Ye Chen, of course, always carried spirit stones with him. However, he was reluctant to take them out so casually. Thus, he brought them back to the courtyard to complete the transaction. He had also tested the bracelet before the purchase.
The vendor had not exaggerated. It could indeed enhance one's cultivation speed. But the effect was nothing extraordinary. Such a trinket was hardly worth thirteen mid-grade spirit stones.
Yet, as Ye Chen examined the pale green, crystal-clear bracelet, its delicate beauty lifted his spirits. The mere five percent boost in cultivation speed was hardly useful. But what if it were amplified fifteen times? Wouldn't that be an entirely different story? So, despite how others might see him as a fool, Ye Chen felt as though he had stumbled upon a great bargain. Thirteen mid-grade spirit stones? Even if it had cost twenty or thirty, he would have bought it without hesitation.
Beside him, Lu Jing followed closely, her mature and delicate face flushed with excitement. She had always known Ye Chen was favored and held many resources, but she never imagined he could be so wealthy. To casually spend thirteen mid-grade spirit stones was an unexpected show of extravagance.
Ye Chen's nonchalance in throwing away spirit stones struck her as irresistibly handsome. It made her heart race. And when her gaze fell on the bracelet in Ye Chen's hands, her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Could it be... that Ye Chen had bought this bracelet for her?
At the thought of this, Lu Jing's breath grew more hurried. Though, like most cultivators, Lu Jing thought the bracelet was rather useless, she believed that was because its cost outweighed its benefits. If it had been free, no one would have hesitated to take it.
But in the gaze of anticipation from Lu Jing, Ye Chen casually put the bracelet away. This sent a shock through Lu Jing's heart. Could it be that Ye Chen intended to give it to Lin Ke'er? If that were the case, she would never accept it. After all, this bracelet had cost thirteen top-grade spirit stones! She had to act more decisively. She had to intensify her efforts.
Ye Chen must be hers….
So, at dinner that evening, Lu Jing, in an attempt to get closer to Ye Chen, accidentally spilled some soup on her front. Her delicate face flushed slightly as she leaned toward him.
"Ah, what a waste. Fellow Daoist Ye, would you be so kind as to help me finish the soup?"
Faced with Lu Jing's attempt at frugality, Ye Chen could not possibly refuse. He lowered his head and slowly cleaned up the broth with his mouth. Still, he did not offer the thing Lu Jing had hoped for.
...
Lu Jing, clearly, had been putting her efforts in the wrong direction. The bracelet was not for her, nor for Lin Ke'er. It was meant for Sun Ruoxin. With her fifteenfold returns, Sun Ruoxin would bring Ye Chen greater benefits, and a faster cultivation speed. In such circumstances, how could Ye Chen settle for giving the bracelet to Lu Jing or Lin Ke'er? It simply wasn't going to happen.
However, the news of Ye Chen, the "simp" from the Ye family, purchasing a premium bracelet for a female cultivator spread quickly through Silver Moon Market. Countless cultivators cursed him inwardly as a wasteful fool. With so many spirit stones, what couldn't he do? But instead, he chose to act like a simp. How foolish. With a son like this, the Ye family was doomed.
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Even Manager Zhang was shocked when he heard the news. How could Ye Chen have amassed so many spirit stones? What had Ye Tianhe given him during his last visit? And yet, despite having so many spirit stones, Ye Chen hadn't used them to further his cultivation. Instead, he spent them on something so useless. Truly a wasteful fool.
The outside world was buzzing with discussions. Ye Chen remained entirely indifferent. He continued his daily routine of cultivation and alchemy without disruption. However, both Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er knew about the bracelet and were especially attentive toward him.
Yesterday, Lu Jing had offered him a bowl of meat broth, urging him not to waste it. Today, Lin Ke'er had sweetly kissed him, even going as far as to suggest he slip his hand inside her sleeve. Unfortunately, neither of them received the bracelet.
Once the system cooldown was over and the time for his lesson arrived, Ye Chen headed to the Green Cloud Shop. Today, he was invited to the back courtyard for class. As soon as he entered, he saw Sun Ye already instructing a woman.
…
Upon Ye Chen's arrival, Sun Ye's eyes lit up, as though he had found treasure. The woman, too, curiously eyed Ye Chen with her beautiful phoenix eyes. This woman was none other than Sun Ruoxin, whom Ye Chen had met previously.
To be honest, Ye Chen was quite curious as to why Sun Ruoxin had a fifteenfold enhancement. He was about to size her up when Sun Ye, with a look of profound regret, spoke first.
"Did you really buy that bracelet?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen immediately nodded, surprised at how fast the news had spread, even reaching Sun Ye. However, what Ye Chen didn't know was just how deeply Sun Ye regretted his actions. When the loose cultivator had come to the Green Cloud Shop to sell the bracelet, Sun Ye had only offered eight mid-grade spirit stones, unwilling to even go as high as ten.
Who would have thought that Ye Chen would purchase it for thirteen? Had Sun Ye accepted the bracelet and sold it to Ye Chen himself, he would have made a fortune. Regret. He was filled with regret.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen paid no mind to Sun Ye's complex expressions. He turned to Sun Ruoxin. "You must be Senior's daughter. I am Ye Chen, pleased to meet you, Senior Sister!"
Hearing Ye Chen call her "Senior Sister," Sun Ruoxin's youthful face revealed a trace of amusement. Though this was their first meeting, she had heard much about him already.
For example, the Dragon Elephant Fist his father had prepared was given to a female cultivator. The pills he refined were immediately handed over to female cultivators. Even when a female cultivator was about to leave, he was the first to worry about her safety, rushing to purchase protective talismans for her.
Furthermore, the storage pouch Ye Chen had bought from the shop had never been used by him. Most likely, he had given it to a female cultivator as well. As for the bracelet, when the seller had come to the shop, Sun Ruoxin had been present and had shown considerable interest in it. Although its effects were somewhat negligible, it was still better than nothing.
More importantly, it was aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, it was far too expensive. Now that Ye Chen had bought it, it was highly likely he would give it to a female cultivator. While some female cultivators admired Ye Chen, thinking him deeply affectionate, Sun Ruoxin found him utterly disappointing. A man who would stoop so low to please women, what kind of future could he possibly have? He was truly wallowing in self-degradation.
As Sun Ruoxin pondered, she stood up and said in a neutral tone, "I am Sun Ruoxin." She did not engage in any "Junior Brother" or "Senior Sister" pleasantries.
Ye Chen, however, was unfazed by Sun Ruoxin's cold demeanor. He took a moment to size her up, his eyes lighting up. Sun Ruoxin was very young, with an exceptionally beautiful face that radiated a vibrant, youthful charm. She had the air of a next-door girl. Her figure was slender and curvaceous. Though not as explosive as Lu Jing's, it was perfectly balanced.
But the most striking feature of Sun Ruoxin was undoubtedly her legs. White, slim, and long. However, Ye Chen didn't linger on the thought. Smiling, he pulled out the bracelet from his robe.
"Senior said I'll be taking classes with you from now on..." he began. "It wouldn't be right to come empty-handed on my first visit. I thought this bracelet looked quite nice, so I bought it with the intention of giving it to you. Do you like it, Senior Sister?"
As soon as Ye Chen finished speaking, both Sun Ye and Sun Ruoxin's eyes widened in shock.
