Eldest Miss Comes Calling

Marketplace center.

Hall of a Hundred Affairs.

Zheng Ming hurried over and searched around the hall.

He found no trace of Zheng Qingqing.

"Young Miss isn't here?"

Zheng Ming's thoughts turned, and he was just about to leave the Hall of a Hundred Affairs.

Just then.

Zheng Jinbao suddenly called out to him.

"Zheng Ming, you look awfully anxious. Did something happen?"

"Nothing, Uncle Jin Bao. I just came to see whether there were any simple family tasks I could take on."

Zheng Ming smiled without revealing the truth.

Then, he quickened his pace.

And hurriedly left the Hall of a Hundred Affairs.

Not long after.

Zheng Ming came to Zheng Qingqing's residence to request an audience and found her there.

"Don't rush. Whatever it is, tell me slowly."

Zheng Qingqing spoke gently with a smile.

Zheng Ming took a deep breath.

Then he began recounting what he had experienced in the Secret Realm.

When he spoke of Xu Fugui using a large number of mid-grade Talismans.

Zheng Qingqing was slightly startled, and a trace of surprise flashed through her beautiful eyes.

"Are you saying Xu Fugui's Talismans were given to him by Li Chang'an?"

"I..."

Zheng Ming's words caught in his throat.

Before he could voice his own guess, Zheng Qingqing had already said it.

"Young Miss, I think that should be the case."

He nodded and continued.

"I've known Xu Fugui for a long time. He doesn't know any crafts, nor has he encountered any great opportunities. He was even swindled several times buying Secret Realm Treasure Chests. His pockets are cleaner than his face; there's no way he could afford that many mid-grade Talismans."

"All right, I understand."

Zheng Qingqing nodded slightly, deep in thought.

A moment later.

She rewarded Zheng Ming with several bottles of pills and a Low-grade Magic Tool.

"I know you are unwilling to remain mediocre for your entire life, which is why you venture outside. But the world beyond is far crueler than within the family. You must be more careful."

"Thank you, Young Miss!"

Zheng Ming was beside himself with joy and thanked her repeatedly.

The several bottles of pills had already met his expectations.

The Magic Tool was an unexpected delight.

Afterward.

He left happily with his rewards.

Zheng Qingqing's bright eyes were like water as she glanced in the direction of Li Chang'an's residence.

"I had thought that, without any subsequent Talisman Inheritance, Li Chang'an would sooner or later come to me seeking one."

But what Zheng Ming had just recounted.

Made Zheng Qingqing realize.

Li Chang'an had hidden himself far deeper than she had imagined!

"I never expected him to have already become a Mid-grade Talisman Master."

Zheng Qingqing sighed softly, gently smoothing away the surprise in her heart.

This Li Chang'an always managed to exceed her expectations.

Causing her judgments to go wrong time and again.

Nearby.

Zheng Ling'er found it somewhat unbelievable.

She blinked her large eyes, a trace of puzzlement appearing on her cheeks.

"Sister Qingqing, why are you certain he's a Mid-grade Talisman Master? Couldn't those mid-grade Talismans have been bought by him? Or perhaps Xu Fugui merely encountered an opportunity?"

"Mm, I plan to go ask him."

Zheng Qingqing rose to her feet, lightly arranging her cloudlike hair as she prepared to leave.

She glanced at Zheng Ling'er and asked with a smile, "Ling'er, would you like to come with me?"

"I..."

Zheng Ling'er's expression shifted.

She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Sister Qingqing, I won't go. It has nothing to do with me anyway."

"All right, then cultivate in peace."

Zheng Qingqing's words were gentle, and she did not press her.

At this moment, inside the room.

Li Chang'an was considering the design of a new Puppet.

"My Puppet Skill has successfully advanced. I can be considered a High-grade First Tier Puppet Master now, so this new Puppet can have a more complex structure."

This time.

He planned to create a Humanoid Puppet.

"Humanoid Puppets may be complicated to make, but they are easier to control."

Li Chang'an pondered.

Once it was successfully made, he would gain another fighting force capable of holding off a late Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Moreover, Puppets differed from Arrays.

Puppets could be carried around, making them far more convenient to use than Arrays.

Before long.

Li Chang'an had completed the rough design of this new Puppet in his mind.

"I'll go take a look at the Black Market tomorrow. Materials there are usually cheaper."

He pondered, saving Spirit Stones wherever he could.

As long as tonight's Hexagram Image showed no problems, that would be enough.

At this moment.

A familiar voice suddenly sounded outside.

"Big Brother Li, are you home?"

It was Xu Fugui.

Li Chang'an immediately got up to open the door.

"Fugui, did you gain anything in the Secret Realm recently?"

Li Chang'an asked him with a smile.

At those words.

Xu Fugui's face turned pale.

"Big Brother Li, I nearly never saw you again this time."

Still shaken, he immediately began recounting what had happened in the Secret Realm.

After listening.

Li Chang'an nodded slightly.

"You were lucky. That group of Rogue Cultivators wasn't particularly strong, their reactions weren't fast enough, and they weren't ruthless enough. Otherwise, you truly wouldn't have made it back this time."

"Big Brother Li, it was all thanks to the Talismans you gave me!"

At this point.

Xu Fugui hesitated.

"Big Brother Li, I made up some excuses and temporarily kept it from my companions. There shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"It's fine. It wouldn't matter even if they knew."

Li Chang'an smiled, looking entirely relaxed.

Hearing this, Xu Fugui immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been afraid of causing trouble for Li Chang'an.

"Big Brother, since you're not worried about your mid-grade Talisman skill being exposed, why not seek a Guest Elder position with the Zheng Family?"

Xu Fugui suddenly thought of this and asked.

The status of a Guest Elder would surely bring Li Chang'an more benefits.

Li Chang'an smiled and shook his head.

"The greater one's status, the greater one's responsibilities. It's better to be free."

Hearing that, Xu Fugui understood.

The Zheng Family's Spirit Contract truly could not be signed lightly.

A moment later.

Xu Fugui took his leave and returned to his own dwelling to rest.

Li Chang'an, meanwhile, continued pondering the Puppet.

But before long.

Another voice sounded outside the door.

"Fellow cultivator Li, are you home?"

The voice was crisp and pleasant, like a mountain spring, refreshing the heart and spirit.

Who else could it be but Zheng Qingqing?

Inside the room.

Li Chang'an froze for a moment.

The Young Miss had actually come to see him in person?

He immediately went to open the door.

"Greetings, Young Miss."

"Fellow cultivator Li, you are too polite."

Zheng Qingqing wore a long blue-green dress. She smiled gently, bright and captivating.

Li Chang'an immediately invited her inside to talk.

The two entered the room.

Zheng Qingqing asked softly, "Fellow cultivator Li, are you satisfied with this residence?"

"This place rivals a High-grade First Tier Spirit Vein. It is a Spiritual Land of cultivation that countless people dream of. How could I possibly be dissatisfied?"

Li Chang'an remained respectful as he answered in a sincere tone.

Zheng Qingqing's expression was gentle as she looked at him and said:

"Fellow cultivator Li, if you are willing to become a Zheng Family Guest Elder, I can provide you with even better cultivation conditions."

At those words.

Li Chang'an deliberately revealed a bitter smile.

He sighed. "It seems nothing can be hidden from the Young Miss."

This Eldest Miss Zheng probably already knew about the mid-grade Talismans.

However.

Li Chang'an had not intended to keep hiding it.

After all, he already possessed the skill to create First-tier High-grade Talismans. There was no need to conceal his mid-grade skill any longer.

Judging by the span of time.

Although mastering a mid-grade skill now was slightly fast, it was still within the normal range.