C32 Show Him His Cards!

During the day, the power of the stars becomes exceedingly scarce. Unless Chu Yi advances his cultivation of the Stellar Combat Body to a profound level, where he can directly harness the power of the sun for his practice, daytime is not an ideal time for cultivation.

However, there are always exceptions.

Take resources, for example.

With the right resources, the time of day becomes irrelevant.

The residual power within the Exquisite Fruit is on par with a Fourth Level Potion. Even though it's just a standard Fourth Level Potion, such potency is still immensely vast for someone at the Bronze stage.

Had Chu Yi's life essence not undergone a significant transformation, the Exquisite Fruit alone might have propelled him to the stature of a Silver Level Great Warrior.

Chu Yi dedicated the entire afternoon to assimilating the power from the Exquisite Fruit.

Yet, the fruit's energy was still overwhelming for him at this stage. Therefore, when the sound of the door opening echoed, Chu Yi had not fully absorbed the Exquisite Fruit he held.

Stepping out of his room, Chu Yi found his parents seated on the sofa.

Before he had opened his door, their faces, though calm, bore traces of fatigue.

But upon seeing Chu Yi, they both mustered smiles, as if to suggest that all was well.

A pang of sorrow struck Chu Yi. He glanced at his mother before turning his gaze to his father.

It had been over half a month since his return to this world, yet he hadn't truly looked at his father in all that time.

Aside from a brief glimpse on the first day, this was the first time in over five thousand years that Chu Yi had really seen his father.

In Chu Yi's recollection, his father was never an imposing figure.

In many families, parents play the roles of good cop and bad cop, but that dynamic never existed in Chu Yi's household.

Their family was always joyous and harmonious, devoid of conflict.

Now, as Chu Yi observed his father's time-worn face, he felt an unspeakable ache in his heart.

His father had been youthful and dashing, his mother naive and lovely—that was the image their neighbors had of them.

But now...

His father appeared so vastly different from the vibrant, confident man etched in Chu Yi's memory.

Chu Yi was aware that if the unknown event hadn't occurred, his father would still be the young and confident man he once was, and his mother would remain the beautiful and naive woman she had always been.

It was all due to that unknown reason...

"Yi, your mom mentioned you wanted to talk to us today?"

While speaking with Chu Yi, his father maintained a smile, despite being weighed down by many concerns.

Chu Yi gazed at his father and inhaled deeply.

"Father, I need to know what's been happening at home."

Upon hearing Chu Yi's request, his father became silent. He glanced at Chu Yi's mother, seemingly chastising her for sharing such matters with their son.

Before his mother could offer an explanation, Chu Yi interjected, "Mom didn't tell me."

"Half a month ago, I came home early because I had to take care of something, and that's when I overheard your argument."

Chu Yi's gaze remained fixed on his father, who, upon hearing this, lapsed into silence.

The silence stretched on, heavy and unbroken.

Chu Yi could feel the oppressive atmosphere, and it weighed heavily on his heart.

He understood that in his father's eyes, he was always the toddler taking his first steps, always the carefree child on his father's back.

For a father, the inability to provide for his child is tantamount to failure.

This is an unacceptable reality for any father.

Yet, despite this, Chu Yi needed to make his point clear.

"But Father, I've grown up!"

Chu Yi's voice broke through the silence, quivering slightly.

I've grown up; I'm no longer the child who could only stand behind you!

His father lifted his head to meet Chu Yi's impassioned gaze, truly seeing him for the first time.

After what seemed like an eternity, Chu Yi's father appeared to reach a resolution.

He began to speak, his voice rough with emotion.

"Yi, you truly have grown up..."

His mother, standing quietly to the side, remained silent, her eyes filled with pride as she watched Chu Yi.

Chu Yi had always been well-protected by his parents, never having experienced hardship as he grew.

Back then, Chu Yi was incredibly naive, so much so that his parents often fretted over his future.

But now, they've come to realize that their once naive son had maturely grown up without them even noticing.

Though he couldn't contribute much to the situation, he still stepped forward, understanding his place as a member of the family.

"Yes, you're a part of this family, and that means you're entitled to know everything!"

Despite the lingering pain in his eyes, his father looked at Chu Yi with a sense of pride and relief.

"The situation is quite complex, yet at the same time, it's rather straightforward."

"In the simplest terms, I've been swindled and now owe a substantial amount of money to the bank."

"If it's not repaid by the deadline, I'll be facing jail time."

Hmm...

That pretty much matched the scenario Chu Yi had pieced together in his mind.

He was familiar with his father's character.

His father steered clear of drugs and gambling, so how could he have possibly let the family finances take such a hit?

Knowing his father to be a man of meticulous planning and logic, it was unlikely he'd make a random investment or purchase.

Thus, having ruled out the impossibilities, the remaining explanation was that his father had been deceived.

"Dad, what exactly happened?"

Chu Yi was eager to understand how his father had been duped.

But his father remained silent on the matter. When Chu Yi turned to his mother, she too offered no explanation.

Chu Yi sensed there was more to the story, but with his parents unwilling to divulge any details, he couldn't press further.

"Dad, how much do we owe the bank?"

This was Chu Yi's primary concern.

He figured the amount couldn't be too steep, considering their financial situation. Surely, even a scam wouldn't result in a massive loss.

But then...

"Three million..."

Chu Yi's eyes widened in shock.

Three million?!

In this world, three million was equivalent to ten million from his past life!

Given their family's circumstances, how could they possibly have been conned out of so much?

Chu Yi had assumed that, at worst, the family might have been scammed out of a few hundred thousand, maybe a million at the most.

But now, faced with this figure of three million...

Yet, Chu Yi wasn't intimidated by the sum. For him, three million was merely a three-month setback.

While trading those potions might be inconvenient, Chu Yi knew there was always a way if he really wanted to.

Three million was an astronomical sum for the average person, but for cultivators—especially the slightly more powerful ones—it was trivial. Take Chu Yi, for example. After passing the Genius Assessment, his monthly allowance of resources alone reached a staggering million. And that was merely a subsidy from the state.

In comparison to the resources one could gain from aligning with a major power, it was a mere drop in the ocean. Thus, the figure of three million surprised Chu Yi, but it was more about the impact on his family rather than on him personally.

The room fell silent, perhaps because his parents feared the amount was too overwhelming and regretted mentioning it. After a brief pause, Chu Yi broke into a smile.

"Dad, when do we need to pay back the bank?" he asked, clearly concerned.

If repayment was imminent, Chu Yi might have no choice but to join an organization like the Warrior Association. Despite potential restrictions, nothing was too great a sacrifice for his parents' peace of mind.

In truth, Chu Yi still had an Exquisite Fruit in his possession. Easily worth close to twenty million, selling it would not only clear their debts but also ensure his parents lived comfortably for the rest of their lives. Yet, Chu Yi hesitated to sell it—not out of selfishness, but out of caution.

He had already absorbed the Origin Substance, often referred to as 'toxicity', from the Exquisite Fruit. What remained was purely a physical enhancer of this world. But Chu Yi had been thorough, absorbing the Origin Substance to an extent beyond what this world's technology could detect.

Selling it would undoubtedly raise questions he wasn't prepared to answer. It was an item that simply couldn't be sold. So, Chu Yi found himself in a dilemma.

After contemplating, Chu Yi's father finally spoke up, deciding to lay all the cards on the table.

"We have a six-month deadline," he revealed.

"It's set to expire around September."

September, huh...

Upon hearing this, Chu Yi was immediately at ease.

If it had been next month or the month after, it might have been a bit of a hassle, but September was comfortably distant.

Chu Yi had returned to this world at the start of April, and it was only mid-April now.

The college entrance exams were scheduled for June, just as they had been in his previous life.

So, Chu Yi had plenty of time on his hands.

"Then I'm relieved..."

His parents gave Chu Yi a puzzled look, not quite grasping the meaning behind his words.

Chu Yi gazed at his parents and allowed himself a genuine smile.

It was the most joyous smile he had worn since coming home.

"Dad, Mom, there's no need for concern. It's only three million. I've got this covered."

After all, it wasn't just three million that wouldn't faze him; even thirty million wouldn't be a concern for Chu Yi.