Meanwhile, Qin Wei's roam continued as usual. With great success in the market fight, his desire to eat more unhealthy street food only increased. After filling his stomach with skewers, fried dumplings, and spiced flatbread, Qin Wei finally wandered toward a nearby teahouse nestled at the corner of a quiet street. The sign read "Verdant Moon."
Vanessa followed without a word like a silent bodyguard.
He picked a window seat on the second floor overlooking the busy street below.
A young tea maiden placed a carved wooden tray on the table and gently poured the pale green liquid into porcelain cups.
Qin Wei leaned back, feeling the warmth seep through the ceramic cup into his palm. He looked at Vanessa, who remained standing behind him like a statue.
He patted the cushioned bench beside him. "Come, sit down and have tea with me."
She blinked, clearly hesitant. "It's alright. I'm fine standing."
Qin Wei chuckled. "You are not my servant or my subordinate. In fact, you're basically the master of Moonvilla and also my teacher now. You don't need to feel obligated to feel like a servant. Please… sit down."
Vanessa glanced at the tray again, filled with fresh fruit slices, delicate almond cakes, and dried plum snacks.
Then at him.
He raised his brows and smiled with a nod.
After a moment, she relented, sitting, though not beside him, but at a side angle with a clear line of sight to the stairs and windows in a way she can protect him from any ambush. After that earlier incident, she wouldn't be surprised if someone were following them in secret and ambushed the Master Icarus. Hence, she had to be vigilant at all times.
She picked up her teacup and sipped quietly. For a long while, they simply listened to the crowds outside in the streets.
Eventually, she broke the silence with a soft comment, but laced in curiosity, "I didn't expect Master Icarus to have multiple elemental affinities."
Qin Wei didn't flinch at the comment as if he expected her to speak about it. He gave a casual shrug and replied. "It's something I was born with, Vanessa. You can refuse to believe it, but my body constitution allows me to wield multiple elements."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tilted her cup. "But you didn't receive any mana infusion from me to use so many techniques rapidly."
Qin Wei had expected that question. He set his cup down with a faint clink and looked her in the eyes and said. "My special body constitution can also store mana absorbed from… well, intimate exchanges. It remains usable for hours after the act."
Vanessa nearly choked. She coughed into her cup, putting it down hastily.
"What?" she sputtered, widening her eyes
Qin Wei looked at her innocently. "What? You asked."
Her expression was unreadable for a moment. Then, she averted her gaze. "You mean… You mean…" As she stuttered a bit, Qin shrugged, "To put it plainly, every time I have sex with someone, I can absorb their mana in raw form and store it for like a day."
Vanessa blushed. "You really are shameless."
Qin Wei leaned back with a small grin. "Why else do you think I used to have so many sexual maids?"
Vanessa stiffened, cup halfway to her mouth. For a moment, she actually considered the possibility. His tone wasn't exactly joking. But then she scoffed, "Yeah, right. You were with me all day. After the bath, we left together. When did you… you..." She blushed slightly as she quietly finished, "had the time to do it… Please stop pulling my leg..."
To what, Qin Wei replied calmly, "Well, I bathed for an hour."
Suddenly, Vanessa's eyes changed. Her eyes narrowed as she asked. "Who did you sleep with?" Her tone suddenly turned a bit chilly.
Qin Wei trembled for a moment in surprise, but then, as something popped in her head, he tilted his head, "Why? Are you jealous? Or…" Giving a pause, he smiled mischievously as he stared into her eyes. "Do you have a relationship with one of them?"
Her face flushed immediately beet red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "That's not the point!" she hissed. "None of those maids were allowed to… to… touch you. They had duties. They were trusted by the young lady to serve the household, not to..."
Qin Wei raised his palm, cutting her mid-way, "Okay, fine. I'll tell you."
She slammed her cup lightly onto the tray. "Who is it?"
Qin Wei stared at her, looking directly into her eyes, and said, "No one. It's all the remnant mana I absorbed from Thea, so far."
"Eh?" She blinked, taken aback. In the next second, she shot her hand forward and grabbed his arm. As she furrowed her brows, concentrating inwardly. In the next instant, she swats it away, "I can't sense any remnant mana. Moreover, I don't believe you can store it for this long, regardless of his so-called special constitution."
To which he shamelessly replied with a grin, "I spent it all."
Her jaw almost dropped at this young lord's shamelessness. "You are really think-skinned, aren't you?"
Qin Wei dramatically sighed as he leaned away and said, "Fine, I'll tell you. It's a maid."
Vanessa slammed the table instantly. Her eyes turned cold once again as she almost growled. "I knew it. Even after Lady Thea's warning, you touched them? Who is it? Tell me. I will skin them alive."
He averted his gaze, sipping tea in response. "I am not going to tell you."
Vanessa snorted. "Tch. There are only ten of them, and none of them are warriors. It's easy enough to torture the truth out of them."
He raised an eyebrow, amused by her statement. "But what if I'm lying?"
She paused.
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbow on the table. "What if I just said all that to mess with you? Wouldn't that make you the cruel woman who hurt her own colleagues for nothing?"
Her mouth opened to respond, but no words came out. Her eyes flared, flickering with frustration, but she bit her tongue. And she hissed… "ouch..."
Qin Wei couldn't help but let out an involuntary chuckle at her reaction, genuinely enjoying the way she fumed in silence. She looked ready to throw the tea at him. "You're cute when you're angry, you know."
"You…!" She clenched her fists, glaring at him. "Stop messing with me…"
He waved her off with a laugh. "Relax. I didn't actually sleep around with anyone…"
Vanessa glared harder, can't believe his words anymore. He changed statements too many times. Nevertheless, he ignored her, finishing the last of his tea in one gulp.
"Fine, I'll just bite whatever you intended to feed," she said flatly, "if not through your body constitution or maids, what method did you use? Go on..."
By this time, the tea was finished, and Qin Wei stood up, brushing off his robe. "Ah, the third route."
"Which is?" she asked, now genuinely curious.
He smiled, eyes glinting playfully. "Sorry. That's a secret."
Vanessa stared at him. Her lips pressed into a tight line.
After a long pause, she looked away and muttered softly under her breath, "Fine… Keep pretending as much as you can. I will find out your secret sooner or later."
Qin Wei pretended not to hear that.
After leaving the tea house, he continued to wander through the market with his arms behind his back and a relaxed expression.
Vanessa followed a step behind, while her eyes continued to flick around with a practiced vigilance, making sure to protect him.
Eventually, the sun had dipped low. Stalls bustled with traders. But up ahead, in their path, a crowd had gathered at the far corner of the square, so tightly packed that it seemed half the city was trying to squeeze into one spot.
Qin Wei raised a brow, watching the scene. "What's with the rush? Was someone handing out free stuff or something?"
Vanessa tilted her head, scanning the group. "No, It's because of Master Doros."
"Who?"
"Master Doros was a renowned talisman master. Unlike ordinary ones used for warding off ghosts or evil spirits, his talismans are imbued with elemental energy, like fire, water, wind, and practical ones for field use. Most warriors buy them for wilderness travel."
Qin Wei frowned thoughtfully. "Elemental talismans? Like what?"
Vanessa gestured with her hand. "Water talismans for creating clean water. Fire talismans to light campfires or even to start controlled burns. Very useful. And he sells them cheap."
"How cheap?"
"Twenty gold coins for water, thirty for fire."
Qin Wei froze mid-step. "Thirty gold coins? For a single-use fire talisman?"
Vanessa looked at him, puzzled by his tone. "That's considered cheap. Most elemental talismans sell for at least twice that, especially when made by certified crafters. And if you venture into the wilderness, you will understand how blessed to have fire and water talismans if you don't have a sorcerer with you. As Master Wei only opens his shop once a week, warriors naturally don't want to lose out."
But Qin Wei wasn't listening anymore.
He turned toward the crowd, his mind racing in calculations. "Thirty gold coins? I only get 200 gold coins as a monthly allowance. If I can bring out those sealing techniques, in the form of talismans…" His eyes lit up as he whispered, "I just found my goose that lays the golden eggs."
Vanessa narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that glint in his eyes. "What is he planning again?"