Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Massive Revenue

Many were gathered around the leaderboard, and to Mu Chen's chagrin, Lan Ruofeng and Zhuang Yu were among them.

Those initially checking out the bounty board cast strange glances at Ye Shi.

Last time, Ye Shi and Zhuang Yu had a heated argument. With the two assassins in the same place, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Zhuang Yu turned to look at Mu Chen, her typical fiery approach replaced with a pair of clear, aggrieved eyes. When her gaze landed on Ye Shi, a mix of wariness and resentment flickered in her eyes.

When Zhuang Yu looked back at Mu Chen, her eyes held both anticipation and a hint of unspoken disappointment. Mu Chen narrowed his eyes, wondering if she expected him to stand up for her. What was she thinking?

Ye Shi glared menacingly at Zhuang Yu. Seeing Mu Chen's indifference, Zhuang Yu looked somewhat disappointed.

Mu Chen, with arms folded, rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Even after so long, Zhuang Yu remains unchanged. wonder if Lan Ruofeng would lose his appetite seeing him like this."

Xie Danyan observed the interaction between Ye Shi and Zhuang Yu, a curious smile playing on her lips.

Xie Danyan walked over to Mu Chen, arms crossed, and casually remarked, "Mu Chen, how's life in the Fu Yuan?"

"It's good," Mu Chen replied nonchalantly.

Xie Danyan raised an eyebrow, "You sure know how to go with the flow, fitting in wherever you are."

"The Symbol Academy is indeed excellent. The art of symbols is profound and intriguing. Miss Xie, you could delve into it when you have the time," Mu Chen said with a warm smile.

"No thanks. I'm not as leisurely as you. By the way, any thoughts on this bounty?" Xie Danyan inquired.

Mu Chen nodded, saying, "Indeed! Just from the bounty, one can tell there are many rich folks in the imperial city. All those Yuan Stones, it's tempting!"

Xie Danyan scoffed, "Miser." She had clearly overheard Mu Chen and Ye Shi discussing something earlier.

Unconcerned, Mu Chen smiled. He didn't feel obliged to share his thoughts with Xie Danyan since they had no special connection.

However, Xie Danyan's attitude puzzled Mu Chen. In the books, Xie Danyan deeply loved Lan Ruofeng. Now, her attitude seemed to lack that deep infatuation. Regardless, having Xie Danyan not side with Lan Ruofeng was a good thing.

Lan Ruofeng gazed at Xie Danyan, his brow furrowing. She used to be so passionate about him, but recently she's grown distant.

Xie Danyan's fervent nature wasn't Lan Ruofeng's preference. However, being treated coldly by her still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Xie Danyan watched Mu Chen's retreating figure, a hint of intrigue in her eyes.

Cheng Wanbai leaned in, asking, "Danyan, what are you thinking?"

Xie Danyan glanced over and said, "I think Mu Chen might be able to refine the potion that meets the criteria."

Cheng Wanbai glanced at Xie Danyan with a hint of surprise, asking, "Why have you suddenly taken a liking to him?"

Xie Danyan curled her lip, remarking, "The guy's just a penny-pincher. He becomes exceptionally proactive when money is involved."

Cheng Wanbai smiled, "Perhaps."

"Danyan, what do you know about the Beast Spirit Pill?" Lan Ruofeng approached Xie Danyan, inquiring.

Xie Danyan shrugged, "I don't know much. What I know is common knowledge. Excuse me, Lan Shao, I have other matters to attend to."

Xie Danyan left with Cheng Wanbai. As they walked, Cheng remarked, "Danyan, you seem distant from Lan Ruofeng lately. Did he offend you?"

Xie Danyan frowned, "No, I just realized that Lan Ruofeng... isn't all that."

Cheng Wanbai just smiled and didn't press further.

...

In the Yellow Class where Mu Chen studied, teachers would teach daily. Though the teachers assigned to them were of average skill, it was better than nothing.

Mu Chen spent most of his time studying Fu Lian. After passing the Fu Lian test, he used his remaining Yuan Stones to buy books on it, and knowledge flowed into his mind like a tidal wave.

Mu Chen became increasingly fascinated with Fu Charm. To date, he could draw over a dozen second-level charms.

"Mu Chen." Ye Shi was waiting for him outside the classroom early on.

"Why are you here?" Mu Chen asked as he stepped out and saw Ye Shi.

"Our silent auction ends today; we can sell that charm. Let's go check it out," Ye Shi said with enthusiasm.

Mu Chen nodded, responding, "Sure!"

"How's your research on the Beast Spirit Pill?" Ye Shi asked, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

With a sheepish smile, Mu Chen replied, "Haven't started yet." Only when he wanted to begin did he realize he was short on Yuan Stones, and thus the project was shelved.

Ye Shi eyed Mu Chen anxiously, urging, "Haven't you started your research? What if someone gets ahead of us?"

Mu Chen replied calmly, "No rush. Given its long absence, if someone else could have figured it out, they would have by now."

Ye Shi nodded thoughtfully, "That's true. Lan Ruofeng, that good-for-nothing, probably can't find a way. Let's first check on the covert mark. According to Fu Yuanbao, a conservative estimate is a million Yuan Stones." He said, clearly excited.

"That many?" Mu Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"With so many Yuan Stones, what do you plan on doing?" Ye Shi inquired.

Mu Chen pondered, "I want to buy a third-grade Dan furnace. The second-grade one from the auction isn't cutting it. I also want a third-grade Fu pen since the second-grade ones aren't producing the desired effects. There are also books on third-grade alchemy techniques and Fu Lians for sale at the academy. I'd also like to buy some martial arts manuals."

Feeling overwhelmed, Ye Shi blinked a few times.

"Mu Chen, how many Yuan stones for a third-grade pill furnace?" Ye Shi asked, forcing a dry laugh.

Mu Chen contemplated, "I've heard the lower quality ones are tens of thousands, mid-quality ones are over a hundred thousand, and the high-quality ones can cost several hundreds of thousands."

Ye Shi: "..." With a single third-grade Dan furnace costing that much, plus the cost of a third-grade Fu pen and other items, it seemed like a massive expense.

Noticing Ye Shi's expression, Mu Chen couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter, Stone?"

Ye Shi gave an awkward smile, saying, "It's nothing, really."

Mu Chen smiled lightly and said, "I have a lot that I need. Guess I'll have to take it one step at a time."

Ye Shi nodded, remarking, "Indeed, step by step."

"Refining pills and crafting charms can wait. The most pressing matter is to improve my cultivation," Mu Chen stated gravely.

Without reaching the three-star martial artist level, everything would be in vain. Once he advances in his cultivation, he could refine third-level elixirs. Selling those would earn him a fortune.

The pressing matter at hand is to clear his body's acupuncture points, elevate his aptitude to the eighth level, and not neglect body refinement.

"Soon, we should start using third-level beast blood for our body refinement," Mu Chen said, furrowing his brow.

Ye Shi nodded, noting, "Third-level beast blood isn't cheap."

With a squinted gaze, Mu Chen said, "While aptitude is crucial in cultivation, resources are even more vital. Throw in a vast amount of resources, and you can nurture a master."

"Alright, let's see how many elemental stones we can get for the Spring Rain Charm," Mu Chen suggested.

Ye Shi nodded, responding, "Sounds good!"

When Mu Chen and Ye Shi arrived, Fu Yuanbao had already been waiting. Upon seeing them, he promptly stepped forward with a respectful greeting.

Seeing Fu Yuanbao reminded Ye Shi of the one percent commission he had promised him, causing a pang of regret in his heart.

"Are you here to see the secret bidding results?" Fu Yuanbao inquired.

Mu Chen nodded, replying, "Yes, we are."

"The bidding has concluded, and the box can now be opened," Fu Yuanbao said deferentially.

Mu Chen nodded, and together with Ye Shi, they opened the secret box.

"One hundred and fifty million elemental stones!" Ye Shi exclaimed upon seeing the first bid.

"Only eighty million for this one. What a cheapskate."

"One hundred and thirty million, no chance for this one."

"One hundred and seventy million."

After checking all the bids, Mu Chen and Ye Shi found that the Spring Rain Charm was sold for 188 million elemental stones to a young lady named Tang Zhuer.

When Mu Chen saw Tang Zhuer, he was taken aback. While she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, she was undeniably eye-catching with six spatial rings on her fingers and countless treasures adorning her body, resembling a walking treasury.

Ye Shi stared at Tang Zhuer's abundant treasures, his eyes gleaming with envy.

Tang Zhuer, with her vast wealth, handed over a significant sum to Ye Shi without batting an eyelid.

Unlike Tang Zhuer, who seemed indifferent to the vast sums of money, Ye Shi felt the pinch. When he transferred the 1.88 million stones to Fu Yuanbao, his eyes were filled with resentment.

Once Fu Yuanbao received the elemental stones, he quickly made himself scarce.

The news of Mu Chen selling the Spring Rain Charm for 188 million elemental stones spread rapidly.

"Is the script of the Spring Rain Charm really that valuable?" Hearing the rumor, Zhuang Yu queried with a furrowed brow.

Lan Ruofeng frowned and explained, "It's a new type of script, hence its value."

After becoming Master Hua Shu's disciple, Lan Ruofeng was allocated 100 million stones, a huge sum for any novice martial artist. Yet in a blink, Mu Chen had amassed 188 million, truly a lucky fellow.

Holding the Yuan stone card, Ye Shi said to Mu Chen, "I'll transfer all the Yuan stones to you."

"No need for so much. Just give me twenty million for self-defense. As an elite student, you get a 40% discount in the academy. Please buy whatever I need in the future," Mu Chen instructed.

Ye Shi nodded, saying, "Alright."

"Let's first buy a pill furnace, then gather some materials. I plan on researching the Beast Spirit Pill," Mu Chen remarked.

Ye Shi nodded again, responding, "Alright."