Hearing the voices, Ye Qingcheng made her footsteps lighter than a cat's and headed toward the gate.
Every so often, she glanced back to check whether she had disturbed Chen Mu's rest.
She cautiously opened the courtyard gate and looked at the group outside, along with their enormous rosewood treasure chests.
Ye Qingcheng could more or less guess why they had come.
Still, she asked to confirm, "Who are you? What brings you to Qingyun Prefecture?"
At her words, the man leading the group forcibly shook himself free of his awe at Ye Qingcheng's peerless beauty.
He cupped his fists and answered, "Our employer ordered us to present treasures to the young master."
"Your employer?" Ye Qingcheng asked again. "Who is your employer?"
She had to get this straight. Otherwise, she would have trouble explaining things if Chen Mu asked.
"Our employer is Chen Juexin, the young master's elder sister," the man answered truthfully.
Chen Juexin?!
Ye Qingcheng remembered that name very clearly. Rumor had it that her merchant association's businesses spanned all of Great Cang.
More than half of Great Cang's money and Spirit Stones rested in her hands alone. Who knew how many people owed her debts?
Even the Sky Sword Sect apparently owed her a considerable sum.
The Sky Sword Sect's decision to attach itself to the Tianyuan Holy Land could hardly be called unrelated to Chen Juexin.
"The young master is resting. You may leave these things here. Once he wakes, I will relay everything to him," Ye Qingcheng said.
"Sorry for the trouble." As he spoke, the man took out a Spatial Ring and handed it to Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng looked at the Spatial Ring in her hand.
Then she looked at the dozens of treasure chests, puzzled. Since they had a Spatial Ring, why hadn't they put everything inside?
She sent a trace of spiritual energy into the Spatial Ring and took a look.
Ye Qingcheng instantly understood everything.
She was utterly stunned.
The reason was so simple it defied belief. It was simply... full.
Spirit Stones—countless Supreme Spirit Stones!
In Great Cang, Spirit Stones were ranked, from lowest to highest, as low-grade, Middle-Grade, high-grade, and top-grade.
Spirit Stones could serve not only as currency accepted throughout the continent, but also as cultivation resources.
The higher their grade and purity, the more spiritual energy they contained, and the greater their value as currency.
This mountain of Spirit Stones completely overturned Ye Qingcheng's understanding of the wealthy.
The richest under heaven, wealthy enough to rival a nation... surely this was what those words meant?
Having so many relatives who stood unrivaled under heaven was already enough to make Ye Qingcheng envy Chen Mu.
What was more, each of them doted on Chen Mu more selflessly than the last.
First she had become his guard, then came Saint-Tier Divine Weapons, then Divine Talismans, and now, trillions of Supreme Spirit Stones dazzling enough to blind her!
Envy! She was so terribly envious!
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
On the road down the mountain.
"Brother Xiao, what are you thinking about? Why have you been looking so troubled ever since we left?" someone asked.
"I keep feeling like I've seen that woman somewhere before." Xiao Jian held his chin. The answer was right on the tip of his tongue, but he simply couldn't recall it. He was so close.
"Perhaps in a dream? No, even the goddess I met in my dreams wasn't half as beautiful as her."
"A beauty like that, and she's only a maid at the Tianyuan Holy Land. I really envy the young master."
As they were talking—
Xiao Jian's eyes suddenly lit up, and he declared excitedly, "I remember! I finally remember who she is!"
"Who is she?" someone hurriedly asked, equally curious.
"The Sky Sword Sect's holy maiden, Ye Qingcheng! I saw her in a painting before," Xiao Jian said with absolute certainty.
"The Sky Sword Sect's holy maiden!"
"A genius like her is actually serving the young master at Qingyun Prefecture?"
"The Sky Sword Sect's holy maiden is certainly powerful, but the young master is our employer's younger brother—and the future Holy Lord of Tianyuan!"
Thinking of it that way, it suddenly made much more sense.
Yet the storm-tossed waves in their hearts did not subside in the slightest.
They could not hide their envy and longing.
If they could have even one trillionth of his fortune, they could die without regrets!
Back at Qingyun Prefecture.
Ye Qingcheng wrapped the dozen or so treasure chests in spiritual energy, levitated them, and easily carried them into Qingyun Prefecture, setting them down soundlessly.
"..." Looking at the dozen or so treasure chests, Ye Qingcheng was intensely curious. The contents of the Spatial Ring were already astonishing beyond measure.
What powerful, precious treasures might these chests contain?
She closed her eyes, then opened them again, the color of her irises shifting slightly.
Her gaze pierced through the treasure chests, revealing their contents.
She would never have known without looking—and one look gave her a fright!
Divine weapons, armor, Treasured Artifacts... as plentiful as hairs on an ox!
"Heavens! Th-this is Shocking Rainbow, fourth on the renowned swords ranking!"
"This is the Blood Moon Demon Saber, sixth on the renowned sabers ranking!"
"Armor made from fire dragon scales!"
"A Heart-Guard Mirror that can withstand one full-power attack from someone in the Human Immortal Realm!"
Without exaggeration, nearly half—or even more than half—of the treasures on the various rankings were now gathered in Qingyun Prefecture!
Even the Sky Sword Sect's treasure pavilion could not compare. It did not even qualify!
"It seems I underestimated how much that elder sister dotes on the young master," Ye Qingcheng murmured softly.
[Scanning...] [Saint-grade divine weapon: Shocking Rainbow!] [Saint-grade treasure armor: Fire Dragon Scale Armor!] [Saint-grade treasure: Heart-Guard Mirror!]
System: [...] [System upgrade attempt 10: failed!] [System upgrade attempt 55: data acquired successfully! Upgrading...] [Upgrade successful! Infinite Sign-In module bound! Updated feature: unlimited God-Tier Sign-In!]
Chen Mu was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of any of this.
[Checking in...] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained Saint-Tier Divine Weapons: Heavenly Abyss Sword!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained saint-grade treasure armor: Phoenix Feather Garment!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained Saint-Tier Treasure Weapons: Indestructible Golden Bell Shield!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained top-grade spirit mine treasure map +1!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained lifespan +100!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained Supreme Spirit Stones +999999999!]
Before long, night fell.
A cold breeze swept across Chen Mu's face.
"Brr!" Chen Mu shivered involuntarily and jolted awake.
He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched, remarking, "Mmm... that was such a comfortable nap!"
Noticing the silk quilt draped over him, Chen Mu smiled faintly.
He hadn't expected this holy maiden to be so good at caring for others.
It seemed his own outlook had been too narrow.
At first, he had assumed a holy maiden would surely be pampered and spoiled.
He looked around but saw no sign of Ye Qingcheng.
"Did she go out?"
[Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained lifespan +100!!!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained top-tier movement technique: Light as a Swallow!!!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained top-tier cellar-aged liquor: Ten-Thousand-Year Intoxication +10!!!] [Check-in successful! Congratulations, host! Obtained lifespan +200!!!]
"..."
Chen Mu had intended to ignore it, but the system panel actually followed his field of vision wherever he looked, as though doing so deliberately.
It had even made the displayed text extra bold and extra large!
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