Transcending the Magic Era: The Supreme Female Archmage

"Qiu Chi, are you home?" "Sister, are you there? We've come to see you!" Pu Yangminghui and Chu Yichen's voices suddenly broke the silence inside the house. Chu Qiu Chi snapped out of her focused study, rubbed her stiff body from maintaining one position for so long, and got up to open the door.

At the entrance, Puyang Minghui, Nalan Xingyao, Chu Yichen, and Ji Moyu stood in neat rows. Chu Qiuchi looked at them with some surprise, "Why are you all here today? Come in and sit down!"

Puyang Minghui, full of lively energy, almost skipped over to Chu Qiuchi, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the house while saying with concern, "Qiuchi, what have you been busy with these past few days? We sent you so many Magic Fetion messages, but you didn't reply to a single one. Everyone was worried about you, so we came as a group to come and see you."

Chu Yichen entered the house and plopped down on the living room sofa, half-jokingly reminding her, "Yeah, sis, you suddenly disappeared without a trace, like you vanished into thin air, making us worry so much!"

Seeing how worried everyone was about him, Chu Qiuchi quickly checked the magical messages they had sent him. "I'm fine. I've just been studying the formula at home. I was so focused that I didn't notice anything else."

Nalan Xingyao circled around Chu Qiuchi, carefully examining her. "She looks alright; there are no signs of her going astray in her cultivation!"

Puyang Minghui pulled Chu Qiuchi from Nalan Xingyao's arms, placed her hands on Chu Qiuchi's shoulders, and said in an exaggeratedly serious tone, "Qiuchi, do you know how many days have passed? A full five days! We're leaving for the war zone tomorrow, and you're really engrossed in your research!" As she spoke, she looked at Chu Qiuchi's stomach suspiciously, her eyes full of teasing, "Aren't you hungry?"

Chu Qiuchi patted his stomach lightly and smiled awkwardly, "Has it been that long? Now that you mention it, I do feel hungry. How about we go out for a nice meal today? It's my treat to the No. 1 Restaurant in the World, what do you say? Anyway, we're leaving for the war zone tomorrow, and we probably won't be able to enjoy the delicacies of the capital for a long time!"

Puyang Minghui immediately responded, smiling as she looked at the others: "Great! We'll enjoy a big meal with you, since you're the richest woman among us! We won't hold back, right everyone?"

Nalan Xingyao smiled and chimed in, "That's right, we can't miss such a good opportunity. Let's go, none of us have eaten yet!"

Chu Yichen laughed and stood up from the sofa. "Let's go then, let's eat our fill! Sis, I won't hold back! I'm going to eat you into bankruptcy!"

Ji Moyu glanced at Chu Yichen and said indifferently, "Then you probably can't beat her."

Chu Qiuchi was laughing happily as everyone chatted away when she heard Ji Moyu's words. Her smile suddenly froze, and she pointed a trembling finger at Ji Moyu: "Little Fish, what, what, what do you mean by this? How did you become like this? You've even learned to joke around. Do you know your persona has collapsed?"

Seeing Chu Qiuchi's exaggerated performance, everyone around couldn't help but laugh. Puyang Minghui, looking curious, asked, "Qiuchi, what's a character setting?"

The others also pricked up their ears, eager to hear what was going on. Chu Qiuchi comically struck a thoughtful pose, stroking his chin and shaking his head as he explained, "Well, take Xiaoyuer for example. His persona is that of an ice-cold handsome man, the kind that could freeze you to death with just a few words. But look at him now, he can joke around. What if one day he suddenly bursts into laughter like us, joking and playing around with everyone? Tell me, wouldn't that be a bit disillusioning? That's what you call a persona falling apart!"

As soon as Chu Qiuchi finished speaking, laughter erupted around them like firecrackers. Chu Yichen, Puyang Minghui, and Nalan Xingyao couldn't help but burst into laughter and nodded in agreement.

Puyang Minghui laughed and said, "What you said makes so much sense. I really can't imagine what it would be like if Brother Yu became like us. I just can't bear to think about it."

Chu Yichen chimed in, "Exactly, exactly, it's terrifying!"

A hint of a smile flickered in Ji Moyu's eyes. He shook his head helplessly, as if lamenting that this was yet another day he would be teased by everyone.

The group walked out of the school gate chatting and laughing, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant. On their way out, they bumped into teacher Zhao Junnan. Upon hearing that they were going to eat at the Tianxia Diyi Lou restaurant, teacher Zhao immediately and warmly invited teacher Cui Tianxiang to come along, intending to "mooch a meal."

At the dinner table, the two teachers inquired about their recent situation with concern and gave them some advice on their upcoming training journey. On their last night before leaving the capital, everyone was immersed in the excitement of the upcoming training trip, feeling extremely excited and expectant.

After the meal, Chu Qiuchi and his companions waved goodbye to their two teachers and then strolled leisurely through the streets of Falan City. Puyang Minghui enthusiastically suggested, "Let's go to the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce and try our luck. Maybe we can find some treasures!" She said as they walked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Chu Yichen and Chu Qiuchi exchanged a knowing glance, immediately drawn to the suggestion: "Great idea, let's go take a look. Xiaoyuer, Xingyao, what about you?"

Upon hearing this, Nalan Xingyao and Ji Moyu both agreed, and soon the group arrived at the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce with great enthusiasm. As the largest and most prestigious chamber of commerce in the Aurora Empire, the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce itself is a unique and unmissable landmark in Falan City.

This is a magnificent five-story pavilion, its walls made of smooth white marble that gleams brilliantly in the sunlight. The guild's gates are a pair of massive mahogany pieces, carved with intricate magical runes and patterns, both solemn and mysterious.

The first-floor windows display the latest magical trinkets and rare materials, allowing passersby a glimpse of the luxurious interior through the clear crystal glass. The floors above are more private, each with its own dedicated area offering different levels of service and goods. The guild's roof is adorned with golden eaves, seemingly proclaiming its wealth and influence to the world.

Upon seeing them, the head of the chamber of commerce immediately greeted them with a beaming smile and warmly guided them inside. For convenience, they decided to split up, each heading to different floors to select the materials they needed. Soon, Chu Qiuchi found the items he needed on the third floor and was preparing to go to the counter to pay. However, just then, a commotion suddenly arose not far from the counter, followed by faint sobbing sounds.

Chu Qiuchi, curious, squeezed into the crowd and saw a man with a pointed face and a lewd expression arrogantly berating the waitress who had fallen to the ground: "What the hell? I just accidentally bumped into you, and you're accusing me of molesting you. That's absurd! Do you know who I am? There are plenty of people lining up to marry me. Why would I need to molest a lowly waitress like you? You're not saying this on purpose to get my attention, are you? Well, you've succeeded. How about this, I can make you my mistress. What do you think? After all, someone of your status can't marry me."

The waitress on the floor still had obvious red marks on her cheeks. She covered her face and protested, "I didn't! You deliberately touched me...touched me..."

The man became even more smug: "What did I touch you for? Tell everyone, where did I touch you? Why can't you say?"

Whispers gradually rose from the surroundings: "Could this girl really have some other ideas? Just look at her, you can tell she's a master at seducing people."

"I don't think so."

"She's faking it all, just you wait and see!"

"I don't think that guy is a good person at all!"

"Otherwise, why would she stammer and be unable to say where he touched her?"

"Exactly! Look how provocatively she's dressed, she's definitely not from a respectable family!"

Hearing these comments, the waitress felt even more ashamed and indignant, while the lewd man became even more smug. Chu Qiuchi squeezed through the crowd, walked to the waitress, helped her up, and quietly asked what had happened. Only then did she learn that the lewd man had deliberately touched her sensitive areas, which was why she was too ashamed and indignant to speak.

Chu Qiuchi surveyed her surroundings, her voice firm and unwavering: "Quiet down! Are you all blind? She's wearing nothing but ordinary work clothes. It's your own filthy minds that make everything seem dirty. It's so obvious. This young lady is so pretty, why would she need to seduce someone like this? What does she want from you? Your weasel-like face and your foul mouth, or your stench from not showering for over a decade? Don't you know what kind of trash you are?" As she spoke, she contemptuously pointed at the lewd man, then wiped her hands as if she'd touched something dirty.

Seeing Chu Qiuchi intervene, the sleazy man immediately strode forward aggressively: "Where did you come from, you wild girl? You haven't even grown your hair yet and you dare to meddle in other people's business? Get out of my way!" Chu Qiuchi sneered, clenched her fist, and quickly stepped forward, kicking him to the ground. "Ouch, you filthy thing, why did you bump into my shoe?" she said, feigning surprise, which drew laughter from the surrounding crowd.

The sleazy man, his face flushed with rage, quickly stood up, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse. But Chu Qiuchi didn't give him the chance. She stepped forward again, delivering a precise kick, followed by a barrage of punches: "Look at you! You just bumped into my foot, and now you're bumping into my fist! How can you be so careless! If you keep this up, I'm going to report you for deliberately faking an accident!" The sleazy man howled in pain, utterly powerless to fight back. Seeing Chu Qiuchi's formidable strength, the surrounding people fell silent, daring not to utter another word.

Soon after, Manager Song, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, rushed over. Only then did Chu Qiuchi stop and apologize to him, saying, "Manager Song, I'm sorry. This person kept accidentally bumping into my fist, deliberately trying to extort money from me and disrupting your Chamber of Commerce's business. Please put the damages on my tab."

Manager Song waved his hand with a smile, "No need, no need, I've figured everything out, Miss Chu, you're too kind." He then ordered his men, "Someone, throw him out! He's never to set foot in Wanbao Chamber of Commerce again!"

Upon hearing this, the sleazy man immediately yelled, "Do you know who I am? You dare treat me like this? I won't let you get away with this!"

Chu Qiuchi sneered, "Too bad, we're not interested in which stinking ditch you're from. Throw him as far away as possible. Remember, it was your grandma who hit you, so don't come to the wrong person for revenge next time!"

The sleazy man was carried out, and the surrounding crowd, seeing there was no more excitement, gradually dispersed. Chu Qiuchi walked over to the waitress and explained to Manager Song, "Manager Song, this really isn't her fault today. Please don't deduct her wages!"

Manager Song smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, we won't deduct her salary; we'll even give her some emotional compensation." Then, he turned to the waitress and said gently, "Go home and rest today, come back to work tomorrow. Don't be afraid if you encounter something like this again; the people of Wanbao Chamber of Commerce will never let anyone bully you!"

The waitress was moved to tears, thanking them repeatedly before going to rest. Chu Qiuchi smiled at Manager Song and said, "Your chamber of commerce is really well-managed; no wonder it's the largest!"

Manager Song smiled modestly: "Ms. Chu, you flatter me. We are very grateful for your help today, otherwise our Chamber of Commerce members might have suffered losses. We should thank you. How about this, we'll give you another 8% discount on what you bought today."

Chu Qiuchi quickly declined, "No need, I just caused the Chamber of Commerce quite a bit of loss. It's already very kind of you not to make me compensate, it would be really inappropriate to give me a discount. Don't worry, I have money!"

Manager Song was amused by her words: "Yes, yes, I know you have money. You are a major client of our Chamber of Commerce! However, this is the first time I've seen someone refuse to pay. Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony with you! Are you here to settle the bill? Let me take you there, this way please."

After settling the bill, Chu Qiuchi walked out of the Chamber of Commerce in a cheerful mood. The others had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time. Seeing her come out, Puyang Minghui greeted her curiously and asked, "Qiuchi, why did you stay inside for so long? Looks like you've made quite a haul! By the way, while we were waiting for you outside, we saw someone being thrown out, badly beaten. Do you know what happened?"

Chu Qiuchi smiled and recounted the events that had just transpired. After hearing her account, everyone was somewhat indignant. Puyang Minghui and Chu Yichen, in particular, looked regretful, complaining that they had come out too early and missed the excitement. They all expressed that if they had known earlier, they would have joined Chu Qiuchi in the act of bravery and taught that lewd man a lesson.