Chapter 241: Chapter 239: Hope You’ve Been Well

The kiss seemed to last an eternity.

They were only startled back to reality by the sound of drool hitting the floor.

Little White was lying nearby, streams of crystal-clear drool dripping from his mouth to the ground. He covered his eyes with his fluffy paws, but peeked through a small gap between his claws, his bright gaze fixed on the two of them.

"Ah... I could just die from embarrassment."

Xiao Qingyi jumped, practically burying herself in Jiang Chen’s arms, her neck flushing crimson with shyness.

Jiang Chen smacked his lips. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A sweet taste lingered in his mouth.

"Boss, you two go on, I didn’t see anything! Just keep going!" Little White blinked, lowering one paw and staring at Jiang Chen with wide, bright eyes as he muttered.

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, speechless. "Little White, go chew on your meat!"

"Oh, dear me, now that Boss has Sister Qingyi, he doesn’t want Little White anymore. Sigh, fine, I’ll go, alright? You two continue, I’ll guard the door for you!"

Little White stood up straight, clasping his paws behind his back.

Like a little old man, he swayed from side to side as he ambled toward the courtyard gate.

Jiang Chen: "..."

Once Little White had actually left the courtyard, Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly. He then looked down at the beauty in his arms, her bashful expression particularly alluring.

The scene from moments ago replayed in his mind.

He smacked his lips. That sweetness was like nectar, the aftertaste lingering endlessly. A mischievous smile played on Jiang Chen’s lips as he grinned and said, "Hey, Qingyi, why not lift your head?"

"It’s all your fault..."

Xiao Qingyi’s face was beet red. She balled her delicate hands into small fists and playfully pounded on Jiang Chen’s chest, pouting, "Now Little White has seen everything. How am I supposed to face anyone ever again?"

Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "What’s there to be afraid of? My Qingyi is so beautiful, I wouldn’t want to let anyone else see her anyway!"

"You’re awful!"

Xiao Qingyi lowered her head shyly, but the corners of her mouth curved up slightly, a sweet feeling blooming in her heart.

"Qingyi, that last one was a bit sudden. I didn’t get to savor it properly. How about another round?" Jiang Chen said with a wicked grin.

’This stuff is seriously addictive!’

’Just one taste and I’m already thinking about a second...’

Xiao Qingyi was about to lift her head when she noticed a small head peeking into the courtyard from the gate, its two little eyes exceptionally bright.

"No, I don’t want to..." Xiao Qingyi squirmed out of Jiang Chen’s embrace and bolted back to her room in a flash.

Jiang Chen: "..."

"Seriously, Boss, you’re pathetic. Little White here was staring so hard his eyes were about to pop out, and *this* is all you show me?" Little White emerged from behind the wooden gate, grumbling with dissatisfaction.

’Impersonate my ass!’

’You ruined my good time, and you’re still here whining?’

Jiang Chen snapped, "Cut the crap. Go get your Sister Qingyi. I’m taking you two out."

"Not going. The good part of the show never happened, so I can’t be bothered!" Little White pouted, his cheeks puffed out indignantly.

Jiang Chen laughed and cursed playfully, "Then you can stay home. I’ll take your Sister Qingyi to the Artifact Refiner Guild."

"The Artifact Refiner Guild? Is there food?" Little White asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"I guarantee you’ll eat until you’re stuffed! Are you going or... uh..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Little White was gone. He had already dashed into Xiao Qingyi’s room in a flash, yelling, "Sister Qingyi, Boss is taking us to get something delicious!"

Jiang Chen: "..."

’This little glutton!’

’He’s a lost cause...’

...

Jiang Chen took Xiao Qingyi and Little White for a stroll around the Imperial Capital. At Little White’s insistence, they had a huge meal, and Jiang Chen bought Xiao Qingyi a few new sets of clothes before they finally headed to the Artifact Refiner Guild.

The Artifact Refiner Guild and the Alchemist Guild were on opposite sides of the city, one in the east and one in the west.

The guild didn’t cover a large area, but its building was magnificent.

The massive Artifact Refiner Guild was a square tower soaring a hundred zhang high, with over thirty stories. The entire structure shimmered with Flowing Light, with Inscriptions floating and sinking across its surface. Even in broad daylight, the guild was as dazzling as a bright star in the night sky, utterly eye-catching.

"So this is the Artifact Refiner Guild? It’s so grand!" Xiao Qingyi said, scratching Little White’s head as she held him.

Little White squinted his green eyes at the towering building, let out a satisfied burp, and said nonchalantly, "You can’t eat it, so what’s the point of being grand?"

"..."

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes, took Xiao Qingyi’s smooth, delicate hand, and stepped into the Artifact Refiner Guild.

Inside the guild, there weren’t many people coming and going.

Jiang Chen walked up to the counter and said, "Hello, I’d like to buy a Profound Weapon."

"I’m sorry, our Artifact Refiner Guild’s Profound Weapons are only sold internally," the Artifact Refining Apprentice at the counter said.

Jiang Chen nodded and took out a Token. It was the one Kumu had given him back in Yulan Mansion.

However, because the Artifact Refiner Guild in Yulan Mansion was not high-level enough, it could only issue a Tier One Advanced Artifact Refiner’s Identity Token.

"You’re an Artifact Refiner?"

The Artifact Refining Apprentice was astonished. He looked Jiang Chen’s Identity Token up and down, a hint of suspicion on his face. "And a First-grade Advanced Refiner at that?"

Jiang Chen was even younger than him.

He was still an Artifact Refining Apprentice, yet Jiang Chen was already a First-grade Advanced Refiner?

He couldn’t help but be surprised.

Jiang Chen smiled. "This Identity Token can’t be faked, can it?"

"No, it can’t! It definitely can’t!"

The Artifact Refining Apprentice shook his head hastily.

’Are you kidding me?’

Whether it was the Artifact Refiner Guild or the Alchemist Guild, both were transcendent powers on the continent.

Their status was incomparably revered!

If anyone dared to forge a guild’s Identity Token, once discovered, they would be hunted down across the entire continent!

The Artifact Refining Apprentice respectfully returned the Identity Token to Jiang Chen, his voice now much more deferential. "Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll have someone take you to the Profound Weapon area right away!"

"Mm."

Jiang Chen nodded.

After a short wait, the apprentice returned with a middle-aged man dressed in an Artifact Refiner’s Robe.

The middle-aged man held his chin up slightly, his face full of arrogance. Judging by the emblem on his chest, he was clearly also a First-grade Advanced Refiner.

"Master Qin, this is the gentleman who wishes to purchase a Profound Weapon," the apprentice said respectfully.

The middle-aged Master Qin glanced at Jiang Chen and frowned slightly. Without even speaking a word to Jiang Chen, he snapped at the apprentice, "This is absurd! How are you running this front desk? You can’t even tell if an Artifact Refiner’s Identity Token is real or fake? Starting tomorrow, you’re on logistics duty!"

"Huh?"

The apprentice’s mouth fell open. Although he felt incredibly wronged, he didn’t dare to refute. He lowered his head and said, "I... I understand."

Master Qin snorted, then turned to Jiang Chen and sneered, "Kid, you’ve got some nerve! Daring to impersonate someone from our Artifact Refiner Guild. Do you have a death wish?"

"Impersonate? When did I impersonate anyone?" Jiang Chen was completely baffled.

’Impersonate my ass!’

’I can casually forge a Profound-tier Profound Weapon, so why would I need to impersonate a mere First-grade Advanced Refiner?’

Master Qin’s expression darkened. "How bold of you to still argue! Believe it or not, I can have you arrested right now to make an example of you!"

"..."

Jiang Chen was speechless. "You haven’t even glanced at my Identity Token, nor have you asked when or where I got it, yet you’ve already concluded I’m an impersonator. Isn’t that a bit arbitrary?"

"Hmph, I have been at the Artifact Refiner Guild headquarters for twenty years and have never seen anyone like you. If there really was a First-grade Advanced Refiner as young as you, you would have been famous throughout the Imperial Capital long ago. Yet, I have no impression of you whatsoever. And you still dare to say you’re not an impostor?"

Master Qin said smugly, "Kid, you think you can fool me? That’s just wishful thinking!"

"..."

Anger flared in Jiang Chen’s heart.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the face of the outwardly fierce but inwardly timid Master Qin suddenly change. A look of excitement and fawning crossed his features as he shoved Jiang Chen aside and hurried past him.

At the entrance of the Artifact Refiner Guild, a young man in an Artifact Refiner’s Robe was walking in, surrounded by a crowd like the moon surrounded by stars.

Master Qin walked quickly, calling out from a distance, "Young Master Xiong, you’ve arrived!"

"Mm."

The young man glanced at Master Qin and said coolly, "Little Qin, how have you been? When are you going to break through?"

Master Qin gave a bitter smile. "Soon, it should be soon!"

"Sigh, Little Qin, when you became a First-Grade Artifact Refiner, I hadn’t even started Alchemy yet! Now I’ve already broken through to become a Second-Grade Alchemist, and you’re still stuck in the same place. You really need to work harder!" the young man said with a look of immense pride.

Master Qin, who had been so insufferably arrogant in front of Jiang Chen just moments before, now looked embarrassed, nodding and bowing obsequiously.

From a short distance away...

Jiang Chen watched Master Qin’s bowing and scraping, then looked at the young man. The corner of his mouth lifted into a playful smirk as he grinned and said, "Well, if it isn’t Young Master Xiong? Long time no see! Now that you’ve seen me, aren’t you going to come over and pay your respects?"