Chapter 125

Chapter 125: A Measure of Kindness, A Bushel of Hate
Nanming City, also called the First City of the Southern Region, had a constant stream of cultivators coming and going every day.

Little Red’s voice was sharp, and she even mentioned Spirit Stones as she spoke, instantly drawing quite a few people’s attention.

She did not notice at all and was still glaring angrily at Yu Zhao.

Yu Zhao gave her a cold look. [No wonder people said that a measure of rice is kindness, but a bushel of rice breeds hatred. It truly was not a lie.]

“There is no reason or relationship between us. Why should I lend to you?”

“Because… because I need it!” Little Red blurted out.

After she spoke, she seemed to realize her words might sound wrong, and hurried to add, “You were so generous before. That little bit of Spirit Stones is nothing to you at all. And I will definitely pay you back in the future. Just treat it as helping me, can you not?”

A nosy onlooker nearby heard Little Red and loudly asked Yu Zhao, “Senior, what is your relationship with this young girl?”

The corners of Yu Zhao’s lips curved with a trace of coldness. “She was the guide I hired the first time I came to Nanming City. Today is the second time we have met.”

“What? She was just a guide?”

“Ah, I thought the two of you were related by blood. I was wondering why you did not look alike.”

“She has only met you once and dares to borrow Spirit Stones from you. Her skin is really thick.”

“…”

There was never a shortage of people who loved to watch a spectacle in the cultivation world.

After learning what kind of relationship Yu Zhao and Little Red had, everyone found it unbelievable, and their gazes toward Little Red were all strange.

Little Red’s cheeks burned. “I only wanted to ask Senior to lend me a few Spirit Stones. It is not like I said I would not pay them back. Why can I not?”

“Who do you think you are? Spirit Stones are not something you can borrow just because you want to. Besides, can you even pay them back?”

“Your face is as thick as a wall.”

“A junior at the mere Qi Refining stage actually dares to rant in front of a Golden Core stage Senior. Who gave you the courage?”

Without Yu Zhao needing to say a word, the crowd of onlookers had already almost made Little Red cry with their comments.

Little Red wanted to cover her face and run, but whenever she thought of her younger brothers at home, a new strength rose up inside her.

She shouted at Yu Zhao, “You spent so many Spirit Stones at the Merfolk Pavilion. If a little bit slipped through your fingers, it would already be enough for me and my younger brothers to live on. Did you not act so generous and kind before? Why can you not have some pity on me?”

As soon as she said this, many of the people present looked at Yu Zhao with a different light in their eyes.

Little Red’s words had let slip one very important piece of information.

Yu Zhao was very rich.

And not just a little rich.

Yu Zhao’s eyes turned completely cold.

Whether Little Red’s words just now had been intentional or not, she had pushed Yu Zhao into a dangerous situation.

She was not just stupid, but also bad, a kind of unaware malice that was even worse than simple stupidity.

“A little over a month ago, I gave you six High-grade Spirit Stones. Are six High-grade Spirit Stones still not enough for you and your younger brothers to spend?”

A wave of noise swept through the crowd.

Yu Zhao’s words drew their gazes back to Little Red.

These were six High-grade Spirit Stones. That was enough for them to cultivate for more than ten years. She had spent them all in less than two months?

Only a fool would believe that.

“I, I told you, I lost the Spirit Stones. I do not have any Spirit Stones on me now.”

Little Red had not expected Yu Zhao to bring this matter up and hurried to explain to the crowd.

But her shifting eyes and flustered movements only made it look more like she was lying.

As a result, even more unfriendly gazes fell on Little Red.

Little Red was so anxious she was about to cry.

She lived in the most chaotic part of Nanming City and was very sensitive to malice. She knew she was about to be in big trouble.

“Senior…”

She wanted to ask Yu Zhao to explain for her, but Yu Zhao did not even look at her and walked straight toward the city gate.

Little Red gritted her teeth and fell to her knees with a thump, knocking her head heavily against the ground toward Yu Zhao. “Senior, I beg you, please be merciful and save me!”

Yu Zhao’s face was expressionless, and her steps did not slow. A do not approach aura radiated from her whole body. Seeing this, the others did not dare to block her and hurriedly opened a path.

Under Little Red’s gaze full of despair, Yu Zhao strode away, leaving only a resolute back.

“Beautifully done. I hate this kind of person who thinks being weak makes them right the most. You should not have even given her those six High-grade Spirit Stones in the first place!”

After leaving the Merfolk Pavilion, Merfolk seemed livelier too. He chattered nonstop by Yu Zhao’s ear, full of dislike toward Little Red.

“Those six High-grade Spirit Stones were not even meant for her originally.”

Of them, five High-grade Spirit Stones had been Yu Zhao’s payment for the Tea Master, but the Tea Master had refused to accept them, and they had ended up in Little Red’s hands instead.

Yet not only did Little Red fail to feel grateful for this, she grew even more greedy, even coveting the Spirit Stones inside Yu Zhao’s spatial storage.

“Hmph, let her be greedy. She deserves the consequences.”

Merfolk was very satisfied with how Yu Zhao had handled the matter, and the resistance he felt toward her in his heart unknowingly lessened a bit.

After leaving the city and seeing that Ji Han Zhou had not yet arrived, Yu Zhao first went to a nearby barren hill and buried the remains of Lady Hua and the others, then returned outside the city to continue waiting.

While she waited, she also conveniently took care of a few Golden Core cultivators who wanted to rob the robbers.

After a while, Ji Han Zhou finally rushed over to join her.

“Has the letter been sent?” Yu Zhao asked.

Ji Han Zhou nodded, a smile on his face. “Yes. The people from Myriad Treasures Pavilion said the sect will receive my letter in less than a month.”

A trace of hesitation flashed across Yu Zhao’s face. “Junior Brother Ji, the matter here is already finished. You do not have to keep staying with me in the Nanming Sea. It would be better to return home early and reunite with your family and fellow disciples.”

Even by boat, the fastest round trip to the Merfolk Sea Palace would still take about a month.

Yu Zhao felt there was no need for Ji Han Zhou to act together with her.

“Senior Sister Yu, I still want to follow at your side and learn for a while longer. Besides, last time we clearly went to the Sea Palace together, but I did not even get to see what it looked like inside. It would be embarrassing if people heard about it.”

Ji Han Zhou looked at Yu Zhao with a face full of grievance.

The time when he had fainted had been truly unlucky. By the time he woke up, everything was already over.

No matter what, he wanted to go to the Sea Palace again and take a look.

Yu Zhao did not have any objections to this. She only worried that Merfolk would be unhappy about it.

Fortunately, Merfolk did not say much. The three of them took a boat out to sea and spent nearly half a month returning once more to that Dead Island.

With Merfolk there, Ji Han Zhou did not need to waste any effort breaking the Restriction Ward. The three of them passed smoothly through the undersea passage and entered the Sea Palace.

From the moment they left the boat and entered the sea, Merfolk had not spoken again and was unusually quiet.

Only after they entered the Sea Palace did the emotions he had been suppressing for so long finally explode, and he let out wave after wave of wails.

His voice held endless sorrow, as if he wanted to pour out all the pain of these years.

Yu Zhao and Ji Han Zhou were also affected by his emotions. Their eyes grew slightly red, and their hearts grew heavy.

Yu Zhao especially, who knew the past of the Merfolk Clan and had even been saved at the cost of the Old Merman’s life, felt it most deeply.

Plop.

Just then, Yu Zhao heard a faint, crisp sound.

She looked in the direction the sound had come from and saw a tiny bead, even smaller than a grain of rice, rolling to a stop by her foot.

She bent down to pick it up and looked at it in her hand.

A thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.