This room was lined with shelves, neatly displaying sample ores, each with a corresponding price tag beneath it.

But what truly held Zhong Shenxiu’s attention was not the ore on the shelves; he walked straight to a corner, his eyes fixed on two dusty pieces of ore left unattended, bearing no price tags.

These two stones were milky white, each about the size of half a football.

“How much?” Zhong Shenxiu asked, pointing at the two strangely shaped ores.

Yale blinked, surprised that Zhong Shenxiu ignored the superior ores and instead focused on these two seemingly useless stones. He had assessed them before; they held no value for refining artifacts, only serving as decorative stones due to their color.

And in this world, beautiful stones were a dime a dozen, so no one ever inquired about these two.

It was precisely because of this neglect that Yale had eventually forgotten them in the corner; had Zhong Shenxiu not asked, these ores might have sat there indefinitely.

“You want to buy them?” Yale asked in astonishment.

Zhong Shenxiu simply nodded without answering.

“If you really want them, two silver coins will do!” Yale said after a moment’s thought. After all, the ores were given to him freely, and he didn't wish to cheat Zhong Shenxiu.

This reply stunned Zhong Shenxiu; he hadn't expected the owner to ask for so little, so astonishingly little!

“How many more of these stones do you have?” Zhong Shenxiu asked calmly, though his heart was far from settled.

“Just these two!” Yale gave an answer that greatly disappointed Zhong Shenxiu.

Zhong Shenxiu shot Robin a look, and Robin understood, quickly handing the money to Yale and tucking the two ores away.

Then Zhong Shenxiu asked again, “Where did you obtain these two pieces of ore?”

Yale’s expression visibly faltered. He truly couldn't fathom why this young boy was so fixated on these particular stones. Could they be precious?

He was, in fact, correct. Although these ores were inferior to high-grade immortal stones in the cultivation world, they were precisely what Zhong Shenxiu needed most, as they were the material for forging the "Storage Bracelets"!

While these two pieces were small, they were just enough to forge two bracelets. This was only achievable because of Zhong Shenxiu; any ordinary artifact refining master would rejoice at successfully making even one!

After his momentary surprise, Yale replied blandly, “Someone gifted them to me; I don’t know the specifics, but I heard such ore is only found in the ‘Summer Star Empire’!”

Zhong Shenxiu asked no further, knowing that pressing the issue would be useless; Yale’s expression suggested he knew very little.

Considering Yale’s decent character, Zhong Shenxiu purchased several other ores from him before leaving. However, to Yale’s puzzlement, all the ores Zhong Shenxiu bought were ones he considered low-grade and useless!

Watching Zhong Shenxiu and his group finally depart, Andrew on the side let out a long sigh of relief. Yet, he was deeply curious: why was the boy always interested in seemingly worthless ores? The ones he took last time were the same. What on earth was he using them for?

“Andrew, what’s wrong with you? You’ve looked strange since the beginning!” Yale asked curiously at that moment.

Andrew did not want to reveal his embarrassment to Yale, so he merely warned him, “Yale, you must never make a bet with those two children again!”

.

Meanwhile, far away from the trading post, Zhong Shenxiu and the others.

At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu was urgently seeking a place to quickly refine the Storage Bracelets, as he had been enduring the ‘lack of space’ for a long time! Finding lodging thus became the group’s immediate priority!

When Cheri heard they were looking for a place to stay, she enthusiastically offered, “Come to my house! I have so many empty rooms!” Whether this action could be called inviting a wolf into the fold was debatable.

To Cheri’s surprise, Zhong Shenxiu actually agreed!

Cheri’s home was vast, a truly luxurious manor, indicating her family was quite wealthy—if not outright magnates, then certainly established nobility!

“Miss Cheri, you’re back!” As Cheri entered, a house servant greeted her.

Cheri simply smiled and nodded, then turned to Zhong Shenxiu and the others, “Come in, we’ve arrived!”

At this moment, the group including Charlotte was curiously taking in their surroundings, their expressions shifting to surprise as they watched the busy servants.

Cheri led the way, winding through corridors and courtyards until they stopped before a secluded little yard.

“If you don’t mind, you can stay here!” Cheri said with a smile.

“Cheri, thank you so much!” Kayni expressed her gratitude with a gentle smile, her demeanor exuding mature grace.

“Don’t mention it!” Cheri replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

And so, Zhong Shenxiu and his companions temporarily settled in.

The courtyard was serene,

filled with various flowers and plants, creating an atmosphere of quiet elegance! There were numerous empty rooms in the small courtyard—six or seven in total—more than enough for each of Zhong Shenxiu’s group to have their own room.

Zhong Shenxiu casually chose a room and immediately went inside to begin forging the “Storage Bracelets”!

Robin stood guard outside the door to prevent any interruptions.

Cheri seemed aware of Zhong Shenxiu’s habits and quickly instructed the servants not to enter this courtyard without cause.

After sorting out the accommodation for Charlotte and the others, Cheri took them on a tour of the surroundings. Only Zhong Shenxiu and Robin did not join them.

Norven sat bored in the attic to rest. If it weren't for his father, Bivius’s, strict orders, he wouldn't have returned for the summer vacation at all; the house was simply too dull.

Norven was Cheri’s second older brother; he was still a student, though not in this city!

He had been home for several days now, and the longer he stayed, the more tedious it became. Compared to the ‘Capital City,’ everything here seemed uninteresting.

If only he could find some excitement or novelty, but after roaming around for so many days, nothing had managed to capture his interest. The only thing that piqued his curiosity was teasing his younger sister, Cheri, but Cheri often went out and paid no attention to her bored older brother!

Norven even began wishing his eldest brother were home; at least there would be someone to talk to!

Just as Norven was bored enough to start counting his fingers, his eyes suddenly brightened, as he spotted his sister’s figure. What was even more novel to him was that following Cheri were several strangers!

This immediately piqued Norven’s interest, like a person suffering from an addiction suddenly taking opium. He bounded down the attic steps, covering the distance quickly!

“Little sister, you’re back!” Norven called out from a distance.

Cheri stopped, watching the feigning-calm Norven approach. As she paused, Charlotte and the others also stopped and looked in Norven’s direction.

Norven instinctively paused. At first, he had only seen a silhouette, but now he noticed that each of the accompanying women was sexier and more beautiful than the last.

“Second Brother, let me introduce you; these are my friends!” Cheri said, making brief introductions between the two parties.

“Hello!” Kayni was the first to greet them.

Looking at Kayni’s soul-stealing smile, Norven almost lost himself! Although he had seen countless beauties at the academy, he had never encountered such a captivating older sister figure!

“Hello, welcome to my home!” Norven adopted a polite and courteous expression.

Subsequently, Charlotte and the others greeted him as well, though their expressions were rather reserved.

“Second Brother, you should attend to your own business; I’m taking them for a look around!” As Cheri turned to leave, she seemed to remember something and added, “Oh, right, Brother, you’d best not go to the ‘Fengshao Courtyard’ these few days! And if you see two children, it’s best not to provoke them!”

Huh?

Norven was completely bewildered by Cheri’s rapid-fire instructions. What did she mean by “don’t go to those two children”?

What was she talking about??

Norven wanted to ask for clarification, but by the time he reacted, his sister and the group including Kayni had already walked far away!

He considered chasing after them but didn't want to give Kayni and the others the impression of being clingy, so he restrained himself.

The excitement that had just flared up seemed instantly extinguished, vanished as if doused by a bucket of cold water!

As Norven stood there, unsure of what to do next, he recalled Cheri’s recent caution.

“Fengshao Courtyard”? “Two children”?? Could there be some secret hidden there???

Norven’s curiosity was reignited. Disregarding Cheri’s warning, he strode toward the “Fengshao Courtyard” with brisk steps!

Cheri’s home contained many separate, small courtyards, each bearing a unique name. This “Fengshao Courtyard” was one of them, and it was precisely the courtyard where Zhong Shenxiu and his group were staying!

Not long after, Norven arrived at the entrance of the “Fengshao Courtyard.” Although Cheri had instructed the servants not to let anyone enter casually, they wouldn't dare stop Norven!

Norven entered the small courtyard with a sense of anticipation. The next moment, he froze. To his utter surprise, there were indeed children here—and one was a very adorable little girl!

What was going on? What trick was Cheri playing???

Norven’s mind was filled with questions, but paradoxically, he grew more excited; at last, he wouldn't have to endure boredom anymore!

They say curiosity killed the cat—whether that saying holds true or not remains to be seen!

Norven smiled and approached Robin, then spoke in a coaxing tone meant for a child, “Little sister, what’s your name? Why are you sitting here all alone?”

However, Robin merely shot him a dismissive glance, completely ignoring him. To know what happens next...