Volume One, Chapter 9: Who Did You Say to Send?

The two women chatted quietly by the side. Su Yun’er’s eyes kept stealing glances at Ye Feng from time to time. To be honest, among male cultivators, Ye Feng’s appearance was definitely above average. Though he couldn’t be called a paragon of elegance, he was undeniably handsome and graceful. She hadn’t expected such a man to shamelessly pursue Liu Ruyan. A surge of pity for Ye Feng welled up in Su Yun’er’s heart.

Watching Liu Ruyan’s attitude toward Ye Feng only deepened Su Yun’er’s disdain; Liu Ruyan simply did not deserve her current cultivation status. If she were Ye Feng, she wouldn’t even spare Liu Ruyan a second glance with such a dismissive demeanor. Today, Su Yun’er had dressed up for her own reasons, and judging from Ye Feng’s momentary daze, she had achieved her aim. After all, no man could resist a woman so gentle, charming, and alluring. Once acquainted with Ye Feng, she would have opportunities in the future to make him regret. Su Yun’er ate while observing the two.

Ye Feng, in turn, occasionally looked toward Su Yun’er. The temptation of twentyfold returns was too great for him to ignore. Moreover, Su Yun’er’s beauty rivaled Liu Ruyan’s, and her curvaceous figure was a proud asset. It was only natural for him to steal a few more glances. Compared to Liu Ruyan’s aggressive demeanor, Su Yun’er’s gentle appearance made Ye Feng want to get closer. Yet he was well aware of the current situation; Liu Ruyan was like a fuse ready to ignite. If she truly exploded, how could he continue giving gifts today? He could only keep his head down and eat, pondering his strategy.

In truth, Liu Ruyan was the most anxious one at the table. Until now, Ye Feng had merely prepared a simple banquet. Although the dishes showed more care than usual, with evidently finer ingredients, this was far from what she desired. The Drunken Blossom Brewed Spirit Wine... Why hadn’t Ye Feng brought out the Drunken Blossom Brew? Did he only have one bottle? Liu Ruyan’s heart was restless throughout the meal. Today was supposed to be a moment to show off before her close friend, and Ye Feng’s gift should have been the highlight. Usually, Ye Feng would proactively offer gifts whenever he saw her. But today, despite her deliberate anger, Ye Feng had shown no sign of it. Could it be that he truly had nothing valuable left? The more Liu Ruyan thought about it, the angrier she became, feeling as if she had been performing a play for the deaf.

However, when her gaze landed on Ye Feng, she was surprised to discover that his cultivation had broken through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Ye Feng had always been of mediocre talent, spending most of his time trying to please her rather than cultivating. His cultivation had remained stable at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Yet in just two days apart, his breakthrough was astonishing. Sharp as she was, like a detective, she noticed a faint trace of spiritual energy in Ye Feng’s breath. What did that mean? She knew it implied that Ye Feng had consumed a spiritual item, and the refinement was incomplete, allowing the spiritual energy to leak out.

What spiritual item could Ye Feng have used? Naturally, it had to be the Drunken Blossom Brew! The thought that Ye Feng had used such a precious treasure to advance his cultivation made Liu Ruyan’s heart ache as if torn. How dare he use something like that on his own? Wasn’t it supposed to be reserved for her? Had she possessed the Drunken Blossom Brew, her cultivation would have broken through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining long ago. Then she could have stood proudly before Su Yun’er, leaving her far behind. Although Su Yun’er never competed with her and considered herself a close sister, Liu Ruyan knew that Su Yun’er secretly looked down on her. If her cultivation surpassed Su Yun’er’s, Su Yun’er would likely be restless for many nights.

Outraged by the discovery that Ye Feng had used the Drunken Blossom Brew, Liu Ruyan’s eyes burned with anger and dissatisfaction. Yet Ye Feng acted as if nothing was amiss, continuing to eat and drink without the slightest regard for her feelings. No matter how furious Liu Ruyan felt, whether Ye Feng gave gifts was his own choice. Unable to lose her composure in front of the two, she forced herself to suppress her emotions.

“Younger Brother Ye, Yun’er is my dear friend. She came all the way to your Drunken Immortal Residence—are you treating her like this?” Liu Ruyan said sharply. “Last time you entertained me, you still had the Drunken Blossom Brewed Spirit Wine. Does my dear Yun’er not deserve the same?” Su Yun’er was about to refuse politely but was stopped by Liu Ruyan. Ye Feng sighed inwardly at Liu Ruyan’s ‘green tea’ tactics—she clearly wanted the brew herself but was pressuring him in Su Yun’er’s name. However, Liu Ruyan’s words gave Ye Feng an opportunity to give Su Yun’er a gift smoothly. After all, Su Yun’er was the guest of honor today. This way, he could avoid conflict and make the gesture appear natural.

With that in mind, Ye Feng quickly put on a look of grievance mixed with slight embarrassment. “Senior Sister Ruyan, I’m truly sorry. The Drunken Blossom Brew in the shop has all been used up. If there were any left, I would have brought it out for you immediately. Our friendship is far more precious than any brew.” He smiled inwardly—if he had the brew, he would never give it to Liu Ruyan. The rewards from the system couldn’t be reused; giving it away would only lead to losses. How could he afford such a losing deal?

Ye Feng’s expression of grievance was flawless. Liu Ruyan’s face turned pale with anger upon hearing this. She could clearly sense the spiritual energy fluctuations in Ye Feng and faintly smelled the subtle fragrance of wine. Although the aura was slightly different from when she had refined the Drunken Blossom Brew, it was unmistakably the spiritual wine! Yet Ye Feng brazenly lied, denying he had secretly refined the brew. How could Liu Ruyan, accustomed as she was to Ye Feng’s gifts, endure this? If Ye Feng had used up the Drunken Blossom Brew, what would become of her cultivation? Liu Ruyan even sentenced Ye Feng to “death” in her heart. She swore that if she couldn’t gain anything from Ye Feng today, she would ignore him forever. What use was a sycophant with no value? Did she, Liu Ruyan, need someone to grovel at her feet?

Coldly snorting in her heart, Liu Ruyan reflected that she had valued Ye Feng only because he gave gifts simply and without expecting anything in return. Now that he was no longer useful, she began considering which other cultivators courting her could continue to offer expensive gifts without requiring anything from her. But the more she thought, the more she felt those men harbored ulterior motives. Yet her purity was meant for high-level cultivators alone—only they deserved to walk the path of the Dao with her.

Liu Ruyan’s brows furrowed ever tighter. Nearby, Su Yun’er could not help but chuckle quietly. Ye Feng’s refusal to follow Liu Ruyan’s rhythm surprised her, especially seeing Liu Ruyan’s utterly crushed expression. Su Yun’er quietly rejoiced inwardly. She had thought Ye Feng was too sycophantic, but unexpectedly, he had managed to curb even Liu Ruyan’s obnoxious arrogance. So she watched silently, lifting her wine cup to signal Ye Feng. He responded slightly.

He knew well that Liu Ruyan’s temper must be raging now, but he also understood that what she truly desired was the Drunken Blossom Brew. After all, he had given her so many gifts before and knew her pride thoroughly.

Following Liu Ruyan’s cue, Ye Feng said, “Senior Sister Ruyan, I admit I was remiss today. Since you have invited Senior Sister Su Yun’er to the Drunken Immortal Residence, she is naturally my honored guest. How could I treat you otherwise? Since Senior Sister Su is the star today, I have prepared a small gift for her.”

With that, Ye Feng took out an exquisite crystal box from his bosom and apologized, “This little item is a piece of intimate clothing for female cultivators that I happened upon recently. Since only female cultivators can use it, I’ve kept it unused. Seeing Senior Sister Su so radiant today, I boldly present it to her. I hope you won’t mind.”

The shimmering light from the crystal box caught everyone’s eyes. Both Liu Ruyan and Su Yun’er were stunned. Liu Ruyan was speechless. Su Yun’er silently wondered, “To whom is this gift for?”