Chapter 8: Unexpected Joy_1

Zhou Huaiyi didn't know what Yang Chen was thinking. Now that he had voluntarily switched sides and followed Yang Heng, pleasing his new master was definitely something he had to do.

In an instant, he babbled sharp-tongued words, "Gu Mingyue, I don't mean to criticize you, but Young Master Heng is a talented and handsome man. He is destined to shine at this year's Yang family's 'Coming of Age Ceremony.' By then, he will undoubtedly be the target of the heavenly daughters from other clans."

"Young Master Heng is interested in you, and that's your good fortune. Now is your chance to join him, or else when the Coming of Age Ceremony arrives, even if you regret and try to lick his toes, Young Master Heng may not even have any interest in you. Understand?"

Yang Heng was very satisfied with Zhou Huaiyi's words. It had to be said that Zhou Huaiyi sure had a way of flattering people.

He stroked his chin, as if genuinely trying to do Gu Mingyue a favor, and said, "Ming Yue, even if you don't want to join me, what future does Yang Chen have? He is now thirteen years old and still not at the first level of Body Refining Realm. According to the new rules issued by our Yang Family Patriarch, if he fails the Coming of Age Ceremony, he will definitely be expelled from the family. Then won't you, a maid, also be banished?"

Gu Mingyue listened as the two slandered Yang Chen one after another, her pretty face flushed with anger. She stomped her foot and said, "Yang Heng, I forbid you to insult my young master! My Gu Mingyue and my family of three were saved by Sister Cai Die. Alive, I belong to Young Master Yang Chen and Sister Cai Die, and dead, we are still their loyal spirits. Just forget about it!"

Seeing Gu Mingyue's demeanor, Zhou Huaiyi was even more sarcastic, "Gu Mingyue, look at yourself. You're so stubborn."

"Had enough?" Yang Chen finally spoke lazily, "Zhou Huaiyi, you want to betray me and follow Yang Heng. For me, there's no loss. His absence doesn't make any difference."

"Haha, Yang Chen, you're still tough-mouthed at this point?" Yang Heng sneered.

Yang Chen looked at Yang Heng's unyielding appearance, and his heart was already on fire. He had given enough face to Yang Heng, but the latter didn't appreciate it and repeatedly targeted him. Yang Heng even dared to taunt him in Elder Yang's lecture and even now wouldn't give it a rest?

At this, Yang Chen sneered coldly and said harshly, "Yang Heng, are you so determined to go against me? Aren't you afraid that I'll expose your loss of three hundred spirit stones?"

"Young Master, he must have come in when he saw Sister Cai Die leave. How dare he enter our courtyard otherwise!" Gu Mingyue was indignant.

As soon as Yang Heng heard about the exposure of the spirit stone loss, he was angry and ashamed. In fact, he was afraid of it the most, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Yang Chen, fine, fine, fine. Wait till the Coming of Age Ceremony, I will expose your true colors. When you are stripped of your household registration, I hope you don't cry too miserably."

"Really? I'm curious how you'll make me cry miserably." Yang Chen smirked.

"Hmph, Zhou Huaiyi, from now on, you follow me. Assist me and I will not treat you unfairly," Yang Heng said, his mouth curling up with a show of arrogance.

Zhou Huaiyi hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't worry. My name is 'Huaiyi,' and I will only be loyal to my master with an undivided heart."

"Hahaha, I have to say, putting you undercover in this waste's home for this period must have been frustrating for you!" Yang Heng said.

"Yeah, following Yang Chen, I, Zhou Huaiyi, can't even lift my head when I go out. I don't dare tell anyone I'm his servant." Zhou Huaiyi feigned sadness.

Yang Heng sneered at Yang Chen again, "Don't worry, when you follow me in the future, you can proudly announce that you're my servant. No one would dare to mock you. Let's go, I don't want to stay in this awful place any longer."

Although Yang Heng was angry, he still dared not say much about Yang Chen's loss of spirit stones.

So, without saying much, he turned and left.

Gu Mingyue, worried that Yang Chen would be too heartbroken over this matter, hesitated for a while before saying with teary eyes, "Young Master, don't worry too much about Zhou Huaiyi's betrayal. In the future, I can do all the chores at home. You must not dwell too much on this matter!"

She had seen Yang Chen show some signs of improvement, thinking that her prayers had made a difference, but she didn't want her young master to suffer another betrayal.

Yang Chen listened to Gu Mingyue's sincere words, feeling warm inside.

Although the Yang family was small, he had two loyal family members who never left his side, even in difficult times. In his previous life, he was dazzling and successful, but how many people could he trust?

At this thought, Yang Chen sighed softly. True feelings were shown in times of adversity, and he saw Gu Mingyue's good intentions genuinely. This little girl really had his best interests in mind.

"Don't worry, your young master isn't that fragile. Zhou Huaiyi's betrayal is just that. As I said before, my young master isn't lacking one servant. There's nothing to be sad about," Yang Chen said gently.

Gu Mingyue finally heaved a sigh of relief, "It's great that the young master can let it go."

"Zhou Huaiyi chose Yang Heng, and one day he will regret it. Alright, let's not talk about these things. Come with me," Yang Chen said.

"Young Master, where are we going?" Gu Mingyue followed closely behind Yang Chen in her embroidered shoes.

Yang Chen stood tall, his hands behind his back, "To the Li Family Commerce Group!"

...The Great Wilderness is the most remote place on the continent, where it is said that not even the birds will flock. However, where there are people, there is business. With the Hundred Clans scattered throughout the Great Wilderness, there is no shortage of business opportunities. The Li Family Commerce Group is among these clans, conducting business with various tribes.

Yang Chen weighed his options and decided that taking matters into his own hands would be the best way to obtain resources. Although Elder Yang is wealthy, his resources are lacking when compared to a trading company. Yang Chen decided to take a look at the Li Family Commerce Group, which is located near the Yang family, hoping to find something unexpected.

"Please, come in," said a polite servant from the Li Family Commerce Group, welcoming Yang Chen and Gu Mingyue.

At this moment, the two had arrived at the trading company.

Gu Mingyue was obviously coming to the Chamber of Commerce for the first time, and seemed a little timid. She followed behind Yang Chen, wondering when he had been to the Li Family Commerce Group and why he seemed so calm and composed?

Now, her pretty face was blushing slightly. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Yang Chen was infinitely more charming than before.

Having seen much of the world in his previous life, Yang Chen was not easily impressed by a small trading company like this one. He casually said, "What I'm looking for is rather rare. I hope your Li Family Commerce Group can satisfy me."

"Haha, Young Master, you've come to the right place. We guarantee you will be satisfied with our Li Family Commerce Group," boasted the servant.

Yang Chen took the man's words with a grain of salt and began searching on his own.

After a brief stroll around, Yang Chen's expression showed slight disappointment. Although the Li Family Commerce Group had a wide range of items in stock, none of them met his needs. Frustrated but not willing to give up, he continued to wander around the trading company.

"Huh..."

Yang Chen soon spotted a red, fiery-looking fruit on the counter, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Fire Red Fruit?" Yang Chen raised an eyebrow and grinned.

The Fire Red Fruit was not an extremely rare item. In fact, Yang Chen had lowered his expectations as he hadn't planned on finding anything rare. The Great Wilderness was an impoverished and remote area, so even items that he considered to be common in his previous life were hard to come by here.

This Fire Red Fruit, however, was easy to find in his previous life.

It is a necessary ingredient for crafting the first-rank elixir, Gravity Pill.

The Gravity Pill was an elixir invented by Yang Chen in his previous life. It allowed martial artists in the Body Refining Realm to unconditionally increase their strength by 300 jin (one jin is approximately equal to 0.5 kg). The value of this elixir was higher than that of the Clear Flame Pill, which Elder Yang was proud of, and was much harder to refine. A perfect First-Rank Alchemist who could refine Gravity Pills was not an exaggeration.

For martial artists in the Body Refining Realm, the first level would grant them 100 jin of strength, the second level 400 jin, and the third level 700 jin. Each time their strength increased by 300 jin, they would advance one level in the Body Refining Realm. In simpler terms, the Gravity Pill could increase a Body Refining martial artist's strength by one level unconditionally.

Although the pill's effect would diminish greatly after the first use, its immediate results were still impressive. In his previous life, Yang Chen didn't consider the formula for the Gravity Pill valuable, but he would always give one to a martial artist in the Body Refining Realm during training.

The Fire Red Fruit was the main ingredient needed to refine the Gravity Pill. As for the auxiliary materials, they weren't difficult to gather, and Yang Chen had enough in stock.

"This Fire Red Fruit came just in time," said Yang Chen, excited. With one of these fruits, his strength would immediately rise from the first layer of the Body Refining Realm to the second layer, or even close to the third layer.

"Shopkeeper, how many Spirit Stones are needed for this Fire Red Fruit..."

Before Yang Chen could finish speaking, a delighted female voice suddenly interrupted him.

""It really is a Fire Red Fruit! The Li Family Commerce Group still has them! I want this Fire Red Fruit, Shopkeeper!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Chen's brow furrowed, and he looked over to where the voice was coming from. At some point, a large group of people had entered the Li Family Commerce Group. The person who spoke was actually a young girl at the head of the group, about the same age as his older sister, Yang Caidie.

Upon a closer look, the young girl was exquisitely beautiful, with an otherworldly aura, as if she had stepped out of a painting. She possessed an innate, unique temperament, coupled with her pretty features and distinctive eyes. She was even more beautiful than Gu Mingyue.

However, beauty aside, Yang Chen was furious to see her trying to snatch away the Fire Red Fruit he had set his sights on.

Did these people consider him invisible?

With an expressionless face, Yang Chen said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've been standing here, in front of this Fire Red Fruit, for quite some time now. Are you saying that you don't understand the principle of first come, first served? Should I, Yang Chen, explain it to you?"

...

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