The Wild Money Tree

"Didn’t expect to run into you again here, Little Melon."

Ye Chuan glanced down at the petite girl clinging to his leg, sniffling pitifully, his tone laced with amusement.

The girl froze as if someone had hit pause, then jerked her head up and scrambled to her feet, waving her hands frantically.

"No, no! Big Boss, I’m Tian Xiaotian!"

The moment the words left her mouth, she winced like she’d bitten her tongue.

"Ugh, no no no! Wrong name! I’m Tian Xiaotian!"

Ye Chuan didn’t bother dwelling on the name mix-up, his gaze lingering on the girl with her adorable mushroom-cut hair.

He crooked a finger. "Oi, you just shouted about gold bars. Where are they?"

He hadn’t misheard.

If not for that loud yell about gold, he wouldn’t have even remembered this little mushroom.

"Right here! Tons of 'em!" Tian Xiaotian acted like she’d been waiting for this moment, swiping her fingers through the air with practiced ease, as if manipulating an invisible screen.

A second later, a small but weighty chest materialized before Ye Chuan in a flash of light. The lid popped open, revealing rows of gleaming gold bars neatly stacked inside, their brilliance cutting through the dim surroundings.

"Heh heh." Tian Xiaotian tilted her head, rubbing her hands together like a scheming fly, her face brimming with eager anticipation.

"Oh?" Ye Chuan casually waved his hand, and the chest of gold vanished instantly, absorbed into his inventory.

[Item: Tian Xiaotian’s Gold Bars

Weight: 10KG]

Ten kilograms of gold?

He stroked his chin, doing quick mental math.

At current market prices, that was roughly eight million, wasn’t it?

His eyes flicked back to Tian Xiaotian. He reached out and patted her mushroom head lightly.

"You’re quite the wild money tree, dropping a jackpot like this. I like you."

Then, his tone shifted, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hey buddy, why didn’t you just convert all three hundred million into gold bars?"

The question caught Tian Xiaotian off guard. She blinked, then sighed helplessly. "Boss, three hundred million in gold is hard to buy! Plus, the moment I got back to the real world, I got dragged back into the dungeon within two days."

"Unless you get an S-rank dungeon rating, there’s no chance to stay out. You’re stuck living in the dungeon’s residential zone forever."

"Oh? So all you need is an S-rank rating, huh?" Ye Chuan zeroed in on the key detail.

"Mm-hmm!" Tian Xiaotian nodded vigorously.

If she could really return to the real world, she’d definitely bring in way more gold.

Surviving this long had been pure luck.

After their brief exchange, Ye Chuan’s gaze shifted to the skinny man and the adult woman nearby—both of whom flinched the moment his eyes landed on them, stumbling back a step, their faces etched with terror.

No wonder they were so scared. Moments ago, they’d watched Ye Chuan obliterate swarms of vengeful spirits and skeletal monsters with a mere flick of his wrist. His power far surpassed any top-tier player they’d ever seen.

To them, this man seemed more like a hidden dungeon boss. If not for Tian Xiaotian’s connection, they’d probably be dead already.

"Uh, hello. We’re Xiaotian’s teammates," the skinny man forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace, his body trembling slightly, terrified Ye Chuan might strike him down on a whim.

"Ew, yesterday you called me ‘useless trash,’" Tian Xiaotian piped up from behind Ye Chuan, poking her head out with a mix of mock hurt and smugness.

The skinny man’s smile froze. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he coughed awkwardly, trying to mask his panic.

Internally, he cursed. Who knew this runt had such a massive backer?!

"Are… are you a player?" the woman swallowed hard, mustering the courage to ask, though her voice quivered faintly.

"No." Ye Chuan’s reply was ice-cold, the single word hitting them like a hammer.

Just as they thought! The two exchanged horrified glances. Definitely a boss!

Before they could recover, Ye Chuan added lazily, "This place is just a farming spot for me. I don’t even live here."

The Silent Ghost Valley—a place even elite players dared not speak loudly in—was nothing more than this man’s personal grinding zone.

The skinny man and the woman stood frozen, exchanging silent, terrified looks.

"Big Boss, can you help me with my quest?" Tian Xiaotian clasped her hands together, blinking up at him with hopeful puppy-dog eyes.

"Since I took your money, I’ll get you the highest rating. The rest is up to you." Ye Chuan gave her a meaningful look.

Deep down, he knew the odds of running into Tian Xiaotian again were slim.

But at least it gave him something to look forward to.

Tian Xiaotian eagerly explained her task: "We need to collect five Ghost Mushrooms to trigger the clear condition."

"Originally, it was just a stealth mission, but…"

She trailed off. Who could’ve predicted the boss would be here wreaking havoc, scaring off her team leader in the process?

Now she had no idea where to find the quest items.

"Ghost Mushrooms?" Ye Chuan frowned, lost in thought for a moment before realization dawned. "Oh, now that you mention it, I did sense something mushroom-like earlier."

"Really?!" Tian Xiaotian’s face lit up instantly.

"Yeah. But I blew them all up." He said it as casually as discussing the weather.

Tian Xiaotian’s smile shattered. Her little face crumpled into a pout, looking utterly dejected.

Ye Chuan scanned the area—most of it had been reduced to rubble, with barely any standing ground left.

"None left at all?" Tian Xiaotian asked timidly, her voice trembling.

Seeing her pitiful expression, Ye Chuan couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Honestly, during his rampage, he hadn’t paid much attention to any so-called Ghost Mushrooms.

But the valley was vast, and he’d only demolished this section.

"There are plenty of unexplored areas left. Let’s go take a look." He started walking ahead.

"Okay!" Tian Xiaotian perked up immediately and trotted after him.

Whatever. Staying close to the boss was the safest bet.

The skinny man and the woman exchanged glances.

They didn’t dare wander off alone, but they also feared Ye Chuan might disapprove of them tagging along. Stuck in awkward limbo, they hesitated.

"Whatever. I’m leaving," the skinny man muttered. He’d rather take his chances with the wandering spirits.

With that, he turned and walked away.

The woman hesitated. Her last arrow was spent, and she had no means of self-defense. Gritting her teeth, she decided to follow Ye Chuan.