In the evening.
Shao Shi Residence.
By the pond where lotus flowers swayed.
Su Yi lay in a rattan chair, closing his eyes to rest under the warm sunset.
Today, after selling off the unused items on him in the Golden Stone Pavilion, he only obtained ten third-grade spirit stones.
There was no other way; third-grade spirit stones were extremely rare and scarce, far from comparable to second-grade spirit stones.
Even within Da Zhou, during the cultivation of Martial Grandmasters, these precious treasures were rarely used.
But for Su Yi, in the mid Qi Gathering realm, only the pure power contained in third-grade spirit stones could lay the strongest foundation for him.
As for second-grade spirit stones, although they could also be used for cultivation, their effect on forging the foundation was minimal.
"Ten third-grade spirit stones, barely enough for ten days."
Su Yi thought to himself.
No wonder characters like Grandmasters were praised as heavenly dragons in the secular world. The resources for cultivation were truly scarce.
Scarcity drives up value.
The price of these third-grade spirit stones was outrageous, equivalent to a hundred second-grade spirit stones each!
"In the future, I can sell the loot I obtain to the Golden Stone Pavilion and exchange it for an ample supply of third-grade spirit stones."
While Su Yi was contemplating, Cha Jin had already approached from a distance. "Young Master, what would you like to eat tonight?"
She had changed into an elegant and simple lotus-colored shirt and a well-tailored aqua blue skirt. Her slender waist was delicate to the touch, her hair was neatly arranged in an updo, her delicate face was bright and tender, her beautiful eyes were filled with anticipation, and her lips were rosy, exuding a unique and refreshing beauty.
"Just wine and meat will do."
Su Yi casually replied.
"In that case, I will go out and buy them."
Cha Jin whispered softly.
Su Yi waved his hand. "Go ahead."
Cha Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since becoming a maid, she had hardly left Su Yi's side, never having acted alone.
Originally, she was a little worried that Su Yi would refuse.
But now it seemed that she had been overthinking.
"Right, my soul has been bound by the Soul Binding Tether. This guy isn't afraid of me escaping at all..."
Cha Jin muttered to herself before turning around and hurriedly leaving.
The golden sun melted away, casting orange-red light, and the emerald green lake shimmered with a layer of splendid ripples.
While enjoying the beautiful scenery, Su Yi, lying in the rattan chair, was entangled in one thing.
Should I first go to Tianyuan Academy or look for Weng Yunqi to investigate Qing Wan's background?
Or should I visit the Yu family first?
Suddenly, a knock on the door came from afar.
"Is Young Master Su here?"
The voice of Zhou Zhili followed.
Su Yi paused for a moment and immediately understood that this matter was probably related to the Yu family.
After all, last night in Yangku Town, he was mistaken for Zhou Zhili's subordinate. Today, Zhou Zhili came knocking on his door, which naturally had something to do with the Yu family.
"Come in over the wall."
Su Yi remained lying in the rattan chair, unmoving.
Shao Shi Residence was quite large, and now there wasn't even a servant around. Su Yi couldn't be bothered to open the door himself.
Outside Shao Shi Residence.
Climb over the wall?
Zhou Zhili, Chang Guoke, and Zheng Tianhe looked at each other. With their identities, if they did that, wouldn't they be no different from thieves?
"Young Master Su is not bound by formalities. There's no need to worry about these things."
Zhou Zhili cleared his throat and was the first to climb over the wall.
Chang Guoke and Zheng Tianhe quickly followed suit. With the Sixth Prince present, they didn't care about such matters.
Soon, they saw Su Yi lying in the rattan chair by the lakeside.
"Brother Su, we have come uninvited and presumptuously disturbed you. Please forgive us."
Zhou Zhili smiled and greeted with a cupped fist salute.
Su Yi nodded. When he saw Chang Guoke, he couldn't help but pause. "Why are you here again?"
Chang Guoke's expression froze for a moment, and he clasped his fists. "In response to Young Master's question, I am currently serving under the Sixth Prince."
Zhou Zhili patiently explained, "Brother Su, you probably don't know yet. Senior Chang and Senior Qingqin are both from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect. They came down the mountain this time to assist me."
Su Yi exclaimed, suddenly understanding. "No wonder you, with your cultivation at the Martial Grandmaster's Second Order, dared to target the Crimson Flame Azure Eyed Beast. So, you come from a prestigious sect and have full confidence."
Chang Guoke couldn't help feeling a bit awkward, feeling that Su Yi's words carried a mocking tone.
"Brother Su, this is my cousin, the head of the Zheng family in Gunzhou City, Zheng Tianhe. He has heard about some of your deeds and admires you greatly."
Zhou Zhili introduced Zheng Tianhe's identity with a smile.
"Zheng pays his respects to Young Master!"
Zheng Tianhe cupped his fists and laughed heartily.
Before knowing Su Yi's background, seeing him lazily sitting there without getting up to greet them, Zheng Tianhe would definitely feel angry about it.
But after learning about Su Yi's past deeds and seeing the respect that the Sixth Prince and Chang Guoke showed him, Zheng Tianhe wouldn't care about such things. On the contrary, Su Yi's extreme arrogance and laziness made Zheng Tianhe feel that it matched the demeanor of an "exiled immortal."
For a moment, his gaze towards Su Yi carried a hint of respect, and he began to contemplate how to establish a relationship with this young man who possessed extraordinary abilities.
"Please make yourselves at ease. I don't have any servants here. If you want to have tea, please help yourselves," Su Yi casually said.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Tianhe immediately smiled and said, "You all can chat. Zheng will make tea."
He didn't show any hesitation and went straight to search for tea-making utensils in a nearby pavilion.
Zheng Tianhe's actions surprised Su Yi. He remarked, "This Chief of the Zheng family, one of the top five major powers in Gunzhou City, is able to adapt to circumstances and act freely."
As the helm of one of the top powers in Gunzhou City, someone whose every move could influence the overall situation of the six counties of Gunzhou, he was now calmly playing the role of a tea maker!
If this were to spread, I'm afraid not many people would believe it.
"Hahaha, with Brother Su's status, my cousin personally making tea is well-deserved," Zhou Zhili laughed.
Su Yi glanced at him and said, "Let's talk about business."
Zhou Zhili looked around and didn't find any other seats, so he simply sat on the ground and said, "At noon today, I received an invitation and met with Yu Baiting, the head of the Yu family, at the Moyun Tower..."
He then detailed the specifics of the meeting.
After hearing this, Su Yi couldn't help but be taken aback, and then he sneered, "I haven't even gone to settle the score with the Yu family, and they are already plotting revenge against me."
Taking this opportunity, Zhou Zhili asked, "Brother Su, what happened last night?"
Su Yi couldn't be bothered to recount those trivial matters and said, "Wait for Tajiin to come back. Let her tell you."
"Um..." Zhou Zhili glanced around but didn't see Tajiin's whereabouts. He tactfully refrained from asking further.
Not long after, Zheng Tianhe came over with writing materials, tea-making tools, and other items. He also carried a chair for Zhou Zhili, Chang Guoke, and himself. They sat by the lakeside and started making tea, without displaying any airs of being a clan leader.
Suddenly, Zhou Zhili stood up, deeply bowed, and said, "Brother Su, I must thank you for taking action and eliminating the three followers around my third brother. I, Zhou Zhili, will repay this great favor in the future!"
Su Yi showed a hint of confusion.
Chang Guoke immediately explained, "What the Sixth Prince mentioned refers to Hua Lianxiu and the other two who were killed by Young Master that night."
Su Yi finally understood and looked at Chang Guoke with a strange expression. He said, "You really have a lot of trouble on your hands."
Chang Guoke immediately felt embarrassed.
He was a bold and unrestrained character, a remarkable figure in the Qianlong Sword Sect, even Zhou Zhili respected him. But in front of Su Yi, he couldn't raise his head. Even though Su Yi had regarded him as troublesome on multiple occasions, he didn't dare to argue or get angry.
"Ah, I didn't expect that my second and third brothers would join forces. It even implicated Senior Brother Chang," Zhou Zhili sighed.
Su Yi said indifferently, "It's not just him who got implicated, but also me. If the Third Prince finds out that his subordinates were killed by me, he will definitely not let it go. And it was because the Yu family regarded me as your subordinate that the conflict occurred last night."
Zhou Zhili couldn't sit still anymore and stood up, solemnly assuring, "Su brother, rest assured, I will take care of these troubles!"
"You?" Su Yi glanced at him and shook his head. "Even someone like Yu Baiting dares to have a falling out with you. It shows how unworthy you are in his eyes, as the Sixth Prince."
These words, spoken without reservation, made Zhou Zhili feel uncomfortable all over, and a hint of gloom appeared on his face.
Zheng Tianhe, who had been making tea all this time, was secretly astonished. He hadn't expected that Su Yi would dare to mock and belittle the Sixth Prince like this.
What surprised him even more was that the Sixth Prince didn't dare to get angry or refute...
Seeing the Sixth Prince bowing his head in silence under the reprimand, Chang Guoke couldn't bear it and said, "Young Master, although the Sixth Prince may not be as influential as the Second Prince, he is not as unworthy as you make him out to be..."
Su Yi interrupted, "Don't you think you're causing enough trouble yourself?"
Chang Guoke was speechless, his face alternating between pale and green.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Zheng Tianhe quickly tried to defuse the situation and said, "Young Master, don't be angry. Actually..."
"That's enough," Su Yi waved his hand, let out a light sigh, and looked at Zhou Zhili. He said, "On the Tea Gathering event in ten days, I will go with you."
Upon hearing Su Yi's words, Zhou Zhili, who was originally gloomy, froze for a moment. Then his body trembled, unable to believe what he was hearing. He said, "Su brother, are you really going to help me?"
His voice was trembling with excitement.
Chang Guoke and Zheng Tianhe exchanged glances, their spirits uplifted. They couldn't believe that Su Yi had willingly agreed to help.
It was truly unexpected.
"All the trouble has landed on my head. How can I not help you?" Su Yi rubbed his temples and said, "Besides, when we were in Yunhe County, you helped me clean up the mess twice. Regardless of anything, I can't just stand by and watch you being bullied."
Zhou Zhili was filled with surprise and excitement. His lips trembled, and for some reason, he felt the urge to shed tears...
Was this the saying that hard work pays off?
It turned out that Su Yi still remembered the things I did for him in the past!
Especially when he heard the words "I can't just stand by and watch you being bullied," Zhou Zhili felt warmth in his heart.
This feeling was truly unexpected and touching.
Chang Guoke and Zheng Tianhe watched this scene unfold, filled with emotions and sighs.
Just seeing the Sixth Prince moved to such an extent made them realize how difficult it was to ask Su Yi for help!