Attraction! . . .
With a sense of pride, Xiu-Er raised her head confidently and addressed Cha Eun Xiao. "Absolutely! The proof is right before your eyes. Do you still doubt it, Feng Monarch?"
Cha Eun Xiao, his eyes gleaming with excitement, rubbed his hands together and replied with a hint of embarrassment. "I believe you! I do, absolutely believe you! Oh, by the way, Lady Xiu-Er, since you are so capable, I suppose I can confide in you about my needs. I'm sure it wouldn't pose any trouble for Lady Xiu-Er and the House of the Chaotic Storms. It must be as easy as snapping one's fingers..."
To Xiu-Er's surprise, Cha Eun Xiao's request left her startled.
[Wait, listen to him...I was merely speaking casually. Did I just invite more trouble with my big mouth?]
As expected, Cha Eun Xiao, with an earnest expression, continued, "You are so efficient at collecting materials. Can you...gather some treasures and rare fruits too? These are valuable ingredients for crafting dan beads..."
Xiu-Er gazed at this audacious man with her large, expressive eyes, suddenly at a loss for words. Her heart was filled with thousands of ravens, cawing loudly.
"Heh, heh, I understand that it may be a bit embarrassing to trouble you," Cha Eun Xiao said while sighing. "But as you mentioned earlier, it's a piece of cake for the House of the Chaotic Storms to collect materials. I believe it would only take you three to five days. Plus, if you don't retrieve these items, they'll only go to waste somewhere in the world. What a loss! If you could collect them for me, it would be a tremendous help...for the nation and its people. Medicinal materials are truly gifts from the gods."
"Men should make use of the blessings they receive. Medicines should be used to help people. That's the right thing to do."
Xiu-Er gritted her teeth and retorted, "Whether we are good at it or efficient is our own business. Why should we collect these things for you? How does it benefit us?"
Cha Eun Xiao, unfazed, replied, "Lady Xiu-Er, you're being rather distant now. Consider our relationship. I am a dan-maker, and I have a passion for treasures, valuable materials, and rare fruits, no matter if they're poisonous or not..."
He went on, "As a dan-maker, encountering these items fills me with joy. That joy boosts my confidence, which, in turn, allows me to craft better dan beads more quickly. The faster I craft dan beads, the sooner Master Bai will receive his Heaven Seizing Supreme Dan. Don't you agree? However, if I'm unable to do so...well, you know what I mean."
Xiu-Er found herself growing increasingly irate, wishing she could just punch him in the face.
"You rascal! You couldn't be more shameless!" she thought to herself. "Crafting dan beads is your one and only skill, and yet you're using it to coerce me? Just look at how shameless you're being!"
Xiu-Er was seething with anger, though she begrudgingly held her temper.
[Fine, I'll put up with it, but only for Master's sake.]
"Feng Monarch, what exactly do you need?" she inquired, doing her best to keep her anger in check.
[I'll accept it, as long as he doesn't ask for anything too outrageous!]
"What do I need?" Cha Eun Xiao grinned slyly and began listing his requirements. "Lady Xiu-Er, you're intelligent and beautiful. That's an excellent question. I'm not very particular. I simply require a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng, a ten-thousand-year-old lucid ganoderma, a ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus, a ten-thousand-year-old multiflora..." He counted the items on his fingers, a total of around forty ten-thousand-year-old materials.
[Is he serious?]
"No!" Xiu-Er exclaimed, her frustration mounting. [Does he see the House of the Chaotic Storms as his personal treasure hoard?]
Grinning wickedly, Cha Eun Xiao continued, "Oh, you can't obtain ten-thousand-year-old materials? How about a thousand-year-old version? After all, I'm not that particular. The more, the better."
Xiu-Er, her teeth gritted in irritation, struggled to suppress her rising anger, her face turning red.
Cha Eun Xiao grinned and spoke with a hint of amusement, "Heh, heh... Well... Lady Xiu-Er, if you can procure more of these items, I won't let you do it for nothing." Observing the irritation on Xiu-Er's face, he continued slowly, "According to Lord Ling's wisdom, supreme dan beads are highly valuable items in Human Realm Upon Heavens. The usual dan beads of supreme level, such as the Bone Ablutionary Dan, Limit Breaking Dan, and Pei-Yuan Dan, are likely of no interest to you. But what about higher-tier supreme dan beads? What if I offer you some supreme dan beads with rapid healing properties? Perhaps you aren't focused on advancing your cultivation levels, but the value of fast-healing supreme dan beads and high-tier dan beads could be beneficial to you in the future..."
Xiu-Er's expression shifted, though she remained silent.
"In reality, the materials I've requested are of interest to me, but they also hold benefits for you ladies," Cha Eun Xiao explained. "For example, if you provide me with a ten-thousand-year-old snow lotus..." He spoke in a straightforward manner, "I promise you, before you leave this world, I will provide you with two high-quality supreme dan beads. They are treasures that all women dream of possessing."
"What kind of dan bead is it that makes you so confident?" The notion of 'treasures that all women dream of' piqued Xiu-Er's curiosity.
"It's the supreme-level Agerasia Dan!" Cha Eun Xiao answered with deliberation. "I wonder if that translates to a 'treasure that all women dream of' in your eyes! The supreme Agerasia Dan has no time limitations. One dose grants you eternal youth, allowing you to maintain your youthful appearance for your entire life. How does that sound? Isn't it marvelous?"
"Deal!" Xiu-Er's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Her gaze was filled with determination and enthusiasm.
It was indeed an enticing proposition.
The idea of eternal youth and everlasting beauty was akin to a dream come true.
Not only was it a dream for women, but it was also a miraculous spell!
Any woman would agree to such a deal if offered the chance!
Xiu-Er embraced the opportunity with joy and zeal.
Even Wan-Er and Xiu-Er shared the same sentiment.
"When Master returns to Human Realm Upon Heavens, he will undoubtedly be a favored and privileged man," they thought. "Everyone will clamor to be near him. With his charming looks, wisdom, social status, and abilities, all women will pine for him. What will become of us then? We truly have no idea. Women should never overlook this sense of impending competition. A woman adorns herself for the man who loves her. When we return with Master, the only things we'll have to offer are our millenia-long history and our youthful beauty."
This explained why Xiu-Er readily agreed to the deal upon hearing about the rewards she would receive after providing Cha Eun Xiao with the required materials.