Chapter 26: Yi Xian’er: Because I’m the Assistant~
Yan Zhen, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, pretended to focus on his ice cream. “If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it.”
Yi Xian’er chuckled, averting her gaze, taking another lick of her ice cream before speaking. “I really want to tell you, actually. I even want to tell you every day, until you’re sick of hearing it, and then I’ll keep telling you.”
He felt even more awkward.
“Then… maybe you shouldn’t.”
She shifted closer, her body pressing against his. “Are you scared?”
“No.”
“You clearly are.”
“…”
“Tell you what, let me have a bite of your ice cream, and I won’t say anything.”
He felt challenged. He immediately licked the entire surface of his ice cream, coating it with his saliva, then offered it to her.
“Here!”
She looked at the ice cream, its surface smooth and glistening, then at him, his lips smeared with ice cream, and said softly, “Then I won’t hold back.”
She suddenly reached out, cupping his face, then, to his surprise, kissed him.
His eyes widened in shock.
She closed her eyes, sucking gently on his lips, then her tongue darted out, licking away the ice cream from his mouth.
“The cantaloupe flavor is sweeter.”
She licked her lips, her gesture strangely alluring.
He was flustered by her sudden attack.
“What are you doing? We’re in public! Everyone’s watching!”
She blinked innocently. “You promised to let me have a bite of your ice cream.”
“I didn’t mean from my mouth!”
“But that’s the only way to have a ‘bite’~”
“…”
He glared at her, wondering what had gotten into her. She was acting completely different from the script’s portrayal.
Why couldn’t she just stay in character like him? All this deviation was giving him a headache.
“Forget it, I’m not arguing with you. Just tell me about the Evil Scale Fire Crystals.”
Knowing the importance of Extreme Flames to him, she didn’t hesitate, explaining everything.
He listened, comparing her words to the script’s information, sighing with relief when he confirmed everything matched.
“Thanks. But just hearing about it isn’t enough. I want to explore the Demon Dragon Mountain Range myself after the treatment. If you’re not busy, would you like to come with me?”
She smiled, her eyes gleaming. “I can, but what’s in it for me?”
He recalled her conditions from the script, holding up a finger.
“One million Crystal Coins.”
She shook her head. “Sister Ji Ya just gave me twenty million. What do I need your one million for?”
Uh… He was speechless.
In the script, she had been an ordinary cultivator. One million Crystal Coins to guide him while gathering herbs in the mountains had been a generous offer. However, they had just split the one hundred million they had extorted from the Second and Third Shopkeepers, each receiving twenty million. One million seemed… insulting now.
The consequences of deviating from the script were starting to show.
“Then I’ll give you my twenty million too.”
He decided to increase the offer.
She remained unmoved. “I don’t want Crystal Coins.”
“Then what do you want?” He frowned. Joining forces with her to explore the Demon Dragon Mountain Range was definitely a key plot point. He had to prepare in advance. “As long as I have it, I’ll consider giving it to you.”
“Come closer.”
She gestured for him to lean in, then whispered in his ear. “Before you treat Sister Ji Ya, I want to… help you get ready. Then you can proceed with the treatment.”
It took him a moment to understand, his face flushing slightly.
“W-what’s the point of that?”
“Because I’m the assistant! I have to provide support from start to finish! That’s what a good assistant does~”
Her logic was baffling.
He asked thoughtfully, “Are you… competing with Sister Ji Ya, Xian’er?”
“How dare I? She’s your beloved older sister, wealthy and influential, with Mystic King and Mystic General bodyguards. I’m just a little woman who’s clinging to you, a mere Mystic Adept, relying on poison to protect myself.” She sighed dramatically.
“I should be grateful she even tolerates me. Why would I compete with her?”
“…”
Hearing her melodramatic tone, he decided not to delve into their relationship. It would only give him a headache.
Women are so troublesome! I should have chosen the ‘no romance, just leveling up and fighting monsters’ route the system offered!
“So, what do you say? Do you agree?” She took a bite of his ice cream. “You have to agree before I’ll guide you to the Fire Crystals in the Demon Dragon Mountain Range. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to wander around blindly.”
“Whatever. As long as it doesn’t affect Sister Ji Ya’s treatment, I’m fine with it.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“Okay.”
He fell silent, focusing on his ice cream.
“Want to try my vanilla?”
“No, thanks.”
…
After finishing their ice cream, he said he wanted to buy some materials. She accompanied him to the ore section.
In the Mystic World, ores meant gambling.
And gambling was another opportunity for the protagonist to show off: effortlessly identifying valuable gems hidden within rocks, impressing everyone, earning both wealth and favors. The possibilities were endless.
In the Mystic Heavenly Continent, ore gambling usually involved “Mystic Crystals.”
Mystic Crystals were crystallized Mystic Energy, a rare mineral. The “Crystal Coins” they used were made by infusing metal with trace amounts of Mystic Crystals.
In the Azure Lotus Sacred Ground, Crystal Coins were rarely used. Transactions were mostly conducted using Mystic Crystals.
After purchasing the ores he needed, he was led to the Gold and Jade Chamber of Commerce’s gambling den by the shopkeeper, triggering the “gambling showcase” key plot point.
The shopkeeper and the gambling den manager were both subordinates of the Second and Third Shopkeepers. Assuming he was a clueless pretty boy, infatuated with Ji Ya, they planned to swindle him, forcing Ji Ya to bail him out after he lost everything.
However, he possessed an Extreme Flame and the Fire Refining Starry Sky, making him sensitive to fire attribute treasures. Whenever he approached one, the crystal pendant around his neck would heat up slightly.
His Beautiful Sect Master had informed him of this, so he confidently searched the piles of raw stones, quickly finding what he was looking for.
A head-sized stone, when cut open, emitted a brilliant red light, revealing a chicken egg-sized Fire Mystic Crystal.
The stone had cost around ten thousand, while the Fire Mystic Crystal, although not perfectly pure, was worth several million. He had made a significant profit, leaving the shopkeeper and the manager speechless.
They tried to buy the Fire Mystic Crystal from him at a low price, but he refused. It was one of the materials needed to refine the Evil Scale Fire Crystals, and the excess could be used for cultivation. It was too valuable to him.
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