Too Lazy to Go Out

Shopkeeper Xu's words were reasonable and heartfelt, his tone utterly sincere.

Lan Chang'an found no obvious flaw.

"There couldn't be a Foundation Establishment Pill in that hidden treasure vault, could there?"

Lan Chang'an joked.

"Uh... a Foundation Establishment Pill? There most likely isn't one."

Shopkeeper Xu froze for a moment, the skin of his face twitching slightly.

If the Zheng Family had possessed a Foundation Establishment Pill, they would have used it long ago. Why wait for the Mu Family to come knocking?

Even when making up a story, one had to follow basic logic.

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Shopkeeper Xu. I'm worried there may be traps or hidden Restrictions in that treasure vault. I feel more at ease drawing Talismans in the Marketplace."

Lan Chang'an declined tactfully.

Whether it was true or false, he had no interest in going out to hunt for treasure.

As a Talisman Master, he had a stable income. Living off the Mu Family, he lacked neither Spirit Stones nor resources.

It was like having an iron rice bowl along with gray income. What could be steadier than that?

At his current stage, the only thing that attracted him was a Foundation Establishment Pill.

If Shopkeeper Xu dared say that the hidden treasure vault contained a Foundation Establishment Pill, he would blacklist him on the spot.

"Since Brother Lu doesn't wish to take risks, Xu can only seek someone else. I hope you'll keep this matter confidential."

Shopkeeper Xu seemed somewhat regretful, but did not press him.

"Of course, of course."

Lan Chang'an promised, though the other man had not even revealed the specific location.

For some time afterward, Shopkeeper Xu from the neighboring Rainbow Dress Pavilion was nowhere to be seen.

He seemed to have truly gone treasure hunting.

The next time he appeared was already ten days later.

Shopkeeper Xu returned covered in travel dust, his face glowing red with health, with two extra Storage Bags hanging from his waist.

"Brother Lu, come with me to Spring Night Tower tonight. Pick whichever beautiful female cultivator catches your eye—Xu will pay!"

Shopkeeper Xu changed into a scholar's robe, high-spirited as he took the initiative to invite Lan Chang'an.

Spring Night Tower was an entertainment house in the Marketplace.

Unlike the mortal world, its attendants were all female cultivators, each one skilled at preserving her beauty and possessed of uncommon grace.

Such entertainment houses in the Cultivation World were not merely about shallow pleasures of the flesh.

Through the mingling of yin and yang, they benefited the cultivation of the guests, as well as that of the female cultivators serving them.

Such places also came in refined and unrefined varieties.

The unrefined kind, such as Spring Night Tower, involved real swords and real guns.

The refined kind was like Hundred Fragrance Immortal Pavilion in Five Peaks Market. The immortal maidens there cultivated the Dao of music, which could cleanse the heart and aid in breaking through Heart Barriers and bottlenecks.

The former was already costly, while the latter was even more expensive.

Ordinary cultivators simply could not afford them.

"Shopkeeper Xu, I appreciate the kindness, but I cultivate my character and nourish my nature. I do not enjoy going to such places."

Lan Chang'an declined apologetically.

"You—are you even a man?"

Shopkeeper Xu's expression darkened. He tried to provoke him, but Lan Chang'an still refused.

It was not that Lan Chang'an had no interest in women.

He was a normal man, and naturally had physical needs.

It was simply that he had a slight cleanliness obsession and did not wish to visit such places.

"Once I return to the Golden Core Realm and become a Nascent Soul Realm great cultivator, wouldn't those peerless immortal beauties be mine for the taking?"

Lan Chang'an saw things very clearly.

Several days later.

Shopkeeper Xu returned from Spring Night Tower, looking exhausted and unsteady on his feet.

"Ah, I'm getting old. I can't visit places like that too often in the future."

Shopkeeper Xu sighed.

"Brother Lu was right. Cultivating one's character and nourishing one's nature is better."

After that, Shopkeeper Xu resumed his normal rhythm of life.

Three days later.

He invited Lan Chang'an to drink at a Wine Tavern.

This time, Lan Chang'an did not decline.

The Wine Tavern was called Green Bamboo Tavern.

Its proprietor was a beautiful mature woman with peach-blossom cheeks, a plump and curvaceous figure, and a swaying willow waist that made her exceptionally alluring.

Everyone called her Madam Zheng.

The proprietress was a widow. Her husband had once been a brewer for the Zheng Family.

Her husband had died during the Mu Family's great counterattack.

After submitting to the Huang Family, Madam Zheng had not followed Zheng Wugong's branch when they relocated. Instead, she remained on Bamboo Leaf Mountain to run her brewing business.

"Oh my, Shopkeeper Xu and Talismans Master Lu are here again. The usual three?"

The proprietress' eyes lit up when she saw them, and she personally came forward to receive them.

"Madam Zheng, bring out fifty-year Azure Bamboo Spirit Wine for me."

Shopkeeper Xu was lavish with his money.

"Coming right up." The proprietress stretched her waist and gave the order.

"Madam Zheng, what wind blew today that made you personally receive us?"

Shopkeeper Xu asked in surprise.

"It's like this. To reward our regular customers, Green Bamboo Tavern plans to hold a Flower Viewing and Wine Tasting Party in Peach Blossom Valley, thirty miles outside the Marketplace, three days from now. At that time, every cultivator in attendance may enjoy a jar of ten-year Azure Bamboo Wine for free. There will also be matchmaking..."

The proprietress raised her charming eyes, smiling sweetly as she spoke.

Having said that, she set down two invitations and went to attend to other guests.

"Brother Lu, what do you think of this Peach Blossom Valley wine tasting party? There's free spirit wine, it's close to the Marketplace, and there'll be plenty of people and excitement."

Shopkeeper Xu picked up an invitation, clearly interested.

As Lan Chang'an looked at the invitation, he nearly felt a flicker of temptation.

But he soon caught a trace of something wrong.

Last time, Shopkeeper Xu had invited him out to hunt for treasure. He had not wanted to take risks, so he declined.

This time, at the Flower Viewing and Wine Tasting Party, Shopkeeper Xu emphasized that it was "close to the Marketplace, with plenty of people and excitement," subconsciously creating a sense of safety.

"Oh, I'm a little lazy by nature. I'm content and happy with life in the Marketplace, so I can't be bothered to go out."

Lan Chang'an let out a wine belch and spoke carelessly.

Too lazy to go out?

Shopkeeper Xu's brows twitched.

He would not go out for dangerous treasure hunting, nor would he attend a lively, safe wine tasting party?

This Lan Chang'an simply did not want to leave the Marketplace.

"Why are they so eager for me to go out?"

After returning to the shop, Lan Chang'an became wary.

The Marketplace was essentially a complete circle of life.

The pills required for cultivation, materials for drawing Talismans, Spiritual Sand Stones for the Body Refinement Art, and all manner of leisure and entertainment... everything was available.

Since that was the case, there was no need for Lan Chang'an to go out.

Especially not when someone else invited him out.

In his previous two lives, he had witnessed a vicious method: friends who had known each other for years would lure cultivators out of the Marketplace, then ambush and kill them for their treasures.

"If I truly need to leave the Marketplace, I'll disguise myself and slip out quietly. That would be safer instead."

Lan Chang'an thought to himself.

Because he had grown suspicious of Shopkeeper Xu, Lan Chang'an gradually distanced himself from him afterward.

He mentioned this matter to Mu Xiuyun.

If someone was targeting him, it was very likely to be a hidden enemy of the Mu Family.

"You needn't worry. Every time I go out, I take a different route. With the Flying Boat in hand, an ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator can do nothing to me."

Mu Xiuyun smiled radiantly, full of confidence.

That was true.

She was at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer and had quite a few mid- and High-Grade Talismans on hand. Combined with the Flying Boat's speed, she would not fear even the Zheng Yuanhua of old.

Time flowed by.

Over the following year.

Lan Chang'an and Mu's Spirit Talisman Shop remained at peace, and their business gradually flourished.

He almost thought that he had merely been overly suspicious before.

As Bamboo Leaf Mountain grew increasingly popular, murders and robberies for treasure outside the Marketplace became unavoidable, appearing from time to time.

Over the past month.

A merchant transporting goods had even been attacked by Robber Cultivators. Fortunately, that merchant had impressive life-preserving methods and escaped without mishap.

"In the Cultivation World, wherever there is profit, there will be conflict."

Lan Chang'an was accustomed to such things.

During these two years in the Marketplace.

Lan Chang'an had accumulated quite a few exquisite First-Order High-Grade Talismans.

The most destructive among them remained the Golden Blade Talisman.

The finest Golden Blade Talismans possessed power comparable to High-Grade spirit artifacts!

They even surpassed the scope of the Qi Refining Realm.

In addition, Lan Chang'an possessed another powerful trump card.

He used sixteen exquisite First-Order High-Grade Talismans to form a Talisman array.

This Talisman array could quickly establish a consumable temporary formation, capable of contending with Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators for a short time.

That day, Lan Chang'an came to the courtyard downstairs to instruct Mu Ershun in drawing Talismans.

Mu Ershun's spiritual root aptitude was poor, but his talent for Talismans was passable. In another year, he would be able to attempt drawing First-Order Talismans.

Of course, that was only because of Lan Chang'an's support. For any other beginner, they would first have to serve as an apprentice for seven or eight years.

Hm?

Lan Chang'an's expression suddenly changed. He took a Message Talisman from his Storage Bag, where it was flashing with red light.

"Not good—"

This type of Message Talisman came in yin and yang pairs and was refined by Mu Xiuyun.

Though it could not transmit specific information, as long as one party activated it, it informed the other that they had encountered serious trouble or were facing danger.

"Eldest Miss went out. Could she have encountered danger?"

Lan Chang'an gripped the Message Talisman, his expression grave.

A Message Talisman could only send a warning to the other party.

Mu Xiuyun had refined it because she worried that Lan Chang'an might encounter serious trouble while she was away from the shop.

After all, Lan Chang'an's cultivation was relatively low.

With the Message Talisman, she could hurry back as quickly as possible.

Lan Chang'an's thoughts raced as he hurried to the second floor and disguised himself.

Combined with the aura adjustment of the Evergreen Art, he transformed into a young man of entirely different style.

He followed the crowd out of the shop.

Sweeping the area with his divine sense, he found no one following him.

Just as he reached the Marketplace exit.

A shrill tearing sound came from afar as a Flying Boat entered his sight.

"Eldest Miss's Flying Boat." Lan Chang'an recognized it.

On the Flying Boat, a bloodstained, delicate figure swayed as though about to collapse.

Whoosh!

Mu Xiuyun's spiritual power cut off, and her body fell with the Flying Boat toward the Marketplace like a kite with a broken string.

Quick as lightning, Lan Chang'an slapped on a Light Body Talisman and leaped into the sky.

He caught Mu Xiuyun in his arms.

With his other hand, he seized the edge of the Flying Boat and poured in spiritual power, bringing the vessel down steadily.

Lan Chang'an immediately examined Mu Xiuyun's injuries.

The moment he did, his heart turned ice-cold.

Mu Xiuyun's face was as pale as paper. A White Bone Arrow billowing black smoke had pierced through her chest.

"Chang'an, I..."

Mu Xiuyun held on long enough to see Lan Chang'an one last time. Her bloodstained lips forced out a faint smile, then her eyes dimmed and closed weakly.

Lan Chang'an gripped her wrist, his expression changing drastically.

Her breathing had stopped.

Only an incomparably faint heartbeat remained, ready to cease at any moment.