Chapter 193 - 136: Each Has Their Secrets and an Escape Route

Chapter 193: Chapter 136: Each Has Their Secrets and an Escape Route

"Elder Chen, please wait."

Chen Jianghe left Blessed Residence 136, and just as he was stepping out of Fushou Lane, he heard Jiang Ruxu’s voice from behind.

He stopped.

Jiang Ruxu hurried over to him, her large, normally lively and playful eyes now looking a bit bashful.

Chen Jianghe knew what Jiang Ruxu wanted to say, but he asked anyway, "Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist Jiang?"

"I... I left a letter for you, Elder."

"Is that so? I was in a bit of a hurry to find Alchemist Zhuang, so I didn’t notice any letters in the post box." Chen Jianghe feigned surprise.

"It’s nothing major, really. I just wanted to ask if the Youthful Pill that appeared at the Hundred Treasures Tower auction a while ago was put up by you, Elder?"

Knowing the importance of the Youthful Pill, Jiang Ruxu switched to asking via secret transmission.

She was now a Seventh-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator and was capable of using Secret Transmission.

"Why do you ask?"

Chen Jianghe didn’t answer, asking a question in return.

The Spirit Stones from the auctioned Youthful Pill had been delivered to him by Chen Ping.

Therefore, Chen Ping knew that he had sold a Youthful Pill.

Though he couldn’t be sure if Chen Ping had told anyone else.

But Chen Jianghe would never voluntarily admit that he had put a Youthful Pill up for auction at the Hundred Treasures Tower.

This way, he could trade the Youthful Pills he had in private, and he wouldn’t need an excuse for his own unaging appearance.

"I want the Youthful Pill you have, Elder," Jiang Ruxu said, mustering her courage.

"Oh? Has a Middle-Grade Alchemist like Fellow Daoist Jiang already earned so many Spirit Stones?" Chen Jianghe said with a chuckle.

The meaning was simple.

She could have a Youthful Pill, but only if she had the Spirit Stones.

Even a Fairy was no exception.

The income of a Middle-Grade Alchemist might be higher than that of a Middle-Grade Talisman Master, but one shouldn’t forget that Jiang Ruxu had to give eighty percent of her annual earnings to Alchemist Zhuang.

What was left was her own.

Moreover, she still needed to cultivate and purchase resources.

It was safe to say that before Jiang Ruxu became a High-Grade Alchemist, it was impossible for her to save any Spirit Stones.

Even if she had saved some, it would hardly be more than two hundred.

"My Master is very good to me. He helps me save eighty percent of my annual profits from Alchemy, but the resources I need for my Cultivation are gifted to me by him."

Speaking of Alchemist Zhuang’s kindness, Jiang Ruxu didn’t shy away from Chen Jianghe, directly telling him about Alchemist Zhuang’s plans for her.

"So, I’ve been saving the twenty percent of the profits I get to keep. Elder, could you save one for me for ten years? By then, my Spirit Stones, combined with my senior sister’s, will be enough to buy your Youthful Pill."

Looking at the sincere light in Jiang Ruxu’s eyes, Chen Jianghe thought for a moment before asking, "How many Spirit Stones is Fellow Daoist Jiang prepared to spend to buy my Youthful Pill?"

"One thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones. The last Youthful Pill at the auction sold for a little over eighteen hundred Spirit Stones. I’m sure you’ll round it down for me, Elder, hehe~"

"..."

Chen Jianghe was a little speechless.

It wasn’t because of what Jiang Ruxu said about rounding down.

Never mind rounding down, he would have been fine even knocking off a hundred Spirit Stones.

Because there was no way this Youthful Pill of his would go to auction; if sold privately, it would fetch one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones at most.

It might not even reach that much.

Jiang Ruxu had started the offer at eighteen hundred Spirit Stones, and this wasn’t an auction, so there was no need to pay a handling fee.

By that calculation, this was much more profitable than going to an auction.

A final price of over eighteen hundred Spirit Stones at auction would only net him a little over seventeen hundred.

Chen Jianghe was speechless. ’Is a Youthful Pill really that tempting in the eyes of female cultivators? Women are obsessed with their appearance, and Fairies, it seems, are even more so. With eighteen hundred Spirit Stones, a male cultivator would think about buying a Magical Artifact or a Spirit Beast to increase their combat strength. No male cultivator would ever spend that much on a Youthful Pill.’

"Can Fellow Daoist Jiang save that many Spirit Stones in a year?"

"No, I can only save eighty Spirit Stones a year, which is eight hundred in ten years. But my senior sister can save one hundred Spirit Stones a year. So together, we’ll have one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones."

"Ah~ so that’s how it is."

Chen Jianghe was curious. ’Doesn’t Zhuang Xinyan want a Youthful Pill for herself?’

He wasn’t at all surprised that Zhuang Xinyan could save Spirit Stones. The Spirit Stones Alchemist Zhuang gave Zhuang Xinyan each year had likely all been saved up.

After all, she didn’t need to buy resources either; Alchemist Zhuang bought them and then gifted them to Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu.

"Let’s make it fifteen hundred Spirit Stones."

A friendly smile appeared on Chen Jianghe’s face as he sent a secret transmission: "As long as you save up fifteen hundred Spirit Stones, Fellow Daoist, and I still have a Youthful Pill at that time, we have a deal."

"Ah~!"

"Elder Chen, you’re truly too kind."

Jiang Ruxu looked at Chen Jianghe with delight, her voice filled with excitement.

She had originally just been hoping he’d round it down.

She never expected Chen Jianghe to knock off three hundred Spirit Stones directly, which filled her heart with immense gratitude and emotion.

"Alright, you should head back now."

Chen Jianghe looked at Jiang Ruxu, her eyes full of admiration. That, combined with her playfully cute face and naturally lively, large eyes, was truly endearing.

"Thank you, Elder Chen. I’ll be going back now." Jiang Ruxu bowed happily, then turned and left, her steps filled with excited joy.

"Fellow Daoist, that’s not a good look, you know. Alchemist Zhuang considers you a friend despite the age gap, yet your head is completely full of his disciple."

Just then, a teasing voice sounded from behind Chen Jianghe.

He turned to see Ji Wujin, who had just returned from outside.

He actually had bloodstains on him!