Qin Qi quickly followed Yan Shuiming to the secret chamber where she was treating the Spirit Evil Woman!
At that moment, the tiny Soul Devouring Bear was curled up in a corner, sound asleep.
The Spirit Evil Woman sat upright in the center of the array that had been set up earlier, cross-legged, as a massive flow of energy surged into her soul body.
Looking at the Spirit Evil Woman again, her body now appeared much more solid and tangible.
"Hmm, not bad!"
Yan Shuiming smiled, "Looks like she’s almost fully recovered. It’s time to remove the recovery array!"
With those words, she waved her slender hand, and the array dissolved, returning to an array plate in her hand.
As soon as the array faded, the Spirit Evil Woman seemed to sense something and slowly opened her eyes!
Upon seeing Qin Qi, she immediately beamed with joy, "Master!"
Qin Qi was just as delighted to see the Spirit Evil Woman restored, "Spirit Evil Woman, how are you feeling now?"
The Spirit Evil Woman turned to Yan Shuiming, "Thank you so much for your help, fellow cultivator. I truly can’t repay this debt. If it weren’t for your intervention, I have no idea when I’d have recovered!"
Yan Shuiming chuckled softly, "No need to be so formal, fellow cultivator. Qin Qi did make a fair trade with me to save you, so you owe me nothing. Besides, we’re both from the ghost cultivator lineage. And if I’m not mistaken, your cultivation before all this was not beneath my own!"
"Since we’re peers, there’s no need for such politeness between us in the future. Even if you call Qin Qi master, you and I may as well address each other as sisters!"
The Spirit Evil Woman wasn’t overly sentimental, "Since that’s the case, I won’t stand on ceremony, little sister!"
In just a short while, the Spirit Evil Woman and Yan Shuiming were deep in conversation, chatting away like old friends long separated.
This left Qin Qi utterly dumbfounded.
He, as the master, still had to treat Yan Shuiming with utmost respect, and yet the Spirit Evil Woman had already bonded with her in no time.
Yan Shuiming smiled gently, "If you ever need anything, little sister, just let me know."
"Definitely!" The Spirit Evil Woman replied with a radiant grin.
Qin Qi seized the moment and asked, "Senior, about the Soul Devouring Bear..."
Yan Shuiming, of course, understood Qin Qi’s meaning, and she laughed, "Heh, what, are you afraid I’ll snatch your precious little bear? Relax, I don’t have that habit."
"Still, the Soul Devouring Bear is quite useful to me. For now, I’ll keep it here for a little while longer."
"But of course, I won’t let you suffer any loss. Here’s the Soul Storage Device you asked for last time."
With that, Yan Shuiming tossed the ceramic vessel into Qin Qi’s hands.
Seeing this, Qin Qi’s face lit up with joy. With this Soul Storage Device, the Spirit Evil Woman no longer had to squeeze into the old Spirit Pet Bag.
As for the Soul Devouring Bear, he couldn’t really refuse anything.
After all, he simply wasn’t as strong as her.
Even if he tried to demand it, there was no way he’d get it back.
Plus, Yan Shuiming had given him the technique to control the Soul Devouring Bear before, but he hadn’t fully understood it yet, so there was no rush to reclaim it.
Yan Shuiming continued, "Alright, in half a month, I’ll have someone pick you up again. During these two weeks, you can stay in the Primordial Heart Palace or return to Yellow Heaven City as you wish!"
"When you travel, make sure Housekeeper Wu and the Four Demons of Yuanxin are with you, plus Housekeeper Wu. That way, the people from Xuan Yi Sect won’t dare lay a finger on you."
Qin Qi nodded vigorously, then asked, "About that incident with Xuan Yi Sect last time..."
"I know!"
Yan Shuiming stood with her hands behind her back, "But there’s just not enough evidence. Even if I report the matter, exaggerate it, Xuan Yi Sect will have ways to deal with it!"
"Trying to take a chunk out of Xuan Yi Sect with this isn’t very realistic."
Qin Qi sighed secretly in his heart, feeling it was a shame.
But it was perfectly normal.
After all, the grudge with Xuan Yi Sect was his, not Yan Shuiming’s.
She had no reason to risk life and limb with Xuan Yi Sect on his behalf.
Just getting some protection from her was already a rare blessing!
After chatting a little more with Yan Shuiming, Qin Qi left Primordial Heart Palace.
When Qin Qi came out, Housekeeper Wu and the Four Demons of Yuanxin had already been waiting for some time.
"Young Master!"
"Any plans for what’s next?"
Qin Qi answered directly, "I plan to make a trip to Yun Tian City!"
The first stage of the Thousand Vein Body Forging Technique was finished, but for the second stage, he needed a lot of rare treasures as materials.
He’d have to figure out a way to gather them!
"Alright, then I’ll escort you!" Housekeeper Wu didn’t ask for the reason, just agreed straight away.
As always, they boarded the carriage.
The Spirit Evil Woman slipped into the Soul Storage Device.
Once inside, she couldn’t help but ask, "Master, what sort of deal did you work out with Yan Shuiming that made a Nascent Soul Stage ghost cultivator go to such lengths to help me?"
"Don’t tell me Yan Shuiming’s planning to drain your Yang Qi?"
Qin Qi stared, "You know about that?"
The Spirit Evil Woman burst into giggles, "Among ghost cultivators, I can guess Yan Shuiming’s intentions pretty easily. After all, what’s the only thing on you that a Nascent Soul Stage female ghost cultivator would covet? That impossibly pure Yang Qi!"
"Plus, looking at your complexion, clearly just got drained—most likely, Yan Shuiming has done more than a little harvesting already!"
Qin Qi shook his head, "As long as Yan Shuiming can save you, losing a bit of Yang Qi isn’t too big a deal. Fortunately, it didn’t affect my core vitality, and with a bit of time I’ll recover!"
The Spirit Evil Woman teased sweetly, "Master, you’re probably already scheming how to conquer this Yan Shuiming, aren’t you!"
Qin Qi stroked his chin, "With a Nascent Soul Stage lady like her, I really don’t have much confidence."
"Feels like any slight intention I have, she’ll instantly see right through!"
The Spirit Evil Woman laughed brightly, "That’s only natural—all those Nascent Soul Stage female cultivators are at least a few hundred years old. They’re all old monsters—sharp as hell!"
"Master, you’ve got some cunning yourself, but compared to those who’ve got empty hearts and shrewd eyebrows, you still lack a bit of cultivation!"
Qin Qi mused, "So do you think I have a chance? If I really conquer her, that’d be one hell of a powerful ally!"
The Spirit Evil Woman replied with a bright smile, "I think you do, and your chances are actually pretty high!"
Qin Qi asked, "Why’s that?"
The Spirit Evil Woman parted her lips with a gentle smile, "Master, you must know—no matter how old a woman gets, her essence always remains... a woman!"