Chapter 181: Arrangements

Since he possessed a significant number of spirit stones, Chen Mobai felt that the puppet robot was overpriced. Furthermore, while earning spirit stones was easy for him, his meritorious deeds were finite and diminished with each use.

However, the primary reason was the limited demand for Scarlet Sunwood at Xinya Hall. Only four individuals—Liu Wenbai, the Luo siblings, and Yu Lian—were likely to spend spirit stones on it. After all, rogue cultivators in Tianhe Realm rarely accumulated many spirit stones; any resources they acquired were immediately traded for artifacts or talismans that could enhance their combat prowess.

Chen Mobai figured that after a period of diligent work, once he had earned the spirit stones from these four individuals, he could likely cease his woodcutting operation. After calculating the projected earnings, he concluded that investing 100,000 meritorious deeds in a woodcutting puppet was simply not worthwhile.

He then looked up "Formless Puppets." However, the Immortal Gate Network directly indicated that no such item existed. Indeed, it was a masterpiece of puppetry, not even available for purchase on the market.

That evening, Chen Mobai, having teleported back to the Tianhe Realm, made an appearance. Yu Lian immediately showed up at his door.

“Sell the next batch of Scarlet Sunwood to me,” Yu Lian stated. His tone was calm but left no room for dispute, causing Chen Mobai to frown.

Why are the cultivators in this Tianhe Realm so aggressive? The slightest deviation from their wishes, and they would immediately show displeasure. Luo Yixiu was like this, and Yu Lian was no different.

“It depends on the situation,” he said, “I’m not sure if that senior still needs wood for sword practice.” Chen Mobai said languidly. Yu Lian, however, simply pulled out a bag of spirit stones, set it down, and turned to leave.

“I don’t require a deposit here,” Chen Mobai called out, stepping outside with the bag of spirit stones, only to find Yu Lian had already vanished.

Chen Mobai was somewhat bewildered by this forceful purchase. He weighed the bag and was slightly surprised. It contained a full 100 low-grade spirit stones. Considering the market rate of one spirit stone per 500 pieces of Scarlet Sunwood, this amount could purchase 50,000 pieces, essentially double the standard price.

Was the minor sect he inherited truly that wealthy? Chen Mobai found it hard to understand. Back on Qingguang Island, Shi Pengyi and Luo Lin, the siblings from his former team, were also direct descendants of minor sects, yet their combined wealth barely amounted to a single flying sword. Could Yu Lian possess a protagonist's template, perhaps having encountered some extraordinary fortune?

While he was lost in thought, a beautiful young woman with fair skin, dressed in a long palace gown, arrived at his door. “Is Senior Brother Chen present? Luo Yixuan wishes to pay her respects.”

My door isn't even closed; you can clearly see me standing here. Why are you still asking if I'm present? Luo Yixuan's formality rendered Chen Mobai speechless; perhaps this was a custom among cultivation families.

“Come in,” he replied.

After Luo Yixuan took a seat, she first apologized for Luo Yixiu’s past behavior, then directly stated her purpose: she wanted to acquire enough Scarlet Sunwood for her and her brother to last over two months.

“To be frank, Junior Sister,” he began, “Yu Lian just dropped off this large bag of spirit stones, effectively reserving the next 30,000 pieces of Scarlet Sunwood from that senior. You might have to wait your turn after him.” Despite his dislike for such forceful purchases, with the heavy bag of spirit stones in his hand, Chen Mobai chose to overlook Yu Lian’s actions. He couldn’t possibly object to spirit stones.

“Senior Brother, you might want to consider our offer first,” Luo Yixuan said with a smile, producing another bag of spirit stones. Chen Mobai didn't take it, but its bulging shape suggested it also contained around 100 pieces.

“Junior Sister, there’s always a matter of first come, first served.” He still wished to maintain some decorum; after all, he was a principled merchant.

“Senior Brother, you could easily be fair,” Luo Yixuan proposed, “for example, just like Junior Brother Liu, give us each 10,000 pieces of Scarlet Sunwood first. As for the remaining amount, I’m sure Senior Brother Chen can gradually gather it within a month.” Luo Yixuan's words resonated deeply with Chen Mobai.

“Junior Sister speaks wisely.” Once he took her words to heart, things became straightforward. After Chen Mobai accepted Luo Yixuan’s bag of spirit stones, he personally escorted her to the door. He then, full of renewed energy, stepped out, ready to chop wood.

This time, however, he noticed that as many as twelve people were following him. He wound his way through the paths, and even as he neared the tree hollow where he hid his chainsaw, six people were still trailing him. Chen Mobai, not allowing himself to be swayed by the spirit stones, immediately gave up and returned to Xinya Hall the way he came.

“Senior Brother Chen,” Liu Wenbai greeted him at the entrance. “That senior didn’t come out to chop wood today.”

Chen Mobai misunderstood, believing Liu Wenbai also wished to purchase Scarlet Sunwood.

“This is a token of my respect for that senior,” Liu Wenbai said, “please, Senior Brother, pass it on for me.” Liu Wenbai also produced a bag of spirit stones and handed it to Chen Mobai, who weighed it and discovered it also contained 100 pieces.

Hearing Liu Wenbai’s words, Chen Mobai finally understood why Yu Lian and Luo Yixuan had been so generous. In their minds, these spirit stones weren’t meant for him, but for the fabricated woodcutting senior.

“I’ll accept theirs on the senior’s behalf,” Chen Mobai said, “but you don’t need to give me yours.” Although Chen Mobai appreciated spirit stones, he declined Liu Wenbai’s, remembering the favor of receiving the Longevity Scripture from him.

Liu Wenbai tried to protest further, but Chen Mobai had already knocked on Yuan Chiye’s door. “Come in,” Yuan Chiye called out. Seeing Chen Mobai enter Yuan Chiye’s room, Liu Wenbai found it inappropriate to follow. He could only return with his bag of spirit stones.

“Which elder did you actually encounter, young man?” Yuan Chiye asked, watching Chen Mobai enter, his tone distinctly sour. “Why don’t I ever have such luck?”

“Perhaps it’s because I’m quite poor,” Chen Mobai said self-deprecatingly, then produced the bag of spirit stones Yu Lian had given him and presented it to Yuan Chiye.

“What is this for?” Yuan Chiye asked. Although heavily indebted from acquiring Foundation Establishment Pills, Yuan Chiye wasn’t swayed by the bag of spirit stones and asked calmly.

“Didn’t Senior Brother Yuan mention he had an extra storage bag?” Chen Mobai replied. “I’ve always wanted one, and now that I have some spirit stones, I’d like to buy yours.”

At Chen Mobai’s words, a slight realization dawned on Yuan Chiye’s face, and he smiled as he took the bag of spirit stones. “I keep my word,” Yuan Chiye said. “I’ll sell it to you for eighty spirit stones. Since there are a hundred in here, you can take twenty back.” From his own storage bag, Yuan Chiye produced a palm-sized, sky-blue brocade pouch with a sealed opening.

“These twenty pieces, however, are for Senior Brother Yuan to help turn a blind eye,” Chen Mobai said. After taking the storage bag, Chen Mobai did not retrieve the excess spirit stones. Instead, he uttered a remark that made Yuan Chiye narrow his eyes: “Elaborate.”

“Our Scarlet Sunwood is diligently harvested by ourselves every day, Senior Brother. What do you think of that?” While Yuan Chiye had previously feigned ignorance when Liu Wenbai and the Luo siblings supplied him with Scarlet Sunwood to cover the Earth Fire Hall’s deficit, Chen Mobai wasn't sure what his attitude would be if the wood's origin was directly linked to him. Chen Mobai felt it was essential to make some arrangements beforehand. Moreover, he didn’t know when the storage bag he acquired from Qingguang Island could be unsealed, and its provenance might be questionable. Buying Yuan Chiye's now would serve as a convenient cover.

“You, boy, your methods indeed resemble Senior Brother Zhou’s style,” Yuan Chiye remarked. “Rest assured, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn’t risk offending a Foundation Establishment elder by interfering.”

With Yuan Chiye appeased, Chen Mobai felt relieved. Late that night, after ensuring he wasn't being followed, he painstakingly resumed his woodcutting. This time, however, once he finished cutting, he could directly store both the chainsaw and the table saw in his newly acquired storage bag, eliminating any worry of exposure.