The smile on Long Chenyuan's face froze. He quickly caught himself, dropped his casual manner, and bowed to Xu Changqing. His tone grew far more respectful. "Greetings, Grain Lord Xu!
"I misspoke just now. Please forgive me, Grain Lord."
Xu Changqing waved a hand. "No harm done."
Long Chenyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but inwardly he marveled. How long has it been? He's already risen from Spirit Cultivation Envoy to Grain Lord.
This was the Dongting Immortal Sect, one of the three great Immortal Sects.
The Spirit Fields under it were nothing like the loosely run departments outside. Their management was strict.
One could imagine how hard it was to rise in rank or position there.
Yet the young man before him was already among its leaders.
Still, the higher Xu Changqing had climbed, the more secure their cooperation would be.
Li Sancai said no more and stepped aside to wait.
His eyes remained lowered, light flickering in them as he pondered something.
Xu Changqing gestured to a chair nearby. "Let's sit and talk."
Long Chenyuan nodded and sat down. "It hasn't been long since we last met, yet you've already become a Grain Lord. Congratulations."
Xu Changqing's response was mild. "Just luck."
But neither Long Chenyuan nor Li Sancai believed that.
Without strength, standing, and connections, all the luck in the world would be useless.
After all, the higher one stood, the greater the threats one faced.
Xu Changqing did not rush to discuss their cooperation. Instead, he asked after Long Chenyuan's family. "How is your sister?
"How are things at home?"
"Thanks to you, Grain Lord, all is well."
Long Chenyuan paused, then continued, "My sister is preparing to break through to the Golden Core realm, so she urgently needs a great deal of resources.
"As for