Regarding Xu Huai Shang's assessment, Brother Jue completely disregarded it, continuing, "Besides, even if the plan fails, I have a backup. The 'double the stakes' move not only serves to bluff, but also provides me with a way out… in case I really lose the bet, I can use this as a reason to ask Lute and Twenty-Three for help."
"Even if you lose without changing the stakes, you can still go, right…" Xu Huai Shang said, "You can still get a mid-grade magical treasure, can't you?"
"Ha… naive." Feng Bujue chuckled. "If I lost under the original conditions and took a mid-grade magical treasure and left… then the next time I came to visit, she probably wouldn't see me again. Even if I brought reinforcements, the other party could just make up a reason and refuse to see me…"
"But… if Lute is really as… beautiful as you say, Ji Fenglong would still see her, right…" Xu Huai Shang muttered softly.
She seemed a little embarrassed when she said this, because Feng Bujue had just praised both her and Lute at the same time, so these two sentences sounded… like she was subtly praising herself.
"That would introduce variables…" Feng Bujue noticed the change in Xu Huai Shang's expression, but he just smiled and didn't call her out. "Who knows what might happen while I'm going back and forth…"
As they spoke, they suddenly heard a soft shout.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Ji Fenglong, on the lotus pond… had finally neutralized all the surrounding energy.
Two seconds later, City Lord Ji retracted her Sacred Yuan Wall and protective aura, and with a flick of her sleeve, she retrieved the hourglass in the sky.
She adjusted her breathing and expression, raised her head slightly, and turned her gaze back to the man and woman in the stone pavilion. "Liaozhu Feng, you look… quite injured."
"Yes," Feng Bujue raised his voice and turned to reply.
"He actually admitted it…" Ji Fenglong really couldn't see through the man in front of her. She simply couldn't predict what he would say or do next…
"Actually, I was just about to ask…" Clearly, Feng Bujue wasn't finished.
The previous "yes" was just "giving him an inch," and what followed was "he'll take a mile."
"…I wonder if City Lord Ji could provide me with some healing pills or something, so I can take a couple to tide me over." Brother Jue made a very unreasonable request without any pretense.
"He actually asked me for healing pills…" Ji Fenglong was already cursing in her heart. "Does this guy have no shame… he's already talking conditions and asking for benefits before we even fight, and after the fight, I have to be responsible for his injuries… if I accidentally crippled you, would I have to take care of you for the rest of my life?"
"Of course… if City Lord Ji finds it inconvenient, then forget it…" After a couple of seconds, Feng Bujue added, "Although my Broken Sword Teahouse is a small, insignificant sect, we still have a few healing medicines…" As he spoke, he pretended to reach into his bag (this action looked like he was reaching into his robes to retrieve something to the NPCs), "I can use my own…"
His expression, his actions… seemed to be saying—"For a dignified City Lord of the Harem, not even being able to produce some healing pills, how petty."
"No need!" Ji Fenglong immediately interrupted Brother Jue, and biting her lower lip, she said fiercely, "I'll give it…"
With that, she floated over from the lotus pond and landed back in the pavilion. In a short while, City Lord Ji took out a palm-sized white jade bottle from her Cloud Rainbow Sleeve and placed it on the stone table.
"This is my Ji family's ancestral healing medicine—Na Yuan Che Sui Powder. If Liaozhu Feng doesn't mind, please take it and use it…" Ji Fenglong was already furious, her jade face flushed, but she was a Yuan Sheng-level expert after all, and the lord of a city… in order to maintain her demeanor, it was really difficult for her to lose her temper. She could only suppress her anger and give away the medicine.
"Thank you." Feng Bujue said the words of gratitude, but his expression showed no gratitude at all. Before the words had even finished, he quickly picked up the bottle on the table and held it tightly in his hand.
【Name: Na Yuan Che Sui Powder *7】
【Type: Consumable】
【Quality: Excellent】
【Function: Fully restores Survival, Stamina, and Spirit Energy values (recovery effect is not affected by and does not produce diminishing effects)】
【Can be taken out of this scenario: Yes】
【Remarks: One of the strongest healing medicines in the Holy Yuan World.】
The moment he saw the item description, Feng Bujue thought to himself, "Good stuff… isn't this the same as 'Senzu Beans'…"
Thinking of this, he opened the stopper of the bottle, took out one pill and swallowed it, and then… he very naturally… put the bottle into his bag.
"Hmm…" Ji Fenglong squinted her eyes (she rarely showed such an expression), looking at Brother Jue, and thought, "This guy… isn't planning on returning the rest of the medicine to me, is he…"
Just as she was hesitating whether to take the opportunity to blow up, a gentle voice suddenly sounded in the pavilion.
"Reporting to the City Lord, General Su requests an audience." Judging from the voice, the speaker seemed to be Lin Que. But only her voice was heard, not her person, so she must have used some kind of remote sound transmission technique.
"What is it?" Ji Fenglong tilted her head slightly and asked in a deep voice into the air.
"She said… she has found two beauties and wants to introduce them to the City Lord." Lin Que's voice replied.
Ji Fenglong curled her lips and continued, "I'm not free right now, let them wait a littl—"
"Hold on." At this moment, Feng Bujue suddenly interjected, "City Lord Ji, my matter… isn't urgent. I also want to rest for a while before touring your Heavenly Book World again." He looked at Ji Fenglong. "Anyway, the guests have already arrived, I think… the City Lord might as well meet them here. Miss Xu and I will just take a stroll nearby, and promise not to disturb you."
"Liaozhu Feng…" Ji Fenglong said, "This… might not be appropriate."
Of course it wasn't appropriate… first of all, this was someone else's home, not yours. When people receive guests, or don't receive guests… what does it have to do with you? Furthermore, even if they were going to meet, they wouldn't need you wandering around nearby, right?
But… Feng Bujue didn't care about any of this. As soon as he heard the words "two beauties," he keenly sensed something. Considering the existence of "Womanly Fragrance," he had to personally confirm that the people she was inviting in weren't his teammates.
"Oh…" After being rejected, Brother Jue showed a profound expression and nodded. "That's right… look at my memory, I almost forgot… hehehe…" He chuckled a few times, and gave Ji Fenglong a look that only men would use, "Don't worry, City Lord Ji, I won't make a fuss about this, I understand…"
"What do you understand? What exactly do you understand! What are you going to make a fuss about?" Ji Fenglong felt inexplicably frustrated.
But on the surface, City Lord Ji still had to force herself to remain calm and not complain. "Liaozhu Feng… you must have misunderstood something… I…"
"Okay, okay… you don't need to explain…" Feng Bujue interrupted her. "I didn't see anything, I don't know anything."
This attitude left Ji Fenglong with no choice…
"Sigh…" City Lord Ji closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She gave up on arguing, and simply used a sound transmission technique to say to Lin Que, "Lin Que, let Xiao Xiao bring the guests in. Tell them to come directly to the Lotus Gazing Pavilion."
"Yes, ma'am." Lin Que's response sounded immediately.
About five or six minutes later, three beautiful women walked gracefully from the flower forest. Su Xiao Xiao, who was walking in the front, was dressed in men's clothing, but her shapely figure had already exposed her gender, and the birthmark on her face also made her very conspicuous; while Ruo Yu and Hua Jian, who followed closely behind, looked like two female warriors dressed in tight-fitting clothes in the eyes of the NPCs, and both were as beautiful as immortals and heroic.
"Hmm… they are indeed beauties…" Just looking at Ruo Yu and Hua Jian from afar made Ji Fenglong's face show a hint of favor, and the anger aroused by Brother Jue immediately dissipated for the most part.
"Heh… Xiao Xiao also said she wasn't good at this job, but isn't she doing a great job." In a better mood, Ji Fenglong smiled and picked up the teacup on the table, taking a sip. One was to moisten her mouth and tongue, and the other was to calm her mind.
But… in the next second, an astonishing line came from next to her.
"Ha! Wife! What a coincidence!"
"Pfft—" Ji Fenglong instantly spat out another mouthful of tea.
Immediately afterwards, she turned her head in astonishment, looked at Brother Jue who had said those words, and then turned her head to look at the two guests who had walked a few meters away.
"You're not talking to me, are you?" Ruo Yu used an expression similar to "Are you effing kidding me?" which she had learned from Brother Jue, and glared at Brother Jue coldly.
"Hehe… City Lord Ji, I really didn't expect it to be such a coincidence…" Feng Bujue didn't directly answer Ruo Yu's question, but instead turned to Ji Fenglong and said, "Let me introduce you… this is my wife, the mistress of the Broken Sword Teahouse, known in the martial world as 'Thousand Evil Slash' Li Ruo Yu; the one beside her is the incense master of my Broken Sword Teahouse, Hua Jian of the Stone."
Brother Jue was indeed quick-witted. His words were like coordinating a story with his teammates in front of the NPCs. Ruo Yu and Hua Jian were also intelligent people, so they naturally understood and didn't say anything to refute Brother Jue.
"Uh…" Su Xiao Xiao was now in an awkward situation. She hadn't had time to greet the City Lord when she heard such a conversation. Although she didn't know who the man and woman next to the City Lord were, those who could enter the Palace of Cherished Immortals were basically honored guests… and shouldn't be offended. So, she could only bite the bullet and say to Ji Fenglong, "City Lord… this subordinate has not done her job well…"
"It's alright…" Ji Fenglong didn't let Su Xiao Xiao continue. "Xiao Xiao, you can go down first, there's nothing for you here."
"Yes…" Su Xiao Xiao hesitated for half a second, made a bow, and glanced at Feng Bujue and Xu Huai Shang before turning and leaving.
After she left, Ji Fenglong let out a puff of air, and a strange color flashed in her eyes.
A moment later, she opened her mouth and said, "Since they are all acquaintances of Liaozhu Feng, then that makes things easier…" She looked at Ruo Yu and Hua Jian, and added, "You two have come at the right time. I just had a bet with Liaozhu Feng, and as a result… I lost." Her tone had returned to its usual indifference, and if you listened carefully… you could even hear a trace of intimidating coldness. "Right now, I intend to invite Liaozhu Feng and Miss Xu to tour my 'Heavenly Book World'. I wonder if you two… are also interested in going together?"