Chapter 227: Conducting a Transaction

Li Zhouxuan looked Mo Yuanjiao up and down.

"You've started cultivating? But why do I sense no cultivation level from you? Could it be that even with your single fire spiritual root, you haven't managed to draw qi into your body after all this time?"

Mo Yuanjiao hadn't expected him to focus on that. Thinking of the peach leaf pendant he was wearing, he decided not to reveal that he had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. He figured it wasn't the right time for his cousin to know about how quickly they could cultivate in his sect.

So, he responded, "That's not important. What matters is that from now on, if you need anything, just let me know."

To ensure Li Zhouxuan believed him, Mo Yuanjiao pulled a transmission talisman out of his storage bag and handed it over.

"Look, isn't this the same type of transmission talisman our sect used to reply to you earlier?"

Li Zhouxuan examined the talisman and confirmed it was identical to the one he had received before. Although Mo Yuanjiao had always been playful and unreliable, he wouldn't lie about something like this. After all, if he hadn't joined a sect, where would he have gotten such a valuable talisman?

Thus, Li Zhouxuan guessed that perhaps Mo Yuanjiao's cultivation wasn't progressing smoothly, which would explain why he hadn't drawn qi into his body yet, even with a single spiritual root. Cultivation, after all, is unpredictable.

Deciding not to press further on the topic of cultivation, Li Zhouxuan instead asked, holding the talisman, "Is your sect wealthy?"

Mo Yuanjiao hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell the truth or exaggerate. If he claimed they were poor, would his cousin underestimate the sect and think it wasn't worth forming an alliance with? After a brief pause, he replied, "It's... decent."

Seeing Mo Yuanjiao hesitate, Li Zhouxuan deduced that the boy might be hiding the sect's wealth. He nodded as if realizing something and said, "So, your sect is quite rich."

Mo Yuanjiao was baffled. Didn't he say "decent"? How did his cousin interpret that as "quite rich"? Should he correct himself and say they're actually poor?

Before Mo Yuanjiao could speak, Li Zhouxuan asked another question, "How strong is your sect master?"

Without missing a beat, Mo Yuanjiao vehemently shook his head. "Not strong, not strong at all. Our sect master's cultivation level is really not that high."

Yet, he saw Li Zhouxuan nodding in understanding again, "So your sect master must be pretty powerful, huh."

Mo Yuanjiao: ...

Can he take back his earlier offer to answer any questions his cousin had?

Amused by his younger cousin's reactions, Li Zhouxuan smiled internally. He dismissed Mo Yuanjiao, saying that he would contact him if needed.

Feeling stifled by the palace's oppressive atmosphere, Mo Yuanjiao quickly bid farewell and left as if fleeing.

Watching his cousin leave, Li Zhouxuan calmly pocketed the transmission talisman. Learning that Mo Yuanjiao had joined that sect, he realized he didn't need to ask too many more questions. Just the fact that Mo Yuanjiao, a pampered young master from the General's family, had rejected the three major sects to join this small one and was now willing to step into the palace—a place he usually avoided—showed that this sect was extraordinary.

Though Mo Yuanjiao was young, Li Zhouxuan couldn't believe that General Mo's son would be easily deceived or loyal to a worthless sect. And that sect sure seemed wealthy...

Holding the transmission talisman in his hand, Li Zhouxuan couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. A disciple who hadn't even drawn qi into his body could casually take out a talisman like this...

While Mo Yuanjiao was busy gathering information in the capital, the members of Lingxian Sect were equally occupied far away, deep in cultivation and refining their skills.

For those like Sun Yigao and Liu Chun, who were already capable of independently refining pills or drawing talismans, they had started mass production. This was part of a task that Liu Yunan had assigned to everyone recently.

Lin Xiao had instructed him earlier that they needed to begin preparing the goods for the trade deal he had arranged with Duobao Pavilion. Lin Xiao had also given him the transaction voucher, with instructions to proceed with the trade if the goods were ready before he came out of seclusion, with Elder Liao leading the negotiations.

So now, the entire sect was busy preparing goods, all while maintaining their regular cultivation routines.

For Sun Yigao, though he learned quickly, repeating tasks also served as valuable practice. Meanwhile, in the spiritual fields, Lin Dayou and Lin Yun, along with some recently initiated elders, were in charge of harvesting and planting.

These older members, who initially struggled with literacy and cultivation, quickly gained enthusiasm and efficiency after seeing the useful spells for farming. Their learning speed soared as they eagerly studied late into the night.

If they encountered something they couldn't understand, the frustration was unbearable until they figured it out. They would even wake up their children or grandchildren, who had already fallen asleep, to help explain things.

With the elders working so hard, how could the younger generation afford to slack off? This sparked a wave of renewed dedication to learning within the sect.

Once they had amassed enough basic goods, Liu Yunan carefully packed everything and had Elder Liao accompany him to the cultivation world. Since using the teleportation array wouldn't take much time, Liu Yunan decided to handle the transaction himself. He didn't dare suggest bringing someone else along, as the teleportation array was expensive.

Although the trip wouldn't be unprofitable, it wouldn't generate much income either. If it weren't for the concern that Duobao Pavilion might think they were no longer interested in the deal, he would have preferred to wait a bit longer before going.

Originally, Elder Liao had considered paying out of his own pocket to bring Sun Yigao along, but unfortunately, Sun Yigao couldn't leave the private school he managed, and he was busy during his free time too. In the end, Elder Liao regretfully gave up, deciding to take him along on a future trip.

Thus, Liu Yunan became the second person to enter Elder Liao's cave dwelling. This time, however, they didn't waste any time. Elder Liao quickly created an entrance to his illusionary domain, bypassing the three exhausted Qi Refining cultivators, and promptly threw them out far from where they needed to be.

Then, he led Liu Yunan to Yuanling City. Along the way, Liu Yunan remained cautious, avoiding any unnecessary contact or interaction, directly following Elder Liao to Duobao Pavilion.

After completing the transaction, Liu Yunan only took a brief stroll around the street where Duobao Pavilion was located before returning to Xiushui Village.