Longevity starts with dual cultivation

Chapter 27: Rogue Alchemist
Just like that, Ling Changqing officially rented a house in Tang Qiuyao's cave and lived a pure life of practicing in seclusion.

Outside, the Wu family's overt hostile actions have basically ceased, but some actions in secret are impossible to stop.

The same is true for the Ling family. This is a common occurrence in the cultivation world. Conflicts and disputes between different forces can often only end with the complete defeat of one of the parties.

Ling Qiyue was determined to take over the Wu family's foundation. Conversely, the Wu family also coveted the Ling family's foundation.

However, after the last head-on confrontation, the Wu family had discovered their own weakness, which was that there was no cultivator in the clan who had the opportunity to reach the Golden Core realm, so they suffered at the hands of Ling Qiyue.

If in the near future, Ling Qiyue really takes that step first and succeeds in reaching the Golden Core realm, then the Wu family will have no choice but to surrender and depend on her.

After all, none of the surrounding families has had even one great Jindan cultivator, otherwise their sphere of influence would be more than it is now.

To this end, the head of the Wu family has been considering forming a secret alliance with several surrounding families to jointly target the Ling family.

However, such an alliance cannot be concluded in just a few words. Each party has its own calculations, and it is not as easy as imagined to completely unite as one and work together.

Of course, these things have nothing to do with Ling Changqing for the time being. He just needs to concentrate on practicing and improving his strength.

As the confidant of the head of the family, Ling Qiyue, Tang Qiuyao does not have much free time. Apart from practicing, it is common for her to be busy going out. Naturally, her opportunities to meet and communicate with Ling Changqing are limited. Of course, he does not care about this.

A month passed quietly.

Seeing that the Xuanyin Blood Yuan Dan in the storage bag was about to run out, Ling Changqing temporarily ended his practice, first went to the family treasury to collect this month's resource quota, and then went out shopping.

He was planning to buy some more medicinal resources and deal with the dead man's money he got last time.

In addition to the spirit stones that can be spent directly, the parts of the property that can be used by oneself can also be kept. Only those things that Ling Changqing cannot use can be sold.

The process was not complicated. Since most of the properties in the market town were under the name of the Ling family, Ling Changqing, with his status as a direct descendant, might not have much convenience, but at least he would not be cheated.

After one round, Ling Changqing's storage bag had more than 3,000 low-grade spirit stones, a fortune that an ordinary low-level cultivator would never see in his lifetime.

"...Okay, let's go buy some pills now. I wonder if the channel Senior Sister provided is useful?"

Ling Changqing muttered to himself and headed towards the eastern district of Fangshi according to the route Tang Qiuyao had told him last time.

Xuanyin Blood Yuan Pill, as well as several matching primary-level pills, are indispensable resources for practicing the Xuanzhen Black Water Sutra.

In the Ling family's official medicine shop, these resources are all sold at a fair price. However, the independent alchemist that Ling Changqing is looking for now also refines Xuanyin Blood Yuan Pills for sale.

The price of the pills here is 20% to 30% more expensive than that of the Ling family, and there is no discount.

The only advantage is that the pills refined by this alchemist named Meng Ye are of higher quality and contain less toxic impurities.

Therefore, some of the well-off elders and direct descendants of the Ling family are willing to come here to buy elixirs. Ling Changqing only learned about this now.

A moment later, in an inconspicuous-looking shop, Ling Changqing finally found the real owner.

He was an ordinary man, showing that he was at the seventh level of Qi training. The black Taoist robe he wore was a top-grade magic weapon, and there were about a dozen obscure spiritual power fluctuations all over his body.

Even his chair and desk seemed to be some special defensive weapons. If they were fully activated, even a foundation-building cultivator would not be able to do anything to him.

"...Fellow Daoist Meng, I'm just opening a business. Do you have to act like you're facing a great enemy? I'm here to buy things, not to rob."

Ling Changqing walked over, slowly sat down opposite him, and took out the token that Tang Qiuyao had given him.

Meng Ye put his hands in his sleeves and said expressionlessly, "The types of elixirs that our store can provide and their prices are all hung on the wall. Please choose what you need!"

Ling Changqing turned his head to look at the silk book hanging on the wall next to him, which listed the names and prices of more than twenty kinds of medicinal resources.

Among them, the Xuanyin Blood Yuan Dan was prominently listed and was in a relatively forward position. The price was twenty-eight spirit stones per pill, which was indeed not cheap.

"What a pity, there is no foundation-building pill!"

Ling Changqing said with a hint of regret.

Meng Ye glanced at him and sneered, "What a big mouth you have! Wait until you have the cultivation level of Deacon Tang in the future before you brag like this again!"

A kid who is only at the fourth level of Qi training dares to hope for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Isn't he afraid that the wind will blow his tongue away?
Ling Changqing smiled and said, "I just said that. It may not be useful now, but it will be useful one day in the future, right?"

"Okay, I need one hundred Xuanyin Blood Yuan Pills, in addition to some Qi Bu Yuan Yuan Pills, Soul Restoring Pills, and Wound Healing Pills. This is the price..."

"No discount,"

Meng Ye interrupted and said, "Even if the head of the Ling family comes, the price will be the same, not a single piece of spiritual sand can be less!"

Ling Changqing stared at him and said, "Senior Sister Tang said you were greedy and stingy, but I didn't expect you to be so greedy and stingy."

Meng Ye snorted: "Young man, if you think it's too expensive, you don't have to buy it."

"Well, that's it!"

Ling Changqing was too lazy to waste time and took out the spirit stone from his storage bag.

Two servants came out from the secret door in the inner room, counted the spirit stones swiftly, and then put them into the storage bag.

Then a maid in green came out holding a jade box and gently placed it in front of Ling Changqing. He opened the jade box and saw seven white jade pill bottles neatly placed on the bright yellow satin background.

Ling Changqing poured out a Xuanyin Blood Yuan Pill and smelled it, and found that the aroma of the medicine was indeed purer, and better than the pills sold in the Ling family shop.

"Fellow Daoist Meng really has some unique skills. No wonder he was hired by the Ling family as a guest official."

Ling Changqing was silent for a while and spoke softly.

I heard from Tang Qiuyao that Meng Ye was originally just a casual cultivator, but later on somehow got in touch with the higher-ups of the Ling family and settled down in this market town, where it has been more than ten years now.

Meng Ye said coldly: "I don't accept disciples, nor do I want any messy cooperation. If you have any hidden thoughts, go and tell the head of the family!"

"What are you thinking, Brother Meng? I don't even have time to improve my cultivation now, so how can I have the energy to learn alchemy?"

Ling Changqing smiled, put the jade box into the storage bag, and stood up to say goodbye.

Before leaving, Meng Ye suddenly called out, "Wait a minute."

"Friend Meng, do you have anything else to say?"

Ling Changqing turned around calmly. He could conclude that this Meng Ye was not showing his true face and his cultivation level seemed to be questionable.

Meng Ye stared at the young man in front of him with a dim gaze, examining him for a few breaths, and asked, "You seem to go out to sea often, right? Are you a pearl diver?"

"Fellow Daoist, you actually figured it out?"

Ling Changqing was a little surprised.

"After soaking in the sea water for a long time, the aura on your body is always a little different from that of other monks."

Meng Ye took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Ling Changqing, saying, "Some special resources on the seabed are useful to me. If you encounter them when you go out to sea in the future, you might as well help bring some back. The reward will not disappoint you."

"no problem."

Ling Changqing agreed. Since it was an equal exchange, there was nothing to mind.

After finishing his work, he returned to Tang Qiuyao's cave and continued his retreat.

A month later, Ling Zifeng sent a message saying that a new team of pearl divers had been recruited and asked when Ling Changqing would return to sea.

Ling Changqing immediately gave a positive answer, packed up briefly and went to see Tang Qiuyao to say goodbye.

Unfortunately, Tang Qiuyao was not in the cave at the moment, so Ling Changqing said something to the maid Long Yun, left the manor, and took a flying boat to the sea.

On the boundless sea, more than ten large ships were connected together, assisted by a large protective formation, forming a temporary camp fortress.

When Ling Changqing got off the flying boat, he saw thousands of independent cultivators gathered together. They were dressed differently and their cultivation levels ranged from the first to the fourth level of Qi training.

These monks were basically recruited from outside. There were not many pearl divers affiliated with the family headquarters. After all, the losses in the last attack were not small.

According to the rules, outside cultivators who are temporarily employed by the family have to prepare the talismans and magical tools they need to go out into the sea on their own, and the Ling family will give a higher purchase price for the resources they bring back.

For example, if the jade crystal winter pearl is brought back by the pearl-diving team of the family headquarters, they can get a reward of at most thirty spirit sands, but if an outsider cultivator gets one, he can at least get a spirit stone.

However, the talismans and magical instruments needed by the family's pearl divers to go out to sea must be provided by the family. If the pearl divers are unfortunately injured or even killed, the family cannot save on the medical expenses and pensions.

Ling Changqing is now a direct descendant of the family, so all the spoils he brings back from the bottom of the sea will no longer be maliciously withheld or price-cut.

“…You’re finally here!”

Seeing Ling Changqing, Ling Zifeng, who was directing the men, couldn't help but smile.

"Is the task assigned by the family very tight?"

Ling Changqing asked.

Ling Zifeng sighed: "It's more than just a tight situation. Who knows, in a year or two, this sea area might even have a new owner! So let's just work day by day!"

"..."

Ling Changqing's face changed slightly. Could it be that the external situation facing the family has become so severe? However, Tang Qiuyao did not reveal anything. What went wrong?

"Let's not talk about this for now. Do you want to take a rest for a while or go to work in the sea?"

Ling Zifeng seemed unwilling to talk more about this issue.

Ling Changqing said: "Then let's go to sea. We have almost spent all the spiritual stones on us. We must work hard to earn them back."

So after a moment, Ling Changqing, who was ready, left the boat and returned to the familiar underwater environment.

As Ling Changqing gradually mastered the Xuanzhen Black Water Sutra, his adaptability to the marine environment increased day by day. Not only did he move flexibly in the water, his vision also became sharper, and he could easily see dozens of feet away.

Especially for some dangerous creatures, Ling Changqing can already sense them in advance, as if he is already a member of the marine life community.

(End of this chapter)