Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Shu Shu Gets Rich Overnight

After the meal, Xiao Zi An asked where the two of them were staying.

“We’re at an inn,” Wu Hua answered.

Xiao Zi An’s face turned instantly disapproving. “An inn? Why? It’s small and crude.”

He turned to Rong Shu, already preparing to drag her off. “Little Junior Sister, come stay at the Alchemist Guild branch residence. You’ll be comfortable. And since you’re an alchemist, if you need anything, tell me. I’ll open access to the Ten-Thousand Books Tower for you—fifth-grade permissions should be enough.”

Rong Shu blinked, overwhelmed by the speed of his words. “Thank you, Fourth Senior Brother…”

“No need, no need.”

Wu Hua cut in, a slight frown forming. “No. We’ll stay at the inn.”

Then, without moving his lips, he sent Xiao Zi An a private transmission.

“You just arrived in Xiao Yao City. Every move you make is being watched. Little Junior Sister needs to hide her identity for the Alchemy Tournament. If you keep hovering around her, are you trying to make her more noticeable?”

Xiao Zi An’s grin faltered. He sighed through his nose and sent one back.

“Fine, fine. I just got too excited seeing Little Junior Sister.”

He turned to Rong Shu with exaggerated pity, like she’d been forced to endure some great suffering. “Then my poor Little Junior Sister can only be wronged for now.”

His eyes brightened again. “When you reach the Central Continent, I’ll take you out properly. We’ll have fun.”

“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Fourth Senior Brother,” Rong Shu said, accepting the promise with a small smile.

“Easy!” Xiao Zi An beamed.

Time passed without them noticing. By the time they finally left the banquet tavern, night had already fallen.

Back at the inn, Rong Shu stopped Wu Hua before he returned to his room.

“Senior Brother.”

Wu Hua looked back.

“Senior Brother Xiao… why does he insist I call him ‘Fourth Senior Brother’?”

Wu Hua’s expression eased into something almost amused. “We entered the same sect. In the sect, I rank third. He ranks fourth.”

Rong Shu blinked.

So… when she reached the Central Continent, she might truly have a chance to join the same sect as Wu Hua.

Wu Hua watched her process it, then chuckled softly. “Yes. Just like you think.”

“The Heart-Inquiry Academy has many excellent instructors. When you get in, if you want to choose one, you can ask my opinion first.”

He paused, and his voice softened just slightly. “Selfishly, I want you to choose the same instructor as me. But if you prefer another, that’s fine. Choose what suits you.”

Rong Shu nodded. “I understand.”

“Good night, Senior Brother.”

“Good night.”

Back in her room, Rong Shu flopped onto the bed with the Little Hamster.

“Yan Yan?” She rolled over and saw the little creature swollen round, all belly. She clicked her tongue. “I told you not to eat so much. You’re stuffed, aren’t you?”

She reached out and rubbed his belly.

The Little Hamster barely moved, protesting with lazy gugu sounds.

After a few complaints, it seemed to remember she couldn’t understand and grudgingly spoke human words, voice small and stubborn. “…Not my fault. That new Senior Brother kept feeding me.”

Rong Shu huffed. “You’re greedy. Don’t make excuses.”

Then she rubbed him a while longer anyway.

Finally, she sat up. “Right. Let’s see what Fourth Senior Brother gave me.”

She pulled out the storage bag Xiao Zi An had gifted her and sent her divine sense inside.

The moment her divine sense entered, it froze.

So many spirit stones.

So many.

And then—spirit herbs. Fourth-grade, fifth-grade, sixth-grade… seventh-grade… and even eighth-grade.

Pills, neatly stored. All seventh-grade. Even spirit-gathering pills compressed and refined into seventh-grade quality.

And pill recipes—seventh-grade formulas that cost a fortune even with Ten-Thousand Books Tower access.

Rong Shu kept flipping through it, her shock turning numb.

Just in spirit stones alone, she estimated roughly five million.

Before this, her entire savings had been around eight hundred thousand—enough to feel rich until you actually tried to live like a cultivator.

She’d recently started studying formations. The moment she truly began training, tens of thousands of spirit stones would vanish like smoke.

And archery—her chosen secondary path—was even worse.

A bow cultivator wasn’t like a sword cultivator or saber cultivator. It wasn’t enough to have a good bow; the arrows mattered more.

And arrows shot in battle were like water spilled on the ground. You didn’t get them back.

It was a fighting style that burned spirit stones.

Rong Shu had always hesitated to begin.

Now, with these five million spirit stones, the pressure eased at once.

The next morning, Rong Shu rose early.

She didn’t refine pills the night before. With the Alchemy Tournament approaching, she intended to rest well—no last-minute panic.

But the moment she stepped out, she ran into Xiao Zi An.

He was already sitting in Wu Hua’s room, relaxed as if he lived there. When he saw her, he smiled. “Little Junior Sister, morning.”

“Morning, Fourth Senior Brother.”

At the sound of that title, his smile brightened like he’d won something.

“Come in.”

As if on cue, two maidservants in fine clothing entered.

Xiao Zi An flicked his sleeve. A neat row of outfits spilled out, followed by box after box of jewelry—so many pieces it looked like a shop’s entire display had been dumped onto the floor.

Rong Shu stared, stunned.

Xiao Zi An began explaining before she could ask. “How can my Little Junior Sister go compete dressed so simply?”

Rong Shu glanced down at herself.

She thought she looked perfectly fine—plain, low-key, and easy to overlook.

She cleared her throat. “Fourth Senior Brother, there might be a few people I know at the Alchemy Tournament. I don’t want them recognizing me.”

“That’s even better!” Xiao Zi An snapped his fan open and started fanning again, clearly pleased with himself. “If you look too ordinary, they might suspect you. So we do the opposite.”

He leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “This time, we make it glorious.”

Rong Shu’s mouth fell open. “What?”

It sounded like nonsense.

But Xiao Zi An clearly had a mission. If he didn’t dress her in everything Second Senior Sister had prepared, he’d have no way to report back.

“Come on, come on…” he urged. “No backing out.”

“Fourth Senior Brother, really, it’s not—” Rong Shu turned toward Wu Hua and shot him a desperate look.

This time, Wu Hua didn’t help at all.

“A young miss should dress up,” he said calmly.

Then he scooped up the Little Hamster and left the room.

Rong Shu stared after him, betrayed.

Xiao Zi An leaned close, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Third Senior Brother doesn’t know how to take care of a young miss. Does he scold you a lot? Hit you? Beat you up?”