Before Chen Ping could respond, the guard who had gone to fetch the medicine hurried back, holding an exquisite jade bottle.
The fat lady snatched the bottle, carefully opening it to reveal a perfectly round pill radiating potent spiritual energy. She handed it to Chen Ping. “Young brother, this is a Qi-Replenishing Pill, a rare healing treasure I’ve kept. Take it quickly, it’ll help you recover swiftly.”
The reputation of the Qi-Replenishing Pill was well-known among those present, a priceless treasure, yet the fat lady had given it up so easily!
Chen Ping glanced at the pill, then at Nan Batian.
Nan Batian nodded. “Take it, she won’t harm you.”
Chen Ping accepted the pill, thanked her, and swallowed it.
The pill melted in his mouth, a gentle yet immense wave of spiritual energy coursing through his limbs and bones. The intense pain and exhaustion eased significantly, his wounds healing at a visible rate.
“How is it? Feeling much better?” the fat lady asked eagerly, her expression anxious for his approval.
Chen Ping nodded. “Thank you, Building Master.”
“Oh, none of this ‘Building Master’ nonsense, it’s too formal!”
The fat lady waved her hand grandly. “Since you’re Batian’s saviour, you’re my friend too! From now on, in Sword Saint City, if anyone dares bully you, just mention my name!”
She paused, then looked at Nan Batian with eyes full of tenderness. “Batian, see, we’ve gone from foes to friends. This young brother’s a good sort, tough as nails, I like him! From now on, we’re family!”
Nan Batian’s expression stiffened, but he didn’t object.
Mo Chen, Ling Xue, and the others watched this dramatic scene, torn between laughter and disbelief.
A situation that seemed certain to end in death had, because of Nan Batian’s arrival and his peculiar connection with the fat lady, taken a complete turn, even making them “family”?
The fat lady enthusiastically arranged for Mo Chen to receive a healing pill as well, her attitude far more respectful, given Mo Chen’s strength and their newfound camaraderie.
She also ordered the scene to be cleared and generously compensated the affected nearby merchants with a hefty sum of immortal stones, her actions lavish.
The onlookers, seeing no more spectacle, began to disperse, but today’s events were sure to be the talk of Sword Saint City for a long time.
A thrilling conflict had ended in such an absurd yet oddly satisfying way.
Chen Ping watched the fat lady bustling about, fussing over Nan Batian with warmth and occasional girlish gestures, then glanced at Nan Batian’s helpless expression, unable to escape. A flood of questions surged in his mind.
Taking advantage of a moment when the fat lady was directing her subordinates to clean up the battlefield and prepare a lavish banquet to entertain them, Chen Ping quietly tugged at Nan Batian’s sleeve, nodding toward a secluded corner.
Nan Batian understood, a fleeting hint of embarrassment crossing his face, but he followed Chen Ping.
“Nan Batian,” Chen Ping whispered, his eyes brimming with curiosity, “what’s the deal with you and that fat lady Building Master? The way she looks at you, it’s not ordinary.”
At this, Nan Batian flinched as if pricked by a needle. He turned to look at the busy, plump figure in the distance, his gaze a complex mix of guilt, helplessness, and an indescribable pain.
After a long silence, he let out a slow sigh, his voice low and hoarse. “It’s a long story… She and I, we were childhood sweethearts.”
“Childhood sweethearts?”
Chen Ping’s eyes widened, the term so at odds with the fat lady’s image that he struggled to process it.
