Battle Through the Heavens: Beauties Abound Starting with Yunlan and Her Disciples

164: Section 164”No matter how I think about it, it seems a bit difficult, going from Dou Master to Great Dou Master in one year.”

If it were in those resource-rich places like the Central Plains, it would be fine, but in the Jia Ma Empire, in this impoverished place like Wutan City...

”In Wutan City... Xuan Rank Dou Techniques are rare goods,” Yun Xiancheng whispered to Medicine Lady, reminding her that this was a poor place.

Medicine Lady understood something immediately, but as an elder after all, she forced her expression to remain unchanged, though her pale blue spiritual body turned pink at some point.

”Uh, heh heh, I have a Flame Mantra here.”

Medicine Lady spoke incoherently with a serious face, trying to change the subject, but as soon as she opened her small mouth, she started peddling the Flame Mantra.

Yun Xiancheng naturally didn’t want it; practicing this kind of cultivation method was too bitter and not suitable for him. ”I don’t want it.”

Yun Xiancheng flatly refused.

A dangerous thing like absorbing Heavenly Flames should be left to Xiao Yan; he only needed to enjoy Xiao Yan afterward to obtain the Fighting Qi she had cultivated, so there was no need to take risks. ”You don’t want this, and you don’t want that, so what are you going to do?”

Medicine Lady stepped on Yun Xiancheng’s shoulder with her bare feet, pinching his ear with one hand. The pink glow gradually faded.

”I’ll write down the names of a few herbs for you; go and prepare them.”

After pinching his ear, Medicine Lady waved her small hand, and a piece of paper landed in Yun Xiancheng’s hand. Third-rank Wind-attribute Dragon-Tiger Beast Core, Green Wood Immortal Vine, Earth Core Fire Ganoderma.

”Your cultivation method is primarily Wind-attribute; clouds follow the dragon, and wind follows the tiger. With the dragon and tiger on your side, it’s perfectly suited for your future cultivation.” Touched, although she had blushed, Medicine Lady hadn’t forgotten his cultivation.

However, these natural treasures were indeed not something that could be found in a short time in an impoverished place like Wutan City. It might be easier to gather them in the Imperial Capital or within the Cloud Mist Sect.

Yun Xiancheng clearly experienced the bitterness of a small place; the resources were on a completely different level compared to a big place.

”It might take some time to commission the local auction house to gather these.” Yun Xiancheng nodded in response.

”Then go quickly, Disciple.”

Yun Xiancheng looked into Medicine Lady’s eyes and said:

”Does Master need materials to refine some medicinal pills to nourish the soul?” As soon as these words were spoken...

[Yao Chan Favorability +10, current favorability 15/100] The system notification sounded in his ear.

Medicine Lady turned her head away, not looking at Yun Xiancheng.

”No need, in this poor place, you definitely won’t find what’s needed.”

Pink clouds draped over Medicine Lady’s shoulders like a gauze robe, her voice sounding like honey-soaked lotus root.

Yun Xiancheng lowered his head and cupped his hands, then turned and left.

After the sound of footsteps faded, Medicine Lady secretly looked back, watching her Disciple’s receding figure. She unconsciously swayed her body, but accidentally fell off the Ice Lotus.

She thought she would fall on the ground, but she was a soul body after all and couldn’t feel any tactile sensation of the mortal world. An Ice Lotus rose to support her; within the Ice Lotus, she curled up her body like rootless vegetation.

Yun Xiancheng returned to the carriage, and as soon as he stepped inside, a sweet scent mixed with floral fragrance rushed toward him.

At this time, Nalan Yanran and Xiao Mei were already awake, dressed neatly, and sitting at the table chatting. There were plates on the table with some sugar-soaked desserts.

”Brother, try this.” Xiao Mei turned and bumped into Yun Xiancheng’s arms, sugar-coated hawthorns rolling all over the floor.

She hooked her arms around Yun Xiancheng’s neck, her frosting-dusted lips brushing against his earlobe: ”Honey hawthorns made by Sister Yan Ran.”

Nalan Yanran chuckled, suddenly being pulled by her slender waist into Yun Xiancheng’s embrace. Yun Xiancheng’s tongue swept away the flour from the corner of her lips, saying indistinctly: ”It’s still Yan Ran’s skill...”

Before he could finish, Xiao Mei had already fed a hawthorn into his mouth. Once Yun Xiancheng was settled...

”We were talking about your favorite things from when you were little.”

Nalan Yanran leaned against Yun Xiancheng’s shoulder and said. ”My favorite things when I was little?”

Yun Xiancheng sat in front of the young girls, pulling Xiao Mei into his arms. ”That was naturally Yan Ran.”

Nalan Yanran’s face turned red, but she was a veteran of the battlefield after all, and joked:

”Now your favorite things are me and Mei’er, right? Later when Sister Yan comes in, it will be three people, and so on...” ”Yan Ran truly understands my heart.”

Yun Xiancheng flicked Nalan Yanran’s nose, then said:

”Ran, can you get me some money? It might take at least ten thousand gold coins.” ”!?”

Nalan Yanran was stunned. Usually, Yun Xiancheng was a king of frugality; besides using the cultivation resources distributed by the Cloud Mist Sect, he basically didn’t even look at the gold coins he was given.

After all, he had basically lived in the Cloud Mist Sect for fourteen years and had never traveled far alone; at most, he went out with Yun Yun, so he had no need to spend money. ”Fortunately, I’ve kept some for you.”

Nalan Yanran took out a black card from her storage ring.

”Here, there’s a million gold coins in it; spend it sparingly. This is the salary the sect has given us over the years.” ”Aren’t you going to ask what I plan to spend it on?”

Yun Xiancheng took the black card and asked. Nalan Yanran shook her head.

”No need, how you spend it is your freedom, dear.”

”We don’t usually spend much money anyway.” ”O-one million!?”

When Xiao Mei heard this number, she was a bit dazed. Her annual salary was only a few hundred gold coins.

The Xiao Family’s annual disposable profit was only about a hundred thousand gold coins.

The gap between the Xiao Family and a behemoth like the Cloud Mist Sect was vividly illustrated. ”Mei’er, practice hard, and I’ll send some medicinal pills to you later.”

Yun Xiancheng rubbed the girl’s head; Medicine Lady’s Foundation Establishment Elixir could also be given to Xun’er and Xiao Mei.

He didn’t know if giving gifts would increase Xun’er’s favorability, but he had to try. If it didn’t increase, he wouldn’t give them.

”Stay and have lunch before you go; we sisters will cook for you.” Just as he was about to leave, Nalan Yanran suddenly spoke.

Yun Xiancheng’s toes traced a half-arc on the ground, and his whole body slid back into the sandalwood chair.

His black collar slipped down, revealing half of his collarbone, looking just like a dandy young master listening to songs in a pleasure house from a storybook.

”Mm! Okay!” ”Really now...”

Seeing Yun Xiancheng’s appearance, Nalan Yanran shook her head helplessly.

In front of the stove, Xiao Mei was slicing bamboo shoots into thin pieces. Seeing Yun Xiancheng like this, she let out a giggle.

”Sister Yan Ran’s culinary skills are also top-notch; her cultivation is not behind others, and her cooking is also top-tier. Sister Yan Ran is truly a genius,” Xiao Mei praised.

”It’s all for the benefit of a certain bad husband.”

Hearing the praise, Yan Ran raised her small face like a peacock, but the words from her mouth still didn’t forget to add a bit of sweet jealousy to the dishes.

Before she finished her sentence, Yun Xiancheng had already sprung from the chair and hugged Xiao Mei from behind.

He pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on Xiao Mei’s shoulder, gently blowing into her ear.

Seeing such a scene, Yun Xiancheng wondered if he should get a set of naked aprons.

Xiao Mei’s earlobes instantly turned red, and her hand holding half a spring bamboo shoot trembled slightly.

Yun Xiancheng’s fingertips climbed up her spine section by section, while his other hand gently caressed her waist.

A kitten-like whimper escaped the girl’s throat, and her whole body leaned back softly. The jade hairpin in her hair almost fell into the clay pot boiling with fish soup. ”You’re going to be the death of me!” Nalan Yanran picked up the spatula as if to hit Yun Xiancheng.

Yun Xiancheng dodged the spatula strike; his fingers had already untied the girl’s waist strap, and he was about to do something. Xiao Mei bit her lip and giggled, suddenly pressing very close.

Her warm body scattered the bamboo shoot slices on the celadon plate; a few tender yellow pieces landed on her snowy chest, rising and falling with her breath.

Her eyes were misty with water, carrying lingering laughter and attachment. ”This is truly...”

Nalan Yanran stomped her foot and huffed, lifting her skirt to squeeze between the two.

She snatched the silver knife from Xiao Mei’s hand, and the sound of rapid-fire chopping immediately rang out on the cutting board. For some reason, after she stopped the knife, the sound of the knife continued, still clinging to the sound of water.

By the time milky white mist rose from the clay pot, Xiao Mei was already blushing furiously, her eyes darting around, extremely shy.

Yun Xiancheng leaned lazily against the pillar, watching the girl blushing as she straightened her collar. ”Brother Cheng is really...”

Xiao Mei said coyly. ”It’s time for a change.”

Xiao Mei poked his chest with her fingertip: ”If you keep fooling around, Sister Nalan is really going to tear this carriage apart.”

Nalan Yanran’s hand shook at the words, and the kitchen knife slammed heavily onto the cutting board. When she turned around, there was a visible redness spreading from the base of her ears to the side of her neck.

Yun Xiancheng approached with a smile, but only felt a gust of fragrant wind; it was Nalan Yanran who proactively hugged him, their reflections intersecting as their lips pressed tightly together. The sweet fragrance of honey-soaked plums and the unique scent of the girl’s epiphyllum lingered between Yun Xiancheng’s lips and teeth.

018 Ya Fei’s work is very unsatisfactory

The plaque of the Wutan City Auction House glinted with a dull light under the sun, and the copper bells on the eaves were brushed by the wind, producing scattered low chimes.

Ya Fei rested her chin on her hand, sitting before a rosewood desk. The tip of her brush left a blot of ink on the ledger, much like the dejected wisteria outside the window. ”Another failed auction.”

This auctioneer from the Mittel Family now looked like she had been hit by frost, her brow filled with weariness.

She had been sent to this Wutan City due to poor performance, but this place was inherently poor; how could performance be improved? Returning to the main family in the Imperial Capital was an even more distant and unattainable dream.

Those old fellows always advised her to dress more revealingly, saying it could attract customers. But Ya Fei didn’t like that.

”Are they coming for the auction, or to see the auctioneer?” Just thinking of that scene made Ya Fei feel disgusted.

She wanted to operate the auction house uprightly based on her ability, but the reality was—last month’s total profit was only one or two thousand gold coins. This result almost meant she would spend her entire life in this backwater place.

She pressed her aching forehead in frustration: ”Am I really going to retire here? I still need to gather money to go to the Cloud Mist Sect!” Amidst her frustration, a communication talisman lit up.

”A Disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect has come to Wutan City to buy things?”

Hearing this, Ya Fei crossed her arms, the action making the curves of her chest appear even more rounded.

She was puzzled: Why was this news so strange? By the common sense of the Fighting Qi Continent, shouldn’t the weak migrate to the lands of the strong? The Cloud Mist Sect possessed abundant resources, far beyond what this place could compare to. Why would its Disciple make a special trip to this remote small city? Unless... there was a reason.

”Did he come to find me?”

At this thought, Ya Fei’s fingertips trembled slightly, the ripples in the teacup breaking the reflection of her delicate face. She stood up abruptly, a memory of a banquet ten years ago flashing through her mind—that small figure beside the Sect Leader of the Cloud Mist Sect. ”Quickly invite him over!” Ya Fei urged.

Yun Xiancheng stepped into the Mittel Family’s auction house; the furnishings here were quite similar to what he had seen at the main family in the Imperial Capital during his childhood. As he walked, he pondered in his heart:

”Ya Fei met me when she was little... I just don’t know if she still remembers this past event.”

After all, it was only an interaction for one night; he really couldn’t be sure how deep the friendship between the two children could be.

However, there should be a baseline favorability, right? With baseline favorability, winning her over would always be much more convenient. The moment he pushed open the door, a prompt for [Side Quest: Merchant Friendship] jumped out.

Yun Xiancheng entered the inner room and happened to see the Beauty leaning over to pick up a paperweight. Dressed in a moon-white satin robe, she was elegant and proper, yet it couldn’t hide the slender-waisted figure beneath. Only when she leaned over did a section of her neck show, skin like congealed fat, appearing even more lustrous than the suet jade Pixiu on the desk.

He lightly tapped the ebony door to announce his arrival. ”Is it Little Brother Xiancheng?”

Ya Fei turned around, her wide sleeves carrying a faint scent of sandalwood, the color in her eyes instantly turning into vibrant spring water. The boy’s appearance had changed greatly, but that sense of familiarity seemed to cross time and space.

She marveled in her heart; that little kid who had tugged at her skirt ten years ago and said in a milky voice that he wanted to marry her had now actually grown into such a handsome and extraordinary young man. [Ya Fei]

Realm: Nine-Star Douzhe

Favorability: 20/100 (A meeting in childhood has made Ya Fei remember you until now; back then, four-year-old you took the hand of ten-year-old her and said with great solemnity that you would marry her when you grew up. She has remembered it ever since.)

Intimacy: 5/100 (Childhood contact has eroded in the flowing light of memory.)

[Ya Fei changed because of your childhood words. She believes her body can only be seen by you. Therefore, she is restrained in her dress and behavior, which resulted in her not relying on]

Beauty, but only on her rhetoric to be an auctioneer, and then she became an ordinary person. In the end, she failed to become the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Family and was instead thrown to Wutan City in a semi-retired state. This situation needs you to break it.]

Various pieces of information about Ya Fei flooded into Yun Xiancheng’s consciousness. ”Mm, Ya Fei is really good.”

Yun Xiancheng thought to himself, he wanted to marry her as his wife.

However, the favorability was currently only 20, which was probably the level of an ordinary friend. 50 was the upper limit for friends; only above 50 would it be considered a confirmed secret affection.

But with a base favorability of 20, winning her over should be very easy. For him, winning over girls was much more important than buying medicinal herbs. So immediately, he threw Medicine Lady’s instructions to the back of his mind.

”Mm! Sister Ya Fei, I came specifically to find you,” Yun Xiancheng responded.

”You came to Wutan City, why didn’t you send me a letter? I’ve missed you so much on the mountain all these years. I’ve been longing for you, just waiting for you to come find me.”

Ya Fei’s earlobes were suddenly stained with the color of sunset, but she forced herself to stay calm, reaching out to brush away non-existent dust from his shoulder: ”Brother has grown up and learned sweet talk.”

Her fingertips touched the firm muscles beneath his silk, and she suddenly remembered the childhood words of this kid hugging her neck and saying in a milky voice ”I’m going to build a golden house to hide Sister,” and she actually felt her cheeks burning slightly.

[Ya Fei Favorability +10, current favorability 30/100] The prompt jumping out in his consciousness made Yun Xiancheng extremely satisfied. He took the opportunity to hold that fair wrist that was about to retract.

The ice silkworm silk bracelet on her wrist carried a chill, but it couldn’t suppress the flame rising where their skin touched.

Ya Fei blushed, and only then slowly explained why she hadn’t written: ”Well... Sister was also worried about affecting your cultivation.”

”Then you really made me wait,” Yun Xiancheng followed her words and said:

”I didn’t get to see Sister until today.”

He approached Ya Fei, opening his arms and asking for a hug with some solemnity:

”But, being able to see you is better than not. Long time no see, Sister Ya Fei.” Ya Fei was stunned for a moment, then hugged him back.

A faint fragrance of sunlight, epiphyllum, and roses drifted into Ya Fei’s nose, causing her anxious mood from poor management to strangely settle down.