Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 234 - 159: Expelled from the Sect

Under the guidance of a cultivator from the White Cloud Pharmacy, Lu Chang’sheng once again filled out his registration info, and received his own White Cloud Pill Robe.

It was a set of pure white clothes, with a light spirit array engraved on the inside. Wearing it felt like nothing at all—he could even sense his body become lighter.

"This counts as an ordinary magical artifact."

If it can have a spirit array engraved on it, it’s considered a magical artifact, though the grades vary.

"Just this magical robe alone is worth at least dozens of low-grade spirit stones."

"Besides this, you also get a matching alchemy institute!"

The White Cloud Pharmacy lacked alchemists, not space.

Before long, a guiding cultivator from the pharmacy led Lu Chang’sheng to a steward’s residence.

"This is Steward Mo."

The guiding cultivator introduced the two and then stepped away.

Steward Mo was a tireless old cultivator, responsible for both the C and D institutes at White Cloud Pharmacy.

Here, alchemists are the real masters, so Steward Mo’s position is more like that of a butler.

He produced a roll of jade scroll, unfurled it, revealing a landscape painting.

Clearly, it was a panoramic map of the White Cloud Pharmacy.

"The White Cloud Pharmacy is divided into upper, middle, and lower institutes. The upper one is for grade B, the middle for C and D, and as for the lower, that’s where the ordinary servants reside."

As he spoke, Steward Mo guided Lu Chang’sheng to pick his favorite spot among the middle institutes; once decided, just let him know.

Lu Chang’sheng studied the map for a while, then chose a relatively quiet alchemy institute.

"By the way, these institutes were previously occupied, so their names are from the previous owners. Does Alchemist Lu want to change the name of your institute?"

"Let’s call it Longevity Institute."

Steward Mo hesitated, then said, "Alchemist Lu, maybe you should pick another name. This name feels a bit—"

Lu Chang’sheng thought it over and realized the name was a bit arrogant.

To cultivate immortality and longevity.

It was one thing to have the name Chang’sheng, but if his residence was named Longevity too, he’d definitely draw attention.

With his current cultivation, he probably couldn’t shoulder that kind of spotlight.

"Then let’s call it Yun’an Institute."

Yun’an means calm—peaceful without big events, quieting the mind.

"Alchemist Lu, you’ve got talent!" Steward Mo laughed.

With the house selected, Steward Mo reminded him that in a couple days he’d need to visit the White Cloud Cave Mansion for the entry ceremony.

Lu Chang’sheng took note and left the White Cloud Pharmacy.

"First things first, I should bring Ziyou and Chang’an over, then use the White Cloud Cave Mansion’s connections to help Nangua and Xu Zhuqing’s group."

Lu Chang’sheng exhaled a long, heavy breath and strode out of the White Cloud Pharmacy.

Turning for another look, he felt a strange sense of dislocation—as if inside and outside were two completely different worlds.

"Fellow Daoist, walking together?"

People were trickling out after their assessments, each with a different look—no one knew how the others had fared.

Lu Chang’sheng blended into the crowd, just in time to see Niu Xi approaching.

The other’s expression was sour; obviously, his assessment hadn’t gone well.

"Barely missed passing. Sigh, if only I’d done this twenty years ago, maybe I’d have made it."

Halfway along the road, Niu Xi finally couldn’t help but lament.

"Barely missed" is a phrase many people like to hang onto afterwards.

It gives an excuse to salvage some dignity.

Lu Chang’sheng opened his mouth, but didn’t say he had passed, just: "Fellow Daoist Niu, if you ever run into trouble, you can come to me."

This offer pretty much repaid the favor he owed before.

True, Niu Xi hadn’t helped him much, but sometimes just having the intention makes all the difference.

Niu Xi nodded and didn’t take it to heart.

He didn’t even ask where to find Lu Chang’sheng; when they reached the fork, he just parted ways.

Back at the communal housing, Niu Xi sat dazed on the second floor, random household goods scattered around.

Thinking back to when he married into the Zhu Family—his personality clashed with his wife, and she ended up cheating with another cultivator for reasons of appearance.

The Zhu Family chose to cover things up, suppressing the scandal.

Maybe out of guilt, one mid-stage Qi Cultivator from the family gave him plenty of compensation.

That’s how he’d managed to live here for so many years.

But soon enough, he’d have to move out.

Suddenly, Niu Xi heard a knock at the door.

Zhu Er stood outside, his face heavy.

"Junior Brother Niu—"

Niu Xi waved him off, saying bluntly, "Don’t bother with this fake sympathy. I’m moving out tomorrow."

Zhu Er hadn’t expected Niu Xi to tear off the façade so quickly. He dropped the act too, snapping, "If you’ve got such backbone, move out right now."

Without another word, he swept away in a huff.

"Ah, Niu Xi, what am I supposed to say to you? Uncle Zhu Er originally wanted you to stay a few more days. But now that you’ve embarrassed him, how could he not be angry?"

Right there, another Zhu Family cultivator who’d come with Zhu Er shook his head and sighed, though the mocking look in his eyes was impossible to hide.

All these years, Niu Xi had occupied the place, consuming Zhu Family’s resources.

"If it weren’t for that incident, how could the elders tolerate him this long? Living here burns through at least a hundred spirit stones a month, over a thousand a year."

"The Zhu Family’s money doesn’t grow on trees. Keeping him this many years was already more than decent."

Zhu Er waited down the road, Zhu Bei beside him; seeing the other clan member catch up, he griped coldly.

Before, it was a different branch handling things in Platinum Immortal City, so they were more lenient with Niu Xi, but now it’s Zhu Er in charge—there’s no way he’ll tolerate it for long.

"The results for the alchemist assessment are out, right?"

Zhu Er looked at Zhu Bei.

Zhu Bei nodded, "Most are out. Only two passed."

"Two isn’t bad."

Zhu Er was quite pleased.

"Once Niu Xi moves out, you’ll be in charge of managing the communal housing here. But don’t go overboard. There’s got to be some boundaries."

Zhu Er reminded him.

The communal housing is still family property—if it’s sold off or trashed, that’ll never be allowed.

Zhu Bei, getting what he wanted, couldn’t help smiling, "Don’t worry, Uncle Zhu Er. I know where the lines are."

Soon, the trio parted ways.

Zhu Bei and another clan member stayed behind to keep an eye on Niu Xi.

Towards dusk, they finally saw Niu Xi lugging stuff out.

Most cultivators’ treasure vault immortal insects are nice if they’re a meter cubed, and Niu Xi was no exception.

Given the circumstances now, he probably couldn’t rely on the Zhu Family anymore, so he refused to leave any household items or alchemy equipment behind.

No choice but to pull out his savings and hire two warriors for moving help.

As night fell, Niu Xi stood at the entrance to the communal housing, looking around, utterly lost inside.

He knew plenty of people, but those who’d stuck around were mostly there out of ties to the Zhu Family—the few true friends didn’t have the means to stay in Platinum Immortal City long-term.

So, for a while, he had no idea where to go.

"Fellow Daoist Lu said I could come to him if I ran into trouble—" Thinking of this, Niu Xi shook his head.

In truth, his relationship with Lu Chang’sheng wasn’t nearly close enough for that.

"Fellow Daoist Lu can barely keep afloat himself. If I went to him, I’d just be making things harder."

In the end, it was time to leave Platinum Immortal City. Niu Xi made peace with it, rented a place nearby for the night, and by dawn, left with his things.

Once Zhu Er heard, he could finally relax.

Niu Xi had been a nagging problem—most of that branch felt guilty, and worried about the Zhu Family’s reputation, so they hadn’t wanted to deal with the mess.

But—

"Probably that fool Niu Xi doesn’t even realize—the clan elder who ’supported’ him just cared about reputation. Once things quieted down, it was only a matter of time before he’d drop him."

Zhu Er thought to himself.

Otherwise, for a clan elder at mid-stage Qi Cultivation, it would’ve been easy to protect a mere early-stage Qi Cultivator. There’s no real difficulty to it.

It’s just a question of attitude.

Sure enough, Niu Xi’s first move was to go back to the Zhu Family and seek out that clan elder.

He didn’t want to reclaim his old place—just hoped for a lead to settle himself somewhere. But when he got there, he couldn’t even see the elder.

He wasn’t even able to set foot in many places inside the clan.

In a flash, it was like the Zhu Family had swept him out the back door and dumped him in the street.