Chapter 69 - 69

He never expected to find the descendant of an Imperial Chef right by his side, truly enriching his life with a plethora of delicious foods.

No wonder he thought the gifts from the junior brothers seemed quite ordinary, yet the senior brothers ate them with such gusto—it turns out that not every Sect disciple had a skillful chef at their side to prepare ordinary meals.

“Your skill is impressive, make sure you keep it up,” Luo Yaxuan said.

“Thank you, senior brother.

Did you notice anything different about me today?” the junior brother asked.

“You…

you’ve advanced a rank?”

Luo Yaxuan recalled checking this junior brother’s cultivation the day before when he handed him a notebook.

From the sixth level of Qi Cultivation to the seventh in just one day’s time.

“Yes…

thank you, senior brother.

The notebook you gave me led me to a sudden insight, and then I advanced a rank,” the junior brother admitted.

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you, senior brother.”

Only then did Luo Yaxuan slowly begin to eat the duck meat, savoring its increasing deliciousness as he chewed.

He had to keep this talented individual by his side, so he could indulge in these culinary delights every day.

As Luo Yaxuan ate without giving it another thought, he didn’t notice the junior brother standing beside him watching him enjoy the food so much, feeling very happy.

This was the greatest joy for a chef, seeing others relish the food he prepared.

Quietly, the junior disciple encouraged himself to make even more delicious food for his senior brother.

He was such a good senior brother that the junior was determined to practice cultivation diligently in order to stay by his side.

Lai Jianlin invited the senior brother to the main street outside the West Gate Immortal Sect and found a restaurant to treat him, marking the first time he had ever treated someone since joining the Sect, and to a senior brother that was still a stranger to him at that.

The senior brother was unabashed; his wallet was empty, his spirit stones were reserved for cultivation, and as someone with a Wood Spirit Root, he needed wood-based spirit stones for cultivation which were very expensive.

With no other ways to quickly increase his cultivation level, he had bought spirit stones with all his gold coins.

The Sect also issued some spirit stones and Pills since he was already an Inner Sect Disciple, meaning he wasn’t required to perform tasks to receive his monthly allowance.

The issued Pills and spirit stones were never enough for his expenses.

The more resources one had for cultivation the better, but coming from a commoner background, his family couldn’t provide him with Secret Manuals or resources.

It was only thanks to his Single Spirit Root that the West Gate Immortal Sect noticed him and took him in as an Outer Sect Disciple, a rookie with no knowledge of cultivation prior to joining the Sect.

Thereafter, he relied entirely on doing tasks to increase his supplies and cultivation level.

Managing to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage was indeed quite a feat; he was a few years older than his second junior brother at the same stage.

Lai Jianlin called him senior brother mainly due to his older age.

Upon entering the restaurant, they didn’t seek a private room but chose a table by the window which offered a view of the street outside and was suitable for conversation.

“What would the guests like to order?” a waiter came to take their order.

“Senior brother, what would you like to eat?” As the host, Lai Jianlin naturally asked the other’s preference.

“Junior brother, does that mean senior brother can order anything he wants?” the senior brother asked without mincing his words—he was craving for meat.

“You can…” Lai Jianlin wasn’t concerned; he wasn’t short on spirit stones or gold coins.

His family owned a Spirit Stone Mine, though not a large operation, and he was, after all, the son of a second-tier Noble Clan’s Family Head.

When he left home to join the Sect, his father had provided him with a Storage Bag full of spirit stones, and he was given an abundant supply of Pills for cultivation.

After entering the Sect, he wasn’t lacking in resources.

With the rich spiritual energy available in the Sect for cultivation, and occasionally taking on a few tasks, he didn’t make friends or entertain guests, his wealth remained substantial.

Even after several years without returning home, his family sent people every year to deliver spirit stones to him—this was his parents’ love.

“Really?”

“Yes…” Lai Jianlin smiled and nodded.

The senior brother’s eyes lit up at the possibility of ordering freely, then he told the waiter, “Waiter, bring us a plate of first-grade beef, no, make it two pots, then a plate of chicken, a plate of duck, and two large bowls of Spirit Rice.”

“Right away, guests.

It will be served to you shortly,” the waiter thought to himself that this guest being treated was rather impolite and could eat a lot as he went to pass the order to the kitchen and brought them a pot of spiritual tea.

Lai Jianlin poured a cup of spiritual tea for the senior brother and said, “Senior brother, it’s fate that we’ve met today.

May I ask for your name?”

“Mo Wen.”

“Oh, Mo Wen, if senior brother doesn’t wish for this junior to know, then I won’t press.

My surname is Lai, Lai Jianlin.”

“Junior Brother Lai, this senior’s surname is Mo, and the name is Wen.”

“Ah, I see, Senior Brother Mo Wen.

You’re also an Inner Sect Disciple, but I don’t recall having seen you around much.”

“Senior brother is just poor.

I spend most of the year doing tasks, striving to gather more spirit stones for cultivation.”

“Senior brother, doesn’t your family provide you with spirit stones and Pills?”

“Senior brother’s family is quite poor, lacking such resources.

Everyone at home is a mortal, devoid of cultivation resources.”

“Without a secret manual of inheritance, my whole time in the sect depends on completing tasks and the resources the sect gives.

Here I am with my purse almost empty, yet I didn’t hesitate to join you for a meal today, junior brother.

It’s just that I’ve been craving meat.”

As Mo Wen spoke, he began to feel a little embarrassed.

“It’s fine, it’s just a meal.

I can still afford it, junior brother.

Like you, I also take on tasks, but most of my resources come from my family.”

Lai Jianlin fully understood that someone with nothing—like those loose cultivators—would only have a slightly better situation by joining a sect.

It was like how members of their families, who aspire to be top-tier families, sought to break into the Ten Great Clans.

The stronger the family, the more resources they had, which made it easier for their disciples to cultivate, whether within the family or outside it.

“Thanks a lot, junior brother.

I’ll find a chance to return the favor someday.”

Mo Wen said with gratitude, though he knew there was no real opportunity to reciprocate.

The words were just pleasantries.

“Don’t worry about it, senior brother.

It’s just a meal.

We’re lucky to share this meal together, so let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

“Alright, I won’t hold back then.

Speaking of which, I’ve seen a lot of strange things while out on missions.

Just the other day, while I was in Liusha Sea City on a mission, I saw a fight that was so intense lots of people went to watch.

I went over too and saw the ground all battered and uneven.

I had no idea if there were any casualties or if it was a case of murder for treasure.”

Later, I heard that Master Su of the Sword Sect and a senior sister from the North City Immortal Sect were asking if anyone had seen Jiang Tang.

So everyone speculated it might be that Jiang Tang, the servant disciple from the North City Immortal Sect, who might have been killed for his treasure.”

“Jiang Tang, never met him.

But for a servant disciple from the North City Immortal Sect to have treasures, despite his low cultivation, he’s likely a target for murder and theft.

Yet, he’s not simple either.

Managing to befriend Su Chang’an from the Sword Sect and gaining the concern of a senior sister, if he doesn’t die, his talent is not to be underrated.

Despite having lower cultivation than us, such a person will ascend with resources.”

“Yes, your analysis is spot on, junior brother.

He’s young and has been advancing step by step from a servant disciple.

If he has been targeted for his treasure, he might indeed possess something valuable.

It’s a pity, though!

The cultivation world is like this: if you have treasures, you must hide them well and never let anyone know.

Same with being penniless; you can’t let others know, or it will make you an easy target for thieves and murderers.”

Mo Wen, who didn’t have money, was just sighing.

However, his words made Lai Jianlin extra cautious.

Senior brother Mo Wen was right; even if you’re wealthy, you shouldn’t let others know.

They were currently within the sect and possibly safer.

But who knows, maybe one day while out on a mission, someone could trail them, intending to rob and kill them.

“Dear guests, your beef is ready!”

The waiter delivered two plates of beef, each weighing roughly two pounds, which was more than enough for two people.

Now they had two plates of beef, along with chicken and duck yet to come.

“Senior brother, let’s eat!”

“Mm-hmm, I’m really hungry, so I won’t be polite, junior brother.

It looks so delicious.”

Mo Wen wasn’t kidding when he said he wouldn’t be polite.

Grabbing his chopsticks, he began stuffing his mouth with meat.

It wasn’t long before he demolished more than half of the two pounds of beef.

Lucky there were two plates; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

“Mm-hmm, so tasty; tender and flavorful.”

Mo Wen mumbled with his mouth full, eating as though he hadn’t had food in ages.

“Take it easy, senior brother.

If it’s not enough, we can always order more.”

“It’s enough, it’s enough.

There’s still rice, and the chicken and duck haven’t been served yet.

You’ve spent a lot, junior brother.”

Having sated his craving for meat, Mo Wen then started to hungrily wolf down the white rice.

This Spirit Rice, even without accompaniment, was aromatic and could provide spiritual power for cultivation with every bite.

“It’s no problem, we don’t dine out every day.

After this meal, we need to go back and cultivate hard to prepare for the big competition in a few days.”

“Mm-hmm, speaking of the big competition, what are your thoughts, junior brother?”

“Of course I want to win.

I also aspire to become a direct disciple and then participate in the sect’s grand competition, which happens every few years.”

“Mm, junior brother, you’re ambitious.

Senior brother also shares the same wish, but unfortunately, my magical treasures are of poor quality, and the only secret manual I can practice from is the one I can view in the Treasure Pavilion, which I’m yet to find any powerful spells in.”

“Senior brother, I think that spell manual you picked up earlier was quite good, ‘Soaring Trees.’ It suits you well, especially since you’re a cultivator with a Wood Spirit Root and Elixir Spirit Root.

My Triple Spirit Root is a bit limited, so I must practice three kinds of spells.”

“Mm, junior brother, being unfocused in your cultivation might pose challenges, but with your good comprehension, if you can master three kinds of spells, that’s beneficial.

It could help defend against a wider variety of spells, which would be great.

Unfortunately, I don’t understand that Soaring Trees manual…

Ah…”

“Senior brother, could it be that you need to scatter seeds and then cast the spell, and the seeds will sprout, growing into towering trees?

Their branches, roots, and leaves could defend against the opponent’s spells and also attack.”

Lai Jianlin earnestly shared his insights with his senior brother.

“Junior brother, you have great comprehension.

I will give it a try.

I’ve collected some tree seeds while on missions.

Today, I’ll give junior brother a packet of them.”

Mo Wen said, as he pulled out a packet of assorted tree seeds from his storage bag and placed it on the table.

“Great, thank you, senior brother.

I was thinking of buying a packet of seeds from the store.

With these seeds, I can use them for cultivation.”

Lai Jianlin didn’t hesitate to accept the gift.

Having shared this meal, they were now friends.