Chapter 24: This System Is a Complete Rip-off!

In the end, Li Qiner still donned her bamboo hat and set out with Chen Xiang. Along the way, Chen Xiang tactfully inquired how Li Qiner had come to look as she did, and she offered a brief explanation, though she was unwilling to elaborate further.

From her words, Chen Xiang gleaned that when she was born, snow fell in June and her body bore the Heavenly Yin Vein, a constitution of pure cold. At her birth, all the chill between heaven and earth converged upon her, and her mother suffered greatly as a result. If not for the clan’s treasured Sunfire Jade and the fact that her father was the family head, she might never have lived to see sunlight.

Thus, from the very moment of her birth, she had been as she was. Her parents were shocked by her appearance, but she was still their child, and they cherished her dearly. Furthermore, her Heavenly Yin Vein and supreme Ice Spirit Root marked her as a prodigy, so she received an exceptional upbringing and care within the family. Yet, because of her face, she had also suffered much contempt, and from the age of six had always worn a veil or a bamboo hat.

Chen Xiang was full of sympathy. If an ordinary person glimpsed her unawares, they might well be frightened into a heart attack!

After a fierce battle, Li Qiner was wounded, so the two of them found a cave to rest. Li Qiner took a medicinal pill and began to heal herself, while Chen Xiang stood guard.

“System, do you know what’s going on with her?” Chen Xiang asked in secret.

He was truly vexed; it was hard to accept that such a perfect woman would have such a face—anyone would feel uneasy.

“Ding! After analysis, this individual possesses the Heavenly Yin Vein. At birth, she needed to absorb vast amounts of cold energy to perfect her constitution, but the Sunfire Jade blocked this and infused her with yang energy instead. The two forces conflicted, resulting in an incomplete Heavenly Yin Vein and permanent damage to parts of her skin,” the system replied.

Chen Xiang was speechless.

Damn, was her father an idiot? To end up with such a perfect daughter, only to make her such a conflicted being!

Look at her snowy skin, her exquisite figure, her voice like heavenly music—surely she should have a face of immortal beauty to match! Yet her father had ruined it! Ahhh—Chen Xiang felt his secondhand embarrassment flare up.

If her father knew he was thinking this, he’d probably claw his way out of the grave to slap him. If not for the Sunfire Jade, both mother and daughter would likely have died—who would care about beauty then? Besides, her father couldn’t have foreseen this outcome—if he had, he would surely have chosen the same.

No, I must help her restore her appearance, or I’ll never feel at ease! Besides, I promised myself I’d woo her—how can I make a move like this? Chen Xiang resolved inwardly.

“System, is there any way to restore her looks?” Chen Xiang asked.

“Ding! To restore her appearance, you must first perfect the Heavenly Yin Vein, then expel the yang energy from her body, and finally administer the Ice Rejuvenation Pill.”

Oh? That sounds rather difficult… Chen Xiang mused, stroking his chin.

“Ding! The defect has persisted too long. To perfect the Heavenly Yin Vein, a millennium-old Frost Marrow is required as a catalyst, and the process must be conducted in an extremely cold region—only then is there a chance of success.”

“Are you kidding me?” Chen Xiang was stunned and burst out angrily. A millennium-old Frost Marrow? An extremely cold region? Could the requirements be any higher? Where was he supposed to find such things?

Li Qiner was healing, but Chen Xiang’s outburst unsettled her, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Startled, Chen Xiang hurried to her side. “Qiner, are you all right? Are your injuries severe? Do you need my help?”

He shamelessly addressed her by name now, having decided they would share the same bed; it seemed too distant to keep calling each other “Miss” or “Young Lord.”

Li Qiner shot him a resentful glance—if not for your sudden shout, how could my mind have been shaken?

Chen Xiang feigned innocence and continued to fuss over her solicitously.

“Thank you for your concern, Young Lord. I am fine. I suffered only a lapse in concentration, which led to a slip in my cultivation,” Li Qiner replied softly.

“Haha, that’s good to hear. But Qiner, you’re recovering too slowly—take this pill, it will heal your wounds instantly.” Chen Xiang took out a white pill, faint patterns etched upon its surface.

He had a thick skin, but he knew his limits—he had spent fifty reputation points in the system’s shop for this Essence Shaping Pill, a mid-grade fifth-tier elixir. The price had stung a little.

Li Qiner’s face was full of shock at the sight of the pill, though her features were hidden by her veil. Chen Xiang could still discern her expression.

“This… is that a pill pattern? An exceptional-tier pill? And fifth-grade at that!” Li Qiner exclaimed.

Fifth-grade pills were rare even in the Four Kingdoms; as for exceptional fifth-grade pills, they were nearly unobtainable. There were only a handful of fifth-grade alchemists in the Four Kingdoms, fewer than five sixth-grade alchemists, and no seventh-grade alchemist had ever been heard of. Her own Li clan boasted just one fifth-grade alchemist, who was treated like royalty.

Only those few sixth-grade alchemists could refine a fifth-grade pill with a pill pattern—how did Young Lord Li have one? Did he know a sixth-grade master?

“Young Lord Li, this pill is far too precious—I cannot accept it,” Li Qiner protested.

“How could you not? Don’t worry, I have plenty. Come on, open your mouth, ah!” Chen Xiang shook his head.

He held the pill to her lips, gently pried her mouth open, and fed it to her.

Li Qiner was stunned, unable to react—besides, she was injured and in no condition to resist. As soon as the pill entered her mouth, it dissolved into a warm current that coursed through her belly. The medicine’s effects surged forth, and she had no time to protest before she sat cross-legged to absorb its power.

Chen Xiang nodded in satisfaction—this was as it should be.

Now, the question was how to find the millennium-old Frost Marrow and an extremely cold region. He stroked his chin, pondering. Since he was in no hurry to reach the imperial capital and had no particular goal, helping Qiner regain her looks would make a fine purpose—and the journey would surely be exciting.

“System, can I buy millennium-old Frost Marrow from you?” Chen Xiang asked.

“Yes!” came the reply.

“How much?”

“Millennium-old Frost Marrow: 10,000 reputation points.”

“Are you robbing me?” Chen Xiang shouted again.

Li Qiner’s brow furrowed, but she quickly steadied her mind, determined not to make another mistake.

Chen Xiang was indignant—ten thousand reputation points for Frost Marrow? Was he supposed to save up for a year, drip by drip? He only had just over a thousand points in total. What good was a century-old Frost Marrow anyway?

“Fine. Tell me, where can I find millennium-old Frost Marrow?” Chen Xiang gritted his teeth.

“Millennium-old Frost Marrow is found in the Valley of Frozen Ice within the extremely cold lands, where millennium-old ice gathers. Every ten thousand years, each block of ancient ice produces a single drop of Frost Marrow,” the system answered.

Chen Xiang burst out laughing. “So the Frost Marrow is in the extremely cold lands? If I find the Frost Marrow, I’ll have found the extremely cold region as well!”

Oh, right—there was also the Ice Rejuvenation Pill.

“System, do you sell the Ice Rejuvenation Pill?”

“Yes!”

“How much?”

“Ice Rejuvenation Pill: 3,000 reputation points.”

Chen Xiang’s mouth twitched at the price. Damn it all!

“System reminder: it is recommended that the host purchase the Ice Rejuvenation Pill recipe—for just five hundred reputation points!”

“Tell me honestly, are you trying to swindle me out of my reputation points?” Chen Xiang demanded, sensing a real problem.

“This system’s prices are fair and just, never deceiving the consumer. The host may rest assured,” the system replied.

Chen Xiang was speechless.

“Fine, I’ll buy it!” he grumbled.

This system was out to fleece him!

“To be continued…”