Poison Cultivation

Looking back over the past few decades, Chen Luo had never realized he was so sought after.

It's one thing to send daughters to marry, but there are also cases of people seeking godfathers, offering bribes, and even widows offering themselves as bed partners.

For a homebody like him, he had never experienced such social interactions before, and it took him quite a bit of effort to get rid of everyone.

Xiao Qiyuan laughed heartily and clapped his hands, saying:

"How is it? Fellow Daoist, are you experiencing the trouble now?"

"If things are already like this today, just after he took office, I'm afraid there will never be peace in the future."

Seeing his teasing expression, Chen Luo sighed with a headache:

"With the beast tide approaching, instead of thinking about saving their own lives, they're eyeing a vague and uncertain spot. It's really... really..."

He exclaimed "really!" twice, unable to find the words to describe it.

Xiao Qiyuan smiled and shook his head, explaining:

"As far as they are concerned, the Three Clouds Sect will never fall, and the beast tide is something that important people need to worry about. There's no use in being anxious."

"But we can't be this lazy..."

"The scions of powerful families have always been so vigilant, while the rogue cultivators, who live on the edge every day, are even more perceptive."

Xiao Qiyuan asked him to sit down again and poured him a cup of tea.

Chen Luo stared as the tea gushed into the cup, the aroma filling the air, yet it couldn't dispel the worry in his heart.

"Brother Xiao, I heard that Qingxia Workshop was breached during the last beast tide."

If the same situation were to occur again, how should we handle it?

Joining the Li family for protection was the best solution he could think of, but after witnessing the overwhelming storm firsthand, Chen Luo still couldn't help but feel worried.

Xiao Qiyuan glanced at him, remained silent for a moment, and then said:

"To be honest, I heard the news a while ago that the Sanxia Sect had secretly deployed seven cloud-based flying boats to evacuate mortals ahead of time."

If the market cannot hold out, we will likely have to evacuate as well.

"Is that so?" Chen Luo stared wide-eyed in surprise.

The Cloud Flying Boat is a second-tier magic artifact. The Three Clouds Sect would rather withdraw mortals than cultivators; they truly have some integrity.

Xiao Qiyuan nodded and said:

"Now everyone is making the worst-case scenario plan. The Li family has also been allocated a Cloud Flying Boat. If things don't go well, they will take the boat away."

However, the Cloud Flying Boat had limited capacity, and at that time, some members of the family always had to be sacrificed.

"Then what if we...?"

"No!" Xiao Qiyuan shook his head, his tone resolute.

"We are worshippers, and we have a skill that is an important asset to the family. They will not be willing to give it up."

Chen Luo felt a little relieved and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

That's right. Skilled workers will receive preferential treatment wherever they go. Even if the enemy country is defeated, the country will give priority to recruiting enemy technical personnel.

Now that he's become a retainer of the Li family, how can he not be considered a talented person?

Xiao Qiyuan comforted him, then quietly reminded him:

"Fellow Daoist, you have one more recommendation spot, which is also a ticket to the boat."

If you have a close relative, it's best to bring them over early on to avoid being caught off guard later.

Remember, a ship doesn't wait for anyone.

His words already showed the utmost goodwill, and Chen Luo understood this, so he respectfully cupped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Xiao. I will surely repay your great kindness!"

"Sigh, let's not talk about those things, brothers..."

Xiao Qiyuan waved his hand, chatted for a while longer, and then got up to take his leave.

As soon as he left, Chen Luo immediately lowered his eyes and began to think:

He has no relatives or friends now, and the only person he can call a friend is Wen Ruan.

He had previously been worried that if he gave the spot to the other party, it might become a means for the Sanxia Sect to threaten him.

Now it seems that when life is at stake, why bother considering threats?

"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser; let's focus on what's immediately in front of us!"

He immediately left the courtyard and headed straight for Wen Ruan's residence.

At that time,

Having heeded Chen Luo's instructions, the young girl had prepared some medicinal pills and talismans beforehand, and was now carefully writing in a talisman book.

She slowly channeled her inner energy, her brush moving like dragons and snakes, the golden ink-dipped talisman brush gracefully outlining the characters on the paper, gradually forming the runes.

A faint golden glow arose, faintly suggesting the sharpness of swords and spears cutting through the wind, and a chilling aura pervaded the air.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Wen Ruan's forehead, and she felt her inner energy gradually failing, but she bit her lower lip tightly and forced herself to finish the last stroke.

As the talisman was completed, the golden light subsided slightly. Her body went limp, and she leaned back in her chair, her breath shallow, yet a hint of joy appeared on her face as she softly said:

"A mid-grade, first-tier Chaotic Blade Golden Knife Talisman... I've finally made one. Uncle Luo should be able to use it."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden knocking on the door.

Wen Ruan was startled, and disregarding her weakness, she hurriedly and carefully put away the talisman.

She then folded up the chaotic golden talisman and hid it in her sleeve before taking light steps to open the door.

The wooden door was slightly ajar, and Chen Luo's figure was seen through the crack.

When Wen Ruan saw it was him, her face lit up with joy. She quickly pushed the door open and called out softly:

"Uncle Luo, what brings you here?"

Chen Luo slowly entered the room and immediately asked:

"I instructed you to prepare supplies in case of a beast tide. How are your preparations going?"

Wen Ruan, who had been beaming with joy, lowered her voice and timidly said upon seeing his solemn expression:

"I bought some pills and prepared a few spirit talismans."

Chen Luo nodded slightly, thinking to herself that with her Qi Refining Level 3 cultivation, she had already done her best to achieve this.

He then said in a deep voice:

"I recently heard that more than forty years ago, Qingxia Manor was attacked and breached by a beast tide. Although the Sanxia Sect has prepared for battle with all its might this time, it is still impossible to predict what might happen."

For your safety, you should move to my place for a while.

"Huh?" Wen Ruan looked up in surprise, her beautiful eyes wide open. "Moving...moving to your house?"

She had some affection for Chen Luo, but she only dared to gaze at him secretly, and even when she spoke a few words, she felt her voice was too weak.

Upon hearing that she was to move in with him, her ears burned, her cheeks flushed instantly, and even the roots of her ears felt hot.

She lowered her head, her fingers gently twisting the hem of her clothes, not daring to look Chen Luo in the eye, her mind a jumble of thoughts:

If word gets out that a man and a woman living together alone, what will people say?

Uncle Luo...could it be that he has feelings for me?

The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. Her voice was barely audible as she stammered:

"Uncle Luo, this... I'm afraid this is inappropriate..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo felt that she was overthinking things, and frowned slightly, saying:

"What's wrong with that? I'm already a retainer of the Li family. Their family's land is protected by a formation, and in times of crisis, we can escape by boat."

This is a golden opportunity; staying here might mean certain death.

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruan was taken aback at first, then the heat on her face subsided, and she felt ashamed inwardly.

It turned out that she had misunderstood and was having all sorts of wild thoughts, thinking that Uncle Luo was interested in her.

Even though she understood, she still hesitated, lowering her head and fiddling with the hem of her dress, she whispered:

"But...but...what right do I have to stay at Uncle Luo's house?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what he meant and slapped his forehead.

Yes, in what capacity should we use?

The rules of etiquette and morality in this world have always been strict.

He had only treated Li Ruosheng as a doctor, yet he had already attracted gossip from others.

Now that Wen Ruan is living with him, a man and a woman alone together, if there is no legitimate reason, not only will Wen Ruan's reputation be damaged, but it will also attract a lot of criticism.

For a moment, Chen Luo also pondered, realizing that he had indeed not thought things through.