"Okay, Elder Hu, I will relay your words to Mr. Ying."
Min Ziqiong pretended Ying Chen was not present and ended the call with Elder Hu.
"I'm sorry, the gifts Elder Hu sent were all hidden by my mother. I wanted to bring them out for you earlier..."
Min Ziqiong put away her phone and said apologetically to Ying Chen.
Ying Chen waved his hand, "Common trinkets, better to not have them. When you reach my realm, you will know that what is truly worth your attention in this world is not gold, nor silver, but things that can enhance one's own strength."
"Everything else is just external possessions that can be snatched away by others in an instant!"
"Consider it a debt, I will definitely repay you in the future!" Min Ziqiong, however, did not take Ying Chen's words to heart and said earnestly.
"Let's go, aren't you going to Shouyang Mountain? I'll take you to see it."
After Min Ziqiong finished speaking, she intended to take a bus, but remembering that Ying Chen had just returned from a journey, she changed her mind and hailed a taxi.
The three of them got into the taxi and headed straight for Shouyang Mountain.
Soon, the car stopped at the foot of Shouyang Mountain.
Looking up, they saw that a layer of mist swirled around the not-too-high summit, creating a fairy-tale effect like clouds and fog.
The beach at the foot of the mountain stretched far into the distance, and nine ravines of varying depths could be vaguely seen on the beach.
These were likely formed by the nine dragon waves during high tide.
The entire mountain range wound and curved like a Yuanbao (a gold ingot), enclosing a series of mansions on its sunny side.
"Concealing wind and gathering water, it is indeed a feng shui treasure land," Ying Chen nodded in evaluation.
"Are you sure you still want to go further up? You know, just the area at the foot of the mountain where we are standing, villas start at hundreds of millions. The higher you go, the more expensive it will be."
"Do you see that villa on the summit? It's said that the construction cost alone was a staggering two billion! With the rising costs of building materials and land prices over the years, the final selling price might reach over three billion, or even four billion is not impossible."
"So, I advise you..."
Min Ziqiong was about to dissuade Ying Chen from buying a villa here.
To her surprise, Ying Chen interrupted her, "I don't think so. Other villas might appreciate with time, but this one on the summit definitely won't!"
"Why?" Min Ziqiong was stunned.
The summit was the best location.
Min Ziqiong had the fortune to visit that villa on the summit before. The view was panoramic, the air was fresh, and most importantly, the owner had specially built an observation deck.
From the observation deck, the entire Jianghai City was within sight.
It gave the feeling of "sitting on a mountain and observing the waves, embracing all prosperity."
In other words: you won't dislike it, you just won't have the money!
Min Ziqiong couldn't figure out how such a property would not appreciate.
After all, real estate was the hottest commodity in the entire Long Kingdom right now!
This kind of top-tier property was considered a hard currency in the new era for the wealthy!
"You'll know when we go up. If I'm not mistaken, the owner of this house definitely doesn't live here."
Ying Chen said mysteriously, without further explanation.
Min Ziqiong became even more curious.
So, she followed behind Ying Chen and headed for the summit.
Although Shouyang Mountain was not very high, it still took them more than an hour to climb to the top.
Min Ziqiong was panting with exhaustion, and this was with Ying Chen helping her carry Nannan.
If she had to carry Nannan herself, she probably would have collapsed halfway up the mountain.
"You are too weak," Ying Chen frowned. "Once the villa is bought, you can move in with us! It will be good for you to temper your physique, you might not become a martial artist or cultivator, but at least you can prolong your life."
"Ah?" Min Ziqiong absolutely did not expect Ying Chen to invite her to live with him.
"N-no, that's not appropriate, is it? We are just friends... and living with a 'bad woman' in the eyes of outsiders like me will affect your reputation..."
Min Ziqiong lowered her head and said softly.
Ying Chen sneered, "Do you think I care about that? When you are strong enough, you won't care about anyone's judgment. Does a celestial phoenix care about the chirping of sparrows on the ground?"
Min Ziqiong looked up. This was the first time she had heard a man speak to her like this.
Before, other men had tried to pursue her, but without exception, they all flattered her beauty, coveted her body, and at most said, "I don't care about your past."
No one had ever looked at her solely, ignoring everything else, let alone described her as a "celestial phoenix."
A wave of unprecedented emotion surged within Min Ziqiong.
Her gaze towards Ying Chen held a different kind of light.
However, Min Ziqiong did not know that Ying Chen truly "did not care"!
Ying Chen's analogy was merely to convey a principle, not to genuinely consider her a phoenix.
This was the difference between male and female thinking.
Men tended towards rational thinking, while women tended towards emotional thinking.
Given the same flower, a man might see its beauty and value; a woman might see love.
"Alright, let's not talk about this for now. Let's look at the villa first."
Ying Chen's gaze fell on the mountain-top villa that was now within reach. After a brief appraisal, he walked towards it.
He reached out and pushed. The villa's door, which had been securely locked by a password, opened easily.
It revealed a luxuriously decorated courtyard within.
However, strangely, there was not a single plant in the courtyard.
Even the fish pond contained only water, no fish.
It was known that wealthy families always regarded fish as auspicious beings for feng shui. Whenever a fish pond was built, they would go to great lengths to procure feng shui fish to gather wealth.
The situation in this villa was extremely unusual.
Ying Chen stood in the center of the courtyard, took a gentle breath, and then nodded, "As expected."
"Oh no, what are you doing? Hurry up and come out. We haven't received permission from the owner, and if we barge in like this, the owner will call the police."
From outside the door, Min Ziqiong called out anxiously.
Although the identity of the villa's owner was a mystery, unknown to anyone in Jianghai, it could be guessed with certainty: the owner must be of noble status.
Most importantly, the owner's unwillingness to reveal their identity indicated that they disliked being disturbed.
Ying Chen's actions were precisely violating the owner's great taboo!
If the owner were to pursue the matter, it would be difficult to resolve, and Ying Chen might even be detained!
Unexpectedly, Ying Chen remained unmoved, still standing in the courtyard. "I told you, no one is in this house."
"If you don't believe me, try shouting a few times."
Min Ziqiong, half-believing, shouted a few times towards the villa.
Her voice echoed, reaching deep into the villa and startling a flock of birds.