Tang Ziyan stared at Su Bai.

For a moment, she did not know what to say.

The last time she had seen him, Su Bai had already been strange. Now, he was even stranger.

He had no aura.

He looked like a sickly mortal.

More importantly, he had just paralyzed Yan Lie with one needle and seated him on a chair like an elder correcting an unruly child.

Tang Ziyan looked at Su Bai’s pale face.

Finally, she spoke.

"You look worse than before."

Su Bai nodded sincerely.

"I recently experienced some trouble."

The surrounding young cultivators silently looked at Yan Lie, who was still stiff on the chair.

For some reason, hearing Su Bai call something "trouble" made them feel that his standard for trouble was probably different from ordinary people.

Su Bai looked at Tang Ziyan carefully.

Compared to their last meeting, her complexion was better. The poison that had once tormented her was no longer eating away at her foundation. Her aura was sharper, steadier, and fiercer than before.

So Su Bai said honestly, "And you look better than before."

The second floor went quiet.

Several young cultivators blinked.

Tang Ziyan froze.

Tang Sisi slowly turned her head toward Su Bai.

At the side, Yan Lie’s eyes widened.

He could not speak. But if his gaze could burn someone alive, the second floor would already be on fire.

Su Bai did not notice anything wrong at first.

He had meant exactly what he said.

Tang Ziyan’s condition was better than before.

Unfortunately, in the ears of everyone else, it sounded different.

A young man with a beautiful face had walked upstairs, ignored the room, suppressed a love rival with one needle, then told Tang Ziyan that she looked better than before.

This was not an ordinary greeting.

This was a story.

Several young female cultivators exchanged glances.

A few young male cultivators felt their hearts crack faintly.

Tang Ziyan’s ears turned slightly red.

Her expression remained fierce, but her eyes moved away for half a breath.

Tang Sisi finally rolled her eyes.

"Junior Su."

Su Bai looked at her.

Tang Sisi rested her chin on one hand and smiled.

"It seems Cousin Ziyan is the only person in your eyes."

Su Bai paused, then he immediately realized his mistake.

Tang Sisi was also an acquaintance.

Su Bai cupped his hands slightly.

"Miss Tang Sisi, it has been a long time. I was impolite just now."

Tang Sisi’s smile brightened.

"At least you still remember me."

Tang Ziyan’s lips moved slightly.

For a brief instant, she seemed close to laughing.

But she held it back.

Then she sat down again.

"Sit."

Su Bai smiled.

"Thank you."

He sat across from Tang Ziyan naturally.

The surrounding young cultivators watched the scene with complicated expressions.

Yan Lie remained seated, stiff as stone.

Unfortunately for him, Su Bai had chosen the chair in a very visible place.

Now he was not only unable to move. He had become part of the scenery.

Tang Ziyan looked at Su Bai again.

After a long silence, she asked, "Are you here for the mystic realm too?"

Su Bai nodded.

"Mostly."

Tang Ziyan narrowed her eyes.

"What is the other part?"

Su Bai fell silent.

He looked at Tang Ziyan.

Then he gave a gentle smile.

"I also wanted to see Miss Tang again."

Tang Ziyan’s fingers paused against her teacup.

Tang Sisi’s eyes widened slightly.

Several young cultivators inhaled softly.

Su Bai continued calmly, "And if possible, I would like to participate in your challenge."

The second floor froze.

Tang Sisi’s mouth slowly opened.

"You mean... Cousin Ziyan’s marriage challenge?"

Su Bai nodded.

"That should be the one."

Tang Ziyan stared at him.

Her fierce expression remained, but a faint blush appeared near her ears.

For a moment, even her sharp aura seemed to lose its edge.

The young cultivators nearby exploded inwardly.

Tang Ziyan’s marriage challenge was not a small matter.

But the sickly aura-less youth before them had said it so naturally that it sounded like he was asking whether a seat was available at a tea table.

Yan Lie’s face became even redder. His eyes almost popped out.

Tang Ziyan stared at Su Bai for a few breaths.

Then the red at her ears slowly faded.

Her gaze dimmed slightly.

"You do not want to marry me."

Her voice became quieter.

"You just want my blood."

The room became silent again.

This sentence was even stranger than the previous one.

Want her blood?

What kind of relationship was this?

Tang Sisi’s expression turned subtle.

The Tang Clan juniors nearby quietly straightened.

Su Bai was stunned. Then he became thoughtful.

Strictly speaking, Tang Ziyan was not wrong.

Her blood was extremely valuable to him.

But saying it like that made him sound like a villain in a demonic romance story.

Su Bai looked at Tang Ziyan seriously.

"Miss Tang, how could you say that?"

Tang Ziyan looked at him.

Su Bai continued, "I have not even proven myself yet."

Tang Ziyan’s eyes moved slightly.

Then Su Bai added, "Besides, compared to your blood, I prefer your tears."

Boom!

Everyone froze.

For one moment, the entire second floor fell into a silence so deep that even the tea seemed embarrassed.

Tang Ziyan’s face turned red. This time, not just her ears.

She remembered. Of course she remembered.

Back then, Su Bai had helped cleanse the poison in her body. After that, he had taken her tears as payment.

He had said it naturally. As if drinking a young woman’s tears was a reasonable transaction between young people.

The most unbearable part was that after the poison in her body had been relieved, she had felt genuinely better.

So she could not even properly hate him for it.

Tang Ziyan stared at Su Bai with a grudging look.

"You still dare mention that?"

Su Bai looked innocent.

"It was payment."

Tang Ziyan gritted her teeth.

"Normal people do not ask for that kind of payment."

Su Bai thought for a moment.

"That may be true."

Tang Ziyan’s hand tightened around the cup.

Tang Sisi covered her mouth with her sleeve.

Her shoulders trembled.

The surrounding young cultivators finally understood one thing.

There was definitely history between Su Bai and Tang Ziyan.

And it was not ordinary history. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Finally, someone could not hold back.

A young cultivator in blue robes cupped his hands from a nearby table.

"May I ask this fellow Daoist’s name?"

Once that question was asked, several others looked over.

Some wanted to know who Su Bai was.

Some wanted to judge whether he was worth befriending.

Some wanted to know whether standing too close to Yan Lie earlier had been a mistake.

The smart ones did not ask Tang Ziyan.

They looked toward Tang Sisi instead. Tang Sisi was clearly easier to speak to.

Tang Sisi smiled faintly and did not answer immediately.

Instead, she looked at Su Bai.

Su Bai understood.

It was better to introduce himself properly.

He stood slightly and cupped his hands toward the room.

"Fellow cultivators, I am Su Bai."

His voice remained gentle.

"Radiant Sky Sect disciple."

He paused.

"My master is Lu Canghai."

The second floor stirred at once.

"Radiant Sky Sect?"

"Lu Canghai’s disciple?"

"He is that Su Bai?"

"Why does he look like a mortal?"

The reactions came in layers.

Some were shocked.

Some were doubtful.

Some were suddenly afraid.

The observant cultivators lowered their gazes and quietly rejoiced that they had not spoken rashly.

A Radiant Sky Sect disciple. Lu Canghai’s disciple. A person who had casually sealed Yan Lie. Tang Clan token. Tang Ziyan’s strange reaction.

All of these things combined made Su Bai’s value rise sharply in their minds.

Radiant Sky Sect had always had a clean reputation.

Befriending one of their disciples was usually safe.

At the very least, Radiant Sky Sect disciples were famous for not stabbing allies in the back.

A few young cultivators immediately smiled more warmly.

"Brother Su, I have long heard of Radiant Sky Sect’s reputation."

"Brother Su’s needle technique was truly refined."

"To seal Scorching Sun Valley’s Yang fire so cleanly... admirable."

"Brother Su is too modest. With such skill, hiding one’s aura must be part of cultivation."

Su Bai nodded politely to each one.

He did not become proud.

He also did not explain.

The more they guessed, the less he needed to say.

This was convenient.

Tang Ziyan watched him calmly receive the greetings.

Her expression was still fierce, but her gaze had become more complicated.

Tang Sisi leaned closer to Tang Ziyan and whispered, "Cousin, he came for your challenge."

Tang Ziyan did not look at her.

"I heard."

"He said he wanted your tears."

"I also heard."

Tang Sisi smiled.

"Should I congratulate you?"

Tang Ziyan slowly turned her head.

Tang Sisi immediately sat upright and pretended to drink tea.

Across the table, Su Bai noticed nothing.

Or rather, he noticed, but pretended not to.

Meanwhile, Yan Lie remained seated.

His face was now almost the same color as his sunfire robes.

For the first time in his life, he wished someone would challenge him.

Anyone.

Anything.

Even a spirit beast.

At least then he could pretend this moment had ended.

Unfortunately, no one did.

Everyone was too busy staring at Su Bai.