Chapter Ninety: To Give Roses Is to Keep Their Fragrance Upon the Hand

A cry of triumph rang out. Success at last! She Mei-er was so overjoyed that she almost fainted from delight.

Steadying herself, she was the first to run to the heap of Cloud-Holding Jasper. She picked up a piece of the longed-for treasure and examined it closely. It was shaped like an egg, flawless and white, translucent and clear. In the very center lay a hollow about the size of a grape, and within that hollow a single dewdrop trembled without cease.

Soon after, Tu Xiaomeng, Song Taro, Bai Xiaoyue, and Yan Chixia all ran over as well. Each of them picked up a piece and admired it with unrestrained joy.

Holding the Cloud-Holding Jasper in his hands, Yan Chixia exclaimed in astonishment, “Cloud-Holding Jasper—so this is Cloud-Holding Jasper!”

Seeing how unwilling She Mei-er was to let go of the piece in her hand, Master Qingxu smiled and asked, “Well? Are you satisfied with the Cloud-Holding Jasper, She Mei-er?”

She Mei-er said with great emotion, “More than satisfied—delighted beyond words! One who gives roses keeps fragrance in their hand. Senior, thank you for your generous gift!”

“Haha...” Master Qingxu laughed. “I am glad you like it. She Mei-er, how much space does your Storage Ring have? These Cloud-Holding Jasper pieces total exactly ten thousand. Can your Storage Ring hold them all?”

At this, She Mei-er glanced at the heap spread across the ground and said with excitement, “No problem at all. Senior, this Storage Ring was forged by my master herself. When she gave it to me and taught me the spell for storing things, she told me its inner space was as large as a room. Though it already holds many items, there is more than enough room left for these Cloud-Holding Jasper pieces.”

As she spoke, she noticed that Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, and Song Taro were each still admiring a piece of Cloud-Holding Jasper and feared they might secretly keep them for themselves. So she hurriedly reminded them with a smile, “Well then, have you all seen enough? If so, please put them down. I’m going to store them all now!”

Yan Chixia, Bai Xiaoyue, and Song Taro all reluctantly placed their pieces back onto the pile. Tu Xiaomeng, however, did not. Holding hers, she looked at She Mei-er and said with a very obedient smile, “Hee hee, Sister Mei-er, you have so much Cloud-Holding Jasper, while I have none at all! I really like this piece. Will you give it to me?”

She Mei-er’s first thought was, How could that be possible? Tu Xiaomeng, do you know what price my master had to pay to obtain even one piece of Cloud-Holding Jasper?

Though she thought this to herself, she still smiled and said, “Of course. Why not? But there is one thing I cannot promise.”

“Sister Mei-er, what can’t you promise?”

“Your life.”

“What? Sister Mei-er, I only want a piece of Cloud-Holding Jasper... how could that put my life in danger?”

“Of course it could! Tu Xiaomeng, you don’t understand. These pieces of Cloud-Holding Jasper that Senior Qingxu gave me are all linked together. If I use the spell to store them, every piece on the ground will instantly be drawn into my Storage Ring. If the one in your hands is drawn in as well, wouldn’t it pull you in too? And if that happened, with your whole body forced into such a tiny Storage Ring, crushed by immense spiritual power, what would become of you? Could anything good come of it? I’m afraid you’d be finished at once...”

“Oh heavens!” Before She Mei-er could finish, Tu Xiaomeng’s face changed with terror. “That’s terrifying! Sister Mei-er, I haven’t lived nearly long enough. I can’t risk my life like that... No matter how wonderful this Cloud-Holding Jasper is, I don’t dare take it. I’d better put it back on the pile right away!”

Barely suppressing her laughter, She Mei-er watched as Tu Xiaomeng hastily returned the piece to the heap. Then she said with feigned seriousness, “Tu Xiaomeng, do you really not want it? If not, I’ll begin storing them now.”

Tu Xiaomeng answered at once, “I really don’t want it! Sister Mei-er, hurry and store them!”

With a “Very well,” She Mei-er placed the piece she herself had been holding back onto the pile, then silently recited the spell. At once, all the Cloud-Holding Jasper on the grass vanished in a flash and were stored inside the Storage Ring.

With her task complete, She Mei-er silently recited the spell again, summoning out the Crimson Hero Sword, five gold bars, and two gold ingots that had been stored within the ring. She handed them to Yan Chixia and said, “What belongs to its owner has now been returned. Yan Chixia, take back your things.”

“Thank you!” Yan Chixia took the Crimson Hero Sword and the gold, then turned to Master Qingxu and said, “Master, these gold pieces are the spoils of this journey. Where should I keep them?”

Master Qingxu instructed Bai Xiaoyue, “Xiaoyue, find a place to store the gold. We’ll keep it for future use.”

“Yes, Master.” Bai Xiaoyue replied joyfully and took the five gold bars and two gold ingots into her hands.

Tu Xiaomeng and Song Taro had never seen gold bars or gold ingots before, and finding them novel, they took them from Bai Xiaoyue to look at them closely.

At that moment, She Mei-er took her leave of Master Qingxu. “Senior Qingxu, my mission is complete. I shall now return to the Jade Glow Palace of Mount Li to report my success.”

“Very well,” Master Qingxu said kindly. “She Mei-er, the gates of Qingxu Temple will always be open to you. You are welcome to visit often in the future.”

“Many thanks for your kindness, Senior!” She Mei-er said with a radiant smile. “There are so many dear, approachable people here at Qingxu Temple that I am certain I shall come and go often. Senior, Bai Xiaoyue, Tu Xiaomeng, Song Taro, Yan Chixia, take good care. I shall take my leave!”

“Wait!” Yan Chixia hurriedly called. “She Mei-er, your twin bracelets of shadowy companionship have not yet been withdrawn. Otherwise, if you use the Clear Breeze Scattering escape again, wouldn’t you drag me all the way to the Jade Glow Palace of Mount Li?”

“Oh!” She Mei-er laughed brightly. “How could I forget that? I was so happy I completely overlooked it!”

Having said this, she silently recited the spell and summoned back both the twin bracelets of shadowy companionship, the one hidden on Yan Chixia’s wrist and the one hidden on her own. After storing them in the Storage Ring, she cast one reluctant glance at Yan Chixia, bade farewell to everyone, and used the Clear Breeze Scattering escape technique to depart from Qingxu Temple.

When Master Qingxu saw that She Mei-er’s figure had vanished, he could not help but praise her from the bottom of his heart. “That little She Mei-er seems simple enough, yet she is truly no ordinary woman. Just now she said she would use Cloud-Holding Jasper to pave a path through her garden and build two flowerbeds—yet I suspect the matter is not quite so simple... But enough of that. Danzi, tell your master: what happened to the sword wound torn through your lapel? How did you obtain those spoils? What did you experience on this trip to the Valley of Certain Doom? Why did you and She Mei-er both break through your bottleneck at the same time and enter the Golden Core realm? And exactly how did She Mei-er bring you into the Valley of Certain Doom?”