Free Web NovelChapter 282: Chapter 53: The Ill-Fated Bird and the Improper Bird
An hour later, Fang Cheng and Hua Yutang emerged from the Immortal Pill Pavilion.
Hua Yutang gazed at the distant Floating Immortal Mountain and said, "Junior Brother, the next batch of Jade Dew Golden Lotus Pills won’t be ready for over a month. Why don’t we rent a Cave Mansion and wait here for a while? Since we’ve come all this way, a few more days won’t hurt."
The two had come to buy the pills, and the good news was that the Immortal Pill Pavilion did, in fact, sell the Jade Dew Golden Lotus Pill.
The bad news was that the pill was sold out. To purchase it, one had to pay a deposit and wait more than a month.
An Honored Guest Elder of the Immortal Pill Pavilion would be personally refining the next batch.
Left with no other choice, Fang Cheng signed a Talisman Contract with the Immortal Pill Pavilion and paid a deposit of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
He had planned to return to the Abyssal Marsh right after buying the pill, but now it seemed he would have to wait a while longer.
Conveniently, he had just acquired the Geng Metal Profound Silkworm Threads, so Fang Cheng decided to use this opportunity to re-refine his Immortal Binding Rope.
"Very well. I can see the Spiritual Qi on this mountain is rich and the scenery is beautiful. Let’s stay for a month," he said.
The two of them, along with the bird, then flew toward the Immortal Mountain.
Halfway up the Immortal Mountain was an expansive platform that had been fashioned into a massive White Jade Plaza. A tall, shimmering Immortal Tower Jade Pavilion sat at its edge, clearly visible from afar.
This was the central administration hub for the market’s Cave Mansions.
This plaza served as a dividing line. Above it were Cave Mansions for Life Talisman and Life Soul Cultivators, while below it were those for Sensing Realm cultivators.
The higher a Cave Mansion’s elevation, the more expensive its rent. From top to bottom, they were divided into five tiers: A, B, C, D, and E.
Fang Cheng chose a B-tier Cave Mansion, paid a month’s rent, and then took the Cave Mansion Token and went with Hua Yutang to "move in."
The Cave Mansion was a magnificent pavilion, situated not far from the summit of the Immortal Mountain.
Fang Cheng deactivated the pavilion’s restrictive seals and walked inside with Hua Yutang. He was quite satisfied with what he saw.
The pavilion’s interior was elegant, luxurious, spacious, and comfortable. It was fully equipped with bedrooms, a Quiet Chamber, a main hall, a bathing pool, an Earth Palace, an Alchemy Room, and an Artifact Refining room.
Outside, there was even a small Spirit Field, where one could grow Spirit Rice or Spiritual Medicines on a long-term lease.
Fang Cheng walked to the bathing chamber. Looking at the magnificent, thirty-foot-wide pool, he nodded to himself in approval. He turned to Hua Yutang. "Senior Sister, we’ve been on the road for so long, covered in dust. Why don’t we bathe together?"
A blush crept onto Hua Yutang’s dignified and beautiful face. She gave him a sidelong glance and chided softly, "Cang Dao You is right here. Don’t be ridiculous."
The Cyan Bird on Fang Cheng’s shoulder flapped its wings and flew off, tactfully landing on a distant curio shelf. Covering its eyes with a wing, it said, "Please, don’t mind me. I know better than to look at what is improper."
Fang Cheng took out his Immortal Binding Rope. With a flick of his wrist, it shrank to the width of a single thread, wrapping around the Cyan Bird and sealing its Divine Sense and Demon Power.
"My apologies, Brother Cang," Fang Cheng said, cupping his hands.
The Cyan Bird stared at him, speechless. "..."
It watched as Fang Cheng and a bashful Hua Yutang entered the bathing chamber. After the door closed, Spirit Patterns flashed across its surface, clearly indicating that a ward had been activated to seal the room off.
The Cyan Bird sighed to itself. ’My life has been one disaster after another. When will my fortunes finally turn?’
Perched on the curio shelf, it stared blankly and gloomily into space.
About an hour passed before Fang Cheng walked out of the bathing chamber, looking completely refreshed. A moment later, Hua Yutang followed, now dressed in a simple and elegant long skirt.
The beautiful woman wore a bashful expression, her lovely eyes sparkling with every glance, exuding an irresistible charm.
Fang Cheng beckoned, and the Immortal Binding Rope flew back into his hand. He turned to Hua Yutang. "Senior Sister, I’ll leave Cang Dao You in your care for now."
Hua Yutang nodded with a smile. "Don’t worry, Junior Brother. I’ll add a few more seals on Cang Dao You just to be safe."
Fang Cheng then went to the Quiet Chamber to begin re-refining the Immortal Binding Rope.
Hua Yutang first placed several soul-seals on the Cyan Bird before settling lazily onto a jade mat in the main hall. "Cang Dao You," she began, "do you know of any local delicacies? Any unique Spiritual Cuisine?"
The Cyan Bird answered without hesitation. "The Eighteen Treasures of Spiritual Cuisine at the Star-picking Tower are excellent. And the Ice Cream and Spiritual Dawn Dew from the Imperial Spring Pavilion are specialties of the Wilderness that you simply must not miss."
Hua Yutang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. "I’ll have to go try them later... Oh, right. Do you know of any shops in the market that sell Spiritual Objects that could help a Life Talisman Cultivator break through their bottleneck?"
She had already asked at the Immortal Pill Pavilion, but the bottleneck at the Mid-Life Talisman Stage was notoriously difficult to overcome. Even in a place like the Wilderness, heaven-defying treasures capable of such a feat were exceedingly rare.
The Cyan Bird looked at Hua Yutang and said thoughtfully, "You wish to break through to the mid-stage?"
Hua Yutang chuckled. "Of course. Don’t you?"
"More than breaking through, I care about my life and freedom..." the Cyan Bird sighed, then continued, "If you promise me one thing, I will teach you a Secret Technique that will give you a fifty percent chance of breaking through to the Mid-Life Talisman Stage."
The smile on Hua Yutang’s face faded. A flash of displeasure crossed her expression before she asked coolly, "And what would that be?"
The Cyan Bird bowed its head, folding its wings in a display of submission. "I only ask," it said in a pitiful tone, "that you put in a good word for me with your junior brother. A little pillow talk, perhaps, to convince him not to kill me to tie up loose ends."
"My junior brother isn’t a bloodthirsty person..." Hua Yutang began.
The Cyan Bird sounded surprised. "The Evil Qi clinging to your junior brother is heavier than that of a Life Soul Elder from the Rakshasa Sect. If he isn’t bloodthirsty, then why have so many beings perished at his hands?"
Hua Yutang was left speechless. She realized that despite the major breakthrough in their relationship, ’I still don’t truly know my junior brother at all.’
The Cyan Bird continued, "I can feel it. His killing intent toward me has never lessened. If I weren’t of some use to him, he would have silenced me long ago to prevent me from sending word to the Rakshasa Sect and bringing a fatal disaster down upon you."
Hua Yutang looked at the Cyan Bird. "I can ensure you live," she said, "but we will likely have to seal you within a Magical Artifact."
A hint of joy appeared in the Cyan Bird’s eyes. "As long as I can keep my life, freedom can wait."
"Very well, I agree to your terms," Hua Yutang said. "Now, tell me about this Secret Technique."
The Cyan Bird said, "An ancestor of mine once acquired a Dual Cultivation Secret Scripture from the Human Race. It contains a Secret Technique that details how a woman can use the art of Dual Cultivation to overcome her cultivation bottlenecks."
"This technique uses the male partner as a ’Tripod Furnace.’ It uses the essence, qi, and spirit of both individuals as fuel, their Magical Power as the flame, and a Spirit Pill as the catalyst. With this, you can break through your barrier in a single attempt."
The Cyan Bird bobbed its head as it recited the Secret Technique in full detail.
Hua Yutang listened intently. She found the principles behind it to be quite profound and, her curiosity piqued, she asked, "What is the name of this Spirit Pill you mentioned, Cang Dao You?"
The Cyan Bird pondered for a moment. "The Spirit Pill is called the Profound Fire Pill. It should be available for purchase in this market. However, it’s not taken internally. It’s for... external use. No, that’s not quite right. Let’s just say it isn’t ingested."
Hua Yutang looked completely bewildered.
The Cyan Bird had no choice but to explain patiently. But as it went on, it, too, seemed to grow embarrassed and trailed off, unable to continue.
...
