Hearing this, Hua Tian couldn’t help but shudder and said awkwardly, “Saying that… Actually, we aren’t really that close…”
Before she could finish, Mu Heng leisurely pulled a brocade pouch from his sleeve and casually tossed it to her. The pouch landed heavily in her palm, making a crisp, pleasant clinking sound.
“You’re not close to me,” Mu Heng raised an eyebrow, his smile playful, “but how about spirit stones? Are you close to them?”
“S-Spirit stones!?”
Hua Tian was stunned, and her eyes lit up instantly.
In the mortal realm, gold and silver were still the most common currency. Although the cultivation world also recognized these worldly goods, only spirit stones could truly aid in cultivation.
One low-grade spirit stone was worth ten taels of silver;
One mid-grade spirit stone was worth an entire string of low-grade ones;
And one high-grade spirit stone was even more precious, enough to be exchanged for a fertile field.
The pouch in Mu Heng’s hand was clinking. Just from the sound alone, one could tell there were at least ten spirit stones inside. Even if they were low-grade spirit stones, it would still be a hundred taels of silver.
Mu Heng lowered his voice and said: “There are ten mid-grade spirit stones in here, enough to cover your father’s salary for half a year. If you want to cultivate faster in the cultivation world, you won’t be able to do without buying talisman papers, spiritual herbs, and elixir pills. If you are willing to tell me, I will give them to you.”
Hua Tian’s chest heaved violently as she took a deep breath.
He was right. For disciples who had just entered the cultivation world, spirit stones were simply rare treasures. Being able to exchange a single piece of information for a pouch of spirit stones… no matter how she thought about it, this deal was incredibly worth it.
I’m sorry, Lumi, I’ll split the spirit stones with you later!
At this thought, Hua Tian cleared her throat gently, her expression carrying a hint of caution: “Let’s agree on this first. I don’t know who it is either; I only have a general idea. Don’t turn around and take the spirit stones back if you don’t hear what you want to hear.”
“Fine,” Mu Heng agreed readily.
Only then did Hua Tian speak: “I heard it from Lumi on the way here. She said she plans to find a cultivation partner at the Eastern Ridge Lingshu, and she also plans to go to the Mystic Dharma Hall of the Spirit Gathering Sect, saying she wants to see if the men inside are as good-looking as the legends say. So, I guess the person she is interested in is in the Mystic Dharma Hall.”
Speaking to this point, she suddenly remembered something and blinked: “By the way, aren’t you a member of the Spirit Gathering Sect? Why aren’t you wearing your sect uniform, and why are you wandering around here with a mask on?”
Mu Heng: “…”
After a moment, he replied with a half-smile, “I didn’t want to be recognized, so I changed into casual clothes.”
Hua Tian let out an “oh” and nodded, then followed up: “Then you must be familiar with the Mystic Dharma Hall, right?”
“Heh.” Mu Heng curled his lips, his expression half-smiling, “More than just familiar. I am from the Mystic Dharma Hall.”
Hearing this, Hua Tian immediately shut her mouth and then held out her open hand.
Mu Heng did not break his word and handed the spirit stones over.
“Oh right, it’s a deal. You cannot tell anyone about our conversation today. Especially not Lin Lumi.”
Having obtained the spirit stones, Hua Tian didn’t even bother to respond and quickly slipped away.
Watching her back disappear at the entrance of the alley, the smile on Mu Heng’s face gradually faded. The playfulness between his brows slowly retracted, replaced by a trace of repressed gloom.
There were only three people in total in the Mystic Dharma Hall; there was no need to think to know who it was.
Hearing Lin Lumi mention Wei Lingfeng’s name yesterday had already made him feel faintly irritated. Now that the news was confirmed, that irritation turned into a literal dark fire, burning in his chest and making him restless.
If it were just any insignificant nobody, he could easily ignore it. But of all people, it had to be Wei Lingfeng.
That guy shared equal fame with him. Whether in looks or talent, he was a match for him.
Since he couldn’t do anything about Lin Lumi, he could only target Wei Lingfeng.
Hua Tian quickened her pace back to the dormitory. Just as she pushed the door open, she saw Lin Lumi sitting cross-legged on the couch, her hands forming hand seals, with the spiritual energy around her gently undulating.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Lin Lumi slowly opened her eyes.
“Why are you back so late?” Lin Lumi’s voice was calm. “I heard that the talisman tested today was indeed the Swift-Run Talisman. Didn’t you already learn it yesterday? Logically, it should have gone smoothly. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you failed and were squatting by the exam hall crying.”
Hua Tian shrugged: “The exam went smoothly, but I was intercepted by Mu Heng as soon as I left the exam hall, which is why I’m back late.”
“Mu Heng?” Lin Lumi was puzzled: “What did he want with you?”
“Hey! He came to deliver money to the two of us.” With that, Hua Tian poured the entire pouch of spirit stones onto the table.
The ten spirit stones scattered across the surface.
Lin Lumi casually picked up one, rubbing it in her palm. The spiritual light was dense and the texture was clear. She raised her eyes and spoke calmly: “Judging by the quality, these are actually mid-grade spirit stones. Mu Heng has always loved money as much as his life; how could he bring himself to give them to you?”
“They weren’t just given to me! I earned them!” Hua Tian said proudly, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Half of these ten spirit stones are yours.”
Lin Lumi frowned, her tone sinking slightly: “Yours? What do you mean?”
“Uh…” Hua Tian smiled awkwardly. With a roll of her eyes, she immediately threw herself forward to hug Lin Lumi’s leg, dragging out her words, “Don’t be quick to get angry… You see…”
She recounted her entire encounter with Mu Heng in detail, her voice growing quieter and quieter as she spoke.
As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately looked up, her face a picture of misery: “Lumi! I really am too poor. Our Hua family favors boys over girls, so the money allocated to me is pitifully small. Five mid-grade spirit stones are worth several years of pocket money to me! Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”
“No,” Lin Lumi gave Hua Tian a thumbs-up. “You did great. Anyone who doesn’t make money when they can is a fool. In that case, I will gladly accept these five spirit stones.”
Nobody would turn their back on money, and Lin Lumi was no exception.
It seemed Mu Heng had indeed made a lot of money in the Spirit Gathering Sect over the years.
She tapped the tabletop, her tone quite teasing: “If there’s another opportunity like this next time, you should just open your mouth wide and demand a massive sum. Quote him a much higher price!”
Hua Tian nodded immediately, her expression as serious as if she were keeping accounts: “Sure, no problem. But I find it strange—why does he care so much about who you like? The reason he gave me sounds far too contrived.”
Hearing this, Lin Lumi said thoughtfully: “I can probably guess why.”
“Ah? What’s the reason?” Hua Tian leaned in closer.
“He’s probably afraid that I’ll find a cultivation partner before he does.” Lin Lumi raised an eyebrow, her tone leisurely. “He wants to compete with me in speed to see who finds one first. What a childish brat.”
Hua Tian was stunned for a moment, and then let out a long “Ah—”, nodding as if she had suddenly realized something: “When you put it that way, it does make some sense. But… if we’re talking about finding a cultivation partner, it shouldn’t be hard for him at all, right? I heard he is very popular in the Spirit Gathering Sect.”
Lin Lumi shrugged: “Who knows.”
“What about you? Are you going to compete with him?”
Lin Lumi crossed her arms: “Of course, but it’s not really about competing with him. I’m just bored and want to find a man to play around with.”
The corners of Hua Tian’s lips curved up: “Then… how about we do it together?”
The two looked at each other, and then burst into a fit of wild laughter.