Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Spirit Breaking Pill Auction

Nightfall.

Ye Shi lay in bed, restless, occasionally breaking into smug laughter.

Chen Da looked at Ye Shi and asked helplessly, "Shi Tou, what are you giggling about?"

With his chin resting in his hand, Ye Shi looked at Chen Da with a teasing smile, "Uncle Chen, did you know? Mu Chen is still a virgin. Can you believe that?"

Ye Shi had always been bothered by Mu Chen's past promiscuous rumors. Now knowing about Mu Chen's impotence, he couldn't contain his glee.

Chen Da looked at Ye Shi with surprise, "Really? I heard Master Mu Chen frequented brothels."

"Uncle Mu Yuan Feng told me. He wouldn’t lie to me," Ye Shi replied with a proud grin.

Chen Da advised, "Master Mu Chen is good to you. Don't be too capricious."

Ye Shi blinked, scratching his head awkwardly, "Mu Chen said he likes me this way."

Chen Da advised with a sigh, "Mu Chen may adore you, but don't become arrogant because of his favor."

Ye Shi, reflecting on Chen Da’s concerned expression, began to feel uneasy. Mu Chen had always treated him so well. If he hadn’t been pampered like this by Mu Chen, he wouldn't fear losing such affection. "I..."

Chen Da looked at Ye Shi, "It's late. Go to sleep."

Ye Shi nodded, "Okay, Uncle Chen. Uncle Mu Yuan Feng said I can receive three hundred yuan stones every month. Uncle Mu is so kind to me."

"Mu Yuan Feng is good to you because you are Mu Chen's fiancée. Only by improving your strength can you help Mu Chen in the future. You've seen it, the Mu family isn’t entirely peaceful," Chen Da reminded with a furrowed brow.

Ye Shi nodded, "I understand." No matter how good Mu Chen was to him, he still felt vulnerable in the Mu family. To solidify his place, he must prove his worth.

...

"Good morning. I made you a cake. I heard from Uncle Chen that the day Ren San brought you a cake, you were in a bad mood and gave it away. Later, you regretted it so much that you bit your blanket," Mu Chen said, a teasing tone evident.

Ye Shi's face reddened, "Uncle Chen is talking nonsense! I didn't bite the blanket, that's something children do!"

Mu Chen shrugged, "Okay, you didn’t bite the blanket. Then why were you in a bad mood?"

"Because..." Ye Shi hesitated, "Because Zhuang Yu said you're ugly, disgusting, weak, and you keep pestering him. I was upset on your behalf."

Mu Chen: "..." Ye Shi, even capable of lying now. Zhuang Yu, with his pure-hearted character, wouldn't openly express such thoughts, even if he had them.

However, it's not surprising to hear Ye Shi say such things. After all, his character isn't meant to be a noble one, but rather a malicious pawn willing to do anything to achieve his ends.

"Zhuang Yu is detestable!" Mu Chen exclaimed, nodding in agreement with Ye Shi.

Ye Shi looked intently at Mu Chen and nodded seriously, "Exactly, so you need to keep your distance from him, even more so."

Mu Chen stared back at Ye Shi, saying, "As long as you steer clear of Lan Ruofeng, I won't bother with Zhuang Yu."

Ye Shi's eyes sparkled as he nodded, saying, "It's a deal."

Mu Chen responded with a nod, affirming, "Of course."

"What's this?" Ye Shi asked, looking at the red letter in Mu Chen's hand.

"It's an invitation from the Ziyue Auction House. Are you coming?" asked Mu Chen.

Frowning, Ye Shi replied, "Even if I go, I won't be able to afford anything. I wonder how much your father's pill will go for."

Mu Chen shrugged, "Who knows? It's certainly not the 3.5 million yuan-stone price Lan Ruofeng hopes for. He's dreaming if he thinks he can buy the Broken Spirit Pill for that."

…………

"Brother Chen, so you're here! You seem quite at ease," Mu Hong greeted with a wide smile, sizing up Mu Chen.

Mu Chen shrugged, saying, "I'm not as relaxed as you, big brother. I have to study alchemy with our father soon, and I have cultivation practice in the afternoon. Ye Shi, you can cultivate in my room. I've already informed the guards, so from now on, we can share my cultivation chamber."

Ye Shi nodded, simply replying, "Alright."

"Brother Chen, you've become so diligent now," commented Mu Hong.

Mu Hong had always thought of Mu Chen as someone lacking ambition, but to his surprise, Mu Chen seemed to have taken a turn for the better, showing great potential.

"I have to be! After all, I'm a married man now," Mu Chen bragged.

Ye Shi whispered in Mu Chen's ear, "You need to become a martial artist to truly have a wife."

Mu Chen shot Ye Shi a fierce glare. He used to think Ye Shi was quite straightforward, but here he was, pouring cold water on his excitement.

Seeing Mu Chen's irritated look, Ye Shi lowered his head, his eyes darting around, feeling a sense of mischief.

"Brother Chen, this must be your fiancé, Ye Shi?" inquired Mu Hong.

Mu Chen nodded, confirming, "Yes, that's him."

"Ye Shi, meet my cousin, Mu Hong. He's my uncle's son," Mu Chen introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Cousin," Ye Shi greeted with a subtle nod.

After giving Ye Shi a discerning look, Mu Hong thought to himself: Mu Chen truly has peculiar taste. If he had such a fiancé, he probably wouldn't be able to swallow a bite of food.

Sensing Mu Hong's distaste, Ye Shi felt a chill in his heart.

Noticing Ye Shi's saddened expression, Mu Chen furrowed his brow, saying, "If you have no business here, Cousin, please move along. We're quite busy."

Mu Hong responded with a slight frown, "If that's how you feel, Brother Chen, I won't impose any further."

Without wanting to engage further, Mu Chen tersely said, "Suit yourself."

Turning to Mu Chen, Ye Shi spoke dejectedly, "Why are you so kind to me when I'm so unattractive?"

"What are you talking about? Ye Shi, you're the cutest. How could you be ugly?" Mu Chen said, pinching Ye Shi's cheek.

Grasping Mu Chen's hand, Ye Shi looked into his eyes, stating, "If you're lying, I'll kill you."

Startled, Mu Chen laughed, "Of course, I mean it... Finding love is tough, isn't it? In my previous life, I couldn't find the right one. Now that I've transmigrated here, I've hit the jackpot. My chosen one is actually my fiancé. Everything is going as planned, but my wife is becoming increasingly fierce."

…………

Regardless, amidst great anticipation, the auction went ahead as scheduled.

The excitement around the Broken Spirit Pill surpassed even the previous auction's highlight item.

Still hopeful, Lan Ruofeng decided to attend the auction.

The opening bid for the Soul Breaking Pill was 400,000 elemental stones, 50,000 more than Lan Ruofeng's initial offer of 350,000. The hall grew silent momentarily before someone quickly bid 410,000. Lan Ruofeng's bid of 450,000 was soon drowned out by a series of frantic offers.

Sitting beside Lan Ruofeng, Zhuang Yu felt a rush of emotions. He had underestimated the value of such a pill, previously thinking it worth much less in elemental stones.

Mu Yuanhang also participated in the bidding but after his bid of 800,000, he went silent. Mu Chen surmised that 800,000 must've been Mu Yuanhang's limit.

The price quickly surged to one million and didn't slow down, soon reaching one and a half million.

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes. The original owner had sold such a valuable pill for a mere 20,000 elemental stones. No wonder Mu Yuanfeng was so infuriated with him.

The winning bid for the Soul Breaking Pill went to a middle-aged man rumored to be a skilled artifact refiner.

Ye Shi's eyes widened in admiration, murmuring, "Amazing. No wonder alchemists are wealthy. I want to become one too."

Mu Chen gazed at Ye Shi, suggesting, "Would you like to learn? If so, I can teach you."

Ye Shi looked skeptically at Mu Chen, replying, "If you're the teacher, I'll pass. It'd be a waste of elemental stones."

Mu Chen was taken aback, not expecting Ye Shi to think so little of him.

At the auction table, Lan Ruofeng clenched his fists, his face a stormy shade. He was furious at the audience for not giving him any respect.

The Soul Breaking Pill eventually sold for 2,280,000 elemental stones.

Ye Shi gripped Mu Chen's arm tightly, exclaiming, "So many elemental stones! So, so many!"

Mu Chen nodded, commenting, "Indeed! So many yuan stones. An overwhelming amount."

Ye Shi turned to Mu Chen, speaking earnestly, "Mu Chen, you should diligently learn alchemy from your father. Even with just a superficial understanding, you won't have to worry about your needs."

Mu Chen managed a wry smile, responding, "I'll do my best."