Don't Cause Trouble Chapter 45: The Black Jade Token

"This is way too profitable," Xia Er exclaimed, staring at the several bags of spirit stones on the table, amazed.

In less than a month, Huang Erqian had nearly sold out the spray talisman guns and even delivered so many spirit stones.

"You can hear people talking about the spray talisman gun everywhere these days," Xi Yu said.

"We don’t need to keep making them," Ye Su pointed to the bags of spirit stones. "Thirty percent has already been sent to Qianji Sect. Since no secret realms are open right now, we can keep the rest for ourselves—for refining or cultivating."

"I... want... to... refine... artifacts," Ming Liu Sha said slowly.

"Alright. You can ask Huang Erqian if he has any materials. He might give you a discount," Ye Su reminded her. "If you’re in a rush, just buy them here in Guizong City."

Ming Liu Sha nodded. "Got it."

You Fushi, who had been slumped over the table, suddenly opened his eyes and sat up.

Beside him, Ye Su tilted her head to glance over. "Awake?"

You Fushi rested his chin on one hand and gave a soft reply, his gaze lazily drifting toward the door.

Before long, noise erupted outside—shouts and clamoring voices filled the air.

"Is that Ma Congqiu and Zhou Yun out there?" Xi Yu asked in surprise. She thought she’d heard their voices.

Ye Su stood up. "Let’s go take a look."

As soon as she opened the door, she saw that the upstairs and downstairs hallways were full of people. Following their gaze, she looked up and saw Ma Congqiu and Zhou Yun standing with their swords drawn outside the door to Xu Chengyu’s room on the third floor.

"What’s going on?" Xia Er poked his head out and asked.

"Xu Chengyu is about to break through," Ye Su replied, looking up at the sky as spiritual energy surged toward the room, golden light faintly shining from within.

This was his second time forming a Nascent Soul, and the spiritual aura was even stronger than the first time.

Ma Congqiu and Zhou Yun stood visibly tense, gripping their swords and staying alert.

Downstairs, the crowd looked up and chatted among themselves.

"He’s breaking through here?"

"That looks like the Nascent Soul stage."

"Aren’t those two outside disciples of Sword Sect? Tsk, another one at Nascent Soul—this year’s Sect Tournament is going to be something."

"If someone can reach Nascent Soul stage, who’s in that room?"

"It’s got to be Xu Chengyu, the one from Sword Sect who’s reached Nascent Soul stage."

Ye Su exchanged a glance with Ming Liu Sha. Understanding immediately, he led Xi Yu and Xia Er to find Lu Jiu and took up position at the hallway on the third floor to prevent any troublemakers from approaching.

Ye Su walked toward the other end of the hallway, with someone quietly trailing behind her.

Inside the room, Xu Chengyu sat in meditation. The golden core in his spiritual center was gradually revealing its true form. The Nascent Soul began to take shape once more, and his divine sense started to expand outward automatically. He could see Ma Congqiu and Zhou Yun standing guard at the door.

This time, Xu Chengyu was extremely cautious. He no longer released his divine sense recklessly. With his previous experience, he had learned to control it—letting it expand slowly and retracting immediately if anything felt off.

As his divine sense spread, Xu Chengyu could see the cultivators downstairs who had gathered, and he also saw Lu Jiu’s group watching the hallway carefully. Extending his awareness further, he noticed Ye Su and You Fushi standing at the other end.

In the next moment, You Fushi—who had been leaning lazily against the wall—suddenly lifted his gaze. In that instant, his eyes seemed to pierce through the void and land directly on Xu Chengyu. His expression was calm, yet cold.

Startled, Xu Chengyu immediately withdrew his divine sense and turned away.

What he didn’t realize was that, at the same moment his divine sense retreated, Ye Su also turned her head and glanced toward the direction it had just swept past.

Xu Chengyu’s awareness spread far beyond the inn, sweeping past city buildings and extending forward until his spiritual sea was nearly depleted. Then, he pulled it back, and the golden light in the room gradually faded.

—He had successfully reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!

The crowd downstairs let out impressed murmurs. Such a young disciple reaching the Nascent Soul stage—and right before their eyes—left everyone with mixed feelings.

Xu Chengyu stepped out and opened the door.

Zhou Yun heard the door open and turned around, calling nervously, "Senior Brother?"

Xu Chengyu nodded. "Early Nascent Soul stage."

Relief immediately showed on Zhou Yun and Ma Congqiu’s faces as they smiled.

"Reaching Nascent Soul at twenty—our senior brother from Sword Sect is impressive too!" Ma Congqiu said excitedly.

Zhou Yun nudged Ma Congqiu with his elbow. Saying something like that at a moment of celebration—what a mood killer.

Everyone knew Lu Chenhan had already reached mid-Nascent Soul by nineteen.

Xu Chengyu didn’t seem to mind. He stepped out of the room, and the people standing at both ends of the hallway came over.

"Congratulations," Lu Jiu said with a cupped-fist salute.

Xia Er, standing behind him, spoke coolly, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you should talk more with my senior sister. I think she’ll reach the Nascent Soul stage soon too."

Ye Su, just arriving, said flatly, "...Your senior sister isn’t even at the Golden Core stage yet."

Bluffing without a second thought.

"Soon, Senior Sister. I believe in you," Xia Er said with conviction.

Ming Liu Sha and Xi Yu, standing nearby, struggled to hold back laughter. Their Fourth Senior Brother was getting better at bragging by the day.

"You’re about to reach Nascent Soul?" You Fushi tilted his head and asked Ye Su.

Expressionless, Ye Su replied, "Your Fourth Senior Brother is talking nonsense."

Xu Chengyu felt a little awkward when he saw You Fushi. The impression left by that moment of divine sense contact still lingered—it had felt like You Fushi had seen right through his Nascent Soul form with just one glance.

Maybe it had been a coincidence?

Xu Chengyu looked again at You Fushi. He stood beside Ye Su, relaxed and idle. Aside from his face, nothing about him stood out. He didn’t look like someone capable of perceiving divine sense at all.

"In the evening, let me treat everyone to dinner at Yu Xiang Pavilion," Xu Chengyu said, collecting his thoughts with a smile. "To celebrate my successful breakthrough."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically.

……

Yu Xiang Pavilion was the most luxurious restaurant in Guizong City, and tonight, it was especially lively.

Xu Chengyu asked the attendant if there was some special event happening that evening.

"Is this your first time in Guizong City, sir?"

"I’ve been here a few times before," Xu Chengyu replied, glancing at the people coming and going. It was rare to see so many non-talisman cultivators in the city.

"You’ve come at a great time," the attendant said with a smile. "Tonight, in the latter half of the night, we’re holding our annual auction."

Many powerful talismans would be up for sale—after all, cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage didn’t rely on talisman papers, but anything could be inscribed with talismanic symbols. So in a city centered around talisman cultivation, this auction was bound to feature some truly impressive items.

"Will there be any talisman books in the auction?" Ye Su asked immediately.

The attendant was momentarily surprised, then replied, "Yes, there will be—but… most talisman cultivators wouldn’t put their talisman books up for auction. The ones we offer are usually collected from small, disbanded sects, so the effects of the talismans might not be great."

"Since we’re here, let’s stay and take a look," Xu Chengyu said, requesting a large private room.

Most of the cultivators at the restaurant tonight had clearly come for the auction. Those who had traveled from afar were probably hoping to bring back some valuable talismans.

Having just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, Xu Chengyu was at a peak state of awareness, filled with the exhilarating sense of control over his new power. But he kept finding his gaze drifting unconsciously toward You Fushi.

You Fushi was seated beside Ye Su, wearing a deep violet outer robe. The collar and shoulders were slightly loose, and his long hair draped lazily down his back. He looked like a pampered young noble with a taste for comfort.

"Sit up properly," Ye Su frowned and turned to her little junior brother, who was nearly sliding out of his seat. She pushed him upright and casually pulled his collar back into place.

"Young Master You, where did you cultivate before?" Xu Chengyu asked as he poured drinks for the table.

You Fushi didn’t respond. He held his cup in both hands, took a small sip, and focused intently on the dishes in front of him, occasionally picking at them with his chopsticks.

"Our junior brother comes from a poor background," Ye Su answered for him. "He hasn’t had much formal cultivation."

"Someone like him… from a poor background?" Ma Congqiu exclaimed in disbelief, pointing at You Fushi. "That robe he’s wearing—no one in our Sword Sect could even afford one like it!"

"That’s enough," Xu Chengyu said, pressing down Ma Congqiu’s hand. Ye Su’s tone had made it clear she didn’t want more questions.

"It was a gift," You Fushi suddenly said.

Ye Su turned to look at him. He tugged at his robe and said, "The rest is gone."

"Senior Sister," Ming Liu Sha said slowly, holding his wine cup, "he’s… drunk."

Ye Su frowned and picked up the wine cup in front of You Fushi. Only then did she realize it was already empty, and there was also an empty wine flask beside it.

"There’s a couch in the back," Xu Chengyu said. "Should he lie down and rest for a bit?"

"Okay. I’ll take him over. You all go ahead and eat," Ye Su said, helping You Fushi up. He still had some awareness and followed her.

As they reached the soft couch, he lay down and muttered, "Mistkiller Flower… mine."

Ye Su: "…"

Suddenly, You Fushi opened his eyes. Beneath the long lashes, his dark pupils seemed unusually deep. For a moment, Ye Su even thought his eye color had changed.

"Senior Sister, come quick, the show’s starting!" Xia Er shouted from outside.

Ye Su pulled a blanket over You Fushi and left the room. She didn’t notice anything unusual beneath the blanket.

To keep their guests from getting bored while waiting, Yu Xiang Pavilion had arranged for a performance by an art cultivator during the first half of the night.

For many of the people from Qianji Sect, including Lu Jiu, it was their first time seeing a performer like this. They watched with great interest.

"A late-Stage Golden Core art cultivator. Yu Xiang Pavilion really went all out," Xu Chengyu said, looking toward the person in the center of the hall.

"I’ve heard of art cultivators," Ye Su said. At Qianji Sect, she often heard Zhang Fengfeng sighing dramatically. Sometimes he’d even ask if he was good-looking enough to get accepted into Hehuan Sect despite his age.

In the South, art cultivators reigned supreme, and Hehuan Sect was the most famous among them. They were also renowned for their beauty—at least five of the top ten beauties in the cultivation world were from Hehuan Sect.

It was said that the current sect master of Hehuan Sect wasn’t especially attractive in reality, but her illusions were so powerful that everyone who saw her became convinced she was the most beautiful woman on the continent.

"People from Wuxing Sect are here too," Xu Chengyu said, spotting a group entering from the main entrance. He pointed someone out to Ye Su. "That one by the pillar is Cheng Huaian, Wuxing Sect’s most gifted disciple. And leading them is Lian Lian, the sect master’s daughter. She’s talented too… though a bit too preoccupied with love."

"Too preoccupied with love?" Zhou Yun muttered nearby. "More like her brain doesn’t work properly."

Ye Su raised her eyebrows slightly. As the daughter of one of the two major sect masters in the cultivation world, Lian Lian had always inspired restraint and courtesy. This was the first time she’d heard Zhou Yun speak so bluntly.

"Sect masters and heads of the Five Great Sects rarely have children," Xu Chengyu explained, noticing Ye Su’s expression. "Lian Lian has talent, but she never applied herself seriously. And the Wuxing Sect master spoils her, so she’s made little progress in talisman cultivation."

Ye Su’s eyes fell to the waist of the bright and beautiful young woman at the front of the group.

—A black jade token.

Wasn’t that the very same token that Wuxing Sect had once tricked out of a Qianji Sect elder?