mtl008 Chapter 394 Accompanying Caravan
Chapter 394 Accompanying Caravan
"Mediation and reconciliation?"
Lin Changsheng's expression turned strange.
Jin Mengqiao's ability to say such a thing suggests that she must have done some research before coming, and she must also know about the conflict between herself and Master Yu Huai and Master Qing She.
They even had information about the latter two joining the Ghost Valley Sect.
Unfortunately, this woman was unaware that Lin Changsheng had once disguised himself as Zhang Meng and was originally one of the Golden Core Elders of the Ghost Valley Sect.
Moreover, even without the identity of an elder of the Ghost Valley Sect, with Lin Changsheng's current cultivation level and the trump cards he possesses that surpass the Golden Core realm, he has absolutely no fear of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
In my memory, the 'Heavenly Poison Master' once single-handedly killed several Golden Core Masters of the same realm.
Lin Changsheng's current strength has surpassed that of the former 'Heavenly Poison True Man', and he even has the record of killing a Nascent Soul True Monarch, which is incomparable to ordinary cultivators.
"I have heard of the Ghost Valley Sect, but I did not expect Fellow Daoist Jin to have such connections. I am truly inferior to him. However, I have long forgotten some of the old matters, so I will not trouble Fellow Daoist Jin to remember them."
Lin Changsheng spoke calmly, his face expressionless.
"In that case, I was being presumptuous."
Jin Mengqiao was somewhat surprised, a look of astonishment flashing in her eyes, and said with some resentment.
To ensure the success of her trip, she made a special investigation into Lin Changsheng's past deeds, coming prepared to make amends for her previous mistakes and re-establish a cooperative relationship with Master Lin.
Unexpectedly, all of this was in vain.
After much deliberation, Jin Mengqiao, facing the stubborn Lin Changsheng, revealed her true intentions frankly and offered him a reward.
Lin Changsheng still resolutely rejected him.
As a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, Lin Changsheng had no shortage of cultivation resources.
The only thing that catches his eye now is the spiritual object that helps with the formation of the nascent soul.
In addition, he also has the fourth-tier demon king 'Nightmare Moth', so he needs a dojo with at least a fourth-tier spiritual vein to maintain his daily cultivation needs.
Only Nascent Soul level forces can meet these conditions.
The Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce is clearly not qualified.
However, Jin Mengqiao mentioned at the end that several months later, the Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce would draw upon its various branches to collect precious resources accumulated over many years and transport them to Gunzhou to participate in the auction organized by Blood Shadow True Lord. This resource allocation was extremely valuable, almost equivalent to half of the Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce itself—a truly desperate gamble.
However, due to the war, the major sects in Gunzhou have lost control over the surrounding areas, leading to the emergence of various bandits.
With such enormous resources and wealth, it's inevitable that others will covet them. Only with a late-stage Golden Core cultivator in charge can safety be guaranteed.
Jin Mengqiao offered Lin Changsheng a 20% discount on the goods to escort her.
Lin Changsheng readily accepted the woman's invitation.
The Blood Demon Palace's auction was a grand affair, and with a Nascent Soul stage True Monarch involved in its organization, its scale was exceptionally high. Naturally, he wouldn't miss it if he wanted to plan for future Nascent Soul spirit items.
It's on the way, and I can even earn some extra money, so why not?
……
After seeing Jin Mengqiao off, Lin Changsheng continued his seclusion.
Inside the cave, a pale green, vibrant atmosphere permeated the air.
Lin Changsheng was immersed in it, repeatedly circulating the 'Eternal Spring Technique' mental cultivation method. He himself was like an ancient tree, surrounded by green leaves, full of vitality.
With a calm and peaceful mind, the "Eternal Spring" power within the body also felt exceptionally joyful.
Previously, Lin Changsheng had used a secret technique when fighting against Lan Shenwei, a fourth-tier sea race expert.
While it bridged the gap between itself and fourth-tier powerhouses to some extent, it also came with serious side effects.
If an ordinary Golden Core cultivator were to casually use such a secret technique, their true essence would be depleted, their potential would be consumed, and the consequences would be enormous.
Although Lin Changsheng relied on the effects of the "Eternal Spring Technique" to minimize the side effects.
However, this extreme form of combat runs counter to the mindset of cultivating "Eternal Spring Kung Fu".
The practice of "Eternal Spring of a Withered Tree" emphasizes that stillness is worse than movement.
One needs to quiet the mind and body, eliminate distracting thoughts, in order to achieve inner peace, deeply feel the connection between the soul and the outside world, nourish the soul, and thus achieve a higher state of being.
Previously, Lin Changsheng forcibly used a secret technique, which depleted his lifespan and forcibly increased his strength. This was naturally inconsistent with the concept of cultivating the "Eternal Spring Technique," thus slowing down his cultivation speed.
To return to normalcy and resume the previous rhythm of practice, repeated review and adjustments are still necessary.
"I wonder how this method will differ from other cultivation methods in the end..."
Lin Changsheng sighed inwardly.
Having practiced the "Evergreen Tree Technique" for over two hundred years, he naturally understood its advantages and disadvantages.
In the early stages of cultivation, it has almost no obvious advantages compared to other cultivation methods.
Even his old friends, if they practiced some techniques that focused on early development, or had a little bit of luck, could easily surpass him in cultivation speed.
However, as he gained a deeper understanding of the technique, Lin Changsheng devoted himself to quiet cultivation, neither competing nor vying for advancement, and mastered the way of cultivating the 'Eternal Spring Technique'.
Like a vigorous ancient tree, or a resolute traveler, it grows steadily and firmly towards greater heights, step by step.
……
A few months later.
Lin Changsheng left Mingyu Immortal City, accompanied by Hu Xiaoli and Jiao Li.
"Senior Lin, these are farewell gifts sent by various forces in the Immortal City after they learned that you were leaving."
"In addition, the daily expenses of the dojo over the years, the income from cooperation with the Xuanmiao branch, and the spiritual stones produced by the spiritual veins within the dojo after their sale are all recorded in detail."
Inside an unassuming second-tier magical artifact carriage, Hu Xiaoli, holding a bulging storage bag and a complete account book, earnestly reported to Lin Changsheng.
Before this, Hu Xiaoli was just a Qi Condensation cultivator. Suddenly, she took over the daily operation of a third-tier Daoist temple and occasionally purchased some common third-tier items. Her daily spirit stone turnover was astonishing, even far exceeding that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
In addition, Lin Changsheng was a hands-off manager who, apart from giving guidance at the beginning, almost never inquired about the accounts afterward. This made Hu Xiaoli, who frequently came into contact with wealth far exceeding her own, feel both touched and greatly apprehensive.
You should know that if she were to cut back a little on the daily spirit stone expenses of the third-tier dojo, she could meet her daily cultivation needs and even accumulate quite a bit.
However, Hu Xiaoli was grateful for Senior Lin's trust and held great respect for late-stage Golden Core cultivators. She always adhered to her principles, never embezzled spirit stones, and was skilled at managing all kinds of accounts in an orderly manner for easy review.
Looking at the meticulous young woman in front of him, Lin Changsheng was slightly surprised.
The fact that this woman was given power naturally indicates that the person had a certain understanding of her character, and it also implies that Hu Xiaoli was given some right to 'embezzle'.
Just like back in the Yue Kingdom, Tian Fu, the manager of Changchun Peak, although he had an uncle-nephew relationship with Lin Changsheng, the former also frequently misappropriated spirit stones to go to some "high-end" entertainment venues, and even got involved in high-interest gambling.
In short, it is true that Tian Fu was loyal and respectful to Lin Changsheng, but behind the scenes, he also used his status as an 'elder' to do some outrageous things.
While they may not be considered tyrannical or domineering, they do engage in shady dealings.
However, Tian Fu was clever and knew what was important, so he never caused any major trouble, and Lin Changsheng turned a blind eye to it.
Hu Xiaoli, on the other hand, although she and Lin Changsheng were not related as uncle and niece, was good at managing and planning the resources of the Taoist temple. She had clear accounts and clean hands, so she was of some use to Lin Changsheng, which is why he took her with him.
As for Jiao Li, a sea creature with special talents and supernatural abilities, she might be useful to Lin Changsheng in the future, so she naturally accompanied him as well.
With her secret techniques of disguise and bone shrinking, plus Lin Changsheng casting spells to conceal her identity, it would be almost impossible for anyone to see through Jiao Li's alien identity unless they encountered a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
……
Three days later.
Lin Changsheng's carriage met up with the Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce's procession.
From a distance, hundreds of huge trucks, fully loaded with goods, were neatly arranged and moved slowly in an orderly manner.
Except for a few special goods that need to be placed in storage bags and secretly escorted by special personnel, most of them are still transported in the traditional way.
While this approach is slightly inconvenient, it is not without reason.
Besides addressing the issue of storing large or numerous goods, loading items onto the vehicle also allows caravan members to easily inspect them at any time, preventing items from being secretly switched in storage bags or theft by those in charge.
This also avoids the risk of losing all goods instantly if the storage bag is stolen.
These cargo wagons are all protected by defensive barriers that block divine sense, making it difficult to determine the specific cargo. Furthermore, breaking through these barriers one by one in a short period of time would be extremely troublesome. To some extent, this can mitigate the risk, and if the robbers do not search thoroughly, some of the cargo can be saved.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, you've finally arrived."
Not far away, a woman dressed in a luxurious purple dress stepped forward and spoke with a graceful smile.
This woman was Jin Mengqiao, and beside her was a tall, handsome man with striking features, whose cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.
"Let me introduce you. This is Liu Huan, the Grand Elder of the Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce."
"So it's Elder Liu, nice to meet you."
Lin Changsheng glanced at the handsome man in front of him and said with a faint smile.
Liu Huan felt a chill run down his spine. The young man in front of him seemed easygoing, but upon closer inspection, his divine sense felt as if it had hit an invisible, thick wall, making it impossible for him to detect the other party's situation.
"I have long heard of Master Lin's great reputation. This time, the caravan is carrying a lot of goods across two states, and we will have to trouble Master Lin to help us."
Thinking to himself, "As expected of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator," Liu Huan also raised his hands in a fist salute and said politely.
……
For the next few days, the caravan traveled eastward, traversing the desolate desert where yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see.
Apart from the occasional encounter with some demonic beasts, there was no real danger with three Golden Core cultivators guarding the area.
The caravan acted without hesitation, taking shortcuts and soon approaching the western edge of Gunzhou.
"Elder Jin, we've reached the western part of Gunzhou, the territory of the 'Five Sects of the Sand Alliance.' Although they're a motley crew, there are Golden Core cultivators among them, and Tribulation cultivators are also lurking around. Order the caravan to be on high alert and not to let their guard down."
Liu Huan gazed at the desert oasis on the distant horizon, his previous feigned sleepiness vanishing, and reminded Jin Mengqiao beside him.
At the very end of the caravan, inside a seemingly dilapidated and inconspicuous carriage.
Lin Changsheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly raised his eyes and looked in a certain direction in the distance. A slight ripple appeared in his deep gaze.