Chapter 2586: Chapter 807: Su Shijun’s Punishment

Gemstone?

Even Poseidon’s toilet is embedded with beautiful sapphire.

Beautiful clothes?

Zheng Qing still clearly remembers before the Christmas Under the Moon Ball when Su Shi Jun bought him robes, casually saying, ’Wrap up this row, and this row, too,’ and he didn’t think Poseidon had fewer beautiful clothes than him.

And also precious magic books.

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but look around. Just this slightly narrow office, the walls around were constructed with tall bookshelves, filled with a dense array of various books from ceiling to floor.

The collection of books at Greenhill Mansion would only be more.

While riding on the Haired Dragon, Zheng Qing discussed with Jiang Yu gifting Poseidon something. At that time, the witch suggested buying a small shop for the Little Fox in Beta Town, as a long-term investment. This is a common strategy used by large wizard families for their children’s future.

The only issue is, the gift wasn’t bought at Shanglin Garden.

But at this moment, Zheng Qing had no other choices left.

"I made some money at Shanglin Garden."

He spoke evasively, not mentioning how he made the money, only emphasizing the amount: "About three hundred jade coins...Thinking of buying Dong Dong a small shop in Beta Town, like D&K, you can send Fox Five to help her manage it. There’s nothing good at Shanglin Garden for a gift. And Dong Dong is still young, directly giving her such a large sum isn’t good."

The Upper House Member of the Moon Council leaned against the desk, patiently listening to the warlock’s rambling explanation. Meanwhile, she plucked a bamboo skewer stuck in the desk, putting a candy figure that had climbed to the top into her mouth.

Crunch.

The crisp chewing sound drowned out the candy figure’s cries, transparent candy crumbs sticking to the witch’s red lips, urging one to impulsively reach out and wipe them off.

Zheng Qing restrained his impulse, daring not to let his gaze linger on the witch’s face—even as she wore large red-framed glasses today—he only dared to let most of his gaze rest on the bookshelf diagonally opposite him, as if interested in the books there.

Crunch, crunch.

The chewing sounds gradually subsided.

"It’s a good idea."

Su Shi Jun’s voice rang again in the room, seeming not to find Zheng Qing’s ’gift’ too bad, instead, her tone carried a hint of praise, yet she also reminded: "But a decent shop in Beta Town, three hundred jade coins wouldn’t cover it...A shop worth three hundred jade coins wouldn’t justify sending a manager to oversee it...Want to try one? Mint-flavored, refreshing, quite nice."

She handed the bamboo skewer to the warlock’s mouth.

Zheng Qing noticed a candy fox with three tails desperately clinging to the top of the skewer, baring teeth and claws, issuing a series of warnings.

The skewer moved up again.

Shutting his eyes, Zheng Qing steeled his heart and with a crunch bit off the candy fox’s head. A cool sensation blossomed in his mouth, as if that candy warrior wielded a short sword, stabbing randomly in his mouth, clearing his mind further.

Tearfully, he lifted his eyelids.

Su Shi Jun looked at him with a smile, shaking the bamboo skewer: "I actually have a suggestion. Sorcerer Alliance - Moonlit Airline Company, you know it, right? You could use that money to buy some company stocks for Dong Dong, maybe not much, but it’s a good start..."

Of course Zheng Qing knew that airline company; he flew with them when he started college.

Only, he never knew that company’s stocks could be bought and sold.

"Does the Alliance have a stock exchange?" Zheng Qing licked the sugar crumbs on his lips, oddly feeling a mix of humor and unreality.

"Is it strange? The Alliance has banks, insurance companies, why not stock trading? Of course, because wizards’ time view differs from commoners, stock trading differs greatly in the Mortal World...For example, Sorcerer Alliance - Moonlit Airline Company’s stocks circulate only within specific groups."

"Then I..."

"You needn’t worry; I’m at least a Moon Council Member of the Upper House, and you barely count as my family, arranging for some quotas for you should fall within rule limits. You could prepare a little more jade coins, roughly a thousand...For the extra, consider it this Spring Hunting’s reward. Though, this ’reward’ is among the public part."

On hearing ’family,’ Zheng Qing suddenly recalled his resolve when entering, entirely overlooking the witch’s subsequent words.

"I..."

This time, his declaration barely uttered a word before the witch interrupted again.

Su Shi Jun reached out, patted his shoulder, and pinched his ear, rubbing it, her voice cheerful: "You want to ask why you’re rewarded? I heard you gave that impolite little Tu Shan Clan girl at Shanglin Garden a good beating, right? Well done! The old folks in the family rarely praised you."

Zheng Qing had no intention to ask that.

Yet, he also had no intention to argue.

The moment the witch pinched his ear, he felt his soul seemingly lifted, his body paralysis remaining even after she released him, forgetting to breathe.

"...The ancients say ’reward and punishment must not deviate,’ doing right warrants rewards, but mistakes entail punishment." Su Shi Jun’s voice came from seemingly afar, not quite real, yet Zheng Qing processed all the auditory information clearly: "...Do you know your mistake?"

"Where?" Zheng Qing responded dreamily.

"You shouldn’t have run with Jiang Yu publicly...I nearly became the biggest joke in the Alliance." Su Shi Jun softly spoke, like cold water poured over Zheng Qing’s head, instantly sobering him.

He lifted his head in horror.

Only to see the witch slowly removing her red-framed glasses.

"I..."

He murmured the word he’d repeated many times since entering.

Then watched the absolute beauty’s face with a peculiar smile approach, a strange scent becoming more distinct.

Until the end.

Smack.

His cheek felt a bit of warmth, faintly detecting a tongue tip brushing across his face, gentle, very real.

The chaos sensation rolled violently within him from that brush, like a spark triggering some dormant system, slicing through his unformed emotions, making him feel feverish, as if he might melt from overload.

"This is the punishment for mistakes."

Su Shi Jun whispered by his ear, mischievously, the voice gentle but clear: "...If punishment is this ’cruel’, then what about the reward? Want to know what the real, undisclosed reward is like?"