178: The Three Poisons Ancestor was shocked

Lu Ping naturally possessed a loli-like appearance, her pretty face exceedingly delicate. Having just given birth, coupled with a hint of fear, her pitiful, charming demeanor was especially heart-wrenching. Liu Xuan feigned seriousness, a thought to tease her arising within him.

"Knowing too much isn't a good thing. Aren't you afraid your husband will kill you to silence you?"

Lu Ping's small face stiffened, then moments later turned into a pathetic expression. With a tearful voice, she said:

"Husband, kill me then. This concubine once intended to harm you, so being killed is my just desert."

She looked at the child in Liu Xuan's arms, "It's just a pity for my child. Born without a mother, who knows how much hardship he'll suffer in the future..."

"Stop!"

Liu Xuan quickly interrupted her.

He had forgotten that Lu Ping was not only clever but also possessed profound acting skills. If he let her continue freely, he would genuinely feel guilty later.

Lu Ping's lips secretly curved into an arc. She dared to ask such a sensitive question because she was certain Liu Xuan wouldn't actually kill her.

Having spent nearly a year together with multiple in-depth exchanges, she had long seen through Liu Xuan's nature of being soft to persuasion but not to coercion. As long as she was obedient, Liu Xuan would not only not kill her but would also give her many benefits.

Liu Xuan liked to disguise himself; many rumors from the outside were false, and there were many aspects she couldn't see through or understand.

But one thing she was very certain of was that Liu Xuan was truly lustful! For a beauty like her, as long as she didn't court death, he truly couldn't bear to kill her.

"Xu Bin is already my person and can be fully trusted. You will be responsible for the Nether Fire Sect's business with the Merchant Alliance from now on. You can instruct him to do anything without worries or reservations."

Liu Xuan took out a stack of ice blue soul-stabbing talismans. "From now on, the Talisman business will still be handled by you and Xu Bin."

It wasn't ideal for a man like Xu Bin to frequently enter and exit the Fledgling Eagle Courtyard, and Liu Xuan was too lazy to personally make the trip every time. It was more convenient to leave it to Lu Ping.

After publicly revealing his Seventh Layer of Qi Refining cultivation, Liu Xuan began to release a portion of Low Grade ice blue soul-stabbing talismans.

With his current Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation and Divine Sense comparable to the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, drawing Low Grade ice blue soul-stabbing talismans presented no difficulty.

He only needed to spend a little spare time drawing Talismans each day to draw several.

A single Low Grade ice blue soul-stabbing talisman was worth about one hundred Spirit Stones, equivalent to half the value of an ordinary Second-rank Low Grade Talisman. The profit was enormous, practically without cost, all pure profit.

If not for the scarcity of Materials, with only the Bai Family in Ice Blue Valley of the entire Red Pine Sect possessing them, Liu Xuan could support his entire Family just by drawing Talismans.

His success rate for drawing ice blue soul-stabbing talismans was one hundred percent. Coupled with the unique nature of this Talisman, his earning capability was no less than that of an ordinary Second-rank Talisman Master, easily able to support a Qi Refining Family.

Unfortunately, the Materials for the ice blue soul-stabbing talisman were scarce. Only the Bai Family in Ice Blue Valley of the entire Red Pine Sect possessed them, and the monthly output of Low Grade Materials was only about ten pieces. No matter how fast Liu Xuan drew, it was useless.

As for acquiring them from other regions, it was not only extremely troublesome but also required competing with other Talisman Revered Masters skilled in drawing Soul Talismans. For now, there was no real need, as Liu Xuan genuinely wasn't lacking Spirit Stones; he was even too lazy to draw Talismans.

While Liu Xuan and Lu Ping were chatting, the child in his arms must have cried himself out, as his voice slowly stopped.

The little fellow yawned, kicked his legs, and then curiously looked around and observed.

Liu Xuan hadn't noticed him when the baby was wailing, but when the crying suddenly stopped, Liu Xuan remembered him. He hadn't given him a name yet.

"You, little fellow, look intelligent at first glance. I'll call you... Liu Daorui!"

Feeling a little perfunctory, Liu Xuan looked at Lu Ping, "What do you think?"

Lu Ping didn't place much importance on names and nodded, "Whatever Husband decides is fine."

...Nether Fire Sect.

Three Poisons Peak.

When Lu Ping gave birth, the Three Poisons Ancestor happened to emerge from her seclusion.

She reclined on the throne in the main hall, dressed in a crimson gown, her posture languid and casual, exuding full charm, yet without any hint of affectation; everything was so natural.

Suddenly, her gaze casually fell upon a Disciple below, and she asked, "Xu Bin, where is Lu Ping? Where did she go? Your Revered Master has come out of seclusion several times but hasn't seen her."

The Three Poisons Ancestor's real name was Zi Ling. Among all her Disciples, Lu Ping was her most satisfactory. This girl not only had the best talent but was also clever, able to complete everything she was instructed to do.

She had been in seclusion several times this past year, and each time she emerged, she hadn't seen this girl. She suddenly became a little curious.

Xu Bin bowed respectfully and said, "Reporting to Revered Master, Senior Sister is currently handling affairs in Yongning of the Red Pine Sect and is temporarily unable to leave."

"She wrote to you to report the situation; you might not have read it."

"Oh?"

Zi Ling suddenly recalled that there indeed seemed to be such a thing, but she hadn't paid attention at the time and hadn't read the letter at all!

Lu Ping was her most valued Disciple, but this valuing was also relative; in reality, these Disciples were merely her subordinates.

Therefore, apart from letters reporting important situations, whether she read other ordinary reports depended entirely on her mood.

If someone used a minor matter as important intelligence to send her a letter, they would be heavily punished afterward.

She gave a look to the Disciple responsible for miscellaneous affairs on Three Poisons Peak, who immediately understood and quickly retrieved the letters Lu Ping had sent her.

Zi Ling opened them with interest, extremely curious as to why Lu Ping had gone to the Red Pine Sect and not returned.

Lu Ping had sent several letters, delivered at different times.

The first letter detailed her and Xu Bin's purpose in going to Yongning, including how they obtained the ice blue soul-stabbing talismans from Yu Lie and Yu Feng.

In the second letter, Lu Ping mainly explained her reason for staying in Yongning, reporting her safety and telling her Revered Master not to worry about her.

The style of the subsequent letters suddenly changed, mostly praising a Cultivator named Liu Xuan, and constantly describing Liu Xuan's potential and value, hoping to facilitate cooperation between her and Liu Xuan.

Zi Ling's willow-like brows slightly furrowed. Had this girl betrayed her and not wanted to return? Or had she been controlled by someone?

As her mood changed, purple mist drifted within the great hall. The Disciples below quickly held their breath, simultaneously using their spiritual power to seal off their bodies' exchange of Qi with the outside world.

The entire Three Poisons Peak mountain was highly poisonous. Even if they sealed their Qi and had protective tokens bestowed by the Three Poisons Ancestor, they could at most stay on the mountain for half a day, otherwise the poison would still slowly seep into their bodies.

'ice blue soul-stabbing talisman, Liu Xuan, Personal Disciple of Ancestor Qingyun...'

Zi Ling's first reaction was that Ancestor Qingyun, that old man, wanted to find a way out for the Lin Family through her, so as to preserve a part of the Lin Family after Immortal Revered Master Xiao's lifespan ended.

But upon closer thought, it didn't seem right. She remembered that Ancestor Qingyun was not skilled in Soul Talismans, and if he truly wanted to do that, he should have contacted her directly, not controlled her Disciple.

There was also the most important point: her identity was special, and she could even be said to be unable to protect herself. If Lin Qingyun really wanted to preserve the Lin Family, it was impossible for him to come to her.

Putting all that aside for now, she looked at Xu Bin and asked, "You are responsible for cooperating with that Yongning Merchant Alliance. How much can you earn in roughly a year?"

Xu Bin pondered and calculated for a moment, then replied, "Including the ice blue soul-stabbing talismans, it should be about ten thousand Spirit Stones a year!"

Zi Ling's expression darkened slightly, "I'm talking about profit, not transaction volume!"

Xu Bin nodded solemnly, "Reporting to Revered Master, I am indeed talking about profit!"

Zi Ling was stunned!

The other Disciples in the great hall were also stunned, looking at Xu Bin in disbelief.