Chapter 55: Encounter

Tianxiangju was a four-story green pavilion, over ten *zhang* tall.

Built from Azure Cloud Spirit Wood, its surface was carved with fire-resistant runes. Above the entrance hung a large plaque, about a *zhang* long, inscribed with the three characters "Tianxiangju." From a distance, Wang Changsheng could already smell an enticing aroma.

"Welcome, fellow Daoists! How may I assist you?" A young attendant in a green shirt quickly approached, greeting them with a smile.

"Are there any empty tables?" Wang Changxue asked, her gaze sweeping across the tables in the main hall. "We'd like to eat something."

"There's still an empty table on the third floor, fellow Daoists. Please, this way." The green-shirted attendant, his face wreathed in smiles, led the four Wang Changsheng to an empty table on the third floor. They took their seats one by one.

"What good food do you have at Tianxiangju? Please recommend some dishes."The attendant smiled slightly and replied, "Azure Bamboo Spirit Wine is our signature spirit wine; it's a must-order for guests. Our other specialties include Hundred Treasures Chicken, Braised Jade Prawns, Blood Tofu, and White Flower Cake. The Hundred Treasures Chicken, in particular, is made from a whole low-grade Snow Cloud Chicken cooked with dozens of medicinal ingredients, resulting in sweet juice and tender meat."

"How much are the spirit wine and these dishes?"

"Azure Bamboo Spirit Wine is ten spirit stones per pot. Hundred Treasures Chicken is fifty spirit stones, Braised Jade Prawns twenty, Blood Tofu ten, and White Flower Cake five."

Wang Changxing frowned in surprise. "That's so expensive?"

"Not at all, sir! You get what you pay for. Our ingredients are the freshest, and consuming them benefits cultivation. Spirit meals are different from pills; they don't cause drug resistance and are easily absorbed. If there are just four of you, I recommend a pot of Azure Bamboo Spirit Wine, Braised Jade Prawns, Blood Tofu, and Stir-fried Buddha's Hand Gourd. The Stir-fried Buddha's Hand Gourd is only five spirit stones, and we'll also provide a complimentary dish of pickled jade radish as an appetizer."

"Third brother, seventh sister, ninth brother, which dish would you like?" Wang Changxue inquired.

"Second sister, you decide! Anything is fine."

"Alright, I'll order then. We'll have a pot of Azure Bamboo Spirit Wine, Braised Jade Prawns, Blood Tofu, Stir-fried Buddha's Hand Gourd, and a plate of White Flower Cake. Also, four bowls of Yellow Tooth Spirit Rice."

"Coming right up, please wait a moment."

Soon, the green-shirted attendant brought a plate of pickled jade radish. There were only five small pieces, about two fingers in size – free items were always sparse.

"Oh, Cousin Changsheng, you're eating here too!" A voice filled with joyful surprise suddenly rang out.

Wang Changsheng looked towards the source of the voice and saw Zhao Ningxiang approaching him. Zhao Ningxiang wore a wide smile, accompanied by two other women. One was a graceful young woman of eighteen or nineteen in a green skirt, with skin like snow and long black hair reaching her waist. The other woman wore a blue tunic and skirt, had a delicate nose and cherry lips, skin like snow, and black hair styled into an elegant bun adorned with a blue jade hairpin, giving her a fresh and ethereal appearance.

"Cousin Ningxiang, what a coincidence! Are you also here to eat at Tianxiangju?" Wang Changsheng said with a smile.

"Yes! I heard Tianxiangju's Hundred Fragrance Chicken tastes great, so I wanted to try it." Zhao Ningxiang nodded with a smile, then turned to her companions and said, "Cousin Yujiao, why don't we eat with Cousin Changsheng and the others?"

The woman in the blue skirt smiled slightly. "I have no objection. I wonder if the four fellow Daoists mind?"

Wang Changxue nodded, smiling. "We're all relatives, so it's fine to sit and eat together. We've only ordered a few dishes, which certainly won't be enough. We'll order a few more."

"Since you've already ordered some dishes, we'll just add a few more!"

Wang Changxue didn't decline, and Lin Yujiao ordered four more dishes. Seven people at one table felt a bit cramped, so the waiter brought over an empty table, which made things a little better.

"Let me introduce you: these are Cousin Yujiao and Cousin Yuyao."

"Wang Changxue.""Wang Changxing.""Wang Changyu.""Wang Changsheng."The four Wangs stated their names one by one, giving both parties a general understanding of each other.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, long time no see." Lin Yuyao glanced at the string of beads on Wang Changsheng's left wrist and said with a smile.

"Oh? Cousin Yuyao, do you two know each other?" Zhao Ningxiang blinked, asking curiously. Wang Changxue and the others also looked puzzled; they hadn't heard Wang Changsheng mention this before.

"I was previously stationed in Ping'an Town and visited the Azure Bamboo Market in Pingyang Commandery. There, I happened to meet Immortal Lin and bought these Water Gathering Beads from her." Wang Changsheng shook the beads on his wrist as he explained.

Everyone realized what happened. Lin Yujiao smiled charmingly and teased, "Ninth sister, why have you never mentioned Fellow Daoist Wang to me?"

"There's nothing to tell, really! Fellow Daoist Wang just bought something from me. Besides, I told you everything when I got home after my grandmother's birthday celebration, didn't I?"

Zhao Ningxiang giggled. "Fate brings people together from a thousand miles away, and without it, they can't meet even face-to-face. That's what you call destiny! Oh, by the way, Cousin Changxing, are you not selling spirit artifacts today? I saw you at the plaza just two days ago!"

"For the Heavenly River Minor Gathering, the family specifically purchased a batch of spirit artifacts from Xianyuan City. Most were sold, but a batch of low-grade defensive spirit artifacts remained. So, Sixth Uncle sent us to the plaza to sell them off." Wang Changxing maintained a composed expression as he offered the excuse concocted by Wang Mingzhan.

"That's right! We saw how well the spirit artifacts were selling, so we bought some materials, hoping to learn artifact refining ourselves. But it all ended in failure. Afterward, Sixth Uncle comforted us and gave us some spirit stones, telling us to go have a good meal so our trip wouldn't be in vain." Wang Changsheng nodded in agreement.

Zhao Ningxiang had an epiphany and said with a smile, "So that's how it is! Cousin Yujiao, I told you! Cousin Changxing and the others don't understand artifact refining; otherwise, the Wang family would have been mass-producing spirit artifacts long ago."

The speaker had no intention, but the listener paid close attention. Wang Changsheng was startled; as Wang Mingzhan had anticipated, someone had indeed noticed them. Thankfully, Sixth Uncle had taken timely remedial measures, and he hoped no one would spot any flaws.

As they chatted, the waiter brought up the dishes. The enticing aroma wafted through the air, instantly whetting their appetites. The seven people ate and chatted, full of laughter and cheer.

"Oh, by the way, Cousin Changsheng, tomorrow is the auction. Are you going to attend? I heard that this time, a spiritual item that aids in Foundation Establishment will appear. I wonder who it will fall into the hands of."

Wang Changsheng's expression shifted. He looked at Lin Yujiao and quietly asked, "Immortal Lin, I heard that spiritual item was brought out by your Lin family. Do you know what it is?"

Lin Yujiao hesitated slightly before replying, "It's Purple Jade Spirit Water. It's said to be concocted from various third-tier spirit herbs. Consuming this spirit water when attempting Foundation Establishment can increase the chances by thirty percent."

"Increase the chances by thirty percent? That high?" Wang Changsheng was very surprised.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, your Lin family is willing to auction off something so good?" Wang Changxue asked, puzzled.

"The true Purple Jade Spirit Water can indeed increase the chances of Foundation Establishment by thirty percent. However, what's being auctioned appears to be diluted Purple Jade Spirit Water; an increase of ten percent would be considered good for that. Our Lin family wouldn't possibly auction off undiluted Purple Jade Spirit Water; we're not that extravagant."

Hearing this explanation, the four Wang Changsheng realized the truth.

Lin Yuyao nodded and said, "Indeed! There are myriad paths and countless minor gates to cultivation, and many ways to achieve Foundation Establishment. However, the most reliable method is to take Foundation Establishment Pills. Unfortunately, these pills are controlled by the immortal cultivation sects and rarely flow out. When a few pills occasionally appear, they immediately cause a scramble among numerous forces, leading to bloody fights every time. For us, who come from immortal cultivation families, it's better; if one's aptitude is good enough, the family will provide resources to help with Foundation Establishment. Rogue cultivators, however, don't enjoy such treatment; they must rely on themselves for everything. A few years ago, a rogue cultivator, desperate to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, resorted to cultivating demonic arts and performed blood sacrifices on over a dozen villages. Later, he was discovered by the Purple Cloud Sect, who dispatched elite disciples to eliminate him. His corpse was displayed in Xianyuan City as a warning to other rogue cultivators."

Wang Changxing nodded. "I've heard about that too. But every family has its own difficulties, and the path of immortal cultivation is never easy."