Lu Qingyun was now on the way to the teahouse and he was being accompanied by Lie Xingyuan.Along the way, he noticed that she had an unhappy face. So he asked her, "Xingyuan, what"s wrong? Are you alright?"
Xingyuan gave him a faint smile, "I"m alright. I"m erm…am just thinking of something."
She was actually troubled.
It was because she had thought that this Senior Brother was a high level cultivator and her future would be secured if she were to be his maidservant. She had never expected that his cultivation level would be this low and next to nothing. Even her cultivation level was higher than him…
She was totally speechless and was cursing herself in her heart.
A day ago, she did not expect Lu Qingyun to amount to anything but all of a sudden when he was made a core disciple of the acting sect leader, she was secretly delighted. It was because the Heavens Ridge Villa had a rule. The common protégé that was leading a core protégé could have the first priority to becoming his or her maidservant, no matter how lowly their status was.
However it had to come at a price. This price was of course not her chast.i.ty but a bribe to the elders. Therefore she had sold everything that she had got so that she could gather ten minor soul stones. Her salary was only 10 silver a month and one minor soul stone cost 100 silvers. She had even borrowed from many others so that she would be able to earn this maidservant position.
Since the heavens had decided to drop a pie on her head, she was naturally going to make the full use of it.
But suddenly when she had realized how low the cultivation level of Lu Qingyun was, she was completely stunned. What was the use of a Golden Roc Flame when he was still so far away from the Immortal Celestial Level? The Immortal Celestial Level which was the fourth realm of the celestial practice was the energy level. If he could not even reach this energy level, his Golden Roc Flame was completely useless to him.
That was why she had thought that he was a fourth realm expert. How did he even manage to have a ninth rank Golden Roc Flame in the first place?
Come to think of that, maybe Sect Leader Qin Keqin either did not know his cultivation level or had made him her disciple out of whim.
After all, he was actually quite handsome. This was something that Lie Xingyuan was forced to acknowledge and one of the main reasons why she was willing to become his maidservant.
Also, a core protégé"s maidservant had many perks and could observe the many superior cultivation techniques that only core disciples had accessed to. Just that alone would ensure that her own cultivation progression would improve rapidly.
After all, she wanted to become a third realm enlighten celestial as soon as possible. At this level, aging would slow down and her lifespan would be extended. At the fourth realm immortal celestial level, aging would completely cease and she would retain her beautiful looks.
Like many other maidens, Lie Xingyuan only wanted to retain her beautiful youth.
But now, her dreams were completely shattered and her future was bleak. If he was the good-for-nothing cultivator then she would be the good-for-nothing maidservant.
She really felt like crying her heart out.
But at least she still got her chast.i.ty intact. No matter what happened in the future, she was determined not to let him take advantage of her. Instead of her benefiting from absorbing his rich spiritual sea, she was now horrified that he would be draining her primordial yin to advance his cultivation level.
Why was her luck so down?
Lu Qingyun asked her again, "Xingyuan, are you really alright? You don"t look so good."
Lie Xingyuan smiled miserably, "I am really alright. We are almost there now."
Lu Qingyun did not know what she was thinking. He saw that she had a lovely expression even when she was looking pale. Come to think of that, she was actually a rare beauty and was very young, only 18 of age. She was even younger than him by 2 years. He actually felt quite impressed by her. At only 18, she was already a second realm master pract.i.tioner level.
As he looked at her, he could not help muttering. "Xingyuan, you are really pretty and talented."
Lie Xingyuan gasped as she suddenly turned pale and she had almost tripped. She was panicky thinking, "He is now l.u.s.ting after me like a nasty toad. Why did I have to say to him earlier that I am welcome to his bed chamber? Isn"t this destroying myself? And now he is praising my talent. He is really trying to obtain my primordial yin for his cultivation. Someone please help me…"
Lu Qingyun had quickly caught hold of her wrist, "Be careful. You"ve almost tripped."
Lie Xingyuan stumbled weakly into his embrace with a soft gasp, attracting many onlookers on the street.
She was suddenly fl.u.s.tered with shyness and could feel the warmth of his chest.
Lu Qingyun was a full head taller than her and he was rebuking her gently, "You ought to pay more attention to where you are going. The grounds are quite uneven around here. If you are not careful, you will get a hard fall."
"What a lovely maiden and handsome young man." An old lady commented as she saw them embracing together.
"A truly dragon and phoenix pair." Another said.
"This is broad daylight and they are embracing so intimately…"
"What a shameless couple…"
"They should go elsewhere if they want to hug…"
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Lie Xingyuan was suddenly gasping as she pushed Lu Qingyun away. She had naturally heard the onlookers and she was burning with her flushes.
She quickly said to him without looking at him, "In front of us is the teahouse already."
This teahouse was in a rich district of the city and from the look of it, it must be expensive to drink tea from this place.
He was thankful for Lie Xingyuan for bringing him here. If he were to come here alone, he would probably have taken many wrong turns.
A man asked them politely as soon as they had stepped inside the teahouse, "Do you have a reservation?"
Lie Xingyuan smiled to him, "We are from the Heavens Ridge Villa. Our Elder Ouyang has asked us to come."
The man immediately lit a smile as he said hurriedly, "Please come in immediately! He has been expecting you!"
They were soon ushered to a room that was on the second floor and indeed, Elder Ouyang was already there waiting for them.
As soon as Elder Ouyang saw them, he gave a broad smile and said. "Senior Brother, please have a seat. Xingyuan, same goes for you too."
Lie Xingyuan returned a polite smile to Elder Ouyang as she greeted, "Elder Ouyang, your Protégé Xingyuan shall not be polite then."
Lu Qingyun was smiling awkwardly. To have an elder addressing him as "Senior Brother" was too exaggerating. He knew how low his cultivation level was. He felt he was undeserving to be a senior brother and knew that he was only addressed this t.i.tle because he was the sect leader"s disciple.
Technically, unless the sect leader had other disciples, he was third in line to succeed as sect leader after Qin Keqin and Fairy Jade Light.
Lu Qingyun said, "Elder Ouyang, I am honoured to be invited by you here. Actually if Elder Ouyang has any bidding for me, I will be glad to help you. There is no need for us to come to such an extravagant place."
Elder Ouyang was roaring with heartily laughter, "Not at all. It is only polite that I treat you. After all, I like to offer you my sincere apologies for offending you when we have first met."
"Oh?" Lu Qingyun blinked his eyes, "I don"t remember you offending me."
Elder Ouyang laughed, "I"m glad that Senior Brother did not put that into heart. Therefore all the more I should treat you. In the future, I am the one who will be seeking favors from you instead."
Lu Qingyun was also laughing jovially, "Naturally I will be glad to help Elder Ouyang…"
Lie Xingyuan was feeling miserable as she looked at Elder Ouyang and Lu Qingyun. She was thinking, "Elder Ouyang is just cooking any excuses to treat him. His main aim is to get close to him. But does he know that he is only a first realm expert…"
Elder Ouyang laughed, "Please appraise this heavenly lotus tea while we chat. This heavenly lotus tea is able to boost your spiritual energies and vitalize your mind. It is extremely expensive and hard to obtain. In the entire New Empyrean City, this is the only place where you can find the heavenly lotus tea."
Lu Qingyun said delightfully, "Then I shall not be polite." Of course he was not going to be polite. Anything that could strengthen one"s spiritual force was very much needed tonic.
Actually Lie Xingyuan was also thinking the same. "I may as well drink at the expense of Elder Ouyang. This is perfectly justified for being in this stupid situation. I may be able to recoup some of my losses…"
Elder Ouyang had suddenly brandished a precious sword and unsheathed it in front of Lu Qingyun, "This is a heaven-step precious sword. I hope that Senior Brother will be pleased with this gift."
Lu Qingyun was stunned as he muttered, "This is…really too precious…it is for me?"
Elder Ouyang laughed jovially, "Indeed! I can see that Senior Brother Lu lacks a good companion sword therefore I have taken the initiative to get you a precious sword."
Lu Qingyun was trembling as he reached out for the sword…
Even Lie Xingyuan was gasping with shock. This heaven-step precious sword was worth at least 100 high grade soul stones!
1 high grade soul stone was equivalent to 100 medium grade soul stone while 1 medium grade soul stone was equivalent to 100 low grade soul stone.
Lie Xingyuan"s head was spinning hazily and her eyes were wide opened. This was worth 10 000 low grade soul stones. She had to sell all of her everything and borrow from many other protégés in order to raise 10 low grade soul stones.
The disparity between the rich and the poor was simply too great…
Lu Qingyun was not shy at all and had immediately taken the precious sword, "Elder Ouyang, this is just the sword that I need. I am deeply grateful to you. How can I ever repay you?"
Elder Ouyang laughed jovially, "There is no need to! We are kindred spirits. To be honest, I"ve liked you from the very start. Since we get along so well, why don"t the two of us become sworn brothers? If we are sworn brothers then there is no need for any repayment."
Lu Qingyun clapped his hands as he laughed, "That is a good idea and it is close to my heart too. Then let"s become sworn brothers then."
Elder Ouyang laughed heartily, "Then it is settled then. This toast is for us as sworn brothers, what do you say?"
Lu Qingyun raised the cup with both his hands, "This toast to our sworn brotherhood!"
As the two of them finished their toast, Elder Ouyang said. "Sworn Brother, about our relationship, we ought to be discreet in the clan. In the clan, you are still my Senior Brother and I am your Elder Ouyang. But outside, I am your older sworn brother. What do you say?"
When Lie Xingyuan had heard him, she was thinking. "This is too shameless. This Elder Ouyang is making a puppet out of him…"
Lu Qingyun smiled as he continued to eye the precious sword that was given to him, "Well, I totally agree with what older sworn brother has suggested."
Elder Ouyang looked extremely pleased, "Good, good!"
Just as Lu Qingyun had wanted to ask Elder Ouyang about Qin Keqin, he had suddenly clapped his hands loud and an astonishing beautiful maiden had walked politely from behind the curtains into their view.
Lu Qingyun was startled that there was actually someone else who is in this room with them.
This astonishing beautiful maiden smiled amicably at Lu Qingyun as she said gently, "I wonder if I can sit down with Young Master Lu?"
Up close, he had noticed that she was dressed in translucent silk that showed her inner garment and enticing figure. Even her fragrances were moving to his nose.
Lu Qingyun looked at Elder Ouyang, "She is?"
Elder Ouyang laughed jovially, "Look at me. I"ve forgotten to introduce her to you. She is my adopted daughter, Ouyang Xue."
Ouyang Xue immediately displayed a gentle curtsy as she said shyly, "Ouyang Xue greets Young Master Lu."
Elder Ouyang asked him, "What do you think of my daughter? Is she beautiful?"
Lie Xingyuan who was watching the scene unfolded was a little envious. It was not that she was envious of Ouyang Xue"s beauty but she was envious of the benefits that he was receiving. She was thinking, "This Elder Ouyang is really such a sly fellow. Should I warn Senior Brother about it? Never mind, he seems to be enjoying it…"
Lu Qingyun had to admit that she was indeed an astonishing beauty. So he replied, "Very beautiful, very beautiful."
Then Elder Ouyang had suddenly stood up and gave him a hand bow, "If sworn brother does not look down upon my precious daughter then I will betroth her to you?"
Not only did Lu Qingyun"s jaws almost dropped to the floor, so did Lie Xingyuan.
Ouyang Xue had a flush look on her countenance as she lowered her glances shyly.