Chapter 263: I Want It All!

Choose what?

Only children make choices; as an adult, of course I choose to have it all!

I want it all!

... Although Ren Yidao really wanted to say it so arrogantly.

But after glancing at the Long Sword at Li Qiushui's waist and feeling the stinging, half-smiling gaze of Li Fengyao behind him, Ren Yidao assessed the risks of saying that.

He decided it was better to endure for now.

Right, this is me retreating to advance.

It is a great strategic withdrawal!

Hmph, I'll let you be arrogant for a while longer! When the time comes, I will definitely make you pay the price for looking down on me! (Small-fry minion tone)

Rationalizing his behavior through mental victory, Ren Yidao showed no signs of anything unusual on the surface and smiled at Li Qiushui:

"Does Miss Li also need me to give you some advice?"

Li Qiushui did not answer, just looking at him quietly like that.

Uh...

And just as Ren Yidao felt a bit awkward from being ignored, Shi Xue's gloating voice drifted over faintly.

"Daoist, there is more than one Miss Li present; which one are you actually talking to?"

"You really should make it clear!"

After Shi Xue finished speaking with a pointed tone, she admired the expression on Ren Yidao's face.

Her mood right now could be accurately summarized in one word.

Refreshing!

Ren Yidao, you have a day like this too!

It's finally your turn to feel uncomfortable.

Even if she turned and left right now, even if she didn't get any treasures, Shi Xue felt she would have no regrets in her heart.

When someone falls into a well, you must throw stones, and you have to pick a big one!

But unfortunately, Shi Xue's wish was destined to vanish like a bubble.

After Ren Yidao finished listening to her mockery, not only did he not feel more pained, but his eyes lit up instead.

Ren Yidao blinked his eyes rapidly in a rhythmic pattern, sending back a series of grateful Morse code signals with his eyes.

【-——】 (Crazy blinking)

Shi Xue:???

Startled by Ren Yidao's sudden, inexplicable action, Shi Xue took a sharp step back.

"He, he, he, what did he just do?"

Recalling that rather impactful scene from before, Shi Xue felt like her whole being was not okay.

This Ren Yidao, was he... winking at me?

【Huhu used Wink, Shi Xue was charmed, the effect is unusual!】

【Shi Xue has fallen into confusion!】

Ren Yidao, who had cast the wink, had not considered at all what a massive impact this would have on Shi Xue's fragile heart.

If he could, he would want to applaud her loudly right now.

Well done!

You did well, you did so well!

Although Shi Xue's original intention was to muddy the waters further and watch Ren Yidao become even more embarrassed, due to her low skill level, it backfired instead.

Her interjection at this moment actually unintentionally provided an assist to Ren Yidao, giving him a way out.

Ren Yidao followed the flow, sliding right down the steps.

He paused for a moment, then realized:

"Oh... oh! So that's how it is, it was my oversight."

Then, Ren Yidao reined in his smile and said to Li Qiushui with a serious expression:

"Should I address you as Qiushui? Or Her Highness the Ninth Princess?"

Ren Yidao was already very handsome, and with his deliberate performance, his entire temperament changed abruptly.

Seeing Ren Yidao's rare seriousness, Li Qiushui's eyes brightened, and her brows even lifted slightly.

But Li Qiushui was unwilling to give in so easily; she composed her expression and gave a light hmph, pretending not to care.

"Hmph."

Although to outsiders her attitude still seemed very tough, the way she slightly turned her head away, not daring to look at him, made Ren Yidao happy inside.

A tsundere...

Although tsundere is already out of fashion, seeing one after such a long time still felt like a breath of fresh air.

Feeling uncomfortable all over from Ren Yidao's gaze, Li Qiushui said with feigned impatience:

"The address doesn't matter; call me whatever you like... either is fine, as you please."

After speaking, she even moved her feet unnaturally, stepping half a pace further away from Ren Yidao.

There was always a strange feeling that if he got close to her, something very terrible and awful might happen...

"Alright, then in that case, Qiushui, do you need to hear my suggestion?"

Upon hearing Ren Yidao call her name in a deep, affectionate voice, goosebumps rose on Li Qiushui's forearm.

But she did not show the strangeness in her heart, nodding with feigned toughness:

"Mm."

Taking in all her little movements, Ren Yidao laughed secretly in his heart and recommended with a straight face:

"If I were you, I would choose a sword."

"But I don't recommend you choose those thirteen Heaven Grade swords; although their grade is high enough and their power is strong, they may not necessarily be suitable for you."

Ren Yidao spoke eloquently, walked straight toward the Mysterious Grade area, rummaged through a pile of seemingly messily stacked weapons, and pulled out a pitch-black Iron Rod.

He handed the Iron Rod to Li Qiushui and said affirmatively:

"This is the one most suitable for you!"

Although she had arrived first and been cut in line by the younger sister of the latecomer, Li Fengyao did not seem to mind; she stared at the Iron Rod for a moment and asked curiously:

"What is this?"

"A Sword Embryo."

The one who answered this question was, surprisingly, the Ninth Princess who had always been at odds with the Second Prince.

She lost her composure, raised her hand, and snatched the Iron Rod from Ren Yidao's hand.

"Yes, that's right, it is indeed an unrefined Sword Embryo."

Ren Yidao was not at all surprised by Li Qiushui's loss of composure; he even felt her reaction was not intense enough.

"According to Wang Xiang's introduction, this is a Sword Embryo prepared by a great expert for his unborn granddaughter, which consumed a vast amount of time and heart's blood."

"It is only a pity that before the granddaughter was born, both her parents died in an accident. Upon hearing the tragic news, he was overcome with grief and indignation, fell into a state of being Fallen into Demon, and met a miserable end with his body destroyed and Dao dissipated, leaving behind only this semi-finished Sword Embryo that was not completely destroyed, which, after changing hands several times, finally fell into the hands of the Li Family."

"Although the material used is excellent, its original value was lowered because it was half-destroyed, but fortunately, it is extremely hard and can only be considered Mysterious Grade."

If it could have been crafted according to the original process, this Sword Embryo would have been at least a top-tier Heaven Grade Sword Embryo.

But now, it is nothing more than a large iron rod mixed with the desperate curse of a great expert on his deathbed, which can only be swung to smash people.

No matter how bold Ren Yidao was, he did not have the perverse hobby of making Li Qiushui play the role of the Monkey King.

"As for the reason I recommend it to you, I believe you have already felt it, so I won't explain further."

"I believe that once you have finished refining it, no one will understand this dust-covered Spirit Sword better than you."

That's right.

As long as one sees Li Qiushui's state at this moment, no one would doubt Ren Yidao's intentions.

Just as eager as Li Lingling, whose blood was stimulated to boil, Li Qiushui could not wait to start refining this Iron Rod!

Li Qiushui was currently sitting on the ground with her eyes closed and legs crossed, placing the Iron Rod horizontally across her legs, pressing her hands on both ends of the Iron Rod.

In Li Qiushui's mind, that thick, pitch-black Iron Rod looked completely different.

In her eyes, it was no longer a crude and ugly Iron Rod, but a Spirit Sword flashing with dazzling light!

Gradually, the Iron Rod on Li Qiushui's knees changed slightly, seeming to become soft and gradually shifting toward a certain shape.

Refining, and bestowing upon it its true mission.

The destiny of being a sword!

After confirming that Li Qiushui had entered meditation, Ren Yidao did not disturb her, but held his breath and moved to the side, handing the position of protector to Shi Xue, who was passing by.

Accomplishing the task and brushing off his clothes, hiding his merit and fame!

What is a master?

This is a master!

Just as Ren Yidao was feeling smug, Li Fengyao's voice sounded from behind.

"Daoist, having waited for so long, it should be Feng Yao's turn, right?"

Her eyes were full of resentment, as if blaming Ren Yidao, this heartless person, for forgetting her.

If Li Fengyao were a woman at this moment, Ren Yidao would be very excited.

But she was not, so...

He was even more excited!

It hardened!

Ren Yidao felt his fist harden!

Avoiding Li Fengyao's arm reaching for his shoulder without leaving a trace, Ren Yidao pretended to be thinking, while actually looking for an opportunity to escape.

"Although His Highness the Second Prince did not like my previous joke, I was actually somewhat serious."

"Even if you cannot wear that Armor, you can use it to trade with others for other treasures of the same grade; after all, judging solely by value, it is the most valuable item in this entire Treasury."

"Even if it really doesn't work out and no one trades with you, you can still take it to exchange for money!"

Ren Yidao's explanation was half-true and half-false, and while it sounded like he was still joking, Li Fengyao understood Ren Yidao's subtext:

He still suggested taking that Armor, and as for the confusion of outsiders—using these reasons to deal with them would be enough.

However, should she really do this...

Even if outsiders were half-believing, in the process of refining the item, there was no guarantee that some mishap wouldn't occur that would expose her true identity.

If she hadn't secretly tried it before and known that her disguise was not affected by the Array, she would never have voluntarily stepped half a step into this Treasury.

If it were before, Li Fengyao would never have attempted such a choice that carried the risk of exposure.

But after revealing her secret to another person, it seemed that a door to a new world had opened in her heart, and she had awakened a new hobby.

She had a strange impulse: she did not want to be exposed, yet she could not help but want to expose this secret in front of everyone.

This pressure of always worrying about being discovered had transformed into a kind of stimulating pleasure that could not be shared with outsiders.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Li Fengyao looked at Ren Yidao and shook her head with a bitter smile:

"Daoist has truly given Feng Yao a difficult problem."

Ren Yidao shrugged and spread his hands indifferently, indicating that he was innocent.

"Then otherwise, would His Highness the Second Prince like to give it up and choose something else?"

"No, since the Daoist puts it so reasonably, then I shall choose it."

Li Fengyao took a deep look at Ren Yidao, and she suddenly asked in a soft voice:

"His Highness the Second Prince... Heh, things have come to this, does Daoist still have to address Feng Yao so distantly?"

This unprovoked strike caused Ren Yidao's expression to shift; he hadn't grasped the meaning behind her words.

Is she wanting me to act more intimate with her?

Without waiting for Ren Yidao to provide an answer, she chuckled and turned to walk toward the Armor.

And after Li Fengyao had walked away, Ren Yidao heard a faint, teasing voice transmission ring out in his Heart Star.

She said:

【"In any case, Feng Yao thanks Foster Father for the guidance here."】

Ren Yidao raised an eyebrow, looked at Li Fengyao's back, moved his mouth, and muttered:

"... Heh, you're welcome."

Causing trouble is fun for a moment, but the aftermath is a crematorium.

Back in the illusion, Ren Yidao still couldn't control his habit of wanting to be a father, and he had bewitched that "Li Fengyao" into becoming his foster son as well...

Now, the retribution has arrived!

But Ren Yidao was actually not afraid.

Causing trouble for a moment is fun, causing trouble forever is always fun!

Since things have reached this point, he could only walk down this path to the end.

"A father for a day, a father for life! Little classmate Feng Yao, you better be prepared!"

Whether or not she calls him father on ordinary days doesn't matter, but at certain specific times and places, this title has quite considerable extra bonuses.

Increased attack speed, increased critical hits, and a probability of reducing durability.

After arranging a bright future for the three of them, Ren Yidao gave up on Shi Xue, who seemed to have something on her mind, and prepared to seize the time to appraise the last of his remaining items.

But just as Ren Yidao was preparing to continue playing the sweeping monk to maintain his air of mystery, he froze.

"Eh?"

"Where is my Broom?"

Where did my huge Broom go?

This is the only bad thing about having one's Dharma Power suppressed: the perception of the outside world drops significantly.

Ren Yidao had already become accustomed to using his spiritual sense and Dharma Power as a means to perceive the outside world, and after losing them, he couldn't react for a while.

Although he possessed animal instincts himself, he hadn't used them for too long and needed time to recover.

Just as Ren Yidao was wondering where he had thrown the Broom, he heard an anxious, hushed questioning coming from the entrance of the Treasury:

"Why can't I choose it?"

Although the voice was kept very low, Ren Yidao could still hear the desperation and underlying fear of the person speaking.

What happened here?

Peering toward the door, Ren Yidao's expression turned slightly strange.

Before seeing the person speaking, Ren Yidao saw a familiar object.

The important prop for his sweeping monk persona, that Broom with some special uses, was being gripped tightly in the hands of a tall man.

Li Lang held the Broom with one hand and grabbed Wang Xuesong by the collar with the other, saying viciously:

"I'm asking you! Does this not violate the rules!?"

"Since he didn't tell others that he had already made his choice, then it is an ownerless object; even if I choose it, it doesn't matter, right!?"

Ren Yidao understood.

"Oh ho? Have I been intercepted?"

Ren Yidao looked at Li Lang in shock, unable to imagine what kind of structure his brain had.

Is he serious?

Can you not tell the depth of this at all?

Or is it intentional? To attract my attention?

But Ren Yidao guessed wrong; Li Lang really didn't think that much.

His thinking was very simple.

Since Li Lingling and the other two all chose to believe in Ren Yidao's judgment, he must have some real substance.

But he had already said so much at the door earlier, and now he was dead set against losing face to suck up to Ren Yidao, so he could only do the opposite.

Since he could hold that thing so firmly in his hand, there was no reason for it to be a bad item.

Since that's the case...

"Then it's mine!!!"