"Open your mouth," an elderly man in white robes and a black gauzed hat ordered. I obeyed, parting my lips wide as the old man inserted a small needle to probe around my mouth and tongue. My body stiffened at the sudden touch, and I felt pain coursing through me. I gritted my teeth, determined not to let the pain show on my face, but inwardly, I cursed the damn old man. He had been poking needles into me ever since the Chen brother and sister had brought me to him, claiming he was the best damn doctor in all of Shangxing City.

Finally, the old man stepped away leaving me with the piercing sensation of cold needles being poked around the inside of my mouth, irritating me, sending shocks of pain racing throughout my entire body causing me to grit my teeth together trying desperately to prevent myself from crying out. After about five minutes of painful poking, he stopped and left the room. After the door slammed shut, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. The old man who was the reason that I was being treated like well I don't know like what do you poke with needles anyway, came back with a small wooden bowl filled with mirk green liquid,

"Drink" The old man commanded, motioning for me to drink it. I complied, taking it from his hands, and sipping it tentatively as I waited to see if it would give me any sort of reaction, the Liquid was ice cold and tasted like beer so I drank in a single gulp,

"Now what?" I asked when I found the old man watching me with amusement. I shrugged indifferently, not giving anything away. The old man chuckled.

"Physically, there is nothing wrong with you," the doctor spoke in a calm tone that was almost patronizing. I listened intently, waiting for an explanation for the strange symptoms I had experienced.

"However, from what I understand, you began convulsing and hallucinating about a pig after you began chewing a piece of cooked pork chop," the doctor continued, his expression serious.

"And?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I waited for the doctor to elaborate.

"Well..." the doctor paused, seemingly hesitant. "As far as I understand, the cultivation technique you are practicing must be a Buddhist scripture that prohibits the consumption of any sort of meat or animal products. It's believed that if a practitioner consumes meat or animal products, they will suffer the same suffering that the animal had to go through to end up in your stomach."

My heart sank at his words. The doctor's explanation felt like a punch to my gut. I had always been a meat eater, and giving it up would be a huge lifestyle change for me. I couldn't understand why this was happening now when I had been eating meat just a day ago.

"Why is this happening now?" I questioned the doctor, feeling frustrated and confused.

The doctor, with a self-satisfied smile, responded, "Ah, you see, it's because you have made progress in your cultivation practice. Certain cause and effect take place when practicing certain techniques, and it seems like this is the result of your advancement."

I blinked at him, trying to process his words. So, because I had been making progress in my cultivation practice, I was now experiencing the consequences of consuming meat. It all seemed so surreal.

As I digested this information, a funny monologue played out in my head. "Great, just great," I thought to myself, "I guess I'll have to say goodbye to my beloved steaks and burgers and become a vegetarian cultivator now. This is definitely not what I signed up for when I started this cultivation journey. Well, at least I'll have some interesting stories to share with the next person I meet. 'Oh, you know, just hallucinated about a pig because I ate pork chop, no big deal.' Yep, definitely a killer pickup line." Despite the seriousness of the situation, a small chuckle escaped my lips.

The doctor must have sensed my confusion because he continued, "I advise that you switch to a vegetarian diet. It's possible that this may have been the cause of your convulsions and hallucinations. If you continue to consume meat, it may harm your cultivation and your health."

My heart sank at his words, The doctor's words felt like a punch to my gut. I had always been a meat eater, and giving it up would be a huge lifestyle change for me

The doctor gave me a puzzled look, and I quickly composed myself. "Alright, I understand," I said to the doctor, trying to sound more serious. "I'll make sure to follow the dietary restrictions from now on."

The doctor nodded approvingly, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of determination to adapt to this new aspect of my cultivation practice. It was going to be challenging, but I was ready to embrace the changes and continue on my path toward spiritual enlightenment.

I nodded, taking in his advice. It made sense, and I was willing to try anything to avoid experiencing that kind of pain again.

"Good now that would be eight hundred low-grade spirit stones fellow Daoist"

"You Motherfucker, cheating whoring................................................

...................................................................................................

As I left the clinic, I couldn't help but feel lost, angry, sad, and betrayed.

I wanted to scream and shout and cry until my voice gave out, but there was nothing I could do. The only thing I could do was walk home and think about how I was now a vegetarian, and what would be next.

What else can I do? Nothing changes. Everything stays the same as it was, and nothing will ever happen.

I guess it wasn't that bad, only it was that bad but I had to push aside that issue for the moment, I had more pressing issues.

I nodded, to myself, my mind raced with thoughts. I needed a secluded place to stay where I wouldn't be disturbed, Since today, I had learned that any disturbance in my practice could lead to severe injury or even death.

Who knew?

If I was to get a place, I needed a cook, a servant, and a guard to help me and protect me. Someone who I could trust and leave things to.

I turned toward the brother and sister who were still following me silently.

Even the bubbly Chen Hua was silent and solemn.

My gaze went to the stoic, young, tall man beside her. According to the conversation we had while coming to that damned clinic, his name was Chen Long and According to him, he was a mid-grade First Order Talisman master capable of creating eight different talismans with a forty percent success rate.

The brother and sister were born as illegitimate children of an elder of a local sect, the White Mist Sect, to a local semi-famous courtesan who had died three years ago due to a sudden and deadly illness.

Now, the brother earned money by selling his talisman craft and cooking spiritual dishes at a local restaurant. Meanwhile, the little girl did odd jobs here and there to supplement their practice since cultivation wasn't a cheap business, especially if you had no access to resources such as spirit vein, pill, training ground, and exercises.

Both brother and sister had three attributes spiritual roots of water, wood, and earth.

They were practicing the most common Qi refining method known as the "Pulse Opening Breath" and had no way to access the foundation-building exercise. But the most astonishing thing I found about them was that the boy was at the 4th layer of Qi refinement and the girl was at the second stage, both clearly stronger than me.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Instead of trying to rob me in my most vulnerable state, this brother and sister decided to help me, and that says a lot about their character, especially in this man-eat-man world of cultivation.

So I decided to turn to the brother and sister and engage them in conversation.

"Chen Long, Chen Hua, I have a proposition for the both of you," I said, turning to face the brother and sister.

They paused in their step and looked at me with curiosity, and I continued. "As you may have noticed, I have quite a bit of Spirit stones. I am in need of a secluded place to practice where I won't be disturbed, and I need some help to maintain that seclusion."

I paused for a moment, waiting for their reaction. Chen Long's expression remained stoic, but Chen Hua's face lit up with excitement. "What kind of help do you need?" she asked eagerly.

"I need a cook, a servant, a housekeeper, and a guard," I replied. "Someone I can trust to help me and protect me while I practice."

Chen Long nodded in understanding. "I see. And in return, what can we expect from you?" much to my surprise the dude didn't question the legitimacy of my situation and just inquired about benefits

"I can offer you better exercises, a better cultivation environment, and support," I said.

"I can also provide you books in talisman making, Chen Long, if you're interested. "This time it was Chen Hua who nodded.

"That's great, but why are you asking us instead of someone else? You should be working on your own cultivation, why are we involved?" she questioned.

I sighed in relief. If they had agreed without hesitation, then I would have been in doubt about them the whole time. So, I looked around us to find a secluded place and spotted a small restaurant in the corner. I invited the duo to eat and talk, and they eagerly followed me. Once we were seated on the second floor in a closed-off booth, I surveyed our surroundings with my Divine sense and found no one. I then turned to the anxious duo and began explaining my situation, making sure to omit the part about vampires.

Instead, I informed them that I was an exile from a big family and that my grandmother had a great love for me. She had given me a small fortune as I was leaving my clan estate. Now, I planned to use that fortune to grow stronger and live a happy life here in Shangxing city, far away from my previous life. Just as I finished my half-truth tale, our food arrived quickly, and instead of giving me an answer, the duo dug into their food and happily began shoveling every morsel down their throats.

The meal consisted of a dish of roasted Chicken wings, Chicken broth with chicken strips wrapped around the bone, Chicken and rice soup, and Chicken Fried Rice, and none of that was for me for I was now a fucking vegetarian So, now for me, it was Fried vegetables, white rice, a hot and sweet sauce, and plain rice noodles along with a jug of tea. It took a while for us to finish the meal as we talked and ate.

It was obvious how much these two cared for each other; how could they not care, after all, they had lost their mothers early on and grew up together, they were practically siblings. Once we finished our meal, I paid the bill which cost me another half dozen spirit stones.

I thanked them for the meal and waved goodbye to Chen Hua who gave me a wide smile, waving back. We had finally come to an understanding the duo would come tomorrow to the inn with their luggage and we would then go on house hunting after which we would discuss their duties and salaries.

........................................................................

It wasn't until the fog from the adjoining river lazily dissipated that warm sunshine began to shine upon the City of Shangxing.

As a cultivator's city Shangxing City was a land of Extravagance.

There were palaces everywhere one could imagine, luxurious gardens, elegant streets lined with buildings and buildings of luxury and splendor, beautiful shops and restaurants, elegant palaces and castles. There were many rich merchants and aristocrats residing and living there, many wealthy families, and powerful clans.

There was the Jiang estate in the north with its vast grounds full of exotic vegetation, birds and animals, and exotic flowers. There white mist sect in the south with high towers and majestic spires. Then there was the Jangman Guild Hall in the east with many palaces with large gardens and beautiful fountains surrounding it.

The Prefect's Yamen was famous throughout the entire Upper echelons of the city and everyone knew of them. Their wealth, status, and authority made them extremely powerful and influential in the Inner Circle of the city's ruling families.

At this very moment, I stood outside Jangman Hall, I felt small and insignificant, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the main front of the Jangman Chamber of Commerce. It was a place where you could buy anything from the essentials of life to the tools of death, much like a secretive and powerful version of Costco, run by cultivators - superbeings with immense power and influence.

Our purpose for being here was two-fold. First, we needed to sign a contract between me and the Chen brother and sister, sealing our agreement. Second, we were on the lookout for a suitable house to settle in.

Chen Hua was yawning, her mouth full of sesame cakes as she munched away casually, while Chen Long stood beside her with his usual stoic expression. However, his eyes glowed with pride and excitement, just like her brother's.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism. This was going to be easy.

As we entered the guild hall, I could feel the weight of the stares from those around us. Their eyes held a mix of emotions - mirth, disgust, contempt, and disdain. We made our way to the corner of the grand hall where contracts were being made, and the Chen family and I signed a twenty-year contract of service. Then, we proceeded towards the enormous reception-like table where an elegant middle-aged woman awaited us.

She sat atop a golden throne-like chair, dressed in exquisite black silk adorned with shimmering gold embroidery that glistened brilliantly in the sunlight. Her dark green hair was braided with jeweled flowers and a veil draped gracefully over her neck. Her stunning face was adorned with fine makeup, and a faint hint of seductiveness emanated from her. I knew that her beauty could make men drool like bees swarming over honey, and it wouldn't take long for them to start begging for her attention.

However, beneath her alluring appearance, she exuded a terrifying aura that threatened to engulf me at any moment. It was evident that she was far more powerful than me,

Note to self learn a fucking appraisal technique or something.

Chen Hua and Chen Long didn't seem to notice the tension in the air, their attention solely on me for some reason. I, on the other hand, relied on my years of experience and flashed my best roguish smile as I greeted her,

"Greetings, honorable elder!" I bowed as politely as I could, feeling a pang of embarrassment as the old woman's expression remained unchanged.

Without altering her demeanor, she turned towards me with an icy cold stare and asked,

"Greetings, guest officer. What may Jangman Hall do for you?" Her words sounded innocuous, but her tone conveyed a deeper message - as if she were saying, "What do you want you worthless maggot? You'll never amount to anything in life. Just die already!" Her words sent shivers down my spine, though I couldn't quite discern what she truly wanted. Deciding that my earlier nervousness had gotten the better of me, I forced a nervous laugh and replied, "We are looking for a house to live in, honorable elder."

She smiled coldly, and her next question came sharp and direct, "May I ask, guest officer, if you are buying or renting a house?" I responded without hesitation, "Buying, honorable elder." Both Chen Hua and Chen Long looked surprised by my quick response.

Chen Hua, who had regained her composure before anyone else, spoke up with a glimmer of concern in her eyes,

"Young Master Lin, perhaps renting a house would be a more economical option for us to consider. We could pool our resources and share the expenses, making it more affordable for everyone." She flashed a charming smile in my direction, hoping to sway me to her suggestion.

I returned her smile, appreciating her resourcefulness, but I raised a hand to silence her. I knew that renting a house would indeed be cheaper in the short term, but it would also mean a recurring monthly expense without a stable source of income. On the other hand, if I were to buy a house, it would require an upfront cost, but it would be a one-time investment, and I wouldn't have to worry about monthly payments. Moreover, it seemed that there were no tax laws in this city, which made the prospect of buying a house even more appealing.

The woman who had been observing our exchange with a disdainful expression on her face, her contempt as clear as day, cast a disparaging glance at our little group. Her disapproval was evident in every line of her features as if she considered us beneath her notice.

The woman's condescending tone grated on my nerves, but I kept my composure. I couldn't afford to reveal my true financial status, especially in front of her. "Considering the esteemed guest officer's cultivation, appearance, and demeanor, it seems unlikely that he possesses substantial wealth," she remarked with a dismissive air.

I nodded, maintaining a genial smile, careful not to betray any hint of my wealth. "Indeed, honored elder," I replied, choosing my words carefully. It would be foolish to flaunt my riches in this situation.

Without another word, the woman reached into her sleeve and produced a silver bell, which she shook gently, creating a pleasant, melodious sound that echoed through the room. Within moments, a middle-aged man in a grey uniform with the word "Jangman" etched on his back appeared beside us. He bowed deferentially to the woman before turning to me.

"This way, please," he said with a respectful bow, gesturing for me to follow him. I rose from my kneeling position, reciprocated the bow, and then followed the man out of the room, leaving the woman behind with her indifferent expression.

As we walked, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "Hm." I didn't look back at the woman, but I couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.

"FUCK YOU BITCH" I thought