White Young Master, You Need to Pay More!

"Chen An, Young Master Bai is giving you an opportunity. Don't fail to appreciate his kindness!"

"Heh, one thousand Yuan Crystals can be exchanged for ten Qi Condensation Pills. With your talent, that's enough for you to cultivate steadily for half a year!"

"Chen An, Miss Shen is a daughter of heaven, blessed with outstanding talent. You only have a mid-grade Martial Bone. Do you really think you're worthy of Miss Shen?!"

"Some people simply refuse to see reality. A toad dreaming of swan meat!"

In a secluded corner of the county academy, several lackeys who had attached themselves to Bai Yifan gathered around him. Every one of them wore a mocking expression, their words sharp and cutting, each sentence pressing harder than the last.

Their expressions were frivolous and their gazes contemptuous. They regarded Chen An entirely as an ant they could trample at will, joining Bai Yifan in sparing no effort to ridicule and suppress him.

Yet some stared at the pouch containing one thousand Yuan Crystals, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy, wishing they could take Chen An's place.

After all, one thousand Yuan Crystals was already an enormous fortune to ordinary people.

In the Great Luo Dynasty, where martial strength reigned supreme, Yuan Crystals were the universal currency of cultivation and the foundation upon which martial artists depended to survive.

Yuan Crystals could be used to purchase pills, temper the body, exchange for martial arts manuals, acquire weapons for protection, or be absorbed and refined to nourish one's blood and qi and advance one's cultivation.

Ordinary country hunters and lowly commoners might labor for an entire year without necessarily saving even one hundred Yuan Crystals.

Even ordinary disciples at the county academy received only a few dozen to a hundred Yuan Crystals each month. Only by pinching every coin could they barely sustain their cultivation expenses.

A hundred Qi Condensation Pills were enough for a Qi Condensation martial artist to cultivate single-mindedly for several years. One could well imagine how astonishing the value of one thousand Yuan Crystals was.

Such an unexpected fortune was enough to change the fate of a martial artist from a humble background, enough to make anyone's heart stir and their head bow.

That was why the gazes directed at Chen An held both the amusement of those watching a show and secret envy.

In their eyes, a poverty-stricken Chen An had no right to refuse such a heaven-sent temptation.

Chen An slowly raised his head. His expression was indifferent as his gaze swept lightly over the mocking lackeys around him before settling steadily on Bai Yifan's arrogant, disdainful face.

Just as Chen An was about to speak, Bai Yifan impatiently raised a brow and spoke first in a cold voice.

"Add another thousand!"

He casually took out another small money pouch and tossed it onto the ground. The two pouches struck each other with a crisp clink.

"Two thousand Yuan Crystals in total."

Bai Yifan lifted his chin slightly, the contempt in his eyes undisguised. His tone carried the air of someone bestowing charity from on high.

"Take the money, give up all your foolish notions, and stay far away from Shen Qinglan."

"Don't force me to make a move. When that happens, you won't get a single Yuan Crystal!"

As they looked at the two bulging pouches on the ground, each emitting faint spiritual energy, the weight of two thousand Yuan Crystals plunged the surroundings into brief silence.

This time, even every lackey beside Bai Yifan changed expression completely. Their earlier haughty, mocking looks were gone.

Someone swallowed unconsciously, his eyes glued to the money pouches. Greed nearly spilled from his gaze as his fingers clenched involuntarily. His Adam's apple bobbed, his envy impossible to hide.

Not to mention lackeys like them who depended on Bai Yifan—even disciples from reasonably well-off families in the county academy might not be able to save that much. It was more than enough to buy high-grade cultivation methods, vast quantities of pills, or even make a run at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm.

The mockery faded from some faces, replaced by a trace of awe. Their gazes toward Bai Yifan grew increasingly fawning as they whispered among themselves, their voices full of praise.

"Young Master Bai truly is generous! He throws out two thousand Yuan Crystals just like that. Only Young Master Bai could make such a move!"

"Exactly! Chen An really stepped in dog shit this time. Young Master Bai is practically handing it to him. If he still doesn't know what's good for him, then he's truly gone mad!"

Bai Yifan took in his lackeys' loss of composure, and the arrogant smile on his lips deepened. He looked down at Chen Ning from on high.

Looking at the bulging money pouches, Chen Ning's eyes flickered repeatedly. Then he raised his head and looked at Bai Yifan as though he were the foolish son of some wealthy landlord. A wicked curve touched his lips as he said,

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Young Master Bai. But Qinglan is my childhood sweetheart, my beloved and dearest friend!"

"You think this little bit of Yuan Crystals is enough to make me stay away from her!"

"Young Master Bai, you're underestimating the bond Qinglan and I have shared for more than a decade!"

Hearing Chen An's words, Bai Yifan's expression turned cold. He stared icily at Chen An and said, "Chen An, you should know your own place. Do you think I'm discussing this with you?"

"Chen An, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

"Chen An, Young Master Bai has given you face. Are you looking to die?!"

"Chen An, know when to be satisfied. Two thousand Yuan Crystals are enough to buy a life outside the county academy!"

The lackeys behind Bai Yifan began barking one after another.

"Young Master Bai, you misunderstand!"

Feeling the faintly icy aura emanating from Bai Yifan, Chen An merely smiled lightly. Looking at Bai Yifan, he said teasingly, "What I mean is..."

"Young Master Bai, you need to pay more!"

"Young Master Bai, Qinglan is a Houtian Realm martial arts powerhouse, with exceptional beauty and outstanding talent. She is one of the foremost daughters of heaven in all of Wurong County, even Chengtian Prefecture!"

"You want to win the beauty's heart with merely two thousand Yuan Crystals? You think that's enough to buy out the bond between her and me?!"

"Young Master Bai, could it be that in your heart, Qinglan is worth only two thousand Yuan Crystals?!"

Hearing Chen An's words, Bai Yifan's face flashed with contemplation. His brows knit slightly as he studied Chen An with a heavy gaze, as though judging whether his words were true.

Was he truly insatiably greedy, or was he deliberately provoking him?

After a moment, he actually withdrew the icy aura around him and nodded faintly. His tone carried impatience, yet also a trace of being held by the throat as he said in a low voice,

"Fine, I'll add more! Five thousand Yuan Crystals!"

"This is my final limit!"

"Take the money and disappear from before me from now on. You are never to appear at Shen Qinglan's side again, nor are you to mention another word about your so-called 'bond'!"

"If you dare push your luck again, don't blame me—"

"Bai Yifan, what are you doing?!"

Before Bai Yifan could finish, a sharp cry suddenly tore through the air from afar, cold and fierce as it abruptly cut him off.

The next instant, a slender figure rode the wind as she swept over. Her robes fluttered fiercely, her body as light as a soaring swan. In the blink of an eye, she landed steadily in front of Chen An, firmly shielding him behind her.

The woman wore a fitted water-blue martial outfit, its clean tailoring clinging to her figure and outlining her upright, slender frame.

Her skin was fairer than snow, her brows and eyes picturesque, her nose delicate and her lips like cherries. She possessed a beauty untouched by mortal dust.

Her ink-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, simply tied up with a plain blue ribbon. A few loose strands fell over her shoulders, lifting softly in the breeze.

The condensed aura unique to a Houtian Realm martial artist surrounded her. Her temperament was cold and proud, a faint anger gathering between her brows. Her clear, bright eyes locked coldly onto Bai Yifan opposite her as her presence suddenly spread outward, instantly freezing the atmosphere around them!