Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Mountain and Marsh Spirits

As Xu Hanji spoke, a strange look flickered subtly across her beautiful face beneath the veil.

She was clearly perplexed that the Liu Family wanted to see Lin Changheng, and even harbored a certain hidden concern.

In fact, when the Xu Family’s upper echelon first heard the news, they speculated whether the Liu Family had somehow learned of Lin Changheng’s name and was now thinking of recruiting him.

This was the difficulty of not having the bonds of blood and kinship—they were truly afraid he would leave.

Although the Xu Family was reluctant for the meeting to happen, it was an open matter they couldn’t simply suppress. Otherwise, they would offend both the Liu Family and Alchemist Lin, leaving them in an impossible position.

Now, their only hope was that Lin Changheng wouldn’t be swayed; otherwise, it would be a devastating loss.

To that end, they had even instructed Xu Hanji to carefully manage the situation, ensuring the two parties didn’t immediately hit it off and create a scenario where they "carelessly lost their Pill Master"...

’The Liu Family wants to see me?’ Lin Changheng hadn’t expected it either, but for the sake of the Essence Blood, he said, "Very well."

Xu Hanji was about to offer some prepared remarks, but Lin Changheng stopped her. "The Xu Family has treated me with kindness and integrity. During this visit, I will only discuss the Essence Blood, and nothing else."

"Excellent! Mr. Lin, you are a man of high principles!"

Having received this promise, Xu Hanji’s expression relaxed slightly; she had not failed the task entrusted to her by her family. Her beautiful eyes brightened as she looked at Lin Changheng, twinkling as if filled with starlight.

...

The meeting was set in a small reception courtyard to the side of the main guest hall.

The Liu Family envoys were all staying here. Below, the pure Spiritual Qi from the main branch of a Middle Grade Spiritual Vein was channeled in, available for short-term Cultivation.

The scenery and furnishings were pleasant as well. The Xu Family had clearly put a lot of thought into it, so there was no worry that their guests would find the accommodations uncomfortable.

Accompanied by a Xu Family Steward in charge of reception matters, Lin Changheng walked through the small courtyard and into the main hall.

Only the hemp-robed old man and the young woman from the Liu Family were present. The middle-aged man was absent; he had likely gone to attend to other matters.

"Greetings to the Liu Family’s Senior and Fairy."

Lin Changheng instantly felt two gazes fall upon him. He met their eyes briefly in return, his greeting neither servile nor overbearing, but perfectly courteous and proper.

"Are you the Fellow Daoist, Alchemist Lin?"

A slightly hoarse, aged voice reached his ears. Lin Changheng nodded and replied, "I am."

Glancing at the Xu Family Steward who stood nearby like a wooden post, an amused look flashed across the hemp-robed old man’s face. He didn’t say anything more about it, however. Instead, he beamed at Lin Changheng and said, "Fellow Daoist, your renowned talent in Alchemy is a classic example of a late bloomer. This old man has heard of it several times, and today I finally get to meet you. The reputation is well-deserved."

These words, which seemed like mere pleasantries, startled Lin Changheng the moment he heard them.

Especially the phrase "late bloomer"—it was too accurate to have been a fabrication. ’So, the question is,’ he thought, ’how did my reputation get out?!’

’I’m always so careful to be low-key, and I never go out. How could word have possibly reached the Liu Family?’

"A man fears fame as a pig fears growing fat." For someone as cautious as him, fame was an unequivocally bad thing.

Unable to immediately pinpoint the source of the leak, he could only smile and say, "Senior, you flatter me. I rarely leave my residence, focusing my entire being on the Alchemy Dao. My furnace burns day and night, and it is only through diligence that I’ve managed to compensate for my lack of innate talent. I truly don’t deserve such a reputation."

The hemp-robed old man didn’t press the point, simply smiling. "If you have time in the future, Fellow Daoist, you are welcome to visit my Liu Family as a guest. We have a vast collection of Alchemy Dao scriptures, as well as clansmen and Honored Guest Elders who specialize in Alchemy. You could exchange knowledge and advance together."

"If the opportunity arises in the future, I will certainly trouble your household with a visit alongside my family."

Lin Changheng subscribed to the principle of not slapping a smiling face, but he was also careful not to agree in a personal capacity. ’After all,’ he thought, ’there’s a giant third wheel standing right there.’

"Hahaha." Lin Changheng’s impeccable response greatly amused the hemp-robed old man. ’If he had eagerly latched onto my casual invitation, I would have suspected the rumors were false. How could someone who lacks conviction possibly succeed so easily in the Alchemy Dao?’

However, this was a line of reasoning Lin Changheng had not anticipated. Had he known what the old man was thinking, he would have been utterly dumbfounded.

Afterwards, the two men, each with their own hidden thoughts and private assessments, concluded the topic and began to discuss the matter of the Demon Beast Essence Blood.

The young woman from the Liu Family remained silent, merely watching the two men converse, her eyes moving back and forth with a look of keen interest.

In the end, the old man presented three options.

Lin Changheng couldn’t help but curse inwardly as he listened.

Because among the three options, two were Essence Blood from Demon Beasts with the [Mortal Filth Bloodline], and only one belonged to the [Muddy Evil Bloodline].

’Is that even a choice?’

’They’ve basically made the choice for me.’

Originally, Lin Changheng had assumed the [Muddy Evil Bloodline] option would be an old acquaintance—the Essence Blood of the [Flame-tailed Spirit Fox].

But it wasn’t. Instead, it was the Essence Blood of a Wood Element Demon Beast, sourced from the [Lantern Grass Essence].

’Looks like the masked Cultivator from the Ruins District is buying up all the [Flame-tailed Spirit Fox] stock, so they have no trouble selling it,’ Lin Changheng mused to himself with a guess.

And this was more or less the truth. The Liu Family had agreed so readily and presented these options because they intended to clear out old inventory. In doing so, they also gave face to the Xu Family and befriended a promising Middle Grade Alchemist—killing three birds with one stone.

But this didn’t stop Lin Changheng’s eyes from lighting up. He felt that all his painstaking planning had not been for naught.

This also meant that his [Cyan Wood Snake Treasure Species], which had been stalled for so long, could finally enter the Metamorphosis stage.

And he would gain a new [Ancestor Demon Technique]!

"Then I shall trouble you, Senior."

Lin Changheng stated his choice directly and then casually asked, "I wonder, Senior, how many [Lantern Grass Essences] does your family raise? And what quantity of Essence Blood can you provide?"

Hearing this, both the hemp-robed old man and the young woman showed peculiar expressions. The woman, however, was clearly less able to hide her emotions and immediately let out a snort of laughter.

The hemp-robed old man simply looked at her and gave a helpless, wry smile.

Taking in the scene, Lin Changheng couldn’t help but wonder, ’Did I say something wrong?’ He didn’t feel awkward, however, and simply asked for clarification with an open mind.

"Mr. Lin, there is something you may not know," the young woman explained, holding nothing back. "Although this [Lantern Grass Essence] is also called a Demon Beast, it isn’t a ’Demon Beast’ in the traditional sense. A more accurate term would be ’spirit,’ specifically, one of the Mountain and Marsh Spirits."

"Mountain and Marsh Spirits?"

It was the first time Lin Changheng had heard this term, and he grew pensive.

"That’s right. Some wild animals that become imbued with a certain Spiritual Mechanism of heaven and earth will transform into Demon Beasts..."

Lin Changheng nodded. Shopkeeper Liu at the Spirit Fox Beast Pavilion had mentioned this to him before.

The young woman continued, "Similarly, some plants may, by a fortunate coincidence, also become imbued with this Spiritual Mechanism. They then transform into ’Mountain and Marsh Spirits,’ develop a basic consciousness, generate Essence Blood within their bodies, and even begin to practice Cultivation on their own. In the Cultivation Realm, they are generally classified as ’Demon Beasts’ without any further distinction."

"But you must understand, this ’imbuement’ is not common. The chances are about the same as a mortal getting struck by lightning in a rainstorm."

The woman’s explanation was very clear, and Lin Changheng now had a basic concept of it:

"So this [Lantern Grass Essence] is a lantern grass that was imbued with a Spiritual Mechanism and transformed?"

"Mr. Lin, you are indeed exceptionally intelligent. You understand with just a hint," the young woman praised with a smile.

"Then how are the bloodline grades of these spirits distinguished?" Lin Changheng took the opportunity to inquire further.