The bustling market was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, filled with the rising and falling sounds of shouting vendors and cheerful chatter. People either paused to inspect goods or haggled with stall owners, creating a lively, vibrant scene.
Yet, even Shen Yanchu, who was usually renowned for his thick skin, found it difficult to endure the strange gazes constantly cast toward his waist.
“Tsk tsk tsk, look at that, these cultivators really know how to play!” one passerby remarked, not forgetting to shoot a sideways glance at Shen Yanchu.
Hearing this, Shen Yanchu’s face flushed bright red, and he wished he could immediately dig a hole in the ground to hide in. Turning to Jiang Siwang beside him, he lowered his voice and said, “Um… Jiang Siwang, can you please retract this whip of yours? Everyone is looking!”
Jiang Siwang held the golden long whip, its surface glowing with an eerie light, while its other end remained tightly coiled around Shen Yanchu’s waist.
Faced with Shen Yanchu’s plea, Jiang Siwang remained completely unbothered. He curled his lip and said, “What are you so shy about? This is the most normal thing in our Demon Realm. Furthermore, countless people are eagerly hoping I would use this whip to bind them, yet none of them have that kind of fortune!”
Just then, Jiang Siwang’s eyes suddenly lit up as if he had spotted something interesting. Without another word, he yanked Shen Yanchu and bolted forward. Taken completely by surprise, Shen Yanchu nearly stumbled and fell, but he was dragged along by Jiang Siwang in a brisk jog.
Before long, the two arrived at a small stall. The display table was crowded with all sorts of small trinkets, dazzling the eye.
Noticing that Shen Yanchu and Jiang Siwang were dressed in fine garments and possessed extraordinary bearings, the vendor rejoiced inwardly, figuring he had encountered a pair of big spenders today.
Beaming from ear to ear, the vendor hurried over and enthusiastically pitched, “Ah, respected patrons, you certainly have a fine eye! Look at this bell. It is forged entirely from pure gold, and the quality is absolute top tier! Taking it home to hang up or giving it as a gift to friends and family makes an exceptional choice!”
“Wife, buy me one.” Jiang Siwang blinked wide eyes, looking expectantly at Shen Yanchu as if making this demand were the most natural thing in the world.
“No money!” Shen Yanchu shot him a sideways glare, replying ungraciously while the corners of his mouth twitched upward into an undetected trace of cunning.
Instead of being discouraged, Jiang Siwang grew even more confident, declaring, “As long as Wife buys me one, I guarantee to return it tenfold in spiritual stones. Spiritual stones are the one thing our Demon Realm has in abundance.”
Hearing this, Shen Yanchu’s eyes instantly lit up, though he still feigned composure to think it over for a brief moment before nodding without hesitation. “Deal! It’s a promise!” Inwardly, he calculated that this transaction was an absolute steal.
Shen Yanchu swiftly picked up a small, exquisite bell from the stall and handed it to Jiang Siwang. Jiang Siwang eagerly accepted it, and the very next second, the bell seemed imbued with life, instantly turning crystal clear and lustrous like a rare treasure as it fastened itself around his wrist.
Jiang Siwang raised his hand triumphantly to shake it, and a crisp, melodious ringing followed. He suddenly leaned in close to Shen Yanchu, lowered his voice with a soft chuckle, and teased ambiguously, “I wonder if this bell will ring just as nicely in bed…”
“Jiang Siwang!” Shen Yanchu’s face flared red, and he glared at Jiang Siwang, half-embarrassed and half-furious.
Seeing this, Jiang Siwang waved a hand and placated him with a smile. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore. Wife, the way you blush like this is utterly adorable, making one simply want to tease you.” With that, he did not forget to wink at Shen Yanchu with a carefree expression.
Just as the two exchanged banter, a familiar voice suddenly pierced the air like a sharp blade, drilling straight into Shen Yanchu’s ears.
Startled, Shen Yanchu turned back instinctively to see two figures striding over. Taking a closer look, the arrivals were none other than Xie Huaizhou and Ji Yanche!
Xie Huaizhou’s gaze landed first on the conspicuous whip around Shen Yanchu’s waist, before quickly shifting to the small, delicate bell clutched in Jiang Siwang’s hand. In an instant, a flash crossed his mind, conjuring up a crystal-clear image: wasn’t that exact scene depicted on page 28 of the book Shen Yanchu had given him earlier?
Xie Huaizhou’s complexion darkened like water, shrouded by a thick blanket of gloomy clouds. He completely ignored the look for help Shen Yanchu sent his way, acting as if he hadn’t seen it at all.
Ji Yanche, standing nearby, was faring slightly better, but not by much.
“Xiaochu, the bell you gave Jiang Siwang is truly quite gorgeous!” Ji Yanche forced down his mounting displeasure, squeezing the words out from between his teeth. Although he struggled to keep his tone calm, the sour jealousy contained within had already saturated the surrounding air for anyone to smell.
Shen Yanchu panicked completely, groaning inwardly. After all, the person in front of him was an almighty buddha he absolutely could not afford to cross! Scrambling in a fluster, he picked up another identical bell from beside him and offered a flattering smile. “If you like it, I will buy you one just like it right now!”
Seeing this development, Jiang Siwang felt a surge of displeasure rise in his chest. Arching his brows angrily, he shouted, “Ji Yanche, you are strictly forbidden from accepting it!”
Hearing this, Ji Yanche raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curving upward into a reckless smile as he countered, “Why shouldn’t I accept it?”
Before the words had even finished echoing, the two clashed like fire meeting earth, instantly entangling in a fierce brawl. For a moment, sword qi surged and palm winds howled, creating quite a chaotic spectacle.
Meanwhile, the whip that had been tightly bound around Shen Yanchu’s waist seemed to sense its master’s distraction and slowly loosened its hold.
Noticing this, Shen Yanchu rejoiced inwardly: Heaven is truly helping me! Seizing the moment while Jiang Siwang and Ji Yanche fought tooth and nail with no time to spare, he grabbed Xie Huaizhou’s hand and bolted.
As he ran, Shen Yanchu anxiously urged, “Xie Huaizhou, hurry up and bring out your flying sword!”
Yet Xie Huaizhou stood his ground, motionless, and gave a cold refusal. “No help.” At that moment, even he didn’t know what he was feeling so petty about.
Seeing Xie Huaizhou remain so unyielding, Shen Yanchu felt frantic yet helpless. With no other choice, he dropped his pride and pleaded earnestly, “Xie Huaizhou, I beg you, please help me!”
Perhaps moved by Shen Yanchu’s sincere request, Xie Huaizhou’s heart ultimately softened. With a soft sigh, he hesitated no longer, reached out to pull Shen Yanchu along, stepped onto his flying sword, and sped away.
Throughout the flight, Shen Yanchu still felt somewhat baffled, unable to comprehend why Xie Huaizhou had been sulking all this time. Cautiously tugging at Xie Huaizhou’s sleeve, he conjured a delicate bell from his robes like a magic trick.
“Xie Huaizhou, this one is for you. It is far more precious than the gifts Jiang Siwang and Ji Yanche got!” Shen Yanchu presented the bell with an expectant grin.
Xie Huaizhou looked closely and saw that indeed, whether it was the carved patterns or the luminous pearl embedded inside, this bell was top-of-the-line and exceptionally valuable.
Scored another wave of favorability points. I remember in the original novel, whenever Su Rongyu did that stuff, he loved these kinds of noisy little trinkets, Shen Yanchu chuckled secretly.