? Qin Feng stared at Qingya. This girl was absolutely unbearable. She had already used him as a pawn just now, yet still wasn't satisfied—now she was starting to set traps. What did she mean by saying that Cheng Tao had promised her, so she should consider it? Even if Cheng Tao wasn't the most outstanding among the true immortals, he still had a powerful family behind him. As long as he put in the effort, it wouldn't be difficult for him to transform from a mere decorative figure into a true elite within a short time. Then, once that happened, how would he handle it? He was still a cultivator, after all. Qingya quickly gave him a glance, signaling that this was merely a temporary strategy—first, she needed to lure Cheng Tao away. Qin Feng remained unmoved. Why should he help her so much? The last time, when she asked for a flying sword, he had traded over a hundred flat pills to her. And even if he hadn't complained about that, as soon as he brought it up, he grew furious. She had promised him a top-tier flying sword—why did it even crack upon their first encounter? He was ready to sacrifice his own family for principle. Lin Caivui walked in softly and said, "Feng brother, Qingya is so pitiful. Please help her, just as I have. She doesn't want to accept a political marriage either, which is why she left home. If you don't help her, she'll have to marry this effeminate young man—how tragic!" Qin Shaoxin was touched. Very well, the face of Weiwei's wife had to be upheld. The peach-blossom brother wiped away tears and vowed, "Qingya, don't worry. Once I return, I will work hard to improve myself and defeat this young man. I will never give up on you." The beautiful Inspector began to sweat, adding, "You must win him through your own abilities. If you ask for help from your family elders or anyone else, I will never hold you in high regard." Chen Jie clenched his pale right hand firmly: "You needn't worry. I'll handle everything myself and will never ask anyone else to step in." Upon hearing this, Qingya immediately turned to look at Qin Feng, signaling that he didn't need to fear any retaliation from the Chen Qin gave her a withering look, implying that this was exactly what she should have done—whenever someone from the Chen family came to cause trouble, he’d sell her off first and then step back, completely detached. Taochao struggled to rise from the ground, reached out to pick up the sword that had fallen beside him, and bowed respectfully to him. "Today, I accept defeat without reservation. I’ll come back soon to settle my score. Please be prepared." "Relax," he said with a snort. "I’ve already made the mental preparations for you to show up once and then vanish. As long as you’re not afraid of getting hit, I’ll be more than happy to fulfill your hopes." "Goodbye," Taochao managed to squeeze out, gritting his teeth, then stepped onto the flying sword, wobbling steadily as he walked away. Qingya took a deep breath. "The matter has been smoothly resolved. Now there’s no worry at all. Chen Jie may be a bit effeminate and timid, but he’s honest—definitely someone who won’t leak my news about my activities in Huaxia. No pressure from either family, no worries about Chen Qin frowned slightly, pointing his thumb at his nose. "Isn't this something I've personally arranged for you? Don't you intend to thank me at least?" The beautiful woman blushed gently and said, "Thank you so much..." "Much better," he said immediately, then narrowed his eyes again. "That's it? After all the help I've given you, you're only offering a verbal thanks." "Then what more do you want?" she said seriously. "Isn't it the principle that helping others brings joy? Isn't that what you're supposed to be?" "Indeed," he admitted, with a touch of shame. "I can't be blamed for this—after all, you gave me a subpar flying sword, and you even deceived me with so many pills." The woman's face turned even redder. The flying sword she had given Qin was merely average, nothing close to top-tier. She had been particularly pleased recently, simply because she had successfully summoned countless precious elixirs and medicines using a regular flying sword—this transaction had been a solid profit. Yet who could have imagined that it would come to light so quickly? Still, she would not admit defeat. "It's not that your sword is inferior," she insisted firmly, "but rather that Chen Jie's sword is truly outstanding. After all, he is the heir of a renowned alchemical family from the Heavenly Realm—his sword naturally stands at the pinnacle. You've seen for yourself, haven't you? The gems embedded in its surface alone are worth a fortune. How can you possibly compare with someone of such caliber?" "Indeed?" he asked with quiet intent. "Yes," replied Qingya, her voice lacking conviction, and quickly shifting the subject. "Now, what exactly do you expect as compensation? As the Inspector, I certainly won't let you work for nothing. Just name your terms—so long as they're not unreasonable, I'll gladly accommodate you." The iron-willed nature of the Inspector was so generous precisely because there were still future needs for Qin Feng. At the very least, when Chen Jie came back again, he would have to step up and take the lead. Without offering a few sweeteners, how could this shrewd and adaptable individual truly commit to serving him? Qin smiled hesitantly. "This is entirely your idea. I've done so much for you—by rights, you should have pledged yourself to me. But honestly, I just don't like your fierce, tiger-like nature. So, just one more thing: a top-tier flying sword, please." "You're the one who's a tiger, not me!" Qingya, now flustered like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bounced excitedly. "You're the male tiger—plain old unattractive male tiger!" "Wait a minute," Qin protested. "Fine, call me a male tiger. But why the 'unattractive' prefix? You must explain that clearly. My elegant, wind-swept presence—how does that become unattractive?" Lin Caivé couldn't help but chuckle. After all, male and female tigers naturally made a perfect pair. Qin was so upset that, in addition to the top-tier flying sword, he now insisted that Qingya personally treat him to a full dinner. Otherwise, he'd completely drop the matter of handling the Peach Blossom Brother. Qingya had no choice but to agree—after all, she had to ask for help In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she felt it wasn't fair. After all, they had only known each other for a few months. Back then, he had been so obedient and attentive—now, in just a short while, he had already been completely taken over by someone else. As night fell, she approached his room with a furrowed brow, calling out in a tone of mild dissatisfaction, "Qin, come out!" "What for?" He opened the door wearing only his large pants, holding a wolf-hair brush dipped in vermilion ink. The demand for talismans had been so high lately that he had to rush and produce a fresh batch to avoid stock shortages. The Lady Inspector sighed, "I specifically asked you to have dinner with me. It's already dinner time. Of course, if you'd like to simply walk away, I won't mind." "Nonsense," he snapped, eyes narrowing. "After all, I've finally managed to get you, this stubborn, iron-clad bird to open her purse—do you really think I'd walk away now? Where shall we go? I'll change my clothes and come out right away." With that, he slammed the door shut. A few minutes later, he stepped out of the room in a suite of fine attire, wearing his signature smug smile. To be honest, such a situation where Qingya willingly ended up being shortchanged—something so rare that it truly made her feel both心疼 and gasp with relief—was truly unprecedented. "Why dress so formally?" "Don't you need to dress formally when going out with a beautiful woman?" "Then just make sure you don't regret it." "What does that mean?"