Chapter 142 - 111: Fusing the Blood Shadow Saber, 2 Saber Shadows, Iron Cloth Shirt Upgrades Again

Chapter 142: Chapter 111: Fusing the Blood Shadow Saber, 2 Saber Shadows, Iron Cloth Shirt Upgrades Again

"Yue."

A woman in a long white dress walked toward them. She had delicate features and a tall figure. Upon seeing Zhu Yan, she beamed. "Brother Zhu!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yan scratched his head and smiled. Before he could speak, Cai Xiaoyue shifted her gaze to Su Chen, scrutinizing him.

She smiled and asked, "Is this your friend, Brother Zhu?"

"Yes. Yue, didn’t you mention you had a channel to sell Qi Blood Pills? So I brought him over," Zhu Yan replied.

"Alright. Brother Zhu, wait outside for a moment while I discuss the price with him," Cai Xiaoyue said with a smile. Before he could leave, she added, "Don’t worry, Brother Zhu, I won’t let your friend suffer a loss."

Only then did Zhu Yan leave the courtyard, his mind at ease.

Once Zhu Yan was gone, Cai Xiaoyue’s smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. She sized Su Chen up for a moment before saying coldly, "Brother Zhu hasn’t been in Dafeng City for long. He has no friends here at all. Who exactly are you? What is your ulterior motive for getting close to him?"

Su Chen was speechless.

Seeing Cai Xiaoyue interrogate him like a prisoner, Su Chen felt a wave of awkwardness before replying, "I really am Zhu Yan’s friend. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him."

"Impossible! I’ve never heard of Brother Zhu having any friends in Dafeng City!" Cai Xiaoyue’s voice rose slightly, the suspicion in her eyes deepening.

She took a step forward and demanded, "Who exactly are you?"

Faced with her aggressiveness, Su Chen couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He thought for a moment and said, "Zhu Yan and I have known each other for a long time. We only just ran into each other in Dafeng City recently."

"Really? What’s your name, then?"

"Ding Peng!"

Cai Xiaoyue mulled over the name for a moment, her tone softening slightly. "Since you are Brother Zhu’s friend, then you are my friend as well. How many Qi Blood Pills do you want?"

"The more, the better!"

Hearing this, Cai Xiaoyue gave him a surprised look. "I only have ten pills this time. If you want more, you’ll have to wait until next time."

Ten pills? Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded. "That works."

"Two hundred taels per pill. Let’s trade, then." Cai Xiaoyue had a servant bring out two celadon bottles. "Five pills per bottle. Ten in total!"

"Alright!" Su Chen took two thousand taels from his robes and handed the money to Cai Xiaoyue.

The transaction was quickly concluded. Zhu Yan walked back in and asked, "Benefactor, how did it go?"

"Benefactor? Isn’t he your friend?" Seeing Zhu Yan address Su Chen first, Cai Xiaoyue felt a flash of indignation, but her expression quickly changed.

Zhu Yan smiled sheepishly. "He is my friend, but also my benefactor."

"So you are Brother Zhu’s benefactor. Please accept my greetings," Cai Xiaoyue said softly, bowing to Su Chen immediately after she spoke.

Seeing this, Zhu Yan stared blankly. What was going on?

Su Chen looked at the bewildered Zhu Yan with an odd expression, shook his head, and said to the bowing Cai Xiaoyue, "You’re too polite, Miss Cai."

"Benefactor, please just call me Yue," Cai Xiaoyue hurriedly said.

"Yue, you seem a bit strange. Did something happen?" Zhu Yan asked in confusion.

A faint, almost imperceptible blush crept onto Cai Xiaoyue’s cheeks. She shook her head and said, "What could be strange? You’re overthinking it! Oh, look at you, how could you be so thoughtless as to let your benefactor stand here? Benefactor, please take a seat."

Cai Xiaoyue chided Zhu Yan playfully, then instructed a maid to bring tea, gesturing for Su Chen and Zhu Yan to sit down and talk.

Zhu Yan laughed awkwardly. "I was being foolish. Benefactor, please sit!"

Watching the two of them, Su Chen couldn’t help but feel a bit like a third wheel.

"I didn’t know your identity earlier, Benefactor. Please forgive me. Rest assured, I will handle everything regarding the Qi Blood Pills!" Cai Xiaoyue stood up to pour tea for Su Chen and Zhu Yan. Seeing Zhu Yan about to rise, she lightly scolded, "Brother Zhu, sit down."

Su Chen, who had also been planning to stand up, froze mid-action. Seeing this, Cai Xiaoyue’s face flushed slightly, though she didn’t say anything.

Zhu Yan chimed in at the right moment. "Yes, Benefactor, Yue is quite capable."

The feeling of being a third wheel grew even stronger.

Su Chen took a sip of tea, hesitating to speak. It was Cai Xiaoyue who noticed his shift in demeanor and asked, "Do you have any other instructions, Benefactor?"

"There is one thing I might need to trouble you with, Miss Yue."

"Please speak, Benefactor!" Cai Xiaoyue said, sitting up straight.

Su Chen glanced at Zhu Yan and asked frankly, "May I ask if you have a channel to purchase Profound Essence Pills, Miss Yue?"

"Profound Essence Pills?" Cai Xiaoyue paused in surprise, then shook her head. "Profound Essence Pills are the secret medicine of the Profound Water Sect and have never been sold to outsiders. If you want them, Benefactor, your only option is to join the Profound Water Sect. I’m afraid they aren’t sold anywhere else. Besides..."

She hesitated, looking at Su Chen with a hint of suspicion before continuing, "...Besides, only disciples of the Profound Water Sect use Profound Essence Pills for their cultivation. If anyone else uses them, it might backfire. If you intend to use them for your own cultivation, Benefactor, you must be extremely cautious."

Hearing this, realization dawned on Su Chen, but his expression remained unchanged. "It’s not for me. A friend asked me to inquire about them. We simply didn’t know there was such a restriction. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Yue."

"I see!" Cai Xiaoyue said thoughtfully, not pressing the matter further.

THUMP THUMP THUMP.

"Physician Zhu..."

While they were chatting, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed, followed by a shout. Zhu Yan stood up and looked back. A burly man hurried over and bowed to him. "Physician Zhu, one of our brothers is injured and needs your medical attention."

"Understood!" Zhu Yan glanced back at Su Chen. "Benefactor, I..."

"Go ahead and busy yourself. It’s about time I headed back anyway," Su Chen said, standing up with a smile.

"How about this: Brother Zhu, go attend to your business, and I’ll show the benefactor around," Cai Xiaoyue said as she stood up.

"Alright, I’ll have to trouble you, Yue." After expressing his gratitude, Zhu Yan turned to Su Chen. "Benefactor, I will be right back."

Once Zhu Yan had left, Cai Xiaoyue said apologetically, "I didn’t know you were Brother Zhu’s benefactor earlier and offended you. Please forgive me, Benefactor."

Su Chen was fully aware of Cai Xiaoyue’s thoughts. He waved his hand dismissively, not taking it to heart, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, Cai Xiaoyue led Su Chen on a stroll through the estate as they chatted. The vast majority of their conversation revolved around Zhu Yan. Through her, Su Chen learned how Zhu Yan had joined the Lihexie Bang.

The story wasn’t complicated. Zhu Yan had inadvertently rescued a damsel in distress—Cai Xiaoyue—and they had gotten to know each other. To thank him, she had arranged for him to join the Lihexie Bang.

After chatting for a while, Cai Xiaoyue suddenly extended an invitation. "Benefactor, if you don’t mind, why don’t you join the Lihexie Bang along with Brother Zhu?"