Time to Boost Their Affection, Too / Is Raising Affection Really This Hard? ...

"Flower Master, are you looking to fight me too? I may be old and frail, but what works on Shaoyao might not work on me." Hua Nu was warning Xiangyi not to push her too far. Even though her cultivation had been crippled, she still remembered everything she had learned. On top of that, she had studied something called the Eighteen Soul Suppressing Needles.

Killing someone might be difficult, but torturing them was easy. Xiangyi took one look at the murderous Hua Nu and immediately gave up. Hua Nu smiled faintly, pleased that Xiangyi knew better.

Still, Hua Nu was also very pleased with Xiangyi's progress. "Flower Master, there'll be plenty of opponents waiting for you in Heaven City. You'd be better off continuing to work on your fundamentals, in case you need them."

Seeing Xiangyi looking disappointed and eager to keep torturing Shaoyao, Hua Nu offered another reminder. Shaoyao, who had never gotten along with Hua Nu, gave her a grateful look, her eyes conveying her delight.

A second later, Hua Nu continued, "After all, Shaoyao is far too weak for you now."

The gratitude in Shaoyao's eyes faded away. Her expression grew complicated, and she flung the dagger in her hand, but Hua Nu deftly dodged it.

Xiangyi watched them bicker, then turned to look at the newcomer, Oleander. She had stopped watching the commotion and was practicing her Qi-gathering on her own. Each time she gathered her strength, she grew stronger.

If she could master this technique and shorten the time it took to gather Qi, it would prove useful in a real fight. Xiangyi went to the other side as well, intending to practice against the sturdy barrier...

Time flew by, but practicing her swordsmanship alone didn't seem to improve her proficiency. When morning came, Xiangyi had no choice but to leave, disappointed.

The moment she emerged, her clothes naturally changed back to the pajamas she'd worn earlier. The Phoenix Feather Robe was as effortless as breathing; Xiangyi hadn't even realized she was wearing such a magical treasure.

50 monthly tickets or 10,000 fire scrolls for an extra chapter. Flame Emperor: 15 chapters.

It was time to raise her affection, too.

Thinking that she'd even save the money she would have spent on clothes in the future made Xiangyi even happier.

Shuxuan was still asleep. Xiangyi went to the bathroom mirror and imagined the clothes she wanted to wear that day. Their shape appeared at once.

They felt exactly like the design, but Xiangyi couldn't take them off herself. But what if she wanted to get intimate with someone in the future? Her thoughts wandered for a moment. When she touched the clothes, the system's delayed appraisal finally sounded in her mind.

Phoenix Feather Robe: Made from the flesh and blood of a phoenix that lived for a thousand years. Since it bears the phoenix's soul, it can also be considered a living creature. It loves beautiful things, so it is extremely picky about its owner.

Phoenix Feather Robe's abilities:

1. It can transform into all kinds of clothes.

2. It is impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire, and is also the strongest defensive fabric in the world.

3. It purifies itself, so no odor can cling to it.

4. (Cannot be viewed at your current level)

5. (Cannot be viewed at your current level)

There were ten entries in all, and six of them were inaccessible. But the information and abilities she could see were already more than enough for Xiangyi to use at this stage.

Still, she felt a little embarrassed thinking that Huangquan had given her something so precious.

This was different from the learning tools Hua Nu had given her. Those had felt like part of a beginner's quest, whereas the weapon Huangquan had given her was like a windfall from the heavens—and a solid-gold one at that.

She wondered whether she should set aside some time that afternoon to sell some gold for cash. But she had no idea how long the process would take, and she was worried it might interfere with her plans for the day.

Lost in thought, Xiangyi stood motionless in the bathroom. She didn't snap out of it until Shuxuan called to her from outside.

Xiangyi was timid by nature, so she approached everything carefully to avoid making mistakes. Besides, her current novel was the real world: there were no save files to reload, and she couldn't start over. So she planned every step with care.

"Xiangyi? Are you there?" Shuxuan kept calling. Xiangyi hurriedly answered and came out of the bathroom.

Shuxuan had been worried, but she relaxed. Sitting there with her hair mussed and wearing something rather alluring, she looked so naturally beautiful that Xiangyi couldn't help stealing a few glances.

"You scared me. I wondered why you weren't there when I got up." Shuxuan sighed in relief, then noticed that Xiangyi was already dressed.

"Why are you up so early?"

"I figured we'd be busy getting things in order today, so I was going to buy breakfast for us first. I didn't expect you to be up too." Xiangyi explained why she'd been in the bathroom. She glanced at the clock and realized she'd spent ten minutes in there.

Shuxuan hummed, then got out of bed and stretched. "Then wait for me. I'll come with you."

Xiangyi nodded and watched Shuxuan get dressed in front of her. Shuxuan casually tied her hair back, then prepared to head out with her just like that.

It was unusual to see Shuxuan go out without getting dressed up, but she still looked beautiful without makeup.

The dark circles under her eyes had faded quite a bit, thanks to the aromatherapy Xiangyi had been using these past few days. With her smooth skin, tall figure, and long legs showing beneath her shorts, Shuxuan drew plenty of attention.

Shuxuan knew her own strengths and didn't care about the looks she attracted. It was a little after seven in the morning, and since it was Sunday, the streets were especially lively. Rather than go home and make food, the two of them sat down at a street stall to eat.

After breakfast, Shuxuan took Xiangyi to buy some daily necessities. They came back with bags and bags of things. By the time they got home, it was already nine. They sorted through the things Xiangyi had brought back the day before and left some of the things she didn't need at Shuxuan's place.

"Do you blame your aunt? She left you with me as soon as she came out." Shuxuan asked while they were organizing things, thinking back to their meeting a few days earlier.

Zhang Mou had asked her to help. She couldn't get herself into a good state of mind and was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from snapping at Xiangyi, so she'd turned to Shuxuan.

Xiangyi was still a minor, and Zhang Mou couldn't simply wash her hands of her responsibility and obligations.

"It's actually pretty nice. I'm just worried I'm causing you trouble, Sister Shuxuan." Xiangyi didn't really mind, but since Shuxuan had asked, she politely thanked her.

Shuxuan smiled and patted Xiangyi's head. "Why are you still so formal? My place may not be big, but there's room for you. You can stay here when you come back for the holidays. It'll be nice to have some company."

Shuxuan offered the kind reminder kindly. Xiangyi nodded emphatically, her eyes full of genuine gratitude. There weren't that many people in the world who were good or bad for no reason, but everything Shuxuan had done made Xiangyi feel warm.

Still, Xiangyi believed she wouldn't come back. She would buy a house there and begin her life in Heaven City.

First, Ocean City was just a beginner's village.

Second, Xiangyi planned to leave Shuxuan, the Flower Fairy, alone for now, until she was capable enough to win her over.

The two of them kept tidying up, and before long it was noon.

After lunch, Shuxuan went to take a nap. Xiangyi went out and, following the Little Grasses' instructions, found the sales department manager out shopping.

"Go on, Little Grass." Xiangyi summoned another Little Grass and had her possess the sales department manager.

Little Grass nodded, wrapped her arms around the person's leg, then abruptly began to grow. She swallowed the sales department manager whole. A Little Grass mark appeared on the manager before Xiangyi, signaling the birth of a new Little Grass.

Xiangyi then told the sales department manager her plan. After being possessed by a Little Grass, the manager was still exactly the same in every other way, except for an inexplicable loyalty to Xiangyi.

So the sales department manager still hated Shuxuan and happily agreed to Xiangyi's suggestion.

The whole thing took only an hour. With about three hours left before the time they'd agreed on, Xiangyi had just been about to return to the Flower God Ring to continue cultivating. But when she looked at her clothes, she remembered that she needed to buy the Flower God a gift.

50 monthly tickets or 10,000 fire scrolls for an extra chapter. Flame Emperor: 15 chapters.

Was raising affection really that hard?

After thinking it over, Xiangyi went to the largest mall's gold shop and told them she wanted to sell some gold. Large shops like this usually had appraisers on hand, which could save a lot of time.

"Hello. Please show me the gold." Gold was still valuable in this world, but appraisal machines had advanced considerably. Xiangyi nodded and pretended to take the gold from her pocket, when in fact she opened the space inside the Flower God Ring and took out a piece of gold.

It was about the size of a fist, spherical, and looked like an intricate sculpture. According to Hua Nu, it was the smallest item she owned.

The appraiser's expression turned odd. He hurriedly put on gloves and scanned it with a machine, which indicated that it was almost 100% pure gold. Industry and technology had advanced a great deal, but gold refining still lagged behind. Almost no one could produce gold of such purity.

The appraiser drew a sharp breath, his expression growing even more complicated. After examining it, he said that the sum was too large for him to handle and that he would have to call his manager.

A moment later, a formally dressed man appeared. He came hurrying over, out of breath, and put on gloves to inspect the gold. His expression grew even more peculiar.

"This is True Gold."

"If it isn't True Gold, what is it? Fake gold?" Xiangyi laughed at the manager's words, wondering if he was uneducated or just a little strange.

The manager looked embarrassed but still explained, "Miss, this kind of gold is called True Gold, also known as Emperor Gold. They say it was the material used to craft the gold vessels of ancient emperors. I don't know much about antiques, but no matter how you look at it, this seems like an invaluable antique."

The manager clasped his hands and rubbed them nervously. He seemed both excited and anxious, but he was also honest about the fact that the round piece of gold might be priceless.

Xiangyi could practically see money waving at her, and she wanted to ask more.

"How much do you think this True Gold is worth?"

The manager licked his lips, thought it over, and offered an estimate.

"If it really is True Gold and has some historical value, the minimum would be one million. The older it is, the more collectible it becomes. It could be worth at least ten million." Xiangyi was stunned. Hua Nu clearly had something extraordinary on her hands.

She hadn't liked business or marketing to begin with, but now it seemed everything was telling her that she could talk Hua Nu into selling her things. She could become richer than a nation and save herself a lot of trouble.

As Xiangyi considered this, the manager saw her hesitation and said, "I'll call our manager."

He seemed to think this was a major deal, so he called the manager over.

After hearing the details and seeing the report, that manager called the general manager.

The drawbacks of corporate culture began to show. It was a chain store, with a huge corporate hierarchy. Xiangyi watched as two hours passed. Unable to endure the endless stream of people questioning her, she finally demanded that they bring over someone with the authority to make a decision.

Then, at the general manager's request, a vice president was called in.

He was a very well-dressed man. Although his features were ordinary, he seemed gentle and refined. Unlike the others, he seemed to know something about antiques and was very interested in the True Gold Xiangyi held.

"Miss, I can see you're a Chosen One. Don't you know True Gold is very useful for cultivation?" The man looked at Xiangyi and immediately noticed the Chosen One mark on her arm.

The mark was indestructible, and every Chosen One had the same one. It served as a warning to ordinary people. Only when someone used their abilities would an alarm be triggered, alerting the local Chosen One Alliance.

"This stuff helps with cultivation?" Xiangyi was even more confused. She'd only planned to trade Hua Nu's ball of gold for some money so she could buy them gifts, but things kept getting more complicated.

"Let me explain. True Gold, also known as Emperor Gold, is the highest grade of gold. It can absorb some of the Spiritual Energy in the world. If I'm not mistaken, this ball was used in ancient times to gather Qi, which makes it very useful for cultivation." The man openly explained its true value to Xiangyi. The others all wore peculiar expressions.

They had clearly wanted to keep this hidden, but in the end, they couldn't conceal the most important detail.

"Of course, we don't usually buy Emperor Gold. But I'm personally very interested in it." Seeing Xiangyi grow more conflicted, the man explained his motives. He was very forthright, and his words made Xiangyi like him a little.

But she was still a little worried about cultivating, so she smiled and said, "It's a family heirloom, but we really do need money. Could I call my family and ask first?"

The man let out a sigh of relief and gestured for her to go ahead. Xiangyi took her phone into another room and pretended to make a call. In reality, she asked Hua Nu how many pieces of Emperor Gold like this she had.

Hua Nu: This thing is just one of Lord Huangquan's toys. I didn't expect it to become so popular after all this time... But don't worry, Flower Master. I still have dozens of pieces of Emperor Gold like this, and this one is the smallest.

Xiangyi felt reassured. She decided to earn her first bit of money to fund her plans from here on.

Still, she put on an act before returning a few minutes later. Every eye turned toward her, as if she were their savior.

The man, especially, looked tense, worried that Xiangyi might have changed her mind.

"I asked my grandma. She agrees to sell it, but we need to settle on a price."

Hua Nu coughed insistently, but Xiangyi pretended not to hear and asked the man what price he had in mind.

"Well... ten million."

"I heard the minimum value of Emperor Gold is ten million." Xiangyi shook her head. Even though there was plenty of Emperor Gold left, it still had to fetch its market value.

Besides, she didn't know whether Hua Nu would keep being so generous, so she needed to build up more of her own resources.

"Thirty million!"

"My grandma said this Emperor Gold really was passed down from an emperor, and someone even ascended to immortality with it." Xiangyi reminded him again. The man hesitated. The price made him waver, but he still seemed unwilling to give up.

Xiangyi waited patiently. There were only seventeen minutes left before she needed to head home. Since this was such a large transaction, she thought it was only natural for him to hesitate.

50 monthly tickets or 10,000 fire scrolls for an extra chapter. Flame Emperor: 15 chapters.

Tonight, she wasn't going home.

Unfortunately, if she didn't close the deal today, she probably wouldn't return to Ocean City until the New Year.

"Could you give me a few days to think about it?"

"I'm leaving Ocean City tomorrow, and I need the money urgently." Xiangyi answered calmly. The man frowned and said helplessly, "But right now, I can only offer thirty million. I can't scrape together any more on such short notice."

The man sounded both eager and helpless. From his tone, the Emperor Gold was worth far more than that—perhaps even fifty million or more.

"It doesn't have to be money. Property would work too." Xiangyi remembered she still didn't have a place to live. Maybe she could talk them into giving her a house right now.

"Well... I don't live in Ocean City, but I do have a vacant villa in Heaven City. Its market value is at least ten million." The man reluctantly brought out his trump card, though he was worried the property might not be of any use to her.

But to Xiangyi, the villa was a godsend. Hiding her excitement, she acted reluctant and continued asking about the villa's layout and location.

The man explained in detail and even put her on a call with the housekeeper there so she could see everything for herself.

Xiangyi found it a little hard to believe. After thinking it over, she asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

The man replied helplessly, "The Chosen One Cup is held once every four years, and it's happening next year. My younger sister is a competitor, and I hope this can help her."