"Restore!"
Jiang Nan, with his hands placed over a blade broken in half, whispered those words.
The next moment, the two pieces mysteriously joined together, and soon the crack in the center began to repair itself.
In a short time, the blade was whole again. Seeing it done, Jiang Nan picked up the black dagger from the table and set it down carefully, avoiding cutting his skin.
Right after, he used the same skill as before and, before his eyes, a sword appeared. Its blade was silver, about sixty centimeters long, and the hilt was black.
Seeing it, Jiang Nan smiled. Then, he looked at the wooden table where a broken spear, an armor with a hole in the chest, and a shattered shield still remained.
Noticing this, his eyes immediately darkened. "There's still so much work."
He sighed and picked up the white armor, examining it. Up close, the destroyed chest piece had the shape of a horned impact, with traces of blood still visible.
"What an unlucky bunch... To run into an Iron Buffalo and still be lucky enough to make it back alive... Maybe not even that—my aunt probably saved them by staying behind." Jiang Nan gritted his teeth, thinking about it.
'Focus—for now, ignore this.' he murmured to himself and went back to work. He restored the remains. Soon, the spear returned to its normal state, the shield was whole again, and the armor looked brand new.
By the end of the work, Jiang Nan's forehead was covered in sweat, as if he had taken a rain shower. His breathing was heavy and slow.
'Using my ability is so draining.' he thought bitterly, while trying to steady his exhausted state.
Minutes later, he managed to recover and breathe more easily.
Recovered, Jiang Nan lifted his shirt to his face and wiped the sweat, then lowered it.
After that, he walked to the front and picked up a common storage pouch. It was black, with an internal space of ten cubic meters.
Returning to the previous spot, he placed all the restored weapons inside the pouch and left the Martial Pavilion's refining hall, heading to the reception.
The place where Jiang Nan was—was enormous—the largest in his small town and also the most powerful locally. In fact, the Martial Pavilion was one of the strongest on the continent.
Jiang Nan had been admitted thanks to his restoration ability. Even if it was considered useless for now, it had potential to grow.
In the beginning, he could barely restore a torn leaf, but after he started cultivating, he moved on to weapons. Today, at the seventh level of Qi Training, he was capable of restoring armor.
***
Arriving at the reception, Jiang Nan entered customer room number seven. There, in the corner, he saw a woman with long cascading black hair and a pair of unique eyes—painted with a beautiful emerald hue—but at the moment, they showed loneliness.
She looked aimless. Her face twisted in pain inspired pity, and the bandages around her chest sparked the urge to ask what had happened.
Jiang Nan, who already knew the reason, simply sighed once more. The room had two chairs, a metal table, and a teapot. He pulled the empty chair and sat down.
"Miss Xiwei, the items you requested to be restored are here." He placed the pouch on the table and gently slid it across the metal surface.
Su Xiwei, on the other side, extended her hand and picked up the pouch with ease. After opening it and checking the contents, she smiled.
"Thank you, little Nan." she said gently, even though she still felt pain, as her wound continued to ache.
"Why don't you stop doing this? Today it's an injury, tomorrow it could be your life. The jungle is dangerous. Without powerful cultivation, it's hard to survive." Jiang Nan was sincere.
"Thanks for the advice, but even if I stopped—where would I go? I have no cultivation talent, no special skills. I have nothing. If I want to survive in this world, I need to hunt." Su Xiwei replied with the same smile as before.
"You're beautiful. Surely, someone—"
"I'm not that kind of woman, little Nan. I'd rather die than sell myself." She cut Jiang Nan off immediately.
"What if I wanted to hire you as a maid? Would you accept? For me, doing this work every day is exhausting." Jiang Nan really didn't want the woman in front of him to be swallowed by the wild nature.
It wasn't out of any romantic feeling, but out of gratitude. When he was a child, she was the one who saved him from being killed by a wolf.
If he could help her, he would feel at peace.
"I don't want that." Su Xiwei shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I can't hold you back. Your path is different from mine. With your skills, this small town won't hold you for long. I don't want to be a burden in anyone's life."
"If you want to refuse my offer, that's fine—I'll understand. But I'll never ask again. I have pride...
If you're worried about being a burden, rest assured. I don't see you that way. If you join me, I'll do my best to help you. You once said your dream was to be a great warrior, remember? That night in the jungle.
If you want to achieve that, just follow me. This isn't about selling yourself. It's about seizing an opportunity. Aunt Xiwei—what's your final decision?"
Jiang Nan truly hoped she would accept now. It was his way of repaying a debt. But if she refused one more time, he would give up.
"Little Nan, I really appreciate your concern for me... But I don't want to be a burden to you."
"Shut up! If you want to refuse, just refuse. But if you use that damn word 'burden' again, keep your mouth shut!" Jiang Nan was irritated, thinking his aunt was being stubborn.
"Sorry..." Su Xiwei was at a loss for words.
"Don't say sorry! And if you must, prove it with real words—not this damn drama! Be yourself!" Jiang Nan snapped, then calmed down.
"You haven't changed, little Nan... I'm glad for that. But I really can't accept your offer. And what about my group?"
"They can't protect you. They're too dependent. I wasn't there, but I'm sure you were the only one fighting, while the others ran like cowards. The fact that you're alone here proves it. I really admire you, aunt."
Su Xiwei's reaction confirmed everything. Her eyes trembled for a moment.
"That's true..." she confessed.
Jiang Nan wasn't surprised. After a few seconds, he stood and walked over to her.
"You're alone, right? Your fear in accepting my offer—is that I might betray you too? You're someone I consider an aunt. I won't abandon you. That's the debt I owe for you saving my life."
"I know that. Little Nan is loyal... And that's exactly why I don't want to follow you. People like you tend to carry too much, especially others' problems. You're the first to step forward. An enemy could use that against you."
Su Xiwei explained the real reason for her refusal. As someone raised in the jungle, she understood human nature more than the young man before her.
"Little Nan—be careful with the people you want to protect. If they become a burden, they'll be more harmful than helpful. Even in the Martial Pavilion, you need to be careful. Human life, to some, means nothing."
Jiang Nan heard her words and remained silent. Soon, the room fell into the same mood. Su Xiwei said nothing more, letting the young man reflect.
After a few minutes, Jiang Nan spoke:
"You're right about everything, but aunt... I really want you. Of all the people in this world, you're the one I most want by my side. You look down on yourself, but I think you're one of the most talented people for the battlefield I know. All you need is a chance!"
"You want me to repay a debt? Or something else?" Su Xiwei asked, looking him in the eyes.
"The first is true. But I also have another goal—I want your help to become the richest cultivator!"
"Ohhh... And how do I help with that?" Su Xiwei was curious.
"In many ways! Your people skills are better than mine... Even after that betrayal—which I bet you already suspected—you still understand human nature better than I do." Jiang Nan was sincere.
"Okay! You convinced me. I'll become your maid. But first, promise me one thing—treat me as your shield. If I become a burden—leave me behind!"
Su Xiwei was direct. She truly didn't want to drag Jiang Nan down—the only person she trusted.