Looking at Li Guanqi, Lin Chuanqing asked with mild surprise, "Aren't you afraid I might hand you straight over to Zhao Chengyong?"
Li Guanqi shook his head. "Between an alchemist and a handful of immortal crystals, I trust Lord Lin knows which weighs heavier."
Lin Chuanqing studied him. "I admire your courage. Even though, in my eyes, what you are doing is exceptionally foolish. Still... an Ascension Realm cultivator who can touch the second layer of Mystic Immortal in less than a month—I don't believe you are a fool! Are you interested in following me?"
Li Guanqi did not refuse outright. Cupping his hands, he replied softly, "Congxin has only just entered the Immortal Realm and has not yet decided whether to settle down."
Hearing this, Lin Chuanqing pressed no further. With a flick of his hand, he tossed him a cyan jade pendant inscribed with the characters 'Yuxu.'
Rising to his feet, Lin Chuanqing said quietly, "I will go demand the man. In the meantime, you are to remain inside the Castellan Manor and not wander about. Once Qi Mobai returns, if he can truly become an alchemist, I will grant you a handsome reward. But if he cannot... you will have to work your life away for me. How about that?"
Li Guanqi breathed an inward sigh of relief; it seemed his gamble had paid off.
Bowing respectfully, he said, "Thank you for your esteem, Lord Lin. We shall do as you say."
Lin Chuanqing turned to Qian Ronghe and instructed in a low voice, "Ronghe, arrange a residence for him in the manor. Also, prepare my Cloud-Soaring Boat."
Qian Ronghe bowed in acknowledgement. "As Master commands. This subordinate shall see to it at once."
With that, the old man led Li Guanqi out of Linlang Emporium.
Stepping out of the emporium, Li Guanqi quietly let out a breath. Beneath his black robe, his palms were slick with sweat. Moments ago, he had already prepared to reveal all his hidden cards and fight for his life to escape. He had originally expected to meet only Qian Ronghe, never imagining in his wildest dreams that he would confront Lin Chuanqing directly!
On the road, after finalizing all the arrangements, Qian Ronghe walked ahead of Li Guanqi. Their destination was none other than the Castellan Manor!
That grand estate sat at the very heart of Yuxu City, spanning a full three thousand zhang across. Entering through a side gate, the old man led Li Guanqi through twists and turns deeper into the grounds. Along the way, he gave a brief overview of the estate's layout, detailing which places were open to him and which were strictly off-limits.
"Over here is the First Madame's courtyard; over here belongs to the Third Madame, and that one to the Sixth Concubine..."
The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched slightly. He had not expected Lin Chuanqing to enjoy life quite so lavishly. The entire rear grounds, spanning nearly a thousand zhang, were occupied by residences for wives and concubines.
By this time, Qian Ronghe's attitude toward Li Guanqi had softened considerably. He had never seen Lin Chuanqing hold any young man in such high regard.
Out of mild curiosity, Li Guanqi asked, "If I may take the liberty of asking, Elder Qian, what is your Dao age...?"
Qian Ronghe chuckled. "This old man is dull-witted; my Dao age is a little over seventeen hundred years. You, little friend, possess heaven-sent talent and monstrous potential. Judging by your bone age, you are not even fifty. It truly makes one envious."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly, then asked in a low voice, "And Castellan Lin...?"
Qian Ronghe made no secret of it. "From the time the Castellan embarked on the Dao until now, it has been exactly eighteen hundred years."
Li Guanqi was taken aback. So after all that, Lin Chuanqing was actually older than the old man before him?
The elder took it entirely in stride. "What is so strange about that? Everyone has their own preferences. Some people simply prefer to keep the appearance of a handsome youth or a fair maiden." He teased, "Perhaps a courtesan you see in a pleasure house has a Dao age of several hundred or even a thousand years. A tiny toddler you encounter might just be an old monster who has lived for ten thousand years. It is merely a mortal vessel. It only seems strange because you haven't seen much of the world."
Li Guanqi offered no reply, though he nodded gently. Ever since arriving in the Immortal Realm, many things had defied his past understanding. Still... just as the old man said, it was only a lack of experience; he would grow accustomed to it with time.
Outside the gate of a detached courtyard spanning a hundred zhang, the old man smiled. "Little Friend Li, you will stay here for the next few days. There is a quiet room for cultivation in the rear courtyard; feel free to use it. However... it is best not to wander about. It wouldn't do to disturb others."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly and cupped his hands with a smile.
Once the old man departed, Li Guanqi stepped into the detached courtyard. The moment he entered, dense spiritual energy rushed over him. A small bridge spanned flowing water, and white mist drifted above a fish pond—it was celestial spiritual energy condensed into vapor!
Li Guanqi clicked his tongue in wonder. It seemed Castellan Lin was truly wealthy and generous.
Returning to his room and shutting the door, Li Guanqi finally let out a long breath. Looking back on everything that had transpired, a lingering dread welled up within him. Yet... the reason he had dared to make this wager was that Yuxu City showed not the slightest hint of corruption inside or out. The shops were bustling, and visiting cultivators were numerous. At the very least, it proved Yuxu City was no vile place. For a city to be governed so well, its castellan had to be guided by rational gain and would not slaughter without cause.
Although he had prepared a few backup plans, facing a mighty Heavenly Immortal realm cultivator in the flesh had shown him that he had still underestimated what a Heavenly Immortal was capable of! Below the Heavenly Immortal realm, there was simply no means or power to resist.
This encounter with Lin Chuanqing had sounded a clear alarm for him. In the Immortal Realm, the suppression between major realms was overwhelming. Presently, his strength was constrained and his cultivation techniques had fallen behind, preventing him from unleashing his full potential. After making enemies, he had to be as cautious as possible. Pulling out weeds by the roots was only the first step; even more critical was ensuring he never drew unwanted attention in the first place.
This time had served as a stern lesson.
Li Guanqi exhaled a long breath, his eyes flickering. Now, everything depended on whether Qi Mobai could truly concoct pills upon his return... After all this trouble, if he couldn't... then he would likely have to take up a post in this Castellan Manor.
Lost in thought, Li Guanqi walked toward the quiet room in the rear courtyard. Looking at the ornate, intricate array inside, he tossed out several immortal crystals. Instantly, a faint blue halo rippled outward. Li Guanqi immediately felt his spiritual terrace turn serene and clear, his consciousness sharper than ever before.
Sitting cross-legged at the center of the array, he was enveloped by dense spiritual energy. Reaching into his storage ring, Li Guanqi retrieved a jade bottle, took out a plump, milky-white pill, and swallowed it.
Boom!
A majestic torrent of celestial spiritual energy surged through his body in an instant!
Li Guanqi shuddered, stunned by the immense medicinal potency. It was merely a pill meant for ordinary cultivators, yet the purity of its spiritual energy required almost no refining!
"This... no wonder..."
The power of this pill was untold times more advanced than the pills of the Human Spirit Realm. To purify a pill's potency to such a degree required exceedingly complex transformations.
Having consumed the pill, Li Guanqi began to feel uneasy.
Gulp...
"Can Qi Mobai really concoct pills?"
Yet the instant that thought crossed his mind, a sudden chill ran down Li Guanqi's spine!
Clang!
Red Lotus cleared its scabbard, slashing behind him with savage force!
Rumble! Clang!
A deafening roar erupted as a fierce wave of sword qi shattered the quiet room and tore toward Li Guanqi.
Boom!
Crash!
The impact blasted Li Guanqi dozens of zhang away. His body smashed through the pavilion behind him, spinning several times in midair before he planted his feet firmly. The web between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand split open, blood trickling down the blade of his sword.
Squinting, Li Guanqi peered through the drifting smoke and dust.
From within the haze came a startled murmur:
"Eh? Someone's here?"
Chapter 1580