Sitting across from Bai Hanyun and Feng Xiyan, Gui Ying raised his brows when he noticed the tips of Feng Xiyan’s ears turn red.
’O~ho~. So the stoic and stern Great General Feng is also an ordinary man. His aura is actually quite warm when he is . How interesting.’
While Gui Ying enjoyed the sight of Feng Xiyan’s blushing face, Feng Xiyan’s gaze remained fixed on Bai Hanyun’s hand, which was still resting on top of his own.
Half an hour later, the coachman parked the horse carriage in front of the temple.
Jumping down, he placed a low stool beside the carriage and said, "Great General, we have arrived at Fairy Bai’s temple."
Hearing this, Feng Xiyan stepped out first and jumped down from the carriage. He then turned back and extended his hand.
Bai Hanyun placed her hand lightly into his palm, and with his steady support, she stepped down calmly. For a brief moment, her delicate hand lingered in his larger one before she withdrew, leaving behind a trace of warmth. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novᴇlfire.net
Coming out of the carriage, Gui Ying watched this scene with an amused glint in his eyes.
Looking up at the temple before her, Bai Hanyun said softly, "This place looks different from when I saw it before."
Hearing this, Feng Xiyan glanced at her and asked, "Miss Bai, you have been here before?"
Bai Hanyun nodded. "I came twice. Once when you first opened the temple, and the other time when I met Gui Ying here, but both visits were brief."
Listening to her explanation, Feng Xiyan glanced at Gui Ying.
Catching his gaze, Gui Ying smiled knowingly. "Great General, you heard her. Fairy Bai and this young master are acquaintances. This young master would never harm her. Surely you can relax now, right?"
Feng Xiyan studied him silently, but instead of answering, he turned back to Bai Hanyun. His voice softened when he said, "Miss Bai, let’s go inside."
Gui Ying was not angry when he was ignored. He chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
Fanning himself lazily, he added, "Fairy Bai, Great General Feng, please wait for this young master."
With that, he followed them in.
Unlike what Bai Hanyun had imagined, Fairy Bai’s temple stretched across a vast expanse of land. Though its architecture was simple, there was an inexplicable elegance that gave it a sacred air.
Scanning the surroundings, Bai Hanyun’s gaze settled on a tall wooden pillar. Walking up to the wooden pillar, her fingertips traced the smooth surface.
Feng Xiyan noticed her interest in the wooden pillar and explained, "When we built the temple, we lacked proper materials. We had no choice but to use what was available."
As she listened to Feng Xiyan’s words, a faint fragrance drifted from the wooden pillar. Bai Hanyun leaned closer and sniffed lightly. A second later, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Feng Xiyan, is this pillar made of huanghuali wood?" she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.
Feng Xiyan nodded. "Yes. Only huanghuali wood was available when we built the temple, though most of the trees are already dead. Once the condition is improved, I will build you a better temple."
Before he could say more, Bai Hanyun quickly raised her hand to stop him and said, "No need. Huanghuali wood is the best."
Feng Xiyan blinked at her words, then asked, "Miss Bai, you like huanghuali wood?"
Bai Hanyun grinned at him and excitedly replied, "Of course. In my world, huanghuali wood is extremely rare and precious. Do you know that just this one pillar could buy enough supplies to feed and clothe your soldiers and the people of Xiqiang City for months?"
When her words fell, both Feng Xiyan and Gui Ying froze in surprise.
A moment later, Gui Ying tapped his chin with his folding fan and muttered, "This young master has traveled through many worlds, but never once heard of a place where useless wood is treated as treasure. Fairy Bai, your world sounds very different from those worlds this young master visited in the past."
Bai Hanyun shot him a glare and said, "What do you know? In my world, huanghuali wood is nearly extinct. Even a small Ming Dynasty huanghuali stool can fetch an astronomical price, let alone a huanghuali wooden pillar this size."
Rubbing the wooden pillar, Bai Hanyun’s voice softened as she thoughtfully muttered, "If I could sell some of the huanghuali wood, I wouldn’t need to sell the things Feng Xiyan gave me."
Hearing what she said, Feng Xiyan said, "Miss Bai, we still have plenty of huanghuali wood stored for firewood. If you like it, you may take as much as you want."
The instant Bai Hanyun heard that they used huanghuali wood as firewood, she clutched her chest in pain. "You people are unbelievably rich to use huanghuali as firewood."
Seeing her faint expression, Feng Xiyan’s lips curved faintly.
A few seconds later, Bai Hanyun shook her head with a sigh. "Come on, let’s see the other places."
When she said that, Feng Xiyan offered his palm to her without a word. After staring at his palm for a few seconds, Bai Hanyun placed her hand on it, letting him guide her forward.
With Gui Ying trailing leisurely behind them, the three continued toward the main temple.
As the sun climbed higher, more and more people visited the temple, but Feng Xiyan’s attention never strayed far from the young lady walking at his side.
Walking into the main temple, Bai Hanyun felt a warm energy gently enveloping her body. Surprised, she paused in her tracks and looked down at herself and saw her body now shrouded in golden light particles.
Standing behind her, Gui Ying’s eyes flickered with astonishment.
As he stared at Bai Hanyun, he thought, ’This is very strange. Instead of being absorbed by the Yang Mirror, the merit is actually nourishing her soul.’
Unable to see what was happening, Feng Xiyan stepped closer with concern clear in his expression.