Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

A few days later, Zhou Yixian led Zhou Xiaohuan, stumbling along the uneven path, until they reached the entrance of the Black Stone Cave.

"This is it." Zhou Yixian pointed to the dark cave entrance and stroked his goatee.

Zhou Xiaohuan licked the last candied hawthorn in her hand, looked up at the cave entrance, and said, "Grandpa, it's dark inside, I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of? Grandpa's here." Zhou Yixian patted his chest, took out a tinderbox, lit it, and bent down to crawl inside first.

The cave was quiet, with only the sounds of their footsteps and breathing.

After walking for a long time and going deeper down, it got hotter and hotter. Zhou Yixian wiped his sweat and muttered, "What kind of place is this? It's so hot."

Finally, they arrived at the enormous cave. The lava lake was still churning, and the red light remained. Zhou Yixian, holding a tinderbox, stared wide-eyed as he searched around.

Tables and chairs? No. Chests and trunks? No. Gold and silver jewelry? Absolutely none.

The ground was empty, with only pebbles and dust.

"That's strange," Zhou Yixian scratched his head, "Didn't that kid say there was a fox demon? Where's the fox demon? Where's the treasure?"

Zhou Xiaohuan squatted on the ground, picked up a reddish stone, looked at it, and then threw it away.

"Grandpa, there's nothing there."

Zhou Yixian was unwilling to give up and searched carefully again, but there was really nothing there. Not to mention treasures, he didn't even see a single fox hair.

There were some messy marks on the ground, as if many people or animals had walked by, but there were no signs of a fight.

Zhou Yixian's heart skipped a beat. That kid... could he really be that powerful? He took care of the fox demon without making a sound, without even leaving a trace of a fight?

He recalled Jiang Xiaochuan's always smiling face and those seemingly clear but unfathomable eyes, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Grandpa?" Zhou Xiaohuan tugged at his clothes.

Zhou Yixian snapped out of her daze and sighed, "Let's go, there's no more profit here."

"Okay." Zhou Xiaohuan obediently replied and followed him outside.

After walking a few steps, she suddenly turned back to look at the churning lava lake and whispered, "Brother Tanghulu, I wonder how he is doing."

Zhou Yixian paused, then, without speaking, led his granddaughter out of the cave, out of the woods, and back into the sunlight.

He looked up at the sky, then did some calculations with his fingers, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Zhou Xiaohuan asked.

"I've heard that both the righteous and demonic factions are currently gathered at Liubo Mountain in the East Sea. The commotion is quite significant."

Zhou Xiaohuan blinked: "Are we going?"

Zhou Yixian glanced at her granddaughter, then at the empty cloth bag in her hand, and gritted her teeth: "Go! Why not go! There are a lot of people over there, maybe... hehe."

Zhou Xiaohuan pouted: "Grandpa, are you trying to scam me again?"

"Nonsense!" Zhou Yixian glared. "Grandpa went... uh, to travel! Yes, to travel! And to see what's going on!"

Zhou Xiaohuan said "Oh" and didn't expose her again.

She licked the corner of her mouth, where a trace of the sweet taste of candied hawthorn still lingered.

She remembered her older brother who would buy her candied hawthorns, pat her head, and had a slightly mischievous smile.

I hope he's safe and sound.

She thought silently, then gripped her grandfather's rough hand tightly. The old man and the young girl walked slowly eastward along the official road.

……

Changhe City is a large city located on the coast of the East China Sea.

The street was wide and crowded with people dressed in all sorts of clothes: Taoist robes, monks' robes, laymen's attire, some carrying swords, others with gourds at their waists. They were in groups of three or five, talking in hushed tones, their eyes filled with vigilance.

At the street corner, the straw bundles for selling candied hawthorns were packed tightly together, their bright red color dazzling in the afternoon sun.

Jiang Xiaochuan held a skewer in his hand, and as soon as he took a bite, the sugar shell made a crisp sound.

A hand reached out from the side, white and slender with long, thin fingers and fingernails that were faintly pink. The hand swiftly pulled the candied hawthorn away from his hand.

He turned his head.

Biyao stood there, wearing a newly changed light green dress of fine material, embroidered with subtle patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Her hair was neatly combed and adorned with a jade hairpin. Her earrings were also green, two tiny water droplets that swayed gently with her tilting head.

Holding the candied hawthorn skewer she had just snatched, she imitated him and took a small bite in the spot where he had just bitten.

"You..." Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her, then at his empty hands, "Can't you just go buy another one yourself?"

Biyao slowly chewed on the hawthorn, her eyes crinkling into a bright smile.

"The food in your hand is delicious."

Jiang Xiaochuan choked for a moment, then turned around, walked to the bundle of straw, and took out a few more copper coins.

"Boss, two more skewers, please."

The old man chuckled and plucked two more strings of pearls. Jiang Xiaochuan took them, one in each hand. He looked at the string on the left, then at the string on the right, chose the largest one, and opened his mouth.

Another hand.

It moved as fast as a green shadow.

He suddenly felt a lightness in his hand; both strings were gone.

Biyao held up a string of candies in one hand, looking at them from left to right, then taking a bite from the left and a bite from the right. A few sugar crumbs got on the corners of her mouth, which she quickly licked off with her little tongue.

Her eyes were still glancing at him, with a hint of cunning and an unconcealable smile of triumph.

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't speak immediately this time. He looked at her for two seconds, then his cheeks twitched, as if he had swallowed something back.

He turned around, walked back to the bundle of straw, and with a swift motion, pulled off the remaining seven or eight strings of candied hawthorns.

"I'll take them all."

The old man paused for a moment, looked at him, then at the incredibly beautiful girl in green behind him, and his face broke into a wide smile.

"Alright, young master!"

Jiang Xiaochuan took out a handful of copper coins, didn't even count them, and stuffed them into the old man's hand. The old man held the coins and thanked him repeatedly.

Jiang Xiaochuan, carrying a large bunch of candied hawthorns, turned around with his back to Biyao, walked to the stone steps in front of a house next door, and sat down.

He picked up a skewer, took a big bite, crunched it down quickly, swallowed it, and then picked up another skewer.

Biyao walked over, stood in front of him, and looked down at him. She hadn't finished eating the two skewers in her hand.

Are you angry?

Jiang Xiaochuan ignored her and continued eating, crunching away.

Biyao sat down next to him, her shoulder touching his, her moon-white skirt spread out on the dusty stone steps.

She held the two half-eaten candied hawthorn skewers in her hand to his mouth.

"Here you go."

Jiang Xiaochuan turned his head away.

Biyao stared at his profile for a few seconds, then suddenly stuffed the candied hawthorn in her hand into his arms, and then reached into the pouch at her waist and took something out.

It was a bright yellow color, and it shimmered briefly in the sunlight.

The gold wasn't large, but it was thick; judging by its weight, it must have weighed at least a hundred or eighty taels.

She waved the gold ingot in front of Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan stopped chewing on a hawthorn.

His eyes followed the gold from left to right, then from right to left, his neck a little stiff.

Biyao placed the gold on his lap; it was so heavy that it made his trousers sag down.

Jiang Xiaochuan's gaze slowly shifted from Jinzi to Biyao's face. Biyao was also looking at him, with a bit of candy still on her lips, her eyes bright and smiling as she waited.

Jiang Xiaochuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the hawthorn in his mouth.

The expression on his face, like melting sugar, gradually softened from its previous rigidity, then blossomed into an almost fawning, dazzling smile. He swiftly grabbed the gold from his leg and stuffed it into his pocket, his movements so fast it was as if he feared the other person might change their mind.

Then, he picked up a brand new, untouched string of candied hawthorns, held it to Biyao's lips, and said in a voice so gentle it could melt your heart: "Come on, Miss Biyao, try this. It looks sweet."

Biyao burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking slightly.

She didn't eat the one he offered. Instead, she lowered her head and took another bite from the skewer he had just taken a bite of.

Jiang Xiaochuan held up the candied hawthorn, laughing to himself. "Gold, it's not shameful," he chuckled. "Let alone feeding him candied hawthorns, now Biyao is making him..."

Forget it, I don't want to.