Inside Wanyao Pavilion, Xiao Yan bought the Blood Lotus Essence. Unable to contain his curiosity, he returned to Gu Shenge and asked him in a low voice.
"Big Brother Juan, how did you know this shop had the Blood Lotus Essence I needed?"
Gu Shenge raised a hand to his lips. His voice was calm. "Heaven's secrets must not be revealed."
Seeing that he wouldn't say, Xiao Yan didn't press him.
Just as they were preparing to leave, a commotion arose at the shop entrance, followed by several startled cries.
"It's Xiao Yi Xian! She's holding another free clinic!"
"Quick, get in line! Getting treated by Xiao Yi Xian makes this injury worth it!"
"Such a slender waist, such a beautiful woman. I wish I could—"
As the crowd gathered around the entrance parted, Gu Shenge and the others got a clear look at the Xiao Yi Xian everyone was talking about.
Xiao Yi Xian wore a simple, elegant white dress. Her looks might not have been peerless, and she was a little less beautiful than Xiao Xun'er, but she was still a rare beauty, with delicate, charming features and a faint smile on her cheeks. She was as fresh and ethereal as an orchid in a secluded valley.
That otherworldly, refined air made her even more alluring.
What drew the eye most was her willow-thin waist, cinched with a green sash. It looked so slender and fragile that it seemed as if the slightest pressure would snap it, leaving people dazzled.
"Woeful Poison Body."
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian, Gu Shenge murmured the words. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried just far enough for Xiao Yi Xian to hear. She turned toward the sound and noticed Gu Shenge and the others, a trace of confusion flashing through her beautiful eyes.
Gu Shenge's appearance and clothes both spoke of his extraordinary status. Qingshan Town was just a small town—what was someone like him doing in a place like this?
And what was this Woeful Poison Body he had mentioned?
Hearing Gu Shenge suddenly mention the term, Xiao Yan asked in confusion, "Big Brother Juan, what is the Woeful Poison Body?"
"Ask your teacher. He knows what the Woeful Poison Body is."
With that, Gu Shenge led Qing Lin out of Wanyao Pavilion. Xiao Yi Xian's gaze never left him. She was deeply curious about the Woeful Poison Body he had mentioned. Perhaps it had something to do with her own body, and the thought stirred a faint flutter in her heart.
After leaving Wanyao Pavilion, Gu Shenge and the others found an inn and checked in.
When Gu Shenge had said "Woeful Poison Body" at Wanyao Pavilion, he had done so deliberately to catch Xiao Yi Xian's attention. But he had no plans to approach her himself. He would wait for her to come to him.
With his strength, curing the Woeful Poison Body would still be troublesome. After all, refining the Poison Pill required three Heavenly Flames, Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva, and the Magic Core of a Seventh-Rank Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast.
All three could be bought in the System Store, but Heavenly Flames cost a lot of Origin Points, which made things a bit troublesome.
Still, he already had three Heavenly Flames in mind: Sea Heart Flame, Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and Fallen Heart Flame from Jia Nan Academy.
It wouldn't take long to gather all three.
"Qing Lin, don't go wandering around the inn. If anyone tries to bully you, let Xiao Hong out to bite them. Don't hold back. I'm going out to take care of something."
Gu Shenge gave his little snake beauty some instructions. Qing Lin nodded, then reminded him to come back soon.
He nodded, gave Qing Lin a head-pat, and transformed into a golden streak of swordlight that shot out of the inn toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
The Magic Beast Mountain Range stretched far and wide, its countless peaks and valleys crisscrossing and rising and falling like giant pythons coiled across the earth. Dense vegetation covered the land, where countless magical beasts lived. Danger lurked everywhere; even a Dou Huang expert couldn't stay there for long.
Treading on sword energy, Gu Shenge flew straight into the depths of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Fourth- and even Third-Rank Magical Beasts were everywhere. He even spotted two Fifth-Rank Magical Beasts, each comparable to a human Dou Wang.
After nearly an hour of searching, Gu Shenge's gaze finally settled on a mountain shaped like a dragon's head. It rose majestically, and even its outward appearance seemed extraordinary. A natural cave lay within Dragon Head Mountain, occupied by a Fifth-Rank Magical Beast.
Gu Shenge casually killed the Fifth-Rank Magical Beast. Origin Points +6,000.
He then began renovating the cave. A Green Lotus Divine Sun gathered in his palm and scorched the cavern. Under its tremendous heat, even thousand-year-old rock melted. Gu Shenge set to work, hollowing out the inside of Dragon Head Mountain and smelting room after room from the stone.
Before long, a brand-new cave residence, still radiating warmth, had taken shape at Gu Shenge's hands.
Next, he began setting up an array in every room.
Juan Shoutian was of the Dao Zhen lineage. Although he mainly practiced sword arrays, he also knew other kinds of formations.
Thunder Fire Array, Inner Demon Illusion Array, Hundred Refinement Heart Array, Cloud Rising Mist Array, Thousand Mechanism Array...
Each room had its own array, and anyone who wanted the treasures inside would first have to break through its formation.
Dou Ling Pills, Huangji Pills, Po Zong Pills, a sword set with a Sixth-Rank wind-attributed Magic Core, High Xuan Tier cultivation techniques, a mid-grade Xuan Tier Flying Dou Technique, and more—there was a dazzling array of treasures.
If he was going to make a game of it, he might as well go all out. Gu Shenge also took out the Low Earth Tier Dou Technique he'd obtained earlier, the Great Burning Sun Palm, and placed it in a room near the main chamber.
He had already mastered the Great Burning Sun Palm. Rather than leave it gathering dust in the System Space, he might as well pass it on to someone worthy.
In the main chamber, he placed the Nirvana Heart inside a coffin and sealed it away with an array.
After that, he set up an illusion array along the paths leading to the rooms.
Once he had finished all that, Gu Shenge flew outside Dragon Head Mountain and began setting up a massive formation to protect it, making it difficult for anyone to break in.
It took all afternoon to finish the Mountain Protection Array. It linked up with the surrounding terrain, so any attack would be distributed across the many ley lines. It could withstand three attacks from a Dou Zong expert, and even a Dou Huang would need to work hard to break through it.
When the Mountain Protection Array activated, it enveloped Dragon Head Mountain. Clouds and mist billowed up, and the mountain gradually vanished from sight.
It wasn't time for the cave's treasures to become the object of a contest yet. When the moment came, Gu Shenge would make a big enough stir to draw the experts of the Jia Ma Empire.
As for why Gu Shenge was going to all this trouble to prepare the cave residence—
There was only one reason: it was fun.
I'd transmigrated. Wasn't I allowed to try something different? Why follow the same old conventions and stick to the plot like in those clichéd novels? Where was the fun in that?
Training the protagonist, playing the mastermind behind the scenes, manipulating the world—wasn't that much more interesting?
Gu Shenge looked up at the dimming sky. The overlapping mountain peaks were bathed in a rosy glow. The sun was setting, and dusk was near.
Golden sword energy surged beneath his feet. He turned into a streak of golden light and flew back to Qingshan Town.
As soon as he returned to the inn, Gu Shenge saw someone new in the room. When Qing Lin saw her young master, delight appeared on her little face. She didn't forget to introduce the girl in the white dress.
"Master, this is Xiao Yi Xian. We met her earlier, outside Wanyao Pavilion."
Gu Shenge gave his little snake beauty a head-pat. Qing Lin clearly enjoyed it. Then he turned to Xiao Yi Xian and smiled warmly.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
~
P.S. Time to stir things up! Time to stir things up! Time to stir things up! Important things should be said three times.
And although marrying wives and taking concubines is the theme, the protagonist's principle is to stir things up and marry wives and take concubines along the way.
Before you continue