."

Shen Jizhi paused for a moment, glancing down.

Jian Huan was pointing to the outer wall that divided the east and west sides.

Once this wall was built, her courtyard would be distinctly hers, separate from his.

Shen Jizhi chuckled: "Yes, that’s what I thought too."

Before leaving, he reached out and gently pressed the umbrella down, the canopy lightly touching the back of her head.

Jian Huan was caught off guard, fumbling to put away the blueprint and holding the umbrella handle as she looked up, about to scold him.

But he was already walking away in the drizzling rain.