Upstairs, Xuan Yang ate until his mood had significantly improved, though a lingering sense of unease remained. Before leaving home, he had left his communication crystals behind along with a note; Nie Shiyun and the other should have seen it by now. If they insisted on tracking him down, his brief "runaway" journey would be over.
"Was the meal to your liking?" The waiter arrived with the final dessert. Seeing Xuan Yang lost in thought, he inquired solicitously.
Xuan Yang nodded, putting on an air of profound mystery as he asked, "How many spirit stones in total?"
In truth, the table of food exceeded five hundred spirit stones. However, the waiter had been instructed by the manager to give this major customer a discount, so he rounded down the total. As they expected, the "little senior" paid quite readily. Though they didn't know his background, he clearly hailed from a prestigious clan.
As Xuan Yang sampled the final dessert, he felt a bit troubled. Although he had scavenged quite a few spirit stones to bring with him, his spending was far outstripping his means. He likely couldn't afford to keep spending like this. If he wanted to stay away for the long term, was there any way to make money?
Thinking of how Nie Shiyun could earn heaps of spirit stones just by refining some "scrap metal," and how Zhai Bairong could sell little pills for a fortune, Xuan Yang felt quite indignant, especially when he recalled his own failed experiences where the furnace simply exploded.
Xuan Yang stood up, unaware that his steps were a bit floaty. Previously, with Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong watching over him, he only ever had a small taste of spiritual wine. Today, having cut loose, he had drunk quite a lot. His head felt light, yet he didn't realize this was what humans called being "tipsy."
Staggering slightly as he went downstairs, Xuan Yang forgot his previous plan. He didn't take a Disguise Pill and simply swaggered out of the restaurant in plain sight.
Sitting in a corner of the main hall, Shen Yan caught sight of his figure and froze for a moment. What a coincidence! Recalling the gossip he had just heard, he suddenly understood. Everything clicked into place.
However, it seemed Xuan Yang hadn't noticed him. Shen Yan instinctively raised his cup as if to drink, shielding half of his face. It wasn't that he was intentionally hiding, but if he were recognized, he would surely have to follow the boy to greet Senior Nie Shiyun. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"That handsome young master looks like he’s had a bit too much to drink, doesn't he?"
"What, you want to go give it a try?"
Two women at a nearby table, likely demonic cultivators, giggled together, sharing a knowing smile.
Shen Yan glanced at the two of them. Seeing their flirtatious gazes and somewhat revealing attire, he guessed they were likely from the Acacia Valley. After the two joked with each other for a few moments, they seemed to have hatched a plan and hurriedly stood up.
"Does this fellow Daoist happen to be interested in us?" The female cultivator closer to Shen Yan noticed his occasional glances and misunderstood. She unabashedly twirled a lock of hair around her finger and stepped toward Shen Yan with suggestive intent, her body nearly pressing against his.
Shen Yan’s face remained cold, showing no reaction. Seeing that he neither looked seduced nor showed the panicked reaction of an ordinary cultivator, the woman felt utterly bored. She let out a cold snort, muttered "How dull," and swept away with her companion.
The two of them whispered complaints about how they "thought there would be another sucker eager to pay for us today."
Shen Yan knew of the Acacia Valley, but he had never had deep dealings with its cultivators. Today was certainly an eye-opener. He knew Xuan Yang wasn't actually that young—after all, about twenty years had passed since they met in the Hantian Secret Realm. But judging by his appearance and behavior, the boy was a child through and through. Those two mature women actually targeting a child showed they truly had no bottom line.
Taking a sip of wine, Shen Yan thought to himself: *They really don't know their own limits.* Once Senior Nie came looking for Xuan Yang, those two Acacia Valley women—who were only at the Golden Core stage—would probably be scared out of their wits.
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were always glued to each other. Shen Yan guessed Senior Zhai might be there too; the scene would be quite spectacular then.
Shen Yan, who originally couldn't be bothered to greet the two seniors, thought of the two women adorned in gold and silver. Recalling the multiple storage rings on their fingers, he couldn't help but feel a bit tempted.
Many cultivators from the Acacia Valley liked to lure people into spending the night together, only to steal their belongings the next morning while they were off guard. Those two likely had quite a fortune on them.
Shen Yan decided to follow and see what happened. Although his social circle was very limited, he was quite glad to have befriended those two seniors—because following them often led to "picking up scraps."
As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Shen Yan soon paid for his meal and followed in the direction the others had gone.
***
"Little brother, why don't you come play with us sisters?"
"I don't even know you. Why should I play with you?"
"We'll get to know each other once we play, won't we?"
"Come on. Little brother, is this your first time traveling far from home?"
"Ugh, how... how could that be!" Xuan Yang felt a bit top-heavy, but he still had his wits about him. Hearing their guess, he immediately answered with bravado.
The two women giggled, repeatedly saying how cute he was.
Xuan Yang felt looked down upon and retorted with a few dissatisfied remarks, which only drew more wanton, charming laughter from the two across from him.
Xuan Yang had no concept of being "hit on," but instinctively, in his ignorance, he sensed this was likely the same thing as "courtship" among the beast tribes. Thinking of the dreams he’d had before and his messy bedsheets, he couldn't help but blush.
The two women grew more spirited and came over to take his arms. Given their height, they were practically propping Xuan Yang up.
Startled, Xuan Yang quickly stumbled back a few steps, shaking them off. His rejection was plain to see.
"You smell very strange. Don't suddenly lean in!" Moreover, the soft sensation of their bodies touching him filled Xuan Yang with a wave of revulsion. He didn't know how to describe it; in short, it was very uncomfortable.
*Smell strange?* The two Acacia Valley women, who considered themselves to be smelling incredibly sweet, instantly turned sour-faced. This was practically saying they had body odor!
"Little boy, you just don't understand. This is scented oil. Why don't I let you try some too?" one of them said with a coquettish pout.
"No, it stinks." Xuan Yang utterly loathed this artificial fragrance mixed with all sorts of things, his face full of disgust.
The cracks in their seductive smiles finally widened, and they glanced at each other in disbelief.
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." Xuan Yang waved them off, not wanting to speak with them further.
*Even though I didn't accept, does this prove I have a bit of the charm of an adult man?* Xuan Yang couldn't help but think to himself.
As expected, the scent of most humans was very strange. Xuan Yang couldn't describe it, but in his senses, everyone had a very unique scent. If Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong’s scents were familiar and filled with a sense of security like elders, the scents of these two women were filled with a sense of falsehood that was somewhat nauseating.
"Although I am young, promising, and handsome, and my fea... hair is also healthy and shiny, I'm sorry, but I have no interest in you two," Xuan Yang declared.
"..." Shen Yan, observing from a distance in the shadows, was momentarily speechless.
The previously charming faces of the women transformed in an instant. One lowered her voice and said, "Brat, I advise you not to be ungrateful..."
"Forget it, sister. Don't get angry at a child," the other woman urged, seeing her companion fuming. Although they were both at the Golden Core stage—one early and one mid—they might not necessarily gain anything from a fight with this kid.
Seeing that the two were no longer pestering him, Xuan Yang walked away airily.
Even after his figure had vanished, the woman left behind was still furious. "A brat whose hair hasn't even fully grown in dares to call me smelly? He really needs to be taught a lesson! I saw he was a bit drunk and unsteady on his feet. Could the two of us together really not beat him?"
"Oh, sister, don't be in such a hurry. Look?" The woman beside her smiled, her palm tracing a circle in the air before opening. In her palm sat a storage ring. "To be so arrogant at such a young age, he must be worth a fortune! Hehe, thanks to my quick hands."
Seeing the item, the other woman beamed, her shame and anger at being slighted by a brat instantly vanishing. They had originally planned to get a taste of the boy and then, after making him dizzy with infatuation, strip him of the storage bracelet and ring that were clearly no ordinary items. Although they hadn't succeeded with the former, this was still a harvest.
"Wait, we hit the jackpot! Sister, the name engraved on the inside of this storage ring... isn't it Nie Shiyun from Yunqing Pavilion! This is an exceptionally valuable treasure!"
The two leaned in for a closer look and felt even more like they had stumbled upon an unexpected windfall! Nie Shiyun of Yunqing Pavilion had been a household name for decades, and not every item he refined bore his signature. One with a name engraved like this was likely a high-priced custom order or a masterpiece he was proud of.
"We'll split the contents. We have to be careful and sell this ring anonymously. Otherwise, it'll be easy to track."
The two whispered in the alleyway, thinking they were being secretive as they discussed how to handle the stolen goods, unaware that Shen Yan, hiding his presence in the distance, heard everything clearly.
*What a hassle,* Shen Yan sighed in his heart. In his view, someone who got pickpocketed because they weren't on guard deserved it. If this were a stranger, he wouldn't be kind enough to step in. But it just had to involve Nie Shiyun and the others...
***
"Will this fellow Daoist be staying in a standard room or a superior room? We also have top-tier rooms, which come with a private earth-fire chamber and a bath heated with spiritual spring water," the manager at the inn introduced politely.
"A bath..." Xuan Yang murmured, remembering the warm hot springs he had soaked in long, long ago in a secret realm. He was very tempted.
He inquired about the price. The cost of a top-tier room was indeed not cheap. Having realized earlier that he couldn't be so extravagant while he had no steady income, Xuan Yang painfully gave up on that option.
"I'll take a superior room then!"
After all, the spirit stones in his storage bracelet and storage ring added up to... Huh?
Xuan Yang looked down at his hand.
He had been taught by Nie Shiyun that "crow eggs shouldn't be put in one basket," so he had specifically split his spirit stones and pills into two portions, placing them in his storage ring and storage bracelet respectively. And now, the storage ring had vanished into thin air.
Xuan Yang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. When he paid for dinner earlier, he had taken the money from his storage bracelet. His mind was a bit sluggish, and he couldn't remember exactly when the ring had gone missing.
At this rate, let alone cultivating outside for a few years, he would probably have to slink back home in just a few months...
The manager behind the counter, seeing him suddenly freeze, cast a puzzled and inquiring look his way.
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 133 | A Costly Lesson | Novela.app | Novela.app
