World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 379: Fortune Falls from the Sky, and Xi Lian Becomes the Great Patron
While Wang Sheng had been accompanying his master and a few Daoist elders for drinks and conversation on the first floor, he had heard constant clanging and banging upstairs. It had sounded as though Xi Lian and Xiaomiao had been busy tearing the place apart and redecorating.
When the Daoist elders left, Xi Lian called them upstairs to "split the spoils." The moment they entered, they learned... that they really were redecorating!
The three rooms on the second floor all had tall piles of Western-style artworks. Every piece was an antique of exquisite craftsmanship, each with its own ancient aura. It was as though they had stumbled into a private museum overflowing with treasures.
The meditation chamber originally used for cultivation had been refitted. The floor was now covered with animal furs, and diamonds were inlaid into the ceiling to form a starry sky. When light shone upon it, the four walls, already plastered with priceless artworks, glittered brilliantly.
Even the calligraphy of the Dao character that Wang Sheng had written had been buried under it all.
In the small study, Wang Sheng saw something he had never seen before: world-famous paintings used as ceiling panels and, even more absurd, unrelated masterpieces arranged into a nine-panel comic with a storyline.
"What do you think?"
Xi Lian, who was in her young-girl form, leaned casually against the doorframe. She folded her arms with pride and raised an eyebrow at the others' stunned expressions.
Xiaomiao eagerly tugged on Mu Wanxuan's arm. "Senior Sister, let's go to the third floor. I helped decorate a room for you as well!"
Xi Lian snapped her fingers and beckoned to the three Daoist priests. "You haven't seen anything yet. Come on, follow me. I'll open your eyes."
Shi Qianzhang couldn't help but gulp. Liu Yunzhi forced a wry smile, while Wang Sheng remained rather unbothered. He simply thought that Xi Lian was behaving no differently from the Western legends' dragons, which plundered shiny treasures and used them to decorate their lairs.
Guided by the souls under their control, Xi Lian and the other Daoist sects' heirs had plundered the six great vampire families' treasuries and the private vaults of vampires ranked above duke.
To her credit, Xi Lian had learned restraint from her years cultivating under Santong; she wasn't truly greedy. Instead of hoarding all the treasures, she only took about a third, leaving enough for each Daoist heritage to claim its share. Her act of generosity greatly heightened the standing of the Daoist sects. It provided better sustenance for their members and improved their new disciples' living conditions.
The Blood Race had existed for millennia. While hiding from the world, they disguised themselves as Western elites and aristocrats, amassing unimaginable wealth. Xi Lian and the Daoist heritages targeted antiques and artworks in particular. Had their storage space not been limited, they wouldn't have left behind the gold and silver.
When the Daoists charged through like a sweeping storm, many "elites" online voiced outrage, accusing the Hua Republic's cultivation world of plundering vast amounts of Western cultural treasures. Taking spoils of war could hardly be called robbery, though.
Xi Lian had countered that they were simply carrying out a controlled removal of spoils from the defeated corrupt cultivators. Western nations had done the same to the old Hua Republic more than a century ago. It could also be seen as the Hua Republic's cultivation world taking a portion of the vampires' wealth as its rightful commission for eliminating the Dark Faction to assist the West.
Now, the Daoist heritages that once criticized Xi Lian's origins now held her in far higher regard, especially the Daoists who followed her returned home laden with riches. Bearing witness to the results of the expedition, the sects praised her endlessly. They even called her truly righteous and claimed that she truly represented the best of the Daoist sects, leaving the disciples who had not joined the war stunned and envious.
That night, every Daoist heritage sparkled with jewels and treasure.
On the third floor, Wang Sheng glanced at the small tea room beside the elevator. Finding a round, crystal table, his lips twitched slightly.
"Ta-da! Senior Sister, look over here!"
Xiaomiao pushed Mu Wanxuan's bedroom door open with excitement. Now that her curiosity had been piqued, Mu Wanxuan played along with a delighted exclamation.
"Woah..."
The room's decorations had been completely transformed. Aside from the built-in wardrobe, every piece of furniture had been replaced with antiques. The floor was laid with soft jade, and ancient vases were in the corners.
They were all antiques worthy of exhibition, even the bookshelves, dressing tables, vase stands, cabinets, small tables, square chairs, and round stools. The room resembled a gallery of priceless furnishings, yet nothing felt out of place. The style flowed seamlessly rather than looking like a carelessly arranged heap of treasures.
Xi Lian and Xiaomiao had clearly put some thought into the arrangement.
Hanging on the four walls were landscape and portrait paintings, several of which were clearly masterpieces of renowned painters. Behind a row of jade screens was a carved canopy bed. Only the bedding remained unchanged.
By the window was a long wooden couch exuding a faint aura of primal qi. Xiaomiao had deliberately scattered flower petals across it.
Mu Wanxuan strolled through the room as though walking in a painting. She seemed like a celestial maiden stepping from a portrait, her faint smile drawing her junior brother's heart.
Xiaomiao raised a hand to block Liu Yunzhi, who wanted to enter for a closer look. "No men allowed."
Xi Lian proudly smirked. "Go open the opposite door. You guys will probably prefer that room since we decorated it according to the tastes of the only man in this house. I should remind you, though, that it's Xiaomiao's room."
The only man in the house?
Wang Sheng blinked. Mu Wanxuan drifted back from her room as Shi Qianzhang pushed open the slightly ajar door across the hall. The men gasped in admiration.
It was like a warehouse full of cold weapons!
Dozens of weapons lined the room, from daggers to battle helms. Each radiated faint spirituality. Though not Daoist treasured artifacts, they could certainly be considered as treasures.
On the left wall hung two crossed ancient swords. One emitted a cold light, while the other was blackened with ash. They were reminiscent of the legendary Icegrieve and Ashcarrier.
The three men toured the room with awe. Wang Sheng nodded in satisfaction, while Shi Qianzhang and Liu Yunzhi sighed in poverty.
"Here." Xi Lian flicked her hand, and two Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouches landed in Shi Qianzhang's and Liu Yunzhi's hands. "Those are for you two."
Neither expected much since they were first-generation Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouches, which had been obsolete for ten years. However, upon opening them, Liu Yunzhi could not help but smile bitterly. Neatly arranged inside were not only a few treasures but also seven to eight more Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouches.
"Big Sister, are you living lavishly?" Shi Qianzhang muttered.
"If you don't want them, give them back."
"I want them, I want them! Thank you, Big Sister!" Grinning foolishly, he quickly tucked the pouch away.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the little monk." Xi Lian tossed another pouch over. "That one's for him. Anyway, that will be all. Spoils divided. Go enjoy yourselves. I'm going to bathe and sleep. Wait, where is Little Xuanxuan?"
Xi Lian turned and found Mu Wanxuan pushing open the door of the third room—the immortal fox's.
"Don't!" Xi Lian cried out.
She rushed forward, but Mu Wanxuan had already opened the door a little. Blinding light spilled out through the gap, so dazzling that no one could keep their eyes open.
Xi Lian pressed her hand to her forehead and glanced guiltily at Wang Sheng. With a pop, she transformed from a young maiden into a sulking five-year-old to six-year-old child. With her hands behind her back, she pouted miserably as she nudged a diamond shard on the floor with her toes.
***
Clearly, Xi Lian had quietly claimed the vast amounts of treasured-artifact crafting materials in the Blood Race vaults instead of sharing them with the Daoist heritages. A couple of them were even used for immortal artifacts.
Some of the top-grade materials had once belonged to the Hua Republic, but foreign powers had plundered them during the nation's decline. Eventually, they fell into the Blood Race's hands. However, the Blood Race had plundered the vast majority of them from the vast lands along the southern Mediterranean coast over a thousand years.
Since Earth was filled with primal qi back then, treasures emerged not only within the Hua Republic. Now, with primal qi only recently restored, they had become impossible to find. New materials were forming, but they were still immature and of inferior quality. This was the main obstacle in the advancement of artifact crafting.
The materials piled in Xi Lian's room were of immeasurable value to the Daoist sects. Artworks and antiques could fetch great prices, but materials for forging treasured artifacts were beyond value.
"I know what I did was wrong," Xi Lian pleaded pitifully to Wang Sheng, "but I don't want to share the valuable items I can get my hands on. Can we keep them? With so many treasures, we'll have some foundation for the future when we leave Earth."
Wang Sheng maintained a stern expression as he patted her on the head, making him appear like the family's head. If not for his self-control, he would have burst out laughing.
"We didn't defeat the Dark Faction alone. These spoils rightfully belong to all Daoist sects," he replied. "Besides, it's pointless for us to hoard too many treasures. Why don't we trade these materials with the Daoist heritages for treasured artifacts instead, Big Sister?"
Xi Lian blinked. "How should we trade it?"
"Three sets of materials per treasured artifact," Wang Sheng explained. "That would allow us to grow our reserves while strengthening the entire Daoist community. Cultivators need treasured artifacts, especially in a dire battle."
Xi Lian pouted. "Fine. Have it your way."
Shi Qianzhang and Liu Yunzhi's eyes immediately lit up. Before they could speak, Wang Sheng smiled sincerely at them. "Special price, twenty percent off. No lower. Doing business isn't easy, you know. We've got both the young and the old at home to feed."
The two rolled their eyes.
Xi Lian, who had just calmed down, suddenly caught on to what Wang Sheng said. Fuming, she kicked Wang Sheng. "What do you mean by young and old?!"
In the next room, Xiaomiao laughed so hard that she collapsed onto the bed.
Though Xi Lian had acted selfishly, Wang Sheng had fortunately handled the matter neatly, avoiding greater conflict.
