Chapter 120: Taking Money, Relieving Calamities

"Oh, what's the matter?" Wei Yuning stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, a prince of Fanrong Nation wants to see you!" Xue Ying said.

"Prince of Fanrong Nation? What does he want?" Wei Yuning asked curiously, noting that he didn't recognize the person.

"He has nothing, he only wants to tell you in person." Xue Ying thought for a moment and continued, "He seems very urgent!"

"Where is he?" Wei Yuning became a bit interested.

"He's at Yunlai Inn. If you come, let us inform him; he also gave three low‑grade spirit stones!" Xue Ying said with a grin, counting.

Three low‑grade spirit stones are a hefty sum for a mortal! Even for a Cloud Hidden Sect labor disciple, it's not pocket change—roughly a month's salary!

"No need. I'm heading to Hui Feng He Garden, passing by there. What's his name?"

"He's a prince of Xi Nation; his clan name is Xi, given name Shuisheng. Xi Nation was originally a vassal of the Black Water Nation and only became independent twenty years ago. Xi Nation produces various metal ores, with Xusi silver being the most precious!" Xue Ying said.

Xue Ying truly was a shrewd businessman; after just a single meeting, he had already scoped out the valuable items.

"Alright, I'll go take a look!" Wei Yuning said, bidding farewell to the three.

Yunlai Inn is the official inn opened by the Cloud Hidden Sect External Affairs Office on Guest Arrival Peak. The first‑floor lobby offers dining, while the second and third floors provide lodging; it is one of the largest inns on Guest Arrival Peak.

At the counter of Yunlai Inn, just as Wei Yuning asked about Xi Shuisheng's name, a tall, dark, refined young man rose from a table adjacent to the counter.

"I am Xi Shuisheng. May I ask which Immortal Elder you are?" the prince asked excitedly.

Wei Yuning's robe was embroidered with a spirit butterfly, its style intricate; anyone could tell at a glance that he was a formal disciple of the Cloud Hidden Sect.

"I am Qing Mo. I don't know why Brother Xi is looking for me," Wei Yuning said, his first impression of Xi Shuisheng being decent; though dark‑haired, he wasn't ugly, bore a righteous aura, and emitted a faint, discernible scent of purity. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, Xi seemed to be a cultivator who hadn't yet entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

Within the Cloud Hidden Sect, disciples who haven't yet established a foundation are collectively called labor disciples, but on Bi Yi Island elsewhere, they are commonly referred to as Qi‑refining stage cultivators.

"Senior, please don't be like that; you'd crush a junior. Just call me Xi or Shuisheng!" the prince hurriedly said. If he were a mortal, it would be fine to address the Immortal Elder uniformly, but having entered a cultivation lineage, one understands the hardships of cultivation—

the difficulty; every advancement in realm requires added diligence, and lower‑level cultivators' attitude toward higher‑level ones is not merely

envy; it is more reverence.

Wei Yuning gestured kindly and smiled, "We aren't from the same sect, no need for that. I'll just call you Dao‑friend Xi!"

"Dao‑friend Xi, may I ask why you seek me? And why did you find me?"

The prince glanced to his sides and whispered, "Senior, may I have a word with you?"

Under Xi Shuisheng's guidance, the two entered a guest room on the second floor. They sat down, and Xi offered a cup of tea, then perched half‑on his seat, saying, "Senior Qing Mo, do you know Senior Qing Yun?"

"Qing Yun?" Wei Yuning was startled; how could he not know him? "What is your relationship with him?" Wei Yuning warned, scanning Xi Shuisheng up and down.

Recently the Cloud Hidden Sect has been rattled by the Corpse Demon, and Wei Yuning has altered his previously indifferent attitude toward demonic cultivators. No wonder cultivators often see immortals and demons as irreconcilable; to the world of the living, demons are a wholly opposing force, encompassing not only death but also despair, destruction, and madness.

The Cloud Hidden Sect's Tao Tomb raised tigers as a menace, ultimately causing the sect great suffering; one‑fifth of its affiliated mortal forces perished. In addition to mortals, over two thousand cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage died, and barring accidents, most of them were capable of establishing a foundation.

Behind such massive loss lay a stroke of luck. If the Great Demon Lord Ci Mo had deliberately released demonic energy then, the demonic transformation radius would have exceeded fifty li, extending to several hundred li, making the tally of lost mortals, cultivators, and beasts incalculable.

Another crucial point: if the demon lair hadn't been destroyed, Ci Mo remaining in the spirit beast realm would have slain countless living beings, unchecked.

Therefore, the best way to deal with demonic cultivators is immediate extermination. Once a demonic creature becomes a mid‑level demon lord, intentional or not, it will unleash a storm of bloodshed.

Xi Shuisheng felt uneasy under Wei Yuning's gaze, but he answered honestly: "Senior Qing Yun has protected our Xi Nation for the past twenty years. Recently he had to leave the spirit beast realm and can no longer guard us. We asked him if he could recommend another Immortal Sect elder to protect Xi Nation, and later… he recommended you!"

Wei Yuning's expression turned sharp; what on earth is Qing Yun doing, selling him off without even haggling over a price!

However, Wei Yuning was quite interested in such affairs. A cultivator, provided it doesn't hinder cultivation, should find something to occupy themselves, and acting in the mortal world is rather interesting. After removing

Thinking of this, Wei Yuning asked curiously, "I wonder what Senior Brother Qing Yun used to do for Xi Nation?"

Xi Shuisheng saw Wei Yuning's assent and became instantly excited. Xi Nation had indeed sought cultivators as protectors before, but most cultivators were greedy. That changed when Qing Yun of the Cloud Hidden Sect appeared. In the eyes of Xi's royal family, Qing Yun never oppressed the weak, charged fair and reasonable fees, and aside from a certain expected arrogance, never behaved improperly.

【35】 With Qing Yun's reputation standing like that, anyone he recommends couldn't go wrong!

"Senior Qing Yun mainly helped us drive away beasts that harassed the common folk, and also… also protected the mines of the Goddess Mountain range from being seized by the Blue Wolf Nation!" Xi Shuisheng said with a slight hesitation.

"No problem. What trouble are you facing this time, and what reward do you offer?" Wei Yuning asked without hesitation.

"No problem, right? What trouble did you encounter this time, and how much are you paying?" Wei Yuning said without hesitation.

of another country, Wei Yuning would definitely refuse; since it's self‑defense, there's no mental burden.

Prince Xi actually still had many things unsaid, including Xi Nation's founding history, the source of mining disputes, enemy strength, and so on, but he hadn't expected this overly youthful cultivator senior to be so straightforward, much more candid than Qing Yun had been.

He also wasn't worried about whether Wei Yuning's cultivation level was sufficient; as long as the Immortal Sect disciple's banner shines, those sect disciples would be terrified.

He certainly wouldn't dare lie to deceive the Immortal Elder, and continued honestly, "Xi Nation is willing to provide a thousand catties of Xusi silver as payment, provided the Blue Wolf Nation agrees to cease harassing our mining workers!"