Missing Person Case

Lin Xuan offered only a faint smile upon hearing the term "learned scholar."

"I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a learned scholar; I simply possess a knack for finding words that encapsulate things better than most."

He lifted his teacup but did not drink, instead spinning it gently between his fingertips.

Gu Lianwei continued her inquiry, "And this 'emotional value'—is that also something you invented, Flag Commander?"

"You could say that." Lin Xuan nodded.

The other party had been trying to induce him to spend money all along, yet she hadn't forced any binding contracts; it was all based on the allure of the rules.

Had he been someone with a weak will, he would have fallen for it long ago.

Unfortunately, he had absolutely no need for dual cultivation to derive pleasure or improvement.

More importantly, he didn't have the money; out of the three hundred taels of silver he possessed, two hundred were borrowed.

Lin Xuan continued, "Your Qiyun Sect has certainly mastered the essence of this business."

Gu Lianwei grew interested. "Oh?"

Lin Xuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze resting on her. "Others come here thinking they are buying wine, music, or the company of young women."

"In reality, it is none of those."

"What is truly valuable is that there is someone willing to listen to them."

A flicker of surprise flashed through Gu Lianwei's eyes.

Lin Xuan went on, "Merchants toil and labor, yet their wives and concubines may not understand them. Martial artists train all day, yet they may not have anyone who understands them. The less said about the officialdom, the better."

"Many people have silver and status, yet they lack a person with whom they can relax, speak freely, and let their guard down."

He raised his teacup and took a sip.

"Therefore, what they spend their silver on has never been mere beauty."

"It is the feeling of being understood, respected, and admired."

The room fell silent, and Gu Lianwei watched him quietly.

These words clearly exceeded the insight one would expect from an ordinary martial artist.

A moment later, she suddenly said softly, "And what about Flag Commander Lin?"

"What?"

"Is what Flag Commander Lin came to the Qiyun Sect to buy just a small dual cultivation manual?"

Lin Xuan laughed at this. He did not answer immediately, instead looking up at Gu Lianwei.

"Is Deacon Gu certain she wants to ask?"

Gu Lianwei raised an eyebrow slightly. "Why shouldn't I be able to ask?"

Lin Xuan sighed. "Because the answer is right in front of me."

Gu Lianwei was taken aback.

Lin Xuan's expression remained as usual, as if he were merely stating the most mundane of facts.

Gu Lianwei chuckled. "If Flag Commander Lin were to say such things to the young women downstairs, I fear he would capture quite a few hearts."

"It is a pity that what I am discussing here is a transaction."

Lin Xuan replied, "Exactly. I am discussing a transaction."

"Understood."

Hearing Lin Xuan say this, Gu Lianwei stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and retrieved a thin booklet from a hidden compartment. The cover had no title, only a pale golden cloud pattern.

Gu Lianwei placed it on the table.

"This is the Heart-Sync Guide, the introductory volume of our sect's dual cultivation method."

Lin Xuan's gaze fell upon the booklet; he had finally found what he came for.

"How much silver?"

Gu Lianwei did not answer immediately. Instead, she said, "Flag Commander Lin, don't be in such a hurry to ask the price. There is one thing I wish to confirm."

"What is it?"

Gu Lianwei sat back down, her clear, bright eyes studying Lin Xuan seriously for the first time.

This handsome face was indeed not dark or rough like that of an ordinary martial artist; rather, it was refined and fair—the face of a handsome man who would stand out in a crowd at a single glance.

"Flag Commander, for whom do you intend to practice this method?"

"Wives or concubines?"

"A confidante?"

"Or perhaps... you haven't found a cultivation partner yet?" She narrowed her eyes, filled with probing intent.

Matching her speech rhythm, she tapped her index finger against the table with every word she spoke.

"Deacon Gu, you seem more concerned about my cultivation partner than I am myself?"

Lin Xuan did not answer directly, instead throwing back a counter-question; he had no desire to expose his private affairs.

Gu Lianwei was slightly taken aback:

"Flag Commander Lin is truly as guarded as a fortress. Your ability to turn the tables is even more practiced than that of a seasoned veteran."

"For dual cultivation techniques, if the partner you choose does not trust you absolutely, or if you harbor ulterior motives and lack a firm will, it is extremely easy to cause your True Qi to go into chaos during practice. At best, your meridians will be damaged; at worst, you will suffer a cultivation deviation."

"Since you refuse to use the dual cultivation disciples we have trained, you must be extremely cautious when exploring it on your own."

She was not annoyed by Lin Xuan's retort; instead, she went with the flow and set aside her probing stance.

As a deacon of the Qiyun Sect, she knew well the taboo of speaking deeply with shallow acquaintances. Since the other party was a clever man who gave nothing away, beating around the bush would only be counterproductive.

Gu Lianwei pushed her slender fingers forward, sliding the copy of the Heart-Sync Guide, adorned with pale gold cloud patterns, to the center of the desk.

"This Heart-Sync Guide may be an introductory method for dual cultivation, but looking across the entire Wuqu Province, you won't find a second place besides my Qiyun Sect that dares to, or is capable of, selling such techniques."

"One price: twenty taels of silver."

Lin Xuan's gaze swept calmly over the thin booklet, his mind calculating rapidly. He had about three hundred taels on hand; buying it was no problem at all.

However, twenty taels for an introductory technique was clearly a massive markup.

"Too expensive. Ten taels is fair. Besides, the introductory Bone-Binding Qi-Guiding Method is already useless to me."

Hearing Lin Xuan say the item was useless to him, Gu Lianwei was puzzled.

"Flag Commander Lin, what do you mean by that?"

"I have already reached the Breath-Connecting Realm. I need a technique that covers both Bone-Binding and Breath-Connecting."

Gu Lianwei had originally assumed that since Lin Xuan was so young to be a Flag Commander, he was at most in the middle or late stages of Bone-Binding. She had not expected him to have already reached the Breath-Connecting Realm.

A martial artist at the Breath-Connecting Realm at such an age was a rare young talent even in the entire Wuqu Province. Judging by his style of conduct, he did not seem like a scion of any noble house.

Gu Lianwei was surprised, stunned for a moment before suddenly laughing: "It seems I misjudged you."

Lin Xuan: "Being misjudged by someone like Miss Gu is hardly a cause for celebration."

Gu Lianwei pondered to herself: "Everything this man says sounds perfectly serious."

"Yet, it somehow makes one feel he is being improper."

"It's as if he is complimenting her."

"And yet, as if he is taking the opportunity to compliment himself."

"It makes it impossible to feel even a shred of resentment."

She took another technique from the hidden compartment, one that covered the Breath-Connecting Realm.

"Fifty taels."

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Gu, are you sure you aren't just overcharging me because I'm young?"

Gu Lianwei chuckled: "Quite the opposite."

"If I had known the Flag Commander was a Breath-Connecting martial artist, I wouldn't have brought out the incomplete Heart-Sync Guide in the first place."

"Fine, then it's a deal." Lin Xuan did not continue to haggle, because the preceding conversation had already led her to lower the price to a reasonable position.

Just as he thought he would successfully obtain the technique, Gu Lianwei unexpectedly threw out another line: "Flag Commander Lin, would you like to take this technique for free?"

"Let's hear it?" Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan was somewhat tempted, but he asked in return.

Sometimes, the free ones are the most expensive.

"A child of one of our Qiyun Sect's high-ranking members has gone missing."

When Lin Xuan heard this, he could not help but frown.