On the way down the mountain, Chen Sixi became much quieter.
Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao also didn't say a word.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was simply because she disliked talking.
Xie Xun, on the other hand, was deep in thought.
Earlier, when he saw Jiang Xiaoxiao draw talismans barehanded, it wasn't just the Chen family father and son who were shocked - he was too.
Ever since that first encounter on the night of the fifteenth of July, there hadn't been a single ordinary thing about this little creature.
She could wield a kitchen knife to slash ghosts.
She could transform into a three-inch-tall figure on full moon nights.
She could draw talismans out of thin air to subdue evil spirits during normal times.
And she could really hold a grudge.
When taking revenge for him, she shattered someone's kneecap without even blinking.
Outwardly gentle and soft, yet inwardly tough and taciturn.
Completely unlike Xie Xun's imagination of a righteous and kind cultivator concerned for all living beings.
Although Xie Xun didn't understand cultivation, just seeing her skill in drawing talismans from nothing told him that Jiang Xiaoxiao was definitely no ordinary disciple from Cangwu Mountain.
Indeed, how could the female disciple that the Heavenly Master's Mansion broke a century-old precedent to accept be ordinary?
Since Jiang Xiaoxiao had helped the Chen family so much by saving Chen Sixi's life, the old man Chen insisted on inviting the two of them to stay for a meal.
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't mind either way, it mainly depended on Xie Xun's decision.
When Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at him, Xie Xun directly refused, "No need, we still have things to do."
"It's just a meal, Xie Xun, do you really have to be like that? It's not like I'm trying to steal your wife," Chen Sixi muttered.
Xie Xun's attitude was firm, "It's getting late, we still need to hurry back to the village, or else it'll be dark before we get there."
With things having come to this, the old man Chen couldn't insist on keeping them, so he said he would see them off personally.
But Xie Xun refused that offer too.
The old man Chen could only send them to the gate.
Before parting, he slipped a red lucky bag into Jiang Xiaoxiao's hands.
Jiang Xiaoxiao probably guessed there was silver inside, she weighed it - six taels and six qian - and gave a light "thank you."
The Chen family home was in town, not far from the gate was the market street.
Xie Xun glanced at a clothing store nearby, and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
But when he turned his head, Jiang Xiaoxiao was nowhere to be seen.
Just in the blink of an eye, she had vanished!
Xie Xun's eyes darkened as he started walking back, asking around as he went.
But before he could finish asking, he saw a carriage coming from not far away.
There were two people seated up on the carriage shaft.
One was a bruised and battered coachman, and the other was an innocent-looking Jiang Xiaoxiao.
The carriage soon stopped right next to Xie Xun.
Jiang Xiaoxiao pointed at the coachman and said to Xie Xun, "That day, he was the loudest in cursing at you, so I'm making him give you a free ride back."
As she said this, her eyes were clearly filled with pure innocence.
Who would believe that those small, seemingly frail hands could have beaten a man much taller and stronger than her to the point where even his parents wouldn't recognize him?
"Sir Xie, I was wrong that day, I was blind and spoke disrespectfully. Wah wah wah, could you be magnanimous and spare me this once? I'll never dare to do it again..."
The coachman begged for mercy through his tears, clearly having been brutally beaten.
Xie Xun raised his eyebrows.
He had said this little creature held grudges, and true to his words!
She said she would take revenge for him, so she dragged the man who robbed his silver to him to be punished.
She said she would hit the one who cursed at him, so she beat that man to a pulp and blatantly forced him to drive the most expensive carriage to take them back.
She rarely spoke, but whenever she did, she would always follow through.
So pure, so decisive.
As if she would never be tainted by selfish desires.
She might not even know what "selfish desires" meant.
Xie Xun's gaze fell on Jiang Xiaoxiao's shabby Daoist robe.
"Get off."
Jiang Xiaoxiao looked puzzled, "Aren't we going home?"
Xie Xun eyed her, "You plan to keep wearing those clothes?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao saw the clothing store by the street and seemed to understand.
She hopped off the carriage and followed Xie Xun inside.
The coachman obediently parked the carriage by the side and waited.
The clothing store owner was a plump woman who smiled at Xie Xun and Jiang Xiaoxiao upon seeing them.
"Young sir, buying clothes for the young wife?"
She gave them a once-over and let out an admiring "Woah."
"In all my years in business, this is the first time I've seen such a handsome young couple."
"Come, come, we have all the latest styles here. Feel free to pick and choose whatever you like."
Xie Xun said mildly, "You're mistaken, we're not..."
But the owner giggled and covered her mouth, "My, the young sir is so shy!"
Xie Xun's face darkened, and he didn't argue further, going to sit by the side instead.
The owner was experienced in her trade and had a keen eye, quickly picking out the right sizes for Jiang Xiaoxiao.
She chose a bright, rosy set and led Jiang Xiaoxiao to the inner room to change.
Xie Xun waited a long while before hearing footsteps.
He looked up to see Jiang Xiaoxiao now wearing a rose-red double-breasted long dress.
For full effect, the owner had also added some hair accessories and styled Jiang Xiaoxiao's hair.
As the sun set, the room grew dimmer, so the owner lit some candles.
In the warm candlelight, Jiang Xiaoxiao's face seemed even more porcelain-pale and translucent, like exquisite jade.
Her movements were languid and graceful, her figure slender and willowy.
As a former nun, Jiang Xiaoxiao naturally exuded an aura of pristine detachment from the mundane world.
Yet purity taken to the extreme evokes desire.
The unseen allure is most fatal.
Xie Xun's eyes rippled slightly before he swiftly averted his gaze.
"We'll take this set," Xie Xun said to the owner. "How much?"
The owner laughed lightly, "Young sir, aren't you going to buy the young wife a couple more sets? We have plenty of styles and colors that young ladies love."
"Whatever you think is best, you pick them out."
After saying that, Xie Xun lowered his eyelids, hiding the strange emotion in his eyes.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was used to wearing Daoist robes and had never worn such fancy clothes before.
She had no real concept of what looked good or not, only noticing that Xie Xun seemed a little dazed when he saw her in this new outfit.
That probably meant it looked good.
She told the owner she wanted this set, and asked if there was another identical one, she wanted two of the same.
The owner explained that for a lady's clothes, having identical sets didn't look as nice, and suggested choosing different styles instead.
But Jiang Xiaoxiao insisted, "I want two identical sets!"
Unable to dissuade her, the owner had no choice but to get another set that was exactly the same.
The two dresses cost three hundred wen.
It was only after paying that Xie Xun realized the two sets were identical.
He looked at Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Did you get the wrong ones?"
"No, I didn't," Jiang Xiaoxiao stuffed the clothes into her bundle. "I like wearing the same clothes."
Seeing how she must have worn Daoist robes year-round at Cangwu Mountain out of habit, Xie Xun didn't ask further.
The coachman was still obediently waiting outside.
Upon seeing the two of them, he hurriedly got off and put down the step stool, practically kowtowing as he ushered them onto the carriage.
How could he not be extremely respectful? This young lady was simply too formidable. Earlier, she had charged right into the stable and beat up every single coachman who had cursed at Xie Xun that day, not even sparing the stable master.
She was especially vicious when beating him.
Her fists felt like they were made of iron.
He had never seen a woman so terrifyingly fierce before, nor even heard of such a thing.
It was like seeing a ghost!
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