"Senior Ye Xishui, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Qianran widened his eyes in disbelief. Ye Xishui wanted to freeload?
"What's inappropriate? You made a fortune from Xiaoyao. Those two pills of yours cost him a fortune in resources," Ye Xishui retorted with a glare. To her, those pills were undoubtedly treasures, but they seemed far from precious in Qianran's hands. He must have had a way to produce them easily.
For most people, such pills would be priceless rarities. For Qianran, however, that might not be the case.
She was sure he had more of them—how else could he have so readily given two to Long Xiaoyao?
"Senior, that's not fair to say. Surely you've experienced the effects of my pills and know how powerful they are. If I were to auction them, the price would be astronomical. Besides, Senior Long Xiaoyao never said the resources in his storage ring were for four pills.
"In fact, he initially only intended to trade for one Snow Beauty Pill, and I generously gifted him a Rejuvenation Pill. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself," Qianran countered, unwilling to be taken advantage of.
While he wasn't particularly attached to the resources from Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, Qianran disliked being exploited. The best resources he had were always those produced by his system, followed by those from the Ice Empress and Snow Empress. The items from Long Xiaoyao were mostly redundant to him, destined for distribution among his companions. This was purely about principle—he didn't like being shortchanged.
"Hmph. Fine. I'll make you a few Rank 9 Soul Tools. Tell me what you want," Ye Xishui finally relented.
She had no desire to tarnish her reputation by bullying someone much younger than her.
"Thank you, Senior Ye Xishui," Qianran said, delighted. Ye Xishui, a future Rank 10 Soul Engineer, was already at the pinnacle of Rank 9 craftsmanship. Anything she produced would represent the height of current Soul Tool technology.
After a moment of contemplation, Qianran outlined his requests to Ye Xishui.
"Senior Ye Xishui, may I see what you look like now? I only recently acquired the Snow Beauty Pill, and you're the first to use it. I'm curious about the results," Qianran said, his interest piqued.
After all, this was the woman who had made three Ultimate Douluos fight to the death over her.
While Qianran kept a cautious distance from her, he couldn't help but be a little curious.
Looking wouldn't kill him, and it wasn't as if he'd fall head over heels for her and lose sight of the bigger picture like Long Xiaoyao and Zhongli Laogui.
"Oh?" Ye Xishui's lips curled into a faint smile.
This lecherous boy dares to show interest in me? she thought. I'm over two hundred years older than him.
In her youth, Ye Xishui had been the object of countless men's adoration. Three Ultimate Douluos had been hopelessly enamored with her. Though she didn't dwell on it, she couldn't deny a lingering pride in her past allure.
As the years passed, no matter how hard she tried to preserve her beauty, she couldn't entirely fend off the marks of time. Her fading youth had even made her feel unworthy of Long Xiaoyao's devotion. Despite Zhongli Laogui's death and the child she bore with Long Xiaoyao, she had never felt confident enough to truly be with him.
But after taking the Snow Beauty and Rejuvenation Pills the previous night, her appearance had returned to its peak, and her confidence was rekindled.
She knew Qianran was notorious for his love of beauty. From Shrek Academy to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, he had always been surrounded by stunning women, even in unfamiliar territories.
This made Ye Xishui curious—could she still captivate others as she once had?
Dragon Xiaoyao's reaction had been overwhelming, but that was expected. He had always doted on her. Qianran, however, was different. As a connoisseur of beauty, his opinion carried weight.
With that thought, Ye Xishui removed her black cloak.
Underneath, she wore a sleek black outfit—perhaps a result of her years in the Holy Spirit Cult.
Qianran hadn't anticipated the Snow Beauty Pill's effects to be so striking. While the system-produced Rejuvenation Pill had some beautifying properties, it was nothing like this. This bordered on the miraculous.
Her skin looked flawless, as if crafted from the finest porcelain. Her features were soft and youthful, her complexion glowing with vitality. Her long, glassy blue-purple hair flowed like silk, framing a face of unmatched delicacy and serenity. Her gentle visage, however, carried an air of wisdom and confidence far beyond her youthful appearance. Her violet eyes, though beautiful, held a piercing coldness.
Despite standing slightly shorter than Qianran, her demeanor gave the impression she was looking down at him.
Her transformed appearance didn't change the aura of dominance and authority she carried. Her face was warm and tender, but her eyes were distant and indifferent.
If her face had changed dramatically, her figure remained as impeccable as ever.
Underneath her gray sweater and black trousers, her curves were perfectly sculpted. Her full, shapely chest, flat abdomen, and the slight arch of her hips were all complemented by her long, slender legs. She looked tall and statuesque.
In terms of sheer physical allure, she rivaled the likes of Cai Meier.
But Ye Xishui wasn't simply a "baby face, mature body" trope. Her maturity surpassed even Cai Meier and Zhu Ying.
The rejuvenation granted by the pills brought her physical body back to youth, yet it retained a richness and complexity that younger women lacked.
In short, she had Wang Dong'er's face and Cai Meier's figure—a combination that was utterly enchanting.
A soft, girlish face. A voluptuous, mature body. The icy elegance of a queen of Evil Soul Masters.
The stark contrast between her features, figure, and aura didn't clash but instead enhanced her beauty, making her utterly mesmerizing.
Qianran was certain Ye Xishui now surpassed her youthful self in charm. While her face remained the same, her aura and figure had elevated her allure to an entirely new level.
He couldn't help but wonder if Zhu Ying, Cai Meier, or his cherished teacher, Xian Lin'er, might benefit from a Snow Beauty Pill. A girlish face with a mature figure—who wouldn't be captivated?
The contrast was irresistible.
Previously, Qianran thought Zhu Lu was an excellent balance of beauty and allure. While Zhu Lu's figure embodied the fullness of her family's genetics, it still differed significantly from the appeal of a truly mature figure.
(End of Chapter)