Longevity Starts With Dual Cultivation - Chapter 27 - Rogue Alchemist
Thus, Ling Changqing officially began renting accommodation in Tang Qiuyao’s cave abode, settling into a purely secluded cultivation lifestyle.
Externally, the Wu family’s overt hostile actions had largely ceased, but certain covert maneuvers would inevitably continue.
The Ling family operated similarly, this was commonplace in the cultivation world. Conflicts between different factions typically only concluded with the complete downfall of one side.
Ling Qiyue was determined to claim the Wu family’s foundation. Conversely, the Wu family equally coveted the Ling family’s assets.
However, after the previous direct confrontation, the Wu family had recognized their critical weakness: the absence of any clan member with potential to impact the Golden Core realm, which had led to their disadvantage against Ling Qiuyao’s methods.
If Ling Qiyue truly took that step first and successfully advanced to the Golden Core realm in the near future, the Wu family would have no choice but to surrender and submit.
After all, none of the surrounding families had ever produced even a single Golden Core Grand Cultivator, otherwise their territories wouldn’t be limited to their current scope.
Consequently, the Wu Family Head was already considering secret alliances with several neighboring families to jointly target the Ling family.
But such alliances couldn’t be negotiated overnight. Each family had their own calculations, and achieving complete unity and coordinated action was far more challenging than imagined.
Naturally, these matters held little immediate relevance to Ling Changqing, who only needed to focus on cultivation and improving his strength.
As Ling Qiyue’s trusted subordinate, Tang Qiuyao had limited leisure time. Beyond cultivation, frequent external duties were routine, leaving few opportunities for interaction with Ling Changqing, not that he particularly minded.
A month slipped by quietly.
With the Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills in his storage bag nearly depleted, Ling Changqing temporarily halted his cultivation. He first collected his monthly resource allocation from the family treasury, then ventured out to the market.
He intended to purchase more elixir resources while discreetly disposing of the spoils he’d acquired from the dead.
Beyond the spirit stones that could be spent directly, he could retain usable items from the loot. Only those things Ling Changqing couldn’t utilize would be sold off.
The disposal process proved straightforward. Since most market establishments operated under the Ling family banner, Ling Changqing’s status as a direct descendant ensured he wouldn’t be cheated, even if it didn’t guarantee special treatment.
After completing his rounds, Ling Changqing’s storage bag contained over three thousand additional low-grade spirit stones, wealth beyond what ordinary low-level rogue cultivators might see in a lifetime.
“…Alright, time to purchase pills. I wonder how reliable this channel Senior Sister provided will be?”
Ling Changqing murmured to himself as he followed the route Tang Qiuyao had previously indicated, heading toward the market’s eastern district.
Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills and several complementary beginner-level pills were essential resources for cultivating the Xuanzhen Black Water Scripture.
While these resources were available at the Ling family’s official elixir shops at reasonable prices, Ling Changqing now sought a specific rogue alchemist who also refined and sold Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills.
Here, the elixir prices were twenty to thirty percent higher than the Ling family’s, with no discounts available. The only advantage was that the alchemist named Meng Ye produced pills of higher quality with fewer impurities and residual toxins.
Therefore, some affluent Ling family elders and direct descendants preferred to purchase pills here, something Ling Changqing had only just learned.
A short while later, Ling Changqing finally found the man in question inside an inconspicuous-looking shop.
He was an utterly ordinary-looking man displaying cultivation at the seventh layer of Qi refining. His black magic robe was a high-grade artifact, and there were about ten obscure fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from his person.
Even his chair and desk appeared to be some kind of special defensive artifacts. If fully activated, they might render even a Foundation Establishment expert helpless against him.
“…Fellow Daoist Meng, it’s just business. Do you really need to be so heavily guarded? I’m here to buy, not to rob.”
Ling Changqing walked over and slowly sat down opposite him, taking out the Token that Tang Qiuyao had given him.
Meng Ye kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, his expression impassive as he said, “The types of pills available and their prices are listed on the wall. Choose what you need yourself!”
Ling Changqing turned to look at the silk scroll hanging on the adjacent wall, which listed over twenty different pills along with their prices.
The Profound Yin Blood Essence Pill was prominently listed near the top, priced at twenty-eight spirit stones per pill, indeed not cheap.
“What a pity, there’s no Foundation Establishment Pill,” Ling Changqing remarked with some regret.
Meng Ye glanced at him and sneered faintly, “Quite the boast. Come back and talk like that when you’ve reached Manager Tang’s level of cultivation.”
A mere fourth-layer Qi refining youngster actually dared to aspire to a Foundation Establishment Pill? Wasn’t he afraid of his tongue getting twisted by the wind?
Ling Changqing smiled, “I was just saying. I can’t use it now, but someday I will, right?”
“Alright, I need one hundred Profound Yin Blood Essence Pills. Also, some Qi Replenishing Essence Pills, Spirit Returning Pills, and healing pills. About the price…”
“No discounts,” Meng Ye cut in. “Even if the Ling family head came, the price would be the same. Not a single spirit fragment less.”
Ling Changqing stared at him, “Senior Sister Tang said you were greedy and stingy, but I never expected you to be this greedy and stingy.”
Meng Ye snorted, “Young man, if you think it’s expensive, you don’t have to buy.”
“Fine, let’s proceed then,” Ling Changqing said, tired of further haggling as he took out the spirit stones from his storage bag.
Two attendants emerged from a hidden door in the back room, quickly counted the spirit stones, and stored them in a storage bag.
Then a maid in green clothes brought out a jade box and gently placed it before Ling Changqing.
He opened the jade box to find seven white jade pill bottles neatly arranged on bright yellow satin lining.
Ling Changqing poured out one Profound Yin Blood Essence Pill and sniffed it, discovering that its medicinal aroma was indeed purer, superior to the pills sold in the Ling family’s shops.
“Fellow Daoist Meng truly has exceptional skills. No wonder the Ling family hired you as a Guest Elder.”
After a long silence, Ling Changqing said quietly.
According to Tang Qiuyao, Meng Ye was originally just a rogue cultivator who somehow connected with the Ling family’s upper echelons and had been rooted in this Market for over ten years.
Meng Ye said coldly: “I do not take disciples, nor do I care for any messy collaborations. If you have any ulterior motives, go speak with the family head!”
“Where did Fellow Daoist Meng get such an idea? I’m too busy improving my cultivation right now, how could I have the energy to learn alchemy?”
Ling Changqing chuckled, storing the jade box into his storage bag before rising to take his leave.
Just as he was about to exit, Meng Ye suddenly called out: “Wait.”
“Does Fellow Daoist Meng have other matters?”
Ling Changqing turned around calmly, certain that this Meng Ye wasn’t showing his true appearance and that his cultivation realm seemed questionable.
Meng Ye’s gaze deepened as he scrutinized the young man for several breaths before asking: “You frequently venture out to sea, don’t you? Could you be a pearl diver?”
“You actually noticed?”
Ling Changqing was somewhat surprised.
“After prolonged immersion in seawater, one’s aura always differs slightly from other cultivators,”
Meng Ye explained, retrieving a jade slip from his sleeve and handing it to Ling Changqing. “Certain special resources from the ocean depths are useful to me. If you encounter them during your future sea voyages, feel free to bring some back. The compensation won’t disappoint you.”
“That’s no problem.”
Ling Changqing agreed readily. Since it was an equivalent exchange, he had no objections.
After completing his business, he returned to Tang Qiuyao’s cave abode to continue his secluded cultivation.
One month later, Ling Zifeng sent a message stating that the new pearl diver team had been recruited and asking when Ling Changqing would return to sea.
Ling Changqing immediately confirmed his return, packed simply, and went to bid farewell to Tang Qiuyao.
Unfortunately, Tang Qiuyao wasn’t in her cave abode at that moment, so Ling Changqing informed the maid Long Yun before leaving the estate and boarding a flying boat headed for the sea.
On the boundless ocean surface, over a dozen large ships were connected together, supplemented by large-scale protection formations, forming a temporary camp fortress.
As Ling Changqing disembarked from the flying boat, he saw thousands of loose cultivators gathered together, dressed in various attire with cultivation levels ranging from Qi refining first to fourth layer.
Most of these cultivators were recruited externally, as the pearl divers belonging to the family’s main branch had dwindled significantly, especially after the substantial losses from the previous attack.
According to regulations, temporarily hired external loose cultivators had to prepare their own talismans and magical artifacts required for diving. However, the Ling family would offer higher purchasing prices for any resources they retrieved.
For example, while family pearl divers would receive at most thirty spirit sands for retrieving one Jade Crystal Winterglow Pearl, external loose cultivators could obtain at least one spirit stone per pearl.
Nevertheless, the family provided all talismans and artifacts needed for diving to their own pearl divers. If divers were unfortunately injured or killed, the family couldn’t skip covering medical expenses and compensation.
Now that Ling Changqing was a direct descendant of the family, any harvest he brought back from the ocean depths would no longer face malicious price suppression.
“…You’re finally here!”
Seeing Ling Changqing, Ling Zifeng, who was directing personnel, couldn’t help but smile.
“Is the family’s assigned task particularly urgent?”
Ling Changqing inquired.
Ling Zifeng sighed: “More than just urgent? It’s possible that within a year or so, this sea area might change ownership! So we’re making the most of each day we can work now!”
“…” Ling Changqing’s expression shifted slightly. Could the external situation facing the family have become so severe? Yet Tang Qiuyao hadn’t revealed the slightest hint, where exactly had things gone wrong?
“Let’s not discuss this for now. Do you want to rest for a while, or head down to work?”
Ling Zifeng seemed unwilling to elaborate further on the matter.
Ling Changqing replied, “I’ll go down then. I’ve almost run out of spirit stones and need to work hard to earn them back quickly.”
After a short while, the fully prepared Ling Changqing left the small boat and returned to the familiar underwater environment.
As he gradually mastered the Xuanzhen Black Water Scripture, Ling Changqing’s adaptability to the marine environment grew daily. Not only could he move with agility underwater, but his vision also became increasingly sharp, allowing him to see clearly dozens of yards away.
Especially when it came to certain dangerous creatures, Ling Changqing could now sense them in advance, as if he were naturally a member of the marine life community.