I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 159 - 157: Figurines (Part 1)

After not feeling the terrifying pressure from behind anymore, Chu Yunyi finally put Li Xing down and looked at her, both amused and exasperated.

"I haven’t seen the Ninth Granduncle this angry in years. Aren’t you afraid he’ll strike you down with a single blow?"

Li Xing shrugged. "Isn’t there still you?"

"The Ninth Granduncle’s martial arts skills are no less than the Baili Ancestor’s. If he’s determined to kill you, I can’t stop him."

Chu Baili ranked among the top three in combat among the Ten Elders, and the grey-clad elder was actually his equal, truly a formidable figure. Li Xing touched her nose. Alright, she admitted, she was indeed a bit scared now.

"There are two types of Tower Guardians in the Heaven-Reaching Tower. One is Elemental Spirits who have committed serious crimes. They are selected by the Elder Council for their excellent aptitude and abilities, spared from capital punishment, and sent into the tower as Tower Guardians, never allowed to leave for life."

"The other type is like the Ninth Granduncle, who voluntarily enters the tower to serve the Thirty-Six Sages’ relics. Those who volunteer must donate all their personal assets to the Elder Council for the maintenance and repair of the tower."

"So, even if you accuse the Ninth Granduncle of dereliction of duty, it’s more believable than saying he’s embezzling funds."

"Ah? I didn’t know..."

Li Xing felt uneasy. If she went back in to repay the money now, would the old man beat her to death?

Seeing Li Xing’s guilt, Chu Yunyi comforted her:

"All the profits from the facilities inside the tower are used for the tower’s daily maintenance and repairs. The Heaven-Reaching Tower was built by the Thirty-Six Sages, symbolizing supreme divine power, and is the spiritual pillar of the Qianyuan people. Unless there’s a significant discrepancy, people generally don’t ask for change. The extra money is just considered a contribution to the tower."

"With so many people coming and going daily, the star coin flow exceeds tens of millions. Your few thousand really doesn’t matter. If you feel bad about it, you can make it up the next time you enter the tower."

Li Xing nodded. It seemed that was the only way now.

"Ah Xing, I used half of the Southern Celestial Eye, and there’s still a lot left, here you go."

What Chu Yunyi called "a lot" seemed like eggshell fragments to Li Xing, as if a slight breeze could blow them away. She really didn’t want to put them into her Spiritual Pendant again.

"These refining materials are useless for me; I’m giving them to you."

Chu Yunyi gazed at the Southern Celestial Eye in his hand, momentarily dazed.

"Ah Xing, I did mention before, the Southern Celestial Eye is very expensive. If taken to auction, it’s worth at least several million. Are you sure you’re giving this to me?"

Li Xing nodded. "I’m sure."

Chu Yunyi truly couldn’t understand Li Xing. She could challenge Heaven Rank experts over three thousand star coins while remaining calm and gifting rare materials worth millions. Should he call her a miser or generous?

"You... why..." Chu Yunyi didn’t even know how to structure his question, but fortunately Li Xing, understanding, had already grasped it.

"Although the Southern Celestial Eye is pricey, it came to me without any effort on my part. If it can be more useful in your hands, I’m happy to do a good deed. But every tiny bit of money in my account is earned through blood, sweat, and tears — from Alchemy and Engraving Talisman, working overtime. Wasting even a cent would break my heart."

This answer, very much like Li Xing.

Chu Yunyi felt he laughed more today from the heart than he had in the first half of his life combined: "Ah Xing, you’re truly an interesting person. In that case, I won’t be polite with you. I’ll accept the Southern Celestial Eye. To show my gratitude, how about I treat you to a meal?"

"Great! There’s a restaurant I’ve wanted to go to for a long time, but it’s too pricey. I’ve never brought myself to go. With someone treating today, I must eat until I’m full, hahaha!"

The two put on their masks again and headed to the restaurant.

After enjoying a sumptuous lunch, Li Xing felt life was really wonderful. It would be even better if the Eternal Green Technique had no bone age limit and she didn’t have to work hard for advancement.

After leaving the restaurant, the two walked down the street, mainly because Li Xing needed to digest from eating too much.

Suddenly, Li Xing was drawn by an item in the window display and pulled Chu Yunyi into the shop.

The shop was filled with young people, mainly in their teens and twenties. The shelves displayed various exquisite handcrafted figurines and dolls. The most prominent spot featured merchandise from the military academy tournament teams. There were capsule toys, cards, models, clothing, and more - the variety was extensive, and the prices were shockingly high, beyond Li Xing’s expectations.

Among the merchandise, the figurines were the most popular. In just a few minutes of Li Xing entering, several had already been sold. Li Xing found her own figurine and checked the price tag, nodding in satisfaction.

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed shop assistant, dressed elegantly as a maid, walked gracefully over to Li Xing and softly said:

"You’ve got a good eye, Miss. The Li Xing figurine is our store’s second best-seller. The current stock is sold out, and it’s now in pre-sale. If you pay in full now, we will deliver it to you in a week."

"Second best?" Li Xing was a bit dissatisfied. "Who’s the first?"

Blushing, the shop assistant’s voice unconsciously revealed sweetness: "Of course, it’s the Chu Yunyi figurine. Almost every doll player in Qianyuan has one."

Li Xing elbowed Chu Yunyi behind her and sneakily gave him a thumbs-up.

However, Chu Yunyi didn’t appreciate this infamous honor at all. If it weren’t for the fact that making personal merchandise was a mandatory tournament condition, he wouldn’t allow his likeness to be bought and played with by numerous perverts, no matter the royalty fee.

Thankfully, the figurine’s facial details were mask-treated. This means although the costume, body shape, and hairstyle instantly identified him, the face was generic and indistinguishable beneath a standard mask, bearing no unique resemblance to the real person.

Li Xing leaned over to the shop assistant’s ear and whispered: "Miss, can you tell me how many Li Xing figurines have been sold?"

"Um... this question is a business secret, I’m afraid I can’t disclose it."

Not being able to find out won’t do! Before the tournament, she signed a contract stating that for every Li Xing figurine sold, she’d earn half the retail price as profit. She needed to know how many Crystal Stones this money could exchange for!

Seeing how the beauty earlier showed affection when mentioning Chu Yunyi, undoubtedly making her a "Yun girlfriend", it was time to unleash a human-shaped magic treasure!

"Miss, to be honest, I’m Li Xing, and this—" Li Xing grabbed Chu Yunyi, who sensed danger and was trying to escape, and pushed him before the shop assistant, continuing: "This is Chu Yunyi. We both really want to know our figurine sales. Could you possibly make an exception?"

Chu Yunyi embodied resistance all over: No, only you want to know, I don’t want to at all!

The shop assistant found it hard to believe her idol would appear in such an absurd manner, scrutinizing Chu Yunyi from head to toe, her eyes full of doubt.

Admittedly, this person’s body did resemble Chu Yunyi’s, yet the hairstyle seemed off, not to mention why would Chu Yunyi be with Li Xing?

Seeing the shop assistant’s disbelief, Li Xing swiftly lifted and lowered his mask. Although it was just a moment, the clerk glimpsed the face that could make her swoon even in her dreams.