Sister-in-law?!
Hearing an unfamiliar woman's voice beside her ear, Ye Qingcheng jolted in fright and hurriedly jumped away.
She retreated several steps, putting a good seven or eight meters between them.
Her hand instinctively closed around the sword hilt at her waist.
But once she saw who it was, Ye Qingcheng hurriedly composed herself and greeted her. "Qingcheng pays her respects, young lady!"
Chen Juexin, the eldest daughter of the Tianyuan Holy Land's Holy Lord, and the young master's older sister!
What she was best known for, however, was her terrifying business acumen.
The Tianyuan Holy Land's ability to remain at its peak owed much to her financial support.
For even a modestly sized sect, a year's spending on pills, weapons, and all manner of miscellaneous cultivation resources amounted to no small sum.
Let alone a holy land that large.
Thinking back to how her own sect master, famed for his arrogance, had bowed and scraped before Chen Juexin with utter humility...
People always said money was merely a worldly possession, but once it reached a certain amount, it became quite terrifying!
Not to mention that Spirit Stone, the Great Cang World's main currency, was also one of its most important cultivation resources.
Her gaze darted away.
At the thought of Chen Juexin overhearing what she had just muttered to herself, Ye Qingcheng truly wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
Humiliating. This was utterly humiliating!
Chen Juexin rested her lovely chin in her hand and scrutinized Ye Qingcheng earnestly. "Ten out of ten for the face, nine and a half for the figure. If they were a little bigger, she'd be even better..."
"Mmm, mmm!" Then she nodded to herself. "Not bad! You're qualified to be my sister-in-law."
"By the way, what's your name?" Chen Juexin suddenly remembered that she still did not know Ye Qingcheng's name.
"My surname is Ye, and my given name is Qingcheng, young lady," Ye Qingcheng answered hurriedly, not daring to hesitate.
"Ye Qingcheng?" Chen Juexin felt as though she had heard the name somewhere before.
After a moment's thought, she suddenly recalled it. "Rumor has it that the Sky Sword Sect has a Holy Maiden of peerless talent and city-toppling beauty. Could that be you?"
"I suppose... yes." How could Ye Qingcheng deny it?
After all, Liu Xiangnan was not the Sky Sword Sect's only Holy Son, but she was unquestionably its only Holy Maiden.
"Oh! Even the Sky Sword Sect's Holy Maiden has pursued him all the way to our doorstep? My little brother really is quite charming!"
Pursued him to his doorstep?
Ye Qingcheng looked troubled. Before she could clear up the previous misunderstanding, another had already appeared!
She was just about to speak when Chen Juexin grabbed her wrist and led her up the steps.
Chen Juexin pushed open the door and shouted, "You little brat, hurry up and make yourself presentable! Come meet your prospective bride!"
Startled awake, Chen Mu sat up in his reclining chair.
His vision was blurry, his eyes still heavy with sleep.
Even without seeing the visitor clearly, he could easily tell from her voice that it had to be his older sister, Chen Juexin.
"Sis, what brings you here?"
"What? Am I not allowed to visit?" In a flash, Chen Juexin appeared before Chen Mu and gently pinched his cheeks with both hands.
If Chen Mu remembered correctly, Chen Juexin had loved doing that since they were children. Perhaps his cheeks simply felt nice to pinch?
"That's not what I meant. It's just that your businesses span the world, and you're so busy. I didn't expect you to have time to come home," Chen Mu explained.
"How could business matter more than my little brother's marriage? Come on, take a look! Here's the potential fiancée I brought you," Chen Juexin declared excitedly.
"Fiancée?" Chen Mu turned to look.
Ye Qingcheng stood there fidgeting, her face full of embarrassment.
"Sis, what fiancée? She's the bodyguard Father found for me. You've misunderstood," Chen Mu explained further.
"A bodyguard? But just now, she..."
Hearing what Chen Juexin was about to say, Ye Qingcheng panicked and hurriedly interjected, "Miss Chen, you must be thirsty after coming such a long way. I'll make tea for you both!"
"Oh! All right." Watching Ye Qingcheng hurry away, Chen Juexin sat down beside the table and propped her cheek on her hand, wearing a knowing, meaningful smile.
Then her gaze returned to Chen Mu, and she asked curiously, "Come on, tell your sister. What do you think of the Sky Sword Sect's Holy Maiden?"
"What am I supposed to think?" Chen Mu asked in return.
"Don't you feel anything for her at all?" Chen Juexin's delicate brows furrowed as she persisted.
"Hmm..." Chen Mu raised his head, looked skyward, and thought for a moment before answering, "She gives good massages, and having her wash my feet feels great."
"Hey!" Chen Juexin finally understood. There was nothing wrong with Chen Mu's sexual orientation; he clearly knew exactly what she meant and was playing dumb.
Seeing Chen Juexin raise her hand, Chen Mu immediately moved to block it. "Hey, Sis, I'm your only little brother. What if you hit me and knock me stupid?"
"I'm only trying to scare you. Let's see if you dare tease me again! Hmph!" Chen Juexin lowered her hand and pursed her lips.
"Since your talent is lacking, hurry up and think about settling down and starting a family. Take a few more wives, have a few more children, and help our Chen family flourish."
Chen Mu raised a hand to his forehead. He had never imagined that even after rebirth, he would still face nagging about marriage. It gave him quite a headache.
"I'm still young, and I'm in no hurry. What about you, Sis? When are you going to find me a brother-in-law?" Chen Mu promptly kicked the ball back into her court.
"Now you're nagging me instead, huh? There isn't a man in this world who can catch my eye! All I want is to make my business bigger and stronger!"
Chen Juexin told Chen Mu not to concern himself with things that were none of his business.
She truly had no interest in love and romance.
Her suitors, however, could have populated an entirely new city.
Just then, Ye Qingcheng returned with freshly brewed tea, picked up the cups, and placed one before each of them.
The rich fragrance filled the air. This was Sword Spring, one of the ten renowned teas, bestowed upon Ye Qingcheng by the Sky Sword Sect's sect master.
It was perfect for entertaining Chen Juexin.
Once she had finished, she stepped back to Chen Mu's side and stood obediently without a word, ready for his orders at any moment.
Chen Juexin lifted her cup, parted her delicate lips to blow on it a few times, and took a sip. "Excellent tea. This Sword Spring must be at least a hundred years old."
"Oh, right!" Chen Juexin set down her teacup, remembering the main reason for her visit.
With a wave of her hand, a translucent cylindrical glass container appeared on the table, its ends sealed with metal caps engraved with mysterious runes.
"Sis, what's this?" Chen Mu asked in confusion.
"I found three Quasi-Emperor Realm experts to craft this Artificial Spirit Root especially for you. It's the only one in all of Great Cang!" Chen Juexin replied.
"An artificial... spirit root?" Chen Mu truly had not expected that such a thing could be manufactured.
But the fact that it took three Quasi-Emperor Realm experts to make one meant there was little chance of it becoming widespread.
Beside him, Ye Qingcheng was equally dumbstruck.
She marveled not only at the Artificial Spirit Root, but also at how far Chen Juexin would go for her little brother.
Even setting aside the difficulty of bringing together three Quasi-Emperor Realm experts, the materials for this Artificial Spirit Root alone must have cost an enormous sum!
"That's right! An Artificial Spirit Root!" Chen Juexin nodded in confirmation. "It's only Mid-Grade Earth Tier, but it'll definitely work better than your Yellow-Tier Spirit Root."
"Don't worry. Before long, I'll refine a Heaven-Tier Spirit Root for you. Just make do with this Earth Rank spirit root for now."
Earth Rank? Make do?
Had other cultivators heard those words, they would certainly have been unable to resist complaining.
After all, even in the Tianyuan Holy Land, Earth Rank talent was hardly something found on every street corner.
Let alone throughout the Great Wu Dynasty or the Great Cang World...
"Sis, I don't need this."
"You don't need it?"
Before you continue