Chapter 141: Insufficient Funds
"A hundred gold coins..."
Su Tianhao repeated the figure quietly, brows furrowing with disappointment. Only then did he realize he had been too optimistic. Even after selling every herb in his possession, he still wouldn't have enough to acquire what he needed to repair Blood Grin's spatial ring.
'Currently, I don't even know exactly how much I need—but one thousand six hundred gold coins won't do it,' he thought. He didn't know the precise cost, but instinct told him clearly enough.
"Hey, boy. Are you selling or not?" Lu Qingran's flat voice cut through his thoughts.
"Yes—I'm selling," Su Tianhao quickly said, as if afraid the offer might disappear.
"Good," Lu Qingran said calmly.
With a casual wave, the herbs vanished from the table and into his spatial ring. In return, gold coins fell out one by one until a hundred lay piled on the surface, glinting under the light.
Su Tianhao's expression remained neutral as he retrieved his storage pouch and swept the coins inside without a word—neither satisfaction nor disappointment on his face.
"You don't look happy, Young Master Tianhao," Lan Er said, a note of concern in her voice.
Su Tianhao smiled bitterly. "I was planning to acquire a list of materials. I thought selling those herbs would be enough. Turns out I was wrong."
"What materials are you looking for?" Lu Qingran asked, his tone sharpening slightly.
Su Tianhao glanced at him. After a brief hesitation, he said, "I can't say directly—but I can write them down."
Lu Qingran nodded and turned to his attendant. "Lan Er. Paper and pen for Young Master Tianhao."
She gave a respectful bow before stepping away.
With her gone, only the two of them remained at the counter. The silence that followed stretched long—each second feeling heavier than the last.
"Looks like you've gotten stronger again," Lu Qingran said, breaking the silence.
Su Tianhao blinked. "What?"
Only one thought moved through his mind—'How does he know?'—his cultivation base was fully suppressed behind the Silent Pulse.
Lu Qingran smiled knowingly. "You don't have to be surprised. I can't see your cultivation base—but that doesn't mean I can't tell the difference."
"What are you talking about?" Su Tianhao asked, frowning.
"You've concealed your aura and spiritual energy flow, yes. But your presence has undergone a massive change since I last saw you," Lu Qingran said, eyes narrowing. "That kind of change only happens when one undergoes a major breakthrough—or a profound transformation."
Su Tianhao's heart shook.
Lu Qingran's gaze sharpened further, studying him like a piece of rare treasure. In that moment, Su Tianhao felt as though his entire existence had been laid bare.
"From the looks of it," Lu Qingran continued, voice low and even, "you went through both. A major breakthrough and a profound transformation."
His eyes gleamed. "If I'm not wrong—you've broken through to the Martial Adept Realm. And your complexion is the result of a body transformation you underwent alongside it."
Su Tianhao was speechless.
Not only had he guessed the cultivation correctly, but he had connected the complexion change directly to the Untainted Body—a transformation Su Tianhao had indeed undergone.
'Not even the family council saw through me like this,' he thought, wariness rising in his chest.
'This man... I underestimated him. In terms of perception, he surpasses even the Fourth Elder.'
The vastness of the cultivation world pressed against him in that moment—a reminder that for every great mountain, there was always a higher one beyond it.
'Silent Pulse alone isn't enough to keep a low profile. From now on, I'll need to be more careful.'
Fortunately, Lu Qingran showed no malicious intent. But if this had been someone with ill intentions, they wouldn't have hesitated to pursue his secrets.
Su Tianhao glanced at Lu Qingran again, a new respect flickering behind his guarded eyes. A month ago, this same man had seen through him—forcing him to take precautions and comprehend the Shrouded Dragon Veil. He had mastered it since then, even reaching Great Success. And yet, because he had let his guard slip, he had been read again just as easily.
"Judging by your expression, I'd say I'm correct," Lu Qingran said, a confident smile playing at his lips—eyes flickering with curiosity and something like delight.
It unsettled Su Tianhao further. Fortunately, Lan Er returned at that moment, drawing Lu Qingran's attention away.
"Here it is, Master Lu," she said respectfully, setting the pen and paper on the desk.
Without waiting, Su Tianhao immediately pulled them toward himself.
"Thank you," he said—genuinely. Not just for the writing materials, but for the timing of her arrival. Another moment under Lu Qingran's piercing gaze and he might have simply walked out.
Noticing the sincerity in his tone, Lan Er's face flushed crimson.
'He really is different from the other young masters,' she thought.
Su Tianhao was entirely oblivious to her thought. His attention had already shifted completely to the paper in front of him. The pen moved fast—almost blurring, word after word appearing in quick succession, as if he couldn't bear to stay another moment longer than necessary.
Lu Qingran watched in quiet amusement. Lan Er could only wonder at the pace.
BAM!
Su Tianhao slapped the paper down on the desk, the sheet rustling from the impact.
"Here," he said, catching his breath as though he'd been running.
"That was fast," Lu Qingran said, collecting the paper calmly. His eyes sharpened as they swept the contents.
"Inscription brush, spirit thread, sealing liquid, spiritual essence dust..." His expression shifted slightly. "These are all expensive materials used in inscription work. What do you need them for?"
"What I need them for doesn't matter. What matters is the price," Su Tianhao said evenly.
Lu Qingran narrowed his eyes but didn't press further.
"You didn't specify the grade of each material, so I can't give you an exact figure," he said flatly, eyes still studying Su Tianhao's face with that steady, calculating intensity.
This time, Su Tianhao held his ground—expression locked, nothing leaking through.
"The lowest grade will do. Just tell me the price," he said.
Lu Qingran nodded. "Low-grade cuts the cost considerably. But I'll warn you—the success rate for inscription work with low-grade materials is very low."
"You don't have to tell me that," Su Tianhao said quietly. "Besides—I'm not the one doing it. I'm acquiring them for someone else."
The words were a deliberate misdirection. But Su Tianhao applied the same principle he had used before the family council—threading just enough truth into the lie to make it hold. Even Lu Qingran's perception found no seam to catch.
"If you say so," he said, letting it go.
"How much in total?" Su Tianhao asked. His voice was calm, but genuine anticipation stirred carefully beneath it.
Lu Qingran ran through the list again, eyes gleaming with quiet calculation.
"Low-grade cuts the price down a notch," he said, raising one finger. "The inscription brush is the most expensive item on this list—even at the lowest grade, it costs one thousand gold coins. No more, no less."
"One thousand gold coins?!" Su Tianhao's composure cracked just slightly.
'One thousand gold coins,' he repeated inwardly. 'That's the cost of a high-grade mortal rank weapon. A low-grade inscription brush commands the same value? Absurd.'
"Calm down," Lu Qingran said, unbothered. "That's simply how it is."
"Master Lu is right," Lan Er added gently. "Professional tools can't be measured against common goods—their value comes from the profit they generate in skilled hands."
"I see," Su Tianhao murmured, composing himself.
"And the rest?"
"The spirit thread, sealing liquid, and spiritual essence dust each run between five and seven hundred gold coins. The remaining items are minor materials." Lu Qingran paused. "Total comes to around five thousand gold coins."
"Five thousand gold coins."
The words sat heavy in his throat.
'I only have one thousand six hundred gold coins right now. I'll have to wait until tomorrow—after selling those pill recipes—before I can buy any of this,' he thought, the bitterness showing faintly on his face before he could stop it.
"Short on money," Lu Qingran observed, a smile crossing his face that made his sharp features look almost warm.
Su Tianhao shot him a guarded glance. 'What is he thinking now?'
"How about this," Lu Qingran said casually. "I'll cover the materials. You don't have to pay me back."
Even Lan Er blinked at that. It was deeply unusual coming from him.
"No," Su Tianhao said without hesitation. "I'll come back tomorrow."
He was currently settling every debt he owed—he wasn't about to add a new one to the list.
"Why the hurry?" Lu Qingran said, voice easy and unhurried. "I promise—no ulterior motives."
His tone was so genuinely disarming that even Lan Er was moved.
"Master Lu is being sincere," she said, looking at Su Tianhao with quiet conviction. "He rarely shows generosity like this. Please don't turn it away."
Su Tianhao studied Lu Qingran's eyes directly—searching for any trace of falsity.
As the saying goes—the eyes are the window to the soul.
He found nothing. Lu Qingran's words were genuine. But genuine or not, Su Tianhao wasn't someone who took chances.
"I'll accept," he said finally, "but I'm paying you back first thing tomorrow morning."
"No problem," Lu Qingran said calmly, turning to Lan Er and passing her the paper. "Everything on that list for Young Master Tianhao."
"With pleasure," she said with a smile, turning to go.
Lu Qingran looked back at Su Tianhao. "How about a cup of tea while we wait?"
"Another time," Su Tianhao said, already rising from his seat. "I'll go with her."
And without waiting for a reply, he was gone—following after Lan Er in long, deliberate strides.
Lu Qingran watched until he disappeared. Then, slowly, a knowing smile curved his lips.
"Interesting boy," he murmured to himself, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement. "Far more cautious than I expected. But that just makes you all the more intriguing."