A Taste of His Own Medicine (Please Vote and Keep Reading)

"What kind of person was this Lord Ling?"

Late that night, A Niu and Xiao Cui walked together on their way back to the Shantytown. Xiao Cui toyed with the Spirit Dust in her hand, unable to put it down. At the mention of Lord Ling, she clicked her tongue in wonder.

"Fairy Yunmo paid us double wages in advance!"

"And Lord Ling spent twenty-five Spirit Stones on Sister Mo Xue without even blinking."

Xiao Cui murmured, envy and self-consciousness mingling in her eyes.

"A Niu, twenty-five Spirit Stones. You could sell the two of us together ten times over and still not get that much."

"Sister Mo Xue really is different from us. She's free. Lord Ling treats her so well. Even if she had to be his child bride, it would be worth it."

"I'll earn Spirit Stones for you to use, Sister Xiao Cui."

A Niu was clumsy with words. He stammered for a long time before managing that one sentence, half comfort and half promise.

Xiao Cui shook her head slightly. They were both servants. Either of them could be sold as a medicine slave someday.

There had once been several other girls in the Shantytown. Most had been sold to the Everjoy Pavilion, where they entertained men with their looks and were drained of their essence day after day. Their suffering was unbearable.

Xiao Cui lived in fear, dreading the day misfortune would fall on her, yet she could do nothing. Of her old close friends, only A Niu remained.

A Niu pressed his lips together and followed silently behind her.

As they passed Luo Fanchen's residence, they saw it was brightly lit. The faint aroma of meat drifted past their noses.

Xiao Cui rubbed her nose. For a moment, she could almost see through the paper window: Sister Mo Xue having her head gently stroked, cherished and cared for.

"The gap between people is bigger than the gap between a person and a dog."

Xiao Cui's smile was bitter. She was glad for Sister Mo Xue, yet her own sense of inferiority left her jealous.

Her smile slowly faded. After forcing a cheerful goodbye to A Niu, she walked back alone to that hellish home.

A while later, the crash of a breaking wine bottle mingled with curses and blows, reaching A Niu's ears.

The young man's eyes reddened, and veins stood out on his clenched fists. In the end, Xiao Cui's faint sobs made him loosen them helplessly.

As a servant, what could he do?

At the same time, in Luo Fanchen's residence.

"Uncle Luo... did you make Mo Xue angry?"

The Glazed Glass Lamp cast a hazy glow. Qiu Yun pursed her soft lips, amusement brimming in her teardrop-shaped eyes.

The room was full of the aroma of meat, but Mo Xue was nowhere to be seen.

When her elder sister had returned to the residence two days earlier, she had immediately wanted to sign a new Blood Contract with Uncle Luo. It had given Qiu Yun quite a fright. Only after much coaxing had Uncle Luo managed to calm her down.

This time, Qiu Yun had not tried to stop her as she had before. She had tacitly accepted her sister's wish to extend the Blood Contract.

"Well, it's nothing. Girls have a few days every month when their qi and blood don't flow smoothly."

"Really? If I tell my sister that in secret, she won't let you off~"

Qiu Yun winked playfully and stepped behind Luo Fanchen, gently kneading his shoulders.

"All right. I was planning to sell the Soul Banner to buy Mo Xue a cultivation method. She got angry with me."

A faint lavender fragrance lingered at his nose. Luo Fanchen raised an eyebrow, his half-joking words making Qiu Yun's cheeks puff out.

The young woman reached out and tugged his cheek, scolding, "Uncle Luo... you're awful."

"If you sell me, I'll turn into a ghost and come find you in the middle of the night!"

"Pfft, haha. All right. I actually bought Mo Xue a high-grade Mystic Method. It cost some Spirit Stones, and she was upset about the expense."

Luo Fanchen chuckled, but Qiu Yun's delicate brows immediately drew together. She knew her sister's temperament. How many Spirit Stones could it have taken to leave her this withdrawn?

Her sister had been gloomy for two days. Whenever she had a moment free, she cultivated or practiced her sword without stopping.

She had not even sneaked under Uncle Luo's covers at night.

"How many Spirit Stones? Uncle Luo, how many?"

Qiu Yun's words stumbled out, and even her lips trembled. Only after pressing him for a long time did she get an answer.

"One hundred... one hundred and thirty-five?!"

Qiu Yun pressed a hand to her forehead, dizzy. Though she was a Soul Body, she felt as if she could hardly breathe.

She had cultivated beside her father for years and knew how precious Spirit Stones were.

Her father had saved barely more than ten Spirit Stones in half a lifetime. Without the opportunity he had found in the residence, he might not even have saved a fraction of this sum. How could Uncle Luo afford it?

Her eyes reddened. She bent her knees and leaned against Luo Fanchen's legs, looking up at him pitifully. "Uncle Luo... you aren't really planning to sell me, are you?"

"Silly girl."

Luo Fanchen gave a soft laugh. "I still have some savings. You two needn't worry about the cultivation method."

"Help me talk to Mo Xue over the next few days."

"No!"

Ling Qiuyun pouted and turned her head away in a show of annoyance. "More than a hundred Spirit Stones. My sister's heart must be breaking."

"Just wait. One day, she'll tie you up and make you sign a new Blood Contract!"

Ling Qiuyun lowered her head with a little huff and thumped his leg with her small fists. It felt more like a massage than an outlet for her anger.

"Sister Mo Xue has every right to be angry."

"I'm the one who spent the Spirit Stones, and somehow I'm in the wrong?"

Luo Fanchen was rather put out. Qiu Yun pressed her lips together, mist filling her teardrop-shaped eyes. "Sister Mo Xue is angry because you don't value yourself."

"Uncle Luo... those Spirit Stones were the foundation for your Foundation Establishment, weren't they? You take far too little care of yourself."

Tears glimmered in Qiu Yun's eyes. "I'm angry with you too. But if I stopped speaking to you, you'd be sad."

Before Uncle Luo had met them, he had only been at the Third Level of Qi Refining.

What terrible price had he paid, and how many hardships and dangers had he faced, to save a hundred Spirit Stones?

"Just wait. My sister will definitely wrap you up like a sticky rice dumpling someday."

"If we make a new Blood Contract, I won't be the one losing out."

Luo Fanchen shook his head with a sigh. Qiu Yun rested her chin on his thigh and huffed. "That's not certain."

"Well, has Old Wang made any moves?"

Luo Fanchen sighed and changed the subject. He had already accepted that he would not be able to beat Mo Xue in the future.

"That man is up to no good. After you left, Uncle Luo, he secretly sent a small Puppet into the residence. He probably wanted to confirm whether you'd drunk the poisoned wine. I think we should find a chance to get rid of him."

"Is the Puppet still there?"

Luo Fanchen pressed his lips together, weighing his options. Qiu Yun nodded and waved a hand. A Wraith rose from beneath the floor and presented the Puppet.

"I didn't destroy it. I only used an Illusion Formation to cut off its senses for now, so you could decide what to do with it."

"You did well."

Luo Fanchen nodded. He picked up the Puppet from the Wraith's hands. It imitated a Bee Insect and was of the lowest grade.

It would last only about three days. Apart from hiding and gathering information, it had no other function.

"That damned old man has some nerve."

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue. Killing intent surged within him, but Old Wang's ties to the Clear River Sect made him wary of striking directly.

"Did you administer the Soul Poison?"

"Mhm. That old man is very cautious, so I placed the Soul Poison on the girl named Xiao Cui."

Qiu Yun's voice was gentle, but her eyes were cold as frost. "If he feels negative emotions while he's near her, the Soul Poison will find an opening, seep into his organs, and eat away at his mind without him noticing."

"Qiu Yun, you're so clever. You did well."

Luo Fanchen stroked Qiu Yun's back in reassurance. Silky strands of hair slipped over his fingers, and the faint scent of lavender lingered at his nose.

Qiu Yun tipped up her pale chin slightly, making it easier for him to stroke her, and let out a soft hum of pleasure.

"Hmph. That old man tried to harm Uncle Luo. I'm not letting him off."

Qiu Yun narrowed her eyes and hummed, clearly enjoying herself.

Luo Fanchen thought for a moment and settled on a plan.

Old Wang himself was no threat, but he had considerable ties to the Clear River Sect. While the Soul Poison worked its way through him, Luo Fanchen had best avoid any conflict with him. Otherwise, if the old man dropped dead, the sect might grow suspicious.

With that in mind, he took the Spirit Bamboo Brew from his Storage Bag and stared thoughtfully at the fragrant, pale-green wine.

Old Wang bullied the weak and feared the strong. He surely wanted to avoid a direct clash too, or he would not have resorted to such a despicable trick.

"I might as well give him a taste of his own medicine."

Luo Fanchen murmured. His body seemed unusual in some way.

Neither the poison in Ling Youdao's Soul Banner nor the Demon Serpent's toxic miasma had caused him any reaction. The poison in this wine was far weaker than either of those. Perhaps it would not affect him at all?

"Qiu Yun, I have a way, but I need your help."

Luo Fanchen gently stroked the curve of Qiu Yun's waist and explained his plan.

He intended to test a few drops of the Spirit Bamboo Brew first. If he showed signs of poisoning, Qiu Yun would intervene at once and use the Soul Banner's power to help him dispel it.

"Uncle Luo, this poison is potent. I can neutralize three drops at most."

"That's enough."

Worry showed on Qiu Yun's face, but seeing Uncle Luo so confident, she did not try to dissuade him.

She stretched out her arms and gently wrapped them around Uncle Luo's waist, pressing her soft body against his back.

She was cool to the touch, and he could feel the delicate softness of her ample curves. Her touch was pleasantly smooth, while the sweet scent of lavender lingered at his nose. Luo Fanchen's resolve wavered, but he soon forced himself to calm down.

There were simpler ways for this girl to send Soul Power into me. Did she have to make her Soul Body solid and nearly make a fool of me?

Luo Fanchen sighed and tipped back his head to swallow three drops of the spirit wine. He did not notice Qiu Yun's trembling lashes or the soft curve of her lips.

Uncle Luo's back is so broad. He's so warm. It makes me feel safe.

"Do you feel anything, Uncle Luo?"

Three breaths passed, then five. Luo Fanchen still said nothing. Qiu Yun immediately pulled herself together and squeezed his shoulder, worry on her face.

"Strange."

Luo Fanchen slowly shook his head. His True Essence was as robust as before. There was not the slightest sign of poisoning.

Was the quality of my Yi Wood True Essence simply too high? Or do I really have some Special Physique?

As a further test, he poured just under half a cup and drank it in small sips under Qiu Yun's intent gaze.

"A little sweet."

Luo Fanchen drank another small portion. Feeling no discomfort, he finally relaxed.

"Remove the Illusion Formation from the Puppet."

Qiu Yun pouted and reluctantly let go of Uncle Luo. Forming a hand seal, she used Baleful Spirit Command to have the Wraith return the Puppet to its original position. Before dispelling the Illusion Formation, the Wraith gradually turned transparent and disappeared.

Light returned to the Puppet's eyes. Its spiritual energy fluctuations were almost imperceptible. If the entire residence had not been within Qiu Yun's Illusion Formation, detecting it would have been extremely difficult.

A mocking smile touched Luo Fanchen's face. Right in front of the Puppet, he drained the rest of the Spirit Bamboo Brew and declared,

"Ah, good wine. Fellow Daoist Wang is generous indeed."

Luo Fanchen clicked his tongue. The sweetness and wine fragrance became a warm current that spread through his organs. Together with the Spirit Sprout he had consumed a few days earlier, it turned into a great deal of spiritual energy and gathered in his acupoints.

If he found time to refine it over the next few days, his cultivation should improve somewhat.

He set down the cup and looked back at the Puppet. It had already dismantled itself and was slowly fading away. His lips curved in a mocking smile.

At the same time, deep in the Shantytown, inside a run-down tiled house.

Old Wang took a swig of strong liquor, his unkempt beard matted together. Beside him, Xiao Cui hung her head without expression. Half her clothing had been stripped away, revealing several angry red whip marks across her scarred back.

"You little wretch! I feed and clothe you, and you dare hide something from me? Tell me where these two pieces of Spirit Dust came from!"

"Fairy Yunmo paid our wages in advance..."

"Bullshit!"

Old Wang's whip lashed through the air. Xiao Cui broke out in a cold sweat under the blows, but she gritted her teeth and did not make a sound.

He was about to curse her again when pain suddenly split through his head and his blood seemed to stop flowing smoothly. The discomfort lasted only an instant before vanishing.

Puzzled, he rubbed his brow. After examining himself, he found nothing wrong and assumed his qi and blood were weakening with age. He picked up the whip again, intending to vent his anger, just as a message came from the Puppet.

"Good! Hahaha! That brat really hasn't seen much of the world."

Old Wang's eyes gleamed with delight. He had gone to great lengths to obtain that Soul Poison. It was extremely hard to detect, and once a cultivator below Late Qi Refining drank it, their death was all but certain.

The brat would die from the exhaustion of his True Essence within two months. Until then, Old Wang only had to yield and avoid a direct confrontation. The reward would fall into his lap.

"Hmph. You dared turn up your nose at this Daoist. So what if you're from a great clan? All those treasures of yours will still end up with me."

Old Wang drained his cup. Drunk, he felt as though he were floating among the immortals.

He could almost see his dream coming true: seizing Ling Wudao's property and ordering around that little slave girl who always had her nose in the air as if she were a dog.

That girl could fetch at least ten Spirit Stones.

"Strange. Is this wine really that strong?"

Old Wang pressed his brow, feeling slightly dizzy. He had lost interest in punishing Xiao Cui.

Muttering to himself, he drank several more cups of strong liquor without a thought. He merely reflected that he ought to visit the Everjoy Pavilion less often.

Three days later, a cold wind swirled through the bedroom as Luo Fanchen slowly opened his eyes.

"The Spirit Bamboo Brew and Spirit Sprout really are good things..."

Luo Fanchen finished cultivating and breathed out a mouthful of turbid air. In three days, he had completely refined both spirit liquids, making a little progress in his cultivation. With Qiu Yun's help, he had also spent two hours each day making a total of ten Bloodburst Talismans and five Rejuvenation Talismans.

Three pieces of Spirit Dust earned!

A smile appeared in Luo Fanchen's eyes. Mo Xue had sulked for all three days without saying a word to him.

But her Admiration Points had risen slightly, and the Demoness Register had awarded him 103 Admiration Points. He now had 150.

That silly girl says one thing and feels another.

Luo Fanchen smiled. Mo Xue had probably calmed down and very much wanted to be close to him.

She was holding herself back because she was embarrassed and under too much pressure. Any night now, she might lose her restraint and sneak under his covers.

Luo Fanchen shook his head lightly. He summoned the Eight Desolations Record of the Demoness and looked inward at his progress.

[Name: Luo Fanchen]

[Lifespan: 31/70]

[Spirit Root: Five-Element Spiritual Root]

[Cultivation: Fourth Level of Qi Refining]

[Cultivation Method: Lesser Yang Wood-Transforming Art, second level (50/200)]

[Techniques: Fire Curse Art, beginner; Great Sage Perfected Person Banner Method, beginner (200/300)]

[Available Demonesses to bind: 1; accumulated Admiration Points: 150]

The Lesser Yang Wood-Transforming Art suited him perfectly. With Qiu Yun and the Spirit-Gathering Formation aiding him, his breathing through the Lesser Celestial Circuit went exceptionally smoothly. He had accumulated 50 proficiency points so far.

He had not deliberately studied the Soul Banner arts, but Qiu Yun's diligence made up for that.

The young woman spent her days absorbing the essence of the sun and moon as she cultivated and studied the Soul Banner arts. She had grown quite skilled at commanding Wraiths.

He was the banner's master, and Qiu Yun was its Banner Spirit. She was part of his Soul Banner arts, so her growth naturally counted as his.

"Spending Admiration Points on the Lesser Yang Wood-Transforming Art would bring too little return."

"Even if I maxed out my Soul Banner proficiency, I'd have to elevate the art before I could improve it further."

Luo Fanchen's brows drew together. For a moment, he could not decide what to improve.

Come to think of it, only two Wraiths remained, and eighty percent of the Soul Power stored in the Soul Banner had been consumed. Qiu Yun had lingered outside his door late at night several times already. She was showing signs of climbing into his bed.

"It's time to refine another batch for the Soul Banner. Bandits have flesh and blood too. I wonder how many Demonic Treasures I can save up."

Luo Fanchen murmured to himself. Without further hesitation, he told Qiu Yun to watch the house and strolled toward the Inner Ring.

He went first to the steward's office to take a bandit-suppression mission and happened to run into someone he knew.

"We meet again, fellow Daoist. Are you here to take a mission?"

The chubby-faced cultivator smiled warmly. He was the Clear River Sect outer disciple who had stood guard when Luo Fanchen first entered the market.

"I'm Shou Rufeng. I'm on duty at the steward's office today. Feel free to look around. If a mission catches your eye, I can assign it to you first."

"I'm Ling Wudao. Thank you for looking after me, Brother Shou. I'm here today to take a bandit-suppression mission."

"Bandit suppression?"

Shou Rufeng's polite smile turned genuine at once. His bulky body squeezed up in front of Luo Fanchen.

"Wonderful! We're short-handed for bandit suppression right now. The merit points and Spirit Dust rewards have been doubled. How many would you like to take?"

With that, Shou Rufeng laid out nearly a hundred wooden plaques. Each listed bandits and a stronghold to be wiped out. The old-looking ink made it clear the missions had been sitting there for a long time.

After the secret realm incident, Flying Cloud Market had suffered a severe blow, leaving few Rogue Cultivators. Bandit suppression was arduous and thankless, so the missions had piled up over time.

Completing one could earn a piece of Spirit Dust, but only if every bandit was wiped out. Without proof taken from the bandit chief, or if even one remnant escaped, a cultivator would not receive so much as half a merit point. Rogue Cultivators simply could not afford the trouble.

"I'll take twenty to start. Sorry for the trouble, Brother Shou, but could you pick Bandit Strongholds along the same route for me?"

"Twenty?"

The flesh on Shou Rufeng's face quivered. He grabbed Luo Fanchen's hand and asked excitedly, "You mean it?"

"Of course. Don't you trust me, Brother Shou?"

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist, you're my savior! I won't charge you a deposit this time. When you return, I'll personally host a feast for you!"

Shou Rufeng patted his belly and laughed heartily.

He had been worrying over his sect quota for the month. If no one took the bandit-suppression missions, the steward would blame him, and he would not get off lightly.

The worry had robbed him of his appetite. He had even planned to pay cultivators with his own Spirit Stones to clear out the bandits.

He had never expected a meat pie to fall from the sky today. It had solved his most pressing problem.

If even half of those twenty missions met the requirements, he would save at least one Spirit Stone.

"If you complete ten missions, you'll have first pick of the steward's office missions from now on!"

Shou Rufeng swiftly bundled together several bandit hideouts on nearby routes. After handing the plaques to Luo Fanchen, he added a reminder.

"Where do you live, fellow Daoist? The bandit intelligence will be delivered to you within ten days. The missions officially begin then, and you'll have one month to complete them. Go past that, and they'll count as failures."

"If you complete fewer than three, you'll have to pay five pieces of Spirit Dust as a penalty. Is that clear?"

"Of course. I live in the Shantytown."

Luo Fanchen nodded with a smile. His address was already on file with the Clear River Sect and could be found with a quick check. There was no need to hide it.

"The Shantytown... I remember you have a disciple with decent aptitude, don't you?"

"Heh. Then you'd best keep a closer eye on Old Wang, Fellow Daoist Ling."

Shou Rufeng handed the wooden plaques to Luo Fanchen and left it at that.

He was not sure whether Ling Wudao was someone worth befriending. A brief warning was already as much as he owed him.

If Ling Wudao returned after completing the missions, he would be worth getting to know. They could talk in detail then.

A final note.

My dear readers, a new book needs readers to keep up with it and needs monthly votes. They really are important.

Everyone says my chapters are short, and I can't post bonus chapters during the new-book period, but I still need monthly votes to keep this little book alive.

So I'm introducing a special monthly-vote loan service. Here are the details:

It's simple: for every 10 monthly votes you cast, I'll add one bonus chapter of 2,000 Chinese characters after the book goes on sale.

Starting with this chapter, the count stands at 163 votes after excluding promotional monthly votes. I'll count from there.

With each daily update, I'll report the additional votes in the author's note and convert them into extra chapters once the book goes on sale.

Please don't go easy on me~

Finally, thank you to Lord Kang for the 5,000-point tip~

Please vote~ Please keep reading~ The new-book period is so hard~

(End of chapter)