The male cultivator, whom Lin Yinyin called Senior Brother Song, took a few sips of water, as if he had finally made up his mind.

“Yinyin,” he said earnestly, “I’ve already excavated the core containing the spirit ore. You take it and refine it.”

“Ah? How could I possibly accept this?” Lin Yinyin exclaimed, her eyes widening. “This spirit ore was painstakingly mined by you over five whole days! What will you do if I take it?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been lucky lately. I noticed another potential mining spot over there—I feel like I can dig up even more spirit ore in just a few days.”

“No, no way! Here’s what we’ll do, Senior Brother Song. I’ll take this spirit ore to refine it. I estimate it will yield at least ten low-grade Spirit Stones. I’ll take just a few of them—just to share in your good fortune. Oh, and yesterday I saw a mining pick that can sense Geng Metal energy. I’m going to buy it and give it to you as a gift. That way, we can mine together and accumulate even more Spirit Stones!”

Hearing Lin Yinyin’s soft, sweet voice, Senior Brother Song became even more agitated with excitement.

Sister Yinyin is truly so considerate! She’s even buying me a new mining pick! Thinking about how we’ll be able to use the same pick to mine together makes me feel our bond growing even closer.

He had finally managed to enter this mine, intending to save up enough Spirit Stones to advance his cultivation. After months of hard work, it seemed all his efforts had amounted to nothing. Yet, whenever he thought of Sister Yinyin’s smiles and glances, he felt that finding such a cultivation partner made it all worthwhile!

With that resolved, Senior Brother Song chipped the spirit ore free from the rock and handed it to Lin Yinyin.

“I’m off to exchange this for Spirit Stones now, Senior Brother. Please wait for me!”

As he watched Lin Yinyin skip away, Senior Brother Song felt as though her delicate fragrance still lingered in the air. Yet, when he turned back to look at the now-empty mining pit, a faint pang of regret tugged at his heart.

At the Spirit Ore Refining Station.

One of the supervisors on duty was Zhao Jia.

Foundation Establishment, Third Level. Male. No cultivation partner.

He took great pride in his position. This mine was renowned throughout the surrounding hundred li. In the cultivation world, only those who paid the fee—or pulled strings through connections—were allowed to enter and mine.

The reason was simple: mining was incredibly profitable!

Anyone entering this mine had to turn over all their output to the refining station. The mine took eighty percent of the yield, leaving the remaining twenty percent for the miners.

Normally, a miner could produce around a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones per month, netting twenty after the cut. With extra effort or luck, even more was possible. Typically, an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator around the Shuiyun Sect earned less than ten low-grade stones per month. That was why so many people were eager to squeeze their way into this mine.

And Zhao Jia himself, so young yet already holding the position of Refining Supervisor, naturally enjoyed an exalted status.

The main reason, of course, was his grandfather—who owned this very spirit vein.

As a rich third-generation heir, he didn’t really need to be on duty every day. But recently…

“Yinyin, you’re here to refine ore again!” He spotted the pale yellow figure from afar and waved, flashing what he thought was a handsome, warm smile.

“Mn!” Lin Yinyin stepped forward, took out her spirit ore, and exhaled softly. “It’s Supervisor Zhao Jia again today—what a coincidence!”

She casually brushed her hair aside with practiced ease.

Zhao Jia took the spirit ore, deftly tossed it into the Spirit Furnace behind him, and pretended to inspect the ore while actually admiring Lin Yinyin. “The quality is quite good. You work so hard mining every day, yet your skin remains so fair. Clearly, you’re doing well with your Water Spirit Art practice!”

“I just want to support myself!” Lin Yinyin stuck out her tongue, then playfully flipped up the hem of her short skirt, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of her rounded thigh. “My legs are actually quite tan!”

Ha! The Water Spirit Art couldn’t possibly make one’s skin this fair. Her mother spent five low-grade Spirit Stones each month buying Spirit Pearls ground into powder for skincare!

Zhao Jia glanced at her thigh, feeling a sudden heat rise within him—a pure yet subtly sensual sensation that was almost too much to bear.

After a short chat, the furnace finished refining. Zhao Jia said, “This ore is excellent—it yielded fifty-eight Spirit Stones. Here are fifteen for you.”

“Ah! Senior Brother Zhao, did you miscalculate? There are Surveillance Arrays here!”

“It doesn’t matter. This vein belongs to my family. I still have some authority.”

“Haha! Thank you, Elder Brother Zhao Jia!”

Watching Lin Yinyin walk away, Zhao Jia secretly rejoiced. Although his previous attempt to invite Sister Yinyin to his grandfather’s birthday banquet had been rejected, this time she had agreed to accompany him to an auction!

Perfect timing to introduce her to the wider world. Sister Yinyin is wonderful in every way—except for her stubborn insistence on supporting herself rather than letting me take care of her.

Lin Yinyin, however, had her own worries.

Senior Brother Zhao’s advances have become too intense lately. I need to find a way to cool things down. It’s a pity, though—his family background is quite impressive. If only his grandfather didn’t have over a hundred other grandchildren, I might have seriously considered it.

As Lin Yinyin pondered these thoughts, she arrived at an open space nearby where dozens of stalls were scattered. Due to the spirit vein, the area had gradually developed into a small trading market.

“Spirit Stone Exchange – At a Loss”

An unassuming little stall caught Lin Yinyin’s attention. The cultivator sitting quietly behind it looked somewhat simple and honest—a middle-aged man.

Lin Yinyin had heard of him. His name was Zhang Xian.

He had arrived about a week ago, reportedly paying a considerable sum of low-grade Spirit Stones to gain entry through connections. Strangely, he hadn’t started mining at all. Instead, he’d set up this stall to trade Spirit Stones.

Logically speaking, the exchange rate for Spirit Stones of different attributes was usually fixed at one-to-one, with little fluctuation. Occasionally, a cultivator in urgent need of a particular attribute might offer ten stones for nine.

But Zhang Xian was different. When he first opened his stall, he offered ten stones for seven, accepting only Wood-attribute stones. It was said he exchanged nearly a hundred stones that very day, losing more than twenty in the process. And now, he was doing it again.

Either he is a fool or a gullible mark. Lin Yinyin, with her keen intuition, quickly gathered all the information about this man.

Zhang Xian. Male. Qi Refining, Fifth Level. Appears simple and honest, but his bone age is over a hundred years.

A complete failure in cultivation, yet wealthy. This man has secrets!

“How do I exchange Spirit Stones?” Lin Yinyin asked softly, leaning close to the stall.

“I urgently need Wood-attribute Spirit Stones. Seven Wood stones can be exchanged here for ten generic low-grade stones.”

Sure enough, here he is again. Such a lucrative deal can’t be missed. Lin Yinyin counted out thirteen stones from her pouch, and the man gave her twenty.

“These are the thirteen you exchanged, and here are seven extra as a gift.” The man handed over the stones. All of them were Water-attribute.

Lin Yinyin frowned slightly. This man speaks in such a strange manner!

Oh well, the Spirit Stones are already in my pocket. Hmph! How did he know I possess a Water Spirit Root? He must have noticed me long ago. Truly, this young lady is irresistibly charming.