Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Such Mentorship

The news of Mu Chen's Level 8 aptitude set the academy abuzz once more.

Listening to the relentless praises for Mu Chen, a surge of intense jealousy welled up inside Ye Rong.

The reason Ye Shi is associated with Mu Chen goes back to the Ye family.

If it weren't for the marriage alliance between the Mu and Ye families, Ye Shi and Mu Chen might never have met.

Her mother once mentioned that the marriage candidates from the Ye and Mu families weren't set in stone, meaning she might have had a chance.

Among the younger generation of the Ye family, I was the most suitable match for Mu Chen. However, since childhood, Mu Chen had always been a disappointment, epitomizing a silver-spooned youth. My father believed Mu Chen was a lost cause, so he arranged the engagement with Ye Shi instead—a decision in which Mu Chen had a hand.

When Ye Rong discovered all this, she was so angry she almost gritted her teeth to pieces.

Had the engagement fallen to her, perhaps she'd be the one by Mu Chen's side now.

If I were Mu Chen's fiancée, then the unattainable excellence of my fiancé, countless Yuan stones, the Flaming Charm that fetches sky-high prices on the black market, and various elixirs would all be mine. The mere thought of it made Ye Rong feel dizzy.

A mere whim of my parents, and now all of this belongs to Ye Shi. Thinking of this, Ye Shi couldn't help but harbor some resentment towards the parents he always revered.

"Ye Rong, aren't you picking up a task?" A female student approached and inquired.

"I'll be on it soon," Ye Rong replied.

"Why bother her about tasks? She's a rich heiress; she doesn't need the money," another female student remarked.

"Really? Is she wealthy? She seems rather strapped for cash to me," the student who reminded Ye Rong said, looking puzzled.

Hearing their conversation, Ye Rong's cheeks turned a shade redder.

A martial artist's training requires a plethora of Yuan stones. There are many wealthy students in the Saint Star Academy, but there's no shortage of commoners either.

The academy offers tasks for students from poorer backgrounds to earn some Yuan stones.

Senior students with formidable skills usually team up for external missions, like hunting down beasts or collecting spiritual herbs.

For freshmen, such tasks are too dangerous. They usually settle for menial tasks like cleaning, assisting teachers, helping in the kitchen, or working in the spiritual fields.

Ye Rong's previous assignment was in the library, a job many envied, but she found it grueling.

Assisting in the library earns one twenty thousand Yuan stones a month—a considerable sum for less affluent students.

Ye Rong, being the daughter of the Ye family, didn't find this amount too extravagant or too little. But when she considered how Ye Shi didn't have to lift a finger and had millions to spend, she felt a pang of jealousy.

Ye Rong gazed at the Yuan stone card in her hand, feeling rather dejected.

When she wrote to her father asking for some Yuan stones, he bemoaned their financial state, criticized her for her dependency, and even compared her unfavorably to Ye Shi.

When she asked Mu Chen for some Yuan stones, he kept making excuses and suggested she borrow from Ye Shi.

Borrowing from Ye Shi? If it were that easy, she would've done it already.

Ye Shi was really crossing the line! With his immense wealth, he wasn't even willing to spare her a dime. He's so ungrateful!

By the time Ye Rong arrived at the task hall, most of the simple yet lucrative tasks were already taken.

Leaving the task hall with her body trembling in rage, Ye Rong was seething.

What were the Task Hall's staff thinking, recommending a bone-picker job to her?

She's a young woman! And they expected her to slaughter animals?

Someone even said that Ye Shi had once been a bone-picker. Only through enduring hardships can one stand above others. That experience was precisely why Ye Shi achieved such success.

Ye Rong gritted her teeth in frustration. While Ye Shi might have been used to such work growing up in the kitchen, she certainly wasn't cut out for it.

...

"These are the Nine-Turn Body Refining Liquids, nine bottles in total. Use one each day for the next nine days. Once you've consumed them all and your body is at its peak condition, you can take that elixir," Mu Chen instructed.

Ye Shi nodded seriously and said, "Alright, Mu Chen, I'm planning to go into seclusion in a few days."

Mu Chen looked at Ye Shi, puzzled. "What made you suddenly think of seclusion?"

Ye Shi pouted slightly and expressed his concern, "Because I don't want to lag too far behind you."

Mu Chen smiled, "Is that so? Well, give it your all then."

"Mu Chen, if I lag too far behind, would you look down on me?" Ye Shi asked with a hint of insecurity.

Mu Chen, rendered speechless, tapped Ye Shi's forehead, "What are you thinking?"

"By the way, I heard you bought many grade-five spirit fruits," Ye Shi said, batting his eyelashes.

Mu Chen nodded, "Yeah! How did you know?"

"My master told me. Were those fruits meant for making cakes for my master?" Ye Shi inquired.

Mu Chen, with a hint of regret, shook his head, "No, it's for brewing wine for my master." Since Jing Chiyang knew he bought the spirit fruits, it seemed he'd have to prepare desserts for both Xiong Wei and Jing Chiyang.

"So, it's for your master!" Ye Shi sneered upon hearing this.

Mu Chen nodded, "Yes, what about it? Did my master offend you?"

"He's biased! Always keeping an eye on us. Zhuang Yu was escorted out of the quarry by Shi Zi Yu, and he had no idea. I've heard that Zhuang Yu didn't suffer much in the quarry. All the men there were smitten by him, completing his tasks on his behalf," Ye Shi said, clearly displeased.

Ye Shi thought dejectedly: couldn't even slack off in the quarry using charms, yet Zhuang Yu does nothing, and Xiong Wei turns a blind eye.

"So that's the case!" Mu Chen thought to himself: Zhuang Yu truly has a knack for mingling wherever he goes!

"There's plenty of wine out there. Why not just buy some instead of making it yourself?" Ye Shi questioned with a frown.

Mu Chen nodded, "This wine is different. It's called Luo Flame Wine, brewed using a special fire. Only with my personal touch will it achieve the desired effect."

Ye Shi pondered, "I see. Must be a pricey drink, then."

Mu Chen acknowledged, "Indeed." The ingredients for Luo Flame Wine are all grade-five spiritual materials, costing him quite a fortune.

"Did that old geezer reimburse you at all?" Ye Shi asked with a hint of sympathy.

Mu Chen shook his head, "No." Even so, he didn't feel at a loss since the recipe for the Luo Flame Wine came from Xiong Wei.

This wine not only wards off cold but also aids in cultivation. Furthermore, it benefits the nurturing of special flames. A grade-five recipe—truly a priceless treasure.

Drinking this wine now would be premature. Once he reaches the Martial Spirit Realm, he can indulge.

"That old coot! Make sure to add some laxatives to his drink," Ye Shi said, grinding his teeth.

"Is that really necessary?" Mu Chen inquired.

"Of course it's necessary! Look how plump he is. A dose of laxatives will help him lose some weight," Ye Shi grumbled.

Mu Chen: "..."

...

"Have you seen your junior?" Jing Chiyang asked Xin Ruge after a thorough search and not spotting Ye Shi.

Xin Ruge shrugged, "The junior went into seclusion. Didn't you know?"

Jing Chiyang gritted his teeth in annoyance. Whenever he urged Ye Shi to cultivate, it fell on deaf ears. However, after merely hinting that lagging behind could result in Mu Chen abandoning him, Ye Shi immediately went into seclusion.

He realized, upon seeing the abundance of roasted chicken and pastries Ye Shi had bought, that it was to stock up for the seclusion. Prioritizing food even in seclusion—that's just like him.

At this thought, Jing Chiyang couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.

"Taking so much food for his seclusion; I wonder if he's truly meditating or just fattening up," Jing Chiyang remarked with a hint of irritation.

With a gentle smile, Xin Ruge said, "Uncle Master, are you referring to my junior, Xiao Shi?"

"What do you mean?" Jing Chiyang glared at Xin Ruge, his anger clearly mixed with embarrassment.

Xin Ruge gave an awkward smile, choosing not to respond.

"Elder Jing, student Mu has arrived. He says he brought pastries for Ye Shi, but Ye Shi is in meditation," a student reported.

"If Ye Shi is in seclusion, I'm still here. I can hold onto them for him!" Jing Chiyang declared, striding out.

Watching the enthusiastic departure of Jing Chiyang, Xin Rugao raised an eyebrow. If Jing Chiyang was in charge of Ye Shi's pastries, chances were Ye Shi would never get a taste.

Jing Chiyang returned shortly, a smug grin evident on his face.

"This young man, Mu Chen, is quite considerate," Jing Chiyang said with admiration. "Although intended for Ye Shi, the ingredients are top-notch. Clearly meant for me. To think such a considerate person became a disciple to that Xiong Wei. Truly, a pearl cast before swine!"

…………

Stone quarry.

Hua Shu looked at the pale-faced Xiong Wei and asked, "Brother Xiong, what's wrong?"

Xiong Wei stated with evident frustration, "Family issues should remain private. Enough said."

Hua Shu responded with a faint smile, "Come on, share with me. I'm hardly an outsider."

Xiong Wei shot Hua Shu a cold look, gritting his teeth, "That scoundrel Mu Chen drugged my wine."

"Brother Xiong, couldn't you tell there was something wrong with the wine?" Hua Shu asked, somewhat puzzled.

Xiong Wei let out a dry chuckle, "A little laxative isn’t a big deal. Why waste it?"

The wine from Mu Chen was impeccably brewed, making one's blood boil upon consumption. With his deep-rooted cold toxin, the wine worked wonders. The only flaw was the laxative.

"Brother Xiong, did you knowingly drink the tainted wine?" Hua Shu questioned, frowning.

Xiong Wei gave a wry smile, "You know me, I've always been frugal."

So frugal that he would drink tainted wine? Hua Shu gave Xiong Wei a perplexed look.

Grinding his teeth, Xiong Wei continued, "The dosage in the wine was minimal. If had sipped it over time, it wouldn't have mattered. But in agitation, drank the entire jar."

Hua Shu looked intrigued, "Did you offend your disciple?"

Xiong Wei snorted, "It must've been the doing of that Ye Shi. He's just like his master, Jing Chiyang, always up to some mischief."

Previously, at the stone quarry, Ye Shi had repeatedly threatened to spike his food with laxatives. And now, Mu Chen had really done it.

He had the misfortune to take in such a gullible disciple.