Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 25
Early the next morning.
After finishing his preparations at the inn, Ling Changqing went to the Heavenly Match Pavilion again, intending to continue “fleecing the sheep.”
As a major client, Granny Wang naturally welcomed him with open arms. Under her arrangements, beautiful female cultivators of various types were sent to him one after another.
However, their demands were largely similar: the betrothal gifts could not be reduced by even a single coin, and they also required a spiritual vein cave dwelling, a flying boat, magical artifacts, elixir pills, and all sorts of resources.
In short, Ling Changqing was no different to them than a Buddha statue in a temple, they could freely make all kinds of wishes upon him.
“… Fellow Daoist Ling, my spiritual root quality is poor. You must provide suitable natural treasures to help me cleanse my marrow and meridians. Ideally, I should achieve an Earth-grade spirit root so that the effects of dual cultivation will be better in the future. You won’t be at a disadvantage either.”
“… Fellow Daoist Ling, besides the betrothal gifts and the spiritual vein cave dwelling, I also wish to become a disciple of a Foundation Establishment expert. If you can help me fulfill this wish, our matter is settled! Don’t you think it would be very prestigious to have the direct disciple of a Foundation Establishment expert as your wife?”
“… Fellow Daoist Ling, I have two close male friends with whom I often travel to seek cultivation opportunities. Our friendship will remain unchanged in the future, and I hope you won’t mind.”
“… Fellow Daoist Ling, neither of us has particularly good spirit root quality, so I’m afraid our future children might fall behind from the start. How about… we borrow a child from a certain Foundation Establishment expert? You just need to prepare the spirit stones and resources!”
“… Fellow Daoist Ling, my spirit root quality is poor, so achieving Foundation Establishment in the future might be difficult. Could you prepare three Foundation Establishment Pills for me first?”
…
Even though he hadn’t held any expectations from the start, Ling Changqing felt as if he had been struck by lightning, thoroughly shocked inside and out.
These increasingly bizarre and outrageous demands would probably make even the Buddha lose his composure.
The outcome was obvious: they all left disappointed, frustrated, and seething with anger.
In truth, if Ling Changqing’s conditions were genuinely poor, they wouldn’t have been so angry, as an ideal outcome would have been impossible from the start.
But Ling Changqing’s conditions were outstanding enough to largely meet their expectations for an ideal cultivation partner, so they naturally wanted to seize the opportunity quickly.
However, Ling Changqing’s clear refusal dealt a heavy blow to these female cultivators’ typically high self-esteem, leaving them with particularly strong resentment and unwillingness after their defenses crumbled.
Of course, this was exactly the outcome Ling Changqing desired, as the Epoch Star Palace could harvest more soul essence power.
By noon, Ling Changqing informed Granny Wang and left the Heavenly Match Pavilion, heading alone to the Immortal Flavor Workshop two blocks away.
As a venue catering to wealthy cultivators, the environment was naturally exceptional. The opulent facade, the five-story building with its upturned eaves and bracket sets, and the seven steps of white jade stairs were lined with groups of colorfully dressed maids.
Ling Changqing went over and gave his name, and immediately a beautiful, colorfully dressed maid came to lead him inside, directing him to the VIP area on the fifth floor.
The female cultivator surnamed Ma was already waiting in the VIP room. Moreover, she hadn’t come alone but with a “close friends and relatives group” of over twenty people, mostly female cultivators. For this occasion, they had specifically reserved the largest private room. The environment here was indeed excellent, with exquisite carpets, pillars, tables, and chairs all crafted from thousand-year-old green-grained nanmu wood, exuding a refreshing fragrance. The jade-carved floral screens and the dome embedded with fist-sized night-luminescent pearls added to the luxurious ambiance.
Ling Changqing calmly went over to greet them and was immediately surrounded by the group, who showered him with flattery before inviting him to take the seat of honor.
These men and women appeared to be rogue cultivators, with cultivation levels mostly between the second and fifth layers of Qi refining. Their aptitudes were ordinary, and they hadn’t achieved much in life.
However, their boasts were grand. One claimed to know a high-ranking elder of the Ling family, another dared to say they were a relative of a powerful elder, and there was even one who bragged about being close friends with the Ling family head’s trusted steward.
“…Fellow Daoist Ling, these are my closest friends. They specially came today to meet you,” the female cultivator surnamed Ma said with a beaming smile. Having finally met an ideal young male cultivator who was both wealthy and talented, she naturally wanted to show him off in front of her peers.
Ling Changqing chatted idly with her, responding perfunctorily to the attempts of the surrounding rogue cultivators to strike up conversations.
“Since everyone is here, shall we order? I’m feeling a bit hungry!” a round-faced female cultivator said with an artful smile, her words and demeanor dripping with affectation.
The female cultivator surnamed Ma nodded with a smile and called out to a maid, who promptly presented the menu. The menu was of exceptional quality, seemingly made of jade slips threaded with ice-silk threads.
As Ling Changqing had expected, she ordered the most expensive delicacies, a full table of exotic dishes, and topped it off with several pots of premium spiritual wine.
“…Fellow Daoist Ling, what do you think of this arrangement?” she finally asked, almost as an afterthought.
“No problem, as long as you’re happy!” Ling Changqing chuckled inwardly, thinking that since he wasn’t the one footing the bill later, she might as well indulge to her heart’s content.
“Hmm, my younger brother couldn’t make it today. Why don’t we order a few more dishes and two pots of spiritual wine to take away later?” the female cultivator surnamed Ma thought to herself, seizing the rare opportunity to splurge and enjoy herself.
Soon, an array of exquisitely prepared dishes, rich in color, aroma, and flavor, were brought in by the maids in a steady stream. The spiritual wine, sealed in jars, was unsealed on the spot by cultivators from the Immortal Flavor Workshop before the maids carefully poured it for them.
Ling Changqing watched impassively as they feasted and drank heartily. After several rounds of wine and dishes, he excused himself, claiming an urgent need to relieve himself, and temporarily left the room.
Once outside the private room, Ling Changqing directly activated an earth escape talisman and vanished without a trace.
When he reappeared, he was already in another district a hundred zhang away.
“Heh, trying to use me as a cash cow? Maybe in your next life!” Ling Changqing flicked his sleeve and leisurely returned to his inn to rest.
Back in the private room, the oblivious female cultivator surnamed Ma continued to boast and show off to her friends, her words brimming with smug satisfaction.
“…This Fellow Daoist Ling is truly remarkable. He’s handsome and talented!” one female cultivator said enviously.
“Indeed, to have reached the fourth layer of Qi refining at just fourteen and as a direct descendant of the Ling family, his chances of Foundation Establishment are quite high,” another chimed in.
“What’s more, he doesn’t lack spirit stone resources. It wouldn’t be hard for him to help Sister Ma achieve Foundation Establishment in the future. Ah, why haven’t I met someone like him?” yet another said, unable to hide her jealousy. Listening to her girlfriends’ lavish flattery and praise, the female cultivator surnamed Ma grew increasingly smug, pretending to be reserved while exchanging pleasantries.
The delicacies on the table were eagerly devoured by everyone. They rarely had the chance to taste such premium ingredients before, so naturally, they intended to enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Unconsciously, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, but Ling Changqing never returned.
“…Honored guests, the total for this meal is two hundred and fifty spirit stones. Who among you will be settling the bill?”
A shrewd-looking steward in a blue robe appeared at the private room’s entrance, politely inquiring.
Half-drunk, the female cultivator surnamed Ma blurted out without thinking, “Of course, it’s Fellow Daoist Ling… Huh? Where is Fellow Daoist Ling?”
She looked around but couldn’t find any trace of Ling Changqing.
The female cultivator surnamed Ma jolted awake, her drunkenness fading as a sense of foreboding washed over her. She quickly pulled out her communication jade talisman, trying to contact Ling Changqing.
Despite repeated attempts, there was no response. Ling Changqing had already blocked her, making it impossible to reach him.
Then, chaos erupted in the private room. The female cultivator surnamed Ma cursed and raged in frustration, while desperate pleas echoed around her.
Two hundred and fifty spirit stones were an absolute fortune. Even if they pooled all the female cultivators’ savings, it might not be enough to cover the bill.
“…Ladies, the Immortal Flavor Workshop is owned by the Ling family. If you dare to dine and dash here, do you want to be sold to the Red Powder Pavilion to work as courtesans?”
The steward’s expression was icy, and behind him stood a crowd of sharp-eyed family cultivators.
“We… we…”
The female cultivator surnamed Ma turned deathly pale, trembling with rage. She couldn’t believe that she, who had always been shrewd and adept at squeezing resources from male cultivators, had been outsmarted by one today. How infuriating!
No matter what, she had to get through this ordeal first. Otherwise, if she were really sold to a brothel to pay off the debt, her life would be over.
“Alright, let’s all pool our resources to settle this for now. I’ll pay you back later,” the female cultivator surnamed Ma said through gritted teeth, humbly pleading with her girlfriends.
In the end, after repeated negotiations with the steward, by the time the group of female cultivators finally left the Immortal Flavor Workshop, their storage bags were completely empty.
Even their magical robes, jewelry, jade pendants, magical artifacts, and elixir pills had been stripped away, leaving them in nothing but their undergarments, utterly disgraced.
Naturally, at that moment, their resentment and hatred toward Ling Changqing, along with their bitter curses, surged like an unending river!
At the inn.
Ling Changqing had a comfortable sleep and didn’t wake until the next morning.
Checking the feedback from the Epoch Star Palace, Ling Changqing nodded in satisfaction. He had indeed profited today. The soul essence provided by those “little fairies” had boosted his soul strength from 25 to 28.
If he could pull off something like this a few more times, his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds… Ling Changqing mused wistfully.
However, Zen Heart Island was only so big. If he did it too often, word would inevitably get out, making it hard to handle the aftermath. So, he needed to plan carefully.
After a moment, Ling Changqing set aside these thoughts and began considering his living arrangements.
It was time to look for his own spiritual vein cave dwelling. Staying at an inn indefinitely wasn’t a long-term solution, Ling Changqing reflected. The best option would naturally be to purchase one, but the price is simply too exorbitant. Moreover, such resources are in short supply, even having enough spirit stones doesn’t guarantee you can acquire one.
The next best alternative is to rent. The Ling family happens to offer such services, with some high-quality spiritual vein cave dwellings available for long-term lease.
However, renting isn’t as simple as wanting to, it requires certain connections to even be considered. Ordinary rogue cultivators need not entertain such hopes.
After weighing his options, Ling Changqing rose and left the inn, heading toward the family’s main headquarters.
Fortunately, he still had Tang Qiuyao’s token. After going through several layers of notification, Ling Changqing successfully met this elegant, dignified, and enchantingly beautiful woman.
Tang Qiuyao was currently handling clan affairs in a courtyard. On the nanmu desk before her lay several Jade Slip Books.
“Little one, shouldn’t you be focusing on your cultivation? What brings you to visit your sister today?”
Dressed in a radiant bright yellow dress, Tang Qiuyao gently set down the Jade Slip in her hand. Her starry, moonlit eyes gazed at the purple-robed youth before her, a figure of dragon-like majesty and phoenix-like grace, with pupils dark as lacquer, her jade-like face unable to conceal a smile.
“Senior Sister, it’s like this…”
Ling Changqing didn’t beat around the bush and succinctly stated his purpose.
Perhaps influenced by some unseen fortune, this peerless beauty had always been quite friendly toward him. If she was willing to put in a word, renting a suitable spiritual vein cave dwelling wouldn’t be difficult.
“Is that so? Let me check first…”
Tang Qiuyao said, picking up a Jade Slip and flipping through it, her delicate brows slightly furrowed:
“It’s rather unfortunate. All the spiritual vein cave dwellings under the Ling family’s name have already been rented out, and they’re all long-term leases. There are none available at the moment.”
These spiritual vein cave dwellings are considered clan public property. Once rented out, they won’t be reclaimed without special reasons, so Ling Changqing’s plan seemed likely to fall through.
“…Alright, I suppose there’s no other choice!”
Ling Changqing sighed. It seemed his luck wasn’t working this time.
“No need to be disheartened. I have a more suitable proposal…”
Tang Qiuyao rested her cheek on one hand, smiling warmly. Her full, rounded bosom stood proudly like towering peaks, outlining a deep, snow-white cleavage.
“Please go on, Senior Sister.”
Hope rekindled in Ling Changqing’s heart.
“I happen to own a spiritual vein cave dwelling. It’s quite spacious, and I don’t use it much myself. I could rent half of it to you. What do you think?”
Tang Qiuyao tilted her head slightly, speaking unhurriedly.
Ling Changqing: “…”
What was this? Was his senior sister becoming his landlord?
But he didn’t hesitate and immediately agreed: “That sounds perfect, Sister. I have no objections.”