30: Express your true feelings

immortal brew truly lived up to its name.

Without using Spiritual Qi to expel the alcohol, Jiang Ning drank a few cups and actually felt a bit tipsy.

His voice grew a little louder.

This was because alcohol numbs a person's five senses somewhat.

When one's hearing is restricted, they tend to speak louder to ensure others hear them clearly, which is also why people with poor hearing speak louder.

"Huanhuan, drink less; this wine is quite intoxicating!"

Shen Jinhuan drank another cup.

It was the young girl's first time drinking, and such good wine at that. She couldn't gauge her limit and kept drinking cup after cup.

She also became a bit tipsy.

Jiang Ning looked at Shen Jinhuan like this, her delicate charm and cuteness fully evident.

He then recalled how she had been so cautious yet fierce when he first met her.

Jiang Ning was silent for a moment.

"Huanhuan?"

Shen Jinhuan flashed a smile.

"Hm?"

Jiang Ning sighed.

Riding the buzz of the alcohol, he wanted to say something.

"I'm telling you, I'm not your previous Master. Your previous Master and I are not the same person. Do you believe me?"

"Master, you've been Possessed!"

Shen Jinhuan, tipsy, still widened her eyes in surprise, looking adorable.

Jiang Ning chuckled, "No."

Hearing this answer, the young girl suddenly collapsed onto the table, as if she could no longer hold on.

"Then... then why... would you say that..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was inaudible.

Jiang Ning was amused.

This young girl fell asleep at the crucial moment.

He called for the waiter to settle the bill.

After coaxing the young girl to pay and Jiang Ning showing his golden invitation, the price of nine Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was discounted to six Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Afterward.

Jiang Ning squatted beside Shen Jinhuan, using Spiritual Qi to control the young girl as she leaned on his back.

Then he stood up and carried the young girl back.

What Jiang Ning didn't see was.

After he carried Shen Jinhuan on his back, the young girl's eyes squinted open a crack.

Feeling Jiang Ning's broad back.

Shen Jinhuan's eyes were filled with melancholy.

If it wasn't Possession, then how could they not be the same person?

She really wished Jiang Ning had just lied to her, saying he had Possessed that scoundrel from before... She wished, she wished so much... She truly couldn't bear to lose her current life.

Full and satisfied.

Jiang Ning, now free of any alcohol smell, carried Shen Jinhuan out of Lingwei Fresh.

That meal was very enjoyable; even after Jiang Ning reached the Golden Core Realm, he rarely indulged his appetite, yet he ate a lot.

The amount of spirit meat in that large pot would have been more than enough for four people on Earth, but he and Shen Jinhuan managed to finish it all.

This also included the spirit vegetable platter and a one-pound pot of immortal brew.

Jiang Ning carrying Shen Jinhuan attracted some curious glances.

Such sights were, after all, rare on the main street.

When they walked all the way home.

Jiang Ning looked at both sides.

The gate of Courtyard No. 7 was still locked, but the lock on Courtyard No. 9 was open.

However, everyone was renting and didn't live there permanently, so there was no need to go over and greet them.

He opened the young girl's side room.

It was very tidy inside, with no personal belongings of the young girl.

With a Storage Pouch, the young girl threw everything inside it.

He placed Shen Jinhuan on the bed.

When Jiang Ning left, the door closed with a soft sound.

As soon as he left.

Shen Jinhuan's eyes opened.

She was drunk, but not excessively so.

Recalling Jiang Ning's words, Shen Jinhuan could only rest, letting the drunkenness take its course.

In the afternoon.

Jiang Ning, sitting in the courtyard, heard the door open and looked over.

Shen Jinhuan was walking out of the room.

The young girl seemed to have completely forgotten their conversation before she got drunk.

Rubbing her eyes.

She asked innocently, "Revered Master, why didn't you call me? I haven't taken my medicinal bath today!"

"It's already prepared."

Jiang Ning waved his wide sleeve.

The prepared medicinal bath in a tub flew from his Storage Pouch into the young girl's room.

Shen Jinhuan then turned and went to take her medicinal bath.

Jiang Ning began to cultivate.

Under his unremitting efforts, his Realm finally improved.

[Name: Jiang Ning]

[Lifespan: 337]

[Realm: Golden Core Early Stage (1/100%)]

[Cultivation Technique: Azure Wave Art (Profound Rank Low Grade)]

That's right, it only increased by 1 percentage point.

"Every time I circulate the Azure Wave Art, the progress bar grows faster. Conversely, just idling makes it very slow.

If the logic that Cultivation Techniques boost cultivation also applies to the panel, then if I can obtain a higher-grade Cultivation Technique, will my cultivation progress be faster?"

Jiang Ning had been thinking about cultivation whenever he had free time recently.

During the Foundation Establishment Stage, circulating the Azure Wave Art would increase progress by 1% per hour; there was no reason for it to take three days to increase by 1% after reaching Golden Core.

He guessed that it wasn't just that Golden Core advancement required more Spiritual Qi, but also that the Cultivation Technique was somewhat mismatched with his Realm.

The Geniuses in those novels.

Either they obtained peerless Cultivation Techniques from the start.

Or their Cultivation Techniques could improve as their Realm advanced.

Or they were constantly replacing their Cultivation Techniques with better ones.

"In that case, obtaining a high-grade Cultivation Technique is actually the most cost-effective, because it provides continuous benefits."

"Secondly, I also need to quickly acquire Heaven And Earth Treasures that are beneficial for Golden Core Cultivators' cultivation. Although they are one-time consumables, a large quantity would be extraordinary."

Jiang Ning now had a clear idea.

Time passed quickly with Jiang Ning's cultivation and the young girl's Body Tempering.

In the evening.

Having eaten so much at noon, neither of them mentioned dinner.

The two of them left together, heading to the Lingwu Auction House.

When settling the bill, Jiang Ning had inquired with the waiter.

The auction house would hold auctions on the first, fifteenth, and thirtieth days of each lunar month.

Today was the twenty-ninth day of the sixth lunar month, a short month, so the auction would be held on the twenty-ninth of this month.

Except for items with explosive appeal, which would be advertised in advance and tickets sold, for other times, a list would be provided in advance, and the auction would begin at You Shi, which is 5 PM on Earth.

Those attending the auction could buy tickets and enter before the auction ended.

Jiang Ning and Shen Jinhuan walked together towards the center of Lingwu City.

After two quarters of an hour.

They arrived in front of a five-story octagonal building.

On the main entrance of the first floor of the octagonal building, a plaque hung.

On the black plaque, the two large characters "Lingwu" were very striking.

Shen Jinhuan wanted to stare at these two characters.

Jiang Ning quickly covered her eyes.

"Don't keep staring at them. These two characters contain a Golden Core Cultivator's understanding of the Dao. Staring for too long will make you fall into it!"

Shen Jinhuan suddenly understood.

Upon reaching the entrance, a receptionist, similar to a "ticket seller," introduced them to the facility.

The Lingwu Auction House had a total of five floors.

Only the first floor had open seating, and entry required a fee of ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

To go to the private rooms on the second to fifth floors, a fee of five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was required.

Jiang Ning naturally didn't want anyone to notice him, so he let the young girl pay.

The "ticket seller" took out a token inscribed with "318" and respectfully handed it to Jiang Ning.

They found private room number eighteen on the third floor and walked in.

Jiang Ning swept his Divine Sense and found the setup quite interesting.

The small private room contained two spell formations.

One was a concealment formation, capable of blocking others' Divine Sense, preventing them from peering into the room, and also effectively soundproofing it.

The other was an illusionary sound formation. Sound would emanate from the center of the formation at the room's window, and the illusionary sound formation would alter a person's voice.

This prevented others outside from identifying buyers through their voices.

Of course, the illusionary sound formation also served to gather external sounds into the room.

Jiang Ning walked to the window and looked down.

This thin, film-like, transparent window had a magnifying function, making everything on the auction stage appear very clear.

It was also one-way; people outside couldn't see inside, but those inside could see outside.

Even a small private room was designed with such thoughtfulness.

The three great families of Lingwu City, besides their powerful strength, also had a continuous stream of commercially savvy individuals within their clans.