Time seemed to have flown by, as six years had passed since the establishment of the mysterious Lin mansion. Su Liangsi was now standing nervously in front of the mansion's imposing doors, waiting for the gatekeeper to allow him entry. He paced back and forth with crossed arms, feeling the weight of his impatience. The dozen carts behind him were loaded with spiritual meat, rice, wine, vegetables, and fruits - all carefully selected to please the mansion's residents.
The mansion, once dilapidated and forgotten, now stood with an imposing aura that commanded attention. The transformation was nothing short of remarkable. And as Su Liangsi waited, he couldn't help but reflect on the past six years. The mansion had become a major source of influence and income for him, allowing him to rise in position and gather influence among the affiliated merchants in Jangman Hall. By circumventing direct contact with Jangman Hall and dealing with the Lin mansion instead, Su Liangsi had been able to establish himself quickly and build his reputation. The mansion's purchases alone had easily surpassed 60,000 low grade spirit, even golden core elder would notice this amount of wealth.
Not to mention the various exotic high demands goods that the mansion provided such as Five element spirit apples, thunder wool, lightning grass spice, and ready made many types of formation arrays,, which helped to boost his business even further.
This place was the sole source of income that enabled him to sustain his life, especially after the a golden core elder had become his backer, taking away sixty percent of his income, leaving him with barely enough funds left for his own everyday cultivation, only the embezzlement of funds from the Lin mansion had allowed him to reach the Nineth stage of Qi refinement at the age of forty six giving him a small glimmer of hope to build a foundation.
Just As Su Liangsi was feverously pacing around worried about the discovery of his actions outside the mansion, inside the the mansion in the eastern part of the estate, a spacious room was occupied by a beautiful young woman.
She sat in a cross-legged position, her eyes closed as she breathed evenly and deeply.
White wisps of Qi gradually converged at her mouth and nose and entered her body. This continued for an hour until a burst of energy erupted from her in all directions, and an image of a black turtle formed behind her. After a while, the girl opened her eyes, her face filled with joy and excitement.
"Young master's pill paid off," she exclaimed. "I finally broke through to the fifth layer of Qi refinement."
With the breakthrough to the fifth level of Qi refinement, the cultivator's cultivation base had reached a new height. They were now able to practice spells, spiritual runes, and divine consciousness, marking the transition from a mere mortal with robust health to a true cultivator. This achievement opened up new horizons for the cultivator, as they could now tap into more advanced cultivation methods and techniques to further their spiritual journey. The road ahead was full of challenges, but the cultivator was filled with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to continue their cultivation.
The young woman jumped to her feet and began forming seals and cast her first spells as a ball of water fell on her and cleaned her after which she cast a heat spell drying her and her clothes. Happy and satisfied with her work she began casting other minor spells in quick succession. After casting several minor spells, the young woman had exhausted her Qi reserve and had to take a break to let her muscles relax and her breathing return to normal. Just as she was about to enter her cultivation to refill her dantian with Qi, she was interrupted by a polite yet firm knock at the door.
"Young miss, Young miss," a mature voice called out.
"Enter," the young woman replied, too tired to even move from her spot.
The maid rushed into the room, her footsteps heavy as though she was carrying the most enormous burden in the world. As soon as she stepped inside, she bowed deeply towards the young lady.
"Miss, Master Su has come with the delivery of the food you ordered," the maid said as she lifted her head. The maid stood up and hurriedly walked to the desk to pick up a storage bag containing spirit stones payment for Su Liangsi , before quickly retreating to stand beside the door. The young lady's eyes flickered open and she got up from her place. She placed her hands together in thanks and walked forward, the servant closing the door behind her. She followed the maid down to the mansion's side entrance . Once there, the two girls stopped and looked both ways as they neared a stone pillar. As she moved three other women fell in step behind her, following her in silence.After walking some distance they arrived at a wide corridor, lined on either side with doors. In the middle of the corridor lay a large wooden chest, covered with thick white cloth, with two large doors hanging from each side. When they came to a stop, a man dressed entirely in white stepped forward to greet them.
"Sister Chen," he said with a smooth and melodious voice.
the young lady replied with a slight bow and polite tone. Her voice was pleasant and soft, her demeanour calm as always. The man smiled and nodded in response before turning his gaze to the young woman. His sharp, dark grey eyes stared right at her with great interest, causing the young lady to raise her eyebrows slightly.
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"Brother Wang," the young lady replied with a slight bow and polite tone. She noticed that he was holding a key in his hand and was standing in front of a door that was slightly ajar. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Sister Chen," Brother Wang replied, stepping aside to open the door fully.
Chen Hua's face remained calm and collected as Wang Cheng greeted her, though she couldn't help but feel surprised at his sudden appearance. "I trust all is well, Sister Chen Hua?" he asked politely. "It is, Brother Wang Cheng," Chen Hua answered cautiously, sensing that there was something on his mind.
Without another word, Wang Cheng nodded and walked away, leaving Chen Hua to continue towards the side entrance. She shook her head slightly, wondering what could have prompted his sudden appearance and departure. But she quickly pushed the thought aside as she focused on her task at hand.
Once she arrived at the entrance, she met with the merchant Su Liangsi and took possession of all the goods he had brought. She carefully inspected each item to ensure their quality before paying him with the spirit stones from the storage bag the maid had brought earlier.
Satisfied with the transaction, Chen Hua bid farewell to the merchant and watched as he left the mansion. She then turned around and headed back to her room, her mind already focusing on her next task.
Chen Hua proceeded to take the bulk of the goods to the mansion's treasury, where her brother Chen Long was in charge of receiving them. While they conversed, Chen Hua couldn't help but marvel at her brother's cultivation speed, as he was now the second strongest cultivator in the mansion with eight levels of qi refinement, just behind Wang Cheng, who had already reached the ninth level.
Chen Hua was impressed with her brother's progress in cultivation. "Brother, your progress is remarkable. You are now the second strongest cultivator in the mansion." she exclaimed.
Chen Long smiled humbly and replied, "It's all thanks to your support, sister. I couldn't have come this far without your help."
Chen Hua chuckled, "Don't be modest, brother. Your talent and hard work are the main reasons behind your progress. I am just happy to support you in any way I can."
After transferring the majority of the goods to the treasury, Chen Hua bid farewell to her brother and began walking through the mansion. As she passed by, the servants greeted her with polite bows and smiles.
"Good evening, Miss Chen Hua," one of the servants said.
"Good evening," Chen Hua replied with a smile.
As she continued walking, Chen Hua heard the faint sound of music coming from the mansion's northern area. she made her way in that direction, following the tune. The melody was foreign to her, but she still felt it was still pleasant to the ears.
Soon enough, Chen Hua arrived at a small garden located in the northern part of the mansion. The garden boasted a large, artificial pond in the middle, with a small island sitting at the heart of the water. Chen Hua marvelled at the sight before her, as every inch of the island was covered in lush purple-green bamboo, rustling softly in the breeze.
With graceful steps, Chen Hua reached the edge of the pond and gazed at the thousands of small fish swimming. She whistled a tune, and soon the fish became agitated and began hopping out of the water. As if in response to her call, a bridge made out of a thousand fish formed for Chen Hua to walk on. Gingerly stepping onto the fish bridge, Chen Hua made her way towards the island in the middle of the pond.
The island was covered in lush, purple-green bamboo, and as Chen Hua approached, the bamboo parted, revealing a small entrance. A happy smile and a skip in her step, she walked inside. The air inside was cool and refreshing, with a faint scent of sandalwood lingering in the air. A small courtyard lay before her, with a delicate wooden pavilion in the centre, surrounded by a tranquil pond. Chen Hua took a deep breath and closed her eyes, relishing the serenity of the surroundings.
"Chen Hua," a low-pitched voice called out, opening her eyes. Chen Hua found herself looking at a humanoid woman with tree roots instead of hair, and her body was made out of wood, leaves, and plants. Chen Hua was ecstatic to see the humanoid tree lady once again. She had first encountered her during a trip to the forest a few years ago. Despite her unusual appearance, the tree lady exuded an air of grace and wisdom that commanded respect.
Chen Hua's melancholy thoughts were interrupted by the rustling of leaves, and she turned to see Sister Nu hurrying after her. Chen Hua immediately felt guilty for letting her mind wander during her visit. Sister Nu had always been kind to her, and she didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful.
"Sorry Sister Nu," Chen Hua said, bowing her head in respect. She avoided eye contact, embarrassed by her lapse in etiquette.
"No need to apologize," Sister Nu said, her voice kind. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Go meet Master; he's in a particularly good mood today."
Chen Hua's heart lifted at the mention of her beloved saviour. She smiled, grateful for the suggestion. "Thank you, Sister Nu," she said, bowing once more before turning to continue her journey.
As she made her way through the forest, her steps became lighter with each passing moment. She felt a renewed sense of purpose, eager to see her mentor and receive his guidance. She quickened her pace, her heart beating with anticipation. Finally, she emerged from the woods and saw the entrance to the master's abode, just at that moment, Sensing Chen Hua's presence, the young boy playing the guqin stopped and turned towards her, a bright smile illuminating his face. "Welcome, Miss Chen," he greeted her with a respectful bow.
Chen Hua returned the bow, feeling a bit uneasy as she faced the boy. However, she reminded herself that he wasn't human; he was a spiritual tree that transformed into a human-like boy with only difference being fully green eyes without any white or green irises. Over time, Chen Hua had grown close to Lin Shifu, and he had become a reliable friend. He had helped her countless times over the past two years whenever she needed someone to talk to. Lin Shifu had shared everything he knew about the young master's habits and preferences with her, making her visits to the master more effective. Now she waited patiently and quietly next to the boy waiting for young master Lin Yun to finish playing.