Chapter 140: Zhou Yingxi Catches Wang Yulou in the Act |
Yulou ultimately kept his thoughts on Mo Yunshu's sigh to himself. Some things simply couldn't be said carelessly.
The topic Mo Yunshu had breached was an absolute taboo. With a Purple Palace True Person in her family, she naturally had the luxury to speak her mind.
But Wang Yulou? Could he rely on Zhou Bojiao?
Give him a break. He followed Mo Yunshu into the Dragon Tiger Platform, never expecting to run into an "acquaintance" here.
"Brother Lianpu? I didn't expect to see you here."
The Dragon Tiger Platform housed the headquarters for the Immortal Alliance Emissaries, so it wasn't unusual for Qiu Lianpu to be there. Hearing Yulou's greeting, Qiu Lianpu paused and glanced back.
"Yulou? True Person Jinshan summoned me with a Sacred Decree, so I can't stay and chat. But what brings you to the Dragon Tiger Platform?"
Looking at him, Wang Yulou couldn't tell if Qiu Lianpu was trying to flaunt his background and connections, or simply stating that he was busy. Naturally, Yulou assumed the former.
"A summons from the West Sea Dragon-Tiger True Man must be for official business. Senior Brother Qiu, don't worry about me. I'm just here to handle my onboarding. This is Fellow Daoist Yunshu of the Mo family. Like me, she has also been assigned to the Information Gathering Court."
True Person Jinshan, the West Sea Dragon-Tiger True Man, commanded from the center, representing the direct authority of the Immortal Alliance. Immortal Alliance Emissaries like Qiu Lianpu were effectively his subordinates.
Zhou Bojiao and Li Haikuo represented the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Their Ancestral Master had sent three thousand disciples under the tutelage of the sect into the West Sea, and even arranged for two True Persons to hold the line.
Who knew what this was all for. The South City Expansion Department behind Xihai Hu, the various branches of the Subsidiary City, the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, and the Hall of Benevolence—all of these represented the power of Immortal Venerable Shenguang.
Aside from this, there were eight local Purple Palace factions. These eight grand cultivators were members of the Immortal Alliance, but their roots were deeply entrenched in the West Sea.
Mo Yunshu and Mo Xunzhou, the deputy seal-holder of the Information Gathering Court, were under the tutelage of True Person Hansong. Oh, and there was also the Gu Family Tea House, a neutral faction with unique circumstances.
Throw in the rogue cultivators, who were as numerous as hairs on an ox, and the situation in the West Sea became even more convoluted. The three True Persons of the Immortal Alliance might nominally belong to the same organization, but they were certainly not on the same side.
True Person Jinshan and True Person Haikuo had even clashed over the buying and selling of official positions. Meanwhile, Immortal Venerable Shenguang's establishment of the South City Expansion Department to develop South Annex City was essentially digging up the Immortal Alliance's foundation right from under them.
It could be said that the grand stage of the West Sea was ostensibly even more thrilling than the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. To Yulou, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect felt like a pool of stagnant water.
Although it seemed to be flowing, a closer look revealed that any surface movement was entirely because the sect's grand cultivators were squatting by the pool, stirring it themselves. It only moved when they stirred it.
The West Sea was different. From the bustling Subsidiary City, to the cultivators parading their spirit beasts through the markets in secret competitions, all the way down to individuals like Feng Jianxian and Mo Yunshu.
In this vast expanse of the West Sea, Yulou felt an atmosphere he had never experienced in the seventeen years since stepping into the cultivation world. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew for certain it was completely different from the internal environment of the Immortal Alliance.
"You actually know an Immortal Alliance Emissary?"
Mo Yunshu gave Yulou a strange look. Her gaze carried a strong implication of, "Oh, so that's why you didn't answer. It turns out you're just like them."
"Yesterday... Feng Jianxian... I... We aren't really friends, just acquaintances."
Wang Yulou briefly explained his history with Qiu Lianpu, prompting Mo Yunshu to clench her fists as she listened. Ultimately, however, she held her tongue.
Kind, intelligent people knew what shouldn't be said. Playing it safe to protect oneself—that was the very definition of wisdom.
Relaxing her subconsciously clenched fists, Mo Yunshu simply said, "Feng Jianxian is very famous among rogue cultivators."
After learning that Wang Yulou had helped Feng Jianxian escape danger, his new colleague from the Information Gathering Court treated him much warmer. If Mo Yunshu had previously considered Wang Yulou 'one of her own' merely because she thought he was also a disciple from a prestigious family...
...then now, she truly saw him as 'one of her own' in her heart, rather than just someone with a similar background. Wang Yulou thought for a moment and asked,
"What about Mu Chunze?"
Mo Yunshu didn't quite follow Wang Yulou's train of thought, but she still answered from the perspective of a West Sea local. "Senior Mu's reputation is even greater.
He left his mark across all fourteen outposts of the West Sea, cultivating step by step from an ordinary rogue cultivator to the Foundation Establishment realm, and later became a disciple under the tutelage of Perfected Man Fujiao.
Now that he's returned to the West Sea, he stepped directly into the position of the Punishment Court's seal-holder. In the eyes of rogue cultivators, Feng Jianxian is a legend, while Senior Mu is an unreachable role model."
Marrying the daughter of a grand cultivator's family and taking a grand cultivator as a master truly weren't all that different. After the two collected their equipment for the Information Gathering Envoy role, they went to the Dragon Tiger Platform's seal-holder envoy to stamp their official appointment decrees.
With that, Yulou officially became an Information Gathering Envoy of the Immortal Alliance's Western Sea Immortal City Information Gathering Court.
"Fellow Daoist Yunshu, we'll be serving together in the Information Gathering Court from now on. Since there's no time like the present, my Wang Clan happens to have a pretty good restaurant here in the West Sea. How about we get something to eat?"
Walking out of the Dragon Tiger Platform, Yulou extended the invitation. This meal was specifically meant for Wang Jiahui to see.
"Haha, let's go. But you really should find a mount, Yulou."
The two of them had walked all the way from the Information Gathering Court to the Dragon Tiger Platform, and then from the Dragon Tiger Platform to the Flavorful Bistro in the immortal city.
It had to be said that Fellow Daoist Yunshu knew how to conduct herself, gracefully accommodating Wang Yulou's shabby situation of only owning a useless small stone turtle.
"As for mounts, I actually have a spirit crane, but they aren't allowed in the West Sea..." Truth be told, Wang Yulou had quite the knack for reselling spirit cranes back in Dripdrop Cave.
He had even brought one with him when he came here. But the West Sea didn't play around with spirit cranes.
Cultivators here preferred spirit beasts that traveled by land. If they could also assist their masters in magical combat, all the better.
"You might not know this, but the demon beasts deep in the West Sea are incredibly formidable.
Many even travel in packs, forming family groups and herds. If you fly around on a spirit crane deep in the West Sea, you might just get snatched out of the sky by a Great Demon.
Therefore, we local cultivators generally choose spirit beasts similar to the white-armored bear. They serve as mounts and also act as helpers in magical combat."
So spirit beasts had practical uses beyond just showing off. Yulou instantly understood.
He thought for a moment and asked, "I wonder which spirit beast shop in the Western Sea Immortal City sells the finest stock?"
In any case, his cultivation base had already reached the Peak Qi Condensation realm. His future Foundation Establishment resources would be provided by Old Zhou.
The spirit stones in his possession would be wasted if he didn't spend them. Buying a highly talented spirit beast with the potential to break through to become a Great Demon would not only benefit him in the West Sea, but could also be stationed at Wang Family Mountain to protect the clan lands in the future.
After all, the West Sea bordered the demon race's territory. Logically, spirit beasts here should be much cheaper than in the Wunan heartland.
Therefore, buying one couldn't be considered a reckless waste of spirit stones.
"The Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, of course.
It was established by Immortal Venerable Shenguang. Its name implies it only suppresses demons, but it actually sells everything.
Previously, when the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda was located on Fengtian Street within the Western Sea Immortal City, its inventory wasn't particularly comprehensive. Now that it's moved to East Annex City, they truly sell everything.
Their prices are slightly above market rate, but as you can imagine, an enterprise backed by Immortal Venerable Shenguang isn't going to scam its customers.
Moreover, the grand manager of the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, Senior Xihai Qingfeng, is Immortal Venerable Shenguang's disciple. With him holding down the fort, no one dares to mess around."
Yulou nodded, pointing at a restaurant across the street. "Understood. I'll go take a look another day. Look, this Flavorful Bistro also doesn't scam buyers, simply because it's a property of my Wang Clan."
"A donkey meat restaurant?"
Mo Yunshu was somewhat stunned. She hadn't expected Wang Yulou to bring her to a place that served donkey meat.
"That's right. Our Wang Clan raises donkeys for Immortal Venerable Mangxiang. Immortal Venerable Mangxiang has a taste for donkey's large intestine. It's precisely because we raised donkeys so well that we were taken under his tutelage, hahahaha."
Since Mang Xiang wasn't here, and Mo Yunshu clearly wasn't the type of fool to run her mouth, Yulou poked fun at his own background without a care.
"Going by your logic, my Mo family just plants trees for the Immortal Alliance. Let's go—today I want to taste this donkey intestine that the Immortal Venerable favors."
"Planting trees for the Immortal Alliance... Does your family cultivate wood arts?"
"That's right. True Person Hansong, after all. The ancestor cultivates water and wood arts, so the members of our family naturally follow suit."
"In that case, we might truly share some affinity. Our Wang Clan cultivates wood arts, and I personally cultivate water arts. I hope I'll have the chance to seek your advice in the future, Fellow Daoist Yunshu."
"A civil discussion, or a martial one?"
"...Civil, definitely civil. You're a cultivator who fought her way through the West Sea, Fellow Daoist Yunshu. I could never win against you in a martial spar."
The two chatted and laughed as they stepped into the Flavorful Bistro. A waiter hurriedly came forward to welcome them.
"Is this your first time here, esteemed guests?"
The waiter swept his sharp eyes over them. Seeing two young late-stage Qi Refining cultivators bearing an extraordinary aura, he asked respectfully with a bright smile.
"I've heard the donkey intestine here is excellent. Bring us two plates, and a portion of every other dish on the menu as well.
You still have space in the private rooms on the second floor, right? Oh, and bring a pot of your best spirit tea." As soon as Wang Yulou spoke, he projected the imposing aura of a very wealthy patron.
Even if they gorged themselves at the Wang family's Flavorful Bistro, they would spend at most a hundred or so spirit stones. And he certainly wasn't lacking in spirit stones.
"Right this way upstairs, please. The donkey meat and spirit tea will be up shortly."
After taking a seat, Mo Yunshu sighed helplessly. "Ordering so much... how are the two of us supposed to finish it all?"
Yanking the small stone turtle out of his spirit beast bag, Yulou glared at it fiercely.
"Let it eat! It needs to gorge itself so it can advance faster."
Mo Yunshu glanced at the palm-sized stone turtle, then back at Wang Yulou's look of utter disdain. Unable to hold it in, she burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Even if it grows up, you still won't be able to ride it! I've been in the West Sea for so many years, and I've never once seen someone ride a turtle into battle. Hahahaha!"
There were thirty to fifty thousand cultivators in the West Sea, and half of them rode spirit beasts. Yet in all her years surviving in the West Sea, Mo Yunshu had never seen a fool conspicuous enough to ride a turtle down the street.
"You don't understand. It's the offspring of a Great Demon with divine abilities, so it has immense potential. It's just that its growth cycle is far too long.
It's already several years old, yet it's still stuck at the Miscellaneous Demon realm, initial stage. Sometimes I think I'd be better off selling it and swapping it for something stronger to raise."
Yulou's words came from the bottom of his heart; he wasn't putting on an act. The path of cultivation was fraught with complex decisions.
One of the most difficult was choosing between long-term potential and immediate, tangible benefits. The small stone turtle possessed excellent talent.
With enough luck, it might eventually step into the Great Demon realm, just like Stone Ancestor. But reaching that future would take a very, very long time.
A century if it was fast, at least two centuries if it was slow—and that was assuming Yulou threw all his resources into nurturing it. Left to fend for itself in the wild, it would probably croak before even breaking through to the Small Demon Realm.
The potential payoff was massive, but the incubation period was simply too long. Therefore, selling a highly talented beast that demanded endless time and resources in exchange for a spirit beast that could offer immediate combat assistance was actually a sound tactical choice.
It was simply a matter of choosing between the future and the present. And Wang Yulou had absolute confidence in his future.
At worst, he was guaranteed to be half a step into the Purple Palace realm, right? So, he could very well cash in the small stone turtle's expected future returns for immediate gains, similar to when he handed the Great Goods Store over to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect in exchange for a pile of rewards.
Was it a loss? Not at all.
Focusing entirely on the future was risky. The sky had unexpected storms, and people had sudden fortunes and misfortunes.
If that future never arrived, wouldn't it all be for nothing? After hearing Yulou's thoughts, Mo Yunshu pondered for a moment before speaking up with a hint of seriousness.
"Yulou, in recent years, the prices of all sorts of spiritual items, cultivation methods, pills, magical artifacts, and even spirit beasts and residences in the West Sea have risen drastically. Speaking of which, this is actually related to Immortal Venerable Mangxiang above you...
...In short, the prices of everything have soared terribly.
If you buy a spirit beast now, especially one at the Small Demon Realm, I'm afraid you will lose a large sum when the prices fall in the future. Our family's ancestor once said that while spirit stones are theoretically infinite, the amount produced by heaven and earth within a certain period is limited.
The reason why everything in Wunan has skyrocketed is that the Red Lantern Illumination Sect has opened up a massive number of dharma methods and secret inheritances, stimulating the trading activity of cultivators.
Various large and small factions have injected their long-hoarded spirit stones into the market. Once the Ancestral Master forms his Golden Core, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect will no longer casually open its Merit Hall.
The current surge will rapidly turn into a crash.
If you want to buy a spirit beast, it won't be too late to buy one then."
Mo Yunshu was somewhat similar to Zhou Yingxi; they were both the kind of women whose words commanded serious attention the moment they spoke.
However, Zhou Yingxi's voice carried a natural enchanting effect, likely a manifestation of her success in cultivating the dao of sound, whereas Mo Yunshu's tone possessed a unique sense of conviction. But Wang Yulou didn't care much about whether her words sounded pleasant; he quickly grasped the real key point.
"True Person Hansong said that the prices of residences in the West Sea will fall?"
Today, he and Ancestor Jingyi had acted separately. He came to handle his official induction and rope in Feng Jianxian, while Ancestor Jingyi went to inspect houses for him.
But now that Mo Yunshu had suddenly relayed True Person Hansong's words, how could Wang Yulou not care? The Ancestral Master's massive distribution of favors was essentially liquidating long-term resources for short-term gains, much like Wang Yulou wanting to sell the small stone turtle in exchange for a spirit beast to nurture.
By selling the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's dharma methods, secret inheritances, and accumulated foundations, the Ancestral Master was heavily extracting Wunan's resources, which in turn drove the skyrocketing market prices. The residences in the West Sea were also among them.
"They will definitely fall. Do you know about the South Annex City Development Office?
Immortal Venerable Shenguang wants to build South Annex City. That South Annex City will be even larger than the current East Annex City and the immortal city combined.
That is a massive amount of land.
Once there's too much of anything, it becomes worthless. Such is the fate of rogue cultivators, and such will be the fate of the houses in the West Sea. Sigh."
Fellow Daoist Yunshu was someone who kept the rogue cultivators in her heart. This was likely related to her own cultivation experiences.
"The South City Expansion Department... Isn't it true that South Annex City might not even be built successfully?
The news I got from other fellow Daoists is that the South City Expansion Department sounds like a department of the Immortal Alliance, but it actually isn't. It's just something created by those local West Sea cultivators from the Hall of Benevolence, under Immortal Venerable Shenguang's tutelage.
The Immortal Venerable is very formidable, but the West Sea is ultimately the Immortal Alliance's West Sea, right?"
By the time he finished speaking, even Wang Yulou had lost his confidence. On this land of the West Sea, the Immortal Alliance was too far, and Immortal Venerable Shenguang was too close.
Shen Guang had developed the West Sea for two hundred years; his influence here could not be overestimated no matter how high one guessed. Mo Yunshu looked left and right.
She leaned forward slightly, moving closer to Yulou, and lowered her voice. "Xihai Longhu of the South City Expansion Department—every time he mentions the department to other cultivators, he says, 'This matter was personally assigned by my master.
Even if I, Xihai Longhu, have to risk my life, I will ensure it is executed solidly. Only then can I live up to the great grace of my master saving my life and nurturing me.'
Who is he saying that for? It can't possibly be for the Immortal Venerable.
When Immortal Venerable Shenguang developed East Annex City in the past, it was also built up slowly.
Now that the Immortal Venerable wants to develop South Annex City again, it might not even matter if the Immortal Alliance has objections."
Xihai Longhu, the Second Elder of the Hall of Benevolence and the helmsman of the South City Expansion Department, was under Shen Guang's tutelage. The two of them were sitting very close, and Yulou could smell a faint fragrance coming from Mo Yunshu.
In terms of beauty alone, this girl absolutely didn't lose to Qin Churan. Despite having such a beauty in front of him, Wang Yulou harbored no romantic thoughts; he only considered that perhaps he shouldn't rush to purchase a residence.
Affairs in the West Sea were complex. The residence, the construction of the West Sea's South Annex City...
Yulou thought of Gu Qilang, who had taken Wang Jingyi to look at houses. It was unknown whether Gu Qilang knew clearly but kept quiet, or simply didn't say anything because he didn't know.
In any case, this person might not be completely reliable. Ancestor Jingyi hadn't seen him for decades.
Human hearts were like water; perhaps Gu Qilang's inner self had already taken on a different shape by now.
"Wang Yulou, are you planning to buy a residence in the West Sea?"
Seeing Wang Yulou stay silent, Mo Yunshu blinked. She had already discerned from his earlier questions that he might be looking to buy a residence.
"Yes, I will soon marry Fellow Daoist Yingxi from Perfected Man Fujiao's family, and the ceremony will be held right here in the West Sea.
Since I'm not marrying into her family, we will naturally need a place to live after the wedding. These past two days, I've been considering where to purchase a courtyard residence."
Hearing Yulou's words, Mo Yunshu hurriedly drew back. She hadn't expected Wang Yulou to actually be marrying a daughter of the Zhou family, let alone in the near future.
Her behavior just now suddenly felt a bit presumptuous. The main thing was that Fellow Daoist Yunshu possessed an open-minded personality that didn't sweat the small details.
In the past, when fighting demon beasts in the West Sea, she hadn't treated herself as a weak little woman at all, insisting on competing with male cultivators in everything.
Personality-wise, she had a knack for befriending people from all corners of the world; as long as they could hold a good conversation, they could become close friends and treat each other with complete honesty.
Although Wang Yulou was unwilling to discuss certain topics deeply, he was quite capable in other regards—at least equal to a hundred Yuan Wus added together. He was the kind of person who was smart but didn't flaunt his brilliance.
That was why she had chatted so joyously with him today.
"Being able to marry a daughter of the Zhou family, and without marrying into her family at that. Wang Yulou, your luck is pretty good."
Mo Yunshu's focus was clearly a bit unusual. She stood up, pushed open the door, and shouted,
"Waiter, bring some spirit wine!"
"Why are we drinking? I just had a round this morning. No need, no need."
Wang Yulou had drunk quite a bit of spirit wine in the morning while accompanying Feng Jianxian and Xihai Hu at the Bright Moon Night Inn. He was already a bit dizzy from the Flowing Splendor Nectar.
The kick of a seventh-grade spirit wine was too strong; he didn't want to drink anymore. Those who wanted to achieve great things all knew that drinking ruined affairs.
When one needed to stop drinking, they had to stop. "Hahaha, chatting with you today has been very comfortable, Wang Yulou.
You're not quite like the descendants of those prestigious families. You're actually willing to listen to me complain a bit.
You don't know, those people are very interesting. They clearly know what's going on, yet they refuse to listen to me talk, as if hearing it would make them feel uncomfortable inside.
How does that saying go again? Plugging one's ears while stealing a bell. It's exactly like that."
Mo Yunshu was someone with a truly straightforward temperament. Yulou shook his head and said,
"Fellow Daoist Yunshu, walking in the cultivation world, we can't possibly expect everything to go our way. Having everything go your way is the exclusive privilege of grand cultivators."
It was somewhat comforting, but very shallow. It was always very difficult for one cultivator to persuade another.
Mo Yunshu clearly wasn't some foolish girl; she had her own logical set of values in her heart. Whether it was her views on the Immortal Alliance, on rogue cultivators, or on making friends, she was incredibly opinionated.
Yulou's advice was simply a subtle way of telling her to focus on raising her cultivation base and becoming a grand cultivator first. The waiter brought the spirit wine and then obediently retreated.
Seeing the waiter leave, Mo Yunshu spoke again, this time mysteriously.
"Yulou, you probably don't know this, but there's a rogue cultivator organization in the West Sea called the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, established specifically for rogue cultivators. The Alliance Leader is none other than Zhang Heng, the captain of the Annex City Enforcement Team."
The Subsidiary City was established by Immortal Venerable Shenguang. The Annex City Enforcement Team was the law enforcement force with the greatest actual power and influence in the Western Sea Immortal City.
It represented Immortal Venerable Shenguang and was the Immortal Venerable's direct lineage within the Western Sea Immortal City. Yet Zhang Heng, the captain of the Annex City Enforcement Team, served as the Alliance Leader of the so-called Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Chewing over this information, Yulou's heart surged violently. Rogue Cultivator Alliance, Rogue Cultivator Alliance...
This name was interesting, very interesting. Dripdrop Cave was called a Cave, Wondrous Peak Mountain was called a Mountain, Red Lantern Illumination Sect was called an Illumination, and the Sky Serpent Sect was also known as Heavenly Serpent Valley.
Even the Exchange Gathering organized by Wang Yulou was called a Gathering. Not to mention the various courts, platforms, palaces, courtyards, temples, mansions, pavilions, halls, and gardens.
With so many naming conventions they could have used, they just had to name it the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. What was the meaning behind this?
After filling Fellow Daoist Yunshu's cup, Wang Yulou then filled his own. He didn't say anything more; he simply raised his cup and said,
"A toast to Immortal Venerable Shenguang for developing the West Sea and protecting the peace of Wunan."
Clink.
The two of them drained their cups in one gulp. Setting down her wine cup, Mo Yunshu found that this annoying guy, Wang Yulou, was truly a bit interesting.
When he spoke, he kept his thoughts carefully hidden. He absolutely wouldn't utter even half a wrong sentence, yet he could hit it off with her perfectly in conversation.
The two ate this meal for a full two hours, but the times they actually moved their chopsticks were pitifully few. They mainly talked freely about the landscapes and customs of the West Sea and Wunan.
Mo Yunshu spoke of the West Sea, while Wang Yulou spoke of Wunan. Halfway through their chat, an interesting incident occurred.
Because neither of them had moved their chopsticks much, the twenty-plus plates of food on the table were mostly eaten by the small stone turtle instead. It already had excellent talent.
After eating so much spiritual food, it actually broke through to the mid-stage of the Miscellaneous Demon realm right there during the banquet. However, Mo Yunshu noticed that after the small stone turtle broke through, its body hadn't grown even a fraction larger, which surprised her a little.
"Yulou, your small turtle's talent is truly extraordinary. In the future, I'm afraid it will become a demon beast that excels in spells."
Demon beasts that had yet to make a name for themselves through cultivation could generally be divided into two types: those that relied on innate spells to survive, and those that relied on a tyrannical physical body to survive. Why was the iron crocodile dragon so special?
It was because they possessed a trace of dragon nature in their bodies. While their physical bodies were tyrannical, they also had special spells like the Alligator Dragon Water Whip and the Alligator Dragon Water Escape, falling into the rare category of being strong in both spells and body.
For cultivators raising spirit beasts, those with the highest value were the ones with formidable innate spells. They could play a massive role in magical combat between cultivators.
After all, there were many spirit beasts with tyrannical physical bodies—Mo Yunshu's white-armored bear was one of them—but demon beasts that were formidable in spells were extremely rare. The small stone turtle had advanced to the mid-stage of the Miscellaneous Demon realm, yet it hadn't grown in size at all.
This indicated that its recent advancement was an internal improvement, corresponding to a Change in its innate spells. Such a small stone turtle was fully deserving of being called extraordinarily talented.
Even Mo Yunshu felt somewhat envious in her heart. Picking the small stone turtle up by its tail, Yulou dangled it and observed it for a couple of turns.
"So many resources weren't fed in vain... Speaking of which, Fellow Daoist Yunshu's reminder today was a huge help to me. I really shouldn't be in a rush regarding the purchase of a courtyard residence."
Mo Yunshu showed the effects of alcohol on her face very easily. Even though the two had shared a single pot and she had only drunk seven or eight cups, it already showed heavily on her face.
She smiled slightly, her blushing cheeks like a beautiful swaying rose. "I have a courtyard residence in the immortal city.
The area isn't large, just ten zhang wide and sixteen zhang deep. You're about to marry a daughter of the Zhou family and bring her home.
Why don't you settle down there for a few years first?"
"Wait until South Annex City is mostly built, then buy a piece of land there to build a courtyard residence."
The direct lineage under a True Person's tutelage was indeed generous, and Fellow Daoist Yunshu was magnanimous, but Wang Yulou wasn't a fool, so he hurriedly declined.
"How could I accept that? I can just rent a courtyard myself. It's not like I'm lacking spirit stones."
Mo Yunshu gave a sly smile, however, and teased, "Good going, Wang Yulou, you actually wanted to live there for free!"
"But my intention was precisely this. Since you have to rent a courtyard residence for now anyway, rather than renting my residence out to someone else, I might as well rent it to you.
"This way, I can feel at ease renting it out, and you can feel at ease living there. As for the price, I'll give you a thirty percent discount off the market rate. How about it?"
Wang Yulou realized that the girl wasn't drunk at all. He mused that Feng Jianxian treated him well because he had saved his life once.
But Mo Yunshu, simply because they hit it off in conversation, was directly offering to rent a residence to him at a thirty percent discount... Of course, it was also possible that what she had said from the beginning about True Person Hansong was false. Perhaps she found out from somewhere that he was buying a residence and thus guided him to rent hers.
But the likelihood of this was about the same as Yuan Wu achieving the Golden Core—basically zero. Therefore, after weighing his options, Yulou ultimately chose to politely refuse.
"Fellow Daoist Yunshu, one should not accept a reward without merit. If you rent your residence to me at a thirty percent discount, I will feel uneasy.
"If I rent it at the market price, then it's too expensive. I should just look on my own."
Mo Yunshu's expression darkened. She asked in return, "You don't treat me as a friend?"
Wang Yulou finally understood. Put it this way: Xihai Hu's straightforwardness was a standard, textbook fake straightforwardness.
He seemed generous, and in the end he had even given Yulou his command token, but that was merely adding flowers to brocade. On the other hand, this girl Mo Yunshu was truly bold and generous, somewhat similar to Feng Jianxian.
Just like Feng Jianxian, she was the type of cultivator who acted with a bottom line and had convictions in her heart. She wasn't being foolish; she was simply practicing her own principles.
"A twenty percent discount. This way I can afford it, and you won't lose too much," Wang Yulou said frankly.
He did indeed need a larger courtyard residence. Zhou Yingxi came from a prominent family, after all.
If Wang Yulou found something like "A rogue cultivator's first house in the immortal city," that would be too ridiculous.
"Then it's settled!" The two raised their cups and drank the last bit of spirit wine, and then Yulou called the waiter to settle the bill.
"Guest, the total is three hundred spirit stones. If you pay with high-grade spirit stones, you can get a five percent discount."
The waiter handed over a bill with an obedient look on his face, intending to show Yulou that this price of three hundred spirit stones was not demanded without reason.
"Three hundred?"
Mo Yunshu was about to speak up, but Wang Yulou stopped her with a look. Whether there was a problem with this price, as a member of the Wang Clan, he couldn't be any clearer.
Wang Jiahui's guts were far fatter than Tang Nianqiu's. Old Tang studied the account books day and night just to find a minor discrepancy of three to five spirit stones within a reasonable scope.
Wang Jiahui was different. She directly doubled the collection of spirit stones, which was absolute madness!
"Here, these are three hundred spirit stones. Keep them well."
After paying the spirit stones, Wang Yulou brought Mo Yunshu to the counter on the first floor of the Flavorful Bistro, staring at the waiter behind the counter as he entered the amount into the ledger. The waiter felt uncomfortable under his gaze and asked.
"Are you dissatisfied with the food? Or do you have questions about the price?"
Wang Yulou completely disregarded this petty attempt to make things difficult. He replied with a smile, "You collected the spirit stones and have to enter it in the ledger, right? I'm just taking a look."
Seeing that Wang Yulou and Mo Yunshu were somewhat drunk, the waiter cursed them inwardly as lightweights, and his face took on a slightly threatening look.
"Our Flavorful Bistro is the property of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang. You are drunk; do not bring trouble upon yourselves."
Mo Yunshu wasn't a fool, so she naturally understood what was going on. Taking a step forward, she chose to proactively reveal her identity to test the waters with these people for Yulou first.
"My name is Mo Yunshu, under the tutelage of True Person Hansong. Three hundred spirit stones for a meal—eating Great Demon spirit meat at the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda is only this expensive.
"Did your Wang Clan's donkeys grow up eating gold or eating silver? Why is it priced so expensively?
"I have a background, and I know your Flavorful Bistro's background. Therefore, refund the excess spirit stones to me, and we'll be at peace."
Hearing Mo Yunshu's words, the waiter immediately dropped his threatening facade and hurriedly replied with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist, isn't this the great flood washing away the Dragon King Temple? Our manager is also under True Person Hansong's tutelage. Haha, here, this is one hundred and eighty spirit stones. For you."
Mo Yunshu looked at the spirit stones in the waiter's hands, and then looked at Wang Yulou, who was smiling on the side. Her face turned from light red to a deep flush, suddenly blushing with shame.
Ignoring those spirit stones, Fellow Daoist Yunshu glared at Yulou resentfully. "Did you know about this all along? Aren't you just bullying people?"
Wang Yulou smiled and shook his head, only then speaking amiably to the waiter.
"Go on, call your manager over. Just say that Mo Yunshu and Wang Yulou came together, spent three hundred spirit stones on a meal, were very satisfied, and want to see her."
The waiter was confused at first, but then his face turned deathly pale. He hurriedly knelt down and explained.
"I was also forced. This matter has nothing to do with me. The manager said... no, that old witch Wang Jiahui said that if we didn't listen to her, she would replace us. We didn't have a choice either."
"Go call her. It will be handled according to family law. Whether you have any involvement or not, an investigation will make it clear," Wang Yulou said calmly.
The waiter didn't dare to delay and hurriedly went to contact Wang Jiahui. Meanwhile, Wang Yulou activated a sound transmission talisman, summoning Wang Rongchuan over.
At the same time, he had Mo Yunshu directly call for people from the immortal city's Punishment Court.
"I don't know many people in the immortal city's Punishment Court. Yulou, calling them over might not be effective. How about I find an elder from my clan to come over instead? Using my Mo family and Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's name to do such laughable things is truly absurd!"
It was hard to say whether the family laws of prominent clans or the rules of the Immortal Alliance held more authority. In practice, when cultivation families used family law to deal with their own people, the Immortal Alliance's rules generally wouldn't interfere.
This was also a part of the special order in the cultivation world. Back when Yuan Daoshen killed Cui Yanzong at Riverbend Port, it had also followed this rule.
As the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in Dripdrop Cave, killing an unruly Dripdrop Cave disciple was completely outside the Immortal Alliance's jurisdiction.
"No need. The Zhou family daughter I'm marrying is the daughter of the Punishment Court's seal-holder," Yulou said.
Mu Chunze was also a West Sea local, and he was soon to become Wang Yulou's father-in-law. Thinking of Mu Chunze, Wang Yulou could never forget the shock he felt the first time he learned that this man added water to water.
This person was definitely no ordinary individual.
"Senior Chunze? So that's how it is."
After Mo Yunshu understood that Wang Yulou had connections in the Punishment Court, she no longer had any misgivings. She directly stated through her sound transmission talisman that someone was flaunting the names of Immortal Venerable Mangxiang and True Person Hansong in the immortal city.
True Person Hansong was a local True Person in the West Sea. A local snake—no, a local dragon.
Immortal Venerable Mangxiang was the current leading figure of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, a grand cultivator stirring up the winds and clouds of the Immortal Alliance, an existence who would soon reach the Golden Core realm. He belonged to the category of a dragon crossing the river.
Such behavior of messing around while using the names of grand cultivators was inherently sensitive. The person reporting the case was Mo Yunshu, who was under Hansong's tutelage.
In addition, two of the three True Persons in the West Sea were True Persons of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. The severity of the matter could easily be classified into the highest tier—the Immortal Alliance served all cultivators, but prioritized serving grand cultivators.
The first to rush to the Flavorful Bistro were the people from the immortal city's Punishment Court. The one leading the team was even an old acquaintance of Yulou's.
It was just that this acquaintance was named Zhou Yingxi. She was still wearing a veil, keeping her true face hidden from others.
It seemed she probably shouldn't have come. Zhou Yingxi brought her people into the Flavorful Bistro.
Upon seeing Wang Yulou, she blanked slightly. Those beautiful peach blossom eyes met Wang Yulou's gaze for a moment.
Her eyes seemed to hide layers upon layers of profound meaning, like a bottomless kaleidoscope that Yulou couldn't decipher. However, Zhou Yingxi only looked at Yulou for a second longer before averting her gaze, looking at the girl beside him whose face bore a flush from alcohol.
A woman. Quite beautiful.
Her cultivation base wasn't low either. Her magical robe seemed to be a high-grade magical robe.
She was drunk; her face was entirely red. The gaze of those peach blossom eyes returned to Wang Yulou.
Hiding three levels of cultivation. The clumsy Wang Yulou.
Dressed quite gorgeously. Also drunk.
His face was also red. He was getting married the day after tomorrow, but look at him now...
Forget it, what right did she have to criticize him anyway? Her expression behind the veil grew somewhat stiff, and her breathing grew heavier.
Finally, she lightly bit her lip, dejectedly lowered her eyes, and said, "The City Patrol Envoy of the Punishment Court is here. Who sent the sound transmission talisman?"
Mo Yunshu, being a loyal and upright girl, took a half-step forward. Positioning her body slightly in front of Wang Yulou, she began to explain the situation.
"Fellow Daoist, this humble girl is Mo Yunshu, serving as an Information Gathering Envoy in the Information Gathering Court. This is Wang Yulou, from the Red Lantern Illumination Sect under Perfected Man Fujiao's tutelage, serving as an Information Gathering Envoy like me.
"This Flavorful Bistro is clearly the property of Fellow Daoist Yulou's clan, yet they are using Immortal Venerable Mangxiang's name to bully customers on one hand, while using my clan ancestor's name as a backer on the other.
"Seeing that the situation was wrong, I sent the sound transmission talisman."
Mo Yunshu explained the situation with absolute clarity, but Zhou Yingxi didn't answer. She simply ruminated on Mo Yunshu's posture of proactively protecting Yulou.
What kind of relationship did they have? Seeing that Zhou Yingxi wasn't speaking, Wang Yulou understood in his heart.
He took the initiative to step forward and explain. "Fellow Daoist Yingxi, the manager here is named Wang Jiahui, considered an elder of mine.
"Her Dao Companion is a junior descendant of a disciple under True Person Hansong's tutelage. Regarding this matter, my thought is to interrogate her and her Dao Companion separately.
"The West Sea is too far, and sometimes our Wang Clan's power falls short. I wonder if this matter falls within the jurisdiction of the Punishment Court?"
Now, it was Mo Yunshu's turn to be confused. 'Fellow Daoist Yingxi?'
'They knew each other? Hm?'
'Mu Chunze took office as the seal-holder of the Punishment Court. Wang Yulou was marrying Mu Chunze's daughter.'
'And this woman looked at Wang Yulou as soon as she came in... So that was how it was.'
'No, wait! Then didn't I just become the shameless hussy caught cheating!?'
Realizing this, without waiting for the others to react, Mo Yunshu flickered with a flash and distanced herself a full zhang away from Wang Yulou. She looked at Zhou Yingxi, but she directed her complaints at Wang Yulou.
"Fellow Daoist Yulou suddenly said he wanted to treat me to a meal today, but it ended up causing all this trouble. Sigh, I feel deeply ashamed.
"Rest assured, regardless of whether the Punishment Court takes charge or not, since this matter involves the ancestor's reputation, I will definitely investigate it clearly to fulfill the camaraderie between you and me."
'Irrelevant, completely irrelevant. I, Mo Yunshu, disdain being the other woman.'
That was just how Fellow Daoist Yunshu was. This girl was quite principled.
Her standard for being a decent person was who-knows-how-many levels higher than the likes of Yuan Daoshen and Wang Yulou.
"Yulou, why did you come? You didn't even say a word in advance, so your auntie could prepare..."
Wang Jiahui entered the Flavorful Bistro in a panic from the outside. But when she saw the seven or eight Immortal Alliance disciples wearing Punishment Court waist tokens standing densely packed inside, her legs instantly turned to jelly.
The words she had rehearsed along the way to smooth things over couldn't even leave her mouth. In fact, whether she said them or not no longer made a difference.
Since Wang Yulou brought Mo Yunshu over, he hadn't planned on giving her much of a chance to take advantage of the situation. Fellow Daoist Yunshu was no ordinary person.
This girl was very principled.
"Take her away!" Zhou Yingxi finally spoke.
As soon as her command was given, the errand-runners of the Punishment Court scrambled forward and tied Wang Jiahui up. This was someone from the direct lineage of Perfected Man Fujiao's clan, and at the same time, the daughter of Seal-holder Mu.
Her words were Perfected Man Fujiao's words, and they were Seal-holder Mu's words. In that case, were Zhou Yingxi's words still just words?
No, that was the starting gun for the "Great Loyalty Competition"!
"You guys go to her house and escort her husband back to the Punishment Court's prison as well. Let's see what treasonous things they've done using the Ancestral Master and True Person Hansong's names."
The Punishment Court's errand-runners left. Zhou Yingxi then looked at Wang Yulou and asked, "Our wedding is approaching. Shall we have a good talk?"