plumnovel Chapter 75 Coveting
Chapter 75 Coveting
Before long, Mu Chunfeng arrived at the entrance of Qingfeng Pavilion.
Before he even stepped across the threshold, he heard soft whispers coming from inside the shop.
After confirming that it was Yuan Yao and Yan Li's voices, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It seems that the two women did not encounter any major changes during the months he was away.
He did not immediately push the door open and enter. Instead, he stopped, held his breath, and stood outside the door listening quietly.
"Senior sister, it's been more than seven months since the young master left, hasn't it? Why hasn't he returned yet? Could something have really happened to him out there...?"
Yuan Yao's voice was still clear and melodious, but her words lacked their usual liveliness and instead revealed a deep sense of worry.
"Sister Yao, don't talk nonsense. Young Master's cultivation is profound and his supernatural powers are great. He will definitely be fine." Yanli's tone was as calm as ever, trying to reassure Yuan Yao.
"Besides, the young master said before he left that he would give us a year. The time limit has not yet expired, so we can just stay here and wait for him."
Even so, through the half-open window, one could clearly see that Yanli's beautiful face was also shrouded in an inescapable sorrow.
When Mu Chunfeng first took over the shop, he asked the two women to call him "boss" in a more down-to-earth way.
But now that they were all alone, they secretly switched back to calling him "Young Master".
Clearly, in their hearts, they had long regarded Mu Chunfeng as their true support and backbone.
After all, they were just shop assistants in name only, but the abundant cultivation resources that Mu Chunfeng usually gave them, as well as his gentle and kind treatment, were far beyond what ordinary employers could provide.
In this cruel world of cultivation, a heartfelt "Young Master" is the truest expression of their belonging and respect.
"But... I still feel uneasy."
Yuan Yao bit her lower lip and lowered her voice: "My sister and I have low cultivation levels. This outer market is a mixed bag, and without a young master to keep things under control, some people have been harboring ill intentions lately..."
"Cough cough."
Before Yuan Yao could finish speaking, a slight cough suddenly came from outside the door.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap in the otherwise quiet shop. The two women jolted and turned sharply to look at the entrance.
Mu Chunfeng, dressed in a black robe, stood with his hands behind his back outside the threshold, a gentle smile on his lips, quietly watching them.
"Young master?!"
The two women were taken aback at first, then their eyes lit up with undisguised joy.
Yuan Yao's eyes reddened, and she quickly went to greet him, her voice filled with a mixture of joy and grievance: "You're finally back! My senior sister and I were so worried!"
Although Yanli was more reserved and didn't lose her composure like Yuan Yao, a joyful expression still appeared on her face. She straightened her clothes and gave a graceful bow, saying, "Congratulations on your safe return, young master."
Mu Chunfeng stepped into the shop, closed the door, and casually set up a soundproof barrier before chuckling, "I'm sorry to have worried you. The sea may be rough, but it can't hold me back."
Yuan Yao stepped forward, took Mu Chunfeng's arm, led him to the table and sat him down, and skillfully poured him a cup of spiritual tea.
Mu Chunfeng picked up his teacup and glanced at the two women.
Several months had passed, and the two women were still beautiful, but they did look a bit tired.
He sighed inwardly, realizing that he had been away for more than half a year, leaving two delicate female cultivators on this chaotic Kui Xing Island, which had indeed been difficult for them.
"Just now outside the door, Yuan Yao seemed to be saying that someone with ill intentions has been harassing you here recently?"
Mu Chunfeng took a sip of the spiritual tea and casually asked.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged a glance. Yan Li stepped forward and said with a wry smile, "Young master, you don't know this, but it was fine when you first left. However, as you stopped showing up, the shop gradually changed. Some idle rogue cultivators linger in the shop all day under the pretext of buying low-level talismans. Their unbridled gazes... are really making people's skin crawl."
"Not only that!"
Yuan Yao couldn't help but chime in, her face showing grievance, "And there were a few despicable ones who openly and secretly inquired whether we had a Daoist partner. If it weren't for Senior Sister's quick thinking in explaining that you were only in seclusion for a few days, they probably would have attacked on the spot. They could even sense divine senses lingering and probing outside the shop at night..."
"Young master, I suspect they're not just after us, but rather that someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes for the sake of this shop..." Yanli added again.
Upon hearing this, Mu Chunfeng paused slightly in his teacup, a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
In this world of cultivation, only strength can protect everything.
Yuan Yao and Yan Li are currently only at the Qi Refining stage. Although the shop is not large, their monthly income is quite considerable.
His prolonged absence from the shop could very well have attracted the covetous eyes of some greedy individuals in the surrounding area. The fact that he hasn't directly attacked is likely due to his adherence to the rules of Kui Xing Island, but if they were to discover his true intentions, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He had originally instructed the two to leave Kuixing Island within a year, but he did not expect that someone would start making trouble after only half a year. This was his miscalculation.
Although he had murderous intent in his heart, he did not show it in front of the two women, but simply smiled and said, "It's alright, we won't need this shop anymore."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao was immediately taken aback.
She quickly asked, "Young master, why is that? Now that you're back, with you in charge, who would dare to cause trouble?"
Yanli, meanwhile, watched Mu Chunfeng from the side, her beautiful eyes slightly shifting as if deep in thought.
Mu Chunfeng first glanced at the slightly anxious Yuan Yao, then turned his gaze to Yan Li and smiled slightly, saying, "It seems that Yan Li has already guessed what I want to do."
Yanli smiled, then said seriously, "Before you left, Young Master, you left a storage bag, instructing us that if you didn't return by the end of the year, we should abandon the shop and go to Tianxing City. Now that you've returned early and said the shop doesn't need to be reopened, I suppose... you're going directly to Tianxing City?"
Mu Chunfeng nodded approvingly.
"I made some gains on this trip to the outer seas. Now that I have obtained the Dust-Reducing Pill, pack your things and leave Kui Xing Island in a few days to move to Tian Xing City."
"Tianxing City!"
Yuan Yao gasped in surprise, her small mouth slightly agape.
Yanli, however, astutely grasped another detail in Mu Chunfeng's words, and instantly revealed a look of shock: "The Dust-Subduing Pill...Young Master...are you about to break through to the Core Formation stage?!"
Although the Dust-Subduing Pill is a spirit-aiding pill used only by pseudo-core cultivators when attempting to break through to the Core Formation stage, Yanli had heard of its great reputation.
"good."
A glint of light flashed in Mu Chunfeng's eyes, and his tone was filled with undeniable confidence.
"Kui Xing Island is ultimately too small to be a place to stay for long. Once we go to Tian Xing City, with the rich spiritual energy of the Holy Mountain to support us, I will be more confident in breaking through to the Core Formation stage. Not only me, but the cultivation levels of the two of you should also be improved."
"What?! Boss, you're actually about to form your Core Formation?!"
Yuan Yao finally came to her senses, and her beautiful eyes instantly shone with dazzling light.
Her face flushed with excitement: "Boss! If you really become a Core Formation stage cultivator, then... then we'll be able to do whatever we want in the Chaotic Star Sea! My senior sister and I will definitely be able to smoothly establish our foundations too!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, chattering away with Yanli beside her, like a joyful little bird, all the gloom and sorrow of the past swept away at this moment.
Although Yanli wasn't as overtly expressive as her junior sister, a genuine smile appeared in her eyes and brows as she nodded repeatedly.
In the world of cultivation, being able to follow a Core Formation stage cultivator is an incredibly rare opportunity that many low-level cultivators would rather die than obtain.
"Walk sideways? You've got some nerve, girl."
Mu Chunfeng shook his head and chuckled, putting down his teacup to cool down the cheerful atmosphere: "The Chaotic Star Sea is vast and boundless. Although Core Formation cultivators can be considered high-level, there are still old monsters in the Nascent Soul stage above them, and countless Transformation Demon Cultivators above level eight in the outer sea."
"In my opinion, those at the Core Formation stage are barely able to protect themselves."
Seeing Yuan Yao stick out her tongue in response, Mu Chunfeng changed the subject, his gaze becoming gentle and resolute:
"However, as long as I live, I can protect you two and find a safe place in this inner sea where you will no longer be bullied. That will be enough."
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Yuan Yao obediently shrank her neck; but upon hearing the second half, she immediately smiled broadly.
She leaned forward to refill Mu Chunfeng's hot tea, her eyes crinkling with a sweet smile as she said, "Boss is right. Yao'er doesn't ask to be treated like royalty. As long as I can stay by your side for the rest of my life, serving you tea and water, Yao'er will be perfectly content!"