Chapter 22: Even in Immortal Romance, Double Eleven Must Be Balanced!

Seeing Yu Lou and Yuan enter from the back courtyard, the clerk loitering at the counter quickly stood up.

"Young Master Yu Lou? You're going out this late?"

Yu Lou shook his head and said.

"Have the kitchen prepare something to eat—Yuan is hungry from cultivation."

Yuan: Actually, you didn't need to mention the second part, did you?

"Yes!"

After sitting down in the main hall, Yuan pulled a flask of wine from his robe.

"Big brother, I was wrong today—this is Grade Eight Monkey Wine. I'm treating you!"

Looking at the flask, Yu Lou froze.

Under Yuan's puzzled gaze, Yu Lou also reached into his own robe and felt for his wine.

Hmm, still there.

Old Ghost (gnashing-teeth version): Thanks—it was all sponsored by me!

Then Yu Lou smiled lightly.

"No need to drink—it's too late, and I didn't take it to heart anyway."

He wouldn't casually drink Grade Eight Monkey Wine; his daily cultivation limit had already been reached—drinking more would be wasteful.

Besides, this wine was clearly given to Yuan by his father—what would it mean if he took it?

He wasn't someone who hoarded advantages—why take every benefit for himself?

Yuan waved his hand, pushing the wine toward Yu Lou with a pained, forced generosity.

"Brother, if you won't drink tonight, I'm giving you this wine—you can drink it whenever you like from now on."

At that moment, Bai Lu hurriedly brought the food up from the kitchen.

This Miss clearly had been woken abruptly—her eyes were half-closed, her hair tied in a hasty Flying Immortal knot, with a single stubborn strand hanging beside her ear.

She set down the wooden tray, arranging the dishes as she politely explained.

"Young Master Yu Lou, Young Master Yuan, these are all that's left for dinner—please bear with us."

Pushing the wine back toward Yuan, Yu Lou turned to Bai Lu and asked.

"Still awake this late?"

It was nearly Zi Shi—not everyone was like Yuan, reckless enough to harass his brother at midnight demanding wine.

After setting out the bowls and chopsticks, Bai Lu lowered her head nervously and replied.

"I told the clerks to notify me immediately if either of you needed anything—these mortals don't understand cultivation matters; I feared they'd mishandle it."

Yu Lou nodded, pointing to the chair beside him.

"Sit and eat with us—you're of the Wang Clan too. No need to call us 'Young Master'—just call me Yu Lou."

"This..."

Bai Lu hesitated, wanting to refuse but unwilling to.

"Yuan, what do you think?"

Yu Lou figured that he and Yuan would be studying long-term in Qing Xi Fang, and would interact with Bai Lu often.

Over time, cultivating a closer relationship was necessary.

Cultivation isn't just about refining Qi—it includes mastering human relations too.

"Bai Lu sister, sit here with us and drink some wine."

Yuan assumed Yu Lou, like himself, had taken a liking to the female cultivator named Bai Lu, and chose without hesitation to create an opening for him.

Brother, having a brother like me is your fortune!

Before Yu Lou could stop him, Yuan poured half a cup of Monkey Wine for him and half for Bai Lu.

When it came to himself, he hesitated with the flask, then poured only a quarter cup—he too had reached his daily Qi absorption limit.

"This is Yuan's Monkey Wine—Grade Eight Spirit Wine. With your Qi Introduction Fifth Layer, one sip equals at least two hours of cultivation."

Her hand trembled as if shocked by electricity—Bai Lu was stunned by Yu Lou's explanation.

"Too precious—I..."

"Drink! Let's drink together!"

Yuan waved his hand grandly, as if he could easily afford this wine, putting on a bravado that bordered on pretense.

Bai Lu lifted her cup cautiously and took a tiny sip.

The Monkey Wine wasn't harsh—it carried a faint fruity aroma.

As the spirit-rich Grade Eight Wine entered her throat, she instinctively began refining it.

"Lately, many free cultivators have come to Qing Xi Fang—has the security changed?"

Yu Lou asked Bai Lu, interrupting her Qi absorption; she quickly replied.

"Senior Gao Jian patrols daily with Qing Xi Fang's security team—no free cultivator dares provoke him now."

Besides, all free cultivators are here for the Red Lantern's Merit Hall branch—they won't cause trouble."

"Our Wang Clan can afford the Merit Hall's exchange costs—but free cultivators have nothing. What can they exchange for?" Yuan asked.

He and Yu Lou had discussed this during the day, but neither had figured it out.

Bai Lu's expression turned peculiar as she answered.

"Red Lantern needs Qi Introduction and Qi Refinement cultivators to test their Cultivation Methods and pills—these trial tasks reward Merit Points, and many free cultivators come for this."

Also, rumors say the Merit Hall branch will open rare Qi Refinement techniques and Cultivation Methods for exchange."

Unlike Red Lantern disciples, free cultivators who exchange for techniques or spells may teach them to others."

Most free cultivators see this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance—they've saved up Spirit Stones or are preparing to take tasks, hoping to exchange for their desired methods."

Yulou nodded rapidly—he finally understood.

Even without any capital, one could serve as a test subject to exchange for merit points, and once the merit points were enough, one could exchange them for the full property rights of a technique.

If the Red Lantern was viewed as a major corporation—or rather, a monopoly-type enterprise—in the Cultivation World, then this special activity of its Merit Hall delegating authority to its subsidiary markets could be seen as a xianxia version of Double Eleven.

Except......

A cultivator's might belongs to the individual; every bottom-tier loose cultivator is a potential production participant in some sense, and monopoly-type techniques are a special kind of means of production.

As long as they exchanged for a suitable technique and found a way to monetize and create value, those loose cultivators would have a foundation to stand on.

On the surface, what was being impacted was small clans like the Qi Refining immortal clan Wu Shi, but this impact would be transmitted layer by layer.

The Wang Shi could not stand apart from it, and neither could Purple Mansion sects like Dripping Water Cave and Wonderful Peak Mountain.

If the loose cultivators went all-in, they would be forced to go all-in as well.

What's more, this special xianxia version of quantitative easing—loosening the monopoly on technique inheritance rights—would in the end backlash onto the Red Lantern itself.

Logically speaking, the Red Lantern's act this time of delegating sect-secret techniques down to the bottom of the production chain would, in the future, greatly overdraw the stability of its monopoly position.

Combined with the fact that the Red Lantern's new Sect Master came from a Wunan tycoon family.......

The waters run deep.

At Huafeng Residence, Zhong Ningyao's eyes lit up the moment she saw Yulou walk in.

"You two finally came—why so late today?"

"Ah? Sorry, Senior Sister." Wang Yuan instinctively began assuming she was in the wrong.

Women—sure enough, they were his tribulation.

Zhong Ningyao didn't explain either, busily making arrangements in a rush.

"Yulou, you stay up front and watch the shop for me; Wang Yuan, you come with me to the back to help out."

The smart one stayed up front as the storefront facade, the useless one was dragged to the back as a workhorse—Zhong Ningyao calculated very precisely.

"What's actually going on?" Yulou asked.

Zhong Ningyao's face was full of disgust as she complained.

"That beast Jiang Baobian collected over ten thousand spirit stones in 'unity fees,' found a fellow cultivator at Foundation Establishment to help him cook the books, and designed a flashy but useless firework magic artifact to fool people.

But the artifact refiner Gao Jian found was too slow. This morning Jiang Baobian came to my father at the last minute, saying he wanted Huafeng Residence to help refine some, so he could settle the accounts before True Person Danri arrived with the Merit Hall."

Yulou was dumbfounded.

Good, good, good—Jiang Baobian truly was a master Yulou could never see no matter how he looked; he was quite the hand at cooking the books.

Find a Foundation Establishment fellow cultivator to do the design, and the design fee covers part of the books.

Firework magic artifacts are spent the moment they're used—looks like a big show, and there's no evidence left behind.

He's so professional!

But this is way too similar—even the xianxia version of Double Eleven needs to cook the books!