NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: First Stone
"Young master Shen doesn't need to refuse; the fire-gathering grass is useless to me." Xiao Weimin said.
Technically, the fire-gathering grass was beneficial to Xiao Weimin.
However, he was simultaneously cultivating his five roots and didn't like to advance one root more than the others.
To him, the common qi gathering grass was better than the rarer fire gathering grass.
"We can buy the fire-gathering grass from young master Xiao. What does the young master think?" Zhen Yuan suddenly asked.
Hearing that, Xiao Weimin was not pleased.
He wanted to use the fire-gathering grass to let Shen Xu owe him a favour.
If he sold the grass, there would be no excuse to get close to Shen Xu in the future.
"How can I sell it? Young master Shen is my junior brother." Xiao Weimin spoke self-righteously.
"Even blood brothers have to settle accounts. More importantly, it's not good for a married double to have an unclear relationship with a man who isn't his husband." Zhen Yuan said and looked at Xiao Weimin with narrowed eyes.
Although Shen Xu had the chaos flame space and didn't need the fire-gathering grass, Zhen Yuan wanted to get it for him.
After all, there would be times when Shen Xu couldn't enter the space to cultivate.
At those times, using a fire-gathering pill would achieve almost the same result as cultivating in the space.
'If we get the fire gathering grass, we can plant it in the fire area of the chaos flame space. In this way, XiaoXu will have an endless supply of fire-gathering pills.' Zhen Yuan thought.
"My husband is right." Shen Xu agreed with Zhen Yuan's approach.
"If the young master does not need it, please sell the grass to us."
Hearing Shen Xu's words, Xiao Weimin frowned but he could no longer insist.
"Young master Shen, can your family afford the fire-gathering grass?" Qin Ran asked, sounding a little sceptical.
'Wasn't I your brother a few minutes ago?' Shen Xu thought, barely restraining the sneer on his lips.
"Young master Xiao can make a price. If my family can't afford it, we won't insist." Shen Xu said.
"A fire gathering grass previously appeared in an auction three towns over. I heard that it sold for sixty-five thousand spirit stones. Young master Xiao, what do you think of this price?" Qin Ran asked.
"A similar stalk appeared at an auction in Dragon City and was sold for sixty-two thousand spirit stones. Since young master Shen is my junior brother, I will sell it for fifty thousand. Is that okay?" Xiao Weimin asked.
Rather than answer, Zhen Yuan held out his storage bag and promptly transferred seventy thousand spirit stones.
"This…" Xiao Weimin frowned.
"Please accept our gratitude for selling the grass to us." Zhen Yuan interrupted before Xiao Weimin could finish his words.
"Young master Shen, I also have a fire root, and the fire gathering pill is useful to me. If you don't mind, you can leave the fire-gathering grass to me, and I will refine the pills." Bai Guo suddenly offered.
"Is young master Bai a third-level alchemist?" Shen Xu questioned.
From the original owner's memory, Shen Xu knew the fire-gathering pill was a third-level elixir.
If Bai Guo could refine it, it meant his alchemy was already at the third level.
However, that seemed a little impossible.
After all, a third-level alchemist was equivalent to a golden core cultivator, but Bai Guo's cultivation was only at the peak of the qi refining realm.
Even if his soul power was higher than his qi cultivation, Shen Xu didn't think it had reached the golden core realm.
'Zhen Yuan can already draw third-level talismans, but he is an exception. There aren't many cultivators like him. ' Shen Xu thought as he waited for an answer.
"Not yet." Bai Guo said, sounding a little bashful.
Hearing this, Shen Xu understood that the young double wanted a share of the fire-gathering pills but didn't know how to contribute.
"Young master Bai, I will find an alchemist to refine the pills after we enter the academy. When I get them, I can sell some to you."
"Really?" The double asked in an excited voice.
"Really." Shen Xu confirmed and smiled at Bai Guo.
'At that time, I will have planted more fire-gathering grass in my chaos flame space. Selling one or two pills won't make a difference.' Shen Xu thought and looked at Zhen Yuan with a proud expression.
[My wife knows how to earn spirit stones. You are the best.] Zhen Yuan praised.
[It's good that you know.] Shen Xu spoke arrogantly.
Restraining the urge to smile, Zhen Yuan rubbed his wife's hair and naturally held his hand.
"It's late; shall we find an inn to stay?" He asked.
"Mmm." Shen Xu nodded.
"We will go with you." Xiao Weimin quickly said.
After that, the group left the gambling hall and walked down the street.
Soon after, they found an inn and booked their rooms.
"Young master Xiao, young master Bai, young miss Qin, my wife and I will go ahead." Zhen Yuan said.
"Wait…" Xiao Weimin suddenly stopped them.
"Is there something else?"
"We have three days in Two Reeds town. What are your plans?"
Hearing that, Zhen Yuan frowned.
"Our husband and wife plan to walk around town." Shen Xu said, putting a bit of emphasis on 'husband and wife'.
Unfortunately, Xiao Weimin was determined, and he completely ignored Shen Xu's implications.
"Junior brothers, it's safer to walk together." He said.
"Young master Xiao, it's inconvenient for you to come with us." Zhen Yuan refused bluntly.
This refusal was not just because he didn't like Xiao Weimin but because it was really inconvenient.
On the morning of the next day, Zhen Yuan planned to go to the talisman association to certify his level.
When that was done, Shen Xu would also certify his level at the weapon refining association before the two went to the town lord's residence to claim the bounty of the bandits they killed.
After that, they would spend time together while looking for leaks around Two Reeds town.
"If that's all, we will go to our room." Shen Xu said and left with Zhen Yuan.
When they entered their inn room, Shen Xu sighed in relief.
"It's too nerve-wracking to spend time with the male protagonist." He complained.
"Don't worry, we won't have to see him for the next three days."
When he heard that, Shen Xu snorted in disbelief.
"You are underestimating the main protagonist." He said and then continued.
"If he is determined to see me, the heavens will find a way for him."
"Unfortunately, we can't do anything to him for the time being." Zhen Yuan said and frowned.
"Ayuan, I have read many transmigration novels, and I know how to deal with him." Shen Xu declared proudly.
"You do?"
"All we have to do is decrease his luck or increase our luck."
"That is easier said than done."
"Don't worry." Shen Xu said and chuckled evilly.
In many transmigration novels, the way to decrease the protagonist's luck was to steal his opportunities.
Since Shen Xu was a book reader and knew the location of most opportunities, all he had to do was steal them before Xiao Weimin found them.
"Okay, I believe you." Zhen Yuan said and rubbed Shen Xu's hair.
"Do you want to open the stones we bought?" He asked.
"I want. Let's do it quickly." Shen Xu's attention was immediately diverted, and he couldn't wait to open the stones.
"Okay."
A moment later, three stones appeared in front of Shen Xu.
"Which one do you want to open first?"
"You want me to choose?"
"Go ahead."
After that, Shen Xu studied the stones, but didn't uncover any significant differences.
In the end, he randomly chose one, and Zhen Yuan broke it with a blasting talisman.
"Is it okay to break it like that?" Shen Xu couldn't help but worry.
"Don't worry." Zhen Yuan smiled but didn't explain.
Instead, he searched in the debris and finally found something.
"This one is suitable for you." He said as he picked up the item.
"What is it?"
"It's a growth weapon." Zhen Yuan said and put the item on Shen Xu's palm.
Looking down, Shen Xu saw a palm-sized inner robe.
The inner robe was white and looked ordinary.
However, Shen Xu trusted Zhen Yuan's vision and didn't dislike the tiny robe.
"Contract it." Zhen Yuan urged, and Shen Xu nodded.
Without delay, he cut his right index finger and squeezed a drop of blood onto the white robe.
Immediately after, the robe disappeared but soon reappeared beneath his outer robe.
Most importantly, its colour changed to that of his outer robe, and no one could tell the difference.
"It's soft armour." Shen Xu said excitedly.
There were two types of armour in the cultivation world: hard armour and soft armour.
Hard armour was the most common and could be refined by ordinary weapon refiners.
However, soft armour was different.