Nibi took a slow, deliberate bite of the succulent fish Mu Chen had purchased, her five golden tails swaying in a hypnotic, rhythmic pattern.
As she chewed, she cast a sideways glance at Xiao Li, the Princess of the Xiao Kingdom. Nibi flicked a singular tail with a sharpness that conveyed a clear, almost haughty sentiment: You are certainly a presumptuous little human, but I suppose I must commend you for having excellent taste.
Mu Chen, fully aware of the cat's silent appraisal and the princess's lingering greed, didn't even slow his pace. He spoke without looking back, his voice as flat as a stagnant pond.
"No," he said, rejecting the offer directly. "Nibi is my family."
Upon hearing those words, Nibi let out a deep, resonant purr of satisfaction that vibrated through Mu Chen's scalp. She lifted a soft, padded paw and tapped him twice on the top of his head, a regal gesture of approval. I AM SATISFIED.
"Oh?"
Xiao Li blinked, A flicker of genuine hesitation crossed her face. If the five-tailed cat truly was a member of Mu Chen's family in some spiritual or sentimental sense, then it wouldn't be entirely right to persist in buying a "relative," but the secret desire in her heart refused to extinguish.
In all her years as a practitioner of the Beast Heart Technique, she had never laid eyes on a spiritual beast with a lineage as potent or a presence as adorable as this.
Mu Chen gave a short nod and resumed his walk toward the Treasure Pavilion. Xiao Li didn't take the rejection as a sign to leave; instead, she continued to shadow him, her eyes glued to the golden feline.
The charm of the five-tailed cat was simply too much to handle. Ever since Mu Chen had started overfeeding her, Nibi had gained a bit of weight, turning her into a soft, round ball of golden fluff that looked even more irresistible and huggable than before.
As they approached the grand, ornate entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, Mu Chen caught sight of a familiar figure in a green dress. Beside Shen Xi stood a young man dressed in pristine white robes, looking every bit the refined young lord.
Shen Xi was, by nature, incredibly indifferent to the world. She treated most strangers like bothersome dust on her sleeves. The fact that this young man was currently standing within three paces of her and was still breathing was a testament to his utility.
She hadn't attacked him yet, likely because he was proving to be a spectacular spender.
Xiao Li moved closer to Mu Chen, following his gaze. She tilted her head and asked in a low whisper,
"Do you know her?"
"Yes," Mu Chen replied simply.
Xiao Li let out a giggle, her eyes dancing with mischief. "I honestly thought you were a bit of a lecher, judging by the way you were constantly staring her. But if you really know her then why you are just standing here? Are not you going to help?"
Mu Chen didn't take offense at her remark. He knew the princess was merely testing. A small, dry chuckle escaped him as he watched the scene unfold.
"It's okay," Mu Chen said, his tone dripping with a lazy pragmatism. "I don't have to play the hero. He's a good person—he's paying for our supplies."
While the young man, Ling Ming, projected an image of a kind and refined gentleman, to Shen Xi, he was nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing incessantly in her ear.
Every word he spoke was met with a wall of glacial silence, yet he persisted, fuelled by the sheer allure of her presence. This elaborate show of attention could be described as flattery, but in the face of Shen Xi's absolute indifference, it was utterly useless.
"You're back," Shen Xi said, her eyes lighting up the moment she spotted Mu Chen. A genuine, dazzling smile broke across her face, transforming her cold, ethereal beauty into something breathtaking.
Ling Ming's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He stood frozen, his heart skipping a beat. He had spent the last hour pouring out compliments and opening his coin purse, only to be met with the cold shoulder.
To see such a mysterious and aloof girl show a smile to a plain-looking youth in simple robes stirred a powerful, dark desire in his heart.
He wanted to possess her. It was a visceral, urgent hunger he hadn't felt in years. He watched Mu Chen with a gaze that was beginning to sharpen with envy.
Mu Chen nodded in greeting, seemingly unaffected by the celestial smile.
"Are you done?" he asked.
Shen Xi nodded, her eyes flicking toward the bags the Pavilion attendants were currently boxing up. With such a generous "customer" footing the bill, she had been quite liberal with her selections, purchasing far more high-grade formation materials than she had originally planned.
"Let's go," Mu Chen said.
As they turned to leave, Shen Xi followed him without a second thought. She didn't even cast a backward glance at Ling Ming. Her distant attitude returned instantly, creating a void of several miles between her and the man who had just spent a fortune on her behalf.
Ling Ming's face tightened, his jaw clenching. As a seasoned womanizer who was used to the adulation of the city's socialites, this was a jarring experience.
Normally, after such a display of wealth, a girl would be polite, coy, or at the very least invite him to dinner to express her gratitude. This total dismissal was a slap to his pride.
"Wait, everyone!" Ling Ming called out urgently, his voice strained with a forced politeness. He hurried forward, reaching into his sleeves. "My family's Spirit Tempering Pagoda will be opening tomorrow. It is a rare occasion. I would like to give you these few slots as a gesture of our new friendship."
He held out polished tokens, each etched with the sigil of the Ling family.
"I already have one," Xiao Li said, pulling an identical bronze token from her own pouch and waving it dismissively. Ling Ming wasn't surprised by this; the slots for the pagoda were often sold to influential visitors, and the Ling family was happy to take money from anyone, princess or not.
Mu Chen and Shen Xi didn't offer a comment. The two tokens floated in the air, propelled by a small burst of Ling Ming's spiritual energy. Nibi, who had just finished her fish and was looking for a new toy to pass the time, reached out a paw.
She began batting the tokens back and forth in the air, treating the prestigious invitations like common baubles.
...
As the group walked away and disappeared into the crowd, the gentle, refined smile on Ling Ming's face vanished. It was replaced by a chilling, predatory expression.
His eyes narrowed into slits as he watched Shen Xi's retreating figure. In his mind, no one he truly targeted had ever managed to escape his grasp.
"Is there really no room for negotiation?" Xiao Li asked again as they walked down a quieter street. Her tone was less eager than before, sounding more like a persistent habit than a desperate plea.
Shen Xi, walking gracefully beside Mu Chen, looked over at the green-haired girl. Her red lips parted slightly in curiosity.
"Who is this?" she asked.
Before Mu Chen could introduce her, Xiao Li jumped in with a wide, friendly grin. "Hello, beautiful older sister! My name is Xiao Li, and I'm just trying to convince your friend here to let me have this five-tailed cat."
Shen Xi paused, looking at the fat golden cat perched on Mu Chen's head. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Having handled Nibi herself, she knew that "owning" or "handling" the requests of such a dramatic, high-maintenance creature was no less than impossible task.
"So, you're a beast-hearted communicator," Shen Xi noted, her eyes seeing through Xiao Li's cultivation in an instant. "If you want her that badly, how about you ask Nibi herself?"
Xiao Li went from laughing nervously to a dead silence, eyeing Shen Xi warily. The fact that her secret cultivation technique had been discovered with just a single glance made her extremely wary of this mysterious woman.
However, when she processed Shen Xi's last words, her eyes lit up with renewed hope.
"Don't regret saying that!" Xiao Li challenged, her competitive spirit flaring.
Shen Xi simply nodded, and Mu Chen shrugged, offering no objection. He was more than happy to let someone else deal with Nibi's ego for a few minutes.
Xiao Li took a deep breath, focusing her spiritual energy. She attempted to form a telepathic bridge using her Beast Heart Technique. After several intense attempts, a small, glowing runic drawing appeared briefly on Nibi's forehead.
However, each time the link tried to solidify, the rune shattered instantly into shimmering dust.
Nibi stopped batting the bronze tokens and looked down lazily at Xiao Li. The cat's bestial pupils were filled with an expression of pure, unadulterated disdain. It was a look that said, You actually thought your little mind-trick would work on me? How cute.
"Ahhh!"
Xiao Li shrieked in frustration. Not only had she failed to form even a basic connection, but the cat was openly mocking her efforts. She felt like she was going to explode with rage.
"Pff."
Shen Xi couldn't help it; she let out a soft laugh. She had already known exactly how this would end. Mu Chen also allowed a small, knowing smile to touch his lips.
The laughter only made Xiao Li feel more shameful. Her face turned hot, and she felt a desperate urge to find a hole in the cobblestones to hide her face. She took a few deep breaths, trying to salvage the situation.
"You must also be heading to the Land of the Ancient Site in the Great Xia Dynasty, right?" Xiao Li asked, shifting gears with a forced chuckle. "Our meeting here is clearly a matter of destiny. How about we continue the journey together? There's safety in numbers."
"Fine," Shen Xi said, looking at Mu Chen.
Mu Chen had no objection. Having one more lively person around would certainly make the trip less boring.
"You'll be going to the Spirit Tempering Pagoda tomorrow then, right, big sister?" Xiao Li asked, a sly, knowing smile flashing across her face.
No one present was naive enough to believe that good things simply fell from the sky without any cost. Aside from rare heavenly and earthly treasures that could naturally empower the Divine Soul, ordinary cultivators had to resort to gruelling Soul Cultivation Arts to improve their mental strength.
Could the Ling family really be so kind as to give away such opportunities to strangers for free?
However, curiosity was a powerful motivator. Since they had been invited and held the tokens in their hands, they might as well see what was waiting for them inside.
"Let us see what they are up to," Mu Chen said flatly.