Clear Stream Market, the Town Guardian Cultivator's Manor.
Since it was not a day for the ghost market to open, the Qi Refining stage guards at the entrance of the manor naturally would not let Wang Yulou pass.
True, the Town Guardian Cultivator's Manor was sowhat like a brothel in that you could enter as long as you paid spirit stones, but that still depended on the day.
If rogue cultivators could just barge in every single day without notice, where would the dignity of the Town Guardian Cultivator be?
However, once Yulou declared his identity as a son of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom and explained his purpose, the guards quickly let him through.
A youth from a great clan who had dealings with the Town Guardian Cultivator's daughter, and a young one at that.
What did it an to have boundless prospects?
This was exactly what it ant!
Yulou had guessed correctly. The Patriarch indeed intended for him to test Mu Changze's thoughts, which was why he had specifically designated Yulou to deliver the zither personally.
There was a logic here that Yulou had previously overlooked.
Naly: why did Mu Yingxi bypass the artificers within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and go out of her way to commission Forge Peak Residence?
Her father was a Core Disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. If he wanted to help her contact an artificer, he wouldn't even need to show his face. With a single word, what kind of master artificer couldn't he find?
Only after receiving the Patriarch's letter did Yulou belatedly realize that that day might have been a special matchmaking session.
It was just that her father might not necessarily know about Mu Yingxi coming to Forge Peak Residence.
The Patriarch might have discussed sothing with Mu Changze, but whether it would succeed ultimately depended on the individual thoughts of Yulou and Mu Yingxi.
Having lived two lives, this was still Yulou's first matchmaking session. To say he was not nervous would be a lie.
Led by an attendant, Yulou walked along the corridor of the front courtyard and arrived before a side parlor in the estate.
Separating the corridor from the side parlor was an unsupported stone arch bridge. This type of arch bridge spanned the water without pillars, also known as a Flying Rainbow Bridge.
Through the thick stone pillars outside the side parlor, Yulou noticed that the interior was draped with curtains embroidered with green dragon patterns. The master of this place was hidden behind the curtains, making it impossible for him to spot her imdiately.
"Young Master Wang, please co in."
A little maidservant wearing a jade ring hairpin, her hair styled in an upward topknot, and wearing pink embroidered shoes with tiger heads, ca skipping out. She pulled open a corner of the curtain and smiled as she invited Yulou inside.
Yulou tightened his grip on the seven-string willow wood zither in his arms, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the stone arch bridge.
As the little maidservant walked ahead to lead the way, Yulou spoke in a low voice.
"I am only here to deliver the zither on behalf of the Wang Clan. I do not deserve to be called young master."
The little maidservant did not reply to him directly. Instead, she spoke in a childish voice to the person behind the curtain, giggling.
"Heehee, Miss, he is quite shy."
Shy?
Thinking of this, Yulou felt even more uneasy. Was this really going to be an on-the-spot matchmaking session?
Speaking of which, the daughter of a Red Lantern Illumination Sect Core Disciple who had achieved Foundation Establishnt was actually a great match. How many people wished for such an opportunity but never got the chance?
"Cuiguo, do not be rude. Bring my zither."
The familiar voice ca through, and it was indeed Mu Yingxi.
Yulou handed the zither to the handmaiden nad Cuiguo, then stood quietly and obediently before the curtains of the side parlor.
His head was slightly lowered, just enough to see the vivid, expressive green flood dragon embroidered on the curtain.
The flood dragon's body was outlined with green silk threads, while its horns and claws were made of gold thread. Its two front claws were clutching a small boat, appearing to be causing mischief.
To the left of the flood dragon, a gleaming scimitar was speeding forward. The creator of the embroidery was extrely ticulous, even using different shades of white thread to depict the trajectory of the scimitar slicing through the air.
Looking at the embroidery of the scimitar slashing the green flood dragon, Yulou thought of the female cultivator sitting behind the curtain.
Mu Yingxi possessed a cultivation base at the early stage of Qi Refining. Her age should be at least a dozen years older than his. Strictly speaking, Yulou ought to call her auntie.
They always said that a three-year age gap brought gold bricks. Being more than a dozen years older, wouldn't that an holding a whole pile of gold bricks?
"This zither is indeed not bad. The Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation."
Mu Yingxi's voice carried out. Yulou snapped back from his reverie and explained, "The Patriarch knew that it was ordered by you, Senior, so he personally took action to refine it. The base material of this zither is the finest willow wood spiritual material, and the strings are made of eighth-grade donkey mane."
"A total of fifteen layers of restrictions have been refined onto it, and two layers of space for refinent have been left. If needed in the future, it can continue to be refined."
Mu Yingxi was older than Yulou and had a higher cultivation base. Even though she was a matchmaking candidate, calling her senior was still appropriate.
"There is no need to call senior. Wang Yulou, do you know why I commissioned a Seven-String Zither from your Wang Clan?"
The person behind the curtain did not discuss the price or the quality, but instead began to test Yulou.
"Yulou does not know."
Facing this kind of situation, Wang Yulou thought it over and decided to play it safe first.
Mu Yingxi fell silent behind the curtain for a long ti. When she finally spoke, she thoroughly shocked Yulou.
"I need a Dao companion. A Dao companion born in the Mao month sixteen years ago, who possesses at least two types of spirit roots in addition to a wood spirit root."
To be this direct?
Don't tell you want to marry into your family?
Before Yulou could recover from his shock, Mu Yingxi's second sentence struck him once again.
"You and I were born in the sa year and month, but I have a single spirit root. Trying to open a Purple Palace will inevitably be as difficult as ascending to heaven."
"The Red Lantern Illumination Sect possesses a Dual Cultivation Secret Art. Practicing it allows Dao companions to complent each other's Dao foundation, combining the strength of two people to open a Purple Palace."
"Wang Yulou, if you are willing to beco my Dao companion, you can easily attain the Purple Palace realm without any effort in the future."
"What do you think?"
Yulou only believed a fraction of Mu Yingxi's words. He did not believe that a secret art borrowing an outsider's Dao foundation to open a Purple Palace would be devoid of flaws.
Just thinking about it made it obvious; no matter how close a Dao companion relationship was, there would always be differences between them.
Therefore, he concluded that Mu Yingxi was rely painting a pretty picture.
The only thing he cared about right now was that Mu Yingxi was born in the sa year and month as him!
A fact that was not widely known, but which the Wang Clan just happened to know, was that the rules of heaven and earth had been jointly altered by grand cultivators.
From the past millennium up to the present, and even into the future, all Qi Induction cultivators had to firmly rely on their own talent to cultivate to the Qi Refining stage.
This move was designed by the grand cultivators to restrict the cultivation bases of the world's cultivators.
Taking Wang Yulou as an example, if he cultivated step-by-step, he would need to be at least thirty-one years old to reach Qi Refining.
During this process, he could use spiritual food to spare himself from the daily toil of cultivation, but he could not use any ans to accelerate the growth of his cultivation base.
But if Mu Yingxi's words were true, it ant that Yulou had a chance to reach Qi Refining ahead of ti!
"Senior, we were born in the sa year and month. Why is it that you reached Qi Refining so early?"
"As far as I know, even with a single spirit root, cultivating to Qi Refining takes at least a dozen years."
Indeed, a Qi Induction cultivator with a single spirit root needed a dozen years to reach Qi Refining. How did she, Mu Yingxi, beco a Qi Refining cultivator in just three years?
Not expecting Yulou to ask this, Mu Yingxi thought for a mont before replying.
"Qi Induction realm cultivators can enter a Purple Palace grotto-heaven. Within a grotto-heaven, there is no restriction on the upper limit of cultivation."
Since the Wang Clan belonged to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect anyway, there was nothing that couldn't be said.
Within a Purple Palace grotto-heaven, Qi Induction cultivators faced no upper limit restrictions. The rules of heaven and earth could not reach inside a Purple Palace grotto-heaven.
Yulou carefully pondered these words, remaining speechless for a long ti.
The grand cultivators had locked the doors to the vehicle, yet they allowed their own direct descendants to secretly receive special treatnt.
The cruelty of this world was once again laid bare before Yulou.
He now understood why spirit rice and spiritual food were so expensive.
The ones consuming them were not those Qi Refining cultivators sitting inside the Flavorful Bistro, but the direct descendants of the great clans and sects who were still in the Qi Induction stage.
The great clans and sects naturally did not care about the minor expense of buying spirit rice and spiritual food.
"Yulou understands. Thank you... Senior Sister Yingxi for clearing up my confusion."
Since she didn't want to be called senior because she hated being made to sound old, he might as well settle for calling her senior sister.
"However, Yulou is puzzled. If the Dao foundations between Dao companions can complent each other through a dual cultivation thod, why does the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Golden Basin nding Pill still sell for such an expensive price?"
Yulou's question caused Mu Yingxi to fall silent.
Why did the Golden Basin nding Pill sell for such an expensive price?
Because it was worth it. The Dao foundation nded by a single spirit root cultivator using it would be entirely their own.
On the other hand, achieving Dao foundation complentarity through a dual cultivation thod was, in a sense, a form of cutting corners in cultivation. Cutting corners always ca with a price.
If one wanted to save on the expense of a Golden Basin nding Pill, compensation had to be made in other areas.
"Are you trying to refuse?"
Instead of answering Yulou's question, Mu Yingxi threw the question back at him.
Yulou was now completely certain that the so-called sweet date of becoming Dao companions was only sweet on the surface.
"Yulou naturally dares not refuse. It is just that matters regarding a Dao companion require the approval of the elders at ho."
"Today, I ca solely to deliver the zither, and never expected to encounter such an event."
Senior Sister, as for , I am still just a child. Whether it is about a Dao companion or not is up to my parents to decide.
I just ca to deliver a zither this ti. There is really no need to put this kind of pressure on .
"Hahaha, Wang Yulou, you are overthinking. Even if you wanted to agree, you would have to reach Foundation Establishnt first."
"I have already found four other cultivators who are similar to you, born in the Mao month sixteen years ago."
"Go back and cultivate well. Once you reach Foundation Establishnt, you might understand."
Mu Yingxi's attitude was actually quite uninhibited, to the point where she even blurted out that she had four backups.
However, to Yulou's ears, she currently possessed a certain stubborn beauty.
'Four other cultivators who are similar to you' ant he was not unique.
'Once you reach Foundation Establishnt, you will understand' ant he would regret it.
Well, it was hard to say.
Not daring to think too much, Yulou bowed and said, "Yulou understands, Yulou understands. This zither uses willow wood as its base material, with eighth-grade donkey mane refined with fine gold to serve as strings."
"The Patriarch said that Senior Mu works truly hard to protect Clear Stream Market, so the Wang Clan will only charge you one thousand spirit stones."
Mu Yingxi felt utterly speechless.
She was surprised to find that when a person was speechless, they would actually laugh with a sense of relief.
"Take it! Reach Foundation Establishnt soon!"
A storage bag flew out under the guidance of the curtain. Yulou was quick-eyed and deft, catching it easily.
Just as he was about to take the spirit stones out of the storage bag, Mu Yingxi spoke again.
"It's a gift for you. To think the Wang Clan doesn't even equip their clan mbers with storage bags."
Yulou bowed once more, then swiftly made his exit.
What do you know? It's not that the Wang Clan lacks storage bags. Not equipping them is out of fear that they might be targeted by others!
Seeing this rascal leave without even turning his head, Mu Yingxi did not grow angry either.
He was rely a cultivator from a small family with a narrow horizon. Why should she be angry?
She shook her head and placed the zither on the edge of the square table before her.
Her pure white jade fingers, untainted by the mortal world, lightly plucked the strings, and an elegant, lodious tune slowly skipped forth.
At the spiritual spring of the Clear Stream of Qin Rhy within the Town Guardian Cultivator's Manor, Mu Changze, who was currently cultivating, opened his eyes upon hearing the zither music.
He listened for a mont, suddenly let out a gentle laugh, and then resud his cultivation.
It turned out that just now behind the curtain, Cuiguo, who was listening to the zither, suddenly rembered sothing and spoke up in confusion.
"Miss, when did you have four other young masters? How co Cuiguo didn't know about it?"
Instantly, Mu Yingxi's zither music fell into disarray, and a string even snapped under her anger.
Hearing that the zither music sounded wrong, Yulou subconsciously quickened his pace to leave.
Oh no, there seems to be a problem with that seven-string zither. I need to run quickly!
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