Why did Zhou Yingxi give Wang Yulou concubines? And concubines originating from the Zhou Clan's vassals at that?
The reason was simple. Becoming Dao Companions wasn't as casual as inviting soone to dinner. Confirming a Dao Companion relationship represented far more than just the union of two individuals. The higher a cultivator's status, the more weight they placed on this bond.
A pure, mindless obsession with romance was highly unrealistic for cultivators. Such foolish sentints would only be instantly turned into stepping stones by Wang Yulou, and Zhou Yingxi wasn't stupid either.
Knowing that Wang Yulou had already taken Lin Ying as his wife and acquired two concubines in Dripdrop Cave, Zhou Yingxi giving him won from the Zhou Family as concubines served to "solidify favor" and "bind their interests." This would give her more bargaining chips in their long-term future together.
This covert scheming seemingly insulted the purity of love, but love wasn't anything special to begin with.
Even if love did hold so special aning, a cultivator's long life contained plenty of things that were far more aningful and worthy of tireless pursuit.
Of course, so individuals might put love first. With such a vast number of cultivators in the world, all kinds existed.
It was like gathering enough monkeys to mash on keyboards; eventually, one would type out Ascending to the Jade Palace word for word without a single error. When the sample size was large enough, any bizarre situation could occur.
But Zhou Yingxi was not that type. She knew very well that she was the one who needed Wang Yulou, not the other way around.
"You want all of them?"
Zhou Yingxi's tone was freezing, and the ten young girls standing before the Zhou Family's new son-in-law were thoroughly terrified.
Wanting to take in ten concubines at once—could he be a legendary lecherous hungry ghost?
"Yes, but not as concubines. Yingxi, you have resolved a massive problem in my heart.
"Since arriving at the West Sea, I've beco the chief steward of the Wang Clan's operations here. There are many things I want to accomplish that cannot be done without reliable manpower.
"Among the ten of you, are any willing to join the tutelage of my Wang Family's Western Sea Branch?
"The compensation I can offer is quite generous. I won't promise the world, but providing conditions on par with Hongdengzhao's Outer Gate Disciples is well within my power."
"The Wang Family's Western Sea Branch?"
Zhou Yingxi looked suspicious. She had no idea the Wang Clan had such an establishnt.
Naturally, it was impossible for her to know.
The Wang Family's Western Sea Branch was rely sothing Wang Yulou planned to establish.
Currently, the only things decided were the na of this minor faction and that he would be in charge of it. Nothing else had been settled.
However, these ten young girls had been transferred to the West Sea specifically to serve as concubines for Zhou Yingxi's Dao Companion. Now that Wang Yulou was suddenly changing their positions and status, they naturally didn't dare to agree so easily.
No one existed in isolation in the cultivation world. Behind these girls stood cultivator families that were vassals to the Zhou Clan. What right did they have to choose?
In the end, only three accepted Wang Yulou's invitation. All three possessed quad-spirit roots. Within their families, disciples with quad-spirit roots had no opportunity to enter Hongdengzhao's outer sect, much like Wang Rongsheng.
Wang Yulou wasn't disappointed to only get three people. Things had to be taken one step at a ti.
Besides, while he currently lacked manpower, he wasn't entirely desperate either.
The Wang Clan still had over a dozen people in the West Sea. Furthermore, the steward of Dripdrop Cave's outer courtyard, Feng Jianxian, was on excellent terms with Yulou. Wang Yulou could easily borrow people from Dripdrop Cave's outer courtyard.
He was now a Hongdengzhao Core Disciple, a next-generation Qilin child certified by several True Persons of the Behemoth Lineage. Under such circumstances, even though he had left the Dripdrop Cave system, he was flourishing within the superior faction of Hongdengzhao.
Therefore, if Wang Yulou wanted to use Dripdrop Cave's personnel, he could. As long as he maintained his upward montum and his status, he could keep using them.
And these three girls plucked from the Zhou Family could be seen as Wang Yulou's initial breakthrough into the Zhou Family's system.
If things developed well in the future, it wasn't impossible to use the Zhou Family's platform to build his own forces and feed them back into the Wang Clan.
Perfected Man Fujiao had issued a Sacred Decree for him to act as a cultivation cauldron for Zhou Yingxi, but right now, there were still at least two hundred years before Fellow Daoist Yingxi prepared to open her Purple Palace.
Looking at Old Zhou's condition, it was hard to say whether Zhou Bojiao would even be around in two hundred years, so Wang Yulou didn't worry too much about such distant matters.
"You seem a bit disappointed because only three chose to stay?"
Zhou Yingxi spoke with a hint of schadenfreude, interrupting Yulou's train of thought.
Wang Yulou chuckled and stood up. Before Zhou Yingxi could react, he pulled her into his arms.
His sowhat aggressive gaze swept over her delicate fra before finally landing on her face.
At this mont, the phrase 'a face like a flower and the moon' finally had a concrete example. Only today did Wang Yulou understand why Fellow Daoist Yingxi had to wear a veil every day.
If others were to see this face, there would undoubtedly be idiots willing to risk certain death just to steal a mont of pleasure.
"How could I be? Compared to you, they are nothing but vulgar powder and paint. Fellow Daoist Yingxi, do you know what we need to do upon entering the bridal chamber?" Yulou teased.
Fellow Daoist Yingxi's face flushed deep red, like the evening glow reflecting on a spring pond. The gentle ripples of her tenderness chard their way into Yulou's heart, her shy deanor revealing boundless affection.
However, the beauty's hands forcefully pushed against Wang Yulou's chest, and even her legs began to struggle.
She was ntally prepared to enter the bridal chamber. What kind of Dao Companions didn't consummate their marriage?
But she didn't want to be held by Wang Yulou like this, to be completely dominated by him. This point was crucial.
Today was only the first day of their marriage. If their standing in the household was permanently settled right now, things would be troubleso in the future.
Emotions were emotions, and interests were interests. Zhou Yingxi's heart was swaying, but her mind remained perfectly clear.
However, as long as a cultivator still wanted to attain the Purple Palace, they couldn't waste ti forging their Dao Body.
Because he had once faced a bottleneck in his cultivation base, Wang Yulou's Dao Body had been specifically strengthened by Old Ancestor Xianzhu for a period of ti.
Zhou Yingxi had a single spirit root; she wouldn't experience bottlenecks in the Qi Refining stage. The Zhou Clan wouldn't let her waste ti forging her body either, so naturally, she had never undergone any similar strengthening.
As such, with this disparity in physical strength, Zhou Yingxi falling into Wang Yulou's embrace was like a at bun tossed into a dog's mouth.
Of course, this wasn't to say Wang Yulou was a dog, nor was it to say Zhou Yingxi was rely a at bun. It only emphasized that she was completely unable to break free.
Unable to escape, Zhou Yingxi rolled her eyes and forced a smile.
"Husband, don't be impatient. I haven't washed up yet. Does the Wang Yulou I know lack even this little bit of patience?"
A provocation!
After Wang Yulou snatched the initiative with a preemptive embrace, Fellow Daoist Yingxi smilingly deployed a provocation tactic.
Truly, a marriage alliance between cultivators was not simple. It was supposed to be a beautiful bridal chamber night beneath blooming flowers and a full moon, yet the two of them were fixated on seizing the initiative. There was no open strife, but the covert struggle was fierce.
"My lady's words are mistaken. Anyone who marries a flawless beauty like you would lose their patience."
Wang Yulou replied affectionately.
It wasn't that Wang Yulou was being as impatient as a monkey; it was that his lady was simply too beautiful, tempting him until he had no choice but to act impatient.
Zhou Yingxi covertly provoked him, and Wang Yulou overtly flattered her, blocking her attack in a single move.
"B-but you haven't washed..."
Zhou Yingxi threw caution to the wind, choosing to express outright disgust toward him.
In her mind, as long as Wang Yulou still wanted to keep his face, he ought to put her down, right?
However, to Wang Yulou, face was pretty much just a decoration.
Face was sothing you earned yourself, not sothing given by others.
He moved his left hand down slightly, firmly supporting the beauty's back, and directly lowered his head to kiss her.
Disgust or no disgust, as long as she didn't imdiately fire off a spell to stop him, Wang Yulou was absolutely taking the initiative in this Dao Companion relationship!
Although seizing the initiative couldn't change the fact that he was destined to beco a cauldron in the future, it would help him better leverage the Zhou Clan's influence right now.
Being a good Dao Companion to Zhou Yingxi was equivalent to being a good junior to Perfected Man Fujiao.
Loyalty to the Wang Clan ca first, loyalty to the Ancestral Master second, loyalty to Old Zhou third, and loyalty to the sect and Immortal Alliance fourth and fifth.
As long as Wang Yulou maintained this posture, Old Zhou would be his major backer for at least the next hundred years.
Wunan and the Immortal Alliance were not easy to navigate, and Wang Yulou's path was fraught with difficulties, but he still had a half-step Purple Palace foundation as his safety net. Even now, he stood above billions of mortals.
What he needed to do now was borrow the power of Patriarch Mangxiang and Perfected Man Fujiao to stir things up and elevate the Wang Clan's foundation. Then, he could use the family's resources to feed back into his own growth.
New arts could replace old cultivation arts, so why wouldn't there be other thods in the future to rescue him from the predicant of a half-step Purple Palace?
There had to be. With so many breathtakingly brilliant grand cultivators in the world, soone was bound to have a solution.
Therefore, Wang Yulou wouldn't give up hope.
Therefore, Wang Yulou needed to seize the initiative in their Dao Companion relationship.
Therefore, Wang Yulou took the initiative to kiss her.
"Mmph..."
Wang Yulou completely disregarded martial virtue. Caught off guard, the defenseless Zhou Yingxi naturally couldn't dodge his kiss. As for Wang Yulou's worry that she would imdiately fire off a spell to wake him up—that was purely judging a beauty's heart by his own villainous standard.
After one kiss, Fellow Daoist Yingxi's stiffened body thoroughly softened. Wang Yulou smiled and laid her down on the bed, but Zhou Yingxi didn't say a single word.
She was still savoring the aftertaste. No, more accurately, she was in shock.
How could he stick his...
Won from cultivator families naturally weren't completely ignorant of the affairs between n and won. Zhou Yingxi wasn't the kind of supre idiot who feared getting pregnant from holding hands, but she had never known that kissing between Dao Companions could be done like that. Consequently, her heart couldn't calm down for a long ti.
It wasn't that she felt dirty; after all, the two were already married, and the intimacy between n and won was considered the normal course of human relations, nothing to be avoided. It was just that Wang Yulou was far too proactive and far too experienced.
Hm?
Experienced?
Zhou Yingxi's soft and powerless body instantly seed to find its backbone as she pushed herself up from the bed.
She wanted to ask why he was so experienced, but imdiately realized she already knew the answer. Moreover, she had no right to ask.
This was a marriage arranged by Zhou Bojiao. Wang Yulou's willingness to put on a show of deep affection was already full cooperation; she had no right to demand more.
However, seeing Zhou Yingxi first pop up like a carp doing a kip-up, only to deflate halfway and flop back down like a salted fish, Yulou was rather confused.
He was still slightly worried that his actions just now had shocked her too much, so he sat on the edge of the bed, took the beauty's jade hand, and asked gently.
"Is my lady a bit nervous?"
But Zhou Yingxi ignored the question. She lay there on her side, staring straight at Yulou on the edge of the bed, and remained silent for a long ti.
If her beautiful peach blossom eyes hadn't still been blinking, Wang Yulou might have worried she had gone silly from his kiss.
Actually, Zhou Yingxi was thinking. She was pondering what exactly Wang Yulou wanted.
Today, Wang Yulou had perford exceptionally well.
He had displayed the spirit a heavenly genius of the Behemoth Lineage ought to have. Alongside his calm restraint ca a powerful self-confidence; he seed unobtrusive, yet was dazzling enough to leave people marveling.
He had displayed the decency and composure that an excellent son-in-law of a prestigious household ought to have. While his bearing was extraordinary, he flawlessly entertained all the guests and seniors who ca to observe the ceremony today. Anyone who saw him would praise the Zhou Family for securing such an excellent son-in-law.
He had displayed the deep affection and love that a Dao Companion ought to have. Whether it was gifting her the Mirror-Silver Bracelet or every mont they stood holding hands during the ceremony, he executed his role perfectly—incredibly perfectly.
So, what did he want?
Did he want ?
That couldn't be it. Wang Yulou wasn't that shallow.
Zhou Yingxi pondered endlessly until she finally arrived at a potential answer. The very mont it crossed her mind, she closed her eyes.
'No, that shouldn't be it. If I can think of this level, the Old Ancestor can definitely think of it too.'
"My lady?" The man's voice remained just as gentle.
But this ti, Wang Yulou's gentle call sounded like the whispers of an evil ghost in Zhou Yingxi's ears.
She closed her eyes, afraid Wang Yulou would see her terror. Yet compared to the candidness of the opponents Wang Yulou faced in his daily gambits and clashes, this attempt at concealnt only made her guilty conscience more obvious.
Feeling the shifting pulse in the beauty's hand, Wang Yulou smiled even more gently.
'Fellow Daoist Yingxi, so you are afraid too.'
No one could face the manipulations of fate with perfect composure. The smarter a person was, the easier it was for them to fall into terror.
Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi becoming Dao Companions and combining their Dao foundations to attain the Purple Palace ant that one of them would be dood to only reach the half-step Purple Palace realm.
Why did that person absolutely have to be Zhou Yingxi?
Because of Zhou Bojiao?
Forget it...
If Mang Xiang's promises could be taken seriously, then the most wanton prostitutes could be called saints!
Wang Yulou had cultivated for many years and had grown increasingly familiar with the world's rules. From Clear Stream Market to Dripdrop Cave, to Hongdengzhao, and then to the West Sea, he had seen far, far too much.
Wang Yulou was absolutely certain of one thing.
In the eyes of grand cultivators, there was no distinction between family and disciple, nor any restraint from rules or regulations.
Direct lineage families and disciples were nothing more than fangs, claws, and tools to them.
Rules and regulations existed to serve grand cultivators; naturally, they could not absolutely restrain them.
In the eyes of grand cultivators, there was no morality, no justice, and no distinction between good and evil!
Far too many mortal values and judgnts were aningless in the eyes of those who possessed longevity.
Wang Yulou even believed that grand cultivators choosing to extract benefits through sects rather than families was a proactive choice to abandon familial restraints.
A grand cultivator who reached the Purple Palace stage could achieve de facto longevity through a grotto-heaven. To such people, did the clansn who cycled through generations every few centuries still hold any significance?
The Patriarch's words were entirely correct: grand cultivators and mortals were two different species.
The process of a cultivator approaching transcendence was also the process of distancing themselves from the short-lived species they were born as.
The worldview of those nearing transcendence stemd from their practical experiences. How could mortals possibly understand the gambits and collusions of grand cultivators?
In truth, Wang Jingyi's old cultivation arts Purple Palace might not be real, and Wang Yulou's half-step Purple Palace might not be real either.
He could not explicitly say this to Ancestor Jingyi—many things could be done but not spoken—but this was one of the reasons Wang Yulou refused to give up hope, and why he had to strive to climb upward himself.
Rely on others, and others would fall; rely on mountains, and mountains would crumble. Mang Xiang was unreliable, and so was everyone else.
The Great Dao was difficult to achieve. He had to endure when endurance was needed, and fight when fighting was required.
Human hearts were difficult to fathom. He had to put on an act in front of Zhou Yingxi, fighting over things like the initiative between Dao Companions—sothing that seed aningless but actually held infinite significance.
Wang Yulou's Dao heart was not so unwavering conviction or relentless pursuit, but rather a clear and practical mindset for cultivation: only by first possessing the spirit of a grand cultivator could one attain the cultivation base of a grand cultivator.
Without the spirit of a grand cultivator, how could one ever beco one?
Wang Yulou did not know what Zhou Yingxi was thinking, but he could feel her fear.
He smiled simply because he had achieved victory in this covert struggle for initiative.
"Wang Yulou, what are you laughing at?"
Zhou Yingxi buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled. She was terrified.
"My lady is rather cute."
Wang Yulou lay down and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
His breath brushed against her ear, making her feel a bit ticklish. Zhou Yingxi turned over and t Wang Yulou's gaze.
Wang Yulou was not particularly handso; his looks were ordinary, but he possessed a unique bearing. She could not clearly explain it, but she knew she could never read him.
"'Cute' is for praising little girls. You should say I'm beautiful."
Zhou Yingxi smiled as well. The Zhou Clan's grand edifice was on the verge of collapse, and she was the junior the Old Ancestor valued most. If even she did not dare to shoulder the family's burdens, where would the Zhou Family go in the future?
Therefore, no matter how difficult, she had to step up.
As for emotions... forget it.
With that thought, Zhou Yingxi regained her composure. She fiddled with the stubble on Wang Yulou's chin and complained.
"This beard is so prickly. Can't you shave it off?"
"Hahaha, a man without a beard is a eunuch."
"What is a eunuch?"
"A type of..."
"Why would those emperors need eunuchs? It sounds terrifying. The enmity of stealing soone's... no, of mutilating soone's body—aren't they afraid those eunuchs will take revenge on them?"
"It's just like the cultivation world. The bottom-tier rogue cultivators can't even comprehend how the Immortal Alliance and the Ten Sects operate. Those eunuchs couldn't understand how their misfortune ca to be either; they wouldn't even know who to hate.
"Rogue cultivators live difficult lives. If a sect or major family is willing to give them an opportunity, they will only be filled with deep gratitude. Isn't that very much like those eunuchs?"
Zhou Yingxi realized that whenever Wang Yulou spoke, he could effortlessly connect one matter to several others. It was a terrifying level of observation and judgnt.
However, to discuss such things within the red gauze curtains—only Wang Yulou would do so.
She thought for a mont, proactively leaning into his embrace. Hugging him with a hint of reliance, she asked in a tone that was half-teasing, half-sincere.
"Say, in your heart, you hate the Ancestral Master's arrangents but have no way to refuse them. Isn't that also similar to a eunuch?"
"Are you... a eunuch?"
Wang Yulou's face darkened, and he did not answer such a humiliating question.
"My lady, you will understand once you experience it yourself."
Now free from the restriction of Hong Li's magic seal, Wang Yulou was certainly not Feng Jianxian, who cultivated that unlucky boy's sword art.
She sighed lightly in her heart and raised her left hand to cast a spell.
A gust of wind swept through the hall, and the room went dark.
——
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, hanging over the vast West Sea.
While so toyed with clear shadows within red gauze curtains, others acted out a ghost story with their good brothers.
"Second Brother, South Annex City is Master's territory. If you need the Myriad Dao Origin Hub's support, I naturally will not refuse.
"But to rashly move the Myriad Dao Origin Hub over... what if the South Annex City's expansion isn't as fast as expected? The Myriad Dao Origin Hub's business would be affected.
"When the ti cos and Master casts bla, I'll be the one bearing the responsibility.
"You know full well that I, Xihai Zhongcheng, am incredibly loyal to Master. I will not do things that might make him unhappy."
Faced with Xihai Longhu's request to act first and report later, the manager of the Myriad Dao Origin Hub, Xihai Zhongcheng, made it clear he was willing to provide any verbal support—short of actual help.
Not refusing didn't an he would help; Xihai Zhongcheng's thoughts were very clear.
After the three attended Wang Yulou and Zhou Yingxi's wedding ceremony, they gathered at Xihai Qingfeng's private residence within the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda.
Xihai Longhu originally thought that since he had Master's instructions, Xihai Zhongcheng and Xihai Qingfeng would have to give him so face no matter what. He hadn't expected that both of his martial brothers would be unwilling to help.
The reason wasn't complicated. Their Master had already entered a lengthy grotto-heaven transformation period. For the foreseeable future—at least several hundred years—it would be very difficult for Shen Guang to personally appear in the Great Heaven.
If an Immortal Venerable could not easily move about, they naturally needed errand-running Purple Palace cultivators to represent them. Xihai Qingfeng, Xihai Longhu, and Xihai Zhongcheng were actually in a competitive relationship!
If Xihai Longhu's South Annex City Expansion Departnt beca wildly successful, then Xihai Qingfeng and Xihai Zhongcheng's Purple Mansion opportunities would be comparatively weakened. With such a conflict of interest, they naturally dodged and prevaricated in every possible way when faced with Xihai Longhu's pleas for help.
Sentints were sentints; interests were interests. They all ca from the Hall of Benevolence, they were all Master's disciples, and they were all seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators with profound cultivation bases. On what grounds should they lower themselves to carry Xihai Longhu's palanquin?
"Big Brother, the Myriad Dao Origin Hub might not be able to open a branch, but the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda can always open a branch at South Annex City first, right?"
Xihai Longhu knew how repulsive Xihai Zhongcheng's personality could be, so he chose to continue working on his Big Brother, Xihai Qingfeng.
The Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda sounded like a single tower, but it was actually a comprehensive market town. The rent for every single stall inside was exorbitant, yet it was still fiercely fought over by various factions and rogue cultivators.
In Xihai Longhu's view, opening a branch of the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda in South Annex City could collect a handso sum of spirit stones in rent while simultaneously helping Master push forward the city's expansion. Xihai Qingfeng certainly had no reason to refuse.
"I could, but Second Brother, both the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda and South Annex City are Master's properties. Wanting to attract rogue cultivators to buy land by setting up a branch of the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda in South Annex City is impossible.
"Even if I open a branch there, in the eyes of outsiders, it will look like nothing more than a self-promotional gimmick. It's useless.
"On the contrary, not opening a branch, or waiting until South Annex City develops further before directly relocating the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, is the foolproof, optimal strategy."
Xihai Qingfeng's temperant was as free and easy as a clear breeze and a bright moon, but when his own interests were involved, he was no fool. Thus, he once again deflected Xihai Longhu's request.
"It seems you two intend to treat Master's Sacred Decree as nothing?" Xihai Longhu slamd his wine cup down and threatened in a cold voice.
The kind-eyed Xihai Zhongcheng actually had little to do with genuine kindness. Among the three of them, he was the most scheming and calculating—like a smiling viper.
Glancing contemptuously at the wine cup Xihai Longhu had slamd onto the table, Xihai Zhongcheng mocked.
"Second Brother, are you saying Master directly issued a Sacred Decree forcing to move the Myriad Dao Origin Hub onto that piece of wasteland?"
If Shen Guang had given an explicit order, they naturally would have united as one.
But right now, Shen Guang hadn't issued a direct command. Therefore, Xihai Zhongcheng naturally refused to acknowledge the obligation.
Xihai Longhu was Shen Guang's good apprentice, but Xihai Zhongcheng was also Shen Guang's good apprentice.
If Xihai Longhu failed in his duties, the Immortal Venerable would not punish Xihai Zhongcheng—that was simply not how things worked. If punishnts were to be handed out, the Immortal Venerable would only beat Xihai Longhu, the one responsible for the South Annex City expansion.
"Both of you clearly know how much Master values the South Annex City expansion. Zhongcheng, you—"
Xihai Longhu tried to continue persuading him with earnest words, but Xihai Zhongcheng was relentless.
"Just tell , did Master issue a Sacred Decree ordering to directly move the Myriad Dao Origin Hub onto that piece of wasteland in South Annex City!"
Xihai Zhongcheng had absolutely no intention of preserving Xihai Longhu's face.
The three addressed each other as brothers in na, but they weren't true brothers, nor did they share any blood relations.
Shen Guang Immortal Venerable did not lack followers. Among all those under his tutelage, anyone capable of standing out was an outstanding figure.
As fellow disciples of the Immortal Venerable, they possessed no true martial brotherly affection. Theirs was rely a special kind of colleague relationship. What the Immortal Venerable wanted was for them to do their own jobs well; he didn't need them to be united. And of course, even if they were united, the Immortal Venerable wouldn't care.
In this regard, it was similar to the relationship between Dripdrop Cave's two True Persons, Hong Li and Jiu Sheng.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. What do you guys think of Zhou Bojiao and Li Haikuo taking office together? I heard that a few days ago, True Person Longhu even had an argunt with Li Haikuo."
Xihai Qingfeng seed to be smoothing things over, but he was actually mocking Xihai Longhu.
'Xihai Longhu?'
'As if you're worthy!'
"Hahaha, it's ultimately because Li Haikuo has planted too many of his own people. He's just a Pass-Guarding True Person; he doesn't manage the resource allocation for the nurous Immortal Alliance disciples in Western Sea Immortal City.
"For every person he arranges, he can collect an extra portion of gifts. But since Senior Jin Shan is in trouble, he's naturally going to be dissatisfied."
The smiling snake Xihai Zhongcheng chid in. When he laughed, however, he looked toward Xihai Longhu. It was unclear whether he was laughing at the two arguing True Persons or at Xihai Longhu himself.
Xihai Longhu believed it was the latter. With their master entering the grotto-heaven transformation period, the conflict between him and his two good brothers was now completely out in the open.
Troubleso indeed.
With that in mind, Xihai Longhu stood up, stated that he still needed to inspect the South Annex City, and left without looking back.
Xihai Zhongcheng looked toward Xihai Qingfeng and imdiately started badmouthing Xihai Longhu.
"Big Brother, Second Brother is looking down on you more and more these days. Isn't it just because he got a position at the South Annex City Developnt Office? Look at how arrogant he is."
It was a clumsy provocation, but interests moved people's hearts. Xihai Zhongcheng knew his eldest brother would understand.
Back when the South Annex City expansion was first brought up, their master had sought out all three of them. However, since Xihai Qingfeng was guarding a lucrative post like the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, he had no desire to take on such an arduous task. Xihai Zhongcheng had his own plans and also declined.
In the end, the errand fell to Xihai Longhu.
As a result, neither of them had expected the scope of the South Annex City expansion to be so massive. Their master intended to use the expansion to essentially construct a territory the size of two more immortal cities.
Because of this, Xihai Longhu's position instantly beca highly sought after, drawing the joint suppression of Xihai Qingfeng and Xihai Zhongcheng.
Xihai Qingfeng frowned deeply and glared at Xihai Zhongcheng. "Speak less of these useless things. I feel that these two True Persons from Hongdengzhao must have an ulterior motive for coming here.
"That Jin Shan isn't an ordinary person either. He's not a Purple Palace cultivator from Wunan; he's a True Person dispatched directly from the immortal city.
"It just so happens that Master is currently unable to show himself because he is transforming his grotto-heaven. These are troubled tis."
Jin Shan was not a Purple Palace cultivator from Wunan, but a Purple Palace cultivator from the immortal city. The immortal city served as the Immortal Alliance's headquarters, while Western Sea Immortal City and Lotus Immortal City were rely local branches.
During Wang Yulou's wedding ceremony, it was noted that the people from Jin Shan's faction had not attended. Xihai Qingfeng had also noticed this, which was why he brought the matter up.
"What use is there for you and to worry? I see Second Brother isn't worried. His nature has always been pure, and he is deeply favored by Master."
In truth, even if Xihai Qingfeng hadn't said anything, Xihai Zhongcheng also knew the current situation was slightly off. However, he genuinely didn't care much. Therefore, he chose to drop so more poison into the well regarding Xihai Longhu.
To these disciples of Shen Guang, as long as Immortal Venerable Shenguang was still around, the sky would not fall.
Immortal Venerable Shenguang was a great contributor to the pioneering of the West Sea, and simultaneously one of the few Immortal Venerables in the Immortal Alliance. Even if there were issues with how certain matters were handled, how could a single Jin Shan and two Hongdengzhao Purple Palace cultivators hinder him?
"You... you need to watch what you say!" Xihai Qingfeng said helplessly.
Xihai Zhongcheng praising Xihai Longhu as 'pure'—who would praise a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator like that?
It was no different from pointing at soone's nose and calling them an idiot.
However, faced with the Hall of Benevolence Grand Elder's reminder, the smiling snake's expression suddenly turned solemn as he asked a question.
"Big Brother, trying again and again... can it really succeed?"
Xihai Qingfeng shook his head. It wasn't that he believed the South Annex City expansion couldn't succeed, but rather that this kind of topic was not sothing disciples should be discussing.
In any case, that job had already been taken by Xihai Longhu, so let him test the waters first.
Of course, if one truly wanted Xihai Qingfeng to state his real attitude, his initial refusal to handle the South Annex City Developnt Office was attitude enough.
"With Mu Changze around, Zhou Bojiao and Li Haikuo can see everything in the West Sea down to the finest detail. Be careful when you go back; don't let the people from Hongdengzhao or Jin Shan's faction find anything to hold against you."
Xihai Zhongcheng smiled and replied aningfully.
"Things to hold against people are everywhere. Under these heavens, whose hands are truly clean?
"Big Brother, don't worry anymore. From what I see, our West Sea won't fall into chaos; everything is within Master's control!"
These words were actually a clever reversal.
It ant that as long as there were no problems with their master, there would be no problems with the West Sea, and there would be no problems with them either.
——
The next day, Wang Yulou woke up after a rare full night of sleep. He actually didn't feel any difference in his rest compared to when he usually took a Resting Pill.
No, there was still a difference. Today, he hadn't woken up alone; beside him lay a beautiful Dao Companion.
This girl, Zhou Yingxi, was very interesting. She slept on her stomach...
Lying on one's stomach could enhance the physical sensation of reality, providing a false sense of security.
Wang Yulou had only looked at Zhou Yingxi for a breath before she acutely sensed his gaze.
Upon waking up, Zhou Yingxi's first reaction was to wrap the blanket tightly around herself and look at Wang Yulou with wariness.
How should he put it? This kind of reaction was highly amusing.
The two had clearly already consummated their marriage, yet she still reacted this way. Fellow Daoist Yingxi was quite interesting after all.
"Get up. Today, we still need to pay our respects to the Old Ancestor."
Wang Yulou wanted to finish paying his respects early so he could officially beco a Hongdengzhao Core Disciple and begin freely spreading his wings as soon as possible.
"You go out. I need to get dressed."
Zhou Yingxi's voice was sowhat hoarse. Last night, she had been tossed about quite fiercely.
It was also because the girl truly did not understand much, gritting her teeth and refusing to show weakness.
She had actually managed to fight him to a standstill against Wang Yulou's years of accumulated sword energy, which was why she was so terribly hoarse today.
"My lady, we are already married, there is no need to be so polite. Let's get dressed together."
Wang Yulou spoke with a gentle smile.
They were already married, yet she still treated him as an outsider; it wasn't appropriate.
Emotions, after all, were nurtured through interaction. When it was ti to interact, one had to interact.
Turning off the lights at night was interaction, living together normally was interaction, and striving together in career and cultivation was also interaction.
Not a single aspect could be missing; every one of them had to be firmly grasped.
Zhou Yingxi believed Wang Yulou was putting on an act, but in Wang Yulou's view, fate had already pushed him to this point, so whether it was an act or not was hard to say.
Many things in a cultivator's struggle could be decided by themselves, but there were also parts they could not control...
At the very least, his attitude toward Zhou Yingxi was no different from his attitude toward Senior Martial Sister Lin, Bai Xiaoyu, Qin Churan, and the others; he treated them all as Dao Companions.
On this point, he had a clear conscience.
"Suit yourself."
This was Zhou Yingxi's first marriage; she did not understand how a young couple should interact. Since Wang Yulou provided a direction, she didn't ntion making him leave again.
——
Half an hour later, the two arrived outside the courtyard where Zhou Bojiao resided.
Along the way, Wang Yulou had chatted with his wife about his plans for the future.
Since they had already co to the West Sea and preliminarily established a foothold, they had to properly build a career here.
Cultivation was one aspect, but the connotations of cultivation were vast. For his ti in the West Sea, he had many arrangents that were completely different from the past.
Among them, there were quite a few areas where he needed the help of Zhou Yingxi, a mber of the Zhou Clan's direct lineage.
Of course, returning a favor for a favor, Wang Yulou would also reward Zhou Yingxi. Between Dao Companions, so accounts needed to be calculated clearly and handled fairly; only then could there be long-lasting harmony.
"...In short, no matter what thoughts you have, you can discuss them with . We have already beco Dao Companions; there is nothing that cannot be said."
Zhou Yingxi was surprised by Wang Yulou's candor, and the pressure in her heart lessened considerably.
If he was acting, then let him act. At least an act like this was good for everyone, she thought to herself.
"Right, the congratulatory gifts received yesterday, did Chunze... no, did Father give them to you?"
Wang Yulou asked casually.
Actually, he was asking this for Zhou Bojiao to hear.
Perfected Man Fujiao, Master, Old Ancestor, look, your Zhou Clan used the marriage between Zhou Yingxi and to collect quite a lot of congratulatory gifts, isn't that right?
"Ah?"
Zhou Yingxi was slightly taken aback. Wang Yulou asking this really stumped her, but she quickly realized that he was saying it for Zhou Bojiao's benefit.
"Go ask him yourself, I didn't see them. Didn't you also bring people to deliver many chests? I didn't receive those either."
The peach-blossom-eyed girl glared at Wang Yulou, but still played along.
This was not because she blindly followed her husband, but because in Zhou Yingxi's view, Wang Yulou had the right to make so demands. He had, after all, already beco her Dao Companion, making him half a Zhou Clan mber.
Wang Yulou nodded slightly, and, hand in hand with his wife, stepped into Zhou Bojiao's residence.
"Wang Yulou, you little monkey sure overthink things. I wouldn't covet that tiny bit of spirit stones."
From a distance, Perfected Man Fujiao rebuked Wang Yulou, and then added:
"Those congratulatory gifts will all be given to the two of you. After you take them, you must cultivate diligently and reach the Foundation Establishnt realm early.
"There will definitely be a battle between the Sky Serpent Sect and our Hongdengzhao. Do not speak of this to outsiders. In short, just cultivate properly."
Wang Yulou felt sowhat alard and powerless in his heart.
A battle between the Sky Serpent Sect and Hongdengzhao was inevitable. This was a conclusion personally drawn by Zhou Bojiao as a Purple Palace grand cultivator.
Considering the gap in status and relationship between Zhou Bojiao and the two of them, along with the instruction not to speak of this to outsiders, it probably wasn't empty talk—there was no need for him to lie.
This news seed utterly ordinary, yet it could easily alter the fates of countless people.
After Wang Yulou's surging emotions cald slightly, he thought of a question.
"True Person, in recent years, have the rising prices of various spiritual materials been driven by the two sects preparing for war?"
The flood dragon corpse did not even move as Zhou Bojiao replied.
"You probably have the answer yourself. As for that Core Disciple quota, Qiu Sheng will send soone to the West Sea to bestow it upon you. Yingxi, you'll have to wait until after Foundation Establishnt.
"Yulou is walking Mang Xiang's path... Yulou is walking Master's path. Your quota will be counted under our Zhou Clan's na."
Wang Yulou's heart grew even more chaotic. Zhou Bojiao truly did not treat him as an outsider, spilling everything completely.
In those two short sentences just now, Zhou Bojiao had revealed two critical pieces of information.
First, he had long had his eyes on Wang Yulou.
Second, Wang Yulou's Core Disciple quota was likely arranged for him by Patriarch Mangxiang.
A Purple Palace cultivator's Foundation Establishnt disciple automatically beca a Core Disciple. However, Wang Yulou had not yet reached Foundation Establishnt but could directly beco a Core Disciple; with this explanation, it made perfect sense.
"Old Ancestor, Yingxi will definitely cultivate diligently."
The flood dragon corpse still did not move as Zhou Bojiao began bestowing treasures.
"You young couple can be considered immortal lovers, settling a major matter in my heart.
"Here, these are two Golden Cauldron Foundation Establishnt Pills. Once your cultivation bases are sufficiently polished, taking one pill will easily let you achieve Foundation Establishnt."
Golden Cauldron Foundation Establishnt Pills were a lower-tier version of the Purple Palace auxiliary spiritual pill, the Golden Basin nding Pill, and were used to help cultivators achieve Foundation Establishnt.
Ordinary spiritual pills had to be separated by the five elents, but top-tier spiritual pills like the Golden Cauldron Foundation Establishnt Pill did not distinguish between them. One could simply take it, and it would work. They were considered premium goods that had a price but no market.
Wang Yulou excitedly accepted the spiritual pills. He and Zhou Yingxi chatted with Perfected Man Fujiao for a while longer, and then left.
However, as he was leaving, he finally couldn't suppress the curiosity in his heart, or perhaps Zhou Bojiao's good attitude had given him a certain degree of confidence. Thus, through a sound transmission, he asked the question that had been hidden in his heart for a very, very long ti.
"Old Ancestor, that mysterious grand cultivator who caused chaos in Clear Stream Market that day... exactly who was it?"
The flood dragon corpse finally moved slightly, but only slightly, as Zhou Bojiao's emotionless voice transmitted over.
"You all probably guessed it was , right?"
"Yulou does not dare! The Wang Clan does not dare!"
"Mang Xiang... my master attaining Golden Core is sothing many people are unwilling to see succeed. Many people.
"So, these past years, quite a few people have been secretly tripping him up. That grand cultivator who caused chaos that day... I can only confirm he was a Golden Core True Person.
"As for anything else, I know absolutely nothing.
"Therefore, that was why I was unwilling to investigate back then.
"After all, even if I did find out, there was nothing I could do against him."
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