Chapter 61: A Little Investment

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: A Little Investment

After leaving the Resource Hall, Li Jian led the trio toward the outer sect’s residential area.

He had barely taken a few steps when Wang Hun suddenly draped an arm over his shoulder with a familiar, mischievous grin.

"Junior Brother Li, I have to say, you really know how to make money!"

Zhang Zhao immediately nodded in agreement.

"Exactly! We spent all that time fighting demonic beasts and collecting resources, yet you only had to stand nearby and watch. How enviable!"

Chen Lei chuckled as he rubbed his round belly.

"More importantly, you even managed to make Senior Sister Jin smile so sweetly at you. Tell me, Junior Brother Li, what’s your secret? Is it because you’re handsome, or do you have some special way of charming women?"

Li Jian glanced at the three men.

Their expressions were practically identical.

They were clearly itching to tease him now that they had left the Fragment Realm.

He couldn’t help but feel a little amused.

These three had been perfectly obedient while exploring the realm, handing over every single resource without complaint.

Now that they were back in the sect, their old habits were beginning to show again.

However, they didn’t seem nearly as hostile as Li Jian had expected, even after the effects of his request had worn off.

’Could there still be some lingering effects? But looking at them now...’

It seemed their memories of bullying the original Li Jian hadn’t disappeared entirely.

Unfortunately for them, the current Li Jian was no longer the same person they used to push around.

"Are you three done?" he asked calmly.

Wang Hun laughed and patted his shoulder.

"What’s the matter? Can’t take a little joke anymore?"

"That’s right!" Zhang Zhao chimed in. "Don’t tell me you’ve become so arrogant after making a little money that you can’t even tolerate us teasing you!"

Chen Lei nodded enthusiastically.

"Junior Brother Li, you need to learn to be more generous. We’re practically brothers, after all!"

Li Jian looked at him for a moment.

’Brothers? Were you calling me your brother when you made me run errands and take the blame for your mistakes?’

He remembered the original Li Jian’s experiences well enough.

These three had never treated him as an equal.

They had simply taken advantage of his weak cultivation and timid personality.

However, Li Jian wasn’t particularly interested in settling old scores over every little thing.

After all, they had been useful during their exploration of the Fragment Realm.

And more importantly, he had a system.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he reached into his spatial ring.

"Since we’re practically brothers, I suppose I should give you something."

The trio immediately stopped laughing. Wang Hun looked at him suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

Li Jian took out three small piles of spirit stones and handed one to each of them.

"Here. Two hundred spirit stones each."

The three men stared at the spirit stones in their hands.

For a moment, none of them said anything. Then Chen Lei’s eyes widened.

"Two hundred spirit stones?!"

He hurriedly counted them, his round face breaking into a delighted grin.

"Junior Brother Li, I knew you were a generous person! Look at that! I told you we were practically brothers!"

Wang Hun and Zhang Zhao also looked pleasantly surprised.

They had already agreed to hand over all their findings to him.

They hadn’t expected him to give them anything in return. In their eyes, this was already a rather generous gesture.

Wang Hun gave Li Jian a hearty pat on the back.

"Haha! Junior Brother Li, I have to admit, you’ve changed quite a bit. You’re much more generous than you used to be!"

"Indeed!" Zhang Zhao nodded. "If I’d known you were this generous, I would’ve spent more time getting to know you!"

Chen Lei immediately tucked his spirit stones away, then looked at Li Jian with an even brighter smile.

"Junior Brother Li, if you ever need help exploring another Fragment Realm, just let me know! I’ll be there immediately!"

Li Jian smiled faintly.

"Of course. I’ll keep that in mind."

’Good. Keep that attitude.’

He had several reasons for giving them the spirit stones.

First, two hundred spirit stones weren’t particularly expensive compared to the resources he had obtained from their expedition.

Even after giving each of them a share, he had still made a substantial profit.

Second, money could make people more cooperative.

These three might have been useful inside the Fragment Realm, but there was no saying that he couldn’t use them in the sect as well.

A little reward would make them more willing to work for him in the future.

And finally...

[Ding!]

[You have given Wang Hun 200 Spirit Stones.]

[Favor Debt from Wang Hun: +400]

[Ding!]

[You have given Zhang Zhao 200 Spirit Stones.]

[Favor Debt from Zhang Zhao: +400]

[Ding!]

[You have given Chen Lei 200 Spirit Stones.]

[Favor Debt from Chen Lei: +400]

Li Jian’s smile deepened slightly.

’Not bad.’

He had spent six hundred spirit stones, but in exchange, he had gained another four hundred Favor Debt from each of them.

After deducting the three hundred Favor Debt he had spent on each of them to secure their help in exploring the Fragment Realm, he had still made a net profit of one hundred Favor Debt per person.

In total, that was another three hundred Favor Debt.

Considering how useful the three could be when exploring dangerous places, it was a worthwhile investment.

Besides, the more Favor Debt they accumulated, the more options he would have when making requests through the system.

As for whether they would realize what was happening... Li Jian glanced at the trio, who were happily discussing how to spend their newly acquired wealth.

He doubted it.

"All right, that’s enough standing around," he said, waving a hand. "We should go our separate ways for now."

"Sure, sure!"

Wang Hun nodded enthusiastically.

"Junior Brother Li, don’t forget us next time you find a good opportunity!"

"We won’t let you down!" Zhang Zhao added.

Chen Lei even raised a fist confidently.

"That’s right! With the four of us working together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!"

Li Jian watched as the three walked away, still chatting excitedly about their spirit stones. A faint smile remained on his face.

’Three obedient helpers, a decent profit, and a little more Favor Debt.’

He turned toward his own residence.

’Not a bad haul at all.’

However, just as he was about to leave, another thought crossed his mind.

The Inner Sect Tournament was approaching, and Zhao Ming had yet to make another move against him.

Li Jian narrowed his eyes slightly.

’That fellow can’t be planning something troublesome again, can he?’

He shook his head.

’Whatever. If he comes looking for trouble, I’ll deal with him then.’

For now, he had more important things to worry about.

With a spatial ring full of spirit stones and a Heaven Grade dual cultivation technique waiting for him, Li Jian had plenty of ways to improve his cultivation.

And he intended to make full use of every single one of them.

Li Jian looked up at the darkening sky.

Night was approaching, and with it came his next dual cultivation session with Su Qin.

Thinking about the beautiful woman, he couldn’t help but recall her voluptuous figure and soft, delicate body.

A lewd grin spread across his face as anticipation filled his heart.

’Heh. I wonder what kind of expression she’ll have when she sees me tonight.’

Just thinking about it made him look forward to the evening even more.

Li Jian quickly returned to his small stone residence before the outer sect paths grew dark.

He washed the blood and dust off his body, changed into clean robes, and sat down to treat the bruise along his ribs.

The lizard’s tail had hit harder than he expected.

It was not a serious injury, but it was enough to remind him that the Fifth Stage still left little room for carelessness.

After the pain eased, he sorted through the day’s gains and closed his eyes to circulate his qi.

The Fifth Stage foundation he had established after refining Su Qin’s primordial yin was still fresh.

The day’s fighting had not damaged it, but it had not brought him any closer to the Sixth Stage, either.

Resource gathering and dual cultivation would both be necessary if he wanted to continue advancing before Zhao Ming finished dealing with the tournament.

Outside, the light gradually faded.

Purple mist drifted along the outer sect paths as most disciples returned to their residences.

A few lanterns lit up in the distance, casting faint pools of light across the quiet pathways.

Li Jian opened his eyes when he heard footsteps stop outside his door.

Knock.

Knock.

He stood up and pulled the door open.

Su Qin stood there under the dim night light, dressed properly in her outer robes, her expression stiff and reluctant.

The careful way she held her waist had eased since noon, but a trace of soreness remained, evident in the way she stood.

"...I’m here," she said in whisper. "Do you need to dual cultivate tonight?"

Li Jian looked at her for a moment before stepping aside.

"Come in."

Su Qin bit her lip and glanced down the empty path.

After making sure no one was around, she looked left and right like a thief before quickly slipping past him into the stone house, as though afraid someone might see her.

As she passed, Li Jian’s gaze briefly wandered over her voluptuous figure.

Her outer robes could hardly conceal her generous curves, from her ample breasts to her slender waist and full, rounded hips.

The contrast gave her figure an alluring hourglass shape, and he couldn’t help admiring her beauty as she walked past him.

As she drew closer, a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted into his nose, carrying a delicate scent that seemed uniquely hers.

Li Jian took in the subtle aroma, finding it an unexpectedly pleasant addition to her already captivating presence.

’Looks like I’ll get to enjoy this amazing woman again tonight.’

Li Jian grinned to himself before reaching over and closing the door.

Click.

The soft sound echoed through the quiet stone residence, leaving the two of them alone for the night.