Everyone's all smiles on the surface but secretly cunning, but the junior sister only wants to

While strolling through Qiankun Pavilion, Jiang Shiliu suddenly passed by a house billowing with heat. From a distance, the house seemed shrouded in thick smoke, with flickering flames faintly visible. Jiang Shiliu's heart tightened, and a scene of a fire instantly flashed through her mind. Without thinking, she hurriedly ran towards the house.

When she flung open the door, a wave of heat mixed with thick steam rushed towards her. Everything was blurry, and she couldn't see anything clearly, but Jiang Shiliu still charged forward based on her instincts. However, as her vision gradually cleared, she was surprised to find that there was no raging fire, but rather an unimaginably large indoor hot spring.

Steaming hot air filled the air, making the entire room feel like a fairyland. Just then, Jiang Shiliu noticed a figure sitting quietly with his back to her in the hot spring. It was a man with dark hair, which cascaded down his broad back like a waterfall, exuding a mysterious and captivating aura.

Jiang Shiliu blushed instantly, her heart pounding. She mentally screamed, "What the hell is going on?! Good heavens, how did we end up in a place like this? You two, hurry up and get out of here! Peeping at someone taking a bath here, aren't we going to be considered perverts?"

Just as Jiang Shiliu was frantically trying to sneak away, the figure sitting in the hot spring suddenly moved! The man slowly stood up, turned around, and his eyes met those of Jiang Shiliu, who was furtively trying to escape. Time seemed to freeze at that moment…

However, at that moment, Jiang Shiliu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that what she saw wasn't a completely naked man, but only a guy with his upper body half-naked. Even so, she was still filled with doubt: why would a grown man wear pants while soaking in a hot spring? Was he worried that someone in his family might have designs on him? Thinking of this, Jiang Shiliu couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

That said, because the man was wearing a mask, she couldn't see his face clearly. But even so, his perfectly defined eight-pack abs and well-defined V-lines were enough to deduce that he was certainly good-looking. After all, someone with such a perfect physique would likely have outstanding facial features.

Just as Jiang Shiliu was lost in thought, she suddenly heard the man ask, "Miss Jiang? What are you doing here? Didn't Xiao An take you to the main hall to wait?"

Jiang Shiliu was startled by the voice, and after regaining her senses, she exclaimed in surprise, "Huh??? Jiang Moqi?"

"It is indeed me! Miss Jiang, could you please excuse me for a moment? I need to change my clothes," Jiang Moqi said, slightly embarrassed.

"Ah... okay, I'll go out now and wait for you outside!" Jiang Shiliu replied with a blush, then turned and left hastily like a kitten that had done something naughty.

Jiang Moqi's lips curled into a slightly mocking smile as he watched the receding figure with interest. He secretly rejoiced, thankful that he had always maintained the good habit of wearing pants when soaking in hot springs; otherwise, he truly didn't know who would have suffered the loss—himself or that cute yet impulsive little Shi Liu.

A moment later, Jiang Moqi slowly walked out of the inner room, his posture as upright as a pine tree. When his gaze fell on the ground not far ahead, he saw Jiang Shiliu squatting obediently, holding a slender wooden stick in her hand, intently drawing circles of different sizes on the ground.

"Oh ho, are you trying to draw a circle to curse me? But speaking of which, this time I was the one who was inexplicably seen naked by you~" Jiang Moqi said as he strode towards Jiang Shiliu, his voice tinged with a hint of ease and teasing.

Hearing the familiar yet teasing voice behind her, Jiang Shiliu felt as if a towering mountain had suddenly pressed down on her. She jumped to her feet, looking around frantically like a rabbit. Only when she recognized Jiang Moqi did her heart calm down slightly.

However, when she looked up at the tall man before her, she was surprised to find that she only reached Jiang Moqi's shoulder. Reluctantly, Jiang Shiliu had to tilt her head back, trying to look him directly in the eye. She saw a hint of amusement flicker in Jiang Moqi's deep eyes, clearly not taking the earlier embarrassment to heart. However, looking up at him for so long made Jiang Shiliu's neck ache. Although she knew this posture might be good for her cervical spine, the physical discomfort was undeniable.

Jiang Moqi slowly lowered his head slightly, his deep, pool-like eyes looking directly at Jiang Shiliu, and then asked softly, "Oh, by the way, I just heard Manager Zhang mention that you wanted to talk to me about something? What is it?"

Upon hearing his question, Jiang Shiliu reacted with remarkable speed, replying almost without hesitation, "Ah! That's right~ I currently possess a batch of magical artifacts that emit dazzling fireworks, so I've come to discuss with you how to successfully sell them. After all, I have the goods, while you have extensive sales channels."

After listening to her words, Jiang Moqi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile. He said, "Well, this matter isn't exactly a difficult problem. As long as you can continuously supply me with these magical treasures, I'm confident I can guarantee sales. However... before that, shouldn't we sign a formal contract first? This would clarify the rights and obligations of both parties and avoid any unnecessary disputes in the future."

Jiang Shiliu nodded in agreement, saying, "Contract? Okay, let's sign it! Perfect timing, I have something else I'd like to ask you."

Jiang Moqi smiled and gestured for her to continue, saying, "Speak freely. Whatever the question, feel free to ask."

Jiang Shiliu hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and asked, "Um... I've heard rumors that the powerful barrier around here was set up by you personally. So I'm particularly curious, what level has your true cultivation reached?"

Jiang Moqi smiled calmly and replied in a composed tone, "Hehe, actually my cultivation level isn't that high; I'm just at the Tribulation Transcending stage."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiliu's eyes widened in astonishment, and she asked incredulously, "What? A Tribulation Transcending stage cultivator!? As far as I know, once a cultivator breaks through to the Tribulation Transcending stage, doesn't that mean they are qualified to ascend to the Upper Realm? How could this be..."

"That's exactly where the problem lies!" Jiang Moqi said with a worried expression, spreading his hands helplessly. "No matter how hard I try, I can't ascend to the upper realm. It's as if someone has completely blocked this passage; it's impossible to move an inch!"

Just then, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Jiang Shiliu. She abruptly recalled an old man she had known since childhood. That old man was none other than Yun Che's ancestor! She remembered that the old man had mentioned that the passage was now closed, making it impossible for people from the lower realms to ascend, and even those from the upper realms to descend. Moreover, the original records seemed to have touched upon this, though the specific reasons for it were not explained in detail.