The divine herb, the Azure Dragon Vine. It was formed from the essence of a true dragon and carried an eternal draconic breath.
It grew upon the Azure Cliff, the site where a primordial blue dragon had fallen. From the void, vigorous vines sprouted; though they were mere flora, they contained a sliver of a true dragon’s soul. Obtaining it allowed one to nourish their spirit and forge an indestructible draconic soul. It was a peerless divine herb of the current age, sought after by countless cultivators.
The vine was as blue as the sky and as translucent as jade, its pressure rivaling that of a living dragon. A single breath of dragon energy remained trapped within the vine, waiting to fulfill a wish. However, because the conditions for the wish were nearly impossible to meet, most seekers returned empty-handed or defeated.
The Tingfeng Pavilion had spread word that the Cloud Lookout Auction would be held today, and it was rumored that information regarding the Azure Dragon Vine might be available.
Since it was an auction, it would be a battle of wealth.
Ling Yi finally saw an opportunity to prove his worth.
“My Lady, this is a matter of great importance.”
“Let us set aside our grievances for now. I beg of you, please spend my money.”
The fox demon put on his most pitiful expression as he slipped into Sikong Lan’s room, closing the door behind him to ensure the disciples wouldn’t interrupt.
Outside, the disciples were gathered around a table, with a large plate of five-spice sunflower seeds—bought for a single copper coin—sitting in the center.
Zhan Zhaozhao pulled his gaze away from the closed wooden door, looking puzzled. “You say Master is capable of everything, so why can’t she ever make any money?”
Song Yin was busy cracking sunflower seeds. She managed to make even this look elegant; the orange-red silk shawl on her jade-like arms rose and fell with her movements. Her fair cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s as she worked, and her red lips deftly spat out two perfectly intact shell halves.
“Do you want to know why Master can’t make money? Let me show you.”
Song Yin briskly clapped the crumbs off her hands. Her eyes sparkled as she took on the role of a customer asking Sikong Lan to forge a peerless divine weapon.
“Immortal Master, is this the sword I ordered?”
“Yes,” Song Yin switched roles, becoming profound and enigmatic. She draped her shawl over her head to mimic the cloak their Master usually wore. “However, it is not quite perfect. Therefore, I shall not charge you any further fees beyond the deposit. Here, take this Dark Jade Dagger as a gift. Oh, and this Pearl Saber too. And you might as well take these Dark Iron Emei Piercers.”
Song Yin took off the “cloak” and switched back to the shocked customer. “Heavens… the gifts you’ve given me far exceed the value of the deposit! You won’t even recover your costs at this rate!”
She put the shawl back on her head, lowering her voice to imitate her Master. “But it is not perfect. If a creation does not reach one-hundred percent perfection in my heart, I only wish to give it away. I absolutely cannot accept money for it; otherwise, my conscience would be burdened with guilt.”
Song Yin returned to her normal voice and looked at Zhan Zhaozhao. “Understand? It costs Master a thousand spirit stones to forge a divine weapon. If she feels it’s not perfect, she’ll sell it for eight hundred.”
“Let me give you another demonstration.” Song Yin’s desire to perform was piqued. She began to act as a patient saved by Sikong Lan.
“Cough, cough… Thank you for saving me. Benefactor, I wish to give you gold!”
This time, Jiang Zuilan caught the cue. She immediately adopted a calm, detached air. “It was merely a small effort. Think nothing of it. I take no payment.”
After the performance, the two of them shrugged at Zhan Zhaozhao simultaneously.
So what if she was a peerless weapon refiner? So what if she was a top-tier medical cultivator? She was utterly incapable of turning a profit. Even when she went out to subdue demons and monsters, it was mostly fueled by “love and justice.”
“Master is soft-hearted; she’s not built for business. If the cost is a thousand taels, she only dares to price it at a thousand and one. That extra tael isn’t even enough to cover the labor, but anything more and her conscience would prick her.”
“Master’s Husband, however, is different. If the cost is one tael, he dares to sell it for a thousand.”
The disciples sighed in unison. Luckily, they had a Master’s Husband. Luckily, a profiteer had managed to sneak into their ranks.
Song Yin had no interest in business. She invested in whatever Jiang Zuilan did, which usually ended in a spectacular loss. Zhan Zhaozhao couldn’t make money either because he was terrible at math. The entire household relied on Ling Yi’s earnings.
Song Yin looked down at her communication jade slip to check the gossip on the Spirit Web.
In the past, communication devices were strictly one-to-one and required specific passwords. That was until Ling Yi, based on Sikong Lan’s concepts, created the cultivation world’s Spirit Web. It could link multiple communication devices, allowing for group messages and anonymous chat forums.
Now, everyone who wanted to go online had to pay him. Basic text messages were free, but if you wanted to send images, you had to buy a membership.
Many large sects would buy memberships for their disciples to flaunt their wealth and show “care” for their followers, using it as a recruiting advantage.
Currently, Tingfeng Pavilion sold information via auctions held directly on the Spirit Net. The forums were flooded with advertisements:
[BREAKING!] A unique, lost volume of a cultivation manual appears at this auction!
[TRENDING!] A glimpse of a divine weapon! You won’t believe the starting price…
[EXCLUSIVE!] The Demon Empress’s eighth young lover is actually an Immortal Sect Senior Brother? The hidden secrets revealed!
[MORE INFO] Everyone, see you at the Cloud Lookout!
The building stood hundreds of feet tall, featuring carved beams and painted rafters; its highest point seemed to touch the clouds.
Guests were divided into tiers—Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow—based on their previous spending habits. Every guest wore a carved gold mask, and each party had a private booth. Pale gold auspicious light surrounded the booths, and concealment spells drifted through the hall to ensure absolute privacy.
The auction was in full swing.
Ling Yi was playing a game of Go, his eyes on the board as he casually called out the highest bids. Several rare items were successfully claimed in Sikong Lan’s name. Sikong Lan sat with her chin in her hand, long accustomed to such extravagance.
The information from Tingfeng Pavilion had already been secured. Sikong Lan was preparing to leave when she heard the next item being announced:
“A hairpin from the princess of the Chen Kingdom!”
Her steps halted. She heard the enthusiastic introduction from the stage.
“Everyone, two hundred years ago, the ruler of the Chen Kingdom was absurd and tyrannical, drawing the wrath of the heavens. The kingdom fell. This is the very hairpin of the Eldest Princess, Si Tianyi, from two hundred years ago!”
A piece of jewelry from a fallen kingdom, belonging to a princess of old. The Phoenix Feather Hairpin was perfectly preserved, looking incredibly lifelike.
Sikong Lan’s eyes widened. Ling Yi had already placed the winning bid.
Sikong Lan gazed at the relic for a long time. It was indeed her sister’s hairpin. Many years ago, when the Chen Kingdom fell, Sikong Lan and Ling Yi had fled far away, never able to return to their homeland to pay respects to her sister.
“I have already lost people who were important to me.”
She withdrew her gaze and glanced at Ling Yi’s chest. “I do not want to love someone who might die at any moment.”
Ling Yi grabbed her wrist, rubbing his face against her palm. “You can lock me in a dark room. Chain me up, just like you did back then, so I only belong to you.”
Sikong Lan looked back at him. Many years ago, she had used an iron chain to keep a fox that belonged only to her. Many years later, that fox was still by her side.
She still blamed Ling Yi for his attempt to offer his heart’s blood to save her. This wasn’t the first time he had used self-harm to help her, nor was it the first time he had hurt himself to solve a problem.
In the past, he had broken his own tail and bones trying to escape an iron cage. Later, for the sake of a moment’s peace, he had allowed children to curse him as an ill omen.
She thought everything had improved; they had built a sect together and were powerful and wealthy. Yet she found that his first instinct when facing a problem was still to hurt himself.
“We both need to grow. I think you need to learn self-love.”
“I want you to remember this lesson. A person so twisted that they hurt themselves cannot handle intense love. If you do not love yourself, then I cannot believe you can handle my love.”
Sikong Lan left gracefully, tossing a stack of the disciples’ bills behind her. “You should learn how to love yourself from your disciples.”
The auction was followed by a closing banquet with a luxurious spread. The various sects that had participated in the auction attended; with the carved masks removed, no one knew who had bid on what.
He Lan Tan was seated at the head table. Amidst the clinking of glasses, people constantly toasted him and offered flattering words.
Three courses had already been served when the Qunxian Sect finally made their late arrival.
Sikong Lan walked in with her hands tucked in her sleeves, dressed in black and gold robes with dark green embroidery resembling bamboo leaves. Her expression was cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice, her posture one that kept everyone at a distance.
Behind her were two female disciples. One was in pink and white, the other in a sheer, pale yellow dress.
This was the third time He Lan Tan had seen Song Yin.
His eyes suddenly lit up. Across the crowded banquet hall, he looked toward her from afar.
Song Yin followed behind Sikong Lan, the silk ribbons of her shawl fluttering lightly. Her almond eyes were bright as she scanned the room. For a split second, her gaze met his, but she quickly looked away. She seemed utterly indifferent, even cold.
She showed no intention of greeting him. In fact, she looked as though she wanted to pretend they were strangers. Without pausing her step, she hurried away.
He Lan Tan lowered his eyes.
He thought to himself: How can you be like this? You were just holding me yesterday.