C18 So It's You

Since his revival, Chen Xing had never truly felt the passage of time until now.

Lang Qingqing was one of the female dragons who had once pursued him. A petite white dragon, her scales shone with a pure, unblemished white, making her a rare gem among her kind.

Yet, like her kin, she was impulsive and quick to anger. She aspired to learn literature and the arts from Chen Xing, to write poetry and paint, but frustration would take hold before she could finish, and she'd lose her temper, lashing out at other dragons to vent.

The Clear Moon Mirror was a life-bound magical instrument that Chen Xing had crafted to aid her.

Far from a mere spiritual tool, the complete Clear Moon Mirror was a heavenly artifact—the pinnacle of magical treasures, a Mystical Treasure of Heaven and Earth. How could a life-bound magical instrument he had a hand in creating be anything less?

He had never imagined that he would stumble upon a former dragon's magical treasure within the Stargazer's Tower.

This heavenly artifact, Lang Qingqing's life-bound magical instrument, could only be wielded by the Dragon Soul. It was beyond human comprehension.

Even though he was aware that the Nagas had vanished from the world over a hundred thousand years ago, the reality of encountering something so intimately connected to the dragons stirred a poignant sadness within him, coupled with a burgeoning curiosity.

"What exactly happened a hundred thousand years ago that caused all of you to disappear? Have you all... perished?"

They had spent the entire night drinking.

Come dawn, Taotao approached Chen Xing's quarters only to find the door ajar and the room empty.

"Where could the young master have gone so early?" she wondered, rubbing her sleepy eyes and scanning the surroundings. Her gaze landed on a man in a moon-white robe, holding a wine jug. He took a swig, then with a flick of his wrist, the wine transformed into a sharp, sword-like shape.

With his fingers poised like a blade, he pointed and commanded, "Go!" The sword of wine soared and impaled itself into a courtyard stone, boring a large hole straight through it. Effortlessly, he raised his other hand, catching the wine jug as it descended from the heavens.

"Taotao, what do you think? How powerful is that move?"

Chen Xing asked, grinning.

That evening's reflective drinking had unexpectedly stirred the last bit of medicinal power within him, propelling him to the seventh level of Body Tempering in one fell swoop!

"Wow, that's incredible!"

As someone unfamiliar with martial cultivation, Taotao was awestruck by the move—it was cooler than any young master she had ever seen, as stunning as the stars in the sky!

"As long as it's impressive, that's what matters. I am the head of the Chen family, the face of our lineage. I must continue to uphold our esteemed way of life."

Chen Xing pulled out a bronze mirror, tidied his hair, and straightened his clothes.

"Today, I'm brimming with handsomeness once again!"

He slung his small backpack over his shoulder and set off towards Traessey.

Indeed! He was planning to skip school today!

In a restroom within Traessey, Chen Xing silently assumed the guise of a mysterious alchemist. He needed to act quickly while the opportunity was hot. In a few days, he would be attending Starfall Academy's field trial and likely wouldn't have any spare time.

"Hmm?"

While walking, Chen Xing's brows suddenly lifted, and he veered into a small alley.

He moved swiftly, weaving through turns and reemerging onto the main road. He then entered the Golden Ruyi Auction House through a side entrance. Utilizing Windstride, he was seated in a chair at the front of the room in the blink of an eye.

The attendant at the front was taken aback and promptly summoned Alchemist Lu Ming from upstairs.

Purple Card members were esteemed guests at the Golden Ruyi Auction House, and attendants were expected to recognize them on sight.

Chen Xing gave Lu Ming an indifferent look and tapped his fingers on the table.

"Your Golden Ruyi Auction House seems to lack sincerity."

Lu Ming was taken aback and quickly responded, "Master, what makes you say that?"

"On my way here, someone was sent to tail me. Is your curiosity really that overwhelming?"

Chen Xing spoke with a heavy tone, his displeasure evident.

He had only just disguised himself upon entering Traessey when he sensed he was being followed. Despite the tracker's skillful concealment, they were no match for the perceptiveness of the Dragon Soul.

Lu Ming was taken aback!

"No, I wouldn't dare! Golden Ruyi Auction House has never issued such a command! Please, Master, see the truth! If it were indeed the auction house's doing, we would accept full responsibility for any consequences!"

"Just on your word?"

Chen Xing gave him a cold glance.

"Miss Jin has already ordered that the Master be treated with the utmost respect, and we are to refrain from any actions that might cause offense. Thus, I can assure you that we will investigate and do everything in our power to protect the Master's privacy. Should the Master have any requests, we stand ready to assist at any time!"

Lu Ming pledged.

Chen Xing narrowed his eyes and then looked away. This human girl was truly decisive. Upon his last return, she had immediately decided to personally oversee the auction to win his favor, and now she had preemptively issued such an order. Setting aside other considerations, her positioning within the alliance was quite advantageous.

Truth be told, he wasn't certain whether the person tracking him was from the Golden Ruyi Auction House; he was merely bluffing.

"Fine. I'll tentatively place my trust in you. If they have ulterior motives, they will inevitably reveal themselves. Today, I've come to discuss the next phase of our collaboration." Chen Xing produced a vial.

"I had intended to offer a Purple Yang Pill with a sixty percent efficacy. But now, I think it's time to drop a more significant bomb to draw out these petty criminals."

"This time, I'm auctioning a level six Jadefire Nectar with sixty percent efficacy!"

"Jadefire Nectar?" Lu Ming was astounded.

Jadefire Nectar is known for its profound ability to cleanse and rebuild one's physique, making it the ultimate spiritual medicine for enhancing cultivation aptitude! Similar medicines exist at every level, none outrageously expensive, yet the demand is immense! A level six Jadefire Nectar would surely attract the attention of nobility far and wide – it's a rare treasure indeed!

But what's most crucial is its level six, sixty percent efficacy – the benchmark for a level six alchemist! This bottle of Jadefire Nectar firmly established the esteemed status of the Master before him – a level six alchemist of unparalleled nobility!

"Rest assured, Master, the Jin Ruyi Auction House will certainly provide you with a satisfactory response."

Lu Ming bent down and carefully took the medicine bottle, then bowed deeply to Chen Xing.

"Mm."

Chen Xing nodded, his gaze distant and thoughtful.

...

In the expansive courtyard of Traessey City.

"What? You lost him?" A slightly overweight man glared at the two nondescript middle-aged men behind him.

"What's the point of our training if you can't even keep track of an alchemist? When will we get another chance like this? You're jeopardizing my business dealings!"

The man barked in anger, "Get out of here. Each of you is to receive fifty lashes! Next, assign more people to monitor every move of the Jin family and that mysterious alchemist!"

The two middle-aged men obediently bowed their heads and backed away.

The overweight man stood with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed in concern.

"When did such an alchemist come to Traessey? And to think the Jin family got to him first. No, I must get to the bottom of this matter!"

...

Having finished his tasks, Chen Xing transformed back into his true self and made his way to Starfall Academy.

He had planned to skip school for the entire day, but considering his class monitor and desk mate had been inexplicably concerned about him lately, he decided to cut his absence to half a day to avoid worrying her.

Dragons are known to be quite forgiving creatures.

As if on cue, Chen Xing ran into Luo Shuining just as he arrived at the entrance.

"Hey, little class monitor."

Chen Xing waved his paw cheerily, flashing a friendly grin.

However, Luo Shuining's expression shifted, "Why have you come?"

Chen Xing: "???"

Something seemed off.

"Come on, we need to go."

Luo Shuining grabbed his clothes and quickly started to walk away.

They had only taken a few steps when they encountered the class teacher, Yan Rufeng, coming down the staircase.

"Hmm? Chen Xing? You come here right now!"

The class teacher was even more intimidating than the class monitor, grabbing Chen Xing's arm and yanking him away from Luo Shuining.

Chen Xing was completely baffled. Could anyone explain what was going on with these two?

Luo Shuining watched as Chen Xing was dragged away by the homeroom teacher and rubbed her forehead. "Is this kid looking for trouble lately?" she muttered to herself before sighing and following after them.

"Ms. Yan, I'm truly honored by your enthusiasm, but let's remember you're a teacher, and I'm just a student. It's not right for us to be seen like this. Could you please explain what's going on?" Chen Xing asked.

Yan Ruhong shot him a stern look. "You think you're not worthy? How is it that the esteemed Chess Saint had to search every class in the school for you, and you weren't even in class? We had to use a process of elimination to finally confirm your identity."

Chen Xing was at a loss for words.

He didn't know why or who was looking for him, but it seemed like a challenging ordeal. Nevertheless, he decided to grant them an audience, albeit reluctantly.

Yan Ruhong sighed as she observed his nonchalant demeanor. She was both frustrated and exasperated. How had this young man's talents and abilities surged so suddenly, transforming from a nobody to a prodigy, and now he was even more of a handful than before? How had he managed to get the usually calm Chess Saint to scour Starfall Academy for him?

The trio made their way past numerous academic buildings and training fields, arriving once again at the entrance to Stargazer's Tower.

"Chen Xing, the person who wishes to meet you is a venerable elder of Stargazer's Tower, highly esteemed within our academy. Therefore, when you meet him, you must be respectful and avoid any disrespectful or offensive remarks. Do you understand?" Yan Ruhong instructed him with a serious tone, knowing that upsetting the elder could reflect poorly on her as well.

"I understand," Chen Xing replied with a nod.

A hundred thousand years ago, he was renowned for his wisdom and propriety among the dragons. He wasn't one to speak carelessly and cause harm.

With that assurance, Yan Ruhong led him into Stargazer's Tower, where they were greeted by a radiant display of lights and colors. Indeed, the splendor of the place was something one could never grow weary of.

Bathed in a soft glow, an elderly man with snow-white hair and youthful features sat cross-legged, toying with a chess piece in his hand. Upon noticing the door swing open, he instinctively glanced up.

A spark of brilliance ignited in his eyes in an instant!

Chen Xing, on the other hand, looked on with profound disappointment. He had expected someone entirely different!

"Oh, it's just you, you old chess fiend."