Luo Chen, Right?

On the second floor, a large crowd of Qi Refinement cultivators occupied seven or eight tables. The tables were covered in delicacies seldom seen on ordinary days, all prepared from ingredients rich in spiritual energy. If priced in spirit stones, each table would easily cost over a thousand. This time, however, the Qi Refinement cultivators did not have to pay a single spirit stone. Luo Chen sat at a table near the center, having been pulled over by Gu Caiyi. Most of the people at this table were female cultivators. Naturally, the sudden presence of a lone male cultivator like Luo Chen drew quite a few lingering glances. Acting as if he couldn't feel those prickling stares on his back, Luo Chen simply kept his head down and dug into the food. "My ten-year term is up, so I'll be returning to the Hehuan Sect as well." The speaker was Lady Xiangxiang of Tianxiang Pavilion. Her voice held a hint of reluctance, but far more anticipation. Gu Caiyi looked at her with envy. "Once you head back, Xiangxiang, you'll probably start preparing to attempt Foundation Establishment, won't you?" Xiangxiang pressed her lips into a smile and nodded gently. During her ten years here, she had never neglected her cultivation, and she was now just a step away from Qi Refinement Great Perfection. More importantly, she had gathered almost all the materials needed for the Hehuan Sect's Foundation Establishment technique. Now, the only thing she lacked was returning to the sect to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill. "Is Aunt Gong heading back too?" Gu Caiyi suddenly asked. "She is, of course. After all, the spirit vein here is only first-order, hardly suitable for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like her to reside in long-term." Lady Xiangxiang held nothing back, offering a friendly warning to her close companion. "There are two candidates to take over this place next. If it's Senior Sister Chi, that's fine. But if Senior Brother Hua comes, Caiyi, you must be extremely careful. Whatever you do, don't offend him." "Why is that?" "Senior Brother Hua entered the sect in the same batch as me. He has a cruel temperament and a fondness for dual cultivation harvesting. After advancing to Foundation Establishment, he reined it in somewhat, but only within the sect. If he's sent out here where no one can restrain him, I'm afraid..." Hearing this, Gu Caiyi felt her heart tighten. Xiangxiang suddenly smiled. "Still, you don't need to worry too much. Doesn't that late Foundation Establishment cultivator from Mount Ailao fancy you? He even spoke to Aunt Gong twice about taking you as a concubine. Why not just leave with him? Mount Ailao is quite a wealthy sect too." Luo Chen, who had been gorging himself, paused slightly. He looked up, only to find that Gu Caiyi didn't look nearly as happy as one might imagine. Instead, her smile was strained. "That man is not a good match. Caiyi, think twice!" Out of nowhere, Fu Xiuxiu, who had remained quiet the entire time, chimed in with this single warning. Gu Caiyi murmured in agreement, not daring to openly criticize a Foundation Establishment cultivator behind his back. She was not like Yuxiang or Fu Xiuxiu. One was a disciple of the Hehuan Sect who, upon returning and successfully establishing her foundation, would become an inner disciple and might even have a shot at becoming a true disciple. The other had recently been promoted to steward at the Divine Talisman Pavilion and would soon be returning to her sect alongside its people. Both were backed by one of the six superior sects, so naturally, neither feared a minor power like Mount Ailao. Gu Caiyi, however, had to watch her tongue lest disaster strike. Seeing Luo Chen eating while paying close attention to their conversation, Fu Xiuxiu explained to him in a low voice: "Fei Baiwen may be at the late Foundation Establishment stage, but he married into his family. His wife is the granddaughter of a Golden Core Master." Luo Chen had already heard about this earlier. "If he were a man of strong will, it wouldn't be so bad, but he happens to be spineless. Not only is he ordered around by his wife at home, but his standing in his sect is low as well. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been dispatched to this remote backwater just to repair buildings." Luo Chen recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier on the third floor. Old Chu of Wanbao Pavilion had been chatting with a man dressed in fine robes—that had been Fei Baiwen. He was clearly at late Foundation Establishment while Old Chu was merely at early Foundation Establishment, yet before Old Chu, Fei Baiwen lacked the slightest demeanor of someone two minor realms higher. Timid, hesitant, completely devoid of presence. If Gu Caiyi went back with him, she would sooner or later die at the hands of his wife—or at Fei Baiwen's own. If even Luo Chen could see this, Gu Caiyi, as the person involved, naturally knew far more and saw much further. Yet precisely because she saw so far ahead, the bitterness in her heart was greater than anyone imagined. In this world, women without great power of their own often had to rely on powerful male cultivators. Now she had such an opportunity, yet she couldn't take it—she didn't dare! And what if she continued to stay here? After the grand opening ceremony of the Dao Discussion Platform, her reputation had soared. She certainly wouldn't lack business, and she could earn plenty of spirit stones. But Gong Huiqin was leaving, and who knew who would take over Tianxiang Pavilion next? If it really turned out to be that Senior Brother Hua, she would have to tread carefully and cater to him. Unless she stopped working at Tianxiang Pavilion altogether. Yet that raised another problem: if she left Tianxiang Pavilion, where else could she go? Countless worries swirled endlessly through her mind. Glancing to the side, she noticed Luo Chen, the only man at the table, stuffing his face with food. A good portion of the delicacies had already vanished into his mouth. "Eat, eat, eat! All you know is how to eat!" Luo Chen stared back, utterly baffled. Wasn't food meant to be eaten? A single meal here was worth ten days of painstaking cultivation to him! Whether amused by his dumbfounded expression or by her own displaced frustration, Gu Caiyi couldn't help letting out a laugh. *Why am I taking my anger out on this kid?* Rolling up her sleeves to reveal pale, slender arms, she personally poured Luo Chen a cup of wine. "Eat up, then. When you get back, refine it properly to boost your cultivation. If you were a Foundation Establishment alchemist, why would I have to look so far away for someone to rely on?" Luo Chen downed the cup of wine with a wince of exasperation. *Big Sister, even if you want to keep me as a backup, you don't have to say it right to my face!* *Besides, I'm not the type to be blinded by beauty!* Beside them, Yuxiang and Fu Xiuxiu both covered their mouths, giggling. *** The banquet lasted late into the night. When they took their leave, the Golden Core Master was nowhere to be seen. Supposedly, he had merely shown his face, accepted a single toast from the crowd, and drifted off. Within the next day or two, he would likely lead the Jade Cauldron sword cultivators back to the sect, leaving the various local businesses, including the Dao Discussion Platform, under the stewardship of Deacon Miao Zhen once more. This clearly demonstrated just how stretched for manpower the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect was. Such an enterprise was no petty operation, yet they left it to a single Foundation Establishment cultivator and a few dozen outer disciples. One could only describe it as remarkably bold—or completely unavoidable. After parting ways with the bustling crowd, only three people remained on the road back to the headquarters: Mi Shuhua, Qin Liangchen, and Luo Chen. The moonlight was bright, the stone pathway smooth and open. Three long shadows stretched far behind them. Mi Shuhua walked with his hands clasped behind his back, resembling a wealthy old gentleman out for an evening stroll. Suddenly, he spoke. "Xiao Qin, that Foundation Establishment Pill is yours, so it stays yours. I will never embezzle it." Qin Liangchen paused, then gave a hearty laugh. "Even if others don't trust you, Gang Leader Mi, how could I doubt you? Saying things like that is far too distant between us." Ahead of them, the wealthy old gentleman's ruddy face was half-swallowed by shadow. *Gang Leader Mi?* *In the past, you always called me Old Man Mi!* *Sure enough, we've grown distant!* The corner of Mi Shuhua's mouth twitched, and his footsteps halted. Qin Liangchen froze, only to realize the man wasn't looking at him, but rather at his young companion. "Luo Chen, right?"