Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 83 - 78: Complex Human Hearts

After parting ways with Meng Ye, Ling Changqing returned to the main street and resumed his idle wandering.

Even though he now had a large sum of Spirit Stones on him, this was Ling Family territory. No ordinary, clueless Loose Cultivator or Tribulation Cultivator would dare to cause trouble.

He reflected that in the past, he was either in seclusion cultivating or out working at sea. He rarely had leisurely moments like this.

"...Come have some fun when you’re free, sir!"

In front of a lavishly decorated, three-story pavilion reeking of perfume, several scantily clad, stunningly beautiful young women were calling out in sweet, soft voices.

Moreover, these young women were all low-level Loose Cultivators. Although their cultivation was generally only at the 2nd to 3rd Layers of the Qi Cultivation Stage, they were not women ordinary people could touch.

This brothel, named "Hongxing Garden," much like Xianwei Pavillion in the Marketplace, had always catered exclusively to Cultivators.

Seeing Ling Changqing, the young women’s eyes lit up in unison. They called out even more fervently, stopping just short of reaching out to grab him.

Ling Changqing shook his head and quickened his pace, walking away.

He felt nothing for the women here. Even though he wasn’t short on Spirit Stones, he had no desire to waste time on them.

He remembered encountering many Female Cultivators from brothels during his matchmaking sessions at the Celestial Fate Pavilion. Each one was dressed up to look pure and cute, or gentle and elegant.

They spoke with reservation and subtlety, their demeanor quiet and refined. Every move they made exuded the air of a high-born lady, but in reality, who knew how many romantic battles they had fought behind the scenes.

However, when facing Male Cultivators for matchmaking, these women held firm to their bottom line, not giving an inch. A betrothal gift, a Flying Sword, a Magical Artifact, a Cave Mansion—these were all mandatory conditions. They wouldn’t accept a single thing less.

But any Male Cultivator who actually met those conditions probably wouldn’t be willing to be a sucker. After all, the rare creature known as an "honest man" didn’t exist among Cultivators.

Thinking of the Celestial Fate Pavilion, Ling Changqing suddenly realized he hadn’t been there in a long time.

’Hmm, it’s still early. Why not head back to the Celestial Fate Pavilion and fleece them for a bit more?’

Ling Changqing mused on it. This method of strengthening his Divine Soul Origin was, frankly, a bit addictive.

The key was that there was no risk involved. At worst, he’d be badmouthed, cursed, and condemned by those self-important Female Cultivators. It wouldn’t cost him a piece of his flesh, so he couldn’t care less.

Once the thought occurred, he acted. Ling Changqing immediately took out a Communication Jade Talisman and contacted the top matchmaker, Wang Po. As expected, she replied quickly.

And so, a few moments later, Ling Changqing once again stepped through the doors of the Celestial Fate Pavilion.

Compared to the one on Zenxin Island, the facade of this Celestial Fate Pavilion was clearly built to be grander and more imposing, glittering with gold and jade, exuding an air of overwhelming opulence.

"...Brother Ling, it’s been a long time!"

In an exquisite and extravagant private room, Wang Po—dressed head to toe in bright red silk and damask, dripping with jewels—studied the handsome, purple-robed youth before her, her fair-skinned face wreathed in a beaming smile.

Ling Changqing said calmly, "I’ve been too busy. I’m either in Cultivation, working, or away on adventures, so..."

"I understand, I understand!"

Wang Po said with a grin, "Brother, one look at you and I can tell you’re an Immortal Seed with a firm Dao Heart who cultivates diligently and without rest. Otherwise, your cultivation wouldn’t have increased at such an astonishing rate!"

"You’re a VIP at our Celestial Fate Pavilion. How about this: you can review every high-quality Female Cultivator we have. You can pick as many as you like!"

As a top matchmaker in her line of work, Wang Po’s information network was naturally top-notch.

Ling Changqing had visited many times. Although he had used a disguise and hidden part of his cultivation, his name and contact information had never changed.

Therefore, over the past few years, Wang Po had come to guess Ling Changqing’s true identity. Shocked and awed, she no longer dared to harbor any ulterior motives.

’It’s true this young man’s standards are a bit high, and he has yet to choose a suitable Female Cultivator as a Dao Companion, but that doesn’t affect my income.’

’As a Ling Family disciple with a high chance of achieving Foundation Establishment in the future, it’s perfectly normal for his standards to be a little high and for him to want to find a few outstanding Dao Companions.’

After offering a few more compliments, Wang Po got up gleefully, swaying her full hips as she went out to make the arrangements.

A moment later, a pair of exquisitely dressed twin sisters with identical features entered. They bowed and greeted him in soft, delicate voices before gracefully taking their seats in front of Ling Changqing.

The rest goes without saying. Faced with Ling Changqing’s unmovable, mountain-like expression, every Female Cultivator—or rather, every pair—lasted less than half an incense stick’s time before being coldly rejected.

Because the Longhuan Island Marketplace was several times larger than Zenxin Island’s, the Female Cultivators who came to the Celestial Fate Pavilion for matchmaking were significantly better in both quantity and quality.

At the end of the day, Ling Changqing, still not fully satisfied with his "fleecing," pulled a large handful of Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch and stuffed them into Wang Po’s hands.

"Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoist. I’ll be back tomorrow to see more!"

Ling Changqing said warmly.

Wang Po, who had been feeling a bit sheepish, immediately broke into a smile. She said with great attentiveness:

"No problem at all! Just come and look, Brother. With so many outstanding Female Cultivators at the Celestial Fate Pavilion, there’s bound to be one who captures your heart!"

Ling Changqing nodded, chatted for a few more moments, and then took his leave.

As night fell, three bright moons—one ice-blue, the others pale gold—appeared in the vast Celestial Vault, revealing an ocean of silent, mysterious stars. The sight was enough to shake one’s mind.

Ling Changqing had been in this world for twenty years. Though it wasn’t the first time he had seen such a magnificent, grand, and boundless starry sky, he couldn’t help but be captivated every time he looked up.

Every tiny star in the Celestial Vault was, in fact, a complete, great world. They were just extremely far away, so distant that not even a Nascent Soul Powerhouse could reach them.

’Perhaps, in the future, I can walk further on the path of the Dao. Will I have the chance to set foot upon the Celestial Vault and witness more of the mysterious and magnificent sights of this time and space?’

Strolling all the way back to his Spirit Vein Cave Mansion, he was greeted by Song Xuelan, youthful and radiant in a watermelon-red dress.

"Young Master, you’re back?"

the young woman said, her expression joyful.

Ling Changqing reached out and squeezed her smooth, firm waist. Song Xuelan’s lovely face flushed slightly, and she gently pressed her exquisitely curved body against him.

"Alright, let’s eat first," Ling Changqing said gently after a moment.

Song Xuelan responded in a soft, smooth voice, straightened the front of her dress, and then went out to instruct the maids to prepare dinner.

Before long, a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the table, item by item, complete with Spirit Wine Nectar.

Ling Changqing sat at the table and began to feast. Song Xuelan, after dismissing the other maids, came over and sat opposite him, picking up the wine pot with a slender hand to pour for him.

"Is something wrong?"

Ling Changqing understood just by looking at her expression. He put down his wine cup and asked.

Song Xuelan nodded slightly. "Young Master, today... quite a few people came looking for you again!"

Ling Changqing wasn’t concerned. "And?"

"A few Ling Family disciples left calling cards. They said they discovered the ruins of an Ancient Cave Mansion on some deserted island and wanted to invite you to seek out a fortuitous encounter together!"

Song Xuelan recounted softly, a trace of doubt in her bright eyes.

Ling Changqing paused and looked up at her. "You think something is wrong with it, too?"

Song Xuelan hesitated for a moment before saying in a low voice, "They were very friendly and spoke very politely. They even smiled at me, your servant, and gave me a few Spirit Stones as a ’tip’."

"But... the look in their eyes as they left was a bit strange. It seemed like they were very envious of this Spirit Vein Cave Mansion..."

Her innate talent wasn’t outstanding, but after working at the Ling Family Bank for several years, her ability to read people was naturally quite good.

’Those Ling Family disciples have probably been pampered for too long. They didn’t take a mere maid seriously at all, which is why they inadvertently revealed a flaw?’

But even without this slip-up, Ling Changqing would never have believed their story.

The greater probability was that this was a trick to lure him away from Longhuan Island. Once he was out of Patriarch Ling Qiyue’s sight, it was hard to say what "accidents" might happen.

"Bring them all here. Let me see,"

Ling Changqing ordered.

Song Xuelan acknowledged, got up, and left. A moment later, she returned with a stack of exquisite and elegant calling cards.

Ling Changqing took them and flipped through them one by one. The majority of the visitors were female clan members from various branches of the Ling Family; Male Cultivators were in the minority.

They had wracked their brains trying to get close to him, and their motives were obvious without asking. He, however, had never been interested.

’Want to be my Dao Companion? Come talk to me after you reach Foundation Establishment.’

’After all, the lifespan of someone in the Qi Cultivation Stage is just over a hundred years, with a prime of only about sixty. Not focusing on cultivation and instead thinking about all sorts of nonsense is clearly a case of neglecting one’s proper duties.’

In his sea of consciousness, the Era Star Palace trembled slightly. Motes of faint light silently merged into his Divine Soul, carrying some profound and obscure information.

’As expected, I knew it...’

Ling Changqing’s mind grew cold. From the calling cards of those few Male Cultivators, he sensed a faint, unfriendly aura. Corroborated by Song Xuelan’s account, the answer was practically screaming at him.

But this wasn’t hard to understand. Within the family, many had long been dissatisfied with the exceptional treatment Ling Changqing received. They only refrained from showing it because they were intimidated by Ling Qiyue’s power.

Of course, there were even more family disciples willing to curry favor with him. They all hoped to receive his help and guidance to make their own cultivation path smoother.

Human hearts were just that complex; it wasn’t hard to grasp. As long as you analyzed everything from the perspective of self-interest, you would rarely be wrong.

Ling Changqing looked at her and said gently,

"I’m aware of it now. Someone will deal with them in the future. When you have free time, you can cultivate in the Gathering Spirit Array."

Hearing this, Song Xuelan couldn’t hide the surprise and delight in her eyes. "Yes, thank you, Young Master!"

This meant that as long as Ling Changqing wasn’t in seclusion, she could use the Second Grade Spirit Vein in the cave mansion for her cultivation. The benefits were self-evident.

From Ling Changqing’s perspective, he also needed a loyal and devoted trusted maid to handle various miscellaneous tasks for him at this stage.

This Song Xuelan was cautious and dutiful. She was diligent in the cave mansion, never once slacking off or being lazy, so Ling Changqing didn’t mind giving her an opportunity.

「Early the next morning.」

Ling Changqing continued to fleece the Celestial Fate Pavilion, only returning as dusk fell.

After three days of this, having seen every Female Cultivator there, Ling Changqing stopped, though he still felt unsatisfied.

In his sea of consciousness, his Divine Soul Origin had risen to 68. His Innate Talent and Comprehension had also increased to a certain degree, as had his Spirit Root Talent.

’It’s a pity my cultivation is still a bit low. Otherwise, I could sneak into the Marketplace in the Mu Family’s territory, or even the Hanyue Continent Marketplace. I’d surely have a much greater harvest there...’

Ling Changqing thought with a hint of regret.

’Still, this is a pretty good result. One can’t be too eager for quick success.’

’I’ll take it slow. There will be plenty of opportunities to get what I want in the future.’