Chapter Ninety-Four: Hong Jiuling’s Attitude

What? For me?

Hong Jiuling had lived more than half his life, and everything he had today had been won through his own hard struggle. He had never believed in the kind of luck that fell from the sky, yet at this moment, staring at the jade box, he felt as though he had been struck senseless for the first time in his life.

It had already been astonishing enough that Xiao Cheng could produce three spirit pills before his eyes. He had never imagined that Xiao Cheng would be so generous as to give them to him. If Xiao Cheng meant to win him over by doing this, then so be it; in fact, he even felt, absurdly, that a gentleman should die for the one who understood him.

Those three Cosmos Spirit-Nourishing Pills were priceless. Compared with them, the money and beauties he had given Xiao Cheng before were nothing at all.

These were spirit pills that could let him break through two realms within two years. Not to mention a innate expert like himself, even a Golden Core master would be moved by them. If these three pills appeared in the cultivation world, they would surely cause a storm, and might even draw fierce competition from powerful experts.

And yet Xiao Cheng had given him these three pills so casually, so generously, as though he had never taken such pills to heart in the first place.

Hong Jiuling stood dazed for a long while before finally coming back to himself. He did not refuse them, and he could not even bring himself to utter a polite word. He simply did not have the courage to pretend at courtesy.

"Thank you," Hong Jiuling said, enunciating each word with unusual care. His voice was somewhat stiff, and his tone even slipped slightly out of tune.

The words thank you were common enough, but for him, as the lord of Black City, they were exceedingly rare. He could no longer remember when he had last said them.

Xiao Cheng smiled, watching the expression on Hong Jiuling's face. He could vaguely sense the other man's excitement. If he had not mastered the spirit-seizing method and seen the reaction the Spirit-Nourishing Pills provoked, he might well have been even more startled than Hong Jiuling.

"I wonder if you have any further instructions, Young Master? So long as it is within my power, I shall certainly do my utmost," Hong Jiuling said, straightening at once with gravity.

By saying this, he was effectively declaring his willingness to place himself beneath Xiao Cheng and work for him. Hong Jiuling was a smart man. Though shocked just now, he had not lost the ability to think.

Since Xiao Cheng could give him three spirit pills so carelessly, it showed that Xiao Cheng did not care in the slightest about such pills. Then there were only two explanations: either Xiao Cheng possessed many Cosmos Spirit-Nourishing Pills, at least dozens or even more, or else he had even more advanced spirit pills and looked down on these entirely.

The reason he made such a guess was simple. It was just like the money and beauties he had given Xiao Cheng. He had a fortune of more than a billion, so he would not care at all about a small five-million sum. He had many high-grade beauties, so he could send away ten of them without so much as furrowing his brow.

Spirit pills were exactly what he urgently needed. Since Xiao Cheng could give him three, perhaps he would give him more in the future. The prerequisite was that he demonstrate his value. So his first thought upon accepting the gift was to show his worth and declare his willingness to work for Xiao Cheng.

To cultivators, following a strong master was not shameful; it was even an honor. He was no different, and he felt no resistance in his heart.

Xiao Cheng was still so young, yet his cultivation had already surpassed his own. A man like that had limitless prospects. More importantly, Xiao Cheng possessed a broad, magnanimous bearing, and could casually give away spirit pills; his courage was extraordinary. Such a person was worth following.

Of course, even so, and despite his well-measured posture, he still held something back in his heart. He had not yet reached the point of laying down his life for Xiao Cheng. At most, he was willing to help Xiao Cheng as much as possible, so long as his own life and property remained safe.

"Heh, City Lord, you are too kind. I would not dare call it an instruction. I came this time simply to look for spiritual herbs; I mean nothing else."

Xiao Cheng naturally understood the meaning behind Hong Jiuling's words. However, he had never been the sort of man who held himself in absurdly high regard. If Hong Jiuling was willing to help him, that was best. If not, he would not force the issue.

Besides, his strength was still inferior to Hong Jiuling's, and he detested trouble. If Hong Jiuling followed him and something happened, he would still have to step in and resolve it. So long as Hong Jiuling was willing to help him with tasks, that was enough. Even if it was a transaction, he did not want Hong Jiuling to follow him blindly.

At first Hong Jiuling had been quite resistant to Xiao Cheng bringing up spiritual herbs, but now things were different. The herbs he had stored were originally meant to be exchanged for pills at next year's Midyear Gathering.

Xiao Cheng had just given him three spirit pills at once. Compared with those ordinary pellets, the difference was like heaven and earth. Even if he gave Xiao Cheng all his herbs, they probably would not be enough to exchange for a single Spirit-Nourishing Pill. At this point, what was there left to hesitate over?

Hong Jiuling wasted no time. He led the way at once and brought Xiao Cheng into his secret chamber.

It was a secret room of only a little over a hundred square feet, and the walls on all sides were actually built from jade to prevent spiritual energy from leaking away. In the center stood a marble meditation seat, clearly used for seated cultivation. Behind the seat, more than a dozen varieties of spiritual herbs were arranged neatly.

Xiao Cheng could not help but marvel. To preserve these herbs, Hong Jiuling had truly spent a fortune. Though jade and stone were not as valuable as pure jade, they were by no means cheap. Just these materials alone were probably worth several million.

Most cultivators preserved spiritual herbs by storing them in ice. Hong Jiuling's method was indeed rare, but it was certainly far better than the former. Still, as Xiao Cheng looked at the dozen or so herbs, his brow furrowed.

The herbs he needed had to be fresh, yet most of the ones here had already dried out. The jade chamber did preserve spiritual energy better than freezing, but it could not keep them fresh.

"Young Master, how is it? Is there anything you need?" Hong Jiuling asked when he saw Xiao Cheng's displeased expression.

Hong Jiuling's stock of herbs was indeed abundant, even richer than Xiao Fusheng's. The varieties were complex: heart-imprinting grass, horseshoe lotus, heavenly star flower, and others. Yet, unfortunately, most of these herbs had withered. Xiao Cheng picked up five fresh herbs.

Xiao Cheng smiled. "These five herbs will do. I only want fresh ones. If you have fresh herbs next time, City Lord, preserve them in ice. I will not let you lose out."

When Hong Jiuling saw that Xiao Cheng took only five herbs, he felt mildly disappointed, thinking that Xiao Cheng's need for herbs was limited.

If that were the case, it would be difficult for him to impress Xiao Cheng in the future, and his plan to exchange herbs for spirit pills would come to nothing. But after hearing Xiao Cheng's words, he understood that Xiao Cheng wanted fresh herbs. From Xiao Cheng's tone, it seemed that as long as they were fresh, he would take them. Only then did Hong Jiuling relax.

Even he had not noticed how quickly his thinking had changed. At first he had been reluctant to part with his herbs, but now Xiao Cheng taking too few actually left him disappointed. The change was simply too sudden.

"So the Young Master needs them fresh. I do have one high-grade item; it has been preserved in excellent condition. I just don't know whether the Young Master will take to it," Hong Jiuling said without hiding anything.

As he spoke, he went over to the meditation seat, removed the cushion on top, and revealed a small door in the marble beneath. Hong Jiuling opened it and took out a box from within.

Xiao Cheng looked at the half-meter-long box in Hong Jiuling's hands and could not help but be startled, a faint expectation rising within him.

Since Hong Jiuling had hidden the box so carefully, it must contain an extraordinary herb.

With a flicker of spiritual sense, Xiao Cheng swept it over, only to discover that his sense could not penetrate the box at all. It was clearly a sealed box made from top-grade jade.

Forget the herb inside it; even this half-meter jade box alone was probably worth several million. What kind of herb inside could possibly merit such extravagance in preservation?