If it were the Ghost Emperor and the Nether Emperor, they would never agree to let a Super Douluo like Leng Yulai leave the Holy Spirit Cult.
The cult had paid a great price to keep Leng Yulai.
What's more, Leng Yulai possessed a disposable divine weapon.
However, if it was the Demon Empress making the decision, she truly didn't care much about a single Leng Yulai.
Right now, she was still in a cooperative relationship with the Great Star Dou Forest.
Having Leng Yulai follow Xia Yi didn't count as losing a powerhouse to another force.
Compared to what she wanted to gain from Xia Yi, Leng Yulai was truly insignificant.
At least, that's how the Demon Empress saw it.
Having received Xia Yi's promise, she left satisfied.
Just as the Demon Empress left, another person walked in.
It was Yuanen Yehui.
Back when she had asked Xia Yi to forge her one-word battle armor, she couldn't afford the full forging cost, so she had made an agreement with Gu Yue—Xia Yi would forge it for her first, and she would pay him back in installments each month.
Yuanen Yehui was different from others.
Ever since leaving the Yuanen Clan, she had never accepted even a shred of support from them.
Moreover, the battle armor metal that Xia Yi had forged for her was all 99% compatible divine-grade metal.
Each piece was worth a fortune.
During the nearly three months at sea, she had sold everything she could, and even worked as a volunteer on the ship just to barely make ends meet.
Now, she was truly penniless.
With the next payment deadline approaching in just a few days, she had no other choice but to seek out Xia Yi.
"Can you give me a few more days? Once the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament in the Star Luo Empire ends, I'll sell the prize and guarantee I can pay you back," Yuanen Yehui said, her face flushed red.
With her personality, she wouldn't have come to Xia Yi begging like this unless she had absolutely no other options.
"No money, huh?" Xia Yi raised an eyebrow and gave Yuanen Yehui a once-over, his gaze turning mischievous. "There's no way I'm giving you an extension, but I do have a way for you to work off your debt."
"You…" Being so openly scrutinized by Xia Yi, a hint of unwillingness flickered in Yuanen Yehui's eyes. But in the end, she gritted her teeth and said, "Speak!"
"Change back to your original appearance and put on women's clothing first," Xia Yi thought for a moment before replying.
"I…" Yuanen Yehui opened her mouth but then clenched her fists, her chest rising and falling sharply. After a long silence, she shot Xia Yi a deep look before turning and heading into the restroom.
When she reappeared, she had transformed into a tall, slender young woman.
In her female form, Yuanen Yehui's skin was exceptionally fair—almost pale.
Her chestnut-red hair and black eyes gave her an astonishingly captivating appearance.
Yes, captivating.
Although her beauty was on par with Gu Yue's and far below Na'er's, and she couldn't compare to Leng Yaozhu or Leng Yulai, there was something uniquely striking about her.
Especially those deep black eyes, which seemed to exude an innate charm at all times.
The only flaw was her outfit.
"You call that women's clothing?" Xia Yi's expression darkened as he looked at the ugly green Shrek Academy uniform Yuanen Yehui was wearing.
A stunning beauty had been completely ruined by her clothes.
Even during his time at Shrek Academy, Xia Yi had never once worn that hideous thing.
The moment he got it, he had thrown it straight into the trash.
Whoever designed it must have had something wrong with their brain.
Shrek Academy's inner court red uniforms were perfectly fine—why did the outer court's have to be so hideous?
"Shrek Academy uniforms are unisex," Yuanen Yehui stated.
She couldn't exactly tell Xia Yi that she was deliberately dressing down to discourage any "impure" thoughts he might have about her.
"Unisex indeed," Xia Yi nodded in agreement. "This is so ugly it transcends gender."
Even among green clothing, he could've woven something out of Blue Silver Grass that would look better than this.
"You're sure you're wearing this?" Xia Yi asked uncertainly.
"I'm wearing this," Yuanen Yehui nodded firmly.
"Alright, then let's take a trip to Star Luo City," Xia Yi said, indifferent to her clothing choice, and led Yuanen Yehui out of the Star Luo Grand Hotel.
As the most luxurious hotel in Star Luo City, the Star Luo Grand Hotel was naturally located in the city center.
Outside the hotel was a bustling street.
The street was wide, yet there were no vehicles—it was a famous pedestrian street in Star Luo City, and also the widest road, known as Star Luo Avenue.
Shops lined both sides of the street.
"Where are we going?" Yuanen Yehui asked, puzzled.
"Today, I'm going to teach you how to make money for free. Otherwise, even if I give you an extension today, you'll probably be back next month asking for another one," Xia Yi said calmly.
With his hands behind his head, he strolled along the street with a faint smile, his eyes scanning the nearby stores as if searching for something.
The two walked for over an hour, even leaving the pedestrian street, before Xia Yi finally stopped in front of a company.
After checking the company's information on his soul communicator, Xia Yi led Yuanen Yehui inside.
Star Luo Caiyun Limited Liability Company.
One of the top three clothing companies in Star Luo City.
"Is he going to buy me clothes?" Yuanen Yehui's face suddenly flushed as she followed Xia Yi into the company, her thoughts racing.
"Does he really think my outfit is that ugly?"
Yuanen Yehui began to regret wearing her Shrek Academy uniform.
If she had dressed just a little better, maybe Xia Yi wouldn't be buying her clothes.
A piece of clothing wasn't expensive.
But it was an intimate gesture.
One that could easily lead to misunderstandings.
And Yuanen Yehui wasn't quite comfortable with that.
"If Xia Yi really buys me clothes, should I accept them or not?" she wondered, glancing at his back.
Ever since her mother, Yehui, passed away and she left the Yuanen Clan, no one had ever given her a gift.
Xie Xie had tried to worm his way into her good graces by helping clean her dorm, but she had always driven him away with force.
Even though she knew Xia Yi's intentions might not be pure, she still couldn't help but let her thoughts wander.
Xia Yi…
Aside from being a bit of a flirt, he was actually quite an exceptional person.
If she accepted the clothes…
Would that mean she wouldn't have to repay the forging fee anymore?
Could she… trade something else instead…?
"Sir, Miss, how may I help you?" The receptionist's voice pulled Yuanen Yehui back to reality.
She snapped out of her thoughts.
In that instant, her face turned red all the way to her neck.
"Yuanen Yehui, how can you be so shameless? Xia Yi already has a wife! How could you even think such things?"
She wanted to slap herself twice for even having such thoughts.
(End of Chapter)