Chapter 52: Jin Meixin

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Jin Meixin

"Hello~ What are you exchanging today, Junior Brother?"

Li Jian stepped forward and placed his materials on the counter without wasting any words.

A few stalks of Nightshade Grass, several pieces of hardened Ironback Demon Wolf hide, two intact fangs, and a small pouch of low-grade ore recovered from the hidden cave.

Jin Meixin’s smile remained unchanged as she examined each item.

Her delicate fingers moved quickly and efficiently, separating the herbs from the beast materials while checking their quality with a practiced eye.

"Three stalks of Nightshade Grass, acceptable quality. Ironback Demon Wolf hide, low-grade but intact. Two usable fangs suitable for weapon forging..."

After inspecting everything, she looked up at him with the same pleasant smile.

"Junior Brother, are you selling all of these? And would you prefer spirit stones or contribution points?"

"Spirit stones," Li Jian replied simply.

"Mm~"

Jin Meixin tapped the counter lightly with one finger as she leaned forward to record the items.

The movement caused the neckline of her fitted robe to dip slightly, making her already generous curves even more noticeable.

After a moment, she raised her head and announced the price in a cheerful voice.

"The total comes to forty-two low-grade spirit stones at the sect’s standard rate. Since you’ve brought quite a few items, I can round it up to forty-five if you don’t haggle. How does that sound, Junior Brother?"

"..."

Li Jian glanced at the materials on the counter before shifting his gaze to her smiling face.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.

’Interesting...’

He had barely been in the Resource Hall for a few minutes, yet he had already encountered someone trying to take advantage of him.

Because the price Jin Meixin had quoted was far lower than it should have been.

Even at acceptable quality, the three stalks of Nightshade Grass alone were worth considerably more than the amount she seemed to be assigning them.

When the Ironback Demon Wolf hide and two intact fangs were added to the calculation, the total value should have been closer to two hundred low-grade spirit stones at the standard sect rates.

Yet she was offering him a mere forty-five.

And she had even presented it as a generous deal.

’Forty-five spirit stones? What a bargain... for her.’

Li Jian almost laughed.

This wasn’t friendly rounding, nor was it some minor mistake in the calculations.

It was daylight robbery.

Jin Meixin’s smile remained warm and pleasant, her purple eyes curving as though she had just done him a great favor.

Li Jian sneered inwardly but maintained a polite expression.

The disciples waiting behind him had heard her offer as well, yet none of them said a word.

After all, everyone knew that Jin Meixin liked to take a cut from every transaction.

It was an open secret in the Resource Hall.

Her smile was pleasant, her words were sweet, and the prices she quoted were almost always lower than the standard rates.

Most disciples simply swallowed the loss, treating it as a fee for enjoying the sight of a beautiful woman.

Although, considering how much they were losing, it was certainly an expensive fee.

Still, few dared to confront her directly.

A handful of spirit stones wasn’t worth making an enemy of Jin Meixin.

After all, she was a Peak Qi Refinement cultivator, far stronger than the average disciple waiting in line.

Her cheerful smile did nothing to change the fact that she could suppress most of them with a single release of her aura.

If even those who knew her tricks chose to keep quiet, Li Jian wasn’t foolish enough to openly offend her over a single transaction.

Besides, he had his own reasons for letting this matter slide.

He nodded.

"Forty-five is fine."

Jin Meixin’s purple eyes curved a little more, clearly pleased with his straightforward response.

"Good. Junior Brother is quite reasonable."

She slid a small pouch across the counter toward him.

"If you enter the Fragment Realm and find anything valuable, come find me again. I’ll make sure you get a good deal~"

Li Jian accepted the pouch with a calm expression.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

On the surface, he appeared to have suffered the same loss as the other disciples who had dealt with her.

However, unlike them, he hadn’t truly lost anything.

Just as he expected, a familiar notification rang out in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Detected: Spirit Stone Loss caused by Jin Meixin.]

[Favor Debt from Jin Meixin: +120]

Li Jian’s lips curled slightly inwardly.

’Another one.’

He slipped the pouch away, his expression remaining perfectly composed.

However, instead of turning to leave, he looked back at Jin Meixin.

"Senior Sister Jin, I heard the Fragment Realm is open right now. How much does it cost to enter?"

Hearing that, Jin Meixin’s purple eyes curved with interest.

"Oh? Junior Brother is interested in the Fragment Realm?"

After all, the more gullible disciples who entered the Fragment Realm, the more opportunities she had to make a profit.

And judging by his calm, obedient attitude, the junior brother standing before her looked like another walking treasury waiting to be emptied.

’Hehe~ So easy~.’

She leaned forward slightly, causing her large breasts to press against the counter.

The tight dress did nothing to hide the soft, heavy shape of them.

Under Li Jian’s gaze, the deep neckline sank even lower with the movement, and the full curves were pushed up right in front of his eyes.

Li Jian couldn’t help but let his gaze wander for a brief moment before returning to her smiling face.

’This woman is doing it on purpose.’

However, he wasn’t particularly affected by her little display.

After all, he had just spent the entire night emptying his balls with a beauty no less than Jin Meixin.

Su Qin’s voluptuous body was still fresh in his memory... full, soft, and thoroughly used until noon.

A deliberately lowered neckline at a counter was not enough to shake him.

Jin Meixin didn’t seem to mind his brief glance.

If anything, her smile grew even sweeter.

"The current entry fee is thirty low-grade spirit stones for one day inside. If you want to stay for three days, it’ll cost you eighty. The sect won’t refund you if you leave early, and if you die inside, well... the token goes with you."

She explained the rules casually, as though she were discussing the weather, all while leaning against the counter.

"The Fragment Realm has been booming over the past two days. People have found herbs, spirit ores, and even a few low-grade treasures. Quite a number of outer disciples have been rushing in to try their luck."

She paused briefly, her smile never wavering.

"Of course, plenty of them come back empty-handed, too~"

Li Jian’s expression remained calm.

’Thirty spirit stones for one day huh... Not cheap, but still affordable.’

At his current stage, he needed every opportunity he could find to gather resources and strengthen himself, especially while Zhao Ming was occupied with the upcoming Inner Sect Tournament.

This window of opportunity wouldn’t last forever.

Although he now had an arrangement to cultivate with Su Qin at night, he had no intention of wasting his days sitting around doing nothing.

If he wanted to close the gap between himself and Zhao Ming, he needed to make the most of his time.

"Alright, one day," he decided. "Where do I buy the token?"

Jin Meixin’s smile deepened, clearly pleased with his decision.

"Right here, Junior Brother. I can issue one for you."

Without hesitation, she took thirty low-grade spirit stones from the pouch he had just received, recorded the transaction, and handed him a pale jade token.

Even as she did so, she made no particular effort to straighten up, allowing her generous figure to remain pressed against the counter for another moment.

"Make sure you don’t lose it~ The token records your entry time, and once your time is up, the realm will expel you automatically, whether you’ve finished exploring or not."

Li Jian accepted the token and examined it briefly before putting it away.

Then, he clasped his hands together and gave Jin Meixin a slight bow.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Jin."

With that, he turned and finally left the counter.

Jin Meixin waved her hand cheerfully as Li Jian walked away, her bright smile never fading.

"You’re welcome, Junior Brother~ Good luck in the Fragment Realm! I hope you have a good harvest and return with plenty of treasures!"

Her voice was sweet and pleasant, making her sound like a genuinely caring senior sister wishing a junior well.

However, the moment Li Jian was far enough away that he could no longer hear her, the smile on her lips curved into something a little more mischievous.

’Ahh~ Another little piggy bank heading off to make a fortune for me~’

She lightly tapped her fingers against the counter, already imagining the spirit stones she might earn if he returned with valuable materials.

After all, with his seemingly obedient attitude, he looked like the sort of disciple who wouldn’t complain even if she shaved a little more off his profits.

Jin Meixin’s purple eyes curved into crescents.

’Good luck, Junior Brother. Make sure you bring back something valuable~’