"Fine, I apologize for the disrespect. Three favors, right? As long as it isn't excessive, I will do it for you," Bai Xinyue spoke in a calm manner.
However, when she saw that Huang Shi was still angry at her, seemingly not satisfied with her terms, the guilt that she had forcibly pushed down came rearing its ugly head.
"Alright, I'll give you one extra favor for free. However, you can only use it right now. I want to see the kind of favors you will ask of me."
The moment Huang Shi heard these words, all of the anger that was on his face had seemingly evaporated into nothing as he smiled—a wide and happy smile, like spring had suddenly arrived in the dead of winter.
"Aigh! I knew that Young Lady Bai was a magnanimous person! Thank you for your understanding!"
When Bai Xinyue saw Huang Shi's happy face, her face twitched as her mind only had a single thought in it:
I got scammed!
Despite this, she forced herself into calm. After all, despite everything, she had wronged him by trying to force him to his knees to submit.
Fine! Let's see what kind of games you play, Huang Shi!
Bai Xinyue once more had that regal expression on her face, a face that seemed like it could not be provoked, as she spoke in simple words.
"Alright, what is it you want from me?"
Seeing that Bai Xinyue was trying to force a mask of calm, Huang Shi knew that he couldn't push her buttons too much lest she slap him to death, and so he quickly nodded his head with a feigned subservient look.
"It's not much, Young Lady Bai! I just want you to act as my Dao protector for a while. I feel like I am about to have a breakthrough and I want to make sure nothing happens to me."
The moment Bai Xinyue heard this request, her expression changed for a bit as she looked a bit confused. She stared at him for a while, seemingly considering his request before she spoke in a bit of a stammer.
"Th-that's it? You really don't want anything else? Isn't this request a waste of one of your favors?"
Truth be told, when Bai Xinyue heard that in exchange for ending their engagement Huang Shi would ask her for three favors, she had already started to calculate inside of her head the possible requests he might have.
These possible requests included asking for insanely expensive and rare cultivation resources, a recommendation to the great sects of the Central Prefecture, or, if he was truly bold, a chance to get to know her better.
After all, even with her disguise making her seem like an average woman, with her powerful cultivation base at such a young age, her future was endless.
A positive connection with her also meant that the Azure Dragon Sect would form a relationship with the Bai Clan of the Eastern Prefecture—essentially hitting two birds with one stone.
Bai Xinyue tried to think, but she had no answer. She truly had no idea why Huang Shi would waste one of his favors like this. That was because if her and Huang Shi's positions were flipped, she would do those exact things she had mentioned.
What is this guy planning?
Huang Shi, on the other hand, didn't have to think too much about these favors. As long as he left one of them available for as long as possible, he was fine.
He didn't need any sort of rare cultivation resources because he had the System. He didn't need a recommendation to any of those great sects because he believed that with his talent, any sect would be more than happy to take him in as a disciple.
As for the third option—getting to know her—isn't that exactly what he was doing right now?
Even if I have no plans to court this scary woman, I should at least have a positive relationship with her. I don't want to have a woman like her as my enemy.
Huang Shi then looked back toward Bai Xinyue and nodded his head before speaking with a smile.
"That's right, that's all I want. Just act as my Dao protector while I breakthrough. I'll enter that cave over there and you can stay out here if you want—just make sure nothing happens to me."
Huang Shi then turned around, pretending as if he didn't care about her response and fully believing that she would protect him.
After walking for a few steps, Huang Shi entered the dark cave. The entrance was huge, wide enough to hold several packs of Grayscale Wolves.
Inside, the walls were rough and the air was thick with the smell of old fur and the slight stink of rotting meat. He had to step over piles of bleached bones from dead animals that the wolves had hunted over the years.
Huang Shi walked deeper into the cave for a few minutes, looking for a good spot to sit. Finally, he found a place that looked different from the rest.
It was a large stone room tucked away in the back. Unlike the messy tunnels outside, this room was clean and tidy. There was no blood or waste on the ground.
In one corner, there was even a makeshift bed made of dry wheat and soft grass.
I guess the Alpha Grayscale Wolves lived here to stay away from the rest of the pack, Huang Shi thought.
Satisfied with the quiet space, he walked to the center of the stone floor and began to sit down cross-legged. But just before he closed his eyes to start his meditation, a calm voice spoke from right in front of him.
"Sit on this."
WHOOSH
With a quick flash of light, a beautiful cultivation mat appeared on the floor before him. It looked very expensive, woven with intricate silver and white thread that seemed to glow in the dim light of the cave.
Even just looking at it, Huang Shi could feel a cooling energy coming from the fabric, designed to help a cultivator focus their mind and steady their breath.
A precious treasure..