After settling the issue with the herbs, Jiang Chen decided to take a trip to Cloud Mist Mountain in the suburbs to scout the area.
Cloud Mist Mountain was renowned for its tea—both Cloud Mist Tea and green tea varieties. Sprawling across thousands of acres, the tea gardens rippled like gentle green waves in the breeze, and the faint fragrance of tea wafted through the air, soothing both heart and mind.
Compared to the city, the Spiritual Energy here was significantly denser. If he could set up even a small Spirit Gathering Array, his cultivation speed would easily double. Jiang Chen was confident that with such a setup, he could break through his current bottleneck and advance to the Innate Realm within three months.
He wandered the mountain trails for nearly two hours, completely losing track of time. Only when dusk began to settle did he remember he needed to head back.
By the roadside, he spotted a loft-style roadside shop. Several girls in skimpy clothing lounged around, lazily playing with their phones. The moment they saw Jiang Chen, a tall and handsome young man, their eyes lit up with interest.
Just then, a middle-aged woman in her forties—with thick makeup caked on her face—came trotting over to him.
"Hey, young man! Want to come in for a haircut?"
Before he could even respond, she grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the shop.
"Young man, our haircutting skills are top-notch—trained at Lanxiang, no less!"
Having crawled through underbrush all afternoon, Jiang Chen's hair was a mess, tangled with twigs and leaves. If he returned home like this, Ye Chuxue would definitely scold him. So he figured, why not?
"All of you, quit playing on your phones! We've got a customer!" the middle-aged woman barked while still tugging him inside.
When the girls noticed the customer was not only a real one but also a looker, they immediately dropped their phones and gathered around flirtatiously. Jiang Chen, annoyed by their chirping, simply sat down in the massage chair and said curtly:
"No extras—just a simple haircut."
The girls, hearing that he only wanted a basic cut and seeing his modest attire, quickly lost interest. They figured he was just some broke student and drifted away in boredom.
The lady boss waved toward a teenage girl nearby and shouted, "Huanxi, come over here!"
The girl named Huanxi immediately responded and hurried over. Her face was fresh and clean, with delicate features and a pair of lively, clear eyes. With two light dimples like spring apples, her youthful energy stood out in stark contrast to the others.
Bored, Jiang Chen casually asked, "Your name's Huanxi?"
She nodded gently. "Yes—Lan Huanxi."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Huanxi. That's an elegant name. Taken from Yan Shu's poem 'Song of Huanxi Sand,' right?"
Then, he recited the famous verse with soft emotion:
A cup of new wine for a song, the weather of last year at the old pavilion.
When will the setting sun return?
Helpless as flowers fall away; like familiar swallows returning.
Alone I linger in the fragrant path of the small garden.
Lan Huanxi, startled by his knowledge and grace, glanced at him shyly. "Are you a student?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "Yes, a student."
"What about you?" he asked. "You look quite young too—are you still in school?"
Lan Huanxi's eyes shimmered with emotion as she slowly shook her head. Her voice caught slightly.
"No… My dad got injured at a construction site. My mom's been bedridden for years. My little brother is preparing for his high school entrance exams. Everything needs money."
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and silently began to fall.
Jiang Chen, uncomfortable with girls crying, quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"By the way," he said, "I wanted to ask—what time in the morning does dew start forming on Cloud Mist Mountain?"
Huanxi sniffled and wiped her tears. "Around 4:30."
4:30 a.m.?
Ye Chuxue's place was more than thirty kilometers away, deep in the city center. There'd be no taxis running that early, and heading back now only to return before dawn would be a logistical nightmare.
Forget it. He might as well rough it for the night.
After she washed his hair, Jiang Chen pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it to Lan Huanxi.
"Do you offer lodging here?"
Seeing him casually pull out what looked like several thousand yuan, the lady boss and the other flirtatious girls froze in shock.
So the handsome young man was actually rich?
Their attitude shifted instantly. They practically swarmed around him, all smiles and sugary voices.
"Yes, yes! Of course we do! We've got a luxury suite upstairs—a five-star presidential suite!" the boss chirped.
Jiang Chen stood and looked in the mirror. His new haircut, while not exactly high fashion, was at least clean and decent.
Lan Huanxi asked shyly, "How is it? Does it look alright?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "Looks good. Thanks."
With that, he offered her a warm smile before heading upstairs.
Lan Huanxi watched his retreating figure, lips curving into a soft, sweet smile.
Meanwhile, the other girls huddled together, gossiping.
"Pfft," one of them snorted. "He comes here and pretends to be all pure and proper?"
"Exactly," another scoffed. "Huanxi said he's a student? Please. From my experience, he's just stressed from studying and came to let off some steam. Probably got cold feet 'cause it was his first time and we were all crowding him!"