Chapter 4: Is Master Selling Me?

“Whoa…”
Just as they entered the shop, Lu Zhiyi stared blankly at the rows of garments, letting out a gasp of admiration.

For more than 10 years, she and her senior sister had worn nothing but coarse hemp robes. Usually, when she saw other girls in their flowery dresses, she could only look on with envy, but none of those compared to what was before her now.

Not to mention, some of these clothes were not only beautiful but were also Dharma Instruments themselves. A regular attack from the Qi Refinement stage wouldn’t even be able to break through their defense.

“Master… are you really buying this for me? It’s so expensive…”
She fidgeted with her hands, asking with a lack of confidence.

“It’s fine. Let your Sister Lin help you pick one, and get one for your senior sister as well.”

Su Xuan pointed at the row on the left, speaking with an air of generosity.

“I’ll leave it to you,” he added politely to Lin Chengyun.

Seeing his approval, Lu Zhiyi excitedly pulled Lin Chengyun away to browse.

Su Xuan had no real interest in the serious business of dressing up girls. Things like “dress-up mods” were only interesting to enjoy in secret during the dead of night.

He found a chair and sat down. Watching Lin Chengyun use a ruler to measure Lu Zhiyi, Su Xuan felt an inexplicable sense of being in a “boyfriend waiting area” from his past life.

“Master… how does this one look?”
After a long while, the young girl emerged wearing a cyan dress. She couldn’t hide the joy on her face, though she asked somewhat bashfully.

Su Xuan looked up and couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed.

Her slender legs, tight waist, and the slightly burgeoning silhouette of her chest were all perfectly accentuated by the dress.

He had to admit, wearing the right clothes could be even more seductive than wearing nothing at all.

If she had looked like an unremarkable little sprout before, she now had the air of a graceful fairy. Especially around her waist and legs, her curves were simply perfect.

“Not bad, not bad! Tsk, tsk, what a handsome girl!”
Before Su Xuan could speak, a raspy female voice rang out from the other side, beating him to the compliment.

He turned his head to see a voluptuous and glamorous middle-aged woman. She was dressed in a purple robe with a red bodice half-exposed, her chest nearly spilling out. The woman exuded an air of gaudy vulgarity.

Jin Yiniang, the madam of Xiuchun House in the Marketplace. It was said she was the mistress of the Marketplace manager.

Su Xuan thought for a moment and remembered her identity. He frowned; being targeted by her was never a good sign.

“Fellow Daoist Su, this is the disciple you mentioned selling to me before, right? Not bad, not bad at all. She’s a fine specimen!”
Jin Yiniang chuckled and walked over to Lu Zhiyi, looking her up and down. The fat on her body trembled with every movement.

“That waist… those legs, and she’s still a virgin. Rare, truly rare. Fellow Daoist Su, you wanted 10 Spiritual Stones before, but I declined. Now, I’ll make the call and give you 15. Sell her to my Xiuchun House, what do you say?” she asked, looking utterly satisfied.

As Jin Yiniang spoke, Su Xuan’s memory slowly returned, leaving him stunned.

It was 1 year ago. The original host was living a miserable life because he had failed a batch of pills. In a drunken state, he had steeled his heart and thought about selling his two disciples for some Spiritual Stones.

If Jin Yiniang hadn’t thought the price was too high back then, and if the original host hadn’t been too lazy to do his own chores, he would have sold them long ago.

‘Holy crap, the original guy was such a piece of work!’

Su Xuan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“So, he was going to sell me…”
Lu Zhiyi seemed to realize something. She lowered her head and gripped her sleeves, her eyes turning red.

Although her master’s sudden change in personality was strange — making her uncomfortable, fearful, and defensive — she still held a tiny glimmer of hope. What if her master had really changed?

From yesterday until now, Su Xuan hadn’t hit or scolded her. He even gave her Spiritual Rice to eat, brought her to the Marketplace, and bought her clothes. She was actually becoming more certain of him, until this moment.

‘So, it was all just to get a better price.’

She looked at the dress she was wearing. Through her teary eyes, the green fabric felt blindingly sharp.

“Bullshit! There’s no way he’s selling her to you! Get out!”
Before Su Xuan could refuse, Lin Chengyun interrupted him. She shielded the girl behind her and shouted like a protective mother hen.

“What kind of nobody are you? Do you hold her contract? The owner hasn’t even spoken yet. Who do you think you are to butt in?”
Jin Yiniang smiled, not at all annoyed by the shouting. Her tone was full of mockery.

“I…!”
Lin Chengyun was suddenly choked up, unable to find the words. She could only glare at Su Xuan with a look of fury, threatening him, “Hey! If you really do something like this, I… I won’t let you get away with it!”

“Fellow Daoist Su, I won’t lie to you. This time, I’m not taking her as a working girl. A big shot is coming down from above, and I’m sending her there to enjoy a life of luxury.”
Jin Yiniang’s expression turned serious. She glanced at Lin Chengyun and added, “You know who my man is. With us backing you, you don’t need to worry about threats from some nobodies.”

After speaking, she opened her large mouth, the fat on her face squeezing into a smile as she looked at Su Xuan.

“Zhiyi, come here.”
He didn’t rush to answer but reached out his hand to the girl.

Lu Zhiyi’s body trembled. She kept her head down, wiped her tears with the back of her hand as if afraid of staining the clothes, and walked to his side while sobbing.

Su Xuan took the girl’s hand, pulled her into a half-embrace, and patted her head. He looked up and said, “Jin Yiniang, you should look for someone else. What I said before was just a drunken joke. It doesn’t count. I’m keeping Zhiwei and Zhiyi to take care of me in my old age. I won’t sell them as long as I live.”

“What?”
The smile froze on Jin Yiniang’s face. She knew Su Xuan was struggling financially and thought he would definitely be tempted by her combination of threats and bribes.

She had been certain of her victory and was now in disbelief. Her eyes darted around, thinking he was holding out for more, so she raised her offer.

“20… no, 30! How about 30 Spiritual Stones?”

“Thank you for the offer, but in my heart, they are priceless. Please look elsewhere, Jin Yiniang.”
Su Xuan remained completely unmoved. He stroked Lu Zhiyi’s head as he replied.

‘Nonsense. These two are currently linked to my life. You think 30 Spiritual Stones can make me take that risk?’

‘More money? Even more money wouldn’t work!’

He complained inwardly.

Lu Zhiyi, who had fallen into despair, felt as if she were hearing a fairy tale. She jerked her head up, her small mouth slightly agape, looking at Su Xuan in disbelief.

‘Master refused?’

‘In his heart, we’re priceless?’

She had originally thought her master was the source of her and her sister’s suffering, and she had even planned to run away with her sister. But today’s encounter made her realize one thing.

There were places of ill repute in the Marketplace. If she fell into the hands of outsiders, it might be even more dangerous than being at her master’s house!

She realized she might have misunderstood her master.

She leaned into Su Xuan’s embrace, her eyes narrowing slightly as he patted her head.

Since her master changed, being with him… actually felt quite safe.

“You… fine. You’d better keep a close eye on them, Fellow Daoist Su. The Marketplace hasn’t been peaceful lately. Don’t end up with nothing in the end!”
Jin Yiniang snorted coldly. After finishing her sinister remark, she walked past them, her steps making a series of heavy thuds on the wooden floor.

‘Just you wait. I’ll find someone to deal with you!’ she thought viciously as she walked out the door and saw Su Xuan’s nonchalant expression.

“Miss Lin, two sets of this green one and two sets of the white one, please.”
Su Xuan coughed and turned around once Jin Yiniang was gone. “Miss Lin?”

Seeing no reaction, he called out again.

“Ah! Oh, right!”
Lin Chengyun snapped out of her daze and hurried to wrap the clothes. She brought them over and looked at Su Xuan with some embarrassment.

“Brother Su, I misjudged you earlier. It’s just that your change is really a bit too…”

‘Well, duh. If you were in my shoes, you’d change too.’

“It’s fine. Miss Lin is just a straightforward person.”
Su Xuan took out 3 Spiritual Stones from his robe and handed them over, sighing inwardly.

This was already only 30% of the original price. If it were the full price, it would have cost 10, which was his entire net worth.

“Let’s go! You of little faith!”
Seeing Lu Zhiyi staring at him blankly with tear streaks on her face and a strange expression, he used his sleeve to wipe her face and spoke grumpily.

With that, he took her hand and walked out the door.

“Master, did you say you were keeping us to take care of you in your old age?”
As they walked, Lu Zhiyi spoke thoughtfully.

“To take care of me, yes! But forget the funeral part; I still want to live for a few more years.”
Su Xuan spat on the ground and spoke grumpily.

‘You’re already looking forward to my death? Who taught you to talk like that?’