Chapter 26: Who Cares About Shopping?

Watching her cheeks puff out slightly as she chewed on a steamed bun, I couldn’t help but laugh softly. Stripped of the blood, mud, and bitter vengeance, she was really just an ordinary twenty-year-old girl who loved good food.

Once the plates were thoroughly cleaned and a pot of sweet jasmine tea was emptied, we strolled back down to the bustling main avenue.

"Now then." I stretched my arms lazily and looked down at the lavender robes she was wearing. "Senior Sister’s robes look great on you, but walking around in clothes that are a size too large isn’t practical. Let’s get you a wardrobe of your own."

I led her directly into Splendid Cloud Hall, the premier tailor and silk boutique in the city.

The two-story shop was luxurious, draped with rolls of vibrant silk, finely dyed linens, and embroidered tunics displayed on polished wooden mannequins. A plump, sharp-eyed shopkeeper hurried forward the moment we stepped through the carved doorway, bowing low at the sight of my sect robes.

"Welcome, Immortal Master, young fairy! How may this humble servant serve your esteemed peak today?" the shopkeeper chirped, rubbing his hands eagerly.

"Dress my disciple from head to toe," I said, tossing a heavy pouch of gold coins onto the counter with a dull thud. "Daily robes, training outfits, formal tunics, and cold-weather cloaks. Pick the finest fabrics you have."

Qingxue stared at the heavy pouch of gold, her eyes widening in panic as she tugged lightly at my sleeve. "Master, no! One or two simple, durable cotton outfits are more than enough for me! Spending this much wealth on silk is a terrible waste—"

"A waste?" I turned, crossing my arms and looking at her with a mock-serious frown. "My first disciple represents the dignity of Lonely Cloud Peak. If you walk around in drab, rough rags, people will say I’m starving you. Go on, pick whatever catches your eye. That’s an order."

Seeing my unyielding attitude, she reluctantly let the female shop attendants lead her toward the fitting rooms at the back.

At first, she stepped out wearing plain, subdued grey and dark-blue training robes, her posture rigid and her gaze guarded, clearly trying to save me money.

"Too drab." I waved my hand from the cushioned lounge chair, sipping the complimentary spirit tea. "You’re twenty, not an eighty-year-old mountain hermit. Bring out the bright cuts."

The shop attendants smiled, taking the cue to bring out their finest creations.

And then something fascinating happened.

After trying on a fitted, snow-white tunic accented with crimson sleeve embroidery, Qingxue turned to look into the full-length bronze mirror. She tilted her head, gently touching the embroidered phoenix cuffs, a faint, unmistakable gleam of girlish fascination lighting up her dark eyes.

The next outfit was a sleek, midnight-black martial robe cinched with a silver leather sash that highlighted her narrow waist and long legs. She walked out from behind the curtain, placed a hand on her hip, and looked over her shoulder into the mirror to see how the fabric flowed behind her heels.

By the fifth outfit, a striking, cherry-blossom pink silk dress with wide, flowing sleeves, her previous hesitation had evaporated entirely.

She stepped out, twirling lightly on the wooden floorboards, the bright silk fluttering around her ankles like blooming petals. She turned toward me, a bright blush dusting her cheeks, her lips curving into an eager, hopeful smile.

"Master... how does this one look?" she asked, her voice carrying a rare, playful sweetness.

Sitting on the couch, I leaned my chin on my palm, thoroughly enjoying the private fashion show.

Turns out this terrifying future Asura sovereign secretly loves dressing up just like any other girl.

I looked at the blushing, peerless girl looking down at me, and let out a soft, wicked chuckle.

"You look dangerous, little disciple," I whispered back, my eyes gleaming with pure appreciation. "Dangerous enough that your Master might just forget about the immortal path entirely."

She blushed and smiled, turning back to try more dresses.

My true reason for dragging Shen Qingxue down to Cloudfall City had very little to do with clothing. If it were merely about filling a wardrobe, a single word from a Peak Master would have had the outer sect stewards delivering thirty trunks of fine silk to my mountain by nightfall. I brought her down because I wanted her to breathe.

Ever since I picked her off the cold flagstones of the grand plaza, her eyes had carried an edge that was far too sharp, a suffocating mixture of sorrow, paranoia, and defensive hostility forged by mortal bloodshed.

She had accepted me as her Master and even agreed to be my woman out of boundless gratitude, but gratitude wasn’t the same as truly letting down one’s guard. If she remained trapped in that dark, solitary headspace, it wouldn’t just make her miserable, it would inevitably poison her cultivation.

A strained mind was fertile soil for heart demons. When the time came to break through mortal realms, negative obsessions had a nasty habit of tearing a cultivator’s soul to shreds.

Watching her genuine, childlike excitement as she twirled in front of the mirrors, holding up dresses and blushing under my compliments, I knew the trip had done its job. The icy shell around her heart was finally beginning to crack.

After leaving the Hundred Silks Pavilion, I didn’t rush her back. We strolled along the bustling city avenues for another hour, sampling sweet fried pastries from street stalls and watching the lanterns flicker to life along the stone bridges before I summoned my flying sword and brought us back to Lonely Cloud Peak.

The cool night air greeted us as our boots touched the stone terrace of our quiet courtyard. Shen Qingxue stood clutching a neatly folded silk parcel, the residual joy from the city still lingering in her flushed cheeks.

I stopped near the pavilion edge, turned to look at her under the pale moonlight, and let my tone drop into something quiet and serious.

"Qingxue," I said calmly. "Do you still want revenge?"