The Advantages of Chang'an City

Cai Ma possesses a rather mysterious ability: whenever someone touches his hand, he can tell them their exact age.

Using this skill, Cai Ma swindled many people in Chang'an City, attracting them to his fortune teller.

Zhang Xuezhou thought these fortune tellers were really boring. They didn't even know their own age, yet they had to pay others to tell them before they were satisfied.

"Is this all there is to your fortune-telling stall?"

"Yes, when I was having my fortune told today, a thought suddenly struck me, and I did some calculations on your behalf. I didn't expect it to actually come true, so I closed up my stall and came to find you!"

Cai Ma found Zhang Xuezhou.

After a somewhat disjointed explanation, Cai Ma expressed her hope that Zhang Xuezhou would fulfill his duties as host.

If she cannot fulfill her duty as a host, Cai Ma hopes that Zhang Xuezhou can give her a thousand taels of silver to help her return to the Sacred Land.

Of course, it would be best if Zhang Xuezhou could return to Kunlun with Cai Ma.

Zhang Xuezhou ultimately felt that there was no problem with the matter of hospitality as a host, but the other two things were simply impossible at the moment.

He followed Cai Ma to the East Market to pack up his stall.

"I want to eat snow bird's nest, yellow croaker maw, ground lotus fruit, and jujubes..."

"No!"

"But you have money. You carry five hundred taels of gold with you. I know where to buy that!"

When Zhang Xuezhou tried to be a good host, he found that being a host wasn't so easy.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't a stingy person. As long as the money was spent where it was needed, he wouldn't hesitate.

But he really couldn't afford to spend money recklessly right now. The people of Zhang Household Village had just temporarily escaped hunger thanks to the reward from the King of Jiangdu, so he couldn't squander his money. Meanwhile, the people on the other side lived in thatched huts wrapped in straw.

This sum of money from Han Anguo was a godsend for him.

The King of Jiangdu's reward would allow everyone a long enough period to replenish their food supplies, and the five hundred gold coins could buy some housing in Chang'an City. Even living in a bungalow would be better than sleeping in the slums Chang'an City.

Buying a house is a difficult task, and Zhang Xuezhou needs to wait for an opportunity.

He should save this money, not use it to buy things like snow bird's nest.

"This money was hard-earned," Zhang Xuezhou said with a heavy expression. "I'm counting on this money to treat my illness and save my life. I can't buy you snow bird's nest right now."

"Like this?"

"Yes!"

"But I really want to cultivate the art of destiny. I've been away from the Sacred Land for too long, and it's been a long time since I've brewed medicine to nourish my body!"

"Are these things meant to help you in your spiritual practice?"

At first, Zhang Xuezhou thought Cai Ma was just greedy and wanted to eat a luxurious meal. But when Cai Ma mentioned his cultivation, Zhang Xuezhou realized that it was a very expensive process and that normal people couldn't possibly learn Cai Ma's cultivation.

Cai Ma pondered for a long time whether to choose healing or spiritual cultivation. In the end, she realized that she could not refuse Zhang Xuezhou's request. Her spiritual cultivation was indeed not as important as Zhang Xuezhou's healing.

"Do you have a place for me to stay? Is there any food or drink available?" Cai Ma asked disappointedly.

"Don't worry about that. Although there are a lot of us, it's no problem for one more person to stay, and we'll provide plenty of food and drink!"

Zhang Xuezhou patted his chest and guaranteed that he would do it.

This made Cai Ma's expression much better.

But when she returned home with Zhang Xuezhou and saw the yard piled high with pork, the strong smell of pork permeating the entire house, she felt a little nauseous.

For Cai Ma, who was used to bland food, this kind of scene was somewhat unsettling.

Moreover, there were five people bustling about in the courtyard, with people coming and going from time to time, indicating that the place must be very noisy, making the peace and quiet that Cai Ma wanted completely impossible.

She never expected Zhang Xuezhou to live in such a place.

In terms of living conditions, Zhang Xuezhou was the holy son with the worst living environment that Cai Ma had ever seen.

"Ruoruo, come quick! Zhouzhou has brought the girl back!"

A woman carrying a butcher's knife was the first to spot Cai Ma, and then she shouted, which made an old woman in the kitchen beam with joy and quickly walk out.

Cai Ma hesitated for a moment when she saw the crowd staring at her, then quickly glanced at Zhang Xuezhou.

"I told you my son isn't some palace eunuch; he does like girls!"

"This is my aunt, this is my mother, that's my uncle, this is my father, this is my cousin, and this is Zhang Baobao from my village who came in to carry the goods!"

Seeing Rong Li shout, and with Lady Yourong quickly coming to join in the fun, Zhang Xuezhou quickly introduced them one by one.

"This is my sect's... senior sister!"

Considering that Cai Ma had been cultivating for decades, Zhang Xuezhou felt that it made perfect sense for Cai Ma to be his senior sister, especially since she might even be older Lady Yourong and others.

"I didn't expect you to still have worldly ties," Cai Ma sighed. "You haven't cultivated the art of destiny yet. By the time you calm your mind and begin to cultivate, I'm afraid you might be too old!"

"A monk?"

"A high-ranking cultivator?"

Upon hearing Zhang Xuezhou's introduction, and with Cai Ma then beginning to speak, Lady Yourong and Rong Li couldn't help but hesitate, their eyes even showing a hint of caution and subtlety.

There are cultivators as many as dogs in Chang'an City, Lady Yourong and others are afraid that offending a cultivator will cause trouble for Zhang Xuezhou.

The two had greeted each other very warmly, but after realizing what was happening, they were both so embarrassed that they kept wiping their hands with their sleeves.

"She's just passing through. She might stay at our house for a while, or she might not like it and leave tonight..."

"I'm comfortable here!"

Zhang Xuezhou's observations were incredibly meticulous. He was just about to conclude that Cai Ma would have difficulty adapting to the living environment of the Zhang residence when, unexpectedly, the other party insisted on agreeing.

I want to save money to buy things!

Cai Ma muttered something under his breath.

If you exclude food, drink, and lodging, everything Cai Ma earns from fortune telling is pure profit.

Whether to embark on a long journey back to the Kunlun Sacred Land to retrieve cultivation supplies, or to earn some money to overcome the difficulties, the choice is not difficult.

Cai Ma felt that if she gained a deeper understanding of Chang'an City, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to make money, and she might even be able to earn five hundred taels of gold at once, just like Zhang Xuezhou.

Moreover, Cai Ma discovered that Chang'an City was extremely rich in various resources. Some items that were extremely difficult to find in the Kunlun Sacred Land could be purchased directly in Chang'an City with just a little money. This made her still have some longing for Chang'an City, thinking that she could stay in Chang'an City before stepping into the Divine Ability Realm, and that the things she would need in the future might also be available in Chang'an City.

Given all these reasons, it's not surprising that Cai Ma was willing to stay in Chang'an City.

Moreover, she has said what she needed to say and done what she was required to do. From now on, she is a free person and can do whatever she wants. She only needs to return when called back from the Sacred Land.

Of course, Cai Ma's status as a saintess is a problem. If the Immortal Court discovers it, it will bring all sorts of trouble, so she needs to be more discreet.

Having thought things through, she couldn't help but whisper a few words of advice to Zhang Xuezhou.

"Okay, I won't call you 'Saintess' anymore, and don't give me any random nicknames!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded repeatedly and responded in a low voice.

Cai Ma disliked being addressed by the title "Holy Maiden" indiscriminately, and Zhang Xuezhou similarly disliked being called "Holy Son."

Whenever he thought of the so-called century-long agreement, he felt that these Sacred Land were simply looking for scapegoats to resolve their conflicts.

Unless he is mentally disabled, Zhang Xuezhou feels he has absolutely no reason to participate in such a thing.