24: Chapter 24 1.3 Million Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

Upon hearing this, Li Guidai understood everything in an instant!

'Good heavens! My father-in-law's intentions lie elsewhere!'

He ranted internally, 'What concern for his daughter and son-in-law's living conditions? This is clearly a probe to test the waters!'

'Using a mansion as bait, he wants to see what exactly this "miraculous son-in-law" is made of—the one who managed to guide his wife with an eighth-grade spirit root to the Foundation Establishment Stage in just one year!'

'Perhaps that mansion is already rigged with some detection formation, just waiting for me to walk right in! He's even throwing in a portion of his talented younger daughter's dowry to tie things together; he's trying to shackle me firmly to the Zhuge Family's war chariot!'

'Father-in-law, your abacus is clicking so loudly I could hear it all the way from Qingling Pass!'

Though he thought this, he couldn't show a hint of it on his face.

After all, only a fool wouldn't be happy about moving from this crude cliff-side cave dwelling to a large mansion in the city!

As for his father-in-law's probing... he would just have to take it one step at a time. In any case, he had the system as a safety net; as long as he didn't expose his core secrets, everything else... well, he would deal with it as it came!

He immediately plastered a look of surprise and gratitude on his face, pulled Zhuge Yue close, and said in a lighthearted tone: "Oh! This is wonderful news!"

"Father-in-law is truly so thoughtful! While this cave dwelling is warm in winter and cool in summer, it is ultimately a bit too crude. It's been unfair to my Yueer!"

"We'll move! We must move! Let's move right now!"

He was a man of action, and once he decided on something, he did it immediately. He let go of Zhuge Yue and began to pack up in a whirlwind of activity.

In truth, there wasn't much to pack—mostly just some daily necessities, that ugly guitar he had made, and a few odds and ends.

He deftly stuffed everything into his storage bag, acting as if he were afraid his father-in-law would change his mind if he were even a second late.

"Let's go, let's go! Wife, Ying... Sister Ying, let's go check out our new home right now!"

Li Guidai grabbed Zhuge Yue with one hand and, in high spirits, beckoned to Zhuge Ying, who still hadn't quite recovered from the earlier awkwardness, before impatiently leaving Cave Dwelling No. 250, where they had lived for nearly a year.

Li Guidai brought Zhuge Yue and Zhuge Ying to the mansion located in the mid-tier district of Lanyun City.

The mansion had blue bricks and grey tiles; while it didn't look overly luxurious, it was quite spacious and the environment was tranquil. Compared to the cliff-side cave at Qingling Pass, it was like heaven and earth.

However, the moment the three of them reached the entrance, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in a deep purple robe with a gaunt face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's, standing with his hands behind his back, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

The moment Zhuge Yue and Zhuge Ying saw this man, they froze as if hit by an immobilization spell. Their bodies stiffened, and expressions of nervousness and reverence appeared on their pretty faces simultaneously as they called out in unison, with a hint of timidity:

"Father!"

Li Guidai's heart skipped a beat! Good heavens, the main event had arrived!

He could feel the faint, yet vast, abyss-like spiritual pressure emanating from the man, and he thought to himself: 'Look at this aura, this pressure—this is definitely another Golden Core big shot!'

'Are Zhuge Family elders sold in bulk? He feels even more unfathomable than Seventh Elder Zhuge Tai!'

The middle-aged man—Zhuge You—swept his gaze, which felt almost tangible, over his two daughters before finally fixing it on Li Guidai. After looking him up and down, he spoke slowly, his voice flat yet carrying unquestionable authority:

"I am the Fourth Elder of the Zhuge Family, Zhuge You. I am also their father."

Li Guidai quickly cupped his hands in a respectful salute: "Junior Li Guidai greets Fourth Elder."

Zhuge You nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then flipped his wrist to produce two jade slips and a long list, which he handed to Li Guidai.

"You have seen this mansion. This is the title deed." He pointed to the first jade slip.

"This list," he tapped the long scroll, "contains the basic furniture, necessary defensive formation disks, spirit-gathering potted plants, and so on that this mansion requires..."

"Oh! And since you are now a family, I have also included the festive items needed for wedding arrangements."

Next, he revealed the second jade slip: "This is another title deed, for a small shop in the inner city of Lanyun City."

"A shop in the inner city?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yue couldn't help but exclaim in shock, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment. "Father! A shop in the inner city, no matter how small, could easily sell for 200,000 low-grade spirit stones!"

Zhuge You remained expressionless as he continued: "At the end of this list, there are valuations for this mansion, that inner-city shop, and all the items listed." He paused, then announced a figure that nearly made Li Guidai and Zhuge Yue faint:

"The total is 1.3 million low-grade spirit stones."

"1.3 million?!" Li Guidai and Zhuge Yue stood frozen on the spot, their eyes wide and their mouths agape enough to fit an egg!

1.3 million low-grade spirit stones?! This was simply an astronomical figure! Even if they were both sold off, they wouldn't be worth a fraction of that! Li Guidai felt as if his Ancient Kidney Physique almost spasmed from the shock of that number.

Watching the two of them petrified, a trace of almost imperceptible amusement flashed deep in Zhuge You's eyes. He then added slowly, his tone seemingly softening slightly, but the content was even more "horrifying":

"The fact that you were able to produce a single top-grade foundation establishment pill for Yueer shows that you do indeed have deep feelings for her."

He cast a profound look at Li Guidai, as if he could see through all his secrets!

"Although I have never heard of anyone capable of refining a top-grade foundation establishment pill, to refine something of this quality would require at least the standards of a sixth-grade alchemist. I do not know where you obtained this pill, nor do I wish to ask."

He changed the subject, adopting a tone of "I have already been very generous":

"I will consider this mansion as part of Yueer's dowry and give it to you. It is valued at 500,000 spirit stones."

Before Li Guidai and Zhuge Yue could catch their breath from this "generosity," Zhuge You dropped the final bombshell:

"The remaining 800,000 low-grade spirit stones... you must repay me, with interest, within five years."

"Fi... five years?! 800,000?!"

Li Guidai felt his tongue tying itself in knots. Zhuge Yue's body swayed, and she nearly lost her footing; fortunately, Zhuge Ying was quick-witted and caught her.

Even the usually cool and heroic Zhuge Ying widened her beautiful eyes, rendered speechless by her father's "exorbitant demands" and harsh conditions.

Five years, 800,000 low-grade spirit stones!

For any cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, this was an almost impossible task! Not to mention that Li Guidai was ostensibly still at the Qi Refining Stage!