My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

The moment the courtyard gate was pushed open, Zhao Zuo was instantly on alert. He immediately stopped practicing the Golden Body Technique, sidestepped twice to grab his Taoist Robe and throw it on, while simultaneously tightening his grip on the hilt of his Hidden Blade Giant Sword.

In an instant, Zhao Zuo came to several conclusions. ’No matter who it is or how powerful they are, I won’t just wait to be killed. Even if I die... I have to wound them as severely as possible.’

Zhao Zuo stared vigilantly toward the courtyard gate. A figure in a green Taoist Robe appeared in his line of sight. Her oval face seemed to hold both sadness and surprise, her black hair was draped casually over her shoulders, and her skin was as white as snow. It was Shen Yunjiao.

Neither of them spoke. Zhao Zuo was slightly stunned, gazing at Shen Yunjiao. In that instant, it felt as if a thousand words were welling up inside him, but they all got stuck in his throat. He tried to speak several times, but no sound came out.

He didn’t know what to say, but Zhao Zuo knew that in this moment, he was truly happy.

It was like a ray of sunlight piercing through a hazy sky, brightening the dim world. Although Zhao Zuo had felt more at ease after Shen Yunjiao left, not having to worry about his secrets being exposed, and had even grown accustomed to that life, he hadn’t been happy.

Zhao Zuo’s friendship with Shen Yunjiao hadn’t blossomed into romance. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, his voice dry.

"You’re back? Wait a second."

After saying this, Zhao Zuo immediately turned and ran off.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunjiao’s expression was also complicated. Of course, her heart was filled with joy at seeing Zhao Zuo again. She had imagined what their reunion would be like, but she never expected... that he would just turn and run away.

A dozen seconds or so later, Zhao Zuo returned to his previous spot, holding the Storage Bag that Shen Yunjiao had left behind. He had never opened it, so naturally, he had no idea how many Spirit Stones were inside, but he didn’t regret his decision one bit.

"Here. The Storage Bag you left. I never opened it," Zhao Zuo said as gently as he could. He hadn’t expected these to be the words he would say when they met again.

Shen Yunjiao took the Storage Bag. She could feel her connection to it, which meant Zhao Zuo hadn’t used his Mana to claim ownership. In other words, he hadn’t bonded with the Storage Bag.

At that moment, she felt an indescribable sense of being touched. At the same time, she breathed a sigh of relief. Since Zhao Zuo hadn’t opened the Storage Bag, he naturally hadn’t seen the other letter she had left inside.

"Thank you," Shen Yunjiao said softly.

Then, she took the Black Flame Saber out of the Storage Bag and offered it to Zhao Zuo.

"It’s for you."

Zhao Zuo looked at the item he had once coveted enough to spend Spirit Stones on, and gently shook his head.

"Since it’s something you treasure, I can’t accept it."

He understood this was a thank-you gift from Shen Yunjiao for returning the Storage Bag, but he didn’t intend to accept it. Even Zhao Zuo himself couldn’t quite say why he was refusing.

Zhao Zuo fastened the buttons on the Taoist Robe he had casually thrown on, covering his lean, powerful physique. He then casually placed the Hidden Blade Giant Sword back in its original spot.

"You deserve this." Shen Yunjiao ignored Zhao Zuo’s refusal. With a flick of her right wrist, she tossed the Black Flame Saber to him. Her eyes held an unshakeable determination, as if she would draw her own sword and attack if he refused again.

"Alright." Seeing Shen Yunjiao’s insistence, Zhao Zuo didn’t refuse any further. He took the Black Flame Saber from her. The weapon was over a meter long, too big to fit in a Storage Bag. He could only sling it diagonally across his waist, which actually made it convenient to draw.

The saber was very much to Zhao Zuo’s taste. The blade was long and slender with a slight curve, and it released high-temperature black flames when infused with Mana. He was instantly captivated and couldn’t bring himself to put it down.

Seeing Zhao Zuo accept it, Shen Yunjiao’s expression softened. Her sharp eyes also held a hint of satisfaction, making her look a little playful and cute.

For a moment, both of them fell silent. After the initial joy of their long-awaited reunion, what remained was more of a sense of unfamiliarity. Both had been through a lot in the past month, and their personalities had changed... The gap between them wasn’t something that could be instantly erased.

"By the way, why didn’t you open the Storage Bag? Didn’t I say in my letter that if anything happened to me, my inheritance would be yours?" Shen Yunjiao took the initiative, walking over to a stone chair in the courtyard and sitting down, asking with a slight smile.

"I believed you weren’t dead and that you would definitely come back. So I was just holding onto it for you," Zhao Zuo chose to answer truthfully. There was no need to hide anything about this.

"So if I had never come back, you still wouldn’t have opened it?" Shen Yunjiao’s smile grew wider.

"No. I believed you would definitely come back."

In Zhao Zuo’s heart, that Storage Bag had never belonged to him. It belonged only to Shen Yunjiao.

"You really are a strange person." Shen Yunjiao gently crossed her right leg, revealing a long, slender calf as fair as jade. The Taoist Robe couldn’t completely cover her body. Normally, one would wear trousers underneath a robe like this, but she clearly wasn’t wearing any now.

’Of course, she must have something else on underneath, higher up her thighs; that would be in line with her personality. She seems bold and open, but at her core, she’s actually quite conservative and shy. Some of it is just a deliberately crafted persona.’

’Besides, she only acts this way when she’s very nervous... It’s a subconscious test, a way to get my attention and make me overlook her nervousness.’

’But I figured out this particular trait of hers long ago.’