Fate Trading System – Chapter 266

Plan A

Furnace 17

[Refresher: Qi Refining stage → Foundation Establishment stage → Golden Core stage → Nascent Soul stage → Divine Transformation stage → Void Refining stage → Body Integration stage → Great Accomplishment stage]

It was quiet inside, but it had become noisy outside.

Su Xin decided to watch the show¹ with Jing Yueru, to see how Xiu Yan would smooth things over.

Young people, indeed young and impetuous.

Su Xin didn’t believe Xiu Yan liked Zhuo Nan; this guess was simply mind-blowing—things couldn’t be that messed up.

Zhuo Nan exploded, and Xiu Yan also sobered up.

“Brother, enjoying my predicament?”

Xiu Yan’s lips curled, his expression a bit cold.

Zhuo Nan had originally wanted to fight Xiu Yan, but hearing this, he calmed down a bit and considered their respective combat power.

It seemed he couldn’t win.

Zhuo Nan realized his schadenfreude² and show-watching expression was far too obvious. That was his own lack of morals, but what did it have to do with Xiu Yan kissing him?

“Did you have to use me to get back at Jing Yueru? She’s inside, why did you drag me out?!”

Zhuo Nan wiped his mouth, his expression indignant.

“No, I just didn’t like the way you were enjoying the show.”

Xiu Yan said very honestly, licking his lips where Zhuo Nan had bitten him during the struggle.

“You kiss me just because you don’t like seeing me enjoy the show?”

Zhuo Nan’s expression became even more shocked. He pointed at himself, his tone filled with disbelief. Could this guy be an idiot?

What kind of logic was this? If he didn’t like him enjoying the show, shouldn’t he have beaten him up? A fight like men would have been fine!

A kiss… Yuck, his first kiss, he hadn’t even given it to a girl, and Xiu Yan actually took it! Outrageous!

“Don’t look at me like that, it was my first time too.”

Most disciplese] their age were self-disciplined and chaste³. Preserving their Primordial Yang⁴ before Foundation Establishment was a matter of course. However, as disciples of major sects and prominent families, it was impossible for them to be solely fixated on carnal pleasures⁵. So, they basically all maintained bodies pure as ice and jade⁶; every one of them was a virgin, their first kisses almost all intact.

“But why did my first time have to be with you!”

Zhuo Nan gritted his teeth; this guy was truly the most detestable.

“The way you say that, I feel it’s a bit strange.”

Xiu Yan pondered for a moment; he felt there was something not quite right about that sentence.

“They must have found out. If you were going to do it, fine, but why did you have to drag me into it⁷?”

Zhuo Nan truly felt like strangling this f#cking idiot in front of him.

“Brother, we share weal and woe⁸, ah.”

Xiu Yan looked innocent, but only he knew how frustrated he felt inside.

“I’m leaving first. Help me say goodbye to them.”

Xiu Yan wasn’t stupid either. Of course, he knew why the two people inside had put on such an act for him to understand something. At first, he thought it was just acting, but later he realized it was impossible.

Given Jing Yueru’s temperament, she could have explained things clearly to him directly; there was no need to put on an act in front of him. He hadn’t been pestering her excessively anyway. It was just that he felt really awful right now and didn’t want to go back in to face those two.

“You’re just leaving like that? What about me?”

Zhuo Nan was very angry. How could he let someone take advantage of him⁹ for no reason and not get back at them? And this guy was planning to just walk away scot-free¹⁰?

“You can kiss me back. I won’t resist.”

Xiu Yan stood still, looking at Zhuo Nan.

Forget it, who would want to kiss him back?

“Not kissing back? Then I’m leaving.”

Zhuo Nan watched helplessly as Xiu Yan ran off, not knowing what to say. This counted as bringing trouble upon himself, right?

He was truly unwilling to let it go, but if he chased after him just because he was kissed, it would seem too petty¹¹. Besides, he had been the one watching the show first.

In the end, feeling stifled with frustration, there was nothing he could do. Zhuo Nan decided to consider it his miscalculation this time. If they ever met again, he would definitely beat Xiu Yan up—even if he couldn’t win, he had to fight!

Zhuo Nan took a breath, wiped his lips again, and walked inside, seeing the two people standing there watching the show.

“You two…”

Zhuo Nan’s face was dark. Seeing the expression on Su Xin’s face, the atmosphere around him grew even heavier.

“Why did you have to choose this method…”

Zhuo Nan’s expression was a bit unnatural. Although he no longer liked Wei Shuangling, he still felt very awkward letting Jing Yueru see such a scene.

“Isn’t this what you wanted? Don’t tell me you haven’t been hanging around him for so long just to see this good show.”

Su Xin usually saw through things but didn’t expose them, but sometimes, what needed to be said had to be said.

Zhuo Nan wasn’t too happy. He had clearly seen the drama he wanted, but he himself had been made a fool of.

“He’s already left. It’s unlikely he’ll come back to see you. I wish you both a hundred years of happy union¹². I’m leaving too.”

Zhuo Nan had no desire to stay and see Su Xin and Jing Yueru being all lovey-dovey together, as they weren’t very familiar with him anyway. Besides, Jing Yueru clearly didn’t welcome him staying with them. Didn’t he see that her gaze could practically kill? It felt very much like she wanted to drive him out.

“Take care, we won’t see you out.”

Jing Yueru said this. She only wanted to have a world for two with her Su Xin, preferably without anyone else disturbing them.

When only the two of them were left, Su Xin and Jing Yueru didn’t leave either, but instead sat down cross-legged.

She should be able to refine that promised medicinal pill now, but she currently didn’t have any tools.

“Do you think he can come in here?”

Su Xin looked at Jing Yueru. Jing Yueru understood who she was talking about.

“Perhaps. I’m not very familiar with their strength.”

Jing Yueru wasn’t sure either. Su Xin somewhat regretted not asking some questions when the ‘other her’ in Jing Yueru’s body had awakened. The previous Jing Yueru seemed to understand many things.

Su Xin knew how Shang Huai had started on the path of a black market merchant, but she still had no way to deal with such people.

More than one black market merchant existed in this world, but no one knew exactly how many.

They had different characteristics and often approached people themselves for transactions, their movements mysterious and unpredictable¹³; they could traverse great distances.

Tearing small areas of space¹⁴ didn’t seem to be a difficult task for them. They used this to travel between different places. As for how they cultivated, or how they conducted their trades and exchanges, Su Xin wasn’t very clear on that.

“Let’s wait for now and see if he comes looking for us. I’ve already given him the list of medicinal ingredients I need. I think he might come.”

“Mm.”

Jing Yueru harbored killing intent¹⁵ towards Shang Huai, but it wasn’t advisable to act rashly yet.

Would Su Xin refine that final pill for Shang Huai? Of course, she would; she would never break her word¹⁶.

However… after refining the listed pill, whether Shang Huai had the ability to deliver it to the person he wanted to save, that would be up to his own fortune.

Su Xin would definitely kill him, because this person was the source of the original owner’s misfortune, the main culprit behind it all.

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Three months had passed. Su Xin and Jing Yueru were currently walking through a thicket of bushes. For some reason, they hadn’t encountered any fierce beasts on their journey, nor had they come across anything good, apart from that one medicinal herb they had picked at the very beginning.

Su Xin suspected it was because of the little snake on her hand, which had fallen into dormancy. Xilou, ever since that one act of devouring the other day, had returned to its listless state, coiled languidly on her wrist, and was now completely dormant.

It clearly wasn’t winter yet, not the season for snakes to hibernate.

However, Xilou’s identity and bloodline were rather special, so Su Xin didn’t find it too strange.

“The things I want, you should have them ready for me by now, right?”

Shang Huai suddenly appeared behind them, still in his previous attire. Only his lips and chin were visible; the rest of his face was covered by a mask.

“Of course. Are the things I want ready?”

“Naturally.”

“What about the furnace¹⁷?”

“I have it.”

Shang Huai looked extremely impatient. Of course, he was very anxious. If what Su Xin had promised him was true, then the scene he had long awaited was about to unfold, even if only for a very brief moment.

“You wouldn’t deceive me, would you? Don’t just take the pill and disappear¹⁸.”

“As a good merchant, I am very trustworthy.”

Shang Huai said this. Although it’s said that all businessmen are cunning, basic credibility was still necessary, otherwise, no one would do business with you next time.

“Good.”

Su Xin found a relatively concealed spot. Inside, she set up the furnace and began refining pills.

“The refining process might take several days again. You two guard the entrance for me¹⁹. Don’t let anyone disturb me. If my concentration is disturbed in any way, then this batch of pills will be…”

“I understand.”

Shang Huai nodded; it was clear his expectations were very high.

Su Xin nodded to Jing Yueru, ready to begin.

Actually, it was guaranteed to succeed, a hundred percent. After all, this was something she had exchanged 1/12th of her life for.

Just thinking about it made her heart ache²⁰. She could only earn 12 months of life per world, and handling one thing cost a month of life. It could be said to be very extravagant.

Right, Lord Fourteen, what’s the current balance of my real lifespan?

【108 months.】

Calculated that way, it’s nine years.

Su Xin thought about it. She had earned nine years of lifespan for herself. It seemed like a long time, but in a person’s entire life, it was only a fraction.

She had died at 24; adding 9 years would make her 34.

If I die at 34, that would still be considered dying young, right?

Su Xin felt she hadn’t lived enough. Death was absolutely not an option. At the very least, she had to make it to 40 before dying, right? She needed to take on at least a dozen more missions.

This was just Su Xin’s current thought. People never feel they’ve lived enough. The older they get, the longer they want to live; the closer they are to death, the more they yearn for life.

Su Xin didn’t know if her thoughts would change in the future. Her current temporary goal was to live to 40.

Su Xin didn’t take long to refine that pill. She spent the remaining time inside, sitting cross-legged and cultivating, sorting out the spiritual energy in her body.

Three days later, Su Xin walked out and handed over the bottle containing the pill.

After Shang Huai received it, he disappeared immediately, presumably to test its effects.

“It’ll be fine.”

Su Xin gave Jing Yueru a comforting smile. She would soon be free from its control. The black pentagram formation was another matter, but at least that damned fire poison could disappear.

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