Chapter 58: Don’t Fool Yourself!

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Since the chaotic events from the previous month, Silver Moon Market had regained its calm. No one dared to provoke the Mo family again. Meanwhile, Ye Chen had been quietly accumulating spirit stones. On the last day of the month, Manager Zhang hurried to the backyard with excitement.

“The clan has sent word!” he said eagerly. “The clan leader has successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage! He’s now in seclusion, stabilizing his breakthrough. Nephew Ye, you can start preparing. Someone will come to take you to Green Cloud City in a month!”

Upon hearing the news, Ye Chen’s eyes brightened. The clan leader had really broken through to Foundation Establishment? This was indeed great news. With the clan leader’s breakthrough, Ye Chen could leave without worry. Not only that, he would also secure the opportunity to enter the Green Cloud Sect. It was undoubtedly a good thing. Moreover, with the clan leader at Foundation Establishment, Ye Chen’s position was more secure. After all, he was still a member of the Ye family. Wasn’t that essentially a guarantee of backing?

Seeing Ye Chen so pleased, Manager Zhang smiled widely.

“Nephew Ye, congratulations on earning a spot in Green Cloud Sect…. But I’ve heard that your performance, along with your brothers’, has been pretty similar these past two years. So when the time comes, you might have to refine pills on the spot, and the spot will be awarded based on your pill refining skills.”

Manager Zhang said this with an air of amusement, clearly looking forward to seeing Ye Chen’s reaction. But to his surprise, Ye Chen’s smile only grew broader.

“Is that so?” Ye Chen said with a grin. “In that case, it looks like this spot is destined for me.”

Ye Chen’s confident demeanor caught Manager Zhang completely off guard. It left him momentarily speechless. What was going on here? Did Ye Chen not realize his own limitations? If it weren’t for his deliberate help in arranging the purchase of those Qi-Nourishing Pills, Ye Chen might not have even managed to finish his tasks.

And as for his alchemy skills, were they really passable enough to justify him shamelessly going to learn talisman-making from others? Was Ye Chen really so caught up in his own lies that he was now starting to believe them himself? But in the end, it didn’t matter. When the time came, his flaws would inevitably be exposed.

Manager Zhang didn’t press the issue further. He simply smiled and congratulated Ye Chen, reminding him not to forget about him once he made it into Green Cloud Sect. Meanwhile, when both Lu Jing and Lin Ke’er learned that the Ye family patriarch had broken through to Foundation Establishment, they were both stunned.

Lu Jing’s eyes shone brighter than ever. With a Foundation Establishment elder backing them, the sense of security was overwhelming. That night, Lu Jing almost threw herself at Ye Chen in an attempt to seal the deal.

As for Lin Ke’er, who had been wavering before, her heart was now in turmoil. What had seemed like a hopeless situation (Ye Chen’s initial weak cultivation) was now turning around. Not only had his cultivation increased, but the Ye family had also leveled up to a Foundation Establishment family. There was even a significant chance Ye Chen would join Green Cloud Sect and become a disciple. Now, Ye Chen seemed almost out of her reach.

This realization stirred up feelings of regret within her. If she had known this would happen, she never would have left One Leaf Pill Shop. Had she stayed, she could have kept Ye Chen all to herself. Now, though, it was obvious that Ye Chen and Lu Jing had already developed a close bond. To join them now would mean sharing Ye Chen with another woman.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Lin Ke’er wasn’t happy about it. But Ye Chen was growing more impressive by the day. If she didn’t act soon, she might miss her chance entirely. Thus, that night, Lin Ke’er found herself unable to sleep….