Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation

Chapter 434 - 251: Ling Changqing: I Want the Goods, But I Don’t Want to Pay...

That’s right. It was a beauty pageant.

More than twenty stunningly beautiful and utterly alluring Female Cultivators stood in a row, fawning smiles on their faces. They were stripped nearly naked for the fat-headed, big-eared Elder to leisurely admire.

Most of them were financially struggling Loose Cultivators. They were willing to come and offer themselves in exchange for rare Spirit Gold Materials from Qin Anping, which they needed for refining their Magical Artifacts and Magical Treasures.

Among the vast population of Loose Cultivators, trading one’s body for resources was not uncommon. This wasn’t limited to Female Cultivators; Male Cultivators couldn’t avoid it either.

After leering at them for a while, Elder Qin Anping finally selected the four prettiest. The remaining Female Cultivators could only leave in dejection.

"...Elder, a big business opportunity has come up."

A Steward at the Late stage Foundation Establishment entered quietly from outside, bowed, and reported in a low voice.

"Oh? And just how big is it?"

Qin Anping turned his head, asking with great interest.

Wealth and women were Elder Qin’s two great passions, so he never refused business that could add to his personal coffers.

"That merchant said... he can buy out your entire personal share for this year, and for the next two years as well!"

This Steward was his confidant, so he didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"Is that so? Did he really say that?"

Qin Anping blinked his small eyes, the doubt in his tone obvious.

As a Golden Core Master who had lived for several hundred years, Qin Anping wouldn’t be easily fooled. None of these visiting merchants were pushovers. ’Who knows if there’s some kind of conspiracy afoot?’

"Elder, I’ve already checked. He really has brought a sufficient amount of Spirit Stones. It seems he’s serious about this deal."

the Steward said, smiling obsequiously.

Qin Anping chuckled. "Fine, I’ll go take a look. Lead the way!"

He glanced at the Female Cultivators beside him and ordered, "Go and wait for me in my bedchamber. I will return to dote on you shortly!"

"Yes, Elder!"

The Female Cultivators looked overjoyed, answering in sweet, delicate voices.

Qin Anping followed the Steward from the study to the reception hall outside.

Ling Changqing, dressed in magnificent blue robes embroidered with pythons and with a cold glint in his eyes, was leaning back in his chair. He had been waiting for a little while, toying with a Primordial Jade Coin in his hand.

"Young man, I hear you want to do some big business?"

Qin Anping strolled out with a pompous, unhurried gait, a sharp glint flashing in the depths of his eyes before vanishing.

Although this unfamiliar Cultivator’s Cultivation was about the same as his own, Qin Anping was certain that the man was truly young—not just in appearance, but in Bone Age.

This inexplicably sparked a trace of jealousy and hatred in Qin Anping’s heart. The other man’s talent and aptitude were clearly superior; he had room to advance further in the future. ’And I... my potential is exhausted. I have no hope of advancing in this lifetime.’

"That’s right. I believe Steward Zhu has already explained the situation to you, Elder. What are your thoughts?"

Ling Changqing slowly rose, his demeanor neither servile nor arrogant.

Qin Anping nodded and said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Of course. We’re open for business. There’s no sense in turning away Spirit Stones, is there?"

’Hmm, since this kid is alone, why not... have the others come over? We can slaughter this fat sheep together!’

Elder Qin Anping’s mind raced. ’Besides, we’ve all done this kind of dirty work before.’

With the Qin Family’s power, secretly taking care of a few lone, visiting Loose Cultivators would have no negative repercussions.

At this thought, Elder Qin Anping shot a meaningful glance at the Steward, signaling him to fetch the Spirit Gold Materials from the storehouse.

At the same time, the other Golden Core Masters stationed there received a secret message from Qin Anping and began to make their way over.

Thanks to Gong Ling, Ling Changqing saw through the entire scheme but remained impassive, perfectly playing the part of a visiting merchant.

In just a moment, the Steward led several Qin Family clansmen inside. Each held a Golden Crystal Jade Plate, on which exquisite Storage Pouches were arranged.

Ling Changqing stepped forward, took one of the Storage Pouches, and inspected its contents. It was filled with blocks of light purple Celestial Fire Blazing Copper, each about a foot long and three inches thick and wide.

The remaining Storage Pouches were filled with various kinds of Spirit Gold, all of them refined, finished products.

"Fellow Daoist Ling, this shipment is worth a total of three thousand Top grade Spirit Stones. If everything seems to be in order, you can pay up!"

the Steward said, smiling fawningly.

Sensing the faint auras of the Golden Core Masters approaching in the distance, Ling Changqing smiled and said gently:

"The goods are fine. However... I want them, but I don’t want to give you any Spirit Stones! What are we to do?"

Qin Anping’s expression shifted, and his aura flared. "Fellow Daoist Ling, what is the meaning of this?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!"

Ling Changqing said calmly. A flash of blood-red light erupted, and with a wretched scream, the Steward in front of him was decapitated.

"Bastard! You dare to rob the Qin Family on our own territory? Do you have a death wish?!"

Qin Anping roared as the temperature plummeted. Two Flying Swords, one green and one red, tore through space, whistling as they slashed toward Ling Changqing.

"Such a petty trick."

Ling Changqing scoffed. Then, the figures of sisters Zhao Wanyi and Zhao Wanqing quietly appeared beside him.

"Nascent Soul True Monarchs? Two of them?"

Elder Qin Anping’s face turned deathly pale. He finally realized he had picked a fight with an unbreakable wall.

But at that moment, the auras of the other six Golden Core Masters reached the doorway. By the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late.

In an instant, golden light erupted and fireballs filled the air. The brilliance of various Magical Treasures and Divine Techniques flashed one after another. The entire estate collapsed amidst a continuous series of massive explosions, turning into a field of rubble and ruins.

In a mere moment, all seven Golden Core Masters were killed. A group of True Core, Pseudo Core, and Foundation Establishment Cultivators were also caught in the slaughter, none escaping with their lives.

"Alright, let’s go take care of the other Qin Family members now, shall we? We can’t let a single one escape!"

Zhao Wanqing said excitedly, Longsword in hand, feeling an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

’How many years has it been?’ The constantly suppressed Zhao Family was finally having its moment of vindication.

"We have a thirty-minute window of safety. We can wreak as much havoc as we want, then we have to leave!"

Ling Changqing said. This was, of course, the result he had deduced using his Celestial Secret Technique, and its accuracy was beyond doubt.

"Half an hour? That’s more than enough time to level this place!"

Zhao Wanyi said calmly.

In the end, it took less than half an hour for the entire Fengye City to be reduced to ruins. Ling Changqing plundered all its wealth and resources. The Qin Family members in the city were slaughtered to the last person, their very Divine Souls devoured by the Era Star Palace.

As for the visiting Loose Cultivators, Ling Changqing didn’t harm them, allowing them to leave freely.

However, after Ling Changqing had quietly departed, some of the bolder individuals snuck back to loot the city a second time.

By the time Patriarch Qin Zhongqi received the news and his reinforcements arrived, nearly an hour had passed. Ling Changqing and the sisters were long gone, and it was too late to do anything.

For the next month, Ling Changqing launched attacks everywhere, wreaking havoc across the Qin Family’s territory.

Industries like mines, Medicinal Gardens, Spirit Field Ranches, and Artifact Refining Workshops, as well as settlements of direct clan members, were all on Ling Changqing’s list of targets.

These high-value industries were guarded by varying numbers of Core Formation Cultivators, but facing a joint sneak attack from two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, they were utterly powerless to resist and were annihilated without exception.

Ling Changqing packed up and took all valuable resources. Anything that couldn’t be carried away was destroyed on the spot. In any case, nothing was to be left for the Qin Family.

Patriarch Qin Zhongqi dispatched reinforcements more than once, but Ling Changqing, with his advantage in the Celestial Secret Art and Divination Domain, was always able to anticipate the enemy and evade pursuit in time.

If the reinforcements weren’t led by a Nascent Soul True Monarch and consisted only of Golden Core Masters, Ling Changqing would set a trap and ambush them, wiping them all out.

The Qin Family had two Nascent Soul True Monarchs: Qin Zhongqi, who was at the Middle stage Nascent Soul, and another elder, Qin Zhongyuan, who had a Late Stage Nascent Soul Cultivation.

Therefore, Ling Changqing didn’t want the Zhao Wanyi sisters to confront them prematurely.

Although with Luo Qingxuan present, eliminating their opponent wouldn’t be difficult. However, Princess Long Nu’s identity was sensitive, and Ling Changqing didn’t dare let her show herself unless he could guarantee absolute secrecy.

Watching as more and more of his high-value assets were destroyed, Qin Zhongqi flew into a rage. He even risked a counter-attack on his main residence, personally setting out multiple times to hunt down Ling Changqing.

Yet, he could never catch him. Every time he rushed to the scene of an attack, all he found were ruins and corpses picked clean.

After a month, the sum of the Qin Family’s losses had reached a staggering amount.