'This girl...' Ji Wuye's brow furrowed slightly as he studied Qiu Xia with a scrutinizing gaze, his dark eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

No matter how intently he observed her expression and body language, he could not decipher her true motivations behind that serene mask.

Was she truly just repaying a favor out of courtesy? Or did she harbor some deeper, hidden agenda? The slightest crease formed between his brows as uncertainty gnawed at him.

'Perhaps I initially underestimated the potential danger level here,' he reflected, the corner of his lip tugging downward in a pensive frown.

His warning had been unnecessary - even without it, her martial prowess would have ensured her survival in the Tower. 'She's quite stubbornly adamant about this too...' He exhaled slowly through his nostrils, the sound barely audible.

"Oh please, Senior Sister, as a man, I cannot owe a woman a favor," Ji Wuye replied with practiced modesty, offering a slight incline of his head.

Before Qiu Xia could protest, he turned towards the shopkeeper with an apologetic yet charming smile playing across his lips, shrinking his eyes into warm crescents.

Cupping his hands formally, Ji Wuye asked in a deferential tone, "Big Brother, may I reserve those items?" The shopkeeper seemed to hesitate now, shifting his weight and averting his gaze with clear reluctance compared to before.

"Even if it's you... young heroes of Kunlun... still... I..." The man mumbled uncertainly, worrying his hands together. purchasing goods was one thing, but actually reserve them without guarantee, was another matter entirely it seemed.

Qiu Xia's suddenly spoke, "Please grant his wish, Uncle. Even if he doesn't pay, settle it under my name."

As the shopkeeper turned his gaze towards the firmness in her voice, his eyes immediately caught on the dark blue stripes adorning her pristine white martial robe.”An Official Disciple…”

By stark contrast, Outer Disciples like Ji Wuye earned nothing more than the roof over their head, effectively freeloading at such prestigious sects in the hopes of eventually proving worthy of an Official disciple's token stipend.

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The shopkeeper let out a weary sigh, giving Ji Wuye a strange look before acquiescing with a gruff nod. "Fine."

"Many thanks, Big Brother." Ji Wuye cupped his hands again gratefully. "This one has the surname Ji, an Outer Disciple of Kunlun Sect. May I know the prices?"

"Fossilized Tree Bark is 30 qián per catty. Mine only weighs about half a catty, so the price would be 15 qián...

"As for Deer Antler Powder, it's quite hard to tame and grind the horns nowadays, especially after those monsters emerged. So the price would be 55 qián per catty..."

As the shopkeeper began carefully listing out the costs, even Qiu Xia's serene expression betrayed a subtle twitch at the corners of her eyes.

She pursed her lips tightly for a moment before speaking up in an unnaturally sugared tone, her words dripping with feigned sweetness in stark contrast to her usual crisp aloofness.

"Junior~" She squinted her eyes at Ji Wuye expectantly as the recitation continued, awaiting his response with thinly-veiled impatience. "I wonder how you will pay for those items?"

Rather than seeming perturbed, Ji Wuye's smile only brightened further, crinkling the corners of his eyes. "I told you, Big Sister, let the man pay. Not to mention this is my own matter, it just doesn't feel right to burden someone else."

He paused then, holding Qiu Xia's gaze in a steady, searching look that caused her to avert her eyes demurely despite her squinted glare.

A hint of rosy color tinged her cheeks. "Also, you don't need to repay that favor. I was truly concerned for your safety," Ji Wuye added, his voice taking on a softer, sincere edge.

Qiu Xia coughed lightly, as if to clear her throat of the lingering embarrassment. Her folded arms tightened slightly across her chest as she stubbornly avoided meeting his eyes once more. "Yeah, I know, but don't try to shift the topic. How would you pay for this?"

Even an Official Disciple earned a modest monthly stipend, a luxury the penniless Outers could only dream of. Her pointed question lingered in the air challengingly.

An Official Disciple's average monthly allowance typically ranged from a modest 50 to 200 qián, contingent upon completing the minimum required sect missions.

To earn a more comfortable sum up to 400 qián per month, they would need to take on additional personal commissions or special tasks above the standard workload.

By comparison, even basic essentials like rice cost anywhere from 2 to 5 qián per catty, while a skilled laborer's monthly earnings hovered around a paltry 20 to 50 qián.

Thus, at smaller or more average sects, an Official Disciple could potentially earn upwards of 8 times more than a typical working man.

However, at elite, prestigious powers like the Kunlun Sect, the monthly stipend for Official Disciples remained stably generous - generally in the comfortable range of 200 to 300 qián.

For those hardworking few who diligently took on surplus missions, that amount could swell up to an impressive 600 qián.

As the shopkeeper methodically listed each item's exorbitant price, the running total steadily climbed past 150 qián.

The sugary-sweet shyness melted from Qiu Xia's expression, replaced by a look of consternation as she heaved a soft sigh and messaged her temples in mild exasperation.

"I'm not used to being indebted," she murmured, pursing her lips. "Let this Big Sister pay instead."

In her estimation, there was simply no feasible way her Junior Brother - a mere 2nd realm martial artist and penniless Outer Disciple - could possibly afford such an exorbitant sum. Even taking on personal commissions would hardly suffice.

Indeed, even as the steadily accumulating charges soared past 200 qián, Qiu Xia remained insistent on covering the cost herself.

After all, her very life was a priceless thing - thanks to her Junior Brother fortuitous warning, he had not only saved her, but spared her the lingering guilt of having to take lives in self-defense in killing.

As a newly minted Official Disciple, she could always take on additional side missions later to help offset this expense and earn back the deficit in funding.

After carefully tallying each component, the shopkeeper finally stated in a grave tone, "Since you only require one catty of each, the full total comes to 375 qián."