Chapter 66: Nangong Mei’s Circumstances (2)

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Nangong Mei’s Circumstances (2)

Li Jian looked at the woman sitting across from him.

The question now... what should he do with her?

Sure, she might be a good woman to keep around.

That exaggerate figure was hard to ignore, and a desperate alchemist living right next door was convenient in more ways than one.

But that was only a secondary benefit.

He already had Su Qin coming every night, so he was not lacking in that area.

What he cared more about was simple.

How would this woman benefit him?

He was not a cruel person.

He had no interest in watching her get sold off as a debt servant just because she failed too many batches.

But he was not a saint either.

Two thousand spirit stones was not a number he would casually clear out of kindness, and Favor Debt points, while useful, still needed to be weighed against actual gains.

If he helped her now, the system would almost certainly record more points.

That part was attractive.

An alchemist who owed him heavily could also become a stable source of pills later... recovery pills, qi-gathering pills, even failed batches that might still have some use.

For someone trying to climb as fast as possible before Zhao Ming finished with the tournament, that kind of supply line was worth considering.

But only if she could actually produce something.

Li Jian’s eyes rested on her again.

Messy hair, red-rimmed amber eyes, worn robes, and a room full of failed ingredients.

She looked more like a shut-in who had burned through her savings than a reliable alchemist.

If she can refine even low-grade pills consistently, she’s worth investing in.

If she can’t... then the points from helping her a little are still fine, but I won’t sink more stones into a bottomless hole.

He was quiet for a moment longer, then spoke.

"Fellow Daoist Nangong. I’ll ask you directly."

She looked up nervously.

"If I help you clear enough of the debt to keep the Resource Hall off your back, and supply you with better ingredients... can you actually refine pills that work? Even stable, usable low-grade pills are enough too."

Nangong Mei’s fingers tightened around the pouch.

She hesitated, then nodded, her voice small but firm.

"I... I can. I’ve succeeded before... just not often. If the ingredients aren’t the worst quality, and if I don’t have to rush because of the collectors... I can do it."

Li Jian studied her face for a few more seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Alright. Then let’s start with that. Tell me the recipe you’re most confident in, and what ingredients you need for one proper attempt."

Nangong Mei blinked.

For a moment she just stared at him, as if the words had not fully registered.

Then her amber eyes widened.

"W-Wait... what did you say?"

Her voice rose slightly.

She leaned forward without realizing it, the pouch nearly slipping from her lap.

"You... you want to help me with the debt?"

Li Jian smiled kindly.

"Of course. I can’t bear to see a fellow disciple get crushed by debt and lose her place in the sect over a few failed batches. Everyone struggles when they’re starting out. If I can help a little and get some usable pills in return, that’s enough for me. Not to mention we’re neighbors... we should help each other out."

His tone was calm and steady, without any trace of mockery.

Nangong Mei’s amber eyes grew even wider.

The words sank in slowly, and the tight knot of fear she had been carrying for months loosened just a fraction.

In the dim, cluttered room, with bottles and failed ingredients scattered around them, that calm smile looked almost gentle.

He did not laugh at her shock.

He did not rush her.

He simply sat there, looking at her with a steady, reassuring expression, as if helping her was the most natural thing in the world.

To Nangong Mei, who had spent months watching her debt grow while no one offered her anything but warnings and cold refusals, the sight struck harder than she expected.

In that moment, he looked like a hero who had appeared in her darkest hour.

Her lips trembled.

The tears she had just managed to hold back welled up again, but she bit them down, hands clutching the spirit stone pouch so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"You’re... really willing to help me?" she asked, voice small and unsteady. "Even after knowing how much I owe?"

Li Jian’s smile did not change.

"I already said I would. As long as you can refine usable pills, this arrangement benefits both of us. You get breathing room. I get pills. It’s that simple."

Nangong Mei stared at him for a long second.

Then her face crumpled.

"Waaah...!"

Tears spilled over again before she could stop them.

She shot up from the stool so fast it nearly toppled, clutching the spirit stone pouch in one hand as she rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of him.

Both arms wrapped tightly around his leg, her messy hair falling over her shoulders as she pressed her face against his robe and sobbed.

"Fellow Daoist Li...! You’re really... really going to help me...! I thought... I thought I was going to be sold off... waaah...!"

Her shoulders shook hard.

The generous swell of her chest pressed against his shin with every sob, but she didn’t seem to notice.

She just held on, crying openly, all the fear and exhaustion from months of failed batches and growing debt pouring out at once.

Li Jian looked down at her, momentarily speechless.

’...Again?’

But feeling that softness enveloping his leg, he nodded to himself.

’So soft, as expected.’

He just let her sob and hug his leg for a while.

Then, sensing the tears soaking into his robe again, he sighed.

One hand hovered awkwardly before he finally rested it on top of her head.

"Fellow Daoist Nangong. I already said I’d help. There’s no need to cry on my leg a second time."

But Nangong Mei only hugged tighter, her voice muffled against his robe.

"I know...! I know, but... no one’s ever said that to me before...! Waaah...! You have no idea how scared I am...!"

Her arms stayed locked around his leg.

Every shaky breath made the soft, heavy weight of her chest press more firmly against him, the worn fabric of her robe doing little to hide the warmth and fullness.

Li Jian’s fingers rested lightly on her messy hair, and he could not help but wonder how much she had bottled up.

Months of failed batches.

Mounting debt.

Cold warnings from the Resource Hall.

No one to turn to.

It had all been pressed down until a single hundred spirit stones and a few calm words cracked it open.

The way she clung to his leg and cried like the world was ending told him more than her earlier explanations had.

’In a way... she’s quite strong.’

Most outer disciples in her position would have already given up, sold what little they had, or simply waited for the Discipline Hall to come collect them.

But she had kept trying.

Failed batch after failed batch, debt climbing past two thousand, and she was still here, still attempting to refine pills in this cramped room.

His hand slowly began to stroke her gently with that thought.

Then his fingers paused.

Li Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, the gentle motion slowed as a quiet suspicion settled in his chest.

Because Nangong Mei’s situation... is rather strange.