Never Leave Home

"Cough, cough, how could that be? I was merely pondering the fairy maiden's words and got a little lost in thought. Please, come in."

Lin Changheng immediately ushered the female cultivator inside and served fragrant tea.

Yet Dantai Feiyue unceremoniously lifted the tea and savored it, every gesture exuding nobility. As expected of a noble princess from a mortal dynasty, her bearing was elegant and dignified.

Lin Changheng waited at the side for her to speak, eager to learn the situation.

He had once asked this princess to find a channel for acquiring demon beast essence blood used in talisman-making. Of course, he had concealed his purpose behind research into pill formulas and would not reveal it lightly.

Yet the more this was the case, the more slowly Dantai Feiyue moved, as though she had truly come only to taste tea, unhurried and leisurely.

She had no intention of speaking.

Lin Changheng's teeth itched, but there was nothing he could do about her. As his gaze shifted, he saw a stretch of her fair, slender jade-like leg revealed by her seated posture. His heart stirred, and he began openly admiring it.

Dantai Feiyue seemed focused on tasting her tea, but she had actually been observing Lin Changheng's reactions all along. Seeing that she had gotten the male cultivator under her thumb, she had been quite pleased.

But then she noticed his utterly serious, appreciative gaze resting on her leg, as though he were meticulously appraising it just as she appraised tea...

Her leg.

At once, she felt as though ants were crawling over her calf...

"Shameless..."

Cursing under her breath, Dantai Feiyue's heart began to race. A faint flush rose across her fair, lovely face and even her delicate neck, like the morning glow.

She hurriedly set down her teacup and pulled down her skirt, fiercely shielding her exposed jade-like leg as she glared at Lin Changheng with embarrassment and indignation.

"Hehe, Fairy Maiden, have you finally finished your tea? It's good tea, isn't it?"

Lin Changheng naturally shifted his gaze away, his expression unchanged, as though none of that had happened. Like a detached bystander, he asked with a faint smile.

"You!"

Seeing how thick-skinned Lin Changheng was, Dantai Feiyue could do nothing about it. She could only curse "lecher" in her heart.

Then she forcibly suppressed herself and began discussing the essence blood matter seriously.

She had originally been a princess of a mortal dynasty. Back when she had sought immortality, there had also been the grandson of a Right Servant, named Jin Liyue.

They were close in age and ordinarily had nothing to do with one another, with little contact between them. But after being selected as immortal seedlings, they had become acquainted. Since they were both from the capital, they became friends and remained in touch to this day.

Dantai Feiyue had a rather poor Lower-Grade Spirit Root, while Jin Liyue had mixed spirit roots. One had entered a cultivation Lineage, while the other had refused to marry into one and become a Rogue Cultivator. It was said that he was doing rather well.

Thus, when Dantai Feiyue heard that Lin Changheng needed demon beast essence blood, she naturally thought of Jin Liyue and sent him a letter to inquire.

A reply came swiftly.

"Fairy Maiden, are you saying that your friend surnamed Jin has stockpiled a batch of demon beast essence blood?"

Lin Changheng felt a flicker of excitement, though his expression remained unchanged as he asked.

"Indeed. There are quite a few varieties as well. For instance, the essence blood of the Rock Mountain Turtle, Green Wood Snake, and the like that Brother Lin mentioned before—he has everything." Dantai Feiyue relayed the contents of the letter.

"Excellent!"

The delight on Lin Changheng's face could no longer be restrained. "What is the price? Can it be delivered to the Xu Family's station?"

Dantai Feiyue's expression shifted slightly. "The price is the market price, but Fellow Daoist Jin said that the outside world is chaotic and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. He hopes Brother Lin can make the trip personally..."

At those words, Lin Changheng immediately became wary, then fell silent.

Only after a long while did he smile bitterly. "I am merely a pill master and am not skilled in combat. Outside, I can barely take a single step without danger. The chances of encountering peril are even greater."

"How about asking Fairy Maiden to speak with Fellow Daoist Jin? Sorry for the trouble, but could he make the trip on my behalf? I can pay an escort fee as well. I certainly will not treat him unfairly."

Dantai Feiyue shook her head. "Brother Lin had already mentioned this before, and I specifically conveyed it to him. But Fellow Daoist Jin was quite adamant. He insists that Brother Lin must go in person."

He still refuses even this? He has to make me go out?

Lin Changheng's burning enthusiasm instantly cooled, and a thought sprang into his mind.

Could Fellow Daoist Jin be using essence blood as bait?

Since arriving in the cultivation world, he had heard countless rumors and stories of Rogue Cultivators moonlighting as bandit cultivators. He did not hesitate to judge others with the worst possible malice.

He simply stopped dwelling on it. He could not leave the Xu Family station even half a step now.

He then smiled faintly and cupped his hands toward Dantai Feiyue. "Then sorry for the trouble, Fairy Maiden. Please tell Fellow Daoist Jin that the purchase of demon beast essence blood will have to be postponed."

Dantai Feiyue blinked her bright eyes and nodded in full agreement. "No matter. That is my suggestion as well. Our cultivation at the early stage of the Qi Refining Realm is still too low. It is difficult to protect ourselves while traveling outside. At the very least, we should wait until the Qi Refining Middle Stage before considering this."

"I will write a letter later to politely decline."

Clearly, Dantai Feiyue could not detect that Lin Changheng had already broken through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage, as he possessed the Breath Concealment Art.

"Sorry for the trouble."

Lin Changheng thanked her, but inwardly thought, Qi Refining Middle Stage? Without an expert accompanying me or a powerful means of preserving my life, I will not leave home until I reach the late stage of Qi Refining.

Then, seeing the slight look of listlessness on Lin Changheng's face, the female cultivator suddenly smiled mysteriously.

"However, Brother Lin need not be disappointed. This young woman obtained this from the Hundred Treasures Tower. Take a look."

As she spoke, she swept her hand over the stone table, and four bottles of talisman ink appeared.

Lin Changheng immediately picked one up, removed its stopper, and sniffed it. He said in surprise, "Talisman ink made from Rock Mountain Turtle essence blood?"

"Precisely."

Dantai Feiyue then produced a page of notes and handed it to Lin Changheng. Written upon it were the words "Talisman Ink Essence Blood Reverse Extraction Method."

"If Brother Lin needs essence blood, you can extract it in reverse from this. This is an adaptation from the talisman arts inheritance method I received. I have already tried it, and it truly works."

Dantai Feiyue had thought things through so thoroughly!

Looking at her smiling face, Lin Changheng's impression of her improved once more.

Although this method was useless to him, it could still deceive prying eyes. "Thank you."

"I wonder whether I may go purchase some?"

Dantai Feiyue shook her head. "The clan's stock is limited. This is supplied exclusively to talisman masters, and there is a monthly quota. However, I can purchase it on your behalf."

"Then sorry for the trouble. How many spirit stones will it cost?"

"No need..." Dantai Feiyue changed the subject. "Does Brother Lin still have any Premium Grade Wood Origin Pills? To be frank, I am about to break through to the middle stage and need Premium Grade pills to give me a push."

"Easy enough."

Lin Changheng directly took out two pills and pushed them toward her, smiling ambiguously. "I happened to obtain a few while handling business outside. I still have some in reserve."

Hearing words that sounded somewhat familiar, Dantai Feiyue subconsciously brushed aside her hanging hair, revealing jade-like earlobes tinged red. She used inspecting the pills as a cover.

"This is too much..."

There were two Premium Grade pills, worth at least six spirit stones. With Land Reclamation now in full swing, there would be plenty of buyers even at eight spirit stones. Her four bottles of talisman ink were worth only four spirit stones.

Dantai Feiyue immediately wanted to take out spirit stones to make up the difference, but Lin Changheng stopped her. "Consider this a deposit. I will have to trouble Fairy Maiden to put more thought into my affairs in the future."

"Very well."

After seeing off the female cultivator, whose delight was faintly visible, Lin Changheng directly inserted his hand into the talisman ink bottles one by one.

"Spirit Snatch for me."

Whoosh!

The earth-yellow treasure seed representing the Rock Mountain Turtle Treasure Seed immediately became a little more solid.

[Rock Mountain Turtle Treasure Seed · Spirit Snatching Transformation in progress]

[Spirit Snatch: 13/100]