Chapter 11: Hope Is the Best Way to Keep People Close.
Zhun Xuying chose the cannibal mantis core. The cannibal mantis is a mutation of a regular mantis, these creatures can reach the size of a person, due to its scarcity and the level of difficulty to obtain one, it's the most expensive level one core on the store.
Zhi Rui was amazed by Zhun Xuying's boldness, the moment she finished talking, Zhun Xuying barely thought twice, before she chose the most violent and rare.
"Maybe with this kind of decision-making she might actually become someone useful." Zhi Rui thought.
"Miss Zhun chose well. This core comes from far away, and it's a rare mutated insect type. The cannibal mantis abilities and attributes, are the following: a mutation to the eyes you gain a 180 degrees vision, explosive speed, attack power, and it can increase your affinity with wind blades and spikes, its price is 50 crystals."
The clerk said.
Zhi Rui got up, and without hesitation, handed over the crystals. A common level one core costs 20 crystals. these are appreciated by the poor. A common level two core has a value of 50. A common level three its a 100. And level four above, they are rare and have high demand. so its sold in other forms. but she gained more crystals before getting out of the house she still has around three hundred crystals left.
Zhi Rui turned around and stared at Zhun Xuying's face. "let's go?"
Zhun Xuying nodded, both went out towards the general's manor.
On the way Zhi Rui noted Zhun Xuying looking nervous while walking and holding the box with the core.
Zhi Rui chuckled, "This is a noble part of the city, and we're two beautiful women, related to the general's house. while rare that core is still only level one. no cultivator would risk much for it."
Zhun Xuying nodded, but still looked uneasy. Zhi Rui ignored her expression and asked.
"What was in the box my father gave me?"
Zhun Xuying answered, "I think it might be spiritual water Young miss."
"You think?" Zhi Rui stared at her.
"The other maids say the general asked for spiritual water and a month of vacation, form the emperor. The general only told me to deliver the box, he did not talk about the contents. young lady."
Zhi Rui laughed.
"So Father is the type that ignores people right after having his fun. What a bastard."
"If the conditions are clear, then to discuss anything else is waste of time." Zhun Xuying commented.
"True." Zhi Rui agreed
Zhi Rui started thinking.
'Spiritual water? That's something he normally wouldn't be able to get his hands on, at least not in this small kingdom in the middle of nowhere. why gave it to me?' to improve his image or to lower my guard?'
Zhi Rui turned and stared intensely at Zhun Xuying. Then questioned
"How was father in the bed?"
Zhun Xuying tripped and almost fell. "E-Err Young lady?"
But seeing the cold green eyes she answered.
"He was intense, like a beast toying with its food."
Zhun Xuying didn't even blush while describing.
Zhi Rui starts walking again. Thinking to herself
'So he's excited? But why?
Zhi Rui suddenly understood. The man is a power hungry monster that sends thousands of soldiers to their death on a daily basis. The fact his daughter's is at the least a little like him.
might have brought him joy, What used to be a good chess piece, now become a powerful chess piece.
Zhi Rui grinned
'Being on the controlling end has blurred your sense of danger old man.' She mumbles to herself
Zhun Xuyin observed her young lady walking absent-mindedly.
'Two monsters.' She thought. she looked at the box on her hands.
But now I have a chance to enter their levels too.
She thought of the explanation the clerk gave her, she can choose to strengthen her vision, her explosive speed, or she can refine the manti's ability to cut and manipulate spikes. I have to choose well, or my future is doomed.
Soon they entered the manor. Zhi Rui gave her a basic book about cultivation to Zhun Xuying and went to her room.
Zhi Rui put a sign on the door. To not be disturbed.
Zhi Rui went to the box her father gifted, opened it.
There was a transparent bottle with what seems like normal water.
She took the letter on the side, explaining what it does, and how to use it.
Spiritual water nourishes the inner core in a specific way.
The inner core receives the heavenly energy from around and condenses it into refined energy, it's what a cultivator use for activating spells, manipulate elements and your own abilities.
The spiritual water nourish the refinement process of an inner core, making it sustain and refine faster If a person takes a week to refine a core. Then with a core nourished with spiritual water, it'll be reduced to a day.
Zhi Rui still hasn't refined a beast core. and her talent is ordinary, making the water even more valuable.
She didn't hesitate, time is short. She gobbled it all down and started to refine it.
Two days later when she finished. Zhi Rui frowned, the energy refined by her inner core is red, strangely red, normally a level one core's refined energy should be blue and stable. But her own are red and hot, and strangely denser.
Zhi Rui brought her conscience back. her eyes were calm.
'I must study it.'
It doesn't matter if it's denser than usual, blessings do not fall from the sky, whatever it is it's not common. And it might do more harm than good.
Zhi Rui took the envelope Hilda gave her.
The letter Zheng Li had delivered that day, contained a service request, it was a simple information purchase trade.
Zheng Li paid upfront. So Hilda gathered the information and delivered a day later.
The information contained the names of the big people in the shadow of the capital, where you can buy weapons, where slave trading is held. every underground organization and their respective patrons funding them.
If you want to make money, you need to have money.
And the most effective way to gather capital is...
Zhi Rui though to herself and mumbling out loud.
"Isn't it common sense? stealing."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Stupid_villain
Stupid_villain I do realize, this info of cultivation might be lame.
but its necessary, so bear with me, please.
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