"So, Xue'er, choose which type of stone you'd like to open."
– Xichen said with a calm smile, stepping lightly between the rows of glowing stones, gesturing gently toward the long display table. His eyes moved between Xue'er and Yuechan, reading their expressions with a quiet sense of satisfaction, as if offering them a chance to play among treasures whose true value only a few could appreciate.
As for Jun Moxie, he ignored him completely, as if his existence was no more than a faint shadow on the wall. But he was not unaware of his movements; rather, he kept his senses alert, watching him from a distance, anticipating any opportunity for that scoundrel to bare his fangs... Who knows? Another treasure might be found that he would try to steal, as usual.
Suddenly...
"Ke... cough!!"
Moxie burst into a violent fit of coughing, followed by a spray of crimson blood that shot forcefully from his mouth, splattering the marble floor before him. His body crumpled without resistance and hit the ground with a dull thud, unconscious.
At that very moment, the system's voice rang in Xichen's mind, with its familiar coldness:
[Ding! The host has enraged Jun Moxie to the point that he lost control of his killing intent, causing severe internal injuries. Jun Moxie lost: 100 Fortune Value. Host gained: 500 Destiny Points.]
"Young Master Jun!"
– The shopkeeper cried out, his eyes widening in panic as he rushed toward the fallen body, blood still seeping slowly from the corner of his mouth. His voice was full of worry, though a small part of him secretly wished that this arrogant, rich bastard would die somewhere else, far away from his own shop.
Nevertheless, Xichen sighed lightly, then said in a calm tone that concealed everything behind it:
"Don't worry... It's just minor internal injuries. He'll be fine after a little rest."
He approached Moxie's body with slow steps, a faint glimmer of cold calculation in his eyes. He placed his palm on his chest and released a thread of his Profound Energy to examine his physical condition – then muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear:
'I can't let you die just yet... You still have 100 Fortune Value, and that's a treasure not to be wasted so easily.'
But the truth was darker.
Moxie's condition was extremely dire. The killing intent he had tried so hard to suppress had rebounded upon him like a wild beast, exploding inside him and tearing apart his vital organs. It would be no surprise if he breathed his last at any moment. His body was like a nest of shattered glass, and any wrong move could end what was left of his life.
Without hesitation, Xichen took out a small bottle of high-grade healing elixir, the liquid inside glowing with an emerald hue, pulsating like a living heartbeat. He wasted no words, but grabbed Moxie's jaw and forced his mouth open, then poured the liquid inside in one go.
There was no gentleness in his action – it was closer to a farmer watering a dying cow.
Although Moxie's body was still in shambles, the elixir's effect was immediate. His color began to regain some vitality, and the disturbances in his internal organs gradually subsided, as if a fire had been extinguished from within.
Xichen smiled faintly, then stood up, muttering to himself:
'I won't let my milk cow die on the very first day...'
This treasure was more than enough to heal Moxie and raise his level of strength, which would in turn increase his Fortune Value – something Xichen didn't mind, since he would be staying in this place for some time and had no desire to drain his milk cow dry on the very same day.
Although he was eager to obtain a Heavenly Treasure Chest, he was in no hurry, for he possessed the patience of a Buddha as long as the benefits were sufficient to warrant his patience and time.
"That elixir I gave him is enough to heal his injuries. He just needs some rest now," Xichen said, ignoring Jun Moxie and returning to Xue'er and Yuechan. "Now, let's get back to what we were doing. What do you think about buying all the stones?"
Xichen wasn't sure if Jun Moxie's opportunity had been just the Star Water; he might try his luck with the stones and possibly obtain some treasure, so it was better to buy everything.
"Can I really have all of them?" Xue'er asked with a radiant smile, clearly enjoying the idea of opening stones.
"Of course," Xichen nodded, the corners of his lips curling upward as he turned to the shopkeeper. "I'll take all the stones you have, even those in storage. As for the price, is 10,000 Profound Purple Coins enough?"
"That's more than enough, young master," the shopkeeper said, stunned for a moment before quickly regaining his wits and grinning from ear to ear. His entire shop wasn't even worth 10,000 Profound Purple Coins.
"Here. I'll take all the stones here, or anything else that catches my fancy," Xichen said, taking out a card from his ring and tossing it to the shopkeeper while putting all the stones into his ring.
"Thank you, big brother!" Xue'er smiled, hugging Xichen happily. She was overjoyed to have gone out with Xichen, who always spoiled her and gave her everything she wanted.
"You're welcome," Xichen smiled and patted Xue'er's head again – it seemed he had become addicted to this gesture. "So, if you want anything else, don't hesitate to take it."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for stealing Jun Moxie's opportunity to obtain the Seven-Colored Poison. Jun Moxie lost 20 Fortune Value. Host gained 100 Destiny Points.]
'Just as I suspected, that wasn't his only opportunity,' Xichen thought, an amused smile appearing on his face. The Seven-Colored Poison should be very useful to Jun Moxie, as it was an extremely potent poison capable of poisoning and killing those in the Sky Profound Realm within minutes, and it was even more deadly in the hands of an assassin like Jun Moxie.
As for Xichen, it was of no use to him, but it wouldn't hurt to keep it. He might need it later.
...
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