Zi Xia nodded, then narrowed her eyes. "Good. Now, tell me more about that 'blue thing.' I need to understand this 'blue thing' of yours better."
"There's nothing much to understand, Master," Jiang Chen said with a sheepish smile. "Or, to be precise, I don't know much about it myself. Though I did name that 'blue thing'… 'Beta.'"
Zi Xia raised an elegant brow, her expression a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. "Beta? What does that mean? I'm hearing this word for the first time."
Jiang Chen scratched the back of his head, his lips curling into an awkward grin. "Honestly, Master, I don't know what it means either. It just popped into my head when I saw that blue thing. Besides, calling it 'blue thing' all the time didn't feel right."
"Hmm," Zi Xia murmured, her expression thoughtful as she rested her chin on her delicate fingers. "So, it only sends you to fulfill someone's wishes, right?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone probing.
"Yes, Master," Jiang Chen said firmly, his expression serious.
Zi Xia leaned forward, her brows furrowing. "But how can you fulfill someone's wishes when you're this weak? Or… does it help you in some way?" Her voice softened with genuine curiosity, though her gaze remained sharp.
Jiang Chen sighed, his expression turning solemn. "It does help, Master, but ultimately, I have to complete the wishes on my own."
Zi Xia tilted her head, her confusion evident. "What does that mean?"
"Master," Jiang Chen began, organizing his thoughts, "think of it this way: when I am summoned to fulfill someone's wish, I may need strength to complete it. If I don't have enough strength, I have to grow stronger quickly to succeed."
Zi Xia's brows furrowed deeper as her confusion grew. "So… you need power to fulfill the wishes. Then what exactly does this Beta do?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, a hint of nervousness in his eyes. "It rewards me for completing those wishes. For example, when I fulfilled your wish of having me as your disciple, it gave me a reward."
Zi Xia's eyes widened, a mix of shock and intrigue flickering across her face. "Wait… You're saying you receive rewards for completing wishes? And you got one for fulfilling my wish?"
"Yes, Master," Jiang Chen confirmed, his voice steady but his heart thumping nervously.
Zi Xia's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as the realization hit her. He fulfilled my desire… and received a reward for it… Her mind briefly wandered to thoughts she quickly suppressed, her blush deepening.
She cleared her throat, attempting to calm herself. "What kind of reward are we talking about?"
Jiang Chen straightened his posture, his expression serious as he explained. "I received a blessing from the heavens. Everything I receive from you, Master, is multiplied by a thousand."
Zi Xia blinked, her expression frozen in shock. "A thousand times?" she murmured, her voice barely audible.
"Yes, Master," Jiang Chen said calmly, opening his system storage. "For example, when you gave me a healing pill just now, I received a thousand more of the same pill."
Before Zi Xia could react, a cascade of glowing pills began to fall from Jiang Chen's system space, forming a small mountain in front of them.
Zi Xia's eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape. Her usually calm and composed demeanor shattered as she stared at the impossibly large pile of pills. Her delicate hands trembled, and her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out.
"This…" she whispered, her voice shaky, "is this… real?" Her gaze darted between the pills and Jiang Chen, her mind reeling.
Jiang Chen nodded solemnly, watching her expression closely. "Yes, Master. This is the blessing I received. Everything you give me will be multiplied a thousand times."
Zi Xia took a hesitant step closer to the pile of pills, her delicate fingers brushing against one. It felt real—too real. Her body shivered slightly as she murmured to herself, "What kind of Dao is this? How can something like this exist? A thousandfold… it's… it's…"
She trailed off, her mind racing with questions and disbelief. The faint blush that lingered on her cheeks deepened as she thought, If everything I give him is multiplied… then what if… She shook her head, banishing the thought, but her heart pounded uncontrollably.
Jiang Chen watched her reaction with a mix of amusement and nervousness. "Master?" he asked hesitantly.
Zi Xia took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart and spoke, "Huh, ahm… it's an unbelievable reward you've received, Jiang Chen." Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed the storm of emotions within her.
"It's all because of you, Master," Jiang Chen said earnestly, his gaze filled with gratitude. "Beta said that the reward depends on the wisher's satisfaction, so I got this great opportunity because of you. I… I didn't realize you wanted me this much as your disciple…" His voice faltered for a moment before he continued, sincerity lacing every word. "I… I really am lucky to have my first wisher be you, Master… but…" His voice grew softer, trembling slightly. "I… I'm sorry for all these years. I… should've…"
Jiang Chen's words trailed off, his emotions spilling out. He wasn't just acting anymore—he genuinely felt the weight of what the original Jiang Chen must have gone through. The thought of how different his life could have been if Zi Xia had been his master from the start brought a lump to his throat.
Zi Xia, who had been silently watching him, felt her heart ache. Seeing her beloved Jiang Chen standing before her, filled with sincerity and emotion, overwhelmed her. Her obsession, her longing, her years of waiting—all of it seemed to culminate in this moment. Her eyes grew misty, and she felt a warmth spreading in her chest.
Unable to contain her emotions, she murmured absentmindedly, "So… if I were to give you my love, would it also get a thousandfold?"
Jiang Chen froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Ah… what?" he stammered, unable to process what he had just heard.
Zi Xia's own words hit her like a thunderbolt. Realizing what she had just said, her face turned crimson, and she immediately panicked. 'Ahh, what did I just say? Did I… did I just blurt out what I was thinking? Oh, Zi Xia, how could you lose control of your tongue like that?'