Xi'er's defensive magical item was the mid-grade magical item, the Shaking Gold Bell. Although it was a defensive magical item, it also carried a certain degree of sonic counter-shock power. This Golden Silkworm Gu had been repelled by the Shaking Gold Bell yet remained uninjured, truly formidable.
Seeing that the Golden Silkworm Gu was indeed formidable, even Lüo Bing's frosty, pretty face registered some movement, and she rare offered a favorable evaluation.
Her pupils were like black lacquer, and as she glanced about, her heroic spirit was awe-inspiring. Her demeanor remained elegant and ethereal all along, causing anyone upon seeing her to feel that they dared only observe from afar, without harboring the slightest thought of committing a blasphemous act.
"Fairy Lüo flatters me. Although this Gu worm is formidable, for Fairy Lüo's strength, it should not amount to much. For little Chen to meet Fairy Lüo once more and refine Gu for you is also an honor."
Chen Dengming immediately offered a smiling compliment.
Flattery costs nothing, and having a sweet mouth brings no fear.
In front of people with strength, if one has the opportunity to speak, picking out pleasant things to say a bit more is never wrong.
In fact, there was a slight subtext to his words.
Back then, Lüo Bing had sent him to the gathering place, unwilling to even tell him her name, as if determined that she would never have the opportunity to meet him, a mortal, ever again, and wishing not to deal with a superfluous person.
Yet now, the two of them had met once again, and moreover, she was the one who had invited him over. This proved that he, a mortal with poor aptitude back then, was not entirely devoid of value.
Perhaps, when Lüo Bing had issued the bounty back then, she had never once explicitly called out and mentioned him by name not solely because she could not lower her status to interact with mortals, but rather because she felt awkward.
"Pleasant words need not be said."
Lüo Bing shook her head with nonchalant detachment, her pitch-black hair fluttering with the wind and carrying a wisp of faint fragrance.
She was not in a good mood, for her fiancé Luo Ping had failed in his Foundation Establishment once again.
Failing Foundation Establishment three times meant that the hope of successfully establishing her foundation in the future was slim. Her engagement to Luo Ping was very likely to undergo changes. Returning betrothal gifts and similar matters were trivial; the problem was the fear that the Luo family might be completely unwilling to accept the betrothal gifts, which meant that the female side was calling off the marriage.
Yet continuing the marriage was also impossible.
The relationship between the Lüo family and the Luo family had recently begun to undergo subtle changes. Along with it, the Zhu family, who had always been wary of the marriage alliance between the Lüo and Luo families and had not dared to act rashly, also began to stir restlessly. The rogue cultivator gathering place was the first to become unsettled.
She turned to the side, finally willing to gaze squarely at Chen Dengming. Her wise gaze seemed capable of seeing through Chen Dengming's little defiant, restless thoughts as she calmly spoke.
"You indeed possess some skill and strong mental composure, even causing me to feel surprised. But unfortunately, the conflicting spiritual roots and the drawbacks of the Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique have both been explained to you, yet you did not listen to them at all."
"In truth, now that you have cultivated to this point, stopping for a while is also fine. With not many years left in your future, you can wander about and look around everywhere. Why must you push yourself so hard?"
"Conflicting spiritual roots and the Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique? Not many years left in the future?"
Xu Wei, standing quietly to the side, was somewhat startled, feeling that the meaning in the words of this Eldest Miss Lüo seemed to be rather ominous news, as if she were saying that Young Master Chen's time was running out. Why would it be like this?
Chen Dengming instead suddenly smiled without explaining, and said, "Perhaps it is unwillingness. After all, life is like this; if you do not try, how can you know whether it will work or not?"
"I am already a Medium-grade Spiritual Root now, and my cultivation speed has also picked up. In the future, I might even be able to elevate it to a High-grade Spiritual Root, and Foundation Establishment will be within reach, no?"
"Pfft—"
Lüo Bing did not speak, but Xi'er laughed instead, her gaze carrying a hint of derision. She wanted to say something, but glancing at the worried expression of Xu Wei, she did not speak after all, only shaking her head in pity.
Lüo Bing no longer obsessed over such a boring matter. She figured that Chen Dengming was probably obsessed to the point of madness, having practiced cultivation until his brain was addled.
High-grade Spiritual Root?
She feared that the other party at most had a decade of lifespan left now. After consuming the Youth Preserving Pill, no changes could be seen outwardly, but in reality, he looked 'young in years yet ancient in appearance'.
Continuing to cultivate the Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique would definitely lead to a sudden and rapid demise.
She had kindly offered a reminder, but the other party refused to appreciate it, so there was nothing she could do either.
"Since you insist on pushing yourself, you can also search for a formation called the Spirit Seizing Formation in the future. This formation might perhaps be of use to you.
"Very well, you have already refined the Golden Silkworm Gu, and our transaction can officially proceed.
"I need you to refine another ten Golden Silkworm Gu for me, and they must be refined simultaneously. Xi'er will prepare all the materials. Once the matter is accomplished, the reward that ought to be given to you will be given to you, and then you may leave."
Lüo Bing changed the subject, gazing directly at Chen Dengming and talking straight about the transaction.
She had changed her plans and was going to simultaneously refine ten Golden Silkworm Gu all at once.
Because, in her view, this kind of transaction might only happen once.
Now the relationship between the Luo family and the Lüo family was tense, and she had no choice but to break through to Foundation Establishment as quickly as possible in order to change her own destiny. Not only was her time tight, but Chen Dengming's time was also tight.
The other party refused to listen to advice and wanted to continue cultivating the Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique. After this time, she feared his days were numbered.
She prepared to return to the sect immediately to break through to the Qi Cultivation Tenth Level, at which point she would make final preparations to break through to Foundation Establishment.
Breaking through to Foundation Establishment required a Foundation Establishment Pill, which required competing with numerous fellow disciples at the sect grand competition, and also necessitated participating in sect missions and performing outstandingly, in order to finally obtain a single Foundation Establishment Pill.
All of these demanded formidable strength. The Golden Silkworm Gu was a method she could think of to rapidly strengthen her power, aside from armed magical items.
Compared to spirit pets, which were very time-consuming, slow to cultivate, and of considerable value, the strength of the Golden Silkworm Gu seemed fairly ordinary to her, but its production cost was relatively low. If she could manage to cultivate a dozen or so Golden Silkworm Gu before the sect grand competition, that could also count as a major assistance.
"Ten? Refined simultaneously?"
Chen Dengming frowned, and mused, "Upon success, besides a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, this also includes the right of temporary residence to cultivate for a hundred days in the Lüo Family Mountain City?"
"Correct!"
Lüo Bing nodded. "Actually, you have already used up half of this hundred-day temporary residence right; the remaining half will also end once the transaction is completed."
Chen Dengming was dumbfounded.
Can it even be like this?
Is this nesting dolls?
Isn't this just like that company boss from his past life? He opened his mouth talking about an annual salary starting at one hundred thousand, five insurances and one housing fund, and so on. As a result, after joining the company, the take-home pay for the entire year was only fifty or sixty thousand. When asked: food, lodging, and even the portion of the five insurances and one housing fund that the company ought to pay were all counted inside the salary and deducted from right in there.
Exploitation! Truly worthy of being the young miss of an immortal-cultivating great lineage, not an easy lamp to extinguish, exactly the same as his boss from his past life.
Lüo Bing slanted a glance at the dumbfounded Chen Dengming. "However, considering that I have increased the difficulty of the transaction, I can grant you an additional hundred days of temporary residence rights, but that will require you to wait three years before you can use them."
Chen Dengming was startled. "Why? You already said that my time is running out, yet you still want me to wait three years before using them?"
Lüo Bing turned her back and calmly said, "Because I will soon be leaving the sect. You are neither at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level of cultivation nor a servant of the Lüo family; you have no right to reside temporarily in the mountain city. No one will say anything while I am here, but it will be different once I leave."
Of course, this was merely an excuse. In truth, Lüo Bing simply still wished for Chen Dengming to live a few more years.
Neither was this because she cared all that much about Chen Dengming, but rather to leave a path open for the future.
If she still needed the Golden Silkworm Gu three years later, and Chen Dengming was also still around, naturally it would be a happy outcome for all.
"Very well."
Chen Dengming could only accept this reason, and glancing at Xu Wei, he said, "I also have a request. I want to let her stay in the Lüo family. You said that serving as a servant of the Lüo family allows one to stay in the mountain city, so why not let her serve as a servant of the Lüo family instead? Fairy Lüo, you have also witnessed her diligence during these past few days."
"Immortal Master Chen," Xu Wei was moved, her gaze filled with gratitude.
Lüo Bing frowned slightly.
Xi'er was almost unable to hold back from stepping forward first to scold him. After all, Xu Wei originated from Zanhua Tower; being able to bring her into the Lüo family to reside temporarily for a period of time was already a bestowal of grace—how could she possibly be allowed to stay?
"She can stay, but she is a mortal after all. If she does not become a cultivator within the next forty-nine days, she must leave the Lüo family. If she breaks through and becomes a cultivator, she may stay in the capacity of my Gu-refining maidservant."
Lüo Bing pondered for half a moment, finally looked at Xu Wei, and spoke indifferently.
She had indeed witnessed Xu Wei's diligence and rather appreciated it.
Yet if she failed to become a cultivator, a mortal possessed no qualifications to remain in the Lüo family.
Even upon becoming a cultivator, if she had not seen Chen Dengming care so much about this woman—perhaps purely to let this woman live a few more years as a thread pulling a kite—Lüo Bing would not have easily agreed either.
After all, immortal cultivation resources were limited; having one extra superfluous person cultivating at home was also a waste of resources.
In this world, there has never been any groundless favor.
"Miss!"
Xi'er stamped her feet in anxiety.
Lüo Bing ignored her and said in a deep voice, "But I must remind you, the family rules of the Lüo family are rigorous. It is fine while I am at home, but if I am not at home, and she violates the family rules, being beaten to death is also normal."
With those words, she turned around and flicked her sleeves as she departed.
This was ultimately a transaction, and after the transaction, they would part ways.
Three years later, if Chen Dengming were still around and she had a need, there would still be the fate of meeting again.
Three years later, if Chen Dengming were not around, then Xu Wei would have no necessity to remain in Lüoshan City and waste resources.
The Dao of immortals is ruthless, immortal cultivation is indifferent, and Fairy Lüo's frosty coldness was not merely cold on the surface. Yet compared to the other few immortal cultivators at the Ascension Convention back then, Fairy Lüo did not seem to be the coldest one.
At this moment, Chen Dengming did not know whether Fairy Lüo's heart was sealed in cement and ice-cold or heartless; he only knew that Xu Wei's tears were very hot and her body was very warm.
This young woman had already been moved to pieces, rushing into his arms, weeping a rain of pear blossoms, looking pitiful enough to move one to pity. She no longer called him Immortal Master, addressing him instead as Young Master Chen with every breath.
Chen Dengming reached out, finding it inappropriate to either embrace her or push her away.
In truth, his heart had truly been sealed in cement. When he originally rushed toward the immortal path, he had already prepared himself to forget the mortal world, avoiding the numerous entanglements during the course of cultivation.
The reason he treated Xu Wei well was also because this woman indeed treated him quite well. Moreover, the sincerity with which she treated him and her worry for him were even more genuine than his seven wives and concubines back in the mortal world. She could be considered someone with whom he shared a fated affinity, but he held no intention of forming a Dao companion union of mutual husbands and wives with this woman.
Therefore, he was somewhat awkward at present. This young woman might have ruined her entire life the moment she laid eyes on him...
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