Female Lead, Something's Not Right (GL) - Chapter 25

“This robe is a defensive immortal artifact jointly crafted by the now-ascended Refining Master Wen Yunkuo and his Dao Companion. The embellishments are from the Mermaid Clan of the South Sea. It can protect the dantian and the soul from damage by Core Formation cultivators and can withstand a fatal blow from a Nascent Soul Ancestor.”

“Is it truly that powerful!” Gu Shiyan was astonished. If the exterior of the robe weren’t so excessively luxurious and complicated, she wouldn’t hesitate to buy it, as the dantian and soul are the most vital areas for any cultivator.

Most defensive artifacts only protected the physical body from harm. Artifacts that also protected the soul were extremely rare, and one that could do both was even more precious.

“You can ask anyone about the goods at Ruyi Pavilion; there is absolutely no fraud. Furthermore, wearing this Mermaid Feather Robe allows you to enter the sea and breathe naturally underwater, eliminating the need to buy a water-repelling pearl. If you’re not satisfied with the style of the robe, you can change the style of the dress and hairpin at will,” the attendant said, seeing through Gu Shiyan’s hesitation and offering a solution.

“How many spirit stones does this Mermaid Feather Robe cost?”

“Five hundred and sixty-eight top-grade spirit stones, and it comes with the innate spirit treasure Water Spirit Essence as a gift. No bargaining.”

She didn’t quite catch the detail about the “gift,” as her ears were ringing with the ridiculously high price.

“What! How much! Five hundred and sixty-eight top-grade spirit stones!!” Gu Shiyan asked incredulously.

“How many spirit stones do this Junior Sister’s goods cost in total? I’ll pay for them.” A deep voice came from behind.

Gu Shiyan turned her head and was startled to see the handsome and distinguished man—she hadn’t expected to run into Xiao Ze here!

“No need!” Gu Shiyan immediately refused without thinking. As the person moved closer to her, Shen Shu’s warning suddenly echoed in her mind, and she instinctively took a step back.

“Don’t be nervous. My name is Xiao Ze. I mean no harm. The last time was an emergency, and I had no choice but to feign a curse to threaten you.” Xiao Ze spoke with tact and composure.

But it was this very composure that made Gu Shiyan sense an undeniable firmness that brooked no refusal.

“There’s no need.” She truly had no good impression of the man before her and didn’t want to get tangled up with him. The price of the Mermaid Feather Robe was too steep. Her entire savings only amounted to a little over two thousand low-grade spirit stones—the difference was enormous. Just as she was about to leave, another person appeared.

The attendant said with utmost respect, “Master.”

Hua Wu swayed in, her every move radiating a seductive charm. “Oh~ Little Sister, I remember you.” She glanced at the bracelet on Gu Shiyan’s wrist and smiled, pursing her lips. “You clumsy little brother, you shouldn’t underestimate her. Perhaps the total value of the assets in her storage bag is more valuable than you imagine.”

Gu Shiyan was secretly wondering who this Hua Wu was—both the top courtesan of the Huanhuan Tower and the master of Ruyi Pavilion. Hearing her words, Gu Shiyan grew wary and turned sideways to shield her storage bag. She didn’t dare to carelessly place the storage bag Shen Shu gave her, so she carefully put it inside her own unremarkable storage bag to avoid drawing attention.

“Don’t worry, that person is very meticulous in her work. The things she gave you have a special restriction; others can’t steal them,” Hua Wu reassured the girl in front of her. “If you truly like this robe, how about I give you a discount?”

An anomaly must indicate a deeper mystery. For an ordinary person like her, the overly enthusiastic willingness of the two before her to connect made her question their true intentions.

“You jest, Master I’m just an ordinary outer sect disciple. Even with a discount, I can’t afford it. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.” Gu Shiyan couldn’t outplay these people, so leaving immediately was the safest course of action.

The two didn’t try to stop her and watched as Gu Shiyan walked straight out.

“Are you just going to let her leave?” Xiao Ze clenched his fist, a little unwilling.

“What else? Do you think True Monarch Hehua is easy to deal with? I’m warning you, I wouldn’t help you if this matter didn’t concern the common people. Shen Shu utterly dotes on this girl. If she gets angry, few people can calm her down.” Hua Wu rarely showed a serious expression.

Xiao Ze scoffed. “Sister, you’re being overly cautious. Just because you like women doesn’t mean everyone else does. I still don’t believe True Monarch Hehua has fallen for her.”

Hua Wu looked at the departing girl through the window. “I advise you to give up on Shen Shu sooner rather than later. For now, we need to clarify this situation. If she truly holds a method to dispel the turbid energy, that news will shock the entire Qianmeng Continent.”

Gu Shiyan had put distance between herself and Ruyi Pavilion, but the chill on her body still hadn’t completely dissipated. Her attention was then drawn by a voice.

“Come one, come all! Don’t miss out! Spirit-Recovery Pills sold cheap!” A stall owner shouted, surrounded by many cultivators. Gu Shiyan’s heart stirred, and she squeezed forward. There were three or four small porcelain bottles in front of the stall. The Spirit-Recovery Pills in the trays were all low-grade, with many impurities in their texture and faint spiritual energy.

“How much for one bottle?” someone asked.

The stall owner stroked his beard. “Fifty low-grade spirit stones per pill. No bargaining.”

“Aren’t they usually forty! Plus, the quality of your elixirs isn’t good. The last time I bought some, you said one pill could restore at least three-tenths of my spiritual energy. When I encountered a mad stag beast during my last mission, it barely restored one-tenth! I almost lost my life there!” A muscular body cultivator roared in dissatisfaction.

The stall owner sneered. “Too expensive? Go buy somewhere else. You look around, which stall hasn’t raised its prices? If you want good low-grade Spirit-Recovery Pills, Ruyi Pavilion sells them for one hundred low-grade spirit stones per pill! Mid-grade for five hundred! Top-grade for a thousand! Can you afford that!”

Although the crowd was indignant, the stall owner’s words weren’t false. There weren’t many capable alchemists, and most of them were in the large sects. They wouldn’t bother to sell elixirs outside. Good elixirs were either bought internally within the sect or came from collaborations with shops like Ruyi Pavilion. Small sects or rogue cultivators could only afford the quality sold at this stall.

Some people felt it was too expensive and left, but others had to grit their teeth and pay the spirit stones for the sake of the Inner Sect Competition.

Gu Shiyan followed the shouting body cultivator until the burly man turned around defensively and demanded, “Why are you following me!”

Gu Shiyan was still hesitating about how to speak. The man’s sudden intimidation almost made her flee in panic. Then she quickly reminded herself that she was now at Grand Perfection of Qi Refining, while the body cultivator before her was only at the ninth stage of Qi Refining. Even if they fought, she was confident she could win.

“I’m an alchemist, and I wanted to ask if you would like to buy some more Spirit-Recovery Pills,” Gu Shiyan quickly said, taking out a porcelain bottle.

The body cultivator looked at the porcelain bottle and then at the female cultivator before him, not quite reassured. “You’re an alchemist?”

“Yes! A genuine outer sect disciple of the Tianxuan Sect’s Alchemy Division!” Gu Shiyan pulled out her waist token. The body cultivator’s eyes lit up but then became hesitant.

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist, but as you just saw, I bought three low-grade Spirit-Recovery Pills at that stall. My purse is truly empty right now,” the body cultivator scratched his head.

“It’s fine. I just want to expand my clientele. If you want to buy in the future, you can contact me. I can’t guarantee anything else, but the quality of my elixirs is definitely better than that small peddler’s.” Gu Shiyan said, pouring out a mid-grade Spirit-Recovery Pill from the porcelain bottle.

The body cultivator was surprised. “You can actually refine mid-grade Spirit-Recovery Pills!” Suddenly, the body cultivator moved closer, his face full of delight. “This truly is a Spirit-Recovery Pill! There are absolutely no impurities, and the color is perfectly round. If it weren’t for the purple spiritual energy surrounding the pill, I would suspect it was a top-grade elixir!”