Wu Bufan sold thirteen top grade Fasting Pills, each worth a hundred gold coins, earning a total of thirteen hundred gold.
He spent a thousand of those gold coins to buy a storage necklace with a space of ten cubic meters.
The necklace was heavy, pressing down on his neck until it left a faint red mark but that was the problem with low grade storage tools, if you wanted something lighter, you had to pay more.
After leaving the merchant house, he discreetly shook off the people tailing him and slipped into a shabby little courtyard that once belonged to the Wu family estate.
This was where he had been living ever since being expelled from the main residence. His old clothes were still there and the first thing he did was change out of the tattered, attention grabbing robes he was wearing.
Once he had changed, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he sealed himself inside the courtyard and cultivated in seclusion for a full month, stabilizing his cultivation base.
He waited until the rumors about the mysterious seller of top grade pills had faded before finally walking openly through the streets of Xichuan Town once again.
He needed people to see him returning now, as though he had only just come back.
If not for the fact that he had been utterly broke and unable to refine other grades of pills, he would never have risked exposing himself by selling those top grade Fasting Pills.
The temptation they carried was far too great. Even now, as he strolled through the busy streets, he could see disciples wearing various family emblems patrolling restlessly, obviously searching for someone.
On the upper floor of a nearby teahouse, Wu Xutian caught sight of him and froze. For a moment, he doubted his own eyes. He had personally seen Wu Bufan swallowed alive by the Sky Devouring Wolf, how could he possibly still be alive?
Sitting across from him, Chao Lingyue noticed the change in his expression and followed his gaze. The instant she saw Wu Bufan, her pupils contracted sharply.
At that very moment, Wu Bufan lifted his head and met their eyes.nNo one spoke. After a heartbeat of silence, Wu Bufan was the first to look away. He stepped forward and entered the teahouse.
Chao Lingyue’s heart thudded violently against her chest.
A year ago, when Wu Bufan had pushed her away, a wave of fear had surged through her, not because she was worried about him but because she felt she was about to lose something irreplaceable.
Everyone had told her she was lucky, that she had a fiancé who loved her so deeply he had given up his life for hers. They called her fortunate to have survived that disaster.
She had tried to comfort herself with those words but now, seeing Wu Bufan standing before her alive and well, she could no longer suppress the turmoil within her heart.
Because Chao Lingyue… wasn’t truly Chao Lingyue at all.
The real Chao Lingyue had long since died in a failed attempt to advance her cultivation.
The soul now residing in her body came from another world, a world much like this one, ruled by martial might rather than spiritual cultivation. There was no spiritual energy there, only martial power and internal strength.
As a top tier master in that world, she had discovered that her inner strength resembled spiritual energy in many ways.
Using the martial arts manuals of her previous life as reference, she had modified the cultivation method of this world and successfully broken through, becoming a cultivator of the fifth stage of Qi Refinement.
In her former life, she had not only been powerful but gifted with an extraordinary sense of intuition, a terrifying instinct that had saved her countless times from certain death.
And now, that same instinct screamed at her with absolute certainty, Wu Bufan had taken something from her.
While her thoughts were spinning wildly, Wu Bufan had already reached their table.
She curved her lips into a bright, delighted smile, pretending to be overwhelmed with joy. “Bufan, you’re alive? That’s wonderful!”
Wu Bufan gave a wry smile. “My father left me a Breath Hiding Pill and a one time Earth grade Protective Bead. Thanks to those, I managed to survive.”
The Breath Hiding Pill could make a person appear dead, deceiving even a Sky Devouring Wolf. The Earth grade Protective Bead shielded its user from harm, preventing them from being dissolved by the beast’s stomach acid.
When the Sky Devouring Wolf couldn’t digest its prey, it would simply spit it back out.
There had indeed been cases of people surviving in that way before but the price was immense. Both the pill and the bead were rare and extremely costly and once used, they were gone forever.
Wu Xutian’s expression darkened slightly. “Your father treated you very well.”
That old fox Wu Rongyang really had left his son with plenty of treasures.
Chao Lingyue, however, wasn’t convinced. “Then why did you only return now?”
Wu Bufan scratched his head and smiled innocently. “I figured surviving such a calamity must mean I was blessed by fortune, so I stayed in the secret realm a while longer to train.”
Wu Xutian’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, his gaze sharp and assessing. “Did you manage to find anything good during that time?”
“I did.” Wu Bufan lowered his voice slightly. “I found three Blood Replenishing Herbs. I plan to sell them at the merchant house later.”
Chao Lingyue’s lips tightened. “Only three?”
Blood Replenishing Herbs were low grade yellow spiritual herbs worth around ten gold coins each. For Wu Bufan to find three was already a decent harvest.
When she had gone into the same secret realm, she had only found one Blood Replenishing Herb and one Qi Replenishing Herb.
Still, something about it felt wrong. She didn’t believe that Wu Bufan could have survived and come back with just that. Yet, seeing how open and trusting he appeared, how he made no attempt to guard against them, she hesitated.
After all, Wu Bufan had once been willing to risk his life for her. And as for Wu Xutian, he was Wu Bufan’s cousin, someone he had trusted deeply, even though Wu Xutian had stolen his rightful place as heir to the clan. Wu Bufan had never truly resented him for it.
Wu Bufan blinked in confusion. “Three aren’t enough?”
He smiled awkwardly, a little embarrassed. “Maybe that’s not much to you two but I’m already very happy that I managed to find them on my own.”
Wu Xutian’s mouth twitched. “No, that’s quite a lot already.”
The Wu family’s legitimate sons received a monthly allowance of fifty gold coins. One gold equaled a hundred coins, so fifty gold was five thousand coins, a sizable amount in Xichuan Town. Most common folk wouldn’t earn that much in a lifetime.
He studied Wu Bufan closely. “Your cultivation… you’re at the second level of Qi Refinement?”
Wu Bufan nodded with a cheerful smile. “I found a Breaking Qi Herb.”
Wu Xutian and Chao Lingyue’s faces both changed instantly.
“You ate it?” Wu Xutian’s voice rose involuntarily.
“Yes,” Wu Bufan said, puzzled by their reaction. “Why? Is something wrong?”
Wu Xutian’s face twitched.
Something wrong? Everything was wrong!
Breaking Qi Herb was a top grade yellow spiritual herb worth hundreds of gold coins. Consuming it could guarantee a breakthrough for any cultivator below the Foundation stage and it had no side effects at all!
It was an incredibly rare treasure and Wu Bufan had just… eaten it.
He clenched his teeth. “Bufan, that was reckless. You should have brought the herb back to the family!”
No matter how hard he tried to sound calm, a note of frustration slipped through. “You’re a member of the Wu family. How could you waste such a precious herb just to satisfy your own greed? Did you even think about the clan?”
In his eyes, Wu Bufan, a so called waste, had no right to use such a treasure. It was a waste of good resources.
Chao Lingyue’s expression darkened as well. “Bufan, that herb doesn’t suit you.”
She had recently reached a bottleneck in her cultivation. If she had a Breaking Qi Herb, she could have advanced to the sixth level of Qi Refinement without issue.
Wu Bufan opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, a light, mocking laugh drifted from behind him.
“He found the herb himself. He can use it however he wants. What does it have to do with you two or with the Wu family?”
Wu Bufan’s heart skipped a beat. He turned to look at the young man who had spoken.
The youth’s features were as exquisite as carved jade, his brows sharp and confident, his beauty dazzling enough to steal one’s breath.
For a moment, Wu Bufan felt dazed.
He had heard that voice before, In his dreams.
At the brink of death, when his consciousness was fading, he had heard someone murmuring beside him.
“You’re even worse off than me, huh?”
“Forget it. We’re both pitiful souls. I’ll bury you myself.”
“I don’t have any servants left, so I’ll have to dig the grave myself. Don’t mind me if it’s a bit sloppy, I’ve never done any manual work before…”
The voice had paused, trembling with a choked sob. “I guess I’m not much better than you. You were killed and I was abandoned. Why does everyone love Chao Lingyue? Is it just because I’m so unlikeable?”
The boy had cried so softly, so pitifully, that Wu Bufan’s heart had ached even in that dream.
He had wanted to tell him, Don’t bother burying me. I’m already dead, it’s not worth the effort and it’s not worth your tears.
Perhaps those tears hadn’t even been for him yet after waking from that dream, the image of that crying boy had lingered in his mind again and again.
Now, looking at the young man before him, radiant and breathtaking, Wu Bufan suddenly felt a pang of tenderness.
This young master, once pampered and adored, had lost his cultivation and fallen from grace. How was he supposed to endure that kind of pain?
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm is pleased. The translator would be even more pleased with coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Dream to RealityChapter 2 · Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortuneChapter 3 · Retrieve the tokenChapter 4 · Top-tier alchemistChapter 5 · A cooperative treasure hunt?Chapter 6 · Thousand mile Thundercloud LeopardChapter 7 · Chaotic Strange EntityChapter 8 · Back to Xichuan TownChapter 9 · How could Wu Bufan be stronger than him!Chapter 10 · Wu Bufan possess so many top-grade pills?Chapter 11 · This time, she will not let anyone take what is hers away againChapter 12 · Seize the luckChapter 13 · Mutant Purple Thunder BeastChapter 14 · I’m afraid he’ll get angryChapter 15 · PumiceChapter 16 · Enemies meet on a narrow roadChapter 17 · Becoming Daoist CouplesChapter 18 · Top-grade Calamity-Breaking PillChapter 19 · The amazing effects of top-grade pillsChapter 20 · Basic Body ForgingChapter 21 · One world cannot contain two chosen ones.Chapter 22 · PuppetChapter 23 · AuctionChapter 24 · Space FoundationChapter 25 · Top-grade Foundation Building PillChapter 26 · Increased space areaChapter 27 · The competition BeginChapter 28 · RobbedChapter 29 · Turn Defeat into Victory!Chapter 30 · The Death of Wu KeyuanChapter 31 · BetChapter 32 · Even the way Chao Chen talks is so cuteChapter 33 · Avenge Wu KeyuanChapter 34 · Finding Bodhi Wood at a BargainChapter 35 · Little PuppetChapter 36 · Explosive PillsChapter 37 · I’ll concedeChapter 38 · You are a genius, so your Daoist partner must also be a genius.Chapter 39 · The Third Elder was refused a disciple.Chapter 40 · Has the floating marrow stone secret been exposed?Chapter 41 · How Could There Be Such a Sinister Human!Chapter 42 · The Mutated Mugwort FoxChapter 43 · Wandering the JianghuChapter 44 · Ancient ElixirChapter 45 · I feel like I’m about to be struck by lightning!Chapter 46 · Earth-level Secret RealmChapter 47 · The spot is practically yours.Chapter 48 · His Daoist partner is truly amazing!Chapter 49 · The legacy in the libraryChapter 50 · Dual cultivation techniquesChapter 51 · First genius Ji Pu RanChapter 52 · Shifting the blame eastwardChapter 53 · The little puppet went to run errandsChapter 54 · The Explosive Pill once again demonstrated its power.Chapter 55 · Chao Lingyue’s cultivation levelChapter 56 · Little Money-GrubberChapter 57 · What a venomous mouth!Chapter 58 · Enter the secret realmChapter 59 · A huge windfall fell from the sky.Chapter 60 · The birth of a rare treasureChapter 61 · This alchemy furnace is quite uniqueChapter 62 · The alchemy furnace that walked right into the trapChapter 63 · Xiao Zi’s Self-Rescue GuideChapter 64 · Spirit Field Micro RealmChapter 65 · Someone Planning to Reap the Benefits?Chapter 66 · Are You Lost?Chapter 67 · Chao Chen, Corrupted by the Big Handsome PotChapter 68 · Is Your phoenix Fish Sect Collecting Trash?Chapter 69 · The Death of Hui SipingChapter 70 · No, Junior Brother Chao, Where’s Your Backbone…Chapter 71 · Has His Identity Been Exposed?Chapter 72 · This Child Is Far Too ShrewdChapter 73 · Young people are wonderful. They fall asleep the moment they lie downChapter 74 · Sparrow Alchemist Chao Lingyue?Chapter 75 · The Silver Tongued Chao ChenChapter 76 · What’s the rush? I have moreChapter 77 · Leave the sectChapter 78 · Showing Off on a Grand ScaleChapter 79 · The Sparrow Alchemist Returns to the Martial WorldChapter 80 · Does Junior Brother Chao know about this?Chapter 81 · The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole BehindChapter 82 · So FierceChapter 83 · They’ve been targeted by the local bulliesChapter 84 · The Kid Is Missing?Chapter 85 · A Thing from the Void: SilkChapter 86 · Chao Chen became famousChapter 87 · The Devil MentorChapter 88 · The four little ones went out to gain experienceChapter 89 · The Students Who Were Truly ConvincedChapter 90 · What a Bountiful Harvest!Chapter 91 · No Random KissingChapter 92 · Detoxification PillChapter 93 · Master Wu, your Daoist partner has disappearedChapter 94 · The Demonic ThiefChapter 95 · Fellow Daoist, are you selling this sparrow?Chapter 96 · Unexpected disaster, nothing moreChapter 97 · My Daoist partner was born in the Year of the PigChapter 98 · The Undying Devil ChildChapter 99 · Exotic Treasure! Buddha Flame Glazed Light!Chapter 100 · We stole the Beast Taming Sect’s treasure vaultChapter 101 · Waaaaah… Why is this strange fire so gay?Chapter 102 · The Mysterious Pill – Flower in the MirrorChapter 103 Part 1 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 103 Part 2 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 104 Part 1 · Separation and ReunionChapter 104 Part 2 · Separation and ReunionChapter 105 Part 1 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 105 Part 2 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 106 · Chao Chen’s RevengeChapter 107 · The Death of Chao LingyueChapter 108 · A Narcissistic Man or a Great Beauty?Chapter 109 · This Person Has No MannersChapter 110 · The Ancient Spirit Botanical GardenChapter 111 · Thousand-Thread Poison WomanChapter 112 · I am not kindChapter 113 · Are you the most handsome man here?Chapter 114 Part 1 · ReunionChapter 114 Part 2 · ReunionChapter 115 Part 1 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 115 Part 2 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 116 · Central ContinentChapter 116 Part 1 · Central ContinentChapter 117 Part 1 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 117 Part 2 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 118 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 118 Part 1 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 119 · Xiao Chen will also be embarrassedChapter 120 · The moon is so bright tonightChapter 121 Part 1 · Treasure ArrayChapter 121 Part 2 · Treasure ArrayChapter 122 Part 1 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 122 Part 2 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 123 Part 1 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 123 Part 2 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 124 Part 1 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 124 Part 2 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 125 Part 1 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 125 Part 2 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 126 · Ice spirit tower has explodedChapter 127 Part 1 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 2 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 3 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 128 Part 1 · Being Followed?Chapter 128 Part 2 · Being Followed?Chapter 129 · Magical ArtifactChapter 131 · A Declaration of WarChapter 132 · A chaotic war of words: Friend or foe indistinguishable…Chapter 133 Part 1 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 133 Part 2 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 134 Part 1 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 134 Part 2 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 135 Part 1 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 135 Part 2 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 136 Part 1 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 2 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 3 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left Behind