Chapter 86: Business

In the VIP room.

A woman in colorful attire sat in the guest seat, with a maid who had reached the peak of the Return to Void stage standing beside her.

"Miss, the owner of the Herbal Pavilion is incredibly audacious to leave you waiting like this," the maid said with indignation.

In Pearl City, their Northern Marquis's Estate was like heaven itself. Now that Lin Ruoxi, the granddaughter of the Northern Marquis, had arrived, the owner of this small Herbal Pavilion not only failed to come out to greet her but also left them waiting in the reception room for half a day. Such arrogance!

"Xiao Hong, don't speak nonsense."

Lin Ruoxi frowned slightly and scolded her.

Although Xiao Hong had been with her for many years and was quite capable, she hadn't yet entered the core circle of the Northern Marquis's Estate. When the Herbal Pavilion had risen to prominence in Pearl City, they had investigated the owner's background but found no clear information. All they knew was that the owner was a powerful alchemist, and there was likely a force behind him; otherwise, he couldn't have built such a large business on his own.

In Pearl City, there were dozens of factions involved in the business of pills, talismans, and formations, and some of them even had Great Ascension experts in their ranks. The fact that the Herbal Pavilion had managed to thrive was proof of its strength.

She had come here to discuss business with the Herbal Pavilion, and there was no need to offend anyone.

Li Changsheng didn't make them wait long and soon arrived.

Li Changsheng had heard much about Lin Ruoxi in Pearl City—she was the prodigy of the Northern Marquis's Estate, having entered the Unity stage before the age of one hundred. Along with the Feiyan Fairy of the Mingyu Sect, she was known as one of the Twin Pearls of Ming Province.

Now that he saw Lin Ruoxi in person, Li Changsheng realized that the rumors were true.

She was indeed a great beauty!

"Miss Lin."

Li Changsheng clasped his hands slightly in greeting.

Lin Ruoxi was also slightly taken aback by Li Changsheng's youthful appearance. Although she had learned from intelligence reports that the owner of the Herbal Pavilion was young, she hadn't expected him to look so youthful, appearing to be less than fifty years old.

Yet his cultivation had already reached the Unity stage.

He was no weaker than her.

She was from the Northern Marquis's Estate, blessed with heavenly spiritual roots and having consumed countless resources to reach the Unity stage before the age of one hundred.

But this young man before her seemed even younger than her!

"Ruoxi greets Young Master Li."

"I've come unannounced to discuss a business deal with you."

Lin Ruoxi also clasped her hands slightly in greeting. Any force capable of nurturing such a young Unity-stage cultivator was one that even the Northern Marquis's Estate couldn't afford to underestimate.

"Business?"

Li Changsheng frowned slightly. Since arriving in Pearl City, he had had no interactions with the Northern Marquis's Estate. How had business come knocking at his door?

"What kind of business are we talking about?"

Li Changsheng asked indifferently.

"Xiao Hong, please step out for a moment."

Lin Ruoxi glanced at her maid and said calmly.

"Yes."

After the maid left the room, Lin Ruoxi formed a hand seal and cast several soundproofing spells.

"Miss Lin, there's no need for concern. I've already set up soundproofing formations here. Even if there are Great Ascension cultivators outside, they won't be able to hear what's being said inside," Li Changsheng said upon seeing her actions.

Lin Ruoxi didn't act coy and got straight to the point. "To be honest, the Northern Marquis's Estate has had some recent friction with the Grand General's Estate. Some sects that previously cooperated with us have now severed ties."

"So the Northern Marquis's Estate would like to place an order with your Herbal Pavilion for a batch of pills, formation arrays, and talismans."

Li Changsheng nodded.

The rivalry between the Northern Marquis's Estate and the Grand General's Estate was no secret in Ming Province. They had been at odds for thousands of years, with one side often gaining the upper hand over the other.

"How much do you need?"

There was no reason to turn down business when it came knocking.

"This time, the Northern Marquis's Estate requires fifth-grade and above cultivation-aiding pills and healing pills. As for talismans and formation arrays, I've brought a list."

With that, Lin Ruoxi took out a jade slip from her storage bag.

Li Changsheng accepted the jade slip, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and nodded. "The items your estate requires amount to roughly 3.5 billion spirit stones. The Herbal Pavilion can promise delivery within a year, but the Northern Marquis's Estate will need to pay half upfront."

"Agreed."

Lin Ruoxi's face showed a hint of joy. In recent years, the relationship between the Northern Marquis's Estate and the imperial family had become somewhat delicate, while the Grand General's Estate had received strong support from the royal family. Although Ming Province had traditionally been the Northern Marquis's Estate's territory, they had recently been subtly overshadowed. Many powerful alchemy and talisman sects had chosen to ally with the Grand General's Estate.

The supplies from the smaller sects alone couldn't meet the needs of the Northern Marquis's Estate.

"Young Master, I'll have someone deliver the spirit stones tomorrow."

Lin Ruoxi paused, then took out an invitation from her storage bag.

"Tomorrow, my estate is hosting a resource exchange event. This kind of event is held once every hundred years, and many rare items often appear. If you're interested, you're welcome to attend."

Li Changsheng accepted the invitation and said indifferently:

"If I have time, I'll go."

Shortly after Lin Ruoxi left.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a knock at the door.

"Young Master, may I come in?"

A seductive voice came from outside.

Li Changsheng, still in the reception room, frowned slightly and said coldly:

"Enter."

A woman in a yellow dress walked in, her figure swaying gracefully. The slightly form-fitting gown accentuated her perfect figure, but what truly stood out was her face. Even compared to Lin Ruoxi, who had just left, she was equally stunning.

Her beauty was a mix of charm and innocence—alluring yet not vulgar. Her delicate face carried a hint of vulnerability.

"Young Master Li, it's been a while. I've missed you so much."

The woman smiled when she saw Li Changsheng.

A smile that could enchant an entire nation!

"Song Feiyan, what brings you here?"

Li Changsheng's expression remained unchanged, his voice cold.

The visitor was none other than Song Feiyan, the other half of the Twin Pearls of Ming Province alongside Lin Ruoxi!

"Young Master, speaking to me like this really breaks my heart," Song Feiyan said with a smile as she sat down beside Li Changsheng, leaning in to whisper in his ear, her breath warm and fragrant: "You know what I'm here for, don't you?"

"How would I know if you don't say it?"

Li Changsheng didn't hold back and immediately wrapped his arm around Song Feiyan's slender waist.

If a bargain came knocking, there was no reason not to take it.

In his previous life, Li Changsheng had indulged in all sorts of entertainment—singing, dancing, and more. This kind of situation was all too familiar to him!

The moment Li Changsheng's arm wrapped around her, Song Feiyan's body stiffened, and a look of both embarrassment and anger appeared on her face.

She tried to twist away and break free from Li Changsheng's grip, but his arm was as immovable as a mountain, no matter how hard she struggled.

With his right arm around Song Feiyan's waist, Li Changsheng picked up a cup of spirit tea from the table with his left hand, drained it in one go, and said indifferently:

"I've already told you last time, I'm not interested in the organization behind you. If you come here again, I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

"It seems you didn't take my words to heart!"