However, he was in for a headache; in all his years, he had never once pursued a girl.
In the past, the women who proactively approached him were either attracted to his family background or his appearance.
In short, there were all sorts of reasons, and he never needed to do the chasing.
Now that he was here, he truly didn’t have a plan.
Thinking of Lin Ling’s unusual demeanor, Xiu Jiming sighed softly, feeling as though the difficulty level had spiked to the maximum right from the start.
Recalling what Xiu Lanxin had told him the day before, Xiu Jiming decided to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.
‘I’ll just have to try a few things once we’re out,’ he thought.
After getting ready, the two of them ate a hasty breakfast in the kitchen.
Lin Ling and Xiu Jiming then headed to Longchuan County to buy local specialties.
The specialties of Longchuan County weren’t anything particularly rare, mostly consisting of unique pastries and the like.
As for jade artifacts, magic tools, and other such items, there were naturally many available, given that it was the center of Yunzhou.
Xiu Jiming opened his wallet and told Lin Ling to choose whatever she liked; he would pick up the tab.
Hearing someone be so generous, Lin Ling didn’t hesitate for a second.
She specifically ran toward the most expensive items, making Xiu Jiming’s heart ache with every purchase.
Along the way, Xiu Jiming used Xiu Lanxin’s method, constantly taking the initiative to cling to Lin Ling.
From the very beginning, he never stopped calling her “Ling’er” over and over again.
He called her that so much that Lin Ling now had a massive headache.
At the start of their shopping trip, she would pick out items and ask Xiu Jiming if they were worth the price.
But Xiu Jiming was simply too annoying throughout the journey.
She had already lost count of how many times he had called her by ê·¸ name.
Finally, after Lin Ling bought a stick of brown sugar skewers from a roadside stall, Xiu Jiming leaned in once more and said, “Ling’er, aren’t you going to buy one for me too?”
Lin Ling finally couldn’t take it anymore.
She glared at Xiu Jiming, reached out to pinch the soft flesh of his waist, and ground out every word: “You. Are. Not. Allowed. To. Ever. Call. Me. That. Again!”
Of course, just because Lin Ling said so didn’t mean he would comply.
According to what Xiu Lanxin had taught him, Xiu Jiming interpreted this as her being a “tsundere.”
If Lin Ling knew what Xiu Jiming was thinking, she would probably cough up blood.
She would likely be screaming “Tsundere my foot!”
While hurling Talismans at him.
In short, after spending every last coin in Xiu Jiming’s wallet, Lin Ling walked ahead with her hands behind her back, looking satisfied.
Behind her, Xiu Jiming’s Storage Bag was already full, and he was even carrying two items on his person.
He said somewhat helplessly, “Ling’er, why did you buy so many Magic Treasures? Most of them are just low-level toys anyway.”
Lin Ling’s expression stiffened.
Her eyes darted around as a mischievous idea took hold.
She suddenly looked at him very seriously and wrote on a piece of paper: “I need to study the Rune structures within these low-level Magic Treasures. I’m still not very knowledgeable in these areas. It wouldn’t be right to take apart expensive ones, so I bought these pieces of junk instead.”
‘I’m lying to you; I just wanted to spend your money. Tee-hee.’
Xiu Jiming agreed, saying, “That makes sense.”
Lin Ling covered her mouth and giggled secretly.
‘He’s so easy to fool.’
Of course, to Xiu Jiming, this small amount of money was nothing.
He had only asked out of habit; after all, it was rare to see Lin Ling have such a strong desire to shop.
After returning to the Xun Zhu Si laden with bags, they saw Gong Xuance sitting on the floor of the main hall, being chased out by someone with a broom.
Turning around, Gong Xuance saw the two of them and immediately rushed over, saying, “Junior Brother, Sister-in-law! You’re finally back.”
Lin Ling glared at him and, with great familiarity, delivered a kick straight to Gong Xuance’s groin before casually walking back into the Xun Zhu Si.
Gong Xuance lay on the ground, twitching uncontrollably.
Xiu Jiming glanced at him, shook his head, and carried Lin Ling’s purchases inside the Xun Zhu Si.
Soon, Xiu Jiming’s subordinates came up to help him move the items.
Gong Xuance, who had just recovered after resting on the ground for a good while, stood up and said, “Wait, Junior Brother, I have serious business to discuss with you.”
Xiu Jiming, while standing outside the Xun Zhu Si helping Lin Ling take inventory, replied, “The last time you said that, you tricked me into being trapped in the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven for so long. What are you trying to trick me into this time?”
Gong Xuance hurriedly said, “No, no, no, no, Junior Brother, trust me. This time, it’s definitely something good!”
“And it has nothing to do with Liu Que,” Gong Xuance added, walking to Xiu Jiming’s side with a serious expression.
“The news I received this time is about a secret realm left behind by a powerhouse of the Dual Tribulation Realm. I came here to ask your Xun Zhu Si to go and blockade the site so that we can explore it ourselves. What do you think?”
Hearing this, Xiu Jiming said cryptically, “The government never does such things, and the Xun Zhu Si cannot keep everything for itself.”
Hearing him say that, Gong Xuance naturally expressed his disbelief.
In a place like the Imperial Court where a vast number of experts gathered, the nation not only had to maintain order but also required massive amounts of resources to nurture talent.
How could they possibly pass up those secret realm resources?
Moreover, as far as he knew, there weren’t many cultivators in the Dual Tribulation Realm within the Imperial Court.
Seeing his contemptuous expression, Xiu Jiming smiled and explained, “The Imperial Court will certainly conduct protective exploration of such secret realms. Once the Imperial Court deems it too difficult to conquer, they will seek help from the major sects, and then we will discuss the distribution of resources.”
“And then the Imperial Court takes a cut from the major sects, right?”
Gong Xuance curled his lip.
Xiu Jiming shook his head and laughed, “These are necessary measures. We can never allow the major sects to grow too powerful again like they did 1,000 years ago, riding over the commoners and the Emperor.”
“Currently, it is the Dayu that wields the world’s authority. The House of Shi is the convergence of Humanity’s Dragon Qi, with authority granted by Heaven. Naturally, the major sects can only obediently follow orders.”
Gong Xuance waved his hand, signaling that he didn’t want to hear all that.
He said, “I know all that. I don’t care about the rest. Just one question: are you going or not?”
Seeing that he was getting a bit impatient, Xiu Jiming finally nodded and said, “We’re definitely going, but how did you discover this secret realm? I need to make a record.”
Gong Xuance said, “I discovered it suddenly while I was pursuing Liu Que. It’s just that I, your senior brother, don’t have the capability to take on this secret realm alone. Otherwise, why the devil would I come to you for help?”
“Who knew the people in your Xun Zhu Si would be so short-sighted,” he added, casting a contemptuous look at the few Xun Zhu Si staff members who had previously chased him with a broom.
After recording the various items Lin Ling had purchased, Xiu Jiming asked, “Is there a possibility that this secret realm is a trap set for you by Liu Que?”
“After all, don’t forget the abilities of the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven. Samsara can manifest into 10,000 worlds. It’s not impossible that he manifested one of those worlds into a secret realm to lure us there.”
Xiu Jiming closed his notebook and looked at Gong Xuance quietly.
Gong Xuance hurriedly said, “Impossible. That brat Liu Que hasn’t even reached the Manifesting Saint Realm yet. He only managed to trap you by relying on the unique characteristics of the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven, but he could never release a secret realm that possesses the aura of the Dual Tribulation Realm. Besides, it doesn’t look like it was newly created; it has definitely been there for quite some time.”