Chapter 20: What a Mess!
Meanwhile…
After leaving Chen Yin, Yu Xiang found a secluded spot and took out a mask from thin air.
This mask was a task item she had exchanged for using the System. It could seamlessly alter her appearance and aura without leaving a trace.
With the mask on, Yu Xiang’s previously sweet and gentle appearance instantly transformed into something cold and aloof.
She changed into a black outfit, donned a bamboo hat and a black veil, her entire persona becoming mysterious and alluring.
She walked back to the registration desk. The Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion staff member in charge of registration looked at Yu Xiang’s peculiar attire with surprise but still asked politely:
“Are you here to register for the conference, Fairy? Please state your name and sect.”
“Yin Mengwan,” she replied in a slightly cold voice. “My sect is Changli Palace.”
Changli Palace? The staff member froze.
The name sounded familiar.
It seemed that a few years ago, there was a major incident in the cultivation world related to this Changli Palace.
But he vaguely remembered that Changli Palace had been destroyed. Could there still be disciples who survived and carried on the lineage?
However, the registration requirements for the Fairy Conference weren’t very strict. Although Changli Palace wasn’t very famous, it was considered a righteous sect. So, the staff member registered her.
Unbeknownst to them, the little fox, hidden in the void, had witnessed everything.
“Changli Palace…” Luo Luo muttered to herself. “I need to find a chance to tell Young Master.”
Yu Xiang waited patiently for her registration to be processed. As she waited, her gaze inadvertently swept past the entrance of the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion’s main building.
Then, her eyes widened in shock.
She saw a familiar figure, looking helpless, being led into the pavilion by a beautiful woman in a fiery red dress.
***
At that moment, Chen Yin felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Luo Qiaoqiao seemed to be a VIP customer of the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion. As they browsed, a dedicated staff member accompanied them, offering recommendations. She seemed completely indifferent to the strange looks from the surrounding people, occasionally picking out jewelry and clothes, holding them up, and asking Chen Yin for his opinion with a charming smile.
Chen Yin had no interest in helping her choose. He just wanted to find a place to escape. So he could only rely on his vast repertoire of compliments to appease her.
“Chen Yin, do you think this looks good?”
“Yes, it looks great.” Chen Yin replied absentmindedly. “This dress is understated yet luxurious, classic yet trendy, and it perfectly complements Sister Qiaoqiao’s figure.”
But as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tangible wave of resentment emanating from before him.
“Hmm.” Luo Qiaoqiao pouted, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Are you just trying to get rid of me?”
He then noticed that Luo Qiaoqiao was holding a men’s outfit this time.
It was a light gray cultivator’s robe with black and gold patterns, exuding a dignified and imposing aura.
“Ah… no, no, of course not.”
Chen Yin quickly said with an awkward smile, “I-I mean, Sister Qiaoqiao is so valiant and heroic, even in men’s clothing, you would be handsome enough to make girls swoon.”
“If you don’t believe me, ask your Junior Sisters.”
The Heavenly Net Sect disciples behind them chimed in with adoring voices: “Yes! Senior Sister, wear this!”
“Senior Sister, marry me! I want to be your wife!”
“What are you thinking?” Luo Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes at them playfully, then turned to Chen Yin, her lips pursed, a hint of girlish shyness in her eyes.
“You… try it on.”
Only then did Chen Yin realize that she was picking out clothes for him. He was stunned for a moment.
In the world he was reborn from, a girl accompanying a guy shopping and buying him clothes was considered a very intimate gesture.
His hand hesitated as he reached for the robe.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Qiaoqiao blinked. “Don’t you like it?”
“…It’s not that.” Chen Yin forced a smile. “I’ve just never worn such expensive clothes before. I’m afraid I might stain them and won’t be able to afford to pay for them.”
“Don’t worry about such trivial matters.”
Luo Qiaoqiao said nonchalantly, “I’ll pay for it. Consider it a gift from me.”
“If you like it, I can buy you anything you want.”
…What a rich girl.
Since she had put it that way, Chen Yin couldn’t refuse and obediently went to try on the clothes.
A moment later, when he came out of the fitting room, not only Luo Qiaoqiao but even the Heavenly Net Sect disciples couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
Thanks to his stingy Master, Chen Yin had always worn simple and cheap cultivator’s robes.
But this time, wearing a more stylish outfit, his entire aura seemed to have transformed.
Luo Qiaoqiao stared at him for a moment, nodding with satisfaction.
“Not bad. I have good taste.”
…You just wanted to praise yourself, didn’t you? Chen Yin was speechless.
But the next moment, Luo Qiaoqiao turned to the attendant and said, “No need to wrap it, just put it on my tab.”
“Wait, Sister!”
Chen Yin said hurriedly, “I appreciate your kindness, but this robe is too expensive. I’m not worthy of it.”
Luo Qiaoqiao snorted. “Just wear it.”
“The man I like should dress well.”
The entire Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion fell silent for a moment.
Chen Yin saw the Heavenly Net Sect disciples covering their mouths in surprise, and he could feel the tangible killing intent from the gazes of countless male cultivators.
…I’m doomed. He thought to himself.
Luo Qiaoqiao, still oblivious, took Chen Yin’s hand and continued walking.
“Come on, let’s get you a new weapon.”
“No, no, my current weapon is quite handy.”
Just as Chen Yin was about to make an awkward excuse, a cold voice suddenly rang out:
“How much is this robe?”
Everyone turned to see a woman in black, her face concealed by a veil and a bamboo hat, walk through the crowd and approach the attendant, pointing at the robe Chen Yin was wearing.
Her actions stunned the onlookers.
Didn’t she know that this was the renowned Silk-Robe Fairy Luo Qiaoqiao? How dare she say such a thing in front of her?
As expected, Luo Qiaoqiao’s face gradually darkened. She stared at the woman in black and said:
“I’ve already bought this robe.”
“The shopkeeper hasn’t put it on my tab yet, so it’s not considered sold, right?”
The woman in black replied calmly, as if she didn’t care about Silk-Robe Fairy at all. “If I offer a higher price, wouldn’t it be reasonable for the shopkeeper to sell it to me?”
The shopkeeper, caught in the middle, had no idea what to do. He couldn’t figure out the identity of the woman in black and didn’t dare to speak.
“Oh?”
Luo Qiaoqiao laughed in anger, her smile seductive, but her eyes turned cold. “Then I’m curious, what price are you willing to offer?”
“If the price tag is 200 spirit stones, I’ll offer ten times that.”
Luo Qiaoqiao didn’t flinch. “One hundred times. 20,000 spirit stones.”
“40,000.” The woman in black didn’t back down.
The two women’s escalating bids stunned both Chen Yin and the shopkeeper.
…Who was this woman in black? Why was she suddenly competing with Luo Qiaoqiao?
At that moment, Luo Luo’s voice sounded in Chen Yin’s mind:
“Young Master, that’s your Little Junior Sister.”
Chen Yin’s eyes widened in shock.
Crap! I’m doomed!
He instantly understood what was happening, and cold sweat drenched his back.
This was bad.
Knowing Xiang’er’s jealous nature, seeing him being so intimate with Luo Qiaoqiao, and even buying him clothes, she would definitely be furious.
He could almost imagine Xiang’er’s teary-eyed, indignant expression behind the veil.
Worse yet, he couldn’t expose her true identity here, or he would be putting her in danger.
Seeing the two women locked in a fierce battle of wills, their auras clashing, Chen Yin sighed inwardly and whispered a few instructions to the shopkeeper beside him.
The shopkeeper, as if granted a reprieve, quickly shouted, “Please stop arguing, ladies!”
“This robe has already been purchased by this young master at the original price. It’s been recorded. There’s no need to fight over it anymore.”
Hearing this, Yu Xiang and Luo Qiaoqiao both turned their heads in astonishment. Although Luo Qiaoqiao was a little dissatisfied, she knew that Chen Yin was looking out for her and giving her a way out. So she could only say in a low voice:
“Then… I’ll buy you another gift next time.”
Yu Xiang stared at Chen Yin, speechless.
Chen Yin quickly cupped his hands towards Luo Qiaoqiao. “Sister Qiaoqiao, let’s stop here for today.”
“My Junior Sister is waiting for me to return, and I can’t delay any longer.”
Luo Qiaoqiao reluctantly let go of his hand, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “Then… you have to come see me after the Fairy Conference.”
“Uh… we’ll talk about it then.” Chen Yin said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
…Xiang’er was still watching from the side, he couldn’t act too intimate.
Hearing this, Yu Xiang snorted softly and turned to leave the main pavilion with a swift stride. Chen Yin, under the curious gazes of the crowd, followed her and practically fled from the Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.
After chasing after Yu Xiang for a while, Chen Yin finally caught up to her, panting. “Miss!”
Yu Xiang stopped walking but didn’t turn around. Her voice was cold. “What do you want?”
“Thank you for helping me out back there. I wouldn’t have known how to escape otherwise.”
Chen Yin bowed politely. “May I ask for your name?”
“What?”
Yu Xiang’s voice was laced with sarcasm and suppressed grievance. “Are you so eager to pick up girls that you don’t even let veiled women go?”
“Are all men so fickle?”
“You’re mistaken, Miss.”
He chuckled softly. “My heart already belongs to someone. I have no other intentions.”
“My lovely and gentle Junior Sister is waiting for me to return.”
Yu Xiang’s body trembled slightly, and she said in a forced calm voice:
“If your heart already belongs to someone, then treat her well.”
“There’s no need for you to know my name.”
With that, she turned and left, her figure vanishing in an instant.
Chen Yin looked in the direction she had gone and sighed softly, a regretful expression on his face.
…What have I done to deserve this?
…And my 200 spirit stones,wuwuwu, that was practically all my savings!
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