Chapter 72: Reunion with Qingxuan
The two of them sat down in the room, and Guan Qiaozhi eloquently served tea and water.
"Talisman Master Lan is a great recluse, raising turtles and planting grass. Your life seems quite leisurely." Mu Maode said, taking off his bamboo hat and glancing at the clear and delicate Guan Qiaozhi, feeling an inexplicable sense of melancholy.
"Senior Mu, you overpraise me. I am just a loose cultivator with some modest skills, unworthy of the title of a recluse." Lan Chang'an said modestly.
They drank spiritual tea and chatted for a while.
Many years ago, Mu Maode had retired from his family, giving the position of head of the family to a vigorous and powerful ninth layer Qi-Refining cultivator.
"Senior Mu, if you have any instructions, you can send someone to inform me. There's no need to come personally." Lan Chang'an guessed that Mu Maode's visit must have a purpose.
"Talisman Master Lan, my family has a request for you." Mu Maode said solemnly, his posture humble.
"A request from me?" Lan Chang'an asked, puzzled. What could he, a seemingly weak ninth layer Qi-Refining cultivator, do to help the Mu Family?
"Our family needs a favor from someone you know." Mu Maode explained.
Hearing this, Lan Chang'an guessed Mu Maode's intention.
In recent years, the Maple Leaf Huang Family has been clashing with the Mu Family, causing casualties among the younger generation.
Openly and covertly, the Huang Family had been suppressing the Mu Family's industries, framing them, and escalating conflicts.
The Mu Family had been enduring as much as possible.
However, the Huang Family's goal was to annex the Mu Family, and there was no avoiding it. Sooner or later, a war between the two families would erupt.
In the surrounding area, the only powerful force that had ever looked out for the Mu Family was the Beast Taming Zhou Family.
The Zhou Family's genius beast tamer, Zhou Qingxuan, owed Lan Chang'an a favor.
Over the years, Zhou Qingxuan had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, holding a significant position in the Beast Taming Zhou Family.
"Senior Mu, Zhou Qingxuan indeed owes me a favor from her youth. But after so many years, she has become a Foundation Establishment senior and may not acknowledge her childish promise from back then."
"If you want me to form an alliance and persuade Zhou Qingxuan, that is unrealistic." Lan Chang'an said calmly.
Using a favor to help the Mu Family of Feiyue Lake was one thing.
But he was unwilling to directly intervene in the conflict between the two families and get involved in the vortex.
Mu Maode smiled bitterly, "I understand that a small favor from her youth cannot influence the decisions of the Zhou Family's top management. Moreover, the Zhou Family is currently in conflict with the Ten Thousand Swords Zhuo Family and has no spare capacity to care for us."
"This time, contacting you is not to persuade the Zhou Family to protect us," he said, his tone softening as he explained the reason.
"We want to privately buy a second-rank spirit beast from the Zhou Family. We don't expect a second-rank spirit beast in its prime. Even an old and weak second-rank spirit beast with little lifespan left would be acceptable."
After listening, Lan Chang'an pondered, "If it's just to privately arrange the connection, I can try. But I can't guarantee success, and I won't participate in the specific transaction."
"Talisman Master Lan, you just need to privately contact Zhou Qingxuan and facilitate this transaction. Whether it succeeds or not, this is a token of our gratitude from the Mu Family," Mu Maode said, squeezing a smile on his elderly face and handing over a bag of spirit stones.
Looking at the elderly man nearing a hundred years old, Lan Chang'an, who came from a family in his previous life, understood the hardship and difficulty involved.
A cultivating family is bound by bloodline kinship.
When you are born in the family, you receive cultivation and education, marry and have children, and your descendants spread their branches and leaves on this land, with all your life's effort poured into them.
This is what it means to be a family cultivator!
Bound tightly to the family, with ties that last a lifetime.
"I was once a member of the Mu Family. Helping to say a word is no big deal. This bag of spirit stones is unnecessary," Lan Chang'an declined the spirit stones repeatedly.
Mu Maode felt greatly comforted. Although Lan Chang'an had left the Mu Family, he had not misjudged him back then.
At least he was not a heartless person.
"There will be a large auction in Huanglong Immortal City soon. Zhou Qingxuan will represent the Beast Taming Zhou Family to sell a batch of spirit beasts and cubs." Mu Maode explained the situation.
"She is currently at the Zhou Family residence in the inner city. You can contact her privately. If I go, it might alert the Huang Family." he added.
Mu Maode had been retired from the Mu Family for many years. Nearing the end of his lifespan, his body was failing, and the Huang Family did not pay much attention to him.
But if he showed up at the Zhou Family residence, it would be different.
"Senior Mu, please be careful." Lan Chang'an said.
After discussing some details, Mu Maode put on his bamboo hat and left Water Moon Residence.
...
Lan Chang'an did not act immediately.
He took a bath and burned incense in the room, using a potion to remove the scent of spirit pets from his body.
Zhou Qingxuan had exceptional talent in beast taming. Even when she was a young girl, Lan Chang'an had experienced her skills.
Normally speaking, it would be impossible for her to determine the cultivation base of the Profound Water Turtle based on its scent alone. But one must always be cautious.
Secrets and risks in the cultivation world are relative.
If Lan Chang'an were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the growth of the Profound Water turtle might seem abnormal but not a major issue.
The Beast Taming Zhou Family possessed many secrets in raising spirit beasts, so they were never afraid of others coveting them.
If he were a Nascent Soul True Monarch, the secret of the Evergreen Technique would not be a concern either.
...
Two days later.
Lan Chang'an left the Profound Water turtle in the courtyard, with Guan Qiaozhi taking care of it.
He entered the bustling area of the inner city alone.
Using his spiritual sense to check the surroundings and ensure no one was following, Lan Chang'an disguised himself in an inn. Through the body refinement manual, he adjusted his muscles and bones, transforming into a young man in fine clothes.
He also adjusted his aura with the Evergreen Technique.
Experienced people might see through the disguise but would not see his true appearance.
Half an hour later, Lan Chang'an arrived at the Zhou Family residence.
A ninth layer Qi-Refining cultivator could not be ignored by the guards of the Zhou Family residence.
"I am Lan, an old acquaintance of Elder Zhou Qingxuan. Please inform her of my visit, here is the token." Lan Chang'an said, handing a letter along with five spirit stones to the guarding cultivator.
The letter contained a top superior-grade Frost Descent talisman.
After waiting for a while.
"Are you Mr. Lan? My master invites you in." a maid from the Zhou Family came out and led Lan Chang'an into the residence.
The Zhou Family residence was a large compound that could house over a hundred people.
Before long, they arrived at a quiet courtyard.
The maid invited Lan Chang'an into the house.
It was a quiet room with sandalwood incense and the faint fragrance of a woman as fresh as a lotus.
A young girl in a yellow dress, her face as beautiful as jade, sat cross-legged on a cushion.
Twenty years had passed, but Zhou Qingxuan remained youthful. Her beauty and temperament had improved, losing some of her playful mischief and gaining more elegance and grace.
"Junior Lan Chang'an greets Senior Zhou." Lan Chang'an said, bowing after entering the room, removing his disguise beforehand to show respect.
"Lan Chang'an? I remember you, the turtle talisman master." Zhou Qingxuan said with a playful smile, breaking her dignified demeanor.
Lan Chang'an felt strange: This woman's temperament hadn't changed much. He was probably going to have to rely on the Turtle Talisman Master title to jog her memory.
"Senior Zhou still remembers me. It's an honor!" Lan Chang'an said.
"Tell me, what brings you here?" Zhou Qingxuan asked indifferently, ignoring Lan Chang'an's compliments without any intention of reminiscing.
Lan Chang'an was not surprised.
If he were a Foundation Establishment elder, he wouldn't be interested in chatting with a Qi-Refining junior either.
"Senior Zhou, the Mu Family of Feiyue Lake wants to privately purchase a second-rank spirit beast from your family. They can accept an old and weak second-rank spirit beast with little lifespan left." Lan Chang'an said straightforwardly, addressing the high-ranking cultivator directly and concisely.
"A second-rank spirit beast?" Zhou Qingxuan sneered, "Every second-rank spirit beast is a treasure of the Zhou Family. Besides, we are currently facing off against the Ten Thousand Swords Zhuo Family and need all the combat power we can get."
"Lan Chang'an, how dare you make such a request?"
(End of Chapter)