The reason Zi Yan had acted so boldly was simple—she had seen how Han Yue "repaid" Xiao Jietian after he helped her, and Han Yue had done exactly the same thing.
At that time, Xiao Jietian had looked extremely pleased.
So why, when it came to her, was he completely stunned?
She didn't understand.
She needed to observe more.
"Alright, you go down first. I'll start refining for you now."
Xiao Jietian patted her small bottom and set her on the ground.
"Ouch! What are you doing!"
Zi Yan immediately jumped out of his arms, covering her backside with both hands. A strange glint flashed through her eyes—one she herself didn't even notice.
For Zi Yan, whose actual age was ancient but whose mental age remained that of a young girl, she hadn't yet realized the subtle change in her own reactions.
She puffed out her cheeks and glared fiercely at Xiao Jietian.
"If you pat my butt again, I'll never forgive you!"
"Alright, alright. I won't (dare to) do it next time."
Seeing her face turn as red and puffed up as an angry pufferfish, Xiao Jietian reached out with his "sinful" hand and ruffled her hair into a complete mess.
"Okay, you play here by yourself for a bit. I'm going to start refining."
Hearing that, the still-huffing Zi Yan glanced longingly at the storage ring now in Xiao Jietian's hand. In the end, she could only surrender to the promise of pills. Reluctantly, she squatted off to the side and began drawing circles on the ground with her finger.
*Draw circles to curse you!!*
Watching her childish antics, Xiao Jietian couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
He had told her many stories over time to slowly close the distance between them.
Tender sprouts still needed careful nurturing.
For magical beasts who had taken human form but retained the mentality of children, they were endlessly curious—especially about stories.
Half an hour later, Xiao Jietian finished refining all the medicinal ingredients Zi Yan had hoarded.
"How long have you been saving these?"
At first, even he had been startled by the sheer quantity inside the ring: over fifty mid-grade herbs, plus a large number of low-grade ones.
The low-grade herbs he simply fused together in bulk before dividing them into individual pills.
"Not long, actually," Zi Yan mumbled, scuffing her toe against the dirt. "After you refined pills for me last time, whenever I had free time I'd wander around the forest… and occasionally 'visit' the elders' storeroom."
"And you've been disappearing a lot lately, so of course I had to stockpile more. Otherwise, what would I eat when you're gone?"
Seeing Xiao Jietian's surprised expression, she grew even more embarrassed and looked away.
After he finished storing all the newly refined pills, Zi Yan suddenly remembered something important. She puffed out her small chest, placed her hands on her hips, and raised her chin high.
"You told me last time—if I followed you, you'd make sure I had an endless supply of pills. But after you said that, you disappeared for so long!"
"I don't care. You have to compensate me! Even though I look small, I'm not young, and I'm not that easy to fool. You *must* compensate me!"
Xiao Jietian looked at her proud, self-righteous little expression—so very much like a certain tsundere—and couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, alright. I'll compensate you."
He walked in front of her, grabbed the back of her collar, and lifted her straight off the ground.
"What are you doing?! Don't think that just because your cultivation is higher now you can bully me! I'm telling you—I'm not made of mud!"
Zi Yan's short legs kicked furiously in the air. Her tone was fierce, but her eyes darted left and right, terrified someone might witness her current humiliating position.
She was once the number one on the Strong Ranking, and now number two—a true big shot of Jia Nan Academy!
"Don't resist. I'm taking you somewhere."
Hearing that, Zi Yan looked up at him in confusion, both hands clutching her flat chest in panic.
"I don't want compensation anymore! Please put me down—I'm still small, I'll die!"
Xiao Jietian's forehead immediately darkened with black lines.
He really shouldn't have told her so many random stories and random phrases.
"What exactly are you imagining?"
He gave her forehead a firm knuckle rap.
Zi Yan immediately clutched her head with both hands, looking exactly like Tom Cat after getting hit—eyes wide, mouth open in exaggerated pain.
"I'm taking you somewhere to familiarize you with it. From now on, you can come here to find me whenever you want."
"Really? You're not lying to me?" Zi Yan stared at him suspiciously, as if to say: *I'm very smart. Don't even try.*
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Xiao Jietian lifted her higher until they were eye-to-eye.
"You still say you haven't! Last time you said you'd tell me a story the next day—and you still haven't!"
Zi Yan huffed angrily, her cheeks puffed into perfect little buns.
"Pfft~"
Xiao Jietian reached out and poked one of the puffed cheeks with his finger.
Instantly, the air seemed to leak out of her. "Pssssshhh—"
"Don't do that! I'm angry—and you still haven't explained!"
Zi Yan bared her teeth and swiped at him with her short arms, but she couldn't reach.
"Pat!"
Xiao Jietian gave her bottom another light pat.
"Alright, relax your mind. Don't resist."
Zi Yan immediately covered her backside again, lips pouting, glaring daggers at him.
*How dare he! This young lady was bullied so badly today. Sooner or later, I'll get revenge!*
"What? Still not convinced?"
Xiao Jietian placed his palm warningly behind her back.
Zi Yan instantly sensed the threat. She forced a stiff smile.
"No, no, no—you misunderstood. I'm completely convinced."
Of course Xiao Jietian knew she was only submitting on the surface while inwardly cursing him to the eighteenth generation of his ancestors.
He didn't mind.
Since he was stronger, he could bully her as he pleased.
With that thought, he simply held her and vanished from the spot—reappearing inside Eternal Heaven World.
The moment they arrived, Zi Yan's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the magnificent landscape. She even forgot she was still being carried like a kitten. Her gaze darted everywhere, sparkling.
"Where… where is this place? There's so much energy here! There must be tons of precious herbs! Do you want me to help you dig some up?"
Using her innate treasure-sensing ability, she immediately detected countless good things. She couldn't help swallowing hard.
Seeing her money-grubbing expression, Xiao Jietian smiled helplessly.
"I'll tell you where this is later. No rush."
He carried her slowly toward the Eternal Heaven Palace, deliberately walking at a leisurely pace so she could take in the sights.
After all, dragons loved shiny things.
Most of the architecture in Eternal Heaven World was constructed with glazed tiles and various crystals. Under the sunlight, they glittered like a sea of jewels.
"If you won't say, then don't say. Who cares anyway."
Zi Yan put on an indifferent front, but inside she was already scheming how to trick Xiao Jietian into revealing the entrance—so she could sneak back later and loot everything.
Having spent so much time with her, Xiao Jietian naturally understood her personality perfectly.
"Then you should wipe your drool first."
Zi Yan instinctively reached up to the corner of her mouth—found nothing—and realized she'd been fooled again.
*Damn it! Damn it! He tricked this young lady again!*
She crossed her arms, turned her head away, and huffed loudly—classic "I'm angry but I won't tell you why, figure it out yourself" posture.
When they finally entered the Eternal Heaven Palace, Yun Yun and the others had just finished their daily cultivation and were currently gathered in the lakeside pavilion, keeping Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng company.
The moment Xiao Jietian walked in carrying Zi Yan like a prize, all the women noticed at once.
A hint of surprise flashed through their eyes.
Ya Fei, who had always been the most openly attached to him, immediately came over.
"Xiao Jietian… what exactly is the meaning of *this*?"