A Man Devoted to All Living Beings Was Always Especially Charming
Little B, your performance this time was even worse than Little C's.
Si Wangshu's appearance allowed Lu Ping to collect all the rewards without having to participate in the Seven-City Grand Competition.
It's not like we're mortal enemies.
Moreover, to be fair, the Azure Dragon Merchant Association does act in a way that is somewhat reasonable.
At least during the Alchemist training camp, Lu Ping got his fill of fleecing.
There's no benefit in truly falling out with the Azure Dragon Merchant Association.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You put the Storage Ring into your sleeve.]
"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Shen."
"I recently feel that my cultivation has reached a bottleneck, and I am planning to leave the Upper Domain to travel around."
[Shen Sifeng clapped his hands and laughed.]
"Excellent! Reading Pill Formula is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."
"Then I wish young friend Lu continued success on his path to immortality."
He turned and glanced at Yan Xuanyao.
"Manager Yan, we've come today to see off young friend Lu."
"Now that the gifts have been delivered and the sentiment has been conveyed, I won't disturb Young Friend Lu and Miss Si's reunion any longer."
"Goodbye."
Yan Xuanyao gave you a deep look and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
[Three Nascent Soul Realm arrived with overwhelming force, and departed with effortless grace.]
[You watched their retreating figures, secretly admiring them.]
[This is the method used by Shen Yuerong's clan.]
What was originally a case of workplace violence and layoffs was cleverly repackaged as a "farewell party for outstanding employees with paid training."
[Enmity is resolved without a trace.]
[You didn't mince words either, speaking loudly towards the door.]
"I am Specially Appointed Alchemist of the Chamber of Commerce. If the Chamber ever needs my services in the future, I will do my utmost to assist you."
The Stone Gate closed again.
A flicker of emotion crossed Si Wangshu's face.
[She walked to the table, took out a heavy Storage Bag, and pushed it in front of you.]
"Senior, this is your initial investment of 100,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
"Bet on the Azure Dragon Merchant Association to advance, payout 85%."
"After deducting the principal, here is 8.5 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
[Look at that Storage Bag.]
[Eight million five hundred thousand.]
[You've committed murder and arson, forcibly pushed Nascent Soul to the Nascent Soul stage, and collected Spirit Stones —yet you haven't even reached this amount.]
[The result, in the Upper Domain, was merely a bet at the gambling den.]
Si Wangshu watched you put away the Spirit Stones, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Her usually icy face was now beaming like a mischievous fox who had stolen a chicken.
["Why..."]
She sighed dramatically.
"The younger generation is still too easily swayed."
"I wasn't sure at the time, so I just followed my senior's lead and bet one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
Your hand, which was holding the Storage Bag, froze.
[How many?!]
[One million.]
[85% odds.]
[Eighty-five million.]
[You feel like your Dao Heart has been dealt a critical blow of ten thousand points.]
[You think you've profited handsomely from the house, making a fortune.]
[In reality, truly wealthy people don't value money at all.]
[Someone casually follows your bet and earns a fraction of their winnings that equals your total assets.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Maintaining composure, simply offer a light compliment like "Not bad, you have guts."]
[B: Immediately grabs Si Wangshu's leg and shouts, "Rich woman, I'm hungry, I need food!"]
[C: Pulls out a "Lu Clan Cultivation Investment Agreement" and slams it on the table, rubbing his hands mysteriously: "Young friend, since you have such good taste, I happen to have a '10 Billion Spirit Stone Downstream Market Development Plan' here. It's initial public offering (IPO) shares, guaranteed 100x return. I don't usually tell this to just anyone..."]
Lu Ping just wanted to cover Little B's mouth.
Can you really just say something like that randomly?
This is clearly an attempt to damage his image as a high-ranking monk from Great Forest Temple.
As for Little C, your pyramid scheme vibe is practically overflowing from the Simulator!
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
You forcefully suppressed the bitterness in your heart, your expression remaining unchanged.
"Young Master Si has quite the courage."
[You scanned Si Wangshu with your Divine Sense and realized that her aura had changed.]
[Golden Core Early Stage]
[It's been less than two years since we parted ways at the Greenwood Sect.]
[She's actually Core Formation.]
[It seems the recipe for the Heaven-Mending Lesser Rejuvenating Pill that you gave her last time has secured her a significant amount of resources within the Si family.]
[Your investment in Si Wangshu has yielded an extremely high return.]
[If she doesn't show up in time tonight.]
Even if you defeat three mere Nascent Soul, you'll never get a spot as Fourth-Level Alchemist.
[Not only did you not participate in the finals of the Seven-City Grand Competition, but you also won the prize money, the spot, and the betting profits.]
[I've won so much!]
You straightened your old-fashioned, blue-collar robe, which belonged to the Azure Dragon Merchant Association.
[You take a Jade Slip from your Storage Ring and hand it to Si Wangshu.]
"Thank you very much for your help, Miss Si."
"This Jade Slip contains the Pill Formula for the Meridian-Clearing Pill."
"Consider this a congratulatory gift for Miss Si's Core Formation."
[In the last simulation, you gave this prescription to Si Wangshu when you were sixty years old.]
Si Wangshu accepted the Jade Slip with both hands and probed it with her Divine Sense.
At first, her eyes held a hint of doubt.
[Because the medicinal ingredients in this Pill Formula are so cheap, so cheap that they don't even deserve the title of "congratulatory gift."]
[The medicinal effects are only effective for those in the Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Realm.]
[But only two breaths later, her fingers gripping the Jade Slip suddenly tightened.]
[She suddenly looked up at you.]
[Meridian-Clearing Pill]
[Specifically designed to cleanse the Pill Poison accumulated by lower-level cultivators due to long-term consumption of inferior Pills, and to clear blockages in their meridians.]
[Si Wangshu, hailing from the Azure Dragon First Pill Clan, knew better than anyone that Pills for clearing Pill Poison were always extremely expensive, usually only affordable to scions of the Aristocratic Clan families.]
[But your Pill Formula is extremely inexpensive to produce and has a very high cost-performance ratio; it's perfectly capable of being mass-produced!]
[This is no ordinary Pill Formula; it's clearly a timely rain that can benefit all cultivators at the bottom of the cultivation world.]
[Si Wangshu is looking at you.]
[You sit at the stone table, still wearing an old-fashioned, formal robe.]
[Workwear Thugs, in effect.]
[Friend of Women, in effect.]
[In Si Wangshu's eyes, you were simply sitting there quietly, without offering even a superfluous explanation.]
[But your image as a compassionate and benevolent monk of Great Forest Temple, who benefits all living beings, became taller than ever before at this moment.]
[She is now also at the Golden Core Stage, and in terms of cultivation, she is on par with you.]
[But at this moment, the look in her eyes is even more reverent than it was back at the Greenwood Sect.]
[There was even a strange heartbeat mixed in, one that she herself didn't even notice.]
A man who is devoted to the common people is always exceptionally charming.
Si Wangshu carefully put the Jade Slip away, then stood up, straightened her skirt, took a half step back, and performed a deep bow with utmost respect.
"Thank you for bestowing the elixir, senior."
"The magnanimity of our predecessors is far beyond what even Wang Shu could achieve."