Buying One, Getting One Free

"Why'd you call me?" Chang Ping set the empty wooden box on the table and turned to look at Ye Zi Yun. She was glaring at him with wide, almond-shaped eyes, holding up a jade comb and looking furious, as if he'd done something terrible.

Xiao Ning'er had given him the pastries, which meant they were his. He could eat them however he liked. Ye Zi Yun was really like a dog catching a mouse—meddling in things that weren't her business.

"It's nothing!" Ye Zi Yun turned away indignantly and continued combing her hair with the jade comb, each stroke forceful.

She puffed out her cheeks like a little bun. She looked adorable when she was angry.

"What do you mean, nothing? You called me, so there must be a reason, right?" Chang Ping closed the lid and put the box into his Space Ring. He stared at Ye Zi Yun's cute profile and pressed her, determined to get an answer. "You must have had some reason for calling me, right?"

Maybe she wanted to try Xiao Ning'er's cooking too? Why hadn't she said so earlier? If she'd asked, he would've saved her a few pieces.

To be honest, Xiao Ning'er wasn't much of a cook. The pastries were a little underbaked, and they were hard to swallow.

If Ye Zi Yun knew what he was thinking, she'd probably be so mad she'd get cramps. She should be grateful she had anything to eat, and here he was criticizing it!

"No reason! I just felt like calling you!" Ye Zi Yun gave a haughty little hum and turned to face Xiao Ning'er, presenting Chang Ping with the back of her pretty head.

A familiar fragrance wafted over, and Chang Ping froze for a moment.

Had Ye Zi Yun used his shampoo too?

"Pervert!" Chang Ping was about to lean in for a closer sniff, but Ye Zi Yun noticed and planted her palm on his face, pushing him away.

Ye Zi Yun was mortified. She hadn't expected Chang Ping to be just like Shen Fei, a scoundrel who liked to harass respectable young women.

Chang Ping realized she'd misunderstood and quickly explained, "Don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't trying to take liberties with you. I just wanted to check if you'd used the shampoo I'm selling." To convince Ye Zi Yun, he redeemed an unopened bottle of shampoo from the shop.

He wouldn't give up until he'd coaxed Ye Zi Yun's spending money into his hands.

"Really?" Ye Zi Yun picked up the shampoo from the table and examined it carefully. Then she opened the cap and sniffed it. Sure enough, both the packaging and the contents were exactly the same as the one her Aunt Xue had bought.

Xue Yin was Ye Zi Yun's stepmother and the City Lord's second wife. Ye Zi Yun didn't call her Mom, though; she called her Aunt, even though Xue Yin treated her like her own daughter.

"Want it?" Seeing Ye Zi Yun clutching the shampoo like she couldn't bear to put it down, Chang Ping asked with a grin, "We're desk mates, so I'll give you a twenty percent discount. It'll only cost you twelve thousand Demon Spirit Coins. How about it?" Chang Ping sounded like a greedy merchant.

Shen Xiu sold it for fifteen thousand, so a twenty percent discount brought the price down to twelve thousand. He wasn't asking an outrageous price.

"Too expensive!" Ye Zi Yun shook her head. She hadn't expected such a small bottle to cost so much.

Thinking of how Aunt Xue let her use it without a second thought, Ye Zi Yun felt a warmth in her heart.

Chang Ping wasn't ready to give up. He redeemed a bottle of body wash from the shop and said, "If you buy it now, I'll throw in a bottle of matching body wash for free. That works out to just six thousand Demon Spirit Coins per bottle. What a bargain!"

He licked the flaky pastry crumbs from his lips, feeling like a Big Bad Wolf trying to tempt Little Red Riding Hood. He felt a little guilty.

He'd recouped the cost of twenty Strength Value in just a minute. But he had no idea how long Ye Zi Yun would have to save up to earn twelve thousand in spending money. At least a month, probably.

"If you don't want it, forget it." Chang Ping tucked the body wash under his arm and reached to take the shampoo from Ye Zi Yun.

Tricking an innocent girl always made him feel guilty.

Besides, he already had seven hundred thousand in savings. He didn't need her twelve thousand.

His casual offer had unexpectedly set the "playing hard to get" tactic in motion.

Ye Zi Yun had still been hesitating a moment ago, but as soon as Chang Ping said he wouldn't sell it, she panicked. Clutching the shampoo tightly, she hurriedly said, "I'll take it!" As she spoke, Ye Zi Yun took out a Demon Crystal Card and handed it to Chang Ping.

She reassured herself: Aunt Xue had been so good to her, so she ought to buy her a gift to show her gratitude. This body wash was nice; Aunt Xue would definitely like it.

"I wanted to sell it, and she didn't want it. Now I don't want to sell it, and she does. What kind of logic is that?" Chang Ping was baffled. Still, he put the Demon Crystal Card into his Space Ring, then reminded her, "Twelve thousand for both. You still owe me two thousand!"

One was one, two was two, and twelve thousand was twelve thousand. They'd agreed on the price, and he wouldn't let her short him by even a single coin.

This wasn't about the money. It was about principle.

"Can I give it to you this afternoon? I left in a hurry today and didn't bring that much money..." Ye Zi Yun pleaded pitifully.

In truth, she'd spent most of her spending money on a Soul Gathering Pill the day before. Her Soul Force was already over eighty, and she was about to advance to one-star Bronze rank. With a pill to help her, she could cultivate even faster.

She was the City Lord's daughter, and she had a certain pride in herself. Neither her knowledge nor her cultivation would fall short of her peers. She wanted to be the first in her class to reach one-star Bronze rank.

What Ye Zi Yun didn't know was that Chang Ping had already reached one-star Bronze rank that morning. At best, she'd be second.

"No problem." Chang Ping readily agreed. He wasn't after Ye Zi Yun's money; he wanted to see her attitude.

With Ye Zi Yun's ten thousand added in, his savings now exceeded seven hundred thousand.

If he hadn't rewarded Rou Bi'an Xiu with ten thousand that morning, his wealth would've reached a whopping seven hundred and ten thousand Demon Spirit Coins.

Chang Ping reckoned he was probably the student with the most pocket money in all of Saint Orchid Academy.

"Thank you!" Ye Zi Yun smiled sweetly, revealing two shallow dimples. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to flirt with Chang Ping.

Chang Ping wasn't moved. He didn't like delicate little girls; he only liked gorgeous women who were alluring, sexy, and fiery.

Not long after Ye Zi Yun put the shampoo and body wash into her Space Ring, the instructor entered the classroom.

The warm sunlight dispelled the chill from the earth, and the temperature gradually rose.

In a private room at Star Picking Restaurant, Ghost Fiend, the Dark Guild's vice president, looked utterly grim, as if he'd swallowed a dead fly.

"Bang!"

He raised his teacup and smashed it to the floor. Shards and tea splashed everywhere.

"Black Fox, that useless bastard! He failed to capture Chang Ping, and instead got himself crippled. Now he's locked up in the City Lord's Mansion's death cell." Ghost Fiend clenched his fists. After sending people to make inquiries in every direction, he'd finally confirmed the truth—something he could hardly accept.

"My lord, why don't we..." Deacon Yun Hua made a throat-slitting gesture.

His meaning was clear: kill Black Fox before Ye Shuo could interrogate him for vital information about the Dark Guild.

When members joined the Dark Guild, their souls were all branded. If the leaders wished, they could kill them at any time.

Ghost Fiend sighed. "Black Fox was an outstanding executive, but now he's had all five limbs crippled and is locked in a heavily guarded death cell. We have no choice but to execute him." With that, Ghost Fiend took out a stone inscribed with strange patterns and crushed it.

"Black Fox, go in peace. We'll avenge you, no matter what!"