Chapter 130: Bargaining

Ding Yingqiu flipped through the book Li Lin had handed her; though it was only a thin volume, it was packed with pure substance.

Yet Ding Yingqiu still found it somewhat difficult to read.

After a while, she closed the book and said, "I do not know what kind of talent a person must have to cultivate the Dao, but I believe, Brother Li, that you certainly possess the aptitude for cultivation."

Li Lin smiled and said, "Thank you."

"I will keep this book. As for the other cave dwelling, it lies within the wilderness of our Gui Commandery." Ding Yingqiu smiled and said, "Within two days, I will draw a map and deliver it to your noble residence."

Li Lin stood up, clasped his fist, and said, "Thank you."

Leaving Ding Fu, Li Lin returned to his own home.

His first action was to continue his cultivation.

Fist technique, spear art, the Life-Nourishing Spring Art, the Yin-Nourishing Mental Method, and so on.

He did not yet know which of these could serve as a foundation for his future cultivation, so he simply decided to learn them all.

It never hurts to have more skills to rely on.

Besides, he had plenty of time.

Another day passed, and he went to work again, patrolling the county town with the government office Runners.

Because Huang Yan was relatively incorruptible, the surface security of Yulin County had always been quite good.

And not long ago, Li Lin had eliminated the County Assistant, so the dark side had also diminished greatly; many underground bosses were now wary, and those inhumane acts were decreasing accordingly.

Recently, no particularly outrageous cases had occurred; they were all just minor scuffles and domestic disputes.

As he patrolled near the city gate, he happened to see Wang Tianyou returning from outside.

Li Lin went forward to meet him.

"Young Master Wang, is this a triumphant return?"

Wang Tianyou's face was full of joy: "Thanks to the Captain of the Guard, this time went quite smoothly."

"Congratulations. It seems your days at home will be much easier from now on."

"Haha, you flatter me, you flatter me." Wang Tianyou pulled Li Lin aside and whispered, "Brother Li, once I have trained this female apparition properly, if you need it, you may come to my Wang family; I will have her assist your cultivation."

Li Lin instinctively stepped back a pace.

He did not like the idea of becoming brothers-in-law with someone.

"Thank you for your kindness."

Besides... if a female apparition were truly to assist someone's cultivation, Sister Yan Jing of the Red Sleeve Pavilion would also be viable; there was no need to make a special trip to the Wang family.

Of course, Sister Yan Jing was also someone he was unwilling to provoke.

Apart from the two women in his own home, only the Tree Immortal Lady could interest Li Lin.

Seeing that Li Lin was quite resistant, Wang Tianyou said, "Brother Li, I know you might feel it is dirty, but female apparitions, especially beautiful ones, are very rare. Being rough in conduct and having a broad mind is no problem."

Li Lin still waved his hand: "Forget it."

"That is truly a pity." Wang Tianyou was quite regretful.

In his view, this method was a good way to draw the two of them closer.

"In a few days, I will have someone send a cultivation method to you."

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "If you have information on the Obscure Character Technique, or resources related to cultivation, you may exchange them with me."

Although the Wang family was not considered highly noble, it had already possessed a lineage of over a hundred years.

They had also heard of the term 'cultivation'.

He paused, then whispered, "You and the Ding family... also have connections in this regard?"

Li Lin nodded.

"Then very well." Wang Tianyou said, "My family has a lead in this regard; it is not very powerful, but it is useful. However, I also need you to offer something in exchange."

"Please speak."

"The secret formula for the Youth-Preserving Pill."

Li Lin paused, then said, "That is not quite appropriate."

Indeed, it was not quite appropriate.

A lead is just a lead; whether it is useful is another matter.

The Youth-Preserving Pill is currently the Li family's greatest source of income.

His wife, Huang Qing, had already brought many benefits to the family by means of the Youth-Preserving Pill.

Whether in connections or in real gold and silver.

If the secret formula for the Youth-Preserving Pill were given away, this item would very likely become widespread in the future.

"Then the Body-Strengthening Pill."

Li Lin pondered for a moment and smiled: "Your initial target was the Body-Strengthening Pill."

Yulin County was so small; what good things Li Lin had were actually known to many people.

The effects of the Body-Strengthening Pill had been verified by someone.

Before Su Huafang died, he had privately praised how useful this item was on many occasions.

Wang Tianyou, having had his intentions exposed by Li Lin, felt no embarrassment; he merely chuckled.

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "Very well... but you must add some other things to the deal."

A secret formula.

And a pill formula; its value was something Li Lin, no longer a newcomer, understood very clearly.

Wang Tianyou pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "No problem. In a few days, I will have a servant bring the items to you; you simply hand over the pill formula for him to take away. Additionally... if Brother Li truly finds a lead regarding cultivation, please also trade with us. Our Wang family is willing to exchange anything for it."

"Likewise."

Wang Tianyou left happily.

As for where the female apparition he had captured was, Li Lin hadn't seen her.

Presumably she had some special method of storage.

Li Lin went home, made love with the two women, and together they cultivated the Great Dao of dual cultivation.

【Dual Cultivation +1】

【Dual Cultivation +1】

The Ding family's dual cultivation secret art was indeed very useful.

In just a few days, Huang Qi and Hong Luan's complexions had improved considerably.

Moreover, the two seemed to have begun feeding some yin energy back into his body.

No longer in the state from a few days ago, of only output and no input.

Waking up another day, Li Lin drank millet porridge.

Zhang Afu walked over and handed him a rolled-up paper.

"Master, this was delivered by a servant from Ding Fu."

Li Lin took it and opened it to look.

He found it was indeed a map of the terrain.

He looked at it for a moment, then said to Hong Luan beside him: "After we finish eating, send this to my study."

Hong Luan naturally nodded in agreement.

Li Lin put on his official robes and went to work.

At the county government office, he ran into Jiang Jili again.

The man still looked cold toward him, and Li Lin couldn't be bothered to press his warm face against someone's cold backside.

Just as Li Lin was gathering his men and about to go on patrol, Jiang Jili walked over and said: "Colonel Li, please come over, I have some matters I'd like to discuss with you."

Li Lin was taken aback, but followed him anyway.

The other man was just a frail scholar, and he was now an eighth-rank Spirit Hunter—there was no reason at all to be afraid of him.

In the 'Household' office, Jiang Jili said coldly: "Colonel Li, why must you break the long-standing rules?"

"What rules?"

"Paying the government office runners their monthly stipend."

Li Lin looked at him with a strange gaze: "Those government office runners work for the county government office and don't get a single coin. I use my own salary to give them a little money to get by—what's wrong with that?"

"But it makes things very troublesome for us."

"How does it trouble you…" Li Lin then laughed: "I remember now, a few days ago you recruited ten government office runners from outside yourself. With your monthly stipend of five guan, supporting ten runners shouldn't be hard."

"I originally didn't have to spend a single coin at all, you know nothing." Jiang Jili said angrily.

Li Lin gave a soft laugh and turned to leave.

Supporting ten government office runners cost five hundred wen a month, a tenth of Jiang Jili's monthly stipend.

He didn't even want to spend that little, which showed just how stingy the man was, and how little he regarded government office runners as people.

With a man like that, Li Lin felt that saying one more word to him would be an insult to himself.

After finishing the patrol, Li Lin went to the pleasure house Red Sleeves' Invitation and found Sister Yan Jing.

"Didn't you say you were willing to follow our orders and assignments?"

Sister Yan Jing smiled: "What plans does the Colonel have? Or is it that you plan to take pity on me?"

Li Lin shook his head: "In a while, I plan to go out on a trip. You come with me and help me block wild apparitions."

Sister Yan Jing thought for a moment: "It's not that I can't, but out in the wild, does the Colonel dare to trust me?"

"So… I want to use the Apparition-Taming Art to temporarily control your movements."

"Impossible!" Sister Yan Jing shook her head.

"Then forget it."

Li Lin turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Sister Yan Jing stood up and called out hurriedly: "Everything's negotiable—can't you set a price without letting me bargain?"

(End of chapter)