NOVPUBAs soon as Jinyue returned, she complained of stomach pain.
Although Yino didn't know what had happened, just seeing the little fox's pouting expression, he guessed she had probably been beaten up at the Hundred Spirits Pavilion.
It was quite curious.
Back when they went to the Azure Forest, Jinyue also had a wound at the corner of her mouth. Later, Yuebai told Yino that she had gone to provoke the Celestial Master and gotten herself beaten.
As they say, it takes two to tango. Yino figured Jinyue must have done something to provoke the master of the Hundred Spirits Pavilion as well.
But there was nothing he could do about it—after all, she was now his contracted fox.
Since Jinyue didn't mention getting beaten up, Yino didn't plan to investigate further. After returning, he channeled his energy into his palm and found a quiet corner in the hall to massage Jinyue's stomach for her.
Since it was daytime, the Phoenix Pavilion didn't have many customers. No one paid attention to the young couple in the corner with his hand under her clothes.
As he continued massaging her stomach, Yino detected some issues through his spiritual energy.
He could sense that Jinyue had some subcutaneous bleeding in her abdomen, and her dantian and meridians were slightly blocked. She had clearly been struck in the stomach by some kind of impact about half an hour ago.
Moreover, although Jinyue had quite a reputation, her true form was ultimately just a small demon fox at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Sometimes, Yino felt that all of Jinyue's natural talent had been allocated to charm, and in terms of pure physical constitution, she might not be as strong and robust as someone like Yunjin who climbed mountains daily for exercise.
No wonder she came back with a small frown saying it hurt...
However, for Yino, this wasn't a serious injury that damaged tendons or bones.
He borrowed some natural spiritual energy and quickly healed Jinyue's stomach injury.
As Jinyue's belly was healed by Yino's spiritual energy and no longer hurt, she gradually regained her energy, and her little stomach began to growl.
She was hungry.
Yino decided to take her out to eat with Yunjin.
But just after leaving the Phoenix Pavilion and walking a few steps, Jinyue said she didn't want to let go of Yino's hand. Fortunately, Jinyue's waist was slim enough that Yino could easily reach around her lower back and slip his hand under her clothes to continue massaging her little tummy as they walked.
The whole way, Jinyue was unprecedentedly clingy and obedient.
She nodded at everything Yino said, and even with so many people on the street, she snuggled into Yino's arms without the slightest hesitation.
While Jinyue didn't seem to feel any social anxiety walking on the street, Yino felt a bit embarrassed being under the curious gazes of others.
After all... He had never experienced anything like this in his previous life.
Even after his rebirth, when his aunt took him shopping, Xinyao would never have allowed Yino to put his arm around her and slip his hand under her clothes to massage her stomach, let alone cling to him completely...
Gradually, Yino really began to feel like he was experiencing the sweet romance of a love story.
He felt good about it, and his heart seemed to gradually develop some special feelings for Jinyue.
Later. Yino and Jinyue arrived at the crossroads to meet up with Yunjin and Wangxue.
The two innocent young girls weren't socially anxious at all, standing in front of the barbecue stall owner's shop, each showing off a skewer of lamb.
After seeing Yino arrive, Wangxue was the first to rush over. Ever since Yino returned her ninth spirit stone to her in the Phoenix Pavilion's rest room, the little deer had treasured it like a priceless artifact, and her eyes were full of gratitude and respect when looking at Yino.
Now meeting on the street, Wangxue naturally ran over excitedly to let Yino taste the skewers. Yino took a couple of bites, and was about to pat the little deer's head and praise the Western Region's highland lamb for being more delicious than the Central Plains lamb.
But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly felt something wasn't right.
"Huh, little one, how can you eat your animal friends when they're so cute?"
Upon hearing this, the deer spirit girl who had just stuffed a meat skewer into her mouth suddenly froze.
She hesitantly glanced up at Yino, then pretended not to hear and continued eating her skewer.
Yino raised an eyebrow, curious:
"If Lily knew you were eating cute little lambs—"
"Humph! Wangxue is a Nine-Colored Divine Deer! In order to save more animal friends in the future, what's wrong with eating a few lamb friends' meat skewers to replenish energy! Besides, I don't just eat meat—this divine deer used to eat grass on the mountaintop every day! Don't the animal friends in Azure Forest that sister Lily looks after also eat grass and meat?!"
The little deer got really upset, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed up and full of barbecued meat.
Seeing that the little deer was about to get really angry, Yino stopped teasing her and quickly rubbed her head to cheer her up.
But just then, Yunjin unexpectedly pointed at a roadside stall not far away—
"Yino, look, since Wangxue and I arrived here to eat half an hour ago, that girl seems to have been spending a fortune buying stones!"
"Now half an hour has passed, and she seems to have spent everything she has, even her money for food!"
Yunjin stared at the black-robed girl who had emptied her little purse, and the ahoge on top of her head drooped down in sympathy.
Yino looked over at her words, and the moment he saw the stall owner, the veins on his left arm holding the meat skewer suddenly bulged.
He recognized the man all too well!
Boss Tian, a notorious swindler who had dominated the Western Region in the Fallen Immortal game of his previous life.
His shop was essentially an unofficial gacha interface. Tian himself claimed there was a 0.6 percent chance of drawing rare items like Pure Blood Phoenix Crystals, and that his stall had a limited quantity of minerals each time, so theoretically, the more junk you drew, the higher your chances of getting something valuable next time.
Back then, players were naive and didn't understand what an unofficial shop meant.
Yino was one of the many victims.
