"This outfit won't do; it looks a bit too frivolous."
"This one isn't right either; the color is too flashy."
"This one doesn't work either—why does it look so old-fashioned?"
"When did I even buy this dress? It's way too pink!"
"This outfit does show off my figure, but... isn't it a bit too intentional?"
Inside a room at an inn on East Street of Baiwa City, a young girl had pulled the curtains shut and was pulling out outfit after outfit from her storage pouch, trying them on in front of a water mirror conjured by a spell.
Normally, she would just pick a clean outfit and wear it without much thought. But today, she had already spent more than half an hour deliberating, still unable to decide which one to wear.
"Forget it, there's no time left. This one will do."
In the end, she settled on a pale red smoke-like flowing gown—the signature color of Blood Toras.
The gown was predominantly red, with a slender sash cinching her waist, perfectly accentuating her graceful figure.
Though she was only sixteen years old, her curves rivaled those of women in their twenties.
When she matured a bit more, her figure would undoubtedly become even more striking, exuding a natural allure of vitality.
Her glossy, jet-black hair was tied back with a red ribbon, lending her a fresh yet elegant air.
Few women could pull off an entirely red ensemble, but on her, the outfit exuded a classical beauty.
Especially those captivating peach blossom eyes, with their slightly upturned corners resembling a cat's tail—this red gown seemed as if it was made just for her.
"I'm so beautiful~" the girl said to herself, utterly satisfied with the reflection in the mirror. For once, she spoke an honest truth.
She put away the rest of the clothes strewn across the bed, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Just then, Dugu Qiu, who was passing by, caught sight of Qin Qingwan. His expression froze, and it took him a long moment to snap out of it.
Qin Qingwan was already stunning on an ordinary day, the dream girl of countless disciples in Tianxuan Sect. But today, with her extra effort in dressing up, she seemed almost otherworldly.
Even Dugu Qiu, who harbored no romantic feelings and lived only for the sword, felt his heart skip a beat.
"Good morning, Senior Brother Dugu," Qin Qingwan greeted him with a bright smile, her good mood evident.
And when a girl was in a good mood, she seemed even more radiant.
"Good morning, Junior Sister. You're up quite early," Dugu Qiu hurriedly averted his gaze from her face.
If he kept looking, he feared his sword heart might waver.
"Yes, I have something to take care of," Qin Qingwan nodded. "Senior Brother, I'll take my leave now."
"Be careful out there, Junior Sister," Dugu Qiu said.
Qin Qingwan thanked him, then descended the stairs and left the inn.
"No wonder Master always says women can slow a swordsman's draw," Dugu Qiu muttered, shaking his head as he watched her graceful figure disappear through the inn's doors. He quickly banished the image of her from his mind.
Downstairs, Dugu Qiu ordered a simple bowl of plain noodles and began eating breakfast.
Like many other cultivators, though he had already reached the stage where he no longer needed to eat, he still maintained the habit of having three meals a day. Otherwise, he always felt like something was missing.
Before long, Xia Donghua and another companion came downstairs and sat across from Dugu Qiu.
"Eh? Qingwan isn't coming down for breakfast?" Xia Donghua asked.
Qin Qingwan always joined them for breakfast, so her absence today surprised him.
Dugu Qiu shook his head. "Junior Sister Qin has gone out."
"Gone out? What for?" Xia Donghua asked.
"Who knows?" Dugu Qiu shrugged. Then, with a deliberate tone, he added, "But I must say, Junior Sister Qin looked stunning today. Too bad you won't get to see her, Senior Brother Xia."
Xia Donghua: "..."
As Qin Qingwan walked down the street, nearly everyone—whether human cultivators or demon cultivators—cast their gaze toward her.
However, such attention, whether from humans or demons, was nothing new to Qin Qingwan. She had grown accustomed to these stares from a young age.
Arriving at the Tongfu Inn, she approached the innkeeper and asked where Xu Ming was staying.
"Third floor, last room down the hallway," the boar demon innkeeper said, staring dumbfoundedly at this stunning beauty. "Miss, you are...?"
"I'm his dao companion~" Qin Qingwan playfully stuck out her tongue, then lifted the hem of her skirt and happily ran upstairs.
Reaching Xu Ming's door, just as Qin Qingwan was about to knock, the door swung open. Her fair, delicate hand froze mid-air.
Standing there in her red dress, the young girl immediately captured Xu Ming's full attention. His eyes stayed locked on her, unblinking, for what felt like an eternity.
"If you keep staring at me like that, I'll get shy, you know."
Qin Qingwan's lips curved into a smile as she stood straight before Xu Ming, her slender waist taut, and her chest rising and falling as the red gown hugged her figure. She boldly let him look at her all he wanted.
"This dress really does look good on me, doesn't it?"
Her heart was both delighted and proud.
But soon, a hint of dissatisfaction crept into her thoughts.
'This guy is so shameless. Do you stare at every pretty girl like this without blinking?'
Her words snapped Xu Ming out of his daze. He quickly bowed and apologized, "My apologies, Miss He. You look exceptionally beautiful today. Forgive my rudeness."
Qin Qingwan clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly to look up at Xu Ming. "Only 'exceptionally beautiful'? Is that all?"
Xu Ming: "..."
"Hahaha..." Qin Qingwan covered her mouth as she chuckled, her laugh crisp and melodic like silver bells. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Let's go. Accompany me to buy some materials~"
She spun around and joyfully skipped down the stairs.
Xu Ming shook his head with a smile and followed her.
Behind him, the white goose let out a loud "Honk!" and waddled after them.
The white goose, in fact, wanted very much to reveal itself to Qin Qingwan.
But seeing Xu Ming pretend not to know her true identity, the goose decided to hold back as well.
"What kind of materials do you need, Miss He?" Xu Ming asked the girl walking beside him.
"Let me think~" Qin Qingwan tilted her head, her expression adorably thoughtful.
Watching her, Xu Ming could only sigh inwardly.
This little troublemaker—she wanted to buy materials for setting up a formation, but she didn't even know what she needed. Who does that?
"Sweet candied hawthorns! Fresh candied hawthorns~"
Not far ahead, a crocodile demon carrying a large bundle of sugar-coated hawthorn skewers walked down the street, calling out to attract customers.
Qin Qingwan's eyes lit up instantly. She pointed at the crocodile and exclaimed, "Xu Ming~ I want one of those~"
Xu Ming blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. "Alright~"
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