After their last meal, Yan Zhen had been holed up in the Fire Refining Starry Sky, practicing his forging. He still had no idea how Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt were doing.
Since this was an advanced training stint, they probably wouldn’t be assigned any duties. More likely, they’d find a suitable spot for focused cultivation, with an elder providing personal guidance.
Yan Zhen figured it was that kindly Second Elder.
As he mulled this over, the two beautiful elders approached the cockpit window. He rolled it down and greeted them proactively.
“Little Aunt, Aunt, aren’t you two going to cultivate?”
“We just got back,” Shui Bailan replied with a faint smile. “Yan Zhen, are you heading out?”
“Yeah, I need to make a trip to the Merchant Alliance.”
“What for this time?” Dean Yu Qing demanded, hands on her hips. “The holy land generally doesn’t allow disciples to come and go freely.”
Yan Zhen scratched his head. He didn’t want to spill the beans just yet, since he planned to get some for them too.
“Uh, oh, I’m going to the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce to buy some stuff.”
“What stuff?” Dean Yu Qing asked suspiciously. “It isn’t… bras, is it?”
Huh? Yan Zhen was speechless.
“Little Aunt, what are you even thinking? Why would I buy bras? It’s not like I need them.”
“Who says you don’t? You, you buy them to give to that wife of yours, to butter her up.”
Normally, guys didn’t just straight-up buy lingerie for their wives… Yan Zhen couldn’t explain it away. Was Little Aunt actually happy with the bras she’d gotten?
“Are you jealous, Little Aunt? Or do you want me to buy you one?”
“Who, who said I’m jealous!” Dean Yu Qing shot back instantly. “And I don’t need you to buy me one. It’s not like I wear them all the time—just occasionally. Hmph!”
Shui Bailan smiled and exposed her best friend. “Yu Qing’s been wearing them nonstop. She loves them because you designed them.”
Dean Yu Qing’s face flushed crimson in an instant.
“I have not! You stinky Bailan, quit making stuff up! You’re the one who wears them every day and loves them to bits!”
Shui Bailan’s cheeks reddened too, but she admitted it frankly. “I… yeah, I do like them. Got a problem with that?”
—I don’t want to be discussing bras with women in broad daylight.
Yan Zhen wore a pained expression. “If that’s all, I’m heading out.”
“Hey, wait.”
“What?”
“We’ve got time. We’ll go with you.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I can handle it solo.”
“Cut the fancy talk! I’m suspicious you’re off to meet a little sweetheart. As your elders, we’re exercising our right to supervise!”
Yan Zhen shot her a sideways glance. “Even if you tag along by force, Little Aunt, I’m not buying you a bra.”
Dean Yu Qing flushed with embarrassment and annoyance. “Who wants you to buy me one! Little Scoundrel, open the damn door!”
She even started banging on it.
—Are you Little Aunt or Snow Aunt?
Yan Zhen rolled his eyes. With no other choice, he opened the hatch and let Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt inside. They took seats in the back, and only then did he activate the controls and shoot off.
An hour later, the flying skiff arrived smoothly at Myriad Merchants Ancient City. The three of them entered the city and headed straight for the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce. They found the branch president and had him round up a large quantity of Tier 3 and Tier 4 jade stones, regardless of quality.
In less than half an hour, the Branch President had completed Yan Zhen’s request. He handed over a mid-grade storage ring stuffed full of jade—ten cubic meters in total, worth a pretty penny.
Yan Zhen pulled out a fifth-tier mystic pill he’d refined himself as payment. He also traded a supreme-grade Tier 4 Mystic pill for a batch of Tier 4 and higher medicinal ingredients.
The Branch President wouldn’t dare accept Yan Zhen’s items at first, but that supreme-grade Tier 4 Mystic pill tempted him greatly. He figured it could be auctioned off to boost the chamber’s reputation, so he took it in exchange for double the amount of herbs.
Dean Yu Qing and Grand Mentor Shui Bailan were both puzzled. Why did Yan Zhen need so much low-tier jade? He didn’t cultivate earth mystic power or jade mystic power.
But Yan Zhen clammed up tight, so they didn’t press him further.
“I’m done shopping. Do Little Aunt and Aunt want to buy anything?”
Shui Bailan said warmly, “It’s rare to come out like this. We should at least browse around.”
Dean Yu Qing chimed in, “We kept you company earlier. Now it’s your turn to keep us company~”
He’d known they’d say that… Still, Yan Zhen felt like unwinding a bit, so he agreed. They started strolling through the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce.
The place was full of novel gadgets. Food-wise, there were ice creams, chocolates, cakes, coffees, milk teas, and more. For fun, they had rocking cars, claw machines, koi ponds, and the like—all designed to draw in customers and build buzz.
Sure, these didn’t rake in big bucks. The real money came from Mystic pills and Mystic artifacts. But they made for killer advertising.
These days, the Golden Jade Chamber of Commerce’s reputation in the Merchant Alliance had soared. Plenty of customers knew this little outfit always had quirky novelties, and female cultivators especially loved poking around.
Yan Zhen had told Big Sister Ji Ya back in his previous life that women and kids were the easiest marks for cash—and clearly, she’d taken it to heart.
Dean Yu Qing still had that Eldest Miss temperament. She got excited over the novelties and dragged her bestie from one to the next, leaving Shui Bailan a bit embarrassed. So she roped Yan Zhen in to share the “embarrassment.”
Yan Zhen didn’t mind at all. In fact, he enjoyed it thoroughly, like he’d slipped back into a carefree childhood.
After one full round, the three of them settled into a nearby dessert shop.
Yan Zhen ordered three cakes of different flavors and three cups of coffee. He shared afternoon tea with Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt.
“That claw machine is so infuriating! No matter how I tried, I couldn’t grab a thing. It’s obviously rigged—shady chamber!”
Dean Yu Qing pouted. Shui Bailan sighed helplessly. “You’re still on about that? You actually got one the first time. It wasn’t your sneaky use of mystic power that triggered the built-in talisman patterns and made it drop?”
“I didn’t mean to,” Dean Yu Qing muttered. “Who knew the claw was so sensitive?”
“You totally did it on purpose.” Yan Zhen shot a glance at his restless little aunt. “The claw machine is rigged to up the difficulty. You need specific techniques to snag prizes. It’s not that hard for mystic cultivators, though. If Little Aunt couldn’t get it… well, you’re just too dim about it.”
“You’re the dim one!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s eat. This ‘latte’ is pretty good—fragrant, sweet, with a smooth mouthfeel. The name’s a bit weird, though—like you’re holding an iron chunk? Xiao Qing, how’s that cappuccino of yours?”
“It’s okay. A little too rich.”
Watching Dean Little Aunt savor her creamy coffee, Yan Zhen suddenly recalled that line about “pouring an auntie a cappuccino” and had to stifle a laugh.
After afternoon tea, dusk was falling. The three set off back and arrived at the holy land right at nightfall.
Yan Zhen stowed the flying skiff and returned with the two beautiful elders to the midway point on Rain God Peak. He was about to bid them goodbye when Mentor Aunt suddenly said, “Xuan’er and the others don’t seem to be back yet. Yan Zhen, why don’t you come sit at our place?”
