35-43

B2 - Chapter 35

"Sold! To our impatient guest!" Xia Qing cheered, though she didn't forget to add a slight admonishment. "For future lots you wish to bid on, please wait until I officially open the bidding."

William winced when a hand firmly gripped his shoulder. "Senior Yang, I can return most of the Spirit Stones."

"Is that what you think?" Lan Yang sounded suspiciously calm. He glanced at the older cultivator's expression to see the frightening blankness it possessed.

"The next lot will be brought on stage after a short break! In the meantime—"

"Come with me, Junior Wei," Lan Yang might have made that sound like a request, but how he practically dragged William showed this was not an option.

With the way most people on the Red Floor were staring at him, William wasn't sure what was safer. To stay out there or enter their reserved room for more privacy with a clearly infuriated Lan Yang.

… He was trying to fool himself. Of course, it was better to be where there were plenty of witnesses. Of all the stupid things he had done, having the audacity to spend thousands of Spirit Stones when clearly instructed not to might top the list.

Especially when the Spirit Stones were borrowed.

William tensed when the door shut behind them, and Lan Yang turned to face him. This time, his expression wasn't blank. It showed a nearly murderous rage.

"Mentors are supposed to welcome their juniors into the Inner Court," Lan Yang said with clenched fists. "Only I have had the pleasure of a junior having the confidence to rob me blind."

"I know this looks bad, but I have a plan, Senior Yang," William backed away, terrified that fists would be thrown. Rightfully so.

"Three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones," Lan Yang gritted out. "An amount that most would literally kill for. If you weren't my junior, I would have taken your life… I still might if you don't give me a satisfactory explanation."

He didn't want to point out that he was trying to explain but wasn't being heard. That would just be poking an already enraged dragon.

"I know the owners of the martial skill! It'll be fine if I can talk to them," William blurted out.

That gave Lan Yang some pause, his anger no longer rising to new heights. He opened his mouth briefly before shaking his head and changing his mind.

"Go. Now. The owners can leave immediately since the auction hall pays them the winning bid from my deposit. If you can't fix this before the bracelet—" Lan Yang took a deep breath. "I recommend you make yourself scarce until I don't feel like taking your head. Give it a hundred years."

With that, Lan Yang turned away in disgust and stormed back to the bidding area, leaving William alone.

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[Quest: Recover Lan Yang's Spirit Stones]

[Information: You have been reckless and used Lan Yang's Spirit Stones for your own benefit. Instead of exacting deserved punishment, Lan Yang has given you a chance to return enough Spirit Stones for him to get the item he desires. Do this before Xia Qing brings the Soul Binding Bracelet on stage.]

[Reward: ?]

[Penalty: Loss of Lan Yang as mentor | Loss of reputation with Lan Yin | Loss of reputation with Elder Yu]

[Accept: Y/N]

[Warning: Declining the quest will be the same as failing the quest]

He skimmed the details as he rushed out of the room toward the lower floor. He didn't need the quest to tell him there was limited time to act.

[Quest Accepted | Recover Lan Yang's Spirit Stones]

William didn't have an option other than to take the quest. He exited the hallway and entered the main chamber, ignoring the crowd mingling during the auction break. His eyes searched for Fatty Xu, the most noticeable of the trio that he had seen from the Red Floor.

"Hey, you're the one that just won the Heavenly Thunder Scripture."

He frowned as he glanced at the man speaking to him, not in the mood for pleasantries.

"I was wondering why Senior Xia let your poor etiquette go so easily. You're one of us!" The man continued to speak.

William had disabled the basic status the system usually showed him due to the sheer number of people in the auction hall. The absence of it above the man's head made him want to facepalm.

That would be one way he could find them quicker. He turned it on.

It was a mistake.

The burst of blue text was so jumbled up that he could barely read the letters if they were too far from him. Entirely useless for finding Wang Xiaoling, who wasn't in his line of sight.

"Look, how about we make a deal. I have some seniors at Sentinel Peak who will really appreciate that martial skill. You know how hard it is to gain their ear. This is your chance."

William blinked, having completely forgotten about the man trying to talk to him. If it wasn't for the idiotic sentence he had just heard, he would have walked away without paying closer attention.

Blue robes. No marks on the sleeves. Slightly pudgy face with a comically untrustworthy look in his eyes.

This man wasn't part of the Jade Healing Sect. And he was making a hilariously lousy attempt at swindling him. Forget that there were so many red flags, William didn't even have the martial skill yet for him to take.

"Get out of my way," William shoved past the man, ignoring the indignant squawk he let out.

William would have wondered why someone like that was inside the auction hall, but he didn't get the chance. He saw plenty of people looking his way, having far too similar looks in their eyes.

Seemed like there were swindlers aplenty in the auction hall, and nobody batted an eye. He followed suit and ignored them as he returned to searching for his targets.

More of the swindlers tried to get his attention, but he knew better than to waste his time to listen. It took a few seconds before he finally found the large form of Fatty Xu.

He was near the exit.

William moved as fast as he could without sprinting. He was aware he drew some looks, but he was more concerned that Fatty Xu would somehow disappear.

A silly fear, but Fatty Xu was a strange being in the first place. He didn't forget that the large man was one of the few living beings for which the system didn't show a basic status.

William smiled when he had an unobstructed view of Fatty Xu. Li Jie and Wang Xiaoling were right beside him.

"Sister Xiaoling!" William called out happily, for many reasons.

One is that Lan Yang wouldn't murder him out of anger after he got the Spirit Stones. And the other, the look he expected from the queen of misers as she handed him her precious money. It was her own fault for taking startup money from him.

"Brat?!" Wang Xiaoling said with shock, stopping William in his tracks.

He had forgotten how abrasive the woman was. What an excellent way to greet him after so long…

"Brat?" William's smile turned into a smirk as he brushed his shoulders, drawing attention to his sleeves. "Is that how you greet an inner disciple of the Jade Healing Sect?"

B2 - Chapter 36

When Wang Xiaoling stared at him with an open mouth, he thought he finally had one over her. Unfortunately, that feeling of superiority didn't last long.

"Only a bit of time away, and you already talked back to me?" Wang Xiaoling growled.

William wasn't surprised that she became more aggressive. That was almost a given. What did surprise him was the headlock he found himself in.

He had initially tried to carefully escape the embarrassing situation he found himself in. He was mindful that Wang Xiaoling was a mortal, and he was a foundation establishment cultivator.

Too strong of a movement might seriously injure her. At least, that was William's reasoning to try to be gentle when pushing her away.

"Don't test me, brat!" Wang Xiaoling rubbed his hair roughly. "You think you're some fancy cultivator just because you're an inner disciple? Ha! You make me laugh!"

"What have you been eating for the past few months!" William threw away the foolish thought of being careful and put more strength into his struggle.

It did nothing.

"You disrespect me, and now you're calling me a glutton?" Wang Xiaoling switched from rubbing his hair to digging her knuckles into his skull.

... It actually hurt.

William wasn't sure what to think at this point. First, Princess Jin had gained a ridiculous power-up that immediately put her in the nascent soul realm. Now, Wang Xiaoling had somehow gotten strong enough to still manhandle him.

Maybe he should have insisted on accompanying Wang Xiaoling on her merchant path instead.

"Xiaoling, you might actually hurt the kid at this rate."

William immediately took a step back when Li Jie's warning released him from his prison, just out of reach of Wang Xiaoling's arms. He patted his hair as he enabled the basic system status for the trio. With the strength the crazy woman showed, he needed the numbers, the exact amount of change they went through.

[Name: Wang Xiaoling | Level: 3]

[Name: Li Jie | Level: 23]

Fatty Xu still didn't have a basic status. William didn't expect that to change in the first place. Li Jie had gone from a mortal to the second level of the Qi gathering realm, which was an improvement but nothing close to what he had experienced in the past few months.

The issue was Wang Xiaoling. She was still at level three. There was no change at all. That should have been impossible, not with how she manhandled him.

He tried to use [Observe].

[The skill Observe is not available on target]

William already knew what would happen if he tried to use [Detailed Observe]. But he had to.

[Spiritual Energy insufficient for Detailed Observe on target]

It felt like it had been ages since he thought about the odd quirk Wang Xiaoling had. He remembered how this was similar to when he returned from the Outer Court and assumed that he would no longer be under Wang Xiaoling's thumb, only to be proven wrong.

However, William was much stronger now compared to the last time he was thrown around by her. There was no logical explanation where this made any sense.

As for his Spiritual Energy being insufficient, that was even more laughable.

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Spiritual Energy: 1055/1055 (20% per Hour)

He couldn't—wouldn't believe that it wasn't enough for someone who was supposedly at level three. The only option was that Wang Xiaoling's level must be obscured in some way. Perhaps the same way Prince Yuan had obscured his level.

"Little Brother Wei Liang," Li Jie smiled apologetically. "It's been some time."

"Brother Li," William replied with a nod, still making frequent glances at an annoyed Wang Xiaoling.

"Sister Wang knows someone so scrawny?" Fatty Xu butted in. "Hmph, I'll introduce you to some good meals to make you healthy."

He blinked, realizing that Fatty Xu didn't recognize him. "We've met before."

"Doubt it. I don't associate with masochists who starve themselves."

William gave a confused glance to Li Jie and Wang Xiaoling, not sure what this was about. He didn't interact much with Fatty Xu other than a few sentences exchanged, but he distinctly remembered there was no mention of his 'unhealthiness.'

"Brother Xu, maybe leave that for later," Li Jie chuckled awkwardly. "How about we move to someplace less crowded? We're drawing too much attention."

He glanced around to see that Li Jie was right. Though most of the attention was on him and Wang Xiaoling, it was primarily Jade Healing Sect members that were looking.

Maybe it could have been due to the strangeness of seeing a mortal treat a foundation establishment realm cultivator like a rag doll. With the clear disregard the sect had toward mortals, seeing an inner disciple 'letting' a mortal have the audacity to act like that must be shocking.

Only if they knew how much of a hidden monster Wang Xiaoling was. William had always assumed that she was exceptional in some way, but it was even more significant than he had ever imagined. His resolve when he was just a mortal came back with full force.

Stay on Wang Xiaoling's good side… though he didn't know how that was possible when he needed to take Spirit Stones from her.

"Brother Li is right," William nodded eagerly. "How about we go to my room?"

"Room?" Wang Xiaoling repeated, looking him up and down. "How do you have a room here? I thought those were for the elites?"

He had wanted to boast that he was one of those said elites, but that was no longer an option. No need to hint to her that he could be one of the bidders, no matter how unlikely it was to come to that conclusion.

"My mentor has it reserved for the duration of the auction. He thought it would be something for me to strive for."

"Huh, maybe you should introduce me to this mentor. Sounds like a generous person."

William caught the greedy look in Wang Xiaoling's eyes. It was nice to still have something predictable about her.

Li Jie cleared his throat. "That sounds perfect, Little Brother. We can catch up there."

"Great! Let me lead you there."

"Wait," Wang Xiaoling interrupted. "Xu, get the ingredients ready for tomorrow's meals. And Li Jie, follow him to ensure he won't overspend."

"Yes, Sister Wang!" Fatty Xu looked like he couldn't be happier, unlike Li Jie, who couldn't be more displeased.

"Xiaoling, I should be there when you meet Wei Liang 's mentor."

"And do what?" Wang Xiaoling asked in her charming way. Meaning, it wasn't at all. "It'll be more helpful if you stop Xu from bankrupting us."

Le Jie sighed before nodding, leaving with Fatty Xu without another word. He was as much a pushover as ever with Wang Xiaoling, perhaps more than ever.

"Let's go, brat," she ordered. "And tell me how you became an inner disciple. Did that girl from the clinic help you that much?"

William led her toward the hallway to the Red Floor. "I haven't seen Sister Li since Xuanjing City. I do earn things on my own merit, Sister Xiaoling."

"Really?" She didn't need to sound so doubtful. "I suppose there must be a reason this sect accepted you."

His eye twitched in irritation as they entered the hallway, the dull noise of the conversation disappearing behind them.

"I guess my first impression of you is too strong," Wang Xiaoling patted his shoulder. "You will always be the failed scammer to me."

His eye twitched. Again. "Very funny, Sister Xiaoling."

"I know I am. Li Jie can't stop laughing. Says I should be a comedian."

William rolled his eyes. Of course, the pushover thought that.

He held the pass to the door and pushed it open, sighing in relief when he saw that Lan Yang wasn't in the room. He wanted to talk with Wang Xiaoling without him as a distraction.

"Nice room, so where's this mentor of yours?"

"He's outside in the bidding area," William replied, closing the door behind them. "Sister Xiaoling, I saw you standing next to the stage. Looks like you were successful in setting up a merchant house."

"You saw that, did you?" Wang Xiaoling turned to him with a wide smile. "It's just luck—Well, no. I worked hard and got lucky! The Rising Merchant House is on track to be one of the biggest in less than five years!"

"That's amazing!" William cheered with her. "I didn't think I would be such a great investor. It's my first, and it's already so successful. It's all because of you, Sister Xiaoling!"

Wang Xiaoling's smile froze for a moment before becoming even brighter, though more strained. "I did say you wouldn't regret it."

"You're right about that."

B2 - Chapter 37

William wanted to lead her into admitting that he owned part of the company, but he didn't think she would admit it outright without any prodding.

"How can I help?" He asked eagerly. "You did the hard work to build it to a point where you could enter the annual auction, but I'm not a complete dead weight. I can be of more use than just providing the start-up funding. I'm friendly with some of the administration in the sect."

Wang Xiaoling's strained smile suddenly reverted to normal, eyes glimmering at the prospect of growing her new business.

William's offer wasn't a lie. He might not have had any interest in Wang Xiaoling's venture when she had taken ten thousand Gold from him, but now that he could see the success she was experiencing, he would definitely help. It was in his interest to do so.

Lessening Wang Xiaoling's anger before he inevitably asked for thousands of Spirit Stones was a very happy side effect.

"This might be just what our Rising Merchant House needs!" Wang Xiaoling almost vibrated in excitement. "Most of the things I have in mind are useful far into the future, but one way you could help immediately is to help reduce the fees we're paying to the auction hall."

He wanted to slap himself. Of course, the auction had fees. "How much do they take?"

"Forty percent," Wang Xiaoling said with a grimace. "It's the cost we have to pay as someone new. If I knew you were already promoted, I would have looked for you before listing in the auction. I imagine that clawing back the fees is much harder than having it waived from the start."

William nodded, noticing that all the lightheartedness had disappeared from her tone. Being around Wang Xiaoling and knowing her personality made it difficult for him to fathom how she was a successful merchant, but then she showed flashes of what she was capable of.

As for the auction fees… that hurt. The auction hall was getting a thousand four hundred from the sale of [Heavenly Thunder Scripture].

He hadn't been lying to Wang Xiaoling about knowing people in the sect's administration, but the only elder he knew that would likely help him was Elder Yu. There was the Grand Elder, but he would require far more convincing, and William had a shallow relationship with him at best. It would be preferable not to take that route.

But this was an issue for another time. The priority right now was to make sure Lan Yang was no longer angry.

"I might have an idea, Sister Xiaoling," William said slowly, thinking of the best way to say it without raising suspicion. "I'm close to Elder Yu, who seems to have the ear of the Sect Master. Instead of dealing with the overseers of the auction hall, it might be best to go that route."

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"The Sect Master?" Wang Xiaoling repeated in disbelief. "How much does this sect value you? Are you playing with me? I'm warning you, Wei Liang, it won't be pretty if you are."

"I'm not!" William insisted, which was true. "Though it might be necessary to offer something on my side to not seem too greedy—" He cut himself off, pretending he got an idea. "Sister Xiaoling, how much of the merchant house do I own?"

"Er, I can't really say for sure," Wang Xiaoling immediately started to deflect. "It's more complex than saying a number, you know. I must consider the effort I put in and the favors I cashed in. And I don't think I slept much the past few months! It's been really hard on me!"

William nodded in understanding. He didn't question her claims, except for not knowing the percentage. There was no doubt she knew the exact number, and her hesitation to tell him was a good sign.

He was coming to recognize that while Wang Xiaoling might seem flighty and unreliable, with matters that involved money, she could be trusted… as long as you hadn't agreed to an already bad deal.

There were multiple situations in the past where she could have easily cheated people of money, but whatever was promised had always been delivered. Even if the original agreement itself came from suspect negotiations.

"We should figure out that number," William pretended he didn't see her falling mood. "Elder Yu would probably be more willing to help if she knew how large my part was. Unless… it's really small?" He ended unsurely.

Wang Xiaoling sighed, "No, it's not. This isn't exact, and I'll have to confirm it later, but my guess would be around thirty-five percent."

"Oh," William blinked, not having to act like he was shocked… since he actually was. A little more reevaluation was needed. It looked like 'trusted' would be understating when describing her honesty with business matters.

He wasn't some investing guru or anything close in his old world. Nor did he know a lick about business, but even to him, owning such a large percentage would have been the key to fixing the drought of Spirit Stones he was made hyperaware of during the auction.

It was unfortunate that he would likely have to give his shares up in return for immediate Spirit Stones. Not ideal, but neither was getting killed by Lan Yang if he didn't do this.

Seemed like getting those Spirit Stones to Lan Yang would be far more straightforward than he realized.

"That's amazing!" William cheered, acting like his physical age. "It means I'm rich!"

"Ha!" Wang Xiaoling snorted. "I've been living on the bare necessities, and that won't change for years. This is the building phase, brat. Every Spirit Stone has to be accounted for and spent in a way that will help grow the merchant house."

His heart sank, and it must have been obvious since she noticed it.

"Why do you care so much?"

William had a few choices in front of him. He could come clean, revealing that he was the buyer of the martial skill she put in the auction, or continue the lie and try to get the Spirit Stones under a false pretense.

He could think of a way that would be believable. A large amount of Spirit Stones for greasing the hands of key people in the sect, lobbying for Rising Merchant House. However, that would start a cycle of lies that could end up destroying the dream Wang Xiaoling had.

Even if she had 'swindled' him for true all those months ago, which she didn't, he couldn't go that far. No matter how easily it could solve William's self-made problem with Lan Yang, he couldn't ruin this for her.

He would have to deal with the consequences of his idiocy like an adult, no matter how preferable it was to act like a child and pretend he didn't know better.

"I bought the Heavenly Thunder Scripture."

B2 - Chapter 38

Wang Xiaoling chuckled, not with amusement, but with disbelief.

"If you tell me that was a poor joke right now, I'll let this go."

William stayed silent, wondering if it was possible to get a hold of Elder Yu before the bracelets were put on stage.

"So all this talk about helping was false?" Wang Xiaoling clenched her fist.

He eyed her warily. If she could casually put him in a headlock, it wasn't a stretch that she would be able to cause serious damage if she grew angry enough to throw a punch.

"Of course not!" William shook his head emphatically. "I have every intention of helping you, Sister Xiaoling. I just put myself in a tough spot by winning the marital skill."

"How did you even get the Spirit Stones to bid that much?!" Wang Xiaoling froze before her shoulders slumped, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. "… Did you somehow manage to borrow that much?"

William grimaced, giving her a slight nod. Technically, that was true, though it was more accurate to say he took Lan Yang's borrowed Spirit Stones… without permission. So stolen, really.

"Wei Liang, remember what happened when you tried to punch me? I feel that you deserve the same response right now."

He took a large step back in fear. How could he forget? That was practically his greeting to this world.

It was a foolish action done due to an overload of stress and frustration, and it had ended with his ribs greeting Wang Xiaoling's foot before he was launched by her kick.

She had nearly ended his life by accident.

"Oh, relax," Wang Xiaoling scoffed. "I'm not going to hurt you, though I should. You somehow chose to bid on the only thing given to me on consignment. I can't magically waive off the money you gave me since half it owed to the man that used to own the martial skill."

He hadn't thought of the possibility that she didn't own the martial skill outright. With the sect taking one thousand four hundred Spirit Stones as the fee, it left around a thousand Spirit Stones to be split between Wang Xiaoling and the original owner of the [Heavenly Thunder Scripture].

"I get it," William sighed. "You not in a position to help me."

"I didn't say that," she corrected, bringing his hopes back from the depths it had sunk. "I have conditions that must be agreed to before I give you that amount of Spirit Stones. This would be the money I had planned to use to expand into Qingyun City, but you can be the replacement for it."

He wanted to say yes immediately, but there was an issue. "… I'm not sure how I could help with the expansion, Sister Xiaoling. I never visited Qingyun City."

"You're part of the Jade Healing Sect, brat," Wang Xiaoling rolled her eyes. "They are deeply tied to the city. I'm sure you can figure out a way since you claim to be favored."

William never claimed that verbatim, but it wasn't far off. "I'll try my best."

"There is no try," Wang Xiaoling narrowed her eyes. "You will do it, and it has to be within the next year, or the Rising Merchant House will be set back until I can build up the funds again."

[Quest: Help Rising Merchant House gain a foothold in Qingyun City]

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[Information: In return for giving you the Spirit Stones you need, Wang Xiaoling needs you to help her expand the merchant house into Qingyun City in the next year.]

[Reward: ?]

[Penalty: Rising Merchant House will fall into financial hardship | Loss of reputation with Wang Xiaoling]

[Accept: Y/N]

This had to be one of the more vaguely worded quests he had received. In all honesty, he would have done this even without the quest being offered to him. The unknown reward didn't annoy him either, especially since having the merchant house grow was enough of a benefit by itself.

"I'll do it," William nodded firmly. "Thank you, Sister Xiaoling. You don't know how much you helped by doing this."

[Quest Accepted | Help Rising Merchant House gain a foothold in Qingyun City]

He yelped when she pulled him toward her, angrily ruffling his hair. "I didn't have a choice! You don't make stupid financial decisions and live happily, brat! The people that offer this amount of Spirit Stones will literally take apart your body to recover their funds if necessary!"

William let himself be manhandled again, by choice, of course. It had nothing to do with the uncomfortable fact that he couldn't free himself even if he tried.

He should correct her assumption that he had borrowed from some loanshark-types, but maybe being too truthful wasn't the best idea. Instead, he focused on what her offer meant.

"Sister Xiaoling," William said when he was freed, smirking, "does that mean you care for my well-being?"

"Obviously!" Wang Xiaoling admitted instantly, making his smirk turn in a warm smile. "You're like a younger brother to me! One that's a country bumpkin and knows nothing about basic financial knowledge, but still, an annoying younger brother."

William was about to return the sentiment that Wang Xiaoling would be his honorary older sibling from now on. But then she kept going.

"It reminds me of a couple years ago when I adopted a stray cat out of pity," Wang Xiaoling tapped her chin. "It slowly learned to be useful by attracting more customers to my stall, so my care wasn't a complete loss when I had it. Of course, I sold that cat to a young child from some rich clan, so it turned out to be great for me."

"… Did you just compare me to a feral cat?" William asked incredulously.

"Of course not!" Wang Xiaoling looked shocked at his accusation, "You're far more important than some cheap cat, Wei Liang. You're a member of the Jade Healing Sect! You're a hundred, no, a thousand times more important!"

He suspected that her measure of importance was calculated by how much she sold this feral cat to some poor child. It was best to accept this and move on before she said something worse about him.

"I see. Thank you, Sister Xiaoling," William said after clearing his throat.

"Hm, I am pretty great, aren't I?" She smiled before touching the small bag hanging off her hip. Four notes appeared in her hand.

"Here you go, that's what you spent. Go pay the debt immediately to avoid more interest."

William stared at the large denomination bank notes to was given. Three were worth a thousand Spirit Stones each, and one worth five hundred.

He had seen bank notes representing Gold coins and Qi Stones, but with Xu Feng lugging around actual Spirit Stones, he assumed that notes didn't exist for them.

"These are from the sect, right?" The design was similar to the Qi Stone notes that Wang Mei gave him.

… Speaking of, he had forgotten entirely that the Jade Healing Sect gave him an allowance that he needed to redeem every month or lose. Not that five Qi Stones a month was much to him these days. Still, he made a mental reminder to speak to someone about it. Money was money, no matter how little.

"They are," Wang Xiaoling nodded. "Redeem them if you borrowed from outside the sect. Remember, this isn't a gift. These are operating funds have been taken out from our merchant house. Keep your word, Wei Liang."

"I will," William said seriously, matching her change in tone. "Thank you again."

Wang Xiaoling waved him off. "So this mentor you told me about. Is he real, or was that a lie to get me alone and ask for money?"

"Er, he's real."

"Good! Introduce me! It may be of help to us."

"Give me a few minutes, Sister Xiaoling. I'll go get him," William said, happy to do so. He made to leave but was stopped just as he opened the door.

"What's with all of this?"

He turned to see Wang Xiaoling staring at the pile of Spirit Stones sitting on the seat. It was almost comforting to see the greed in her eyes. It had been disconcerting to have her be so generous.

"That's the fee a guest paid to get on the Red Floor. And a little for using the Qi Refining room."

"And it's just sitting there?" Wang Xiaoling waved her hand at the Spirit Stones. "Your mentor must be wealthy."

"Er, yes. Somewhat." If being in debt for thousands of Spirit Stones was wealthy.

"I look forward to meeting him."

B2 - Chapter 39

"Senior Yang."

Lan Yang held a drink in his hand as he stared at the empty stage. It stood out when most others on the Red Floor mingled in small groups.

"So, you found that your friend couldn't help. I wasn't joking, Wei Liang. I recommend that you keep away from me. I'll tell Elder Yu to replace me as a mentor if you're concerned about that."

William frowned at the dead tone and noticed how Lan Yang refused to look at him. Perhaps to avoid looking at the person who stole an emperor's ransom… yes, that was likely the reason.

Words would likely just serve to enrage Lan Yang, so he let the money do the talking. Literally.

William positioned himself to block the view of others. He wordlessly passed the folded notes to Lan Yang, a slight grin appearing when the man froze as he stared at them.

"Yes, my friend was able to help." He would rather have said something that passed as a joke to break Lan Yang out of his shock, but that felt highly inappropriate.

William had to step back with Lan Yang shot to his feet.

"I have to add these to the deposit. Stay here."

[Quest Completed | Recover Lan Yang's Spirit Stones]

[+3000 XP]

[Reputation with Lan Yang increased]

A tension that he didn't even know existed within him was gone. It was like the problem still existed until the system told him it was over.

Of course, the rewards helped too. The experience points were a nice bonus, but it wasn't much for him at his level. The reputation increase was far more interesting.

Only if there was a number the system could use to quantify this 'reputation.' Instead of knowing exactly where he stood with someone, it was necessary to be human and figure that out himself.

[Karmic Information not available. Understanding of Karma Dao required.]

William's mind blanked for a fraction of a second, and that also let Lan Yang walk away from him.

"Senior Yang, hold on," William stopped him from rushing off, pushing away thoughts of the system message. "My friend wanted to meet you, and I told her yes. I can deposit them for you while you do that."

Lan Yang seemed to have a hard time trusting him with the bank notes, which was completely understandable, but William still felt insulted. He had just handed him the notes. It wasn't like he would run away to spend them.

"And you know where to go to make the deposit?" Lan Yang asked with a raised brow.

"… You could tell me, Senior Yang. Now you're just being difficult."

"Isn't that deserved?" Lan Yang finally smiled. "There's no rush anyway. The Soul Binding Bracelets won't be auctioned till the end of the day. I'll just speak with her first."

"That works," William shrugged, "but be honest, you don't want to hand that back to me."

"No, I don't," Lan Yang admitted readily. "So this friend, I'm guessing she wants to confirm with me that you really need that many Spirit Stones?"

"No!" He shook his head firmly. "In fact, I would prefer it if you didn't talk about the Spirit Stones at all."

Lan Yang looked at him strangely before nodding. "I suppose this is your business, but this makes me suspicious, Junior Wei. You are sure she really is your friend?"

"There's no doubt," William confirmed. The way Lan Yang asked that question, it reminded him of what Wang Xiaoling told him about the people who lend substantial amounts of Spirit Stones, and how willing they were to take drastic measures to recoup funds.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Hm, if you say so," Lan Yang didn't seem convinced. "Come, let's meet this friend."

William followed him back to the room, confused as to why there was so much concern all of a sudden. Maybe to make up for the fact that Lan Yang very recently threatened to take his life.

Whatever it was, he wasn't too concerned about it. Karma Dao, which the system revealed out of nowhere, occupied most of his mind.

They entered the room to see Wang Xiaoling studying the Spirit Stones that Xu Feng placed on the chair. At least, that's what Lan Yang would have thought. William could see that she could barely keep herself from taking the Spirit Stones.

He didn't feel the amusement that he usually would have. It would probably take until he fully paid her back for saving him when she really didn't need to, especially when she barely asked for anything.

The request to help establish Rising Merchant House was nothing. It was basically helping himself, so it didn't count in his view.

"Junior Wei didn't tell me that you were so beautiful." Lan Yang seemed to stand taller as he walked towards Wang Xiaoling, every movement much more controlled than usual, and his voice just the slightest bit deeper.

William stared incredulously as Lan Yang seemed to be trying to flirt with Wang Xiaoling. So much for his theory that the man would get furious at the thought of any other woman than his mystery beloved. Maybe Lan Yang getting angry at the suggestion of Xia Qing had more to do with her specifically.

Honestly, it was disappointing. He never liked how shallow the 'romances' were in most cultivation stories, and Lan Yang's tunnel vision for his mystery love was refreshing.

William even felt sorry for Li Jie. If the choice was between him and Lan Yang, the latter would win almost every time, at least on a shallow level.

"And Little Liang didn't tell me his mentor was so handsome," Wang Xiaoling smirked.

She had never called him an affectionate name before. Unless 'brat' counted as affectionate. There was a possibility that she was reciprocating Lan Yang's flirting.

He winced but couldn't look away. It was like watching an inevitable wreck, horrific and eye-catching at the same time.

"I'm Lan Yang, but you can call me Yang."

William thought he might have gagged at seeing the shining smile Lan Yang had plastered on his lips.

"Pleasure," Wang Xiaoling loosely clasped her hands together in her front as she nodded slightly. "I'm Wang Xiaoling, and you may call me Merchant Wang."

He blinked in surprise, and from the odd, choked sound coming out of Lan Yang's mouth, he wasn't alone in feeling that way.

"Excuse me?" Lan Yang sounded taken aback.

"I'm not interested," Wang Xiaoling was blunt. "I originally wanted to meet you to see if we could do business, but that changed when Liang told me how many Spirit Stones he borrowed. You, his mentor, allowed someone like that to get close to him."

Lan Yang shot him a look, and William tried to put everything in that short glance to tell the man to keep it quiet. At this point, it wasn't the worry of Wang Xiaoling taking back her offer of the Spirit Stones but the disappointment he would face.

It was funny how quickly his perspective changed about Wang Xiaoling. From a short-tempered, miserly, opportunistic woman who drove William mad half the time, she seemed to have depths that never had the chance to be discovered.

Wang Xiaoling was surprisingly caring, which, in hindsight, was hinted at by her actions. Even the very first thing she said about Li Jie when they were entering Xuanjing City, something about not using friends as connections, was telling.

Of course, that didn't mean the negative traits about her weren't valid. Just that William thought Wang Xiaoling was a short-tempered, miserly, opportunistic woman who was also capable of stunning kindness.

"You're right. It was my mistake," Lan Yang shot William another look, silently telling him that a favor was required for taking fault. He nodded discreetly in agreement.

"… Oh, well, good." It seemed that Wang Xiaoling expected far more pushback.

"And I apologize for my actions. While you are indeed beautiful, I already hold another in my heart."

William cleared his throat lightly to stop his laugh from escaping. Lan Yang was still speaking in that strange lower pitch.

"Is that so?" Wang Xiaoling looked doubtful. "How convenient for you to only remember that when I rejected you."

Lan Yang shot William another look. He wasn't sure how these glances would help, but whatever was necessary.

"Looks like we both expected far different people," Lan Yang said as a peace offering. "Let me treat you to lunch. I can tell you what I have planned for Junior Wei over the meal to calm your worries."

Wang Xiaoling narrowed her eyes before smiling. "I have a better idea. I know someone who is an unmatched cook, and I have been looking forward to his dishes all day. Why don't you join me?"

"Sure, that works," Lan Yang shrugged before turning to William. "Junior Wei, you can use the Qi Refining room while we're gone. The auction ends tonight, so use it wisely."

"Nonsense!" Wang Xiaoling cut in. "Little Liang can use something like that any time he wishes. He will regret it if he doesn't come with us."

"Sister Xiaoling is right," Willam spoke for the first time. For many reasons, he wasn't keen on leaving Lan Yang alone with her. "Besides, I want to spend more time with her before we have to part ways again."

"Then it's settled!" Wang Xiaoling smiled, "Come, Fatty Xu's cooking waits for us!"

B2 - Chapter 40

There were times when his physical age was at the front of his mind, and this was one of them.

With Lan Yang and Wang Xiaoling on either side of him, it felt like he was their much younger brother… or with how young most cultivators looked while centuries old, their son.

It also didn't help that they kept giving each other looks filled with suspicion over his head, using him as a living divider. So, really, it looked like he was the son that was keeping a failed marriage together.

"Do you know what we're having for lunch?" William cringed internally, his attempt to break the silence only making it worse. Now, it looked like he was the child asking what he would be given for food.

Wang Xiaoling understood his pain if the smirk she had on her face was anything to go by. Still, she spared him from further embarrassment, likely because Lan Yang was there.

"It's a surprise for me, too," Wang Xiaoling replied. "Fatty Xu tries to make dishes that I have never tasted before."

"That sounds amazing," William admitted, thinking about how luxurious it would have been if a cook like that followed him around. "Where did you find him, Sister Xiaoling. Fatty—Er, Brother Xu is very talented."

"If you can believe it, I found him in the middle of the road," Wang Xiaoling tilted her head in thought. "Come to think of it, it was just like how I found you, except I actually ran Fatty Xu over."

William winced at the ending, but he could believe it. He could easily visualize Wang Xiaoling running Fatty Xu over due to some perceived insult, and he could also believe that somehow led to her gaining an unmatched cook.

It had to be her Luck playing a huge factor. Still, he had to ask. "How did he end up working for you?"

"To repay me for breaking my wagon, of course," Wang Xiaoling replied, as if that was normal.

To her, it might be, but at least Lan Yang felt the same as him. They were both giving Wang Xiaoling puzzled looks.

"Merchant Wang," Lan Yang cleared his throat, "where is your companion cooking for you?"

"Some restaurant," Wang Xiaoling waved her hand at the nearing exit. "They begged Fatty Xu to take over the kitchen after he agreed to teach them a few tricks."

"… What's the name of the restaurant?"

"No idea," she shrugged. "Must not be good if Fatty Xu is better than their cooks. He hasn't even been trained by a master!"

William had a feeling it was very much the opposite. Everything Wang Xiaoling touched turned into gold, and this shouldn't be any different. Besides, whatever the truth was, they would find out soon enough.

They passed through the exit of the auction house.

"Disciple Yang. Done already?" It was the elder who acted as a guard.

"We'll return, Elder," Lan Yang bowed. "We're heading out for lunch."

"Hm," the elder glanced at William and Wang Xiaoling without a change in expression. "Be sure to have your junior accompany you."

"Of course," Lan Yang nodded his head. "Thank you for the reminder."

Wang Xiaoling led them to the restaurant, which happened to be located the past the auction house. An area William had never seen.

Stolen novel; please report.

Unlike the entertainment district, with numerous small shops and Jade Healing Sect disciples making up the whole crowd, this was the opposite.

In place of small teahouses, there were restaurants many times their size; in place of the eateries, there were hotels that looked to be meant for the ultra-wealthy. While some people in the area belonged to the Jade Healing Sect, most were guests from other sects.

"So, the terrible restaurant is here?" William was proud that he asked that calmly.

Wang Xiaoling nodded, looking a bit lost. "It's here somewhere. The sect placed me in a nice hotel. The restaurant was right in front of it."

"The Celestial," Lan Yang interrupted. "Is that the name of the hotel?"

"That's it!" Wang Xiaoling clapped. "You know where it is?"

"You're saying that your companion has replaced the head chef in the restaurant across from that hotel?" Lan Yang asked, ignoring her question and asking his own.

"I think so," Wang Xiaoling frowned. "The man who saw Fatty Xu cooking said he was the head chef. Whatever it is, we'll find out when you lead us there."

Lan Yang grunted in agreement and took the lead. Restaurants and hotels weren't the only buildings in the area. There were the occasional teahouses, some that resembled massage parlors, and small, fairly common shops that sold pills.

"Senior Yang, is this area only for the visitors?"

Lan Yang nodded as they arrived at a guard post. "Yes, this is where they are free to explore. That freedom ends at the auction house. Beyond there, a sect member will need to accompany them."

"Show your pass."

William glanced at the basic status of the guard who spoke to Lan Yang.

[Name: ? | Level: ?]

Another nascent soul realm cultivator acting like a common guard. He could only assume that this overkill protection would only be for the duration of the annual auction.

"I let a friend borrow mine, Elder," Lan Yang said apologetically. "But you know me."

"Hm," the guard, who was also an elder, grunted, though it was with a small smile. "You can enter."

"Thank you, Elder," Lan Yang bowed before motioning for them to follow him.

"Not bad, Yang," Wang Xiaoling spoke a few seconds later. "Looks like you're someone of status. I was told not everyone could pass."

Lan Yang's eye twitched at the way he was addressed. He clearly didn't like that she took his offer to just call him Yang. William hid the smile by pretending a plain-ish teahouse was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Of course I am, Merchant Wang," Lan Yang stressed. "I passed the examinations to enter Sentinel Peak. There are few places in the sect I don't have access to."

"That's amazing, Yang!" Wang Xiaoling stressed his name back.

William interrupted their needling, not wanting them to talk over him, literally, more than they already were. "This is the place, isn't it?"

The Celestial didn't have any signage showing the hotel's name. However, there was only one extravagantly large building here, and it was easy to guess what it was. More than the building itself, he was surprised to see the massive spirit boats parked at the front of the hotel.

It was similar to what he had seen in his old world, but with expensive cars instead. He was curious about why they weren't just stored away inside a storage bag or spatial stone, but perhaps that was the wealth of the Jade Healing Sect influencing his thoughts.

After all, such storage devices were usually far more expensive than a spirit boat.

"This is it," Wang Xiaoling nodded before turning around. "Look! Fatty Xu has already started! Let's go, Little Liang!"

William still wasn't used to being called that, but it seemed to be the new normal with Lan Yang around. That quickly left his mind when he saw where she was speed walking to.

He had wondered why he hadn't seen a stupidly luxurious restaurant on the opposite side of the hotel. He had expected something far more impressive than the only other restaurant he had visited in this world, the Phoenix's Nest, but it was the exact opposite.

William was staring at the dinkiest of food stalls, with a small crowd waiting in line for food. He guessed it was either because of the food quality or the auction taking most potential customers. Perhaps a combination of the two.

He could see a large body move around behind the stall, cooking while a scruffy-looking man jotted something down. Li Jie was doing his part by taking orders.

"Looks like Sister Xiaoling found the worst—"

"Quiet," Lan Yang ordered quietly. "That man cost the sect greatly to recruit. Do you know what immortal chefs are, Junior Wei?"

William shook his head, eyes wide as he stared at Fatty Xu with even more confusion than before.

"They are myths that can create dishes that rival the pills of the greatest alchemists. Of course, they aren't real, but this is the closest our sect can hope for."

He scratched his head as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. "If Chef Yi is so amazing, why does Brother Xu look to be better?"

"I don't know," Lan Yang stared into the stall. "Let's have a taste and see for ourselves."

B2 - Chapter 41

Wang Xiaoling barged her way past the line, and any protests that could have been made had died when Fatty Xu saw her.

"Sister Wang! You're finally here!" Fatty Xu lifted his skewer. "I found Moon Rabbit meat!"

"This might be your best one yet, Fatty Xu!"

William and Lan Yang followed her slowly, ignoring the disgruntled looks given to them by the twenty-ish people waiting in line.

"Why is Chef Yi cooking in a shack?" William asked quietly. "Shouldn't he be in one of those fancy restaurants?"

"Don't ask me how his mind works," Lan Yang sounded bitter. "The sect paid a fortune to draw him here, and Chef Yi's condition was that he could cook whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted. This is what he chose."

"A shack," William repeated blankly. "He chose a shack to make the best dishes possible."

"Apparently," Lan Yang frowned when Chef Yi spoke to Fatty Xu enthusiastically. They heard the specifics clearly when they reached the counter.

"Brother Xu, how did you spice it without eroding the essence of the moon rabbit? I have tried the same years ago before giving up!"

Fatty Xu looked displeased that he had to speak to Chef Yi when Wang Xiaoling was present, but that didn't stop him from showing how he did it.

"Watch closely," Fatty Xu used raw meat that William guessed was Moon Rabbit. A reddish glow appeared on his fingers before it blurred. Fatty Xu was literally attacking the meat, with a quickness that his eyes couldn't track.

He expected the rabbit meat to be shredded at best, and erased from existence at worst. Neither happened. The meat looked untouched to the naked eye.

"After that, add the spices you want before cooking," Fatty Xu pinched a bit of red powder and sprinkled it around the meat. They were immediately absorbed as if it was never added. "Never do it after it's cooked. That will ruin the essence."

"Amazing!" Chef Yi exclaimed. "Brother Xu, your preparation technique is one-of-a-kind. I could barely keep up with your movements! You have an envious control over your Qi! How long did it take you to create the technique?"

"It took a while," Fatty Xu admitted before looking at Wang Xiaoling. "Sister Wang, are you ready to eat?"

William ignored Lan Yang, who was moving to join them, and narrowed his eyes at Chef Yi. He wasn't able to see Fatty Xu's movements at all. He looked at the chef's basic status.

[Name: ? | Level: ?]

The guards were at the nascent soul stage, which William could easily accept due to the unique circumstances. But a chef being at the same level was hard to swallow.

Perhaps Lan Yang saying Chef Yi was the closest thing to an immortal chef should have clued him in, but that was stretching it. He was coming across cultivators in the nascent soul level far too much. Weren't they supposed to be rare?

In the back of William's mind, he was aware that the question marks in the basic status could also mean that Chef Yi was at a realm even higher than nascent soul, but that was so slim that he didn't really consider it.

After all, it was highly doubtful that a spirit severing realm cultivator would lower themselves to cook for low-level cultivators.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Oh good, you're here," Fatty Xu interrupted his existential crisis.

"Me?" William pointed at himself, noticing that Wang Xiaoling was already digging into her skewer without hesitation.

"Who else? I said I would give you a good meal. Here it is," Fatty Xu offered a skewer with bits of cooked meat on it. A kebab, basically, but one that was making him gulp down the saliva building in from the delicious scent.

"Alright, stop right there! It was fine for one person to cut in front of us, but now we have to let these two do the same? I don't think so! They either get in line, or you'll lose our business!"

William blinked in surprise, having forgotten that this was an open food stall and customers were waiting to order.

"I do apologize, but they already had their orders placed well in advance." Li Jie played the part of a service worker well, but the large man, who was the only one complaining, wasn't satisfied.

"I don't care!"

At this point, William wondered why the man was bold enough to cause trouble when high-level cultivators were keeping close watch. He let the system show him the basic status.

[Name: Wei Si | Level: ?]

Core formation realm. The last name suggested that the man was from the Wei clan, but it wasn't confirmed.

"Do you know who I am? I already had to wait for fifteen minutes like a peasant! It is already humiliating to eat food prepared in a stall!"

Scratch that. After that 'I am very important' speech, it was highly likely the man was from the Wei clan.

"Then leave," Fatty Xu said without care. "The food I make isn't fit for someone like you."

Wei Si blustered briefly before sneering at them and turning around. "Fine! All of you, don't give this place your Qi Stones. I'll treat you to something much better! Come with me."

William took the offered skewer from Fatty Xu and munched a bit of meat as he watched the show. That failed immediately since his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head as he let out an embarrassingly loud moan.

"And that brat is mocking me!" Wei Si roared. "Give me tha—"

He was vaguely aware of the rage targeted at him, but he was happy to ignore it as he absorbed the taste of the rabbit meat. However, the sound of choked protests forced him to take his attention off the most delicious food he had the pleasure of tasting.

Wei Si was a few feet away, a meaty arm extended over William's head, hard wrapped around the previously raging man's neck. It wasn't a gentle grip. Wei Si's eyes bulged in panic as he clawed at the hand choking him, making it clear how bad it was.

"I don't care for your yapping, but you crossed a line by trying to harm Sister Wang's friend," Fatty Xu still sounded bored, but somehow that made it more menacing. "Let me show you out."

William ducked to avoid Wei Si's legs as Fatty Xu pulled the man closer. He protected his precious kebab and moved to stand next to Wang Xiaoling, just in time to see Wei Si get treated like a javelin.

He watched with wide eyes as Fatty Xu strolled a few feet away from the stall, hoisted Wei Si over his shoulder, cocked his arm back, and launched the man with a slight grunt.

With Wei Si's fading scream in the background, Fatty Xu stared at the others in line. "Any more complaints?"

There was a unified shake of heads, and while they looked disturbed at what just happened, none left because of it.

"Good," Fatty Xu nodded before returning to stall and frowned at William. "Is it not to your liking?"

He was still gaping at Wei Si's increasingly smaller form, wondering if the man had just been killed because of his frustration over a few extra minutes of waiting. Still, he took another bite of the delicious rabbit meat on the skewer.

After swallowing, William licked his lips and said, "It's so good!"

Fatty Xu grunted and returned to the stove to make more with Chef Yi nearby to observe every movement. He didn't miss that Chef Yi seemed utterly uninterested in interacting with anyone else.

That was fine with William. He quickly finished the three other pieces of rabbit meat, hoping to get more afterward.

[+10 Agility]

[+5 Spirit]

[Spiritual Energy Capacity | 1055 —> 1080]

The alerts surprised him, but he quickly put as much focus as possible when not cultivating to direct the newly added Qi to his Kidney Meridian. There was no danger of the meridian rejecting the Qi since he was nowhere close to the maximum it could contain, so he wasn't worried.

William stared at the clean skewer after he was done with greed. Fatty Xu's cooking gave him additional attribute points, and more importantly, he wasn't penalized with increased impurity.

"Delicious, Brother Xu. You are a talent."

He looked up to see Lan Yang complementing Fatty Xu while holding a skewer of his own.

William needed more.

There should have been an increase in impurity. He could clearly remember Li Xinyue blocking him from easing too much in the Phoenix's Nest due to his body being unable to handle it.

It had to be due to Fatty Xu's cooking that there was no impurity to worry about. William needed to find a way to keep him close by, which meant Wang Xiaoling was the one he had to convince.

B2 - Chapter 42

"I'll follow you in a bit, Sister Wang."

Wang Xiaoling waved Fatty Xu off. "Take your time. The auction will be over soon anyway."

"Very well," Fatty Xu nodded, glancing at him. "If you accompany Sister Wang again, I'll treat you to a Starry Night Cake. Eating good food is the main reason to live, and you are not living."

"I agree," William nodded rapidly. "Thank you, Brother Xu."

The moment they walked away from the stall, which had far happier customers now that they would get their food, he asked the question weighing his mind.

"What's a Starry Night Cake?"

"No idea," Wang Xiaoling shrugged. "Fatty Xu always comes up with a new dish, and desserts are one of his specialties. I'm sure it'll be as good as his past attempts."

He looked forward to it. It would make up for the unfortunate fact that he wasn't able to eat more of the delicious rabbit meat. Even though there were no restrictions on the quantity his body could consume, there was only a limited amount to go around.

Even Wang Xiaoling only ate one skewer's worth, so when Fatty Xu declined to make him more, he could only sulk in silence.

[Side Quest Accepted | Fatty Xu makes delicious food with miraculous effects. Keep him nearby]

[Information: You have had one taste of Fatty Xu's cooking and require more. Find a way to keep him inside the Jade Healing Sect so you are not limited to that one taste.]

[Reward: Access to Fatty Xu's cooking | ?]

[Penalty: N/A]

[This side quest was automatically accepted due to having no penalties for failure]

William welcomed the quest. He had already been trying to come up with an idea to do exactly that when he gained those attribute points from the kebab. This just added extra motivation.

"Merchant Wang, do you have other items for sale in the auction?" Lan Yang asked.

"Nope," Wang Xiaoling said, ending the word with a pop. "That headlining item looks pretty interesting to me. There was a customer from the Sunrise Kingdom who seemed interested. I might make a play for it if it goes for cheap."

"… I see," Lan Yang gave him an alarmed look, silently asking for help.

If he had to make a choice between helping Lan Yang and Wang Xiaoling, he would pick the latter without hesitation. Not only did they have a greater history together, the woman had just given him a treasure trove of Spirit Stones to save him.

In this case, he would prefer not to do anything to prevent her from getting what she wanted. Though, a selfish part of his mind pointed out the obvious.

This could be an opening to convince her to spend more time inside the sect.

"Sister Xiaoling, what would you say about skipping the end of the auction?"

Wang Xiaoling looked at him strangely. "You have something better for me to do?"

"… Maybe," William said unsurely. He turned to the hopeful Lan Yang. "Do you think I could meet Elder Yu right now?"

"I can't say for sure. Your best bet would be to go to the Administration Peak and ask for her."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"That's the best advice you have for me?" William stared.

"Do I look like I have a way to track elders?"

"Fair enough," He nodded begrudgingly said. "It will probably still be worth the try, Sister Xiaoling."

"Hm, as you say, Little Liang."

That made William feel worse even though he genuinely thought this would benefit her more. They passed the nascent soul realm guard before Lan Yang broke the silence.

"We'll split up there then. Junior Wei, you know the way to the peak, correct?"

He nodded. It was one of the few places he had visited at the common grounds.

"Good," Lan Yang nodded to Wang Xiaoling. "Merchant Wang, it has been an honor."

"Same here, Yang."

Lan Yang's eye twitched, but he gave her a tight smile before swiftly walking toward the auction house.

"… So, brat, are you finally living up to your title as a scammer?"

William laughed involuntarily, not expecting the title she stuck on him at the start to make a return.

"You laugh, but I know you're working with that Yang against me."

"It's coincidental, Sister Xiaoling," William reassured. "Senior Yang does want those bracelets, but it would be a better use of your time to speak to Elder Yu."

"Is this about Qingyun City?" The suspicion in her lessened significantly.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I could talk to her by myself, but you will be able to explain the specifics better. And if the sect needs something in return, we can use my shares."

"No," Wang Xiaoling stopped him with a glare.

"What?"

"Your percentage of the merchant house isn't up for grabs. I won't allow it, especially when dealing with a sect."

"… That closes off my surest way to convince them if necessary," William frowned. "Are you sure your mind can't be changed, Sister Xiaoling?"

"Like I said, brat, it's out of the question. There are plenty of other ways to deal with this instead of directly jumping to giving up a portion of the merchant house… You know what? It's good that I'm coming along."

"Alright," William settled on simply agreeing. Wang Xiaoling's current mood was at the worst he had seen so far. It looked like she was legitimately angry at him, with no hint of teasing anywhere in her expression.

Even his revelation of the 'debt' he had taken on had brought up less intense emotions from her.

"I'm not good at business, Sister Xiaoling," William conceded. "I'll follow your lead when we get there."

"Hm, let's take the scenic route. I need to think of a plan on the way there."

"Alright," William nodded, "but remember that I can't guarantee we will meet Elder Yu."

"It's fine," she waved his warning off. "I will be able to tell you what to do later if needed. It's all the same… as long as you don't blurt out something stupid like giving up part of your shares."

He laughed awkwardly as he started to lead her to the Administration Peak.

When Wang Xiaoling said she needed to think of a plan, she wasn't joking. That was all she did, not bothering to take in the sights on the scenic route that she requested him to take.

William had no problem doing that in her place. The trek back to the teleportation hall was short. With no crowds rushing to the auction house, there was nothing to slow them. Instead of heading directly to the residential area, he took a turn to see a new part of the common grounds.

Lan Yang was a piss poor guide, but that didn't mean he had to stay ignorant of what the common grounds had to offer. The buildings here were much larger, looking like they could easily fit hundreds at one time.

"It's a shame there won't be another lecture on formations for a week. I heard the Elders Chen were the ones who came down from the peak for the lecture a few days ago. They just had to do it on the first day of the auction."

William's ears perked up when he heard some familiar names and came to a stop, making Wang Xiaoling almost walk into him. He ignored her grumbles and stared at the two disciples sitting under the shade of a tree.

"I keep forgetting they aren't just the masters of White Crane Peak. Healing might be their specialty, but formations are a close second."

"Don't speak as if you're the only one who knows this, Zhou. This is common knowledge."

"So? It's still interesting! You don't have to ruin the mood by being annoying, Xin!"

Wang Xiaoling stared at the bickering disciples and then at William. Eyebrows raised in question.

"Well, you did say the scenic route," William defended. "That could involve me talking to others."

"I would say that's a stretch, but go ahead," Wang Xiaoling shrugged.

He immediately made his way toward the arguing disciples and took a look at their basic status.

[Name: Ningyu Zhou | Level: 163]

[Name: Liu Xin | Level: 159]

"Excuse me?" William interrupted their sniping.

"What!" They turned in unison and growled. However, the girl, Liu Xin, immediately turned apologetic.

"Oh, a newcomer," Liu Xin winced. "Sorry about that. You didn't deserve that anger. How can we help you?"

B2 - Chapter 43

"It's alright," William smiled, "I was the one who interrupted. I overheard that there was a lecture on formations here? Are these buildings all for that purpose?"

"Where's your mentor?" Ningyu Zhou asked after realizing Wang Xiaoling wasn't even part of the sect.

"At the auction," William replied, adding more when they frowned. "I wanted to explore while he was busy."

"Hm, I guess your mentor can be excused with the circumstances," Liu Xin's expression said the opposite. "I'm Liu Xin, but you can call me Sister Liu. And this is Ningyu Zhou. You can call him Annoying Zhou."

"You don't speak for me!" Ningyu Zhou stood in anger, but it was obviously shallow. "You can call me Brother Ningyu. Since your mentor is busy, would you like us to take his place? We don't have much to do today anyway."

William could already see Wang Xiaoling shaking her head. He agreed with her. "I wish we could, Seniors, but we must get to the Administrative Peak soon. The most I could do right now is look around on the way there."

They seemed curious about why it was necessary to go to the peak but didn't ask about it.

"Then we won't keep you," Liu Xin nodded. "As for the buildings, yes, most are lecture halls. You are free to join any lecture being held if you get there before the start."

"Thank you, Sister Liu," William bowed slightly. "Do you know when the next lecture about formations will take place? I'm a complete beginner, so it would need to be basics only."

"A beginner," Ningyu Zhou repeated with a slight frown. "You might need self-study then."

"Or you can ask an elder to give you permission to return to the Outer Court. The lecturers there focus on the basics," Liu Xin added.

"Oh, that's also an option," Ningyu Zhou nodded. "However, it will be tough to get that permission. The sect tries to separate outer and inner disciples unless it's absolutely necessary."

William didn't think he would have much trouble with that. Elder Yu was in his corner. Even without that, he already had free access to the Outer Court.

"Thank you again, Seniors," he smiled. "We'll take our leave."

Liu Xin waved. "Come find us in the future if you need any help!"

William stayed silent until they walked out of earshot. There was another reason he didn't want to take them up on their offer.

"That was rude of them. I apologize, Sister Xiaoling."

"For what?" Wang Xiaoling asked, apparently clueless.

"… They completely ignored you."

"And?" She questioned with a raised brow. "How is that a surprise. In their view, I'm a short-lived mortal. Cultivators, especially ones belonging to a sect like this, couldn't care less about people like me even if they tried."

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That was mostly true. But something else stood out to William. "What do you mean, in their view. Are you not a mortal?"

It was a question he had for a long time, but one he didn't dare to bring up. Now that there was a natural reason to, he jumped at the chance to ask.

"Do you really think I'm just a mortal? I've seen your face whenever I surprise you. In fact, you deserve an award for not bringing it up before now."

"I didn't want to push," William lied. "Though I did wonder how you could overpower me so easily."

"Keep wondering, brat," Wang Xiaoling grinned. "You won't get anything out of me."

That basically confirmed she wasn't a mortal, which made her level all that more suspicious. Just like her claims when they met.

"Sure, but there is something I deserve to know. How much of what you claimed was a lie, Sister Xiaoling?" When she stared at him with a blank face, he expanded. "When we met. You claimed many things that don't fit what I now know."

"Ah, you remember that," Wang Xiaoling chuckled awkwardly. "They are mostly true, even if I did twist them to fit the circumstance."

That did little to clear up his confusion. If anything, it added more. "Does this mean you're a cultivator?"

"No," Wang Xiaoling denied firmly. "I never was, and I never will be a cultivator."

William thought he heard a bit of disgust there, but he couldn't be sure. The reluctance to allow the sect to have a share of the merchant house suddenly had a different possible reasoning other than purely business sense.

Then again, Wang Xiaoling treated him pretty well, and he was a cultivator, so the disgust might have been imagined.

"I hope you know that doesn't help, Sister Xiaoling," William said dryly.

"It wasn't supposed to, brat," she looked aggressively proud of that. "Anyway, let's go meet your elder. I know what to do."

He looked at the massive courtyard they were walking toward, the building at the center larger than the auction house. It was a bigger version of the library in the Outer Court.

It was a shame he could only look at it from a distance, but there would be plenty of time to go through it at his leisure later.

He needed to replace his most basic martial skills, [Thunderous Palm], [Thunderous Kick], and [Earth-Shaking Stomp]. As useful as they were when he was in the Qi Gathering realm, they would quickly become obsolete.

Even now, the diminished effect of the skills was noticeable.

Besides that, William needed to find a way to create an Earth-Tier version of [Force Multiplier]. It was still highly effective, but just like his basic martial skills, his trump card would lose more and more effect as his cultivation rose.

Not to forget about formations. That was something William intended to study to the best of his abilities.

… There was a lot to do. It made him feel good.

"What are you smiling about?" Wang Xiaoling asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he smirked for no reason whatsoever. "You have your secrets. So do I."

She rolled her eyes as they left the library's courtyard.

William took a quick path that led them to the entertainment district. He wondered if they would run across Mei Lingxi as they walked into the bustling street.

They didn't. It was an uninterrupted walk through the street and into the residential area. Then came the market with stalls set up by the disciples, though it was far emptier than when he was here with the Grand Elder.

Like most of the other decreases in traffic around the sect, he blamed it on the auction.

"Well, I didn't expect this," Wang Xiaoling commented as they approached the Administration Peak.

"You haven't come across any of the peaks?" William asked with doubt. After all, they were hard to miss.

"I had no reason to visit the edges of the common grounds. Not like I was allowed to in the first place."

"Ah, right," William muttered distractedly as they stopped. He wasn't sure if they were supposed to just walk up or wait.

Thankfully, he didn't have to make a decision.

A willowy woman appeared before them, wearing silver robes that threw him off.

[Name: Xiu Jing | Level: ?]

"Welcome to the Administration Peak, disciple and guest. Do you have an appointment?"

"Er, no?" William grimaced. "I didn't know we needed one. I wanted to speak with Elder Yu."

Xiu Jing tilted her head, looking like she was communicating with someone, before nodding. "Elder Yu will meet with you. Follow me."

Interlude: Yu Yanhua III

"You might think it was justified, Elder Yu, but I don't appreciate being used in such a way."

Yu Yanhua frowned as she glanced around. This was not the place she wished for this to happen. "You are greatly misconstruing what I did, Elder Zhiqing."

This had been a topic that had been revisited far too much, in her opinion. She understood that her fellow elder felt disrespected about his selected protege getting the worst of the Shard. Still, it was more than a little ridiculous that he felt the need to blame it on her.

"Little Bo was mistreated and harassed! He deserved recompense!"

"And yet you don't say how this 'recompense' would occur," she did her best to not sound irritated. "If you give me valid avenues, I will gladly help."

"I already have! That boy Wei, he has benefited greatly, and now you request the council for Superior Spirit Stones! Let me use a few on Little Bo, and I will consider this settled."

"I said valid avenues," Yu Yanhua said sharply. "You know just as well as I that this is not an option. I didn't ask for the Superior Spirit Stones to spend on Disciple Wei. To imply that I did is close to being an accusation. If that is your intention, we can proceed to the Punishment Hall."

When it seemed Elder Zhiqing wouldn't let her be, she sighed in resignation.

"I'll request the Sentinel Peak Master to make an exception and open the formation. Would that be enough to settle whatever perceived slight you have with Disciple Wei?"

"Fifteen minutes," Elder Zhiqing added immediately.

Yu Yanhua narrowed her eyes. "Nobody is allowed that. Three minutes, and that is not a starting point for negotiation."

"That works," Elder Zhiqing nodded in satisfaction. "It has been a pleasure as always, Elder Yu. Let me know when Little Bo is given permission."

Yu Yanhua rubbed her brow in frustration and hoped this was the last issue that would pop up. The Sect Master might have permitted her to use the discretionary funds, but such a large amount still needed a nod from the elder council.

It would basically be a rubber stamp approval, but the main reason behind it was to inform them of where the funds were being used. Of course, the council wasn't told that Wei Liang was the intended recipient of such a large amount of wealth.

It would have raised far too many questions and instantly received the attention of the Grand Elder.

The timing was already suspicious enough for the Grand Elder to look closer. Still, the way Yu Yanhua planned this was above the board.

Handing the prize to Wei Liang directly was out of the question, but it didn't matter since they intended to do it in an impartial way. Or at least one that seemed impartial to outside eyes.

Yu Yanhua's lips twitched in amusement when she remembered the Sect Master's reaction at having to approve three times the originally planned cost. Still, it was to the sect's benefit in the end.

Three disciples would be able to visit the Desolate Land, and one of them would be Wei Liang.

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"Junior Yu, it seems Zhiqing got on your nerves."

Yu Yanhua turned to see Chen Zhi walking toward her with a smile. She looked behind him to see only a few elders still on the peak as they conversed with each other. The far less social brother, Chen Yi, was nowhere to be seen.

"Senior Chen," she returned his smile. "Elder Zhiqing has been pushing for something since Disciple Ren returned to the sect."

"That was impossible to miss," Chen Zhi chuckled. "Still, it doesn't mean you had to give in to his demands, Junior Yu."

"I know," Yu Yanhua nodded, "but he wasn't in the wrong. Disciple Ren has been unsatisfied with his trip to the Shard, and if using the formation on Sentinel Peak will decrease that, so be it. He is on track to enter your peak, Senior Chen."

Chen Zhi frowned. "His attitude has much to be desired, but Disciple Ren's talent in the healing arts cannot be denied."

Yu Yanhua agreed silently, waiting for the real reason Chen Zhi chose to speak to her. They were of different generations, with her being a new entrant into the Inner Court when Chen Zhi was about to leave and join the ranks of the elders.

The best way to describe their relationship was as respected colleagues or friendly acquaintances. She only needed one hand to count the times when they had a casual chat with no meaning.

"Junior Yu, I was thinking—"

There it was.

"—about making the selection a little easier for disciples focused on healing."

It took every bit of control Yu Yanhua had to stop from recoiling in shock. It was one thing for someone like Elder Zhiqing to ask for a portion of the approved discretionary funds, but when an elder like Chen Zhi did the same, it generally meant nothing good.

Elder Zhiqing was an Inner Court elder. High in status, yes, but still low on the totem pole of power. Elder Chen Zhi was a Peak Master who only answered to the Sect Master and the Grand Elder. For someone like that, to ask for help… was not a good sign for the person being asked.

"… Senior, you're putting me in a tough spot," Yu Yanhua frowned. "This might have been my request, but the Sect Master is the one that has final approval in the process."

"Come now, both of us know that the sect has pushed tremendous resources to developing the sentinels. This is another initiative since you are taking the lead," Chen Zhi held up a hand when she opened her mouth to counter. "I am not against this, Junior Yu, but the disciples on my White Crane Peak are noticing. There is no doubt it is the same on the other peaks."

Yu Yanhua's expression froze before she pressed her lips together. "I'll pass your concerns on to the Sect Master."

"It has already been done," Chen Zhi sighed. "Think about it, Junior Yu. The ones talking will be our sect's core in the future. They don't see the big picture, but with how the sentinels have been shown favoritism recently, can we blame them?"

"… No, I understand that, but not how I am to help if the Sect Master already knows of the issue."

"You have his ear. Perhaps it won't change anything, but if a high-ranking Sentinel shared our concerns, it would weigh on Guan Feng. Telling him once in passing is not enough."

Yu Yanhua was left with no choice but to agree. Chen Zhi, a peak master, wasn't asking for anything intrusive, just her support for the well-being of the sect.

She would look ungrateful if she denied something so simple. Especially after he had personally helped remove the impurity from Wei Liang.

"I'll speak to the Sect Master, Senior Chen," Yu Yanhua bowed slightly.

"The disciples will appreciate this," Chen Zhi smiled apologetically. "I know you are uncomfortable with this. I wish there was another way."

"No, I'm happy to be of help. I didn't know this was this—"

Yu Yanhua stopped, a whisper appearing in her mind.

Elder Yu. There is a disciple and an outsider here to meet you. The identity is Wei Liang.

She quickly gave permission.

"Seems you have a visitor," Chen Zhi commented. "I won't keep you. And I'll remember this favor, Junior Yu."

He disappeared, leaving Yu Yanhua staring at the Grand Hall. She was the only one left on the peak.

She took a second for herself before shaking her head. If a peak master went to this length, it would be necessary to take the concerns into account. This also meant the qualifications to get the opportunity to visit the Desolate Land would not necessarily be Wei Liang's strength.

Speaking of him, Yu Yanhua had to go down the peak to meet the boy.