Chapter 373 - 343: Paternal Aunt

Chapter 373: Chapter 343: Paternal Aunt

Meanwhile, outside the window, the auction, hosted by that seductive Female Cultivator, had officially begun.

One rare treasure after another was presented. Influenced to varying degrees by the Female Cultivator’s Charm Skill, each new item sparked round after round of competitive bidding, creating a clamor that bordered on a frenzied scramble.

As Chu Mu drank by himself, his gaze drifted between Chang Hongyi and the Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator.

If one looked closely, one could see the resemblance between the two, as if they were related by blood.

"A bottle of Enlightenment Pills..."

At that moment, the woman’s voice rang out again, her charming eyes sweeping across the crowd. "I shouldn’t need to elaborate on the effects of the Enlightenment Pill, should I? The starting bid is one thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones."

"You’re in for a treat, you lucky mutt..."

Chu Mu glanced at Wangcai lying beside him and chuckled. With a flick of his finger, a price appeared on the window display.

He was an Alchemist, so he was perfectly clear on the effects of this Enlightenment Pill.

The main purpose of the Enlightenment Pill was to enhance the Spiritual Wisdom of Demon Beasts and Spirit Beasts. While a single pill wouldn’t be enough to grant complete enlightenment, records showed that long-term consumption would result in a significant boost to their Spiritual Wisdom.

For Demon Beasts and Spirit Beasts that relied solely on instinct for their Cultivation, the benefits of increased Spiritual Wisdom were self-evident.

Although this Elixir was only a Tier Two Lower Grade Elixir, its main ingredient for Refining was extremely special.

It was refined using a Demon Pill as the main ingredient, and Demon Pills could only be formed by Tier Two Demon Beasts or higher.

A Demon Pill was the condensed form of a Demon Beast’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit. It could be said to hold everything that the Demon Beast was.

In other words, the appearance of a single Demon Pill inevitably meant that a Demon Beast of at least Tier Two had fallen.

Therefore, the value of an Enlightenment Pill, refined with a Demon Pill as its main ingredient, was naturally extremely high.

After just a few rounds of bidding, the price for the bottle of Enlightenment Pills, which started at one thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones, had more than doubled.

And the price was still soaring. It continued to climb until it was several times its original value before Chu Mu finally won the bid.

The auction continued, with all sorts of rare items not often seen on the market appearing one after another. Chu Mu, in a rare display of extravagance, bid on and won anything that even slightly caught his eye.

He squandered nearly all of the several hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones he had.

When the auction ended, there was a soft knock on the closed door. It was followed by a somewhat seductive voice from outside.

"Come in."

Chu Mu set down his wine cup. The door opened, and the charming Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator gracefully walked in. Accompanying her were a Maid and, quite conspicuously, the figure in red.

"These are the items you won, Fellow Daoist. Please check them."

The Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator’s bright eyes twinkled. She seemingly cast an inadvertent glance at Wangcai lying nearby before turning back to Chu Mu with a smile and handing him a Storage Talisman.

"I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before, Fellow Daoist."

The Female Cultivator asked tentatively, as if afraid Chu Mu would misunderstand. She added, "My name is Chang Yue. I am the general manager of this pavilion here in Dubhe City..."

"Miss Hongyi should know my name, I believe?"

Chu Mu looked at the woman behind Chang Yue and gave a faint smile.

"You know Hongyi, Fellow Daoist?"

Chang Yue was astonished.

Chu Mu accepted the Storage Talisman and swept his Divine Sense inside. The items were all there, a complete pile. After just a moment, he smiled and said, "You could say we’re old acquaintances."

"Elder."

Chang Hongyi seemed somewhat reserved as she bowed respectfully.

"We parted ways in the Secret Realm back then. Many years have passed in the blink of an eye. You’ve changed so much, Miss Hongyi."

Chu Mu spoke slowly, his words carrying a pointed meaning.

"Hongyi is my niece. Due to certain circumstances, we were separated for many years and only recently reunited..."

Chang Yue’s bright eyes shifted, as if she understood Chu Mu’s implication. Her red lips moved as she slowly began to explain.

"I see."

Chu Mu nodded and smiled. "No wonder I almost didn’t recognize you, Miss Hongyi."

"You jest, Elder. We haven’t seen each other in years, but you are the one who has changed the most."

"Even within the Sect, I’ve heard much about you, Elder."

"Aunt, you must have heard of Elder Chu’s name as well..."

"A surname of Chu..."

Chang Yue was startled and suspicious. Her gaze toward Chu Mu gained a peculiar glint. "I have certainly heard a great deal about your formidable reputation, Fellow Daoist!"

"No wonder I found you so familiar..."

"It’s just some infamy, nothing worth mentioning."

Chu Mu shook his head. This wasn’t false modesty. If he had a choice, he would rather not have this reputation.

The reputation of an Artifact Refining Master could be easily managed, but the kind of fame that spread along with a Wanted Order was not a good thing at all. It was nothing but a source of trouble.

They exchanged a few more words. Although they were acquaintances, the gap in their Cultivation levels meant there wasn’t much to say. After a few pleasantries, despite the Female Cultivator named Chang Yue’s repeated attempts to make him stay, he did not linger and left the Hundred Treasures Pavilion directly.

A Female Cultivator who specialized in a Charm Skill, had a Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment Cultivation, and was in charge of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion—all these factors combined, no matter how you looked at it, spelled a source of trouble.

He had always done his best to avoid profitless trouble.

At the third-floor window of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the two female cultivators watched Chu Mu leave. Not until his figure disappeared down the street did the smile on Chang Yue’s face slowly fade.

She was silent for a moment before turning to Chang Hongyi. "Hong’Er, tell me in detail how you came to know this Chu Mu."

"The Elder used to be my neighbor..."

Chang Hongyi tried hard to recall, and the story of their past slowly unfolded in the private room.

"You’re saying that when you first met him, he had only just set foot on the Immortal Path?"

Chang Hongyi nodded with certainty. "Yes. Back then, his Cultivation was only at the Qi Cultivation First Layer..."

"I’m absolutely sure. And, the Elder also brought a mortal friend of his into the Cultivation Immortal Realm, who lived in the residence he rented. I was busy selling food back then, so I interacted with them often."

"According to that person, this Elder had indeed only just entered the Cultivation Immortal Realm..."

"Hong’Er, do you know what his Cultivation is now?"

Chang Yue’s expression was one of unconcealed shock.

"Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, I think. I heard in the Sect that Elder Chu is on good terms with Xu Zhenchuan. They fought against the demonic calamity in the Chu Capital together, and he even received a reward from the Sect. His Wanted Order was even rescinded..."

"His Qi Cultivation is at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, but he clearly practices Dharma and Body Cultivation. His Body Refining Cultivation has probably reached the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!"

"And that Demon Beast beside him is a Tier Two Middle Stage creature..."

"Hong’Er, since you know this person, you should interact with him more while he’s still in Dubhe City."

"Aunt, are you thinking of recruiting him?"

"This man is an Artifact Refining Master and an Alchemist. If we could bring him into our pavilion..."

...