Repaying the Money, Xiao Yu's Jealousy

"This... this card really has fifteen hundred gold coins in it?" Xiao Yu's beautiful eyes widened at that moment. After her brief shock, a trace of suspicion appeared in her eyes.

She was beginning to wonder whether this guy had not spent the money at all, merely waiting a few days before returning it to her.

"If you don't believe me, I'll go with you to the nearest bank. You'll know as soon as you check. If there aren't fifteen hundred gold coins on this card, I'll pay you with my body on the spot!"

Xiao Tianci curled his lip.

When he returned the fifteen hundred gold coins to Xiao Yu, the heart he had kept tense all this time finally relaxed completely.

Although Xiao Yu had not been in a hurry for him to repay her, owing someone money never felt good.

It always gave Xiao Tianci a sense of pressure.

"Tch." Xiao Yu rolled her eyes. Since Xiao Tianci had put it that way, she believed him.

However, as though she had suddenly recalled something, her expression changed slightly.

"I heard quite a few people say that Ya Fei from the Mite'er Auction House came looking for you?"

"Yes." Xiao Tianci nodded.

Which bigmouth had spread the news so quickly that Ya Fei had come looking for him? It had already reached Xiao Yu's ears?

"As far as I know, you shouldn't have had much contact with Ya Fei. Why did she suddenly come looking for you?" Seeing Xiao Tianci admit it so openly, a strange look surfaced in Xiao Yu's eyes as she asked.

"Guess." Xiao Tianci raised an eyebrow. Naturally, he could not tell Xiao Yu the reason.

"You don't have something going on with Ya Fei, do you?" A teasing expression suddenly appeared on Xiao Yu's face. "So she gave you these fifteen hundred gold coins?"

For some reason, although Xiao Yu's expression was clearly teasing, Xiao Tianci could still sense a faint hint of resentment.

Xiao Tianci immediately shook his head, rolled his eyes, and said.

"Xiao Yu, weren't you pretty smart before? How did you become so foolish now?"

"Think about it. What status does Ya Fei have, and what status do I have? She's the chief auctioneer of the Mite'er Auction House, while I'm merely an unknown junior of the Xiao Clan with supposedly terrible talent. She'd have to be drugged senseless to want something going on with me."

Xiao Yu had originally felt somewhat jealous.

But after hearing Xiao Tianci's explanation, she nodded unconsciously.

That reasoning was quite sound. She had simply been a little anxious just now and had not thought it through.

At once, much of that jealousy faded away.

"I'm not in a hurry to use this money, actually. You don't need to be in such a rush to repay me." Xiao Yu pondered for a moment, then pushed the green card back toward Xiao Tianci. "Owing an outsider is always a favor owed. Owing me isn't."

"So Xiao Yu thought I borrowed the money from Ya Fei?" Xiao Tianci instantly understood Xiao Yu's thoughts, then gave the explanation he had prepared long ago.

"No. That day, when I went to the back mountain, I happened to find a rather precious medicinal herb and sold it for two thousand gold coins at the Mite'er Auction House."

"No wonder. Your luck really is quite good." Xiao Yu did not think much of it. There were medicinal herbs worth two thousand gold coins in the Xiao Clan's mountains, but they were naturally extremely rare. Ordinary people likely did not have the luck to find them.

"I had been watching that herb for a long time, but a magical beast had always been guarding it. I went through quite a lot to get it."

Xiao Yu paused and pursed her lips before saying, "If you ever need help in the future, just come to me. Don't go looking for someone else."

As she said this, Xiao Yu's gaze was somewhat evasive, as though she did not quite dare meet Xiao Tianci's eyes.

Although she had not named anyone directly, Xiao Tianci still understood that the "someone else" she meant was Ya Fei.

Xiao Tianci immediately smiled and nodded.

After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Tianci left.

Upon returning to his room, he impatiently took out some books from his Storage Ring.

After gaining the system, reading had become a pleasure for Xiao Tianci.

He could both increase his knowledge and draw prizes to obtain treasures. What was not to like?

As Xiao Tianci immersed himself in reading, time outside passed swiftly.

He was currently reading a thin book resembling a travelogue.

Thus, it was not long before Xiao Tianci reached the final page.

At that moment, however, a system notification window automatically appeared before Xiao Tianci.

"Hm?" Xiao Tianci froze and subconsciously checked his experience points. He was still some distance away from the thousand lottery points needed for a draw. "I didn't even draw anything..."

Muttering to himself, Xiao Tianci looked at the system notification.

"Congratulations, Host. You have successfully read ten books. Reward: fifth-grade medicinal pill, Enlightenment Pill. Would you like to claim it now?"

"Yes!" Xiao Tianci nodded without the slightest hesitation.

A small jade bottle then appeared in Xiao Tianci's hand.

The pill inside the jade bottle was the same color as a Meditation Pill, but unlike it—

This Enlightenment Pill was faintly translucent, appearing crystalline and radiant under the sunlight.

At the core of the Enlightenment Pill, Xiao Tianci could vaguely see a crisp green leaf that seemed to be slowly rotating.

At the same time, the Enlightenment Pill's effects naturally surfaced in Xiao Tianci's mind.

The Enlightenment Pill was similar to the Meditation Pill, only slightly higher-grade. It could greatly enhance one's physique and vitality, making it unexpectedly compatible with the Green Emperor Longevity Art he cultivated!

Anticipation appeared on Xiao Tianci's face, and he swallowed the Enlightenment Pill in one gulp.

Boom!

Terrifying vitality and Dou Qi erupted within Xiao Tianci's body.

He immediately focused his mind, then sat cross-legged on the bed as the Green Emperor Longevity Art began circulating frantically within him.

The vast, pure Dou Qi followed a fixed route through his meridians before finally entering his dantian.

As the Dou Qi passed through his meridians, part of it remained within his flesh and bones, further strengthening Xiao Tianci's already exceptionally powerful physique!

By the end, even his meridians and flesh had taken on a faint green hue.

His aura, too, surged rapidly at that moment!

Four-star Dou Shi... five-star Dou Shi...

In the end, Xiao Tianci's strength actually reached the peak of nine-star Dou Shi.

Only then was the Enlightenment Pill's medicinal power completely absorbed by Xiao Tianci.

And at that moment, his Azure Emperor Longevity Body broke through once again!