Inside the grand courtyard of the Purple Bamboo Forest.

"Take these three stalks of Reishi Grass and those spirit stones. From now on, unless I summon you, you are not permitted to step foot in this courtyard."

Jiang Feng addressed Lin Cai.

"Immortal Master, I... I was wrong. Please, give me another chance."

Lin Cai knelt to the ground, weeping with a miserable expression.

Jiang Feng waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly.

"Immortal Master, from now on I’ll remain outside the Purple Bamboo Forest. If you need anything, just say the word—even if it means going through fire or braving blade mountains, I’ll not refuse."

Lin Cai kowtowed heavily three times, then took the three stalks of Reishi Grass and more than a dozen spirit stones and left, his face full of regret. Though both the Reishi Grass and spirit stones were precious, they obviously could not compare with staying by Jiang Feng’s side and receiving his guidance—which was far more valuable.

It was a pity—he had carried out tasks for the Second Prince without informing Jiang Feng in advance.

He had also led Jiang Feng into this courtyard; although Jiang Feng had accepted the Second Prince’s goodwill, Lin Cai’s actions had already crossed Jiang Feng’s bottom line.

Keeping such a man by his side, Jiang Feng could not rest easy.

After Lin Cai left,

Jiang Feng checked his Fortune Point value.

Fortune: 12568

Jiang Feng’s expression froze. Just by sending Lin Cai away, his Fortune Points had increased by forty thousand. It seemed that this person’s temperament was off—keeping him close would only invite trouble.

"Go where you’re supposed to go. Don’t linger outside the Purple Bamboo Forest. If you dare act in my name, I will not spare you!"

Jiang Feng spoke out.

The voice echoed in Lin Cai’s mind before he’d even exited the Purple Bamboo Forest.

Startled, he quickly turned to kowtow in the direction of Jiang Feng’s courtyard, as he cried out: "Rest assured, Immortal Master! Once I leave, I will make it clear to all that I bear no relation to you whatsoever."

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for the reward of Reishi Grass and spirit stones."

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Lin Cai kowtowed to the ground four or five more times, then hurried to his feet and ran toward the outside of the Purple Bamboo Forest. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Jiang Feng checked his Fortune Point value again.

Fortune: 158811

It increased by more than thirty thousand again. He shook his head and smiled wryly—didn’t expect the man to have such scheming thoughts. Thankfully, he also knew his place.

With this warning, even if he chills for a bit, he won’t dare act recklessly again.

"Red Dust!"

Jiang Feng opened the wooden box—it was the mid-grade magical artifact from Shopkeeper Liu’s store.

"By a strange twist of fate, I’ve ended up boarding the Royal Family’s ship."

"I wonder what kind of relations the other cultivators in the Purple Bamboo Forest have with the Royal Family?"

"Given the Second Prince’s disposition and the means of the Royal Family, they obviously wouldn’t easily offend the people here."

Jiang Feng murmured to himself.

He poured spiritual power into Red Dust and tried to refine it. Since he had already accepted the luxurious courtyard from the Second Prince, along with the spirit grasses, spirit stones, and the Red Dust sword in the reception hall, Jiang Feng just took them all.

He didn’t worry at all that by accepting these things he would be bound to the Great Tang Royal Family. To truly win over a cultivator, a little price like this was far from enough.

These things were no more than tokens of goodwill.

By accepting them, Jiang Feng was merely expressing his willingness to become acquainted with the Great Tang Royal Family and reassuring them that while he lived in the Purple Bamboo Forest, he posed no threat to the Royal Family.

Precisely because of this, he accepted the Second Prince’s gifts—to avoid causing the Royal Family unnecessary suspicion and inviting further trouble.

"The Turkic betrothal party has arrived."

"Is Sister Dong really going to marry the Turkic King?"

"Should I go to the Imperial City to see her?"

"The Emperor of the Great Tang has deep foresight, and Sister Dong is no pushover either. This marriage alliance may well have hidden motives."

"I’d best observe for now before making a move."

Jiang Feng had just accepted the Royal Family’s goodwill and settled into the Purple Bamboo Forest, surrounded by cultivators. If he rashly entered the Imperial City and was discovered, it would be easy to provoke the Royal Family’s suspicions.

He must not upset his own plans.

"Fellow Daoist, may I come inside for a cup of tea?"

At this moment, a voice came from the entrance.

Jiang Feng swept his spiritual sense out and found a male cultivator, about seventy years old with white at his temples, at First-Layer Qi Condensation realm, standing outside the door.

Alongside him stood a beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure, at the Innate Ruyi Realm.

"Please, come in."

Jiang Feng waved to withdraw the defense array surrounding the courtyard. The so-called defense array, in the eyes of cultivators of the same realm, amounted to little more than an early warning; compared with the restriction arrays in the underground palace, it was far inferior.

He’d moved into the Purple Bamboo Forest precisely to interact with other cultivators and learn more about the cultivation world. With Fellow Daoists paying a visit, how could Jiang Feng turn them away?

"I am known as Qingzhu, living next door to you, Fellow Daoist. This is my Dao companion—among the Daoists in the bamboo grove, they all call her Hua Guzi."

The old man greeted him with cupped fists.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist."

The woman studied Jiang Feng with curiosity and offered a formal salute.

"Fellow Daoists, please be seated. I do not have a Daoist title—just call me Old... Old Wang, if you like."

Jiang Feng was also examining Hua Guzi. Though there was no spiritual power fluctuation, with Qingzhu guiding her, she would surely reach that critical threshold sooner or later.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we heard that you are a cultivator traveling far from home to Dragon Capital. May I ask, what sort of places do you typically frequent?"

Elder Qingzhu asked probing,

"I have no fixed abode, the four seas are my home. Wherever there is fortune, that is where I go. This time I came to the Great Tang Dragon Capital because I heard of a hidden underground palace here—even the Six-armed Divine Emperor of the Divine Sect has shown up, so I thought to come and take a look."

Jiang Feng deftly guided the conversation toward the underground palace.

He knew the Six-armed Divine Emperor and the Blood Wolf King were battling in Zhenbei Prison’s underground palace. Such a major event had surely spread everywhere. As a loose cultivator in search of opportunities, coming to Dragon Capital upon hearing this news was only natural.

"Lately, there have been quite a few cultivators like you showing up in Dragon Capital. But since we all reside in Purple Bamboo Forest, as a word of advice, Fellow Daoist, you would do well not to approach the underground palace."