I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

Fang Xuan sat in the courtyard, listening to the sounds coming from inside the house.

Only after Ning Qian returned to her room did he sneakily take out the large steamed bun from his system space.

The steamed buns were still warm, emitting an enticing aroma.

He swallowed hard, looked around, then opened his mouth wide and swallowed more than half of it in one gulp.

His cultivation was already at the peak of the half-step Void Core stage, just one step away from completion, and now he was further stimulated by this spiritual power.

Fang Xuan quickly circulated his cultivation technique, guiding his spiritual energy.

I'm about to break through to the Void Core stage.

At this crucial moment—

"Squeak."

Ning Qian's door was suddenly pushed open.

Fang Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he almost choked on the steamed bun he hadn't fully swallowed.

He frantically tried to hide the remaining steamed bun, but in his haste, he stuffed half of it into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out like a hamster's.

As soon as Ning Qian pushed open the door, she saw Fang Xuan sitting at the stone table with his back to her, his shoulders swaying suspiciously, and his mouth stuffed full.

In his hand... it seems he's still holding a bit of unstuffed steamed bun skin?

She froze for a moment.

Is it... that you're not full?

Fang Xuan should be at the age where he is growing, and practicing swordsmanship is very taxing. The congee and side dishes I prepared for him this morning may not be enough for him.

She felt somewhat guilty, since it was her fault for not considering things thoroughly.

She herself is now short of money and struggling to make ends meet, which has dragged down her junior brother as well... Even eating a steamed bun is done secretly, as she is reluctant to finish it all at once and has to hide it to eat it slowly.

Ning Qian's guilt about using Fang Xuan intensified.

Now, it's really time to think about making a living; we can't keep going like this.

She went back to her room to retrieve the last of her spirit stones.

She had already sold off most of her storage magic items, along with everything of value inside.

Now, only this small money pouch remains, containing a pitiful few spirit stones and some loose copper coins.

That amount of money is barely enough to repair the roof.

But we can't let him live in a leaky house forever.

"Go down the mountain to buy some materials for repairing the roof."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth.

He also needed some time to digest the surging spiritual energy within him and suppress the urge to break through.

Making a breakthrough here would be too drastic.

.......

On the way down the mountain, the two walked one in front of the other.

Ning Qian walked ahead, but her thoughts drifted far away.

What should she do to make a living? Should she become a waitress in a restaurant or inn in town? But besides cultivation, she doesn't seem to have any other worldly skills.

She washes dishes very quickly, several at a time... but would a restaurant hire a cultivator to wash dishes?

Even if they wanted it, they would only give ordinary copper coins, which would be of no help to cultivation and wouldn't even be enough to exchange for the lowest quality spirit stones.

She frowned slightly, her cool profile looking somewhat troubled in the sunlight.

Fang Xuan followed half a step behind her, trying his best to suppress the restless spiritual power in his body while secretly observing Ning Qian.

Judging from her slightly furrowed brows, you could tell she was worried about the spirit stones again.

However, given his senior sister's situation, he couldn't very well offer her directly. Besides, he had previously had the idea of ​​keeping her as a sugar daddy, which resulted in him losing points from the system.

Well, let's take it one step at a time; there's always a way.

........

We arrived at Qingshi Town at the foot of the mountain. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the night, the town was much more orderly during the day, with shops open and pedestrians thronging the streets.

I passed a small stall selling candied hawthorns on Ning Road.

She paused, remembering how Fang Xuan had secretly eaten the steamed bun earlier.

After hesitating for a moment, she walked over, took out a few copper coins, and bought the largest candied hawthorn skewer.

He turned around and handed it to Fang Xuan, who was staring at him expectantly.

Fang Xuan was also taken aback.

It seems that every time we go down the mountain, it inevitably turns into my senior sister's daily routine of feeding me...

.......

Not forgetting his business, he headed home to "Chen's Building Materials Shop".

The shopkeeper was a plump middle-aged man. Upon seeing Ning Qian, his face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Oh, Fairy Ning! What a rare guest! What would you like to order this time?"

"Thirty green tiles, four pieces of fine bamboo, and a bundle of hemp rope."

Ning Qian stated what she needed, her voice cold and clear.

The shopkeeper chuckled as he worked on his abacus, "Alright! The price of the raw materials for the blue tiles has gone up recently, so each tile is two copper coins more than last time. The bamboo was just delivered this morning, it's very fresh!"

He quoted a total price.

Ning Qian silently calculated the total amount of spirit stones and copper coins in her storage bag, and her brows furrowed slightly.

It's not much different, but it's definitely not enough.

These shops are backed by the Qingyun Sect, and many of their raw materials are purchased from the sect's territory, so they have a semi-dependent relationship.

Prices may fluctuate, but they are generally not too outrageous.

If the shopkeeper says prices are going up, they probably really are.

She pursed her lips, wondering if she should buy fewer tiles first, or find some free thatch to use as makeshift roofs...

"I can carry it back myself, no need to deliver it."

Ning Qian said she was trying to save on the delivery fee.

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment: "Fairy Ning, this... let the waiter deliver it. It won't cost much more..."

"No need," Ning Qian insisted, already counting out the pitiful spirit stones and scattered copper coins from her storage bag.

Just then, a slender hand reached out, holding a few spirit stones, just enough to pay the bill, with a little left over.

"Shopkeeper, prepare the goods as my senior sister instructed. Keep the change."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up. He took the spirit stones and replied quickly, "Alright, alright! Buddy, quickly prepare the goods for Fairy Ning and Young Master Fang, pick the best!"

Ning Qian turned her head and looked at Fang Xuan.

He still had a candied hawthorn in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, and his eyes clear, as if he had just done something completely ordinary.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but found that she couldn't say anything at all.

Refuse? But I've already paid for the goods. It would be even more impolite to ask the shopkeeper to return them.

Acceptable, but this means I owe him another sum of money...

She originally intended to use him, but now it seems she's been indebted to him all along.

.......

The sky was already turning dusky, and the town's lights began to twinkle.

"Senior sister, it's getting late," Fang Xuan stopped and looked at the distance ahead, noting that there was still a little more to go. "How about we find a shop in town to eat something before heading back? It's on me."

Ning Qian looked up at the sky and nodded, meeting Fang Xuan's expectant gaze. ".....Okay, let's go to Fuchun Tower."

.......

"Ah... to a brothel?"

"Shut up, it's a restaurant..."