My Evil Imperial Wife is Too Arrogant

“We’re not busy.”

Si Nan’s face skin1 had long become impenetrable. He sat down, full of smiles, with a look as if saying ‘I won’t leave’.

Seeing that he wasn’t leaving, Luo Li glared at him and also sat down beside Lou Mu Yan impolitely, “We’re also not busy.”

There was only one table with five chairs in total. At this time, three of them had been occupied. Although He’lian Lie’s face skin wasn’t as thick as Si Nan’s, but wasn’t much thinner either, so he also sat his bottom on one.

Seeing this, Elder Xiao instructed the shopkeeper in amusement: “Let someone bring some more chairs in.”

With these three thick-skinned people staying, he naturally couldn’t favour one and discriminate against the others. Since they wanted to stay, then they should all remain. Either way, Lou Mu Yan didn’t even care, so it could be considered a favour done at little to no cost.

“Elder Xiao, can my pills be exchanged for those Spiritual Herbs?” Lou Mu Yan didn’t go around in circles with him either. They still had to travel at night.

Elder Xiao smiled meaningfully and asked: “Can this old man ask how you obtained these pills, Young Miss Lou?”

When Lou Mu Yan took out the Grade 3 pills at the Trade Fair that day, he could smell the pure scent of pills, but he didn’t think she refined it herself.

“It was given to me by my Master.” Lou Mu Yan smiled lightly.

Her current cultivation base was too low, and no one would believe that she refined these pills herself. It was better to continue to ‘use a tiger’s skin to be her banner2’ so that these old foxes could be cautious and fearful.

Elder Xiao was stunned for a moment, then said with a gentle smile: “I wonder who might be Young Miss Lou’s Master? There are not many Alchemists on the entire Tian’ling Continent who could make such high-grade pills.”

The pills that Lou Mu Yan took out were all Top-Quality Grade 3 pills, and the pill fragrance lasted for a very long time. Even compared to Grade 3 pills refined by Grade 4 Alchemists from the Pill Tower, her Master’s technique was much more skilled and experienced, so he truly wanted to befriend him.

“Apologies, without the permission of Master, I dare not reveal his identity.” Lou Mu Yan didn’t report the name of Old Man Tian Xuan this time.

Elder Xiao revealed some regret but also understood that some high-level Alchemists liked to keep a low profile, “Since that is so, this old man will not force it. Are you buying these Spiritual Herbs for your Master?”

Judging from the information he had collected recently, Lou Mu Yan would sweep away all the Spiritual Herbs in pill shops each time she arrived at a city in the competition space. Apart from this reason, he couldn’t figure out why she bought so many Spiritual Herbs.

“Yes. When I entered the competition space, Master asked me to buy a lot of Spiritual Herbs from the pill shop.” Lou Mu Yan revealed a little shyness, “I didn’t take the purple crystal card Master gave me. Who knew that the Spiritual Herbs would be this expensive. As my pockets are shy3, I could only exchange using pills.”

When Luo Li and the others heard her reveal such an expression, they couldn’t resist holding their foreheads. This girl’s acting skills sure were top-notch.

“The value of your two pills has already exceeded the price of the list of Spiritual Herbs you requested before. I will ask the shopkeeper to add an extra three-tenths of Spiritual Herbs for it to be of equal value.” Elder Xiao wasn’t one to take advantage of the younger generation.

The pills that Lou Mu Yan took out were indeed very valuable, especially that Spiritual Energy Recovery Pill. According to his experience, after taking it, it could indeed achieve the effect she said.

“Then many thanks to Elder Xiao.” Lou Mu Yan smiled humbly.

“I wonder if you still have any more of these two types of pills to sell or exchange for Spiritual Herbs? I can transfer the Spiritual Herbs from the central city over for you to buy.” He wanted to bring the pills back to the Pill Tower for research, so one was simple too few.

Lou Mu Yan’s eyes curved into crescent shapes as she smiled, “Sure! I just don’t know whether the Spiritual Herbs in the central city are the same as here or not?”

Elder Xiao wanted more pills, then she would just give some more. She wasn’t worried that they would use it to research the composition of Spiritual Herbs in the pills at all. If she didn’t even have that much confidence, then she wouldn’t need to continue to roam the Alchemist community.

The purchase of a large number of Spiritual Herbs in the central city was bound to attract more people’s attention. Now that Elder Xiao himself brought it up, why shouldn’t she take it.

“This is a list of all the Spiritual Herbs sold by the Pill Tower in the competition space. See if there are any you want to trade for.” Elder Xiao took out a jade slip and handed it to Lou Mu Yan.

Lou Mu Yan took the jade slip and checked it, finding that there were many high-level Spiritual Herbs on the list. Not only were the prices extremely high, but one needed a certain identity to be able to buy it in limited quantities.

“Can I trade for the limited Spiritual Herbs too?” Lou Mu Yan blinked and asked with a smile.

Since Elder Xiao wanted to give her preferential treatment, he naturally wouldn’t object, “Yes.”

Lou Mu Yan waited precisely for this answer. After she crossed out several kinds of Spiritual Herbs that were of little use to her, she said: “Aside from the Spiritual Herbs I crossed out, I want them all.”

Elder Xiao took a look and his eyelids jumped instantly—this girl sure spent so much money. But he did have such authority.

“Although it’s a little troublesome, but I can gather it. You can trade when you get to the central area.” Elder Xiao said.

“Then how many pills do I need to exchange for it?” Lou Mu Yan asked.

Elder Xiao stroked the porcelain bottle on the table, thought about it, then said: “Six Spiritual Energy Recovery Pills, three Elemental Nourishing Pills.”

“Aye! I originally planned to keep some spares, but now I’ll just have to lose money for the sake of Master.” Lou Mu Yan agreed with gritted teeth, with an expression as if her flesh hurt.

The transaction number Elder Xiao proposed was very reasonable and he didn’t deceive her, which also made her impression of the Pill Tower a little better.

“I’ll give these six Spiritual Energy Recovery Pills and three Elemental Nourishing Pills to Elder Xiao first. Then I’ll go to the pill shop in the central city to pick up the Spiritual Herbs.” Lou Mu Yan took out several bottles of pills very generously.

Elder Xiao said with a smile on his face: “Little girl sure is resolute. Aren’t you afraid that this old one will fool you and act as if such a thing didn’t happen?”

“Elder Xiao seems to have a sense of righteousness, so you naturally won’t act as if this didn’t happen or breach our promise. I believe in my own judgement.” Lou Mu Yan’s eyes were clear, and she smiled naturally, appearing as if the words came from her heart without the slightest falsehood.

Elder Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then he laughed happily: “You’re a rather loveable little girl.”

He had been paying attention to this little girl Lou Mu Yan since the first time he saw her. She handled affairs without fear, treated anyone neither humbly or haughtily, and her indifferent, otherworldly temperament made people unable to resist feeling good about her.

In addition, she had a very light medicinal fragrance, so she must be an Alchemist, which also had Elder Xiao feel a kind of closeness, as if a Senior watching a Junior.

Hearing Elder Xiao’s address of her change from Young Miss Lou to ‘little girl’, the expressions on the people present varied.

Elder Xiao was notoriously difficult to approach, yet who knew that Lou Mu Yan obtained his favour at first glance4.

“I’ll give this Pill Tower Token to you. When you get to the central city, take it to the pill shop and there will naturally be someone who will send you the Spiritual Herbs you want.” Elder Xiao tossed over a palm-sized cyan token to Lou Mu Yan, in a good mood.

Lou Mu Yan received the token and took a look at it. There was a complicated pattern engraved on the token, and within the pattern was the word ‘Pill’.

Seeing Elder Xiao take out this cyan token, Si Nan and He’lian Lie couldn’t resist revealing shock and envy in their eyes.

“Then I won’t be polite. My gratitude, Elder Xiao.” Although Lou Mu Yan didn’t know what the token could be used for, but she knew it was a good thing seeing the expressions of Si Nan and the others.

Seeing her accept it without being quarrelsome and without pretence, her beautiful pair of eyes narrowed in a smile, like a little fox that had successfully cheated someone of something, Elder Xiao’s like for her increased.

Luo Li and the others were also dazzled by her lively smile.

Translated product by May Our 梦 Come True

1so, in case people didn’t know, ‘wanting face’ or ‘having no face’ etc, figuratively means being shameless. In this case, it’s common play on those words meaning that ‘his ‘face skin’ is so thick he doesn’t care’ and won’t feel shameful or embarrassed by his actions.

2figuratively means to scare the opponent by intimidation/make others think she’s mighty by using something that looks mighty.

3pockets being ‘shy’ means she doesn’t have money/enough money.

4hmmm, not the easiest to translate. It’s used to mean that one person might like the other person from the very first glance. I guess I could translate it to ‘fated at first glance’, but it sounds a bit too romantic if I translated it like that. The Chinese is 眼缘 (yǎn yuan). 眼 means ‘eye’, 缘 is ‘fate’.