Chapter 24: The Awkward Master-Disciple Relationship, the Mystery of Hongmei

After crossing over for more than a decade, nothing Wang Yulou had ever heard or seen before compared to the shock of this scene before him.

What a sight it was.

At dusk, the sunset, like a red persimmon, slowly sank beneath the horizon.

Yet the blazing sun above where True Person Danri stood shone like the midday sun, hanging high in the distant sky.

Brilliant gold-red light spilled from this second sun, falling upon every object in heaven and earth.

Even Wang Yulou’s cheeks were stained with gold and red.

Wang Yuan still worried it might be a trick, but Wang Yulou was certain: no one would dare act so brazenly on Red Lantern’s territory—except their own people.

“Is this True Person Danri? Danri, Danri—indeed, the title fits perfectly.”

Zhong Ningyao was a fire-wood elemental cultivator; her father was Hongmei, a master of fire arts, and she understood better than anyone what that second sun in the sky truly meant.

It was the boundless magic power of a Purple Mansion cultivator, the supreme deterrent that held down five million li of Red Lantern territory, the exalted realm countless cultivators spent lifetimes yearning for but could never attain.

Wang Yulou noticed a cultivator from the Qingxi Market’s guard residence rise into the air; he flew to the market’s airspace and casually activated its protective array.

“Why is Jiang Baobian raising the array?” Wang Yulou asked his sister.

“He’s transferring control. When True Person Danri arrives, Jiang Baobian has to play the humble servant.”

Zhong Ningyao was well-informed—she guessed half right.

Jiang Baobian was indeed playing the humble servant, but True Person Danri didn’t need control of the array, nor did he care about the pitiful authority of Qingxi Market’s guard commander.

This Purple Mansion cultivator of Red Lantern had arrived in Qingxi Market with the Red Lantern Merit Hall branch on a mission, even deploying the famed Red Lantern magic treasure, Golden Crow Chasing the Sun.

The second sun in the sky was merely the afterglow produced when the Purple Mansion cultivator controlled the Golden Crow Chasing the Sun in flight.

If Jiang Baobian hadn’t raised the array quickly, even a slight delay in the Golden Crow’s flight would have evaporated the spiritual essence of Qin Yun Qingxi, and low-level cultivators in the market would have been severely injured—or killed—by the light.

“Sister, are we still going to bet on the horses?”

Wang Yulou felt this wasn’t the time for horse betting and amusement.

Zhong Ningyao paused, her expression uncertain.

“Let’s skip the horse betting—it can wait. I only brought you two to broaden your horizons.

Go back and stay with your family elders. The Wang clan is a vassal of Red Lantern; you might get the chance to meet a Purple Mansion cultivator directly.

Wang Yulou, if you can, ask your ancestral patriarch whether he’d allow my father to accompany him in paying respects.

Whether he agrees or not, I’ll give you a gift. If he agrees, my father will reward you handsomely!”

Wang Yulou weighed the matter in his mind, then replied.

“Understood. I’ll let you know.”

With that, he grabbed Wang An, who was still on alert, and returned to Fuyuan Residence.

Watching their backs, Zhong Ningyao frowned deeply.

Today, Zhong Ningyao had brought the two brothers to bet on horses precisely to broach this matter—but the Merit Hall branch arrived early, disrupting Hongmei’s plan.

Officially, Hongmei and the two brothers were master and disciples, but Hongmei had already accepted five thousand spirit stones as a initiation fee.

Now her father needed something from the Wang clan.

This master-disciple relationship was undeniably awkward.

In the main hall of Fuyuan Residence, scattered cultivators were frantically exchanging information, their faces flushed with excitement, anxiety, or agitation.

“Before I came back, a Qi Refining peak cultivator told me that the red airship in the middle is the Red Lantern Merit Hall branch.

Apparently, only a Purple Mansion elder is operating it—that’s why it radiates such power.”

“It’s not just Red Lantern—there are two other flying magic treasures in the sky that don’t belong to Red Lantern.”

“I know one’s the Immortal Alliance’s traveling carriage, but what power does that white stone pavilion belong to?”

“Funny—I’ve seen that same white stone pavilion before.”

“Oh, tell us quickly!”

“Hurry up, tell us!”

“Ah, I’m thirsty—forgot.”

The scattered cultivator who knew the origin of the white stone pavilion pretended ignorance. Bai Lu, who was slacking off behind the counter, couldn’t take it anymore and was about to speak—when a cultivator, whether truly foolish or pretending, spoke first.

“Hey, waiter, bring this cultivator a pot of spirit tea!”

Bai Lu’s face lit up instantly. She stopped offering free information and hurried to pour tea.

She first took half a qian of grade-nine spirit tea, then added half a liang of ordinary tea, and smiled as she served it to the gullible customer.

That’s how Fuyuan Residence sold its spirit tea: if they used only pure spirit tea, the scattered cultivators wouldn’t dare buy it.

The cultivator pretending to be a connoisseur sipped the tea, couldn’t tell it was diluted, and drank with great delight.

“You don’t know? A few years ago, Red Lantern got a new Sect Master—someone from the Huang family, a Purple Mansion clan.

You may not have heard of the Huang family—they specialize in business between sects and great clans in the Wunan cultivation realm.

I once worked for the Huang family for several years. That white stone pavilion? It’s their Hundred Treasures Market!

Looks like a small stone building, but inside is a vast market, possibly one-third the size of Qingxi Market, entirely run by Huang family members.

In the past, such Hundred Treasures Markets only moved between the ancestral lands of great clans, major sects, and Purple Mansion sects—they never came to markets like Qingxi, filled only with Qi Refining cultivators.

It must be because the Huang family now leads Red Lantern that the Hundred Treasures Market followed the Merit Hall branch here!”

“If the Merit Hall and Hundred Treasures Market are here to do business, why is the Immortal Alliance’s carriage here too?”

“Ask them yourself. The Immortal Alliance serves all cultivators—if you ask, they might tell you.”

“You go. I’m not going.”

“It’s all nonsense—nobody believes their lies!”

The scattered cultivators chattered noisily, while Wang Yulou quietly approached the counter.

“How’s the situation with the small rooms in the back courtyard?” Wang Yulou asked.

“Bring us some food to our room,” Wang An said.

“All you think about is eating!” Wang Yulou glared at his younger brother.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Wang An didn’t understand what his brother was pretending.

“We’re going to meet the clan head soon!”

Wang Yulou couldn’t reveal his plan to tag along for a free meal, so he merely nodded slightly—but Wang An clearly didn’t get it.

“Then please send it later. Thank you.”

Wang Yulou gave a faint, helpless smile and said no more.

Eat, eat, eat—always thinking about food!

Glancing at Wang Yulou, then at Wang An, Bai Lu lowered her head silently and whispered in a voice too soft for the scattered cultivators to hear.

“I’ll arrange it. As for the small rooms in the back, about half are occupied today. The ancestral patriarch came by in the afternoon and looked very pleased.”

Wang An nodded knowingly. Bai Lu, who had long worked as a server, was a sharp and sensible girl.

“Do you know why Master didn’t personally ask the clan head to accompany us in paying respects to True Person Danri?”

Leading his foolish brother toward the back courtyard, Wang Yulou asked sideways.

“He’s afraid the clan head will refuse and make him look bad?”

The question was hard to answer. Wang An scratched his head.

“No. Master is about to reach Foundation Establishment, but he doesn’t want to affiliate with any faction yet.

If he asks the clan head directly, the clan head will surely agree—and then it’ll be hard to refuse the clan head’s later invitation for him to join the Wang clan.”

Wang Yulou was increasingly convinced his master was no ordinary man.

He handled affairs with exceptional skill, was a shrewd businessman, and his cultivation and Dao comprehension were extraordinary.

He didn’t seem like a rootless scattered cultivator.

“Brother, you’re overthinking it. Master could just start his own family.”

“Hah, true. Maybe I’m thinking too much.”

Wang Yulou didn’t bother explaining his brother’s naivety. He noticed Tang Nianqiu standing at the wooden building’s front desk and bowed respectfully.

“Uncle Nianqiu, where is the clan head now?”

Tang Nianqiu put down his ledger and pointed upstairs.

“Upstairs. He’s still redesigning the small rooms.”