A Feast, and Yun Mo's Dilemma (Please Keep Reading and Vote!)

The next day, Mo Xue slowly woke.

The sun was already high. Mo Xue blinked drowsily, feeling that she had slept unusually soundly last night.

After a quick wash, she sat cross-legged and closed her eyes. Drawing in spiritual energy felt a little faster than before. The Spirit-Gathering Formation, which had stopped for lack of Soul Power, had somehow started up again.

She worried that Qiu Yun might be pushing herself too hard, but when she noticed Qiu Yun was with Master Luo, she relaxed at once.

"I don't have time to waste. I have to work hard if I want to watch over Qiu Yun and protect Master Luo!"

Mo Xue clenched her little fists and silently urged herself on. Things had come to this; she might as well cultivate first.

Meanwhile, in the Kitchen Pavilion, Luo Fanchen examined the fresh red plum-blossom marks on his neck and collarbone, feeling rather helpless.

In front of him, Qiu Yun hung her little head and twisted her slender fingers together. Too shy to look directly at Uncle Luo, she stole glances at him from the corner of her eye.

Last night, lost in a haze of desire, she had clung to Uncle Luo and nibbled at him for a full half hour before regaining a little sense. Shame had then swallowed her whole. She had buried herself against his chest, not daring to move, and her head had still been spinning when Uncle Luo carried her back to her room.

"Un-Uncle Luo, are you angry?"

"Not really. It'll just be troublesome if Mo Xue sees."

Qiu Yun's voice was timid. Luo Fanchen helplessly touched his neck; his fingertips seemed to retain a trace of warmth.

He could hardly blame Qiu Yun. When it came down to it, his failure to provide enough Soul Power had been an oversight on his part.

"Don't bite my neck next time."

"All right. Next time, I'll feed somewhere Sister Mo Xue can't see."

Qiu Yun's rosy lips moved, her gaze fixed on Uncle Luo's neck. Her soft tongue brushed her lips as though savoring the memory.

That hot, sweet warmth flowing down her throat had left her craving more.

Uncle Luo tastes... really good.

"Ask Mo Xue to invite Granny Zhang, and call Xiao Cui over too. We'll share the Golden Roar Bear tonight."

Luo Fanchen took out the lavish gifts he had accepted yesterday and unwrapped them one by one. He kept the Breath Concealment Pill for himself and left the Spirit Sprout in Qiu Yun's care, then drew a low-grade spirit sword to carve up the bear.

Once the Demon Beast meat was cut apart, its spiritual energy would dissipate rapidly. Even a specially made brocade box could preserve it for only two days.

Keeping it would be like letting a treasure rot in his hands. Besides, now that he understood the Treasure Pavilion's intentions, refusing the gifts would only betray his nerves.

Instead, he ought to lay out a feast and appear not to value the meat too highly. If he offered a little goodwill without making a show of it, he could build a lasting connection, keep the Treasure Pavilion interested, and make his identity more convincing.

"Uncle Luo... can we really eat this Golden Roar Bear?"

Qiu Yun pressed her lips together and kept swallowing.

Even for a Soul Body, its vital energy and spiritual energy would be enormously nourishing. She craved it no less than Mo Xue did.

"Why not? Let it spoil? Come give me a hand. This beast's flesh is too tough—I can't even cut through it with a low-grade magic sword!"

Luo Fanchen grumbled. Seeing how confident Uncle Luo was, Qiu Yun finally set her worries aside. Smiling, she activated the Soul Banner to help cut the meat. As long as Uncle Luo was there, she felt at ease.

Cooking smoke curled upward. The scent of meat had long since roused Mo Xue's appetite, and she kept swallowing. How could she spare a thought for cultivation now?

Luo Fanchen busied himself with the cooking as he worked out how to divide the bear meat.

He split the Bear Paw in two for Qiu Yun and Mo Xue to share equally, then divided the lean meat into several portions. The largest naturally went to him. He set aside another small piece for Yun Mo, certain she would come with Xiao Cui.

He simmered the remaining fat and scraps into a large pot of soup, with the dried snake meat he had saved as its base.

"That's generous enough."

Luo Fanchen murmured to himself. The scraps in the soup were probably worth four Spirit Dust, which stung a little.

Leaving them unused would be a waste. Qiu Yun and Mo Xue's cultivation was still low; too much meat would be difficult for them to refine and would stagnate in their Meridians. As for the dried snake meat, its spiritual energy had dissipated long ago, so it hardly mattered.

Good relations with the neighbors would also help keep Mo Xue safe in the future.

Granny Zhang was a partner in selling Talismans, too. She was decent company and worth getting to know better.

Meanwhile, at the Treasure Pavilion, the setting sun slanted through the windows.

"Should I go?"

In an elegant third-floor room, Yun Mo paced with a troubled frown.

Worry clouded her pretty face. As the hour drew near, she still could not decide. Lord Ling had invited only Xiao Cui; he had said nothing about her.

If she followed Xiao Cui uninvited, Lord Ling might take offense, and her prospects would suffer.

Yet such an opportunity was rare. Every chance to meet Lord Ling was precious. She might seem to be on the rise, but plenty of stewards coveted her success. Last time, someone had nearly snatched the opportunity from under her nose.

"Those wretched women all want to climb the ranks. Lord Ling's identity is a closely guarded secret, but someone clever is bound to guess that I've met an honored guest."

"At this rate, a steward with higher cultivation will steal Lord Ling away sooner or later."

Yun Mo murmured to herself, biting her lip hard enough to leave teeth marks. Only after a long while did she make up her mind.

"Xiao Cui, prepare two bottles of Meridian-Opening Pills. You're coming with me to pay our respects to Lord Ling."

"Yes."

Outside the door, Xiao Cui had been waiting for some time. The bruises on her arms and face had faded considerably.

Since receiving Uncle Ling's invitation, her standing in the Pavilion had risen sharply. She no longer had to do menial work, and Fairy Yunmo had even given her ointment for her injuries. Old Wang had told her several times to come home, but she had politely refused.

Through the window, she had watched Old Wang stamp his feet in anger. Not daring to offend the Treasure Pavilion, he could only leave in a huff.

Yun Mo chose Meridian-Opening Pills of excellent quality. Just before leaving, she remembered the young woman at Lord Ling's side.

"Her name is Mo Xue, isn't it? If Lord Ling thinks highly of her, she must be exceptionally talented. Fetch two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills as well. Charge them to my account as a first-meeting gift."

"Wait... come back. Fetch a bottle of Qi Condensation Pills too, and charge it to the Pavilion."

Yun Mo was rather nervous and kept weighing her choices.

The Qi Condensation Pill was a first-tier, high-grade spirit pill that aided Late Qi Refining cultivators in drawing in spiritual energy. Lord Ling belonged to the Orthodox Profound School, so his cultivation was bound to advance a thousand miles a day. He would likely reach Late Qi Refining before long.

Of course Lord Ling would not lack pills, but even a light gift could carry deep feeling. She still had to make sure she showed proper consideration.

"Let's go."

Yun Mo had lived in the Inner Ring for years, and entering the Shantytown left her distinctly uncomfortable.

It was crowded and filthy, with a faint stench lingering in the air. Her brows drew together. She could hardly imagine a member of the Orthodox Profound School living in a place like this for long.

No matter how crude and dirty it is, he devotes himself to cultivation, untouched by pleasure as he experiences the mortal world. Such composure truly befits the Orthodox Profound School.

"That must be the confidence of a Profound Sects disciple. The Clear River Sect is merely an affiliate; when it comes to serene, rigorous cultivation, it falls far short of Lord Ling."

Yun Mo murmured under her breath. She even began to regret her rash decision, her hands trembling with nerves.

She truly did not know how she could make amends if she earned Lord Ling's dislike.

Yet she could not bear to turn back halfway.

"Fairy Yunmo? We're nearly there."

Xiao Cui spoke softly. They had reached the depths of the Shantytown and were nearing the street where Luo Fanchen's residence stood.

Rogue Cultivators cast ill-intentioned looks their way along the road, but the moment they saw the Treasure Pavilion insignia on Yun Mo's clothes, they looked away. None dared stare. Xiao Cui basked in the reflected prestige and, for once, held her little head high.

Xiao Cui was gathering the courage to knock when Granny Zhang approached with A Niu.

"Xiao Cui, who is this?"

"This is Fairy Yunmo, a steward of the Treasure Pavilion."

Granny Zhang paused. The woman before her was poised and elegant, with exquisite makeup. Most striking was her flowing palace dress embroidered with cranes amid clouds and curling smoke—the standard attire of a Treasure Pavilion steward. Granny Zhang hurriedly bowed with cupped hands.

Anyone employed by the Treasure Pavilion had some backing. Stewards were formally appointed staff, not temporary local hires, and held an esteemed position in the eyes of Rogue Cultivators.

Yun Mo seemed not to hear her. Her heart was pounding. She took several shaky breaths and spent a long while steadying herself.

She gave Granny Zhang a brief nod by way of greeting, then motioned for Xiao Cui to knock.

The wooden door swung open lightly before Xiao Cui could touch it. The young woman entered first, with Yun Mo close behind. As soon as they stepped inside, a rich aroma of meat filled their noses.

Yun Mo held herself together, but the other three were already entranced.

"Such potent vital energy! Is that meat from a mid-stage first-tier... no, a late-stage first-tier Demon Beast?"

Granny Zhang clicked her tongue in astonishment. She had never imagined that Ling Wudao's supposed dinner invitation would involve late-stage first-tier beast meat.

Young friend Luo has close ties to the Treasure Pavilion indeed.

Granny Zhang deliberately fell three paces behind Yun Mo. She thought nothing of the steward's cold manner.

Yun Mo held an official position in the Treasure Pavilion, making her comparable to a Clear River Sect disciple. Naturally, she had no reason to bother with a Rogue Cultivator like Granny Zhang.

"A stretch of water need not be deep if a dragon dwells within. So it's true..."

From the moment she entered the residence, Yun Mo had instinctively studied the layout of the courtyard. She could not help marveling at it.

Her eye was far keener than Granny Zhang's or the other two's. She immediately saw that an independent Spirit-Gathering Formation had been set up inside. It was remarkably intricate and perfectly centered. Though she did not know why it had been switched off, it still sealed in the Golden Roar Bear's spiritual energy and vital energy, keeping them within the residence.

Even without an active Spirit-Gathering Formation, the layout alone gathered spiritual energy. It had to be the work of a great sect.

"A barrier, a Life Gate, an Illusion Formation..."

Yun Mo marveled all the way through the courtyard.

A Life Gate had been left in the yard for escape in a crisis—and there was more than one, their locations concealed.

Faint formation markings lay in all four directions. They seemed to belong to some unusual barrier, nothing like a common, standardized formation. It was more like a Magic Treasure: in a crisis, it could raise a barrier to protect the residence while casting an Illusion Formation to confuse intruders.

Its grade was somewhat low, but its ingenuity more than made up for that. These were methods worthy of the Orthodox Profound School.

"Heh. The Soul Banner's arts are a treasure passed down by the Demonic Sect. How could they not be ingenious?"

In the main hall, Luo Fanchen sighed at his own expense. He had arranged it this way on purpose, of course, intending to overawe Yun Mo.

So far, it seemed to be working.

There are 83 votes so far, which means eight extra chapters. If all goes as expected, the novel will go on sale September 1, and I'll deliver the promised extra chapters.

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