Chapter 13: An Eye for Value
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Su Ming was innocent.
Both Yu Zhao and Su Ming himself were well aware of this, yet no one else believed his explanation.
Zhou Jin Yue stood with arms crossed, her frosty expression practically screaming, “Say whatever you want; see if I believe you.”
Su Ming felt utterly helpless, as if words could no longer clear his name. He wished he could swear an oath to prove his innocence.
The one to undo the knot must be the one who tied it. Su Ming turned his pleading gaze to Yu Zhao. “Yu Zhao, you tell them! When have I ever hit you?”
Though often a bit unreliable, he was not the kind of person to hit women—least of all his own Junior Sister.
Unlike Fifth Senior Brother, whose mind was all about muscle and violence, Su Ming considered himself above such crude behavior.
The crowd’s eyes shifted to Yu Zhao.
Yu Zhao said nothing. She simply opened her palm, lightly motioned toward it with her chin, and then looked at Su Ming with mockery in her gaze.
Want her to explain? Sure.
First, pay her back what he owed.
If he wouldn’t? Fine. A young man’s back is strong enough to carry the blame indefinitely.
After all, Su Ming wasn’t entirely blameless.
Yu Zhao’s dramatic reaction stemmed from the scars of her past life. As her relationship with Ye Cong Xin soured, the five senior brothers turned against her entirely. Their indifference evolved into disgust, eventually leading to physical abuse.
In one instance, Su Ming, under the pretext of teaching her a lesson, had broken three of her ribs with a single kick.
So, framing Su Ming now caused Yu Zhao no guilt at all.
Su Ming wasn’t stupid. He quickly realized Yu Zhao’s intent—she was exploiting the situation to extort him.
Emotionally, he wanted to reject Yu Zhao’s brazen demands outright.
But logic told him that if he didn’t silence Yu Zhao today, Zhou Jin Yue wouldn’t let the matter drop. As the current sect master’s direct disciple and the leading candidate for the next sect master, Zhou Jin Yue was not someone Su Ming could afford to offend. Even with Master Qing Yan’s protection, Su Ming’s days would be far from easy if he crossed her.
Swallowing his pride, Su Ming suppressed his frustration and said, “Senior Sister Zhou, I’d like to speak with Yu Zhao in private.”
Zhou Jin Yue frowned, inclined to refuse on Yu Zhao’s behalf, but she turned to Yu Zhao instead, silently seeking her opinion.
Yu Zhao nodded without hesitation. “Alright.”
She already knew what Su Ming wanted to discuss.
This was exactly what she had been waiting for.
“Old Liu!” Su Ming called.
Steward Liu quickly approached with a servile smile. “Yes, Young Master Su?”
“Take care of Senior Sister Zhou for me. I need to have a good, long chat with my Junior Sister.” His tone sharpened as he emphasized the last word, his frustration evident.
Yu Zhao paid no mind to his childish threat. After assuring Zhou Jin Yue, she followed Su Ming upstairs.
Still lingering on the staircase, the unaffiliated cultivators were torn. They didn’t want to offend Su Ming but were eager to see the drama unfold. Their indecision rooted them in place.
“Scram! Get lost!” Su Ming roared, his temper finally boiling over. He drove them off before storming into a private room on the second floor, his face dark.
Yu Zhao followed him in.
“Yu Zhao, what have I ever done to you to deserve this? Why are you doing this to me?” Su Ming demanded as soon as they were alone.
He was genuinely furious, but even more baffled.
Fang Cheng Lang’s belief that cultivators should focus on self-improvement rather than relying heavily on external aids like Spirit Stones and pills had deeply influenced Yu Zhao. She had never valued material possessions much.
Whenever Su Ming borrowed Spirit Stones from her, he never left empty-handed.
But today, it was as if Yu Zhao had been possessed. Not only had she refused his request, but she had also come to Hundred Treasures Pavilion to demand repayment!
Was this really the timid, opinionless Sixth Junior Sister he knew?
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became. A wild idea suddenly sprang to mind—had some miserly old monster seized Yu Zhao’s body?
Yet Yu Zhao responded to his complaints with just two words: “Pay up.”
With interest.
Preferably all at once.
Su Ming’s train of thought derailed. He stammered, his face reddening, before blurting, “I don’t have any money.”
He wasn’t lying.
Though he had royal lineage, that status was worthless in the cultivation world. Gold, which was valuable in the mortal world, was little more than scrap metal here.
“Then return the ten mid-grade Spirit Stones you took from the Hall of Merits today,” Yu Zhao said.
“No way.” Su Ming rejected her outright, his tone righteous. “Those Spirit Stones are for buying an entrance gift for Junior Sister Ye. They’re already spoken for.”
Yu Zhao almost laughed in disbelief.
Using her Spirit Stones to buy a gift for Ye Cong Xin? Su Ming truly excelled at borrowing flowers to present to Buddha.
Fortunately, Yu Zhao had anticipated this. She pointed at the storage ring on Su Ming’s finger with a deliberate look. “If you don’t have money, you can pay me back in items.”
Her real aim was never the Spirit Stones he had borrowed but the treasures stored in his ring.
After all, having the memories of a previous life was an advantage she had to capitalize on.
Su Ming froze at her demand, his eyes flashing with reluctance.
The contents of his storage ring included gifts from the sect and their master, as well as various rare and curious items he had collected over the years. Their monetary value ranged from high to low, but all held sentimental meaning to him.
“Yu Zhao…” Su Ming tried to bargain one last time.
Yu Zhao tapped the table twice with her finger, her expression growing impatient. “Third Senior Brother, Senior Sister Zhou is still waiting downstairs.”
So, quit wasting time.
Su Ming’s face alternated between green and white. In the end, as Yu Zhao’s irritation became increasingly apparent and she began rising from her seat, he grudgingly nodded in defeat.
One by one, he reluctantly placed half of his collection before her, his tone bitter as he said, “Choose one.”
“One?” Yu Zhao’s lips curved into a cold smile, her eyes devoid of warmth. “Third Senior Brother, let me ask you this—of all these items, which one is worth 698 mid-grade Spirit Stones?”
Su Ming mumbled incoherently, failing to respond.
With his silence, Yu Zhao finally began examining the displayed items.
She had to admit, Su Ming had an exceptional eye. Every piece in his collection had some unique merit.
One item in particular—a brightly colored feather—immediately caught Yu Zhao’s attention.
The feather, which Su Ming had purchased at great cost, was impervious to water and fire and retained its pristine condition. Even as a simple decoration, it was worth its price.
But only Yu Zhao knew the feather’s true value.
In her previous life, Su Ming had used this feather to win the friendship of the White Peacock Clan on Spirit Mountain, securing the peacock feathers Ye Cong Xin needed for artifact forging.
There was also a small, palm-sized black tortoise shell in the lower right corner. Though unassuming, it originated from a master of divination a thousand years ago.
Piece by piece, Yu Zhao silently identified several legendary items from her past life. Externally, she remained calm, but her mind was in turmoil.
Only now did she fully appreciate Su Ming’s remarkable intuition and good fortune.
As one of the most prominent figures in the Five Elements Market, Su Ming had examined countless items, yet he always managed to pick out the rare treasures hidden among the junk.
No wonder Ye Cong Xin had an endless supply of high-quality artifacts, earning her the nickname “Treasure Maiden.” Su Ming’s support behind the scenes was undeniable.