Throwing Money Down the Drain.
1170 Words
The morning that followed was splendid. Why you ask? Well because Zhu Yuan was free and he had tonnes of money. What a feeling it was to be rich.
Do the rich always feel this good.
To think I, Zhu Yuan was missing out on such a pleasure, the heavens surely must have noticed their mistake and rectified it at once.!
Zhu Yuan walked right into the Jiang Family yard. Soon both partners in crime sauntered on their way to the bustling Red Eagle Marketplace.
" Huh what are we going to buy exactly. Its too early for our usual afternoon rounds to tease the market beauties."
Zhu Yuan rolled his eyes.
" Since we have set our eyes on the end of year entrance exams, we naturally have to give it our best."
"But we will be up against these lazy rich kids who have been gobbling up all sorts of elixirs and enhancement pills ever since they could walk while we are yet to taste even a single one."
Cui Jiang who knew of the unfairness of privilege on a personal level beamed at Zhu Yuan's statement.
"Could ... Could you be planning on purchasing us a spirit enhancing pill. Even if its one, we could split it and the effects would still be remarkable." Cui Jiang marveled.
"Hmmph... How can I, Zhu Yuan only plan to buy just a measly spirit enhancing pill." He muttered in his heart. It is amazing how quickly people forget their pasts as barely three weeks ago Zhu Yuan was a pauper with not a single spirit stone to his name.
The eager pair soon entered Old Man Lei's Shop. Old Man Lei was an renowned elder in the Red Eagle Hall of Elders. A distinguished expert in pellet refining in the town.
After pleasantries, Zhu Yuan announced his intentions and Old Man Lei brought out his best wares. He placed three types of spirit enhancing pellets before them; The Red spirit enhancing pill, The Silver spirit jade pellet and the last Gold spirit jade pellet.
" For you lads I advise the red spirit enhancing pellet. Its mild and will enhance your spirit perception and it is easy on the pocket too."
" I imagine you lot have saved for a very long time before you could afford to visit my humble shop." Old Man Lei teased in an amicable manner.
"How much for the red spirit enhancing pill.?" Cui Jiang asked praying deeply that Zhu Yuan had saved up enough.
"It's just fifty spirit bronze stones , very affordable." Old Man Lei chuckled.
Cui Jiang gasped and looked down defeated. Were Spirit Enhancing Pellets this expensive!
" How about the golden spirit jade pellets.?" Zhu Yuan asked with a calm voice.
"Hohoho... I'm afraid these are much more expensive. But their quality is unrivaled. They will cost you two hundred spirit stones a pellet."
Zhu Yuan withdrew his hand and brought forth a thick heavy purse that had both Old Man Lei and Cui Jiang gasp at once. He slapped four thousand spirits stones on the table.
" Alright , give us ten golden jade spirit enhancing pellets each. And be quick about it, we have a very tight schedule today."
Old Man Lei's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Cui Jiang stood frozen his mouth open and his tongue drooling like a dog in the sun.
" Of course, Of Course Esteemed guests. Just a minute as this old man makes haste. Just a minute esteemed guests. "
Old Man Lei's distinguished demeanor went out the door in the presence of such a huge transaction. He even forgot that Zhu Yuan and Cui Jiang were his juniors and bowed several times as he escorted them out with pleasantries and sweet nothings.
"You ungrateful swine! Where the hell did you collect such a huge sum. And why didn't you tell me of this opportunity??"
" Aiyah, I Cui Jiang have truly chosen the wrong friends. " Cui Jiang lamented bitterly as he clutched his batch of ten Golden Spirit Jade Pellets.
Zhu Yuan knowing his money hungry friend lashed out when he saw him slowing down.
"You...! If your thinking of returning half of those Golden Spirit Jade Pellets to get a refund I will never talk to you again.!"
"Haha... What are you saying. This is a grand gift from my bestie Zhu Yuan. How can I have such designs." Cui Jiang recovered expertly , hiding his half scowl with a fake smile.
Zhu Yuan knew him too well.
"Don't worry once we become outer sect disciples such an amount will be a trifling matter."
That sentence cheered up the unhappy and broke Cui Jiang. He departed at once to begin his preparations.
As Zhu Yuan walked home he tapped his money pouch and felt a deep sadness.
I was extremely rich a moment ago. I thought this purse would sustain me for years and its almost all gone in a span of an hour. If Old Man Yuan knew of this he would directly die due to anger.
Later on Zhu Yuan sat down on a woven mat beneath a willow tree on their back yard. He brought out his extravagant Golden Spirit Jade Pellets and placed them in front of him.
He sat in the lotus position, he would start with one spirit jade pellet and sit in meditation as he practiced the most basic of breathing exercise mantras. This way he would calm his mind and heart and with each breath in he would inhale the clean natures air and expel out the impure air from deep in his body. As he circulated the Golden Spirit Jades pills essence. This way he would enhance his spirit perception and begin sensing natures energy.
He took one pill and maintained his still position breathing in deeply and exhaling. He waited for the pills essence to begin circulating. A minute passed, two minutes , five minutes.
Nothing.
Zhu Yuan opened his eyes. Something wasn't right. The Golden Spirit Jade Pellet contained abundant spirit essence. How come he couldn't feel a thing.?
"Is my spirit already this strong."
"Haha it seems that I, Zhu Yuan I'm not an ordinary person."
" A genius shall truly invoke even the jealousy of the heavens. "
Zhu Yuan took another pill and waited. Nothing. He took the third pill and promptly the fourth all the while marveling at his unparalleled genius.
However when the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth Golden Spirit Jade Pill produced similar results Zhu Yuan was almost shedding tears.
"That swindling swine Old Lei! Did he trick me?!!"
Zhu Yuan took the last two golden spirit jade pills at once and waited holding his breath.
Nothing.
"Why.... Why is is like this!?"
"My two thousand spirit stones.!?" Zhu Yuan wailed inside his heart. Wasn't this simply throwing money down the drain!!
As Zhu Yuan pulled his hair in frustrations and vexations, little did he know that in front of the Divine Azure vine even a thousand Golden Spirit Jade pellets were simply useless.
A dejected Zhu Yuan went to sleep although it was unknown whether he would be able to get an ounce of sleep after suffering such a huge loss.
Tomorrow he would visit the Red Eagle Pellet Refining Association.
***"
- Writer
