Chapter 75 Beaten to It

Chapter 75: Beaten to It

Meng Shu's sword broke after the last fight with the Evil Cloud King. He didn't have enough money to buy another similar one, and the sword he was currently using had very low bonuses, only good for low-tier monsters—completely beneath his station.

This sword, Calamity, had severe side effects, but the bonuses it granted were terrifyingly powerful.

A whopping 100-point attack boost, plus ignoring all defenses and shields.

It was exactly the sword Meng Shu needed.

And Calamity was a legendary treasure ranked 90th on the Divine Artifact leaderboard. Was someone as stingy as Jia Zhao actually willing to give it to him?

Incredulous, Meng Shu stared at Jia Zhao. "Are you really that generous? You'd give me a sword of this caliber?"

Jia Zhao looked even more annoyed than he did. "It's because you've raised my affection with you to forty! This is my level-40 affection story reward—I have to give it to you. Otherwise, who'd hand this over for free?"

"Our affection is already at forty?" Meng Shu was stunned.

When did that happen? He had no idea.

He hadn't deliberately tried to raise Jia Zhao's affection. They occasionally did missions together and split the loot equally. It must have been because the drops included an affection gift for Jia Zhao, and he'd accidentally pushed it to forty.

"Anyway, this sword has some serious drawbacks. Only use it when you're in danger," Jia Zhao said. "I found it a long time ago in a cave. I'm not great with swords, so it's been sitting around. Since you need it, it's yours. If you want to repay me... well, you know what I like..." He rubbed his fingers together, hinting heavily. "You catch my drift?"

Meng Shu immediately turned him down. "No money. Take my life if you want."

"...Get lost. I still have work to do." Jia Zhao looked miserable as he prepared to clean the Adventurers' Guild all by himself, while his old man had gone fishing with the old fisherman.

Meng Shu thanked him. Just touching the sword's hilt felt like being frozen by icy cold, sending chills down his spine.

He pulled his hand back, muttering to himself—what a sinister blade.

Back home, Meng Shu first cooked a full meal before heading upstairs to find Ling Qingjue.

Ling Qingjue was curled up on the lounge chair on the small balcony, reading a book. He lounged, one hand propping up his head, looking uninterested.

Meng Shu approached him and smiled nervously. "Cat, I need to tell you something."

"Mn." Ling Qingjue didn't even glance at him.

"I have to go out for a few days. I'll be back in three. I've already prepared food for you for those days, so remember to keep them fresh with magic."

Ling Qingjue finally looked up, his expression was cold. "Where to?"

"Some royal academy or other."

"That junk school full of trash and brain-dead idiots—the Klotant Kingdom Advanced Mage Royal Academy?"

Meng Shu paused. It seemed Ling Qingjue looked down on that school. "That sounds about right."

"What's the point of going there? Even the cats at that school can't transform."

"To earn money."

Ling Qingjue's expression relaxed. "For me?"

"Yeah, to earn money to support you." Meng Shu went along with it.

"Then I'll open a teleportation array and send you directly there." Ling Qingjue's mood brightened considerably upon hearing it was to earn money for him. He no longer minded the three-day absence. "It'll save you time on the road, so you can come back earlier."

"Really? Great! I'll go call Jia Zhao to come with me."

"What?" Ling Qingjue's just-softened expression instantly turned grim, his smile cold. "That wild fox is going too?"

"He says he has connections there."

Ling Qingjue had naturally high cheekbones and a straight nose, his deep green pupils fathomless. His eyes were distant yet piercing, his overly sharp features carrying an air of aloof arrogance. He said with cold sarcasm, "I told you he has bird flu—would you believe it?"

"Huh?"

"No wonder you smell like fox. Who gave you permission to see him?"

Meng Shu was startled by his irrationality. "Then what do you want me to do?"

If Ling Qingjue had to spell it out, he couldn't. He couldn't just tell Meng Shu that he hated them being too close because he was a little jealous.

That would be way too beneath his cat persona!

So he just glared coldly at Meng Shu and threw the question back. "What do you think?"

Was it because he smelled like fox that made Ling Qingjue uncomfortable? Meng Shu shrank back like a scared turtle. "Then next time I'll take a shower first..."

Ling Qingjue suppressed his temper. Fine. If he kept fussing, Meng Shu would think he was being difficult again.

He needed to prove he was a magnanimous, understanding cat.

"Just this once. But you have to stay far away from him. Foxes are the smelliest."

Meng Shu nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I'll go call him over."

"Wait." Ling Qingjue's voice was like a cold spring. He teleported in front of Meng Shu, blocking his way. "Why do you also smell like snake? Did you get tangled up with snakes again?"

He hooked a finger under Meng Shu's collar, leaned in like a small animal, and sniffed at Meng Shu's neck.

Meng Shu froze, eyes wide, hands pressed against his thighs as if at attention.

He could feel Ling Qingjue's breath.

The cold mingled with the youthful warmth unique to a young man, along with the scent of sunshine.

Meng Shu groaned inwardly—if that wasn't seduction, nothing was.

But Ling Qingjue truly wasn't trying to seduce him. He simply sensed an unusual smell on Meng Shu, one that made him uneasy.

He traced the source of the scent, from the neck down to the chest.

Meng Shu couldn't take it anymore. He quickly pressed a hand against Ling Qingjue's shoulder and jumped back a few meters, his face red and heart racing. "No, no, it's not a snake—it's a sword made from snake scales."

"Where did you get a sword?" Ling Qingjue frowned, his beautiful brows furrowed.

That sword's aura was too sinister. He needed to find out where it came from.

Meng Shu let out a dry laugh. "It's... from Jia Zhao."

"He gave it to you?" Ling Qingjue let out a bitter laugh. "What, are you two already at the stage of exchanging gifts?"

Meng Shu didn't dare say more. He only had forty affection with Ling Qingjue, and Jia Zhao's affection was also at forty.

Better not tell Ling Qingjue this was a gift from the affection story arc!

He quickly changed the subject. "Last time in the forest fighting the Evil Cloud King, my sword broke because they were dead weight. He happened to have a spare sword, so he gave it to me."

Unexpectedly, Ling Qingjue smiled—but it was twisted, as if he wanted to chop Jia Zhao to pieces.

How dare he get ahead of me and give Meng Shu equipment!