Chapter 17: I'll Swap With You

In "Cangyuan," players who wish to obtain a Simi Ring must, besides painstakingly gathering rare materials and seeking craftsmen, rely on a secret known to Xu Yuan.

The method is simple.

Early in the game, players will encounter a map called Tianyuan Mountain while completing quests.

All they need to do is enter the deepest part of this map and, within a bamboo grove, they will find an elderly white-haired man with three crimson question marks atop his head.

He will issue a quest to the player, but to obtain the Simi Ring, one must not speak to him—instead, upon first sight, one must draw their weapon and kill him instantly.

Everything in life demands risk for reward.

As soon as the old man is slain, the player will inevitably obtain a Simi Ring, complete with a rare and precious set of materials attached.

"........."

Memories from the past flicker through his mind. Xu Yuan shakes his head slightly, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips, then turns his gaze toward the black-robed woman across from him.

Though her master possesses a Simi Ring, it is clear that Ran Qingmo has never handled one. Her beautiful eyes stare into the ring, fumbling and struggling for hours before finally extracting a few items from within.

Three bottles of elixirs, two ancient books, and a crimson silk robe.

Beyond that, a dozen empty jade vials and jade boxes.

After removing these, Ran Qingmo lifted her gaze to Xu Yuan, her eyes flickering slightly:

"There's nothing left."

"I know."

Xu Yuan nodded slightly, glancing at the several items laid out on the ground—the books and vials.

Compared to the game, the storage ring now contained a few extra empty jade vials and boxes, but everything else remained unchanged.

One scroll of cultivation technique, one scroll of secret method, a blood jade glass robe, and three bottles of elixirs with distinct effects.

Jiu Huan Elixir, the holy medicine for healing wounds.

Xue Ling Rong Shen Elixir, used for calming the spirit and merging with the body.

Eru Dan, an essential item for mastering the Blood Yuan Heart's Collapse Technique.

In the outside world, each of these alone would be a first-rate treasure.

Xu Yuan's gaze ultimately settled on the three vials of pills.

Reality is not a game and does not label items with their names.

Although Xu Yuan now knew what was contained within the three-rank pills, he could not distinguish them.

That was no matter, for now he had a "grandfather" beside him offering guidance.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan turned to the woman at his side:

"Mr. Ran, I have some missing memories regarding these pills. Could you kindly help me identify them?"

"........"

Upon hearing this, Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan, her eyes filled with a strange and suspicious look.

For Xu Yuan's selective amnesia, it seemed strange, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

After a moment of thought, unable to arrive at a conclusion, Ran Qingmo nodded and agreed:

"Uh... this one is the Jiuan Pill, this one is the Xue Ling Rong Shen Pill, this one... this one..."

As she reached the final vial, her dark brows furrowed slightly, her gaze fixed on the small bottle for a long while, yet she still couldn't grasp its nature.

"This one... I don't know."

"It's alright if you don't know," Xu Yuan murmured softly.

Ran Qingmo didn't realize that the E Yu Pill was also normal.

The E Yu Pill was specially concocted to align with the Blood Yuan Heart Shattered Technique, a cultivation method that had been sealed away in this cave for centuries.

In truth, aside from Xu Yuan herself, who had once been a player, no one in this world had ever known of its existence.

Stepping closer, she took two of the vials into her hands, glanced at the remaining one, paused, and then whispered softly to Ran Qingmo:

"Hmm... this Nine-Return Pill, you keep it for healing your wounds."

"......"

Ran Qingmo immediately lifted her gaze, her quiet eyes flickering slightly.

She knew the value of this Nine-Return Pill.

Gently pressing her red lips together, Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan and suddenly asked:

"Um, could I have a jade box?"

"Jade box?"

Xu Yuan glanced at the jade vial and jade box, chuckling carelessly, "Just take it."

"Oh."

Ran Qingmo nodded, taking a jade box in her hands and opening it. She reached into her chest, her slender jade hand moving gently in the dark, right before Xu Yuan's eyes.

"......."

Rephrasing his words, Xu Yuan whispered,

"What...are you doing?"

Ran Qingmo said nothing, silently reaching into her coat and placing the serpent-heart lotus into the jade box.

Xu Yuan was taken aback.

He remembered that just before the leap, he had placed the item into his own pocket.

Most likely, during his unconscious state, this large block of ice had quietly retrieved her own prize.

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Sealing the box shut, Ran Qingmo straightened her collar, rose, and gently handed the jade box to Xu Yuan, saying softly:

"I...I'm exchanging this with you."

"........"

Seeing her earnest gaze, Xu Yuan remained silent for a moment, then smiled gently, not refusing: "Alright, I'll take it. You place it in my Su Mi amulet for me."

"Ah." Ran Qingmo nodded, and the jade box in her hand vanished instantly.

As the words settled, neither of them felt any immediate need to speak.

Ran Qingmo didn't feel awkward either; she glanced at Xu Yuan briefly, then took the Jiuhuan Pills she had earned and settled into a corner of the cave to rest and heal.

As for Xu Yuan, he slowly picked up the blood jade glass robe lying on the ground and the two ancient scrolls, and sat down on the jade bed within the cave.

It was his cave—his bed, hers on the floor. It was perfectly logical.