The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

Qi Jiaojiao would come to chat and play with Su Zinong every three or four days. Sometimes she would go for a walk in the nearby area and even go down to the town at the foot of the mountain to go shopping.

Sometimes Su Zinong would go into the mountains, up to Tianqi Mountain, to find Qi Jiaojiao. The two had a back-and-forth.

Besides that, he spends most of his daytime practicing alone, and sometimes plays Go and drinks tea with Old Ding from the accountant's office. At night, he practices and sleeps.

Everything unfolded naturally and normally.

The rain that day was light and drizzling. Old Ding seemed to have drunk a lot of wine; his face was flushed, he walked unsteadily, and he became even more talkative.

“Young man, you don’t know, managing the accounts for such a large immortal sect as Tianqi Mountain is a tough job. It looks glamorous, but in reality, there are hundreds of people in this sect. One side says they don’t have enough silver, and the other side says I’m not giving them enough. Actually, there’s only so much silver. I don’t decide how much to give. I just distribute the silver according to the amount set by the higher-ups. It’s hard to be a good person!” Old Ding complained, as if he had been holding these words in for a long time.

"Sigh, every family has its own troubles. Uncle Ding, don't be too upset. Every job has its hardships, and I can relate to that. Before I came up the mountain, I also worked for others." Su Zinong comforted Old Ding and poured him a cup of tea to help him sober up.

"Don't be fooled by the glamorous appearance of Tianqi Mountain. Its martial arts may be powerful, reportedly ranking twelfth among the immortal sects. However, precisely because of its large number of people, its daily and monthly expenses are enormous. In fact, its income is not sufficient. It's already in a deficit, and we've even fallen into debt these days. Many of the debts for food, vegetables, and meat supplies haven't been paid on time. People only agreed to let us delay for another month or two because they see us as great immortals; otherwise, they would have already sued us for debts at the government office." Old Ding shook his head and sighed repeatedly.

"That's great, now people come to me to collect debts and complain, but who can I complain to?" He was really drunk.

That night, Su Zinong listened to Lao Ding's endless complaints and grievances for an hour before finally going to sleep because he felt sleepy.

The next morning, Su Zinong led Lao Ding down the mountain to the small town at the foot of the mountain. Although the town was small, it was bustling with activity.

Old Ding has lived here for many years and knows many people in the town. He often nods and waves to greet acquaintances when he runs into them.

"I'd like to see if there are any land or shops for sale in this town. You know a lot of people here, so could you help me buy some and collect the rent for me? I'll pay you a wage in return," Su Zinong said to Lao Ding.

"Oh, no need, no need. It's just a small favor. I have many old friends here. I can do it as soon as I ask. Don't mention any wages!" Old Ding said reproachfully.

One day, Qi Jiaojiao came to find Su Zinong, smiling sweetly as she took out a foot-long wooden dagger from behind her back. It was carved with a bird pattern, and the blade was yellowed and smooth, indicating that it was an old item.

"This is a toy I loved when I was a child. Now I'm giving it to you. Please don't find it offensive."

"Thank you, Miss Jiaojiao. I will definitely treasure it, because I feel your kindness." Su Zinong was overjoyed. Although it was just a wooden dagger, it was a toy she had loved since childhood, and its emotional symbolism outweighed its practical value.

The saying "a gift of a goose feather from a thousand miles away is a small gift but carries great meaning" perfectly illustrates this point. The value of a gift cannot be judged solely by its market price.

At this point, Su Zinong felt that time was wonderful.

Four months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The weather is starting to get a little cooler.

Early that morning, Su Zinong went into Qitian Mountain to chat with Qi Jiaojiao.

Xiao Cui said, "Miss hasn't gotten up yet."

Su Zinong stayed in the outer hall for a full half hour before Qi Jiaojiao came out and said, "You've arrived."

"Oh, yes, I have a pearl to give you!" He said, taking out a bright pearl about the size of a small fist from his pocket and handing it to Qi Jiaojiao.

Qi Jiaojiao thought it looked pretty good, played with it for a while, and then handed it to Xiao Cui to keep.

After chatting for a while, Qi Jiaojiao said she had important business to attend to that day, so Su Zinong reluctantly took his leave and returned to the villa.

He sensed that Qi Jiaojiao's attitude towards him had changed recently. She had become distant, indifferent, and no longer took the initiative to contact him. Even when he went into the mountains to find her, she would make various excuses to avoid him, only meeting him briefly before saying she had important business to attend to, and sometimes he wouldn't even be able to see her at all.

Perhaps she's busy! These disciples from prestigious sects are all very diligent in their cultivation. He comforted himself, forcing himself to think positively.

Although Su Zinong was on Tianqi Mountain, he never approached any of the disciples practicing martial arts there, nor did he learn a single move from them. Even when he saw them from afar, he would deliberately avoid them, because peeking at others practicing martial arts was a serious taboo.

“I used to be so distrustful of people, but now that I’ve been through so much, it’s time I learned to trust people!” Su Zinong told himself.

Three days later, Su Zinong went into the mountains again to look for Qi Jiaojiao and saw her walking side by side with a man in the distance.

The man was of medium build, with thick eyebrows and very narrow eyes. The two men were chatting and laughing loudly, their expressions quite intimate.

A strange pang of sorrow welled up in his heart, and Su Zinong turned and left.

Seeing this, Qi Luye quickly caught up with Su Zinong and said, "Young Master Su, why did you turn around and leave after coming here?"

"Oh, I just arrived. I was looking for Miss Qi, but she has guests here, so I shouldn't disturb her. I'll go back to the other courtyard first." Although Su Zinong wanted to say that no one would want to stay after seeing such a scene, he couldn't say it out loud and could only feel bitter in his heart.

"Oh, that's the young master of a major sect in Tianqing Mountain, surnamed Zhao. He and Jiaojiao have been playing together since they were little, like brother and sister. Don't mind him!" Qi Luye smiled and patted Su Zinong on the shoulder to comfort him.

"Yes, I understand. They haven't seen each other for a long time. Let them have a good chat!" Su Zinong forced a smile.

After Su Zinong left, Qi Luye went over to Young Master Zhao and asked, "Young Master Zhao, what is your father's opinion? What date will you choose for the wedding?"

"Uncle Qi, my father said the wedding can be held within two or three months. We still need to make some preparations." Young Master Zhao spoke of his marriage in a very open and frank manner, while Qi Jiaojiao blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, then let's try to get it done within two months. You two are not young anymore, and you've been childhood sweethearts with a deep bond. It's not like... well, there's no need to waste time waiting. Your uncles and elders are also eagerly anticipating your wedding banquet, wanting to have a drink at your wedding." Qi Luye laughed heartily.

He was proud that his daughter had married into Tianqingshan, one of the top ten sects in the world. With Tianqingshan as their backing, who would dare to disrespect Tianqishan in the future?

Qi Luye discussed the wedding details with Young Master Zhao for a while, and then returned to his residence.

Qi Renfu rushed in, holding a letter, and said, "Father, look quickly!"

"What's all the fuss about? I've taught you countless times to stay calm and collected in the face of adversity. How can someone like you shoulder great responsibilities?" Qi Luye was extremely dissatisfied. No matter how he taught his eldest son, he was no good. He was like a little child, completely lacking in maturity.

"One hundred thousand taels! Huang Chenghe said he would give one hundred thousand taels of silver!" Qi Renfu tried to control his emotions, but he couldn't at all, and barely managed to say calmly.

"What!" Qi Luye was so excited that the teacup he was holding crashed to the table, spilling tea all over the place...