Liu Xiangyu had never dared to reveal her true identity to Xu An, so the two had never officially registered their marriage.
Xu An was not one to fuss over formalities. If his wife was unwilling, then so be it; it made no difference to him.
The moment those words were spoken, the three maidservants' eyes lit up.
All this time, Xu An and Liu Xiangyu had addressed each other as husband and wife, yet who would have thought they had never registered at all?
Indeed, to register a marriage at the yamen, one had to at least verify both parties' identities.
Their benefactor did not know Liu Xiangyu was a snake demon, which meant they had not yet registered.
*Then what kind of primary wife are you?*
Since Liu Xiangyu had not registered, did that not mean everyone was standing at the exact same starting line?
A master truly was a master, capable of spotting issues they could never see.
"As for the four of you taking turns having relations with Patron Xu, thereby causing his yang qi deficiency, that lies beyond this poor monk's abilities."
"However, this senior brother of mine can resolve your predicament."
Shi Chan solemnly introduced Meng Jingzhou.
"This senior brother holds yang-boosting blood in his hands, which Patron Liu is surely not unfamiliar with."
"Patron Xu is a mortal. A single drop of yang-boosting blood must be diluted a thousandfold before it can be ingested. For the long term, this poor monk suggests the four of you purchase a few drops."
With a stiff face, Meng Jingzhou produced small vials containing his yang-boosting blood one after another.
"One hundred thousand spirit stones per drop."
Price-gouging on the spot.
After how well it had sold on the black market, Meng Jingzhou had realized he was selling himself short.
This was blood from the greatest Bachelor Spiritual Root since antiquity. It bolstered yang, nourished the kidneys, prolonged life, warded off all poisons, enhanced memory, and improved one's constitution. It was a treasure money could hardly buy. Was one hundred thousand spirit stones a drop expensive? Not in the slightest!
"I'll buy five drops!"
Liu Xiangyu threw caution to the wind. These three maidservants clearly saw an opening and intended to vie with her for the position of primary wife.
If she lost her status as his legal wife and had to compete with three maids over turns in bed in the future, then whoever bought more blood today would have the greatest leverage tomorrow.
"I'll take six drops!" Xiao Cui shouted. Business at the barbecue shop was booming, and as the shop manager, she received massive commissions, making her the wealthiest of the four.
"I... I'll buy three drops," Xiao Zhu said, lacking confidence. She came from wild, unorthodox cultivation and did not have many spirit stones.
As for Xiao Qiu, she had it the worst. She was merely an artifact spirit and did not possess a single spirit stone.
Meng Jingzhou left behind fourteen small vials, put the rest away, and collected 1.4 million spirit stones in the process.
*Tch. Earning spirit stones like this brings zero sense of achievement.*
"Then this poor monk shall return with my senior brothers to Patron Xu's room and wait until dawn."
"May I trouble you four patrons to clean up the traces of battle in the courtyard?"
Xiao Zhu had conjured a snowfall, leaving the courtyard so cold it still made one shiver.
A few hours later, Xu An woke up feeling remarkably refreshed.
"Did the three masters make any progress last night? I feel much more spirited getting out of bed today."
Meng Jingzhou thought to himself, *Of course you do. If you hadn't drunk my yang-boosting blood, after sleeping with a ghost, a demon, and an artifact spirit last night, you'd be too drained to even lift your head off the pillow today.*
"Amitābha. We achieved some success last night, and the problem has been resolved. You will no longer suffer from yang qi deficiency in the future, Patron."
Delight showed on Xu An's brow. The experts Brother Zhong Ming recommended truly were capable. "Masters, thank you for your hard work. Regarding the fee..."
"Five hundred taels of silver will suffice."
Xu An was startled—not because it was expensive, but because it was shockingly cheap.
He had sought out so many renowned figures without resolving the issue, yet these masters had cured it in a single night and asked for merely five hundred taels of silver?
To someone who possessed his parents' inheritance, five hundred taels of silver was nothing.
"Then the reason for my persistent lethargy all this time... what was it exactly?"
"When the karmic time arrives, Patron will understand naturally."
"Ah, I see."
Xu An mused that masters always loved speaking in mysterious Chan riddles.
Straightening his clothes, Xu An prepared to eat breakfast and return to studying the classics of the sages.
The moment he stepped out the door, he saw his wife and the three maidservants standing neatly before him.
The four women spoke in unison:
"Husband / Benefactor / Master, the truth is, there is something I have kept from you all along."
"Actually, I am a snake demon / ghost cultivator / fox demon / artifact spirit."
Each displaying her supernatural nature, the four revealed their true forms: a white serpent dozens of zhang long, a ghost cultivator surrounded by gusts of yin wind, a fluffy white fox, and an artifact spirit blurring into the form of a jade pendant.
Xu An's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Lu Yang sighed. The man's nerves really were too fragile.
Still, whatever followed had nothing to do with them.
Taking advantage of the sparse morning crowds on the streets, the three returned to their inn.
A pair of hidden eyes silently watched their figures vanish into the inn before turning to instruct subordinates:
"Inform the lord. The targets have returned to the inn; we can make our move."
After a night of chaos, even the three cultivators felt fatigued and in need of proper rest.
About half an hour later, a knock sounded at Lu Yang's door.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?"
Lu Yang sat cross-legged and opened his eyes, still feeling somewhat groggy and not fully rested.
Who was looking for him?
Extending his divine sense, he discovered many people standing in the corridor. Judging from their attire, they belonged to the yamen.
Lu Yang stood up and opened the door. Outside stood a somewhat portly, middle-aged man.
Upon seeing Lu Yang, a warm smile spread across the man's face.
"You must be Nephew Lu Yang of the Dao Seeking Sect. Allow me to introduce myself: my surname is Liu, and I am the City Lord of Chunjiang City."
Lu Yang blinked. How did the City Lord know he was here?
Then it hit him—when he was showing off in front of Boss Hong, he had shouted his own name! It must have come out during Boss Hong's interrogation!
Damn it. Back then, he had only cared about acting cool and hadn't considered the aftermath.
City Lord Liu also summoned Meng Jingzhou and Shi Chan from next door, inviting them both into Lu Yang's room.
City Lord Liu said warmly, "For the three nephews to arrive in Chunjiang City without even giving word—you truly treat me as an outsider."
"Might the three of you be here on a sect mission?"
"Amitābha. This poor monk and my companions came to Chunjiang City merely for personal matters."
Hearing it was personal business, City Lord Liu's smile broadened. "If you three nephews don't mind, why not come to my manor tonight for an informal meal?"
*Personal business is fantastic! I'll help you resolve it quickly so I can send you on your way posthaste.*
Lu Yang suddenly spoke up. "We originally came for personal business, but while in Chunjiang City, we happened to uncover clues concerning a demonic cult."
Hearing 'demonic cult,' City Lord Liu visibly tensed. "Do you require me to dispatch men to assist?"
Lu Yang shook his head, declining City Lord Liu's offer, and said solemnly, "We are conducting a covert investigation. If the yamen gets involved, the situation will become complicated and risk startling the snake."
"Based on existing clues, we have discovered traces of Nine Nether Cult activity in Chunjiang City that have persisted for some time. We initially deduce the ringleader is a ghost cultivator fond of draining men's yang qi. One man has already fallen victim. Fortunately, we arrived in time to avert disaster and save his life."
"Furthermore, we discovered that this ghost cultivator was involved in a chaotic battle among four Nascent Soul cultivators, where various factions clashed without yielding an inch. The situation is extremely convoluted."
"Senior Brother Shi Chan, isn't that so?"
"Amitābha. A monastic does not speak falsehoods; what Senior Brother Lu Yang said is entirely true."
Chapter 670