"Uncle Zhou, Aunt Jiang, Zhou Ying and I are friends. It's nothing, so just accept it without worry."

Su Chen said with a smile:

"Besides, you wouldn't ask me to take back the gift I gave you, would you? That would be so embarrassing!"

Su Chen was quick to say this, leaving Zhou Shan and his wife with nothing to say.

"Alright, let's go have breakfast."

After exchanging a few more words, Jiang Ping said with a smile.

Then, they all headed to the main hall again. They only had a small courtyard and no separate dining room.

"Su Chen, you don't mind that I told my parents about the elixir, do you?"

Zhou Ying asked quietly, falling behind.

"Of course not."

Su Chen replied with a smile:

"If I wanted to keep it a secret, I would have told you from the start."

Zhou Ying thought for a moment. Indeed, if Su Chen had asked her to keep it a secret, she wouldn't have said anything.

In fact, Su Chen didn't care at all. What does it matter if they know?

Before long, everyone sat down for breakfast, and Jiang Ping was even more hospitable to Su Chen.

Not because Su Chen had given those precious elixirs to her daughter, but because Su Chen's elixirs could heal her husband's internal injuries!

Honestly, Zhou Shan's internal injuries had been the greatest worry for Jiang Ping and her daughter, so her gratitude to Su Chen was immense!

Moreover, this act showed that this young man's character was really good!

A typical person wouldn't have been willing to give away such precious elixirs!

...

In the following days, Su Chen temporarily stayed at Zhou Ying's home.

He didn't rush to explore but casually wandered around the vicinity of the Ji Family, planning to stay in the Ruin Realm for a while longer.

Over the days, Su Chen became quite familiar with Zhou Ying and her family.

One morning, after breakfast, Zhou Ying suddenly said to Su Chen:

"Su Chen, let's go to the market today!"

"There's a market here?"

Su Chen asked in surprise upon hearing this.

"Yes, it was built two or three years ago, not far from the foot of the mountain."

Zhou Ying nodded and replied.

"Alright, let's go take a look."

Su Chen said, quite interested.

So, the two of them told Zhou Ying's parents and then went out...

Zhou Shan and Jiang Ping didn't say much, only reminding them to come back early.

...

After leaving, Su Chen and Zhou Ying headed in one direction. The market was at the foot of the mountain in that direction.

Su Chen hadn't noticed it before because he came from another direction.

They walked for two or three hours before finally reaching the foot of the mountain. Of course, this was because they weren't in a hurry, hence the long walk.

"By the way, Zhou Ying, where are the other Spirit Veins located?"

Su Chen suddenly remembered and asked curiously.

"Very far away, though I haven't really been there."

Zhou Ying thought for a moment and said.

Su Chen chuckled at the response, not thinking much of it, as he was just asking out of curiosity.

After all, he had just arrived, and there's no rush to understand the other Spirit Veins.

Once they reached the foot of the mountain, they continued walking for over an hour before arriving at the market!

...

Entering the market, they were suddenly surrounded by noise!

The market streets were relatively wide, paved with bluestone slabs, with both small stalls and various shops on either side!

These shops weren't very tall, usually single-story buildings, at most two or three-story small buildings!

There were inns and restaurants among other businesses!

Seeing such a market here, Su Chen felt a sense of novelty and closeness!

Most of the people on the streets were young, likely because they didn't have many entertainment options, so they came to the market where it's crowded!

However, these young individuals had remarkable cultivation; the Condensation Pill Realm cultivators were common, and it was rare to see anyone below the Condensation Pill Realm!

Once again, Su Chen couldn't help but marvel at the flourishing Martial Arts of the Ruin Realm!

Su Chen had already changed into ancient attire, so he didn't stand out, and naturally, no one treated him like a rare panda!

The two of them wandered around for a while before deciding to find a restaurant to eat, as it was noon after all.

Suddenly, they encountered a young man. Zhou Ying, recognizing him, immediately exclaimed in delight:

"Young Master!"

Hearing Zhou Ying's call, the young man turned around and looked, then smiled:

"Xiao Ying, it's you!"

People from the Jade Mountain Spirit Vein, especially the young ones, often came to the market to have fun, so they weren't too surprised to see each other.

Then, he noticed Su Chen standing next to Zhou Ying and asked slightly puzzled:

"Who is this...?"

"Young Master, this is my friend, his name is Su Chen. He's temporarily staying at my house."

"Your friend?"

The young man glanced at Su Chen and then said with a smile:

"Hello."

Su Chen smiled back with a nod. Zhou Ying had mentioned this young master several times.

According to Zhou Ying, this young master from the Ji Family was generally kind and amiable, treating Zhou Ying well since childhood, almost like a half-sister.

Su Chen observed the young man slightly, feeling that at least his first impression was good – mature and stable, not appearing to be someone truly malicious.

"Xiao Ying, haven't you eaten yet? Let's go have something next door."

Ji Ping said casually.

Zhou Ying glanced at Su Chen, who nodded slightly, and then the three of them headed to a nearby restaurant.

The restaurant was quite nice, a two-story building, and since it was lunchtime, the ground floor was already full, so the three of them headed upstairs.

Upstairs was also quite crowded, but there were still empty tables, and they sat down at an empty one.

Soon, a waiter came over. Ji Ping seemed familiar with the place and casually mentioned a few dish names.

"Please wait a moment."

The waiter said and then went downstairs.

Afterward, the three began chatting casually. During the conversation, Ji Ping didn't have much of a young master's attitude, which left Su Chen with a good initial impression of him.

During the talk, Ji Ping found the young man named Su Chen quite interesting; conversing with him wasn't dull.

Awhile later, their dishes and a pot of wine arrived, and Ji Ping invited:

"The dishes here are quite good, have a taste."

The three of them ate and drank casually, exchanging words.

At this moment, a few people came upstairs, and hearing their footsteps, Su Chen's group naturally glanced over – a normal reflex.

Upon seeing these people, Ji Ping's expression changed!

That group also noticed Ji Ping, and one of the young men instantly had eyes light up, then walked over teasingly:

"Ji Young Master, what a coincidence!"

"Zeng Bowen, what do you want?"

Upon hearing that voice, Ji Ping's tone immediately turned harsh.

"I don't want anything, except the girl by your side looks nice. How about lending her to me for a couple of days?"

The young man named Zeng Bowen said with a carefree smirk, his tone flippant.

"Zeng Bowen, this is the daughter of my family's steward, mind your language!"

Ji Ping's expression instantly showed a hint of anger upon hearing the words, while Su Chen's face beside him had already turned grim.

"Who did I think she was! Just a servant's daughter, so what!"

The young man named Zeng Bowen laughed indifferently:

"Ji Young Master, don't be so stingy, alright?"