293: Young Master Wang

"Young Master, the person has been brought."

Before their eyes was a massive, semi-circular space.

The floor was paved with third-tier Materials, Bright Spirit Wood, and on both sides hung calligraphy and paintings that exuded Buddhist tranquility, clearly created by a Master of the Buddhist Sect.

The surroundings were arranged like a garden landscape, with small trees resembling pines but covered in red maple leaves planted along the walls. Natural Hot Spring Water flowed beneath the trees, slowly pouring into the side Hot Spring Pool.

Where the water flowed, a faint white mist arose, containing not only water vapor but also fresh and dense Spiritual Qi.

Directly in front of Mo Ran was a red pavilion, next to which sat a massive square table, appearing quite out of place.

Across the table sat a young man dressed in a loose red robe, with dark golden long hair, a thin face, and dark circles under his eyes.

He had the typical appearance of an Eastern Domain person; compared to people from the other three domains, his features were rougher and more three-dimensional.

This exotic attire, placed in a Southern Desert-style environment, gave off a ridiculous sense of a monkey dressed in a hat.

Especially since the Southern Desert always prided itself on the Righteous Path, showing near zero tolerance for Evil Paths, even forcing local Cultivators to frequently venture out for experience.

It was truly ironic that such an awe-inspiring cultural style was being used by the guy in front of them—who didn't look like a good person at first glance—to decorate his own territory.

The young man casually waved, signaling Mo Ran to sit down.

Mo Ran originally wanted to remain standing, but seeing the Hook-Nosed Elder slowly walk behind him, he had no choice but to step forward and sit on the Stone Stool.

Young Master Wang across from him was heartily eating a medium-rare Steak, its surface still smeared with blood.

With every bite, he sprinkled on some Seasoning Powder.

It was noon outside the huge Floor-to-Ceiling Window behind him, and the sunlight streaming in ironically made the interior appear dim.

Young Master Wang, with his back to the light, was clearly bathed in brightness, yet his face was hidden in shadow, as if he were in darkness.

His elegant movements, viewed against the backlight, seemed to Mo Ran like those of a Vampire Bat.

Even though he wiped his mouth with a snow-white Handkerchief after every bite, Mo Ran still felt as if blood had soaked his entire body.

"Ah, comfortable."

Having eaten down to only one-third of the Steak, Young Master Wang leaned back against the chair without any concern for his image and snapped his fingers.

An Attendant wearing a Black Mask and a Tuxedo suddenly appeared, took the dinner plate, and then vanished into a Black Whirlwind.

Core Formation Master! This person must be a Core Formation Master!

To think that a dignified Core Formation Cultivator could only serve as an Attendant—what Realm must that Hook-Nosed Elder be in?

"You came too late."

"While waiting for you, I completed Cultivation twice, yet you still hadn't arrived."

"I got a bit hungry waiting, so I had to eat in front of a guest. You don't mind, do you?"

"I don't mind."

Mo Ran minded very much, feeling slightly nauseous.

After Qing Xuan's previous warning, he already knew what kind of Ghostly Things were in that corridor, and now it was hard for him not to associate the meat he just saw with those things.

"Although I say that, Manners are still necessary. Would you like a portion of what I just ate?"

Young Master Wang made a gesture to snap his fingers again, but Mo Ran spoke first.

"Young Master Wang!"

Realizing his voice was too loud, he immediately lowered his tone.

"Young Master Wang, let's discuss Business first."

Young Master Wang raised an eyebrow, but didn't get angry, merely waving his hand.

"Alright, looks like you won't have this Good Fortune."

"This is top-grade Snow Plum Blossom. Although not expensive, it is seasonal."

"If you don't want to eat it, then forget it."

However, he still snapped his fingers.

The Black Whirlwind appeared again. Another Attendant, similar in stature but with a different aura, walked forward holding a Jade Vase.

"You can skip the food, but you must have a drink, right?"

"I happen to be thirsty too."

"Please try the Spiritual Wine I brewed myself. This is an '82 Vintage."

The Attendant, wearing White Gloves, waved his hand, and a brand new set of Glass Tea Ware was placed on the table.

He channeled his Magic Power, placed one cup in front of Mo Ran, and then carefully took out three cups, arranging them sequentially in front of Young Master Wang.

Next, the Attendant first poured the wine into the large cup.

The wine was bright red, and its texture was unlike ordinary liquid; it was closer to gelatin, gently bouncing twice like jelly when poured into the cup before settling.

After filling the large cup, the Attendant immediately activated the Formation on the cup.

The moment the Formation lit up, the previously odorless wine emitted a Faint Fragrance, but Mo Ran couldn't distinguish what kind of scent it was.

The Attendant then transferred the wine from the large cup to the medium cup, where another Formation lit up, and then poured it from the medium cup into the small cup.

After three procedures, the originally gelatinous wine seemed to have melted, still retaining some chewiness but becoming closer to a liquid.

On Mo Ran's side, the Attendant simply filled his cup with wine, with no further steps.

Young Master Wang picked up the Glass Cup and gently swirled it.

The bright red liquid in the cup reflected the sunlight, rippling with an alluring red glow.

He couldn't help but narrow his eyes, carefully sniffing the aroma.

"The culture of the Eastern Domain simply lacks the Concept of your Outer Domains."

"I just love that vibe in your Outer Domains where every artifact exudes Ancient Charm and cultural feeling."

"Of course, more importantly, they are more expensive."

Having said that, he smiled and raised his cup toward Mo Ran.

Mo Ran understood this meant he should drink. Although he couldn't refuse in this situation, he still mentally asked Qing Xuan a question first.

"Senior, was that meat truly Snow Plum Blossom?"

"Judging by the Flesh and Blood Texture, the Muscle Structure, and the Spiritual Qi emitted, it's eighty percent likely to be Snow Plum Blossom, and the quality is not low."

Mo Ran secretly sighed in relief, calmed his emotions, and also extended his cup forward.

Unexpectedly, Young Master Wang suddenly moved his cup away.

Mo Ran was confused, but the other party gently tapped the rim of his cup against the bottom of Mo Ran's cup, then revealed a wicked smile and downed the drink in one gulp.

"Don't you have a 'Drinking Table Culture' in your Outer Domains?"

"When clinking glasses, the rim of the cup belonging to the person of higher status must be lower than that of the person of lower status. This allows the higher-status party to tap the glasses in a Gesture of Support, demonstrating Magnanimity and Breadth of Mind."

"You're an Outer Domain person, how do you know less about it than I do?"

Young Master Wang shook his head smugly, looking pleased.

Mo Ran was utterly confused by this. He had certainly heard of this drinking etiquette, but why were the rules the other party mentioned different from what he knew?

Isn't it usually the person Proposing the Toast whose cup rim is lower?

Before Mo Ran could say this aloud, Young Master Wang preemptively attacked.

"What, holding your cup and not drinking? Are you looking down on me?"

The Hook-Nosed Elder immediately released a wisp of Qi.

Mo Ran's body tensed up, his pores contracted, and he quickly tilted his head back to down the wine.

Rather than drinking the wine, it was more like eating it.

The wine, which hadn't gone through the three processes of refinement, was slippery like jelly upon entering his mouth.

But he couldn't be bothered to savor it, swallowing the whole thing down in one gulp.

The jelly-like wine instantly dissolved the moment it reached his throat. In a daze, he seemed to hear a soft sigh, though he wasn't sure if it was an illusion.

"Good, that was satisfying!" Young Master Wang clapped and laughed.

At the same time, Mo Ran noticed changes in his body. After drinking this cup of wine, his Cultivation actually advanced by one level, and the Wine's Power hadn't dissipated, still circulating within his body.

Seeing Mo Ran's astonished expression, Young Master Wang laughed heartily.

"How is it? The Spiritual Wine I personally brewed is good, right? The higher your Cultivation, the better we can negotiate the Transaction."

Young Master Wang immediately flicked a Gilded Business Card onto the table in front of Mo Ran.

Mo Ran recovered from the daze of his Cultivation Breakthrough and picked up the Gilded Business Card from the Stone Table.

"This humble one is Wang Erde, full name Wang Erde Grace."

"Welcome to my Company, and congratulations on making a decision you won't regret."

Another snap of the fingers.

This time, the Hook-Nosed Elder presented a Blank Contract and placed it in front of Mo Ran.

"As agreed before, give me your Spiritual Root, and supply me with one drop of Heart Blood every seven days."

"The Contract is here. Name your conditions; as long as they aren't excessive, I can sign anytime."

Mo Ran looked at the Contract before him, then at Wang Erde across the table, who was wearing what he believed to be a gentle smile.

Mo Ran's usually sluggish brain experienced a rare moment of clarity.

Mo Ran pressed down on the Contract and pushed it forward.

"I can't sign right now."

"You!"

Upon hearing Mo Ran say this, Wang Erde's previously amiable face instantly became ferocious. He then slammed his palm onto the Stone Table, preparing to stand up.

"Cough, cough."

A light cough came from behind Mo Ran.

Wang Erde first showed a flash of disdain, then sat back down, though his smile became even more fake.

"What is... the meaning of this?"