"What happened?" Jiang Yuan took a handkerchief produced by the Textile Workshop from his storage bag and patiently handed it over, guiding, "Did you encounter some trouble?"

Jiu Mu hated crying the most; crying with nine eyes at once was simply a disaster.

Especially the two eyes in his palms, getting teary made it inconvenient to hold things, and the sticky wetness was hard to shake off.

He hadn’t thought of a good excuse for strolling around with a piece of coarse linen garment. Seeing this, he was afraid the other would probe deeply, so he continued, "During dinner when having the extra dish, I noticed you seemed a bit down. Would it be convenient to tell me? Maybe I can help."

"It’s, it’s no use." The more Jiu Mu thought about it, the sadder she got, and with a loud cry, she sat on the ground, wailing without any care for her image.

Fortunately, the handkerchief from the Textile Workshop was for cultivators, with a bit of self-drying and cleaning magic, so even if her nine eyes cried at once, it could handle it.

Seeing how truly upset she was, Jiang Yuan could only sit in silent companionship on the steps.

After a long while, Jiu Mu finally stopped her tears gradually.

Seeing Mr. Jiang sitting on the ground so down-to-earth accompanying her, she remembered the days with Brother Yun Li, who would quietly sit beside her when her mood was low.

In retrospect, perhaps he simply didn’t know how to comfort a girl.

"Sir, how did you think of making red braised fish lips last night? This dish isn’t very common." Having just cried, Jiu Mu’s voice hadn’t recovered, carrying a strong nasal tone.

Jiang Yuan was curious; with so many eyes crying, wouldn’t her nasal congestion be more severe?

"It just happened that the spiritual manta fish had a bountiful harvest yesterday. I noticed you like fish, so I thought you might like this dish." He half-jokingly said, "How was it? Did you like it?"

She shook her head woodenly, "I didn’t eat."

After a pause, Jiu Mu quietly said, "Over the years, I’ve seen many chefs make red braised fish lips, but yours is the best.

The sauce was vibrant red, and the aroma was rich. Even just smelling, one could tell the taste would be extraordinary! Most importantly, your red braised fish lips somehow tasted similar to the first time I had it years ago..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head to look at the coarse clothing in her arms and asked, "This is the kind of garment only the poor wear. How did you have one, Sir?"

The inevitable came still, Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and pointed downward, "I have a Textile Workshop and also a Floating Market.

Every day, the market receives orders for aid materials from many poor people and refugees. This kind of coarse linen garment is one of them. Those struggling in hardship probably don’t even dare to wish for a cotton garment.

Just now, another linen garment was completed in the Textile Workshop. Out of boredom, I took it out for a look; such coarseness is the attire many dream of. I couldn’t help but sigh. And you? Why did you cry seeing such a linen garment?"

Textile Workshop? 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Floating Market?

Jiu Mu didn’t directly answer the question, but she had a vague impression.

Living in the small courtyard, Mr. Jiang never restricted personal freedom, allowing her to roam around the three layers at will. Thus, she’d seen those workshops with closed doors and windows, from which faint cracking and rumbling sounds came out, never seeing anyone enter or exit, and she wondered what kind of people lived and worked inside.

"How does your Floating Market receive orders?" Jiu Mu blinked her many eyes, bewildered, "Can you communicate with those pleading refugees? Could you give them more supplies?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head, helplessly, "I can only see the orders and prepare the materials before delivering them through some channels. If I could communicate, I would tell them they can exchange for more comfortable clothes."

At this point, he looked up at the radiant autumn morning sun, thinking of the wandering refugees in those orders, his mood inevitably heavy.

"Actually..." Jiu Mu gently stroked the coarse garment, thoughtfully saying, "For those desperately needing help, even such a coarse garment is good enough! You asked why I cried; I really don’t know where to begin. Do you have more things to do?"

"Today is a rest day, so there’s plenty of time. If you want to talk, don’t rush; take your time."

"Then it really will be a long story. If you don’t mind listening to my ramblings, please come to my room and have some tea while I talk." Jiu Mu felt a growing impulse.

She longed for the other’s help but didn’t know how to ask, so she got up and invited him.

They entered her serene courtyard, where the plate of red braised fish lips, now cold, hadn’t been touched, still placed on the table.

The tea Demon Cultivators drink is bought by Jiang Yuan through Pavilion Master Cang. Jiu Mu eagerly brewed some, then realized belatedly that Mr. Jiang wasn’t Yun Li and couldn’t drink things from the Demon Realm.

"I have this." Jiang Yuan smiled and took out his own teapot and teacup.

Actually, demon realm’s tea was all the same to him; drinking it added to his mana and mana bar. The problem was Pavilion Master Cang’s rank wasn’t high enough to procure exquisite demon tea, which tasted far inferior to the spirit tea he grew in his own fields.

Jiu Mu took a sip of tea and sighed, "I have to start from when I remember. The Demon Realm is similar to other worlds but also quite different."

She was born on Qiongmixing in the Old Area of the Demon Realm, where the tribe lived in seclusion, farming for a living, under the rule of an Essence Condensation Realm Demon Cultivator.