Chapter 25: The

Yulou hadn't expected that Wang Xianmao, with the dignity of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, could go to such lengths.

He went room by room to inspect and chat, trying to get the scattered cultivators' impressions after they checked in, so as to find room for improvement.

This sort of thing absolutely shouldn't be done by a Foundation Establishment cultivator; even having a Qi Refining cultivator do it would seem absurd.

If the earlier Wang Xianmao had left Yulou with the impression of a reliable, approachable, good-willed elder,

then at this moment, Yulou saw from Wang Xianmao his true brilliance and strength.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator lowering himself to chat with poor scattered cultivators isn't frightening; what's frightening is the logic behind such behavior, as revealed by Wang Xianmao.

To do a thing well, he could go to such lengths.

A person like this, even if not in the Cultivation World, could achieve success in the Mortal World!

"How was your day?"

Noticing Yulou and the other's arrival, Wang Xianmao ended his chat with the scattered cultivator and walked toward them.

The wooden building's corridor was narrow; Yulou tilted his body slightly to make room for the clan head.

"His master had his daughter pass word through us; he wants to pay his respects to True Person Danri together with you, saying he has a generous reward."

"What do you think?"

"He's no simple character."

Wang Yuan still didn't understand what had happened.

Red Brows's probe, Wang Shi's response, Yulou's worry—he understood none of it.

"Exactly, so all the more we must take him along."

Coming down the stairs, Wang Xianmao beckoned; Tang Nianqiu saw it and hurried over at a jog to receive his instructions.

"Fuyuan Residence will make the following adjustments; note them down.

They can all understand the price; the key is to make water use more convenient, and also set up a place to store luggage.

The scattered cultivators trust our Wang Shi; they'll store their things with us. If they come back alive to collect them, we can charge a storage fee.

If they don't come to collect them, after a certain number of years, the things become ours.

Though not worth many spirit stones, it's still some income."

"Nianqiu understands!"

Tang Nianqiu replied respectfully.

"Mm."

Wang Xianmao nodded and left the rear courtyard; Yulou hurried to follow.

Wang Yuan saw Bai Lu come in carrying a tray and wanted to eat first, but Bai Lu, anxious, gave his lower back a push with the tray, signaling him to hurry and follow his big brother.

The bewildered Wang Yuan left; Tang Nianqiu put his hands behind his back and asked expressionlessly.

"You get along well with them?"

Not understanding Tang Nianqiu's attitude, Bai Lu replied instinctively.

"No! No! Young Master Yulou and Young Master Wang Yuan only treat me as a servant; they're noble sons of Wang Shi, so naturally whatever they order I just do."

"Mm, from now on watch your words and behavior, don't be so unaware of the gravity of things like just now, understand?"

"Yes, Shopkeeper, Bai Lu knows her fault!"

Back in the room, Wang Xianmao sat in a chair and began lecturing the two children.

"Red Brows is no simple matter, and our Wang Shi is likewise no simple matter.

True Person Danri is your Wang Jingyi ancestor's martial uncle; together with Wang Jingyi ancestor's master, True Person Xuanzhuan, they both studied under Master Mangxiang.

No matter what Red Brows's purpose is in seeing True Person Danri, we need not worry."

True Person, True Person, True Person—Wang Yuan listened until his head spun.

"Clan Head, Danri is only at Purple Mansion cultivation, why do you all call him True Person Danri? And True Person Xuanzhuan, isn't he also at Purple Mansion cultivation?"

The clan head smiled, shook his head, and pointed at Wang Yuan.

"Silly child, how many Jin Dan True Persons are there? Which Purple Mansion cultivator doesn't want to prove the Dao and reach Jin Dan?

When there's no Jin Dan present, we call Purple Mansion great cultivators True Person—this is our respect for our seniors!"

At that moment, a gray transmission talisman flew over; when it reached the window of Wang Xianmao's room, it was blocked by a rising formation.

Wang Xianmao raised a hand to catch the transmission talisman; with a sweep of his divine sense, he burned it to ash.

Has something else happened?

"Let me test you again—if you meet a Jin Dan True Person, what should you call him?"

Facing the clan head's question, Yulou shook his head; Wang Yuan knew even less.

"Call them Immortal Lord, hahaha. When you meet a Purple Mansion cultivator, call them True Person; when you run into a Jin Dan True Person, you must call them Immortal Lord.

I call it the 'First True Person Law'—memorize it well, and never play the fool in the future."

Good lord, the First True Person Law.

Yulou had learned another thing.

Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality—everywhere is full of details!

"Alright, you two come with me to the banquet. Wang Jingyi's junior brother, Guo Baichi, has also come this time with True Person Danri; I'll take you to broaden your horizons."

Wang Jingyi—the Foundation Establishment ancestor of Wang Shi who ranked among the true disciples in Red Lantern Terrace.

Yulou hadn't expected that he had originally only wanted to pass along a message and mooch a meal, and it would have been fine even if he couldn't mooch one.

But suddenly he was going to meet a Purple Mansion cultivator's disciple—that was a bit too dramatic.

In the garrison cultivator's residence, Wang Xianmao led the two brothers into the banquet hall.

The former number one of Qing Xi Fang, Jiang Baobian, sat in the first seat on the left.

In the seat of honor sat True Person Danri's disciple, Guo Baichi.

The first seat on the right belonged to Daoist Zhuochi of Dripping Water Cave.

The Gu family's Second Elder had grabbed a seat toward the back, keeping a low profile and playing the obedient grandson.

"Daoist Baichi, we meet again."

Everyone present was from a great sect or major clan, but Wang Xianmao wasn't intimidated; he unhurriedly greeted Guo Baichi at the head seat.

The Wang clan had been a vassal of Red Lantern Hall for many years, so fundamentally they were all on the same side — roughly the relationship between a head-office executive and a branch manager.

"Brother Xianmao, please take your seat. Tonight is merely an exchange." Guo Baichi at the head seat raised his hand to invite Wang Xianmao to sit, his words and manner quite courteous.

Unlike Jiang Baobian, Guo Baichi didn't come with his own mosaic and invisibility cloak. Yulou stole a glance and discovered that this Purple Mansion disciple actually had three eyes.

When Yulou looked over, Guo Baichi's two eyes were surveying the gathering, but the third eye on his forehead nimbly swiveled toward Yulou, scaring Yulou into quickly lowering his head.

Guo Baichi clearly wouldn't care about the gaze of a Qi-Drawing junior; he simply kept chatting with the Foundation Establishment cultivators at the gathering.

Sitting behind the clan head, Yulou fell into thought.

Wang Xianmao, whose whole body was green, barely distinguishable from a corpse.

Jiang Baobian, who came with his own mosaic and invisibility cloak.

Guo Baichi, who had a third eye growing on his forehead.

These three Foundation Establishment cultivators were clearly different from Dripping Water Cave's Zhuochi and the Gu family's Second Elder — each one less human-looking than the last.

In Yulou's estimation, people like Jiang Baobian and Wang Xianmao should be the more powerful ones.

After all, Jiang Baobian was a scion of a Purple Mansion family, naturally endowed with the divine ability of concealment in stillness.

The clan head was their own ancestor, and could interact as equals with Guo Baichi, so naturally one should estimate him on the higher side.

"Alright, everyone's mostly here. Let's get down to business first."

Seeing that everyone who had received the voice-transmission talisman had arrived, Guo Baichi prepared to begin tonight's main act.

The moment he spoke, the room instantly fell silent.

Only two attendants, who were adding temporary seats for Yulou and Wang Yuan, were still moving.

Yes, among tonight's Foundation Establishment cultivators, only Wang Xianmao had brought a family junior to broaden his horizons.

This was also why Yulou believed his own clan head's strength was extraordinary.

"The matter of Red Lantern Hall's Merit Hall setting up shop in the sect marketplace has been underway for several years now. Everyone knows the reason.

It's simply that Grandmaster Mangxiang needs to certify his Jin Dan, and is still short on a great deal of resources.

You are all old hands of Red Lantern Hall; how the sect has treated you, you all know clearly.

This time my master personally brought the Merit Hall to Qingxi, and behind it there is one change — the items available for exchange at this Merit Hall will be better than before!

Red Lantern Hall's signature Candle-Fire Spirit-Nurturing Pill and Golden-Bowl Foundation-Repairing Pill will both be available; wondrous medicines for assisting Foundation Establishment will be completely unrestricted, including..."

What Guo Baichi said afterward, the people present had already stopped caring about.

The Candle-Fire Spirit-Nurturing Pill — the finest auxiliary spirit pill for opening the Purple Mansion in the Wunan Basin, a secret transmission of Red Lantern Hall, a treasure with a price but no market.

The Golden-Bowl Foundation-Repairing Pill — one of the essential supreme treasures for opening the Purple Mansion with a single spiritual root. After swallowing four Golden-Bowl Foundation-Repairing Pills, a Foundation Establishment peak single-spiritual-root cultivator can skip the lengthy process of repairing the Dao foundation and directly begin assaulting the Purple Mansion. Also a treasure with a price but no market.

"Daoist Baichi, the Candle-Fire Spirit-Nurturing Pill and Golden-Bowl Foundation-Repairing Pill are expensive; I'm afraid we can't afford them."

Daoist Zhuochi of Dripping Water Cave sighed.

Guo Baichi, who had finished introducing the changes to this Merit Hall, took a sip of spirit wine, smiled, set down his cup, and said:

"No matter. Grandmaster Mangxiang certifying his Jin Dan is the most important matter for Red Lantern Hall in the coming century.

You are all not outsiders; you may use the future earnings of your families and sects as collateral to exchange for merit points.

This way, even if you can't afford it for the moment, you can still use these precious pills first, and slowly repay later."

Yulou's hand gripping his chopsticks tightened slightly.

A sect leader drawn from people of great merchant-family background.

Deploying a xianxia-version leek-harvester into Qi Refining marketplaces that previously received no attention.

And now beginning to pre-book the future earnings of vassal sects and families, harvesting future leeks in the form of loans.

Red Lantern Hall, Red Lantern Hall — the Shi Sect truly is something else.

He now understood why the loose cultivators in the ghost market were so eager to buy water jade!