A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

The fat stall owner paused, a look of anticipation on his face.

Only a small portion of his monthly income came from selling Thousand-Mile Mirrors. The rest he earned by acting as a broker.

Otherwise, why else would he have mustered the courage to chat with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator for so long, if not for the potential reward of a Spirit Stone or two?

Upon hearing this, Lü Zhong gave him a faint, knowing smile and casually tossed him a Spirit Stone.

”Recommend someone for me.”

”Thank you for the reward, Senior!”

The fat stall owner was so delighted his eyes narrowed into thin slits. He immediately pointed to a teahouse beside the skyport exit and explained in detail, ”The truly capable Hyacinths are almost all sitting in that teahouse. They have long-standing partnerships with the major Commerce Associations, so they never lack for clients. Even Golden Core seniors have them handle their reception when they need a guide. That’s why they don’t need to come out and solicit business on the street. All you need to do, Senior, is go into that Welcome Tea House and pick one you like the look of.”

Lü Zhong listened and thought to himself, ’This Spirit Stone was truly well spent.’

Just like in Yongling City, getting around Lingyue Immortal City quickly required a Beast Vehicle. If you were in a hurry, you could also take an expensive Flying Vehicle.

They hailed a Spirit Lizard Beast Vehicle and soon arrived at the Welcome Tea House.

Upon entering the teahouse, they found it was just as the fat stall owner had described. A number of Hyacinths were seated inside, all dressed in cyan attire, and without exception, each had a conspicuous Windflower embroidered on their chest.

’The Hyacinth Guild?’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

In a vast city like Lingyue Immortal City, with its intricate web of powers big and small, the emergence of guilds was inevitable for the effective management of various trades and professions. Guilds could establish industry regulations to prevent malicious competition among peers. Internally, they could mediate disputes over interests. Externally, they allowed members to band together for mutual support and to protect their common interests.

The role of a guild wasn’t limited to these functions; they also handled professional certification.

Lü Zhong had also heard from the fat stall owner that whether for Alchemy, Artifact Refining, or Talisman Making, you first needed certification from the relevant guild to be eligible to open a shop.

As he entered, many of the Hyacinths glanced his way. Upon seeing he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a few looked away and went back to their tea, but the others smiled and nodded at Lü Zhong.

One woman, dressed in a revealing palace-style gown, caught sight of Lü Zhong’s handsome, elegant face. Her eyes immediately began to smolder with desire. She took several graceful steps forward and proactively approached him, offering her services.

Lü Zhong, however, looked disgusted. He was no lecher, and he dismissed the woman with a few curt words before starting to select a Hyacinth more to his liking.

Seeing this, Li Hejun, who stood at his side, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon after, she found herself sighing inwardly again.

’My master’s disposition really hasn’t changed a bit!’

After looking over the options, Lü Zhong finally chose a Female Cultivator at the Qi Refining Middle Stage. The woman wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but whenever their eyes met, she would shyly look down. ’She’s probably a virgin,’ he mused. ’If I pick her as my Hyacinth, I can probably tease her a bit on the road. It won’t be too dull.’

They settled on the terms, established a Spirit Contract, and the employment was official.

”Thank you, Senior!” the Female Cultivator named Mei Xiang said gratefully, her cheeks flushing.

She then glanced at the seating in the teahouse. Not many seats were left, and it wasn’t a good place to discuss business. ”There are too many people and prying eyes here,” she said. ”Senior, please follow me upstairs to a private room where we can talk.”

Lü Zhong nodded and followed.

Once a pot of Spirit Tea was steeped, Mei Xiang presented it to Lü Zhong with both hands. She took a deep breath, and her demeanor shifted entirely. Her expression became serious as she began to speak. ”Senior, you want to know about several things, and many of them are interconnected. Allow me to explain them one by one.”

First, regarding the powers within Lingyue Immortal City.

Lü Zhong wanted to know this because he felt that in order to live here, it was essential to understand the city’s various powers, both large and small. Paying attention to such things could save him a lot of trouble down the line.

According to Mei Xiang, the greatest power in the city was, without a doubt, the Lingyue Sect.

The Lingyue Sect was at the very top of the pyramid. The Law Enforcement Hall—Lingyue Immortal City’s sole armed authority, responsible for dealing with illegal activities and maintaining order—was under the Lingyue Sect’s control.

In addition, there was the Taxation Department. The department didn’t collect direct taxes, but rather a consumption tax. To ensure tax collection, the Taxation Department commanded the second-largest military force in the city, second only to the Law Enforcement Hall.

At this point, Mei Xiang paused to offer a warning. ”Senior, the most powerful entity in the city isn’t the Law Enforcement Hall; it’s the Taxation Department. If you truly intend to open a shop, I advise you to pay your annual taxes to the department on time and in full. Do not fail to do so unless you have absolutely no other choice!”

”After all, the head of the Taxation Department is none other than Junling True Monarch, who currently presides over the Lingyue Sect...”

Lü Zhong felt a chill upon hearing this, and he committed the information to memory.

’Good heavens,’ he thought. ’A Nascent Soul True Monarch is the nominal head. That just shows how seriously the Lingyue Sect takes its tax revenue.’

He recalled how the Heling Sect had relied on the city it managed, Yongling City, to single-handedly defeat two rivals. It wasn’t hard to see, then, how important Lingyue Immortal City must be to the Lingyue Sect.

One could even say that Lingyue Immortal City was the very key to ensuring the Lingyue Sect’s line of Nascent Soul cultivators would continue!

After covering the two most important official bodies, Mei Xiang moved on to Lingyue Immortal City’s upper echelons. These powers, she explained, controlled every facet of the city. They included Golden Core Clans operating under special charters from the Lingyue Sect, consortiums of Great Commerce Associations that held near-monopolies on certain resources, and hugely influential guilds that dominated entire industries.