"R-Really? Is that okay?"
Jiu Lingyun looked up, her clear eyes filled with longing. But just as quickly, she shook her head and said, "Then I'll... think about it..."
She didn't agree right away. She didn't even know Yi Tianyun's name, so how could she possibly accept immediately?
This surprised An Ling and the others. Anyone else would have accepted in a heartbeat, so why would she need to consider it?
Yi Tianyun instantly guessed her thoughts and asked softly, "Is it because of your little brother?"
"You... how did you know?"
Jiu Lingyun's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You said it yourself earlier. Weren't you trying to save some silver taels for your brother?"
Yi Tianyun immediately figured out the reason. He could tell from her tattered clothes that her family wasn't well-off. Her reluctance to leave must be because she had to take care of her brother.
"Y-Yes... I can't just abandon my little brother, so for now... I'm sorry, Young Master."
Jiu Lingyun clutched the corner of her clothes, torn between her desire to go and her worry for her brother.
"DING! Do you wish to accept the quest 'Help Jiu Lingyun's Brother'? Completion Reward: 1,000 Experience Value, +50 Jiu Lingyun Favorability, +5 Virtue Value."
Another quest had just popped up. They seemed to be coming one after another. The reward was a bit ordinary, though.
Yi Tianyun could guess why the reward was so low. It was a relatively common quest, a side quest, so it was only natural for the payout to be smaller.
'Huh? There's a Virtue Value?'
He took a quick look at his Attributes and froze. A "Virtue Value" had actually appeared in his attribute bar! He had been so focused on Liu Li before that he hadn't paid any attention to this thing. Only now did he realize such a stat existed.
Player: Yi Tianyun
Level: 12 (Spirit Refining Stage, Second Layer)
Experience Value: 5820/50000
Madness Value: 670 points
Virtue Value: 5
Cultivation Technique: North Nether Divine Technique
Skills: Star Absorption Technique, Eagle Claw Technique, Falling Feather Sword Technique, Floating Cloud Step
Weapon: Frost Fist
Armor: Snow Wolf Battle Boots, Celestial God Armor
Divine Skills: Madness Mode, Luck Aura
Mastery: Divine Rune, Forging, Array, Alchemy
As he inspected it, the effect of Virtue Value was displayed.
Virtue Value: Increases Luck Level. The higher the Virtue, the luckier one becomes. Can be applied to anything.
'It seems doing good deeds can increase my Virtue Value. I just don't know how much of a boost these few points will give me.'
Yi Tianyun thought for a moment. 'If I have a decent Virtue Value and then activate my Luck Aura, the effect would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced.'
"I'll accept it!"
Yi Tianyun accepted the quest immediately, then smiled at Jiu Lingyun. "Then bring your little brother along. Merak Palace can take one more person."
An Ling and the others were taken aback but said nothing. Accepting one more person wasn't a big deal; it just meant another person to do odd jobs.
"Really?! Is that possible?!" Jiu Lingyun exclaimed in delight.
"Yes, but first, we're going to buy a few things," Yi Tianyun told her.
"Th-Then I'll wait for you outside."
Jiu Lingyun said, "I can't go in. People from the slums... aren't allowed inside."
The Celestial Phoenix Tower did not welcome people from the slums. The residents of the slums had no money, so there was no point in them entering. Even if they came to sell Spirit Medicine, the tower didn't want them inside.
It was mainly because they looked so dirty, and the Spirit Medicines they brought in were mediocre at best, only fetching a dozen or so silver taels. They were of no real value.
Therefore, to enter, one had to change into nice clothes and dress up a bit. This was impossible for them, as the cost was not small. Their only option was to ask someone else for help and then pay them a few silver taels as a reward.
"With me here, you are the most honored guest. No one will dare to touch you!" Yi Tianyun said in a deep voice.
Jiu Lingyun looked into his eyes and finally gave a light nod. She had never been inside the Celestial Phoenix Tower before, so she really wanted to go in.
Yi Tianyun led Jiu Lingyun toward the Celestial Phoenix Tower. Just as they stepped inside, a guard to the side blocked their path, staring at them coldly.
"I'm sorry, we don't welcome people from the slums here."
The guard had a powerful aura. His cultivation was around the fifth layer of the Body Refining Stage. To serve as a guard here proved that this place was no ordinary establishment.
"She's with me. Is there a problem with me bringing her in?"
Yi Tianyun's gaze turned cold as he forcefully pressed forward. The two guards' pupils shrank. The imposing aura forced them to take a step back, a chill running down their spines. This presence was far stronger than theirs.
"N-No problem. P-Please, come in..."
Cold sweat beaded on the guard's forehead as he gestured for Yi Tianyun to enter.
With such a powerful Cultivator bringing her in, they naturally didn't dare to obstruct him in the slightest. The rule against people from the slums wasn't an absolute ban; it was just because they were seen as unable to spend much money.
Now that a Cultivator was vouching for her, they wouldn't block them. After all, if a big spender brought someone in, there surely wouldn't be any trouble.
Besides, while Jiu Lingyun had no money and her clothes were a bit plain, they were immaculately clean. They were just faded from washing, without a single speck of dirt. There was even a faint, fresh scent about her. It was the fragrance of wildflowers, apparently added to her bathwater.
"I-I'm really inside..."
Jiu Lingyun was extremely nervous. It was her first time in a place like this, and she was terrified of breaking something. With her current means, she could never afford to pay for any damages.
"What do you want to buy?" Yi Tianyun asked.
"I don't need anything, I'm just looking..."
She shook her head. Everything around them was expensive, starting at a hundred taels at least. The most she had ever seen was a few dozen silver taels, let alone several hundred. The moment she saw the prices, she was too intimidated to speak.
Yi Tianyun didn't say anything and led her on a tour of the floor, but he didn't see any high-quality materials.
He then went up to the second floor. After they had looked around for a while, he noticed Jiu Lingyun's gaze fixed on a bottle of Elixir Pills. But when she saw the price, the hopeful light in her eyes immediately dimmed.
He easily caught this detail and glanced over. The Elixir Pills were called "Antitoxic Pills," which, as the name suggested, were used to cure poison. However, the price was exorbitant, as high as a thousand taels. No wonder she didn't dare to ask about it; that amount of money could last someone for decades.
"Do you want this?" Yi Tianyun asked, pointing at the Elixir Pills.
"I..."
She hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind and nodded firmly. "I... I want these Elixir Pills. I want to borrow some money to buy them..."
"What do you need these Elixir Pills for?" Yi Tianyun inquired.
"My little brother has been poisoned. His legs are paralyzed. I heard that these Antitoxic Pills can cure him, so I wanted to buy them for him."
A hopeful light flickered in her clear eyes. All her thoughts were for her brother.
"Alright. Take me to see your brother later. I'll help treat him. If all he needs is this Antitoxic Pill, then I can cure him," Yi Tianyun said with a smile.
"Can you really do that?!" Jiu Lingyun was thrilled.
Beside them, An Ling and Qin Xue exchanged a glance, both feeling puzzled. Yi Tianyun could heal injuries too?
"No problem. Once we're done here, we'll get started," Yi Tianyun nodded.
Just as he was about to lead them to purchase materials, a familiar voice rang in his ears. "Why is someone from the slums in here? Has the Celestial Spirit Tower really fallen this far? How unlucky!"
When Yi Tianyun turned his head, he saw a familiar face—Master Kong!
Enemies are destined to meet, as the saying goes. And here he was, having really run into Master Kong.