Zhou Chen completely changed his previous attitude and nodded with a smile.
"I can give you the Thunder Flame Grass, but Senior Brother is feeling very fiery today. I wonder if Junior Sister would be willing to lend a hand?"
Previously, he focused solely on cultivating and seeking the Dao, naturally not wanting to mix in matters of love and affection.
Now that he could both satisfy his personal desires and advance his cultivation, why would he not?
Bai Xue blinked her innocent eyes.
Did she mishear him?
How could Senior Brother Zhou, the outer sect disciple recognized as the good natured one who abstained from lust, say such a thing?
But looking at Zhou Chen’s expression, she felt uncertain.
Bai Xue instead gave a charming smile and slowly retreated two steps.
"Senior Brother Zhou, why are you playing this game too?"
Zhou Chen thought to himself, this is ancient times. Where would there be games like that?
"Alright. I was just teasing you. Senior Brother is nearing his end, so I will help you one last time. I will go fetch a stalk of Thunder Flame Grass for you shortly."
He turned to leave, but before stepping away, he turned his head back and added.
"Junior Sister Bai, Senior Brother is getting old. Some things you cannot take with you when you die.
If Junior Sister has any close junior sisters, why not introduce them to Senior Brother?"
Bai Xue’s eyes darted around, and she agreed with a radiant, sweet smile.
"Alright, Senior Brother Zhou."
Zhou Chen went to the medicinal field and picked a stalk of Thunder Flame Grass that was forty years old.
But when he was about to hand it to Bai Xue, Bai Xue placed it into her storage pouch.
Instead of leaving immediately, she hugged his arm again.
On that innocent face, a charming smile hung.
"Senior Brother, do not let fertile water flow into outsiders’ fields. Junior Sister has long held favorable feelings for you."
Zhou Chen did not stand on ceremony, immediately pulling her shoulder closer.
His right hand slid down her curves, and he smiled condescendingly as he asked.
"Oh, really?"
Just as he thought, there was nothing that cultivation resources could not buy.
If there was, it meant the benefits offered were not enough.
The little girl was smart and naturally knew how to choose.
Bai Xue’s pretty face flushed slightly, and she shyly punched his chest.
"Senior Brother Zhou, you are naughty."
Although she pretended to be unconcerned, her slightly trembling body betrayed her.
She had not been initiated into the sect long. Even though she had prepared herself, this was still her first attempt, and she had no experience at all.
Two hours later.
The bluestone courtyard, stone table.
Zhou Chen felt refreshed, drinking the spirit tea brewed by Nan Qiao.
Bai Xue, meanwhile, was huddled inside the room, aching all over, struggling to put on her clothes.
"Senior Brother Zhou, how can he be so strong?"
All the outer sect disciples knew Senior Brother Zhou was old and probably would not live for many more years.
Even if a cultivator’s vital energy and blood declined, their physical body would certainly not be as good as it once was.
Furthermore, her realm was higher than Senior Brother Zhou’s, so how could she have been beaten until she could not fight back?
But right now, she did not want to consider why Senior Brother Zhou was fiercer than she was.
She was more interested in knowing how many benefits she could gain from this endeavor.
Ten spirit stones, or fifteen spirit stones?
Zhou Chen’s previous words clearly suggested he was old and would soon pass away into the Immortal Realm.
Having guarded the medicinal garden for decades and not needing to go out on missions, he must have accumulated quite a few spirit stones.
If she could get his inheritance, it would be a huge help to her.
As for becoming a concubine to a high ranking cultivator, while she could still obtain resources, the other party might not necessarily fancy her.
Bai Xue secretly cheered herself up, enduring the soreness in her calves.
Swallowing hard, she gulped down saliva to suppress the strange smell.
Seeing her emerge, Zhou Chen smiled and beckoned.
Bai Xue moved with light lotus steps, her white clothes spotless, and obediently sat beside him.
Zhou Chen lightly patted his storage pouch. Amidst the flickering spiritual light, a medicinal bottle appeared on the table.
"Junior Sister, I see you have been stuck at the seventh layer of Qi Refining for a long time. This bottle of Spiritual Energy Pills should be of considerable help to you."
Hearing Spiritual Energy Pill, disappointment flashed in Bai Xue’s eyes, but she still obediently accepted it.
She thought Zhou Chen would give her more things, but he only gave her a bottle of Spiritual Energy Pills.
A bottle only contained ten medicinal pills. Ten low grade Spiritual Energy Pills were only worth about ten spirit stones.
But when she opened the pill bottle and saw several glittering, high grade superior Spiritual Energy Pills inside, Bai Xue’s red lips parted slightly, and she stared at him in shock.
"Senior Brother Zhou, are these superior Spiritual Energy Pills?"
The value of these superior Spiritual Energy Pills was equivalent to forty spirit stones.
This was double the benefit she had anticipated.
Furthermore, superior Spiritual Energy Pills were not something you could just buy. They were all reserved early by high ranking disciples.
Zhou Chen continued to smile gently.
"Alright. Since you are with me now, Senior Brother will not treat you unfairly."
Bai Xue’s face brightened, and she wished she could immediately engage in three hundred rounds of battle with him right there.
In the cultivation world, obtaining resources by selling one’s body was not uncommon.
Moreover, most cultivators pursued strength.
Even if you wanted to sell yourself, the other party might not be willing.
Those with low cultivation looked down on her, and those with high cultivation might not look favorably upon her.
After all, if one’s own strength was sufficient, what kind of woman could they not obtain?
Having received the benefits of the superior Spiritual Energy Pills, Bai Xue happily pecked him on the cheek and prepared to return to seclusion for cultivation.
But just before leaving the courtyard, she heard Zhou Chen’s words.
"Junior Sister Bai, I wonder if you could come and assist Senior Brother in his cultivation tonight?"
Bai Xue smiled brightly, her sparkling eyes especially alluring, and nodded vigorously.
"Mhm. I will listen to Senior Brother Zhou."
Originally, she felt she had suffered a slight loss.
Even though she was aiming for Zhou Chen’s inheritance, Zhou Chen was too old.
And she was still beautiful and in the prime of her life, so she inevitably felt a bit uncomfortable.
Now, after seeing the superior Spiritual Energy Pills, old age?
This was clearly Senior Brother Zhou, her wealthy, lifelong beloved.
Watching Bai Xue’s retreating figure, Zhou Chen sighed softly.
"The world is desolate. Truly, the human heart is hard to gauge."
He had helped Bai Xue a few times before. The girl usually greeted him by calling him Senior Brother repeatedly.
He never expected that Bai Xue’s favorability toward him was only five points.
This was roughly the level of favorability one would have for a slightly pleasing stranger encountered on the road.
However, the lower the favorability, the easier it was to gain more favorability.
Time breeds affection, plus the gift of a spirit pill.
Bai Xue’s favorability toward him instantly increased by fifteen points.
The currently available favorability points reached sixty one.
Zhou Chen once again brought up the system panel to check his current status.
[Host: Zhou Chen]
[Cultivation: Eighth layer of Qi Refining]
[Cultivation Technique: Qingyuan Sword Art]
[Profession: First Rank Great Perfection Alchemist] (Requires forty favorability points to advance to Second Rank)
[Profession: First Rank Early Stage Talisman Master] (Requires twenty favorability points to reach Perfection)
When he engaged in yin and yang union with Bai Xue earlier, the Illusion Moon Art she cultivated contained the marvelous method of yin and yang dual cultivation.
Since the girl was a virgin and was using this method for the first time, Zhou Chen gained quite a few benefits.
However, the Qingyuan Sword Art he cultivated was extremely proficient at concealing aura.
Moreover, the entire courtyard was arranged with a formation, and under his deliberate concealment, Bai Xue, a young girl tasting the forbidden fruit for the first time, did not realize that Zhou Chen had achieved a breakthrough midway.
In Bai Xue’s view, Zhou Chen was still Senior Brother Zhou, who was at the fifth layer of Qi Refining and had a gentle personality.
Before he had the certainty of self preservation, Zhou Chen only wanted to be seen by outsiders as a kind senior brother whose life was nearing its end.