Vampire Cultivation Notes

……

After the Star-Picking Ceremony, the capital gradually returned to normal. Although the new Grand Preceptor made some big moves, life went on as usual.

On this day, an old man walked into the Bai Family Chamber of Commerce.

This man wore a wide-sleeved robe, with a full head of white hair cascading down his back, covering the dark red robe. He had a black jade belt around his waist, with a storage bag hanging from it.

The old man's aura was unfathomable, revealing only a fierce and menacing expression as he reached out and pressed down on the counter.

"I need a bottle of Twin Water and a second-tier demon core, in stock."

"This... I wonder what the old gentleman needs these two items for?" The shopkeeper gestured to his servant to call someone, while he himself stepped out from behind the counter to curry favor.

"What's it to you?" the old man glared and snapped, "I heard you had some, so I came all this way to buy it. Are you going to leave your door open and not do business?"

"That's not the case..."

The shopkeeper at the counter tried to stall for time with kind words.

Before long, the person in charge arrived, none other than the president, Bai Ningxue.

Twin Water is precious. It is originally a second-tier spiritual item. Only in the Blood Heart Cave Heaven is the resource abundant, so only Qi Refining cultivators can afford to use it. However, they will only use a few drops at a time. For a large transaction like this, which requires a whole bottle at once, Bai Ningxue has to step in.

As for second-tier demon cores, the same is true.

Fortunately, Bai Ningxue happened to be inside the Chamber of Commerce at that moment. She appeared and took over the conversation, giving the old man a discreet glance before smiling and saying, "My family does have two sets of Twin Water, which should be enough for you, sir. Unfortunately, the second-tier demon core was sent to another family for safekeeping a few days ago and cannot be retrieved immediately. Would you mind waiting a couple of days, sir?"

"If it's not possible to transfer him right away, then it will take two. I'll wait here. Just hurry up, you won't lose out in this deal!"

The old man reached up and touched his waist, taking out a jade box.

Upon opening it, inside was a single pill, pure white and flawless, like a rare treasure. As soon as it was revealed to the world, white mist rose from the jade box, as if it were about to dissolve into the turbid world.

Those around the Bai family's business association smelled the medicinal properties but found them difficult to digest, their faces immediately turning red and their internal energy channels becoming disordered.

"A second-tier pill?!"

Bai Ningxue was not a person of shallow knowledge. How could she not recognize the grade of this pill? Moreover, just by looking at its appearance, she knew that it was a type of pill that could increase cultivation, which was quite precious among second-tier pills.

The only problem was that the type of pill was hard to identify; it didn't seem to be the legendary second-tier pills circulating in the Eastern Lands.

"Please wait a moment, sir. The Twin Water and the second-tier demon core will be here shortly."

Bai Ningxue gave the old man a deep look, then turned and took her leave. She first sent someone to fetch the Twin Waters, and then headed to the headquarters of the Tongtian Merchant Alliance, where she had stored her second-tier demon core.

At the same time, while doing this rare business opportunity, they also need to pass on intelligence for others.

Bai Ningxue had been commissioned by the Xue family within the Merchant Alliance to find a strange old man in his fifties, dressed in a red robe and carrying a golden sword, with an extraordinary and eccentric demeanor.

Although the guest today did not carry the golden sword, the rest of the description matches up.

Moreover, he always asks for second-tier spiritual herbs, and when he raises his hand, he immediately produces a second-tier spiritual pill, which truly makes him seem strange.

"Twin Water is often used to assist in alchemy. Not only is it much more effective than Sunrise Dew and Moon Dew, but it can also add spirituality to the elixirs."

"If one is willing, even a low-grade alchemist can use this to refine high-grade pills."

"That would be too wasteful. If we used a second-tier demon core as medicine, combined with Twin Water, it would be much more reasonable..."

"No wonder he ordered a whole bottle right away!"

Sitting in the carriage on the way to the headquarters of the Tongtian Merchant Alliance, Bai Ningxue suddenly realized something. As an alchemist, she naturally thought of alchemy first.

The old man was able to exchange second-tier pills for materials, so could he himself be a second-tier alchemist?

Such a person is beyond the Xue family's ability to scheme against, unless it is the new national advisor behind the Xue family.

But what was this person's plan?

Sitting in the carriage, Bai Ningxue hesitated for a moment, wondering whether she should inform the Xue family and get involved in this mess.

The powerful forces in the capital make it difficult for people to survive.

Bai Ningxue, who had already taken charge of the household, sighed, her thoughts a jumbled mess, and she remembered someone while in the carriage.

Before receiving the red-robed elder, Yu Huanxiu had just taken the initiative to use a jade talisman to transmit her voice and had a pleasant conversation with her for a while. At the end, she mentioned the postponement of the high-grade magic artifact this month, saying that she was going into seclusion.

No sooner had the telepathic communication ended than the old man in red robes arrived at the door.

Bai Ningxue hesitated for a moment, holding the communication jade talisman. She wanted to send another message to Yu Huanxiu to discuss how to handle the Chamber of Commerce's affairs today. Even if she didn't get any advice, she just wanted to hear some words to put her mind at ease.

However, considering that Yu Huanxiu had already gone into seclusion, the letter was not sent in the end.

The carriage arrived at the headquarters of the Tongtian Business Alliance. Bai Ningxue got out of the carriage, her chest heaving as she strode in and found the Xue family.

She still needs to make the decision herself.

The news of the red-robed elder's appearance must be reported. The Xue family, a newly emerging force in the merchant alliance, is anxious to find someone, and it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with them.

Moreover, if the person being sought is indeed the new Imperial Advisor, and the small Bai Family Chamber of Commerce is held accountable for failing to report such a situation, how could they possibly withstand such punishment?

……

……

Li Jieqing, disguised as an old man in a red robe, stayed at the Bai Family Merchant Guild, where he exchanged for Twin Water and a second-tier demon core. When he came out, he found several tails following him.

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As expected, by using Bai Ningxue as a lead, the Xue family was directly brought into the picture.

He didn't approach the Xue family directly; that would be too obvious a baiting tactic. Everyone knows the Xue family is backed by the new Grand Tutor. He had to be more indirect to achieve the best results.

As for whether Bai Ningxue would choose not to inform the Xue family, there's no need to even think about it. This woman is someone who is focused on her career and is good at weighing the pros and cons, so why wouldn't she go?

Besides, they have no relation to you, their avatar. Going to inform the Xue family, who are also part of the merchant alliance, about what happened would be a responsible act.

However, the Bai family alone is not enough.

Having already hooked the Xue family, Li Jieqing went to another merchant guild in the capital and bought a 300-year-old snow lotus to take with him.

It has to be said that the cultivation world in the East is full of resources. You can easily gather the materials for half a Foundation Establishment Pill by just wandering around. Unlike Xiaoxin Island, which has nothing but a near-third-order spiritual vein.

Once he has mastered the two treasures, Baowu and Baozhang, and gained control of the exit of the Blood Heart Cave, he can leave at any time. Li Jieqing feels that he will not be in a hurry to leave, and will at least cultivate here until he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage.

There's no other reason than that there are so many resources here that it's dazzling.

After purchasing the three-hundred-year-old snow lotus and some auxiliary medicines, Li Jieqing did not linger any longer, lest Master Baowu come rushing over and ruin things.

The red-robed old man he had transformed into walked down the street, his brow furrowing as if he had noticed someone following him. He immediately moved to a secluded spot and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The two people sent by the Xue family to track them down were experts at the late stage of Qi Refining. Seeing that they had lost track of the person and had not shown themselves, they split up and searched among the crowd for a while. When they found that they could not find any trace of the person, they reluctantly returned to the Xue family to report back.

The head of the Xue family personally delivered the message to the Imperial Observatory.

The red-robed old man that Master Baowu was secretly looking for was elusive. He initially appeared in the outskirts of the capital, avoiding pedestrians as he searched for something.

When it reappeared, it had come to the city and bought a second-tier demon core, twin water, and a three-hundred-year-old snow lotus in one day. It also seemed that it had bought some common spiritual items from other small shops beforehand.

Now these messages have been compiled and have reached the hands of Master Baowu, Yang Huangli.

"Demon core, twin waters, snow lotus..."

Yang Huangli received the Xue family patriarch, and as he looked at the list of spiritual objects one by one, he was taken aback.

The Xue family patriarch said from the side, "To actually want a snow lotus that is three hundred years old, this person probably wants to make a meridian-protecting pill, since snow lotus is effective in protecting the heart meridian."

"A meridian-protecting pill? Hmph..."

Yang Huangli didn't say anything. Just by looking at the ingredients, he knew that this was the widely circulated Foundation Building Pill formula in the East China Sea, not the so-called Pulse Protection Pill that the local natives thought it was.

Just then, the second-tier pills that the red-robed elder used to exchange for spiritual items were also delivered.

Yang Huangli opened the jade box and scanned it with his divine sense, recognizing it as a second-tier Jade Toad Pill.

"The quality is quite good, close to mid-grade. Even in my sect, it would be a good subject for cultivation. No wonder they dared to refine Foundation Establishment Pills."

Yang Huangli's heart stirred slightly.

The red-robed old man suddenly appeared, quickly purchased spiritual items, and then disappeared. Could it be that he had not yet broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so he refined a pill for himself in preparation for the breakthrough?

What they had been searching for in the outskirts of Beijing was precisely the location they intended to break through.

It has been almost fifty years since we lost the Blood Hand Demon overseas. Back then, when we were investigating Xiaoxin Island, we only learned that the man was not yet thirty years old. He had been working in Taiping Market on Xiaoxin Island when he was just over ten years old and had just reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. He was making a living by refining pills.

Based on this calculation, Bloodhand Old Demon is now just over seventy years old. Although his blood energy has declined, it is not impossible for him to continue breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Moreover, the Blood Hand Old Demon cultivates the Blood Heart Sect's techniques. After taking all of Qingheng Daomiao Great True Monarch's relics, he came to this Blood Heart Cave Heaven. With all the adventures along the way, it's not impossible that he could preserve his blood energy.

Otherwise, he would have died when he burned his life essence to fly overseas, and he wouldn't be able to show himself now.

"What a stroke of luck, allowing someone who should have died to live and enjoy life here..."

"He deserves to die!"

Yang Huangli put the Jade Toad Pill in his hand and smiled to the side.

"Please go and find more suitable men, await orders, and do so discreetly, but quickly!"

Don't make a fuss about it; don't let the Tongtian Merchant Alliance or other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the capital know about it. Otherwise, if things get out of hand, Yang Huangli won't be able to handle the situation.

If you're too slow, the red-robed elder will successfully break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, which would create unnecessary trouble.

Controlling a Foundation Establishment cultivator and controlling a Qi Refining cultivator are two completely different things.

The head of the Xue family cautiously asked, "If the Grand Preceptor has any arrangements, we can handle it ourselves. If it's not enough for us, no matter how many we find, it won't compare to your presence. How should we give the order?"

"Naturally, we should head forward to capture that person. We should only go to the capital region, to places with earth fire, second-tier spiritual veins, or remote, uninhabited areas. My master will personally escort you back, so there is no need to be afraid."

Although Yang Huangli had already decided to take action, he was quite cautious in making the arrangements.

If there are any pitfalls, just have the next repairman go through them first.

When the red-robed old man reveals his true form, Yang Huangli is confident he can capture him, since he is in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and has mastered many powerful divine abilities.

Even if the target is not Qi Refining, but has already broken through to Foundation Establishment, it doesn't matter.

While the Foundation Establishment stage is known for its supernatural powers, overwhelming others with superior cultivation level is also a viable strategy.

While it's common for people in the Qi Refining Realm to fight beyond their level, very few in the Foundation Establishment Realm can do so.