27: reunion

Talisman Masters Small Building.

Liu Xuan went through the motions as usual, drew two Talismans, exchanged some experience with Qin Yun, and prepared to leave in less than an hour.

"Liu Xuan! Do you have time right now?"

Yan Qingyao walked to Liu Xuan's side and said, "I've booked a table at Wangxian Restaurant. Ye Xun, Zhao Li, and Chang Dan have all promised to come over in a while."

Liu Xuan remembered the gathering Yan Qingyao had mentioned before.

"Sure!"

Liu Xuan had nothing else to do, and it didn't matter if he Cultivated a little later, so he agreed.

Yan Qingyao and Liu Xuan walked side by side, leaving the Talisman Masters Small Building together.

"Shameless couple!!"

Zhang Ye, who had been keeping an eye on Yan Qingyao's movements, cursed angrily in his heart!

He had been pursuing Yan Qingyao for over half a year, but this woman had always been indifferent to him. He had thought she was naturally cold and aloof, but it turned out she was simply cold and aloof towards him.

"Inner Sect Disciple, are you!"

"Just you wait! Once I reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, I'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with you both!"

...

Wangxian Restaurant.

The building was dozens of meters high, with carved beams and painted pillars, looking magnificent. It was a property of the Dual Cultivation Hall.

"Miss Qingyao is generous. A private room on the seventh floor can't be cheap, right?"

Liu Xuan said, looking around at the environment of the private room and the dishes on the table that were suffused with Spiritual Qi.

Wangxian Restaurant was the largest restaurant in the Outer Sect. Even the most ordinary table in the first-floor hall cost one Spirit Stone.

Liu Xuan had come here once before with Lin Xue'er. At that time, Liu Xuan didn't have much money, so they only stayed on the first floor. The seventh floor was the top floor, so it probably wouldn't cost less than ten Spirit Stones.

"It can't compare to you, great Talisman Revered Master Liu. These few Spirit Stones of mine were all saved through frugality."

There was envy in Yan Qingyao's eyes as she looked at Liu Xuan. A First-Rank Talisman Master—she didn't know how long it would take for her to reach Liu Xuan's current level.

"Miss Qingyao, you're short on Spirit Stones?"

Liu Xuan looked disbelieving: "You have a fourth-grade Spiritual Root and entered the Inner Sect during the Outer Sect assessment. I heard you're even a Disciple of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A few measly Spirit Stones shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Sigh!"

Yan Qingyao sighed.

"It's not that simple!"

"I am merely a Named Disciple of my Revered Master. Aside from rewards like an Immortal Cave and Magical Artifacts, my monthly stipend is only ten Spirit Stones!"

"If I don't reach the Middle Stage of Qi Refining in two years, it will be halved the following year. If I still haven't broken through the year after that, it will be halved again, until there is no stipend left."

Ten Spirit Stones a month, one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones a year!

Liu Xuan didn't know what to say! He had never even heard of such a thing as a stipend.

He didn't get a stipend when he became a high-ranking Outer Sect Disciple in the Talisman Hall, and he didn't get one now that he was an Inner Sect Disciple.

There were disparities even among Inner Sect Disciples. For a Genius like Yan Qingyao who had the potential to become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Sect did offer preferential treatment.

The other three hadn't arrived yet, so Liu Xuan and Yan Qingyao started chatting.

After a while, a scholarly man wearing a green robe was led in by the waiter.

"Senior Brother Liu, Senior Sister Yan, long time no see!"

Ye Xun cupped his hands in greeting, a faint smile on his face.

He had long wanted to meet with his former fellow townsman, but since Yan Qingyao and Liu Xuan were now distinguished Inner Sect Disciples, it would inevitably lead to misunderstandings if he took the initiative to approach them.

"What Senior Brother and Senior Sister? There are no outsiders here, just call us by our names!"

Yan Qingyao gestured for Ye Xun to take a seat and said, "Zhao Li and Chang Dan haven't arrived yet, so let's wait a while."

"I heard you joined the Spirit Plant Hall, Ye Xun. The Spirit Plant Hall is good—stable!"

Ye Xun nodded and smiled bitterly: "It is indeed stable, but it's just earning some hard-earned money."

"I spent a year learning to plant Red Lotus Spirit Rice, and only passed the assessment last month, earning the qualification to rent one mu of First-Rank Low Grade spirit farmland."

Red Lotus Spirit Rice, a First-Rank Low Grade spirit rice, could be eaten directly or used as an ingredient in Alchemy.

Most importantly, it contained a large amount of qi and blood, which had the benefit of nourishing the Physical Body. This was the kind of spirit rice Liu Xuan had been eating recently.

"Brother Ye, how do you usually sell the Red Lotus Spirit Rice you grow?" Liu Xuan asked.

"We sell it to the Dual Cultivation Hall, usually at 70% of the market price, about seven to eight silver coins per jin," Ye Xun replied.

"I see!"

Liu Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I need one thousand jin. I'll buy it from you at 80% of the market price. Is that possible?"

"One thousand jin!!"

Ye Xun didn't rush to agree, but asked curiously: "Why does Brother Liu want to buy so much spirit rice?"

Opening a spirit rice shop in the city or within the Sect required paying high taxes. If Liu Xuan wanted to resell it for profit, he probably wouldn't make any money.

"To eat myself. I don't know Alchemy."

"Eat it yourself? One thousand jin?!?"

Ye Xun suspected he had misheard.

This was First-Rank Low Grade spirit rice, not ordinary rice. Even if he really ate it as a meal, he couldn't eat that much.

"Uh..."

"Well... my family has a lot of people!"

Actually, the number of people was secondary; the main reason was that Liu Xuan himself ate a lot. He had discovered that eating Red Lotus Spirit Rice was more effective for Cultivation than taking qi and blood pills, and it was also more cost-effective.

Even if he hadn't met Ye Xun today, he would have gone to the Spirit Plant Hall to purchase a large quantity after some time.

One thousand jin of Red Lotus Spirit Rice was a deal worth eighty Spirit Stones. Ye Xun could earn nearly ten extra Spirit Stones from it, so he quickly discussed the details with Liu Xuan.

While the two were discussing, a black-robed man with an unremarkable appearance and a calm expression entered the door.

"Zhao Li, greetings to all Fellow Daoists!"

Yan Qingyao's eyes lit up, and she smiled: "Zhao Li is here! Quickly, take a seat!"

Yan Qingyao had organized this gathering mainly to befriend Zhao Li; Liu Xuan was only secondary.

Zhao Li, like Yan Qingyao, was a Disciple of the Spell Hall. Although he was only an Outer Sect Disciple, he had been promoted to a high-ranking Outer Sect Disciple within a year, and his cultivation had broken through to the second level of Qi Refining half a year ago.

If nothing went wrong, he would be able to become an Inner Sect Disciple within two or three years.

Unlike the others, Zhao Li was a pure Spell Cultivator who spent all year roaming around with the Law Enforcement Hall, doing life-risking work.

Murder and arson lead to golden belts!

For Cultivators like them at the bottom with no background, Zhao Li's future was the most promising.

Of course!

The probability of an early death was also the highest for him.

At the same time, Chang Dan also arrived. She was relatively silent; she greeted everyone upon entering and then sat in her seat without saying much.

With everyone present, the banquet began. Yan Qingyao livened up the atmosphere, talking about interesting events from their time at the Dao Academy.

Liu Xuan couldn't remember many of those things, so he could only chime in.

Turning his head to look at Zhao Li, who also seemed uninterested, Liu Xuan asked:

"Brother Zhao, I heard that things in Yongning are a bit chaotic right now. Have you been back to check?"

Zhao Li was silent for a moment before nodding: "I am working in Yongning with the Law Enforcement Hall. It is indeed a bit chaotic there."

"Oh!"

Liu Xuan became more interested and continued to ask: "I heard that a Spirit Stone mine was discovered at the border, and two Foundation Establishment Families are fighting over it?"

Zhao Li nodded without offering much explanation.

Liu Xuan thought for a moment, but couldn't help asking: "I've heard some rumors; I don't know if they are true or false..."

Zhao Li suddenly became serious and interrupted: "Brother Liu, there is no need to talk about rumors. Neither you nor I can afford the consequences!"