Chapter 58: Shocking News of the Purple Mansion's Secret!

Qing Xi Fang, the Residence of the Guardian Cultivator.

Since it was not yet the day the Ghost Market opened, the Foundation Establishment guards at the gate of the Residence of the Guardian Cultivator naturally would not let Yulou enter.

Yes, the Residence of the Guardian Cultivator was much like a brothel; one could enter with spirit stones, but that still depended on the day.

If you stinky independent cultivators could enter every day without even saying hello, where would the dignity of the Guardian Cultivator be?

However, when Yulou revealed his identity as a son of the Wang Shi of the Anbei Kingdom and explained his purpose, the guards promptly let him pass.

A scion of a great clan, having dealings with the daughter of the Guardian Cultivator, and still young.

What is this called? A future with no limits?

This is what is called a future with no limits!

Yulou guessed correctly; the Clan Leader indeed intended for him to test Mu Chunze's thoughts, which was why he specifically named him to deliver the zither personally.

There was a logic here that Yulou had previously overlooked.

Namely: Why did Mu Friend Friend Yingxi, instead of using an artificer within Red Lantern, specifically seek out Hua Feng Ju?

Her father was a true disciple of Red Lantern; if he were to help her contact an artificer, he wouldn't even need to appear in person. Just a word, and what kind of artificer could they not find?

Only after receiving the Clan Leader's letter did Yulou belatedly realize that day might have been a special matchmaking meeting.

It was just that regarding Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's visit to Hua Feng Ju, her father might not have known.

The Clan Leader might have discussed something with Mu Chunze, but whether it would succeed ultimately depended on the thoughts of Yulou and Mu Friend Friend Yingxi themselves.

Having lived two lives, this was Yulou's first matchmaking meeting; to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

Led by a servant, Yulou followed the corridor in the front courtyard of the Residence of the Guardian Cultivator and arrived before a side hall within the residence.

Separating the corridor and the side hall was a stone arch bridge without supports; this type of arch bridge, spanning water without support, was also known as the Flying Rainbow Bridge.

Through the thick stone pillars outside the side hall, Yulou noticed that the interior was draped with curtains adorned with green dragon patterns; the master of this place had hidden behind the curtains, and he could not find them for the moment.

"Young Master Wang, please come in."

A little maid, wearing a jade hairpin, with her hair styled in a sky-reaching bun, and wearing tiger-head shoes embroidered with pink, bounced over, pulled aside a corner of the curtain, and smiled, beckoning Yulou to enter.

Yulou tightened his grip on the seven-stringed willow-wood zither in his arms, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the stone arch bridge.

The little maid walked ahead to lead the way, and Yulou spoke in a low voice.

"I have come to deliver the zither on behalf of the Wang Shi; I do not deserve to be called Young Master."

The little maid did not reply, but instead, in a milk-voice, smiled and spoke to the person behind the curtain.

"Hehe, Miss, he is quite shy."

Shy?

Thinking of this, Yulou felt even more uneasy in his heart; was a live matchmaking meeting really about to happen?

Come to think of it, the daughter of a true disciple of Red Lantern at the Foundation Establishment stage was actually not that bad; how many people wanted such an opportunity but had none?

"Cui Guo, do not be rude. Bring me my zither."

A familiar voice came; it was indeed Mu Friend Friend Yingxi.

Yulou handed the zither to the maid named Cui Guo, and then stood quietly and obediently before the curtains of the side hall.

His head bowed slightly, and he happened to see the vivid and lifelike green sea dragon on the curtain.

The body of the sea dragon was outlined with green silk threads, while the dragon horns and claws were made of gold thread; the two front claws even held a small boat, as if committing mischief.

To the left of the sea dragon, a glistening curved blade was rushing forward; the embroidery maker had been very attentive, even using white threads of different shades to depict the trajectory of the curved blade slicing through the air.

Looking at the embroidered picture of the curved blade slaying the green sea dragon, Yulou thought of the female cultivator sitting behind the curtains.

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi, with a cultivation level at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, should be at least ten years older than him; come to think of it, Yulou should call her Auntie.

They say a woman three years older brings a gold brick; if she is more than ten years older, wouldn't that be hugging a pile of gold bricks?

"This zither is indeed excellent; the Wang Shi of the Anbei Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation."

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's voice came, and Yulou returned from his reverie; he explained.

"The Clan Leader knew it was commissioned by you, Senior, so he personally forged it. The base material of this zither is the finest willow wood spiritual material, and the strings are made of eighth-grade donkey hair.

A total of fifteen layers of restrictions were forged onto it, and there is still space for two more layers of refinement; if needed in the future, it can continue to be refined."

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi was older than Yulou and had a higher cultivation level; although she was the object of the matchmaking, calling her Senior was also appropriate.

"No need to call me Senior. Wang Yulou, do you know why I sought out your Wang Shi to commission a seven-stringed zither?"

The person behind the curtains did not discuss price or quality, but instead tested Yulou.

"Yulou does not know."

Regarding this opportunity, after thinking it over, Wang Yulou decided to play it safe first.

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi behind the curtains remained silent for a long time; when she finally spoke, she shocked Yulou.

"I need a Dao Companion, one born in the Mao month sixteen years ago, and besides the Wood Spiritual Root, possessing at least two other Spiritual Roots."

So direct?

Do you want me to move in as a son-in-law?

Before Yulou could recover from the shock, Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's second sentence struck him again.

"I was born in the same year and month as you, but I am a single Spiritual Root cultivator; wanting to open the Purple Mansion will surely be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Red Lantern possesses a Dual Cultivation Secret Technique; practicing it can complement the Dao Foundations between Dao Companions, combining the power of two people to open the Purple Mansion.

Wang Yulou, if you are willing to become my Dao Companion, in the future, you can effortlessly and easily prove the Purple Mansion.

What is your opinion?"

Yulou only believed one part of Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's words; he did not believe that a Secret Technique for opening the Purple Mansion by borrowing another's Dao Foundation would have no flaws.

Just thinking about it, no matter how intimate the relationship between Dao Companions, there are ultimately differences between them.

Therefore, he concluded that Mu Friend Friend Yingxi was painting a pie in the sky.

The only thing he cared about now was that Mu Friend Friend Yingxi and he were born in the same year and month!

A situation not widely known, but one the Wang Shi happened to know, was that the rules of heaven and earth had been jointly altered by the great cultivators.

From the past thousand years until now, and even into the future, every Qi-Drawing stage cultivator had to rely solidly on talent to cultivate all the way to the Qi Refining stage.

This measure was designed by the great cultivators to limit the cultivation levels of cultivators in heaven and earth.

Taking Wang Yulou as an example, if he cultivated step by step, he would be at least thirty-one years old before he could reach Qi Refining.

During this process, he could use spirit food to save himself the toil of daily cultivation, but he could not use any means to increase the speed of his cultivation growth.

But if Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's words were true, it meant Yulou had a chance to reach Qi Refining early!

"Senior, we were born in the same year and month, why did you reach Qi Refining so early?

As far as I know, even with a single spiritual root, cultivating to Qi Refining takes at least over a dozen years."

That's right, a single-root Qi-Drawing cultivator needed over a dozen years to cultivate to Qi Refining; how did she, Mu Friend Friend Yingxi, become a Qi Refining cultivator in just three years?

Not expecting Yulou to ask this, Mu Friend Friend Yingxi thought for a moment, then answered.

"Qi-Drawing stage cultivators may enter the Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven; within the grotto-heaven, there is no upper limit on cultivation."

In any case, the Wang Shi were also Red Lantern's own people, nothing that couldn't be said.

Within the Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven, Qi-Drawing stage cultivators had no upper limit on cultivation; the rules of heaven and earth could not reach the Purple Mansion's grotto-heaven.

Yulou carefully savored this sentence, remaining silent for a long time.

The great cultivators had locked the car doors, but let their own direct line secretly get special treatment.

The cruelty of this world was once again revealed unmistakably before Yulou.

Why spirit rice and spirit food were so expensive, Yulou now understood.

Those who consumed them were not the Qi Refining cultivators sitting in those Zhiwei Workshops, but the Qi-Drawing stage direct line of great clans and great sects.

Great clans and great sects naturally were not short on the expense of buying spirit rice and spirit food.

"Yulou understands, thank you... Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie Friend Friend Yingxi for clearing up my doubts."

She wouldn't let him call her senior, disliking being called old, so he'd just make do and call her senior sister.

"It's just that Yulou doesn't understand—if the Dao Foundations between Dao companions can complement each other through dual cultivation methods, why does Red Lantern's Jin'ou Buque Pill still sell so expensively?"

Yulou's question left Mu Friend Friend Yingxi silent.

Why did the Jin'ou Buque Pill sell so expensively?

Because it was worth it; a single-root cultivator's Dao Foundation patched out by it was their own Dao Foundation.

And achieving Dao Foundation complementarity through dual cultivation methods, in a certain sense, belonged to skipping class in cultivation, and skipping class always came with a price.

If one wanted to save the expense of the Jin'ou Buque Pill, one had to compensate in other aspects.

"Are you trying to refuse?"

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi did not answer Yulou's question, but instead tossed the question back to him.

Yulou now completely confirmed that the so-called sweet date of becoming Dao companions was only sweet in appearance.

"Yulou of course wouldn't dare refuse, only because matters of Dao companions require the approval of the elders at home.

Today I came merely to deliver the qin, and never expected to encounter such a situation."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie, I'm still a child; as for Dao companions or not, the family elders decide.

I just came to deliver a qin on this trip, there's no need for you to ramp up the pressure on me.

"Hahaha, Wang Yulou, you're overthinking it; even if you wanted to agree, you'd have to reach Foundation Establishment first.

I've already found four cultivators born in the Mao month sixteen years ago, roughly similar to you.

Go back and cultivate well; once you've reached Foundation Establishment, you might figure it out."

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's attitude was actually quite free and easy; she even said something like having four backups.

But as Yulou listened, he felt she had a certain stubborn beauty at this moment.

Four people roughly similar to you—you're not one of a kind.

Once you reach Foundation Establishment you'll figure it out—you'll regret it.

Mm, hard to say.

Not daring to think further, Yulou bowed and said.

"Yulou understands, Yulou understands; this qin uses willow wood as the base material, eighth-grade donkey mane refined into fine gold for the strings.

The clan head has said that Senior Mu's protection of Qing Xi Fang has truly been hard work; the Wang Shi will only charge you one thousand spirit stones."

Mu Friend Friend Yingxi:......

She was surprised to discover that when one is speechless, one can actually smile with relief.

"Take it! Reach Foundation Establishment soon!"

A storage bag flew over guided by the curtain; Yulou, quick of eye and deft of hand, caught it easily.

He was about to take the spirit stones out of the storage bag when Mu Friend Friend Yingxi spoke again.

"It's a gift for you; the Wang Shi actually don't give storage bags to the clan disciples."

Yulou bowed once more, then swiftly took his leave.

What do you know—the Wang Shi aren't short on storage bags; not giving them to the disciples is to prevent them from being targeted!

Seeing this rascal leave without looking back, Mu Friend Friend Yingxi wasn't angry either.

Just a cultivator from a small clan, narrow-minded; why get angry?

She shook her head and placed the qin at the edge of the square table before her.

Her dust-untainted, jade-white fingers plucked gently, and elegant, melodious qin sounds leapt out slowly.

At the Qing Xi Spirit Eye of the qin music guarding the cultivator's residence, Mu Chunze, who was cultivating, heard the qin sounds and opened his eyes.

He listened for a while, suddenly smiled lightly, and continued cultivating.

It turned out that just now behind the curtain, Cuiguo, who was listening to the qin, suddenly thought of something and asked in confusion.

"Miss, when did you get four other young masters? How does Cuiguo not know about this?"

Immediately, Mu Friend Friend Yingxi's qin playing fell into disarray, and one of the strings snapped under her fury.

Yulou, hearing that something was off with the qin music, instinctively quickened his pace to leave.

Oh no, this seven-string qin seems to have malfunctioned—I need to run, fast!