71: My pet leopard can do backflips.

"What a strange question! Could anyone else have refined them?" Qi Mengyao crossed her arms, her expression somewhat displeased.

Shangguan Xuaner ignored her completely, her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Chen, shimmering with a soft light.

Xiao Chen looked at the two of them, feeling a bit curious. How did these two, who clearly didn't get along, usually work together?

"Of course, it's me."

Shangguan Xuaner scrutinized the man before her once more, her admiration completely unconcealed.

A Third-Grade Alchemist was not particularly rare, but a Third-Grade Alchemist who could mass-produce top-grade Medicinal Pills was something she had never seen in her life.

"Then, according to Sect regulations, Senior Brother Xiao is entitled to 20% of the remuneration. I'll help Senior Brother register the remaining 80%."

"Alright, thank you, Senior Sister."

"No, no, no, don't call me Senior Sister. Please call me Junior Sister," Shangguan Xuaner said, waving her hands repeatedly. A Third-Grade Alchemist was equivalent to an Inner Sect Elder in status.

"Alright."

So, Shangguan Xuaner separated the pills, putting 16 pei yuan pills and 6 soul nurturing pills into a separate container and handing them to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen didn't take them. Instead, he said directly, "Junior Sister, could you check for me how much these pills would convert to in Spirit Stones?"

"Ordinary pei yuan pills are Second-Grade, low-level pills, worth 2,000 Spirit Stones each. However, for these top-grade pei yuan pills, I'll give Senior Brother 6,000 Spirit Stones each;"

"Ordinary soul nurturing pills are Third-Grade, Intermediate pills, worth 20,000 Spirit Stones each. But for these top-grade soul nurturing pills, I'll give Senior Brother 60,000 Spirit Stones each."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Mengyao chimed in, "How can it be only that little? Have you even seen top-grade pills before? top-grade pei yuan pills are worth at least 8,000, and top-grade soul nurturing pills at least 80,000!"

Shangguan Xuaner still ignored her. Looking directly at Xiao Chen, she said apologetically, "As a pricing assistant, the maximum price differential I'm authorized to give is triple the base price, so..."

"It's fine, it's fine. Let's go with what you said!"

"In that case, the total is four hundred and fifty-six thousand Spirit Stones." After saying this, Shangguan Xuaner counted out the sum and handed over a bulging pouch of Spirit Stones.

Xiao Chen casually took it and stuffed it into his spatial ring. After a busy day, hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones were now in his account.

Excellent!

"Senior Brother Xiao, aren't you going to count them?"

"A beauty like you surely wouldn't make a mistake."

Shangguan Xuaner smiled radiantly, a blush rapidly spreading across her fair neck. Her shy, charming appearance made Qi Mengyao roll her eyes beside them.

She quickly linked her arm with Xiao Chen's. "Senior Brother Xiao, let's go first."

"Hmm, that's fine."

Who knew they hadn't taken more than a few steps before Shangguan Xuaner's voice called out from behind, "Senior Brother Xiao, please wait a moment."

Xiao Chen's steps halted.

He saw Shangguan Xuaner walking towards him with graceful steps, her astonishingly beautiful legs, fair and smooth, faintly glowing. In her high-heeled crystal shoes, they traced beautiful arcs with each step.

Even restrained within her tight-fitting short skirt, the 'towering waves' of her chest still trembled with an alluring curve.

Qi Mengyao, however, wore an expression of exasperation, grumbling inwardly, *Pfft! As if others don't have them. She acts like a seductress all day long.*

"Senior Brother Xiao, could you give me your sound transmission jade slip?" Shangguan Xuaner blinked her beautiful eyes, staring into Xiao Chen's.

Xiao Chen was taken aback, but he still took it out from his robe. Why did this feel like being asked for his phone number by a senior girl on campus before his Transmigration?

She casually took it and engraved her own transmission mark on it. "Senior Brother Xiao, I'm Shangguan Xuaner. When you have free time, you can send me a transmission. I'll keep you company and chat."

After saying this, her beautiful eyes blinked, sparkling like stars.

"Alright."

Xiao Chen couldn't help but sigh inwardly. *Once your status is revealed, girls just fall into your lap. It's nothing like being in the Outer Sect, where you're constantly looked down upon.*

Qi Mengyao glared at Shangguan Xuaner with displeasure, but unexpectedly, the other party met her gaze without backing down.

The atmosphere instantly became tense and confrontational.

In the end, it was Xiao Chen who first pulled Qi Mengyao away, bringing the deadly staring contest between the women to a close.

Once outside the Internal Affairs Hall, Qi Mengyao couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Xiao, do you have any other plans for now?"

"Uh... it seems I don't have anything special planned."

She quickly leaned close to Xiao Chen's ear and said softly, "I keep a Tiger-Fox Beast in my residence. It's especially cute and can even do backflips. Would you like to see it?"

Xiao Chen thought for a moment. Judging by the name, it was probably somewhat similar to a young tiger on Blue Star, so it should be quite cute.

"Really?"

"It's true, I'm not lying to you."

"Oh, well, since I have nothing else to do, let's go take a look."

"Mhm, mhm, let's go."

Qi Mengyao happily linked arms with Xiao Chen, and they soared into the air, flying towards Zhaoxia Peak.

Midway through their flight, a powerful Aura suddenly approached rapidly from ahead.

Both of them immediately halted their movement. Xiao Chen glanced over and saw a mature, beautiful woman in a white palace dress flying towards them.

She appeared to be around thirty years old, her skin as fair and smooth as congealed snow, her eyebrows and eyes elegant like a painting.

Her movements were light and graceful, her charm still very much present.

Her figure was slightly plump. Although her waist wasn't as slender and graspable as Liang Haiwei's, it was as agile as a water snake, possessing a unique charm of its own.

Immediately, a data panel appeared before his eyes:

Name: Qi Ningxuan

Age: 420

Gender: Female

Cultivation: Nascent Soul Stage Second Level

Rating: 3S

Physique: None

charm value: 92/100

affection value: 0/100

Seeing that name, Xiao Chen's heart couldn't help but skip a beat. He then looked at Qi Mengyao beside him.

"Mother, you're here?" Qi Mengyao called out happily.

Indeed!

Xiao Chen's guess was correct. However, why she had taken her mother's surname remained unknown to him.

Qi Ningxuan's eyes held authority as she glared at her daughter. "Let go immediately. What kind of proper behavior is this?"

"Hehe!" Qi Mengyao laughed, completely unfazed. "Mother, I was just about to introduce you. This is Xiao Chen..."

"Silence!"

Qi Ningxuan's angry shout cut her off. She then shifted her gaze to Xiao Chen, letting it linger for just a fleeting moment before quickly looking away.

A trace of undisguised disgust surfaced in her expression.

*Forty years old, Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level. Even among Outer Sect Disciples, he's probably at the very bottom. How did he sneak into the Inner Sect?*

"Come over here right now!" Qi Ningxuan's tone hardened.

"Oh." Qi Mengyao glanced at Xiao Chen, extremely reluctantly released his arm, and flew to her mother's side.

Since those at the Qi Refining Stage couldn't hover in the air, Xiao Chen had no choice but to step onto his Flying Sword.

"Starting today, you are forbidden from leaving Zhaoxia Peak as punishment," Qi Ningxuan said, looking at her daughter with some anger.

Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised. *Could this beautiful woman before him also be one of the Qixia Sect's five Peak Masters? How truly extraordinary.*

"Why? I don't agree!"

"You ask why! How have I usually taught you? Don't be deceived by unsavory characters. I can see through what some people are scheming with a single glance."