A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

「Four days later.」

The mountain mist gradually thinned, and the view opened up.

He emerged from a valley flanked by two mountain-like statues. Before him lay a vast plain crisscrossed by a network of waterways, a sign that he had finally entered the Yongling Area.

He was mostly safe now.

He was still some distance from Yongling City—over three thousand li away. To reach his destination, Lü Zhong would need to travel for at least two or three more days.

He meditated and rested by a stream, and after eating some fire-roasted snake meat, he started off again.

After following the main road for half a day, a massive, walled settlement appeared before him.

The settlement rose from the flat ground, comparable in size to a market town. It was surrounded by vast tracts of fertile farmland—at least ten thousand mu, by the looks of it—crisscrossed by footpaths. A winding bluestone road stretched from the settlement’s gate to the main road, where a watchtower over a hundred feet high had been built, apparently to monitor the direction of Cold Mountain.

Using his Qi Observation Skill, Lü Zhong was surprised to find the watchtower was protected by an Array. A shield of flowing Spiritual Light, thin as an eggshell, enveloped it, standing out starkly against the otherwise drab view.

The moment he drew near, the watchtower reacted.

A male cultivator in a Daoist Robe, his hair tied in a topknot, leaped onto the battlements. He used a Magic Skill to project his voice, "Donghua Village is not open to outsiders. If you require lodging, fellow Daoist, you may proceed to Silver Treasure Village up ahead!"

Lü Zhong had only approached out of curiosity. It was his first time seeing a mortal settlement like Donghua Village, with all its buildings made of brick and tile. The layout was also remarkably orderly. Compared to it, the mortal villages on Yanling Mountain were nothing but hovels.

Seeing that the guard was on high alert, he had no choice but to continue on his way.

By sunset, another walled settlement appeared ahead. It was nearly as large as Donghua Village, and a plaque on the gatehouse confirmed it was the place the man had mentioned: Silver Treasure Village.

The gates of Silver Treasure Village were wide open, with people constantly coming and going.

A squad of soldiers stood guard at the entrance. Standing nearly seven feet tall and clad in full armor, they were responsible for inspecting any mortals passing through. In a nearby pavilion sat a middle-aged man in Confucian robes, enjoying pastries and tea while two beautiful young maids massaged his legs and shoulders.

When he saw Lü Zhong approaching, he immediately rose, stepped out of the pavilion, and greeted him with a smile.

"Welcome to Silver Treasure Village, fellow Daoist!"

Seeing that the man in Confucian robes was only at the Early-stage of Qi Refining, Lü Zhong merely gave him a nod. He then clasped his hands and asked, "How can I get inside to rest?"

"That’s simple. You need only pay an entry fee of five talismanic coins, fellow Daoist."

Lü Zhong was a little surprised. ’That’s pretty cheap,’ he thought.

He took five blank sheets of Talisman Paper from his Storage Bag and handed them over.

"You can count them."

"There’s no need. How could a man of your cultivation level use counterfeit currency?" The man in Confucian robes accepted the talismanic coins, his gaze falling on the Dharma Robe visible beneath Lü Zhong’s gray outer robe. His smile grew wider. "Do you need a guide, fellow Daoist? Silver Treasure Village may not be large, but it’s a world of its own inside. There are quite a few places that cater specifically to cultivators..."

The implication in his tone was obvious.

"No, thank you. I’m just looking for a place to rest," Lü Zhong said, shaking his head.

With that, he walked toward the gate.

He passed through the archway and onto the street.

The street wasn’t as wide as those on Yanling Mountain, but it was quite clean. The gutters on either side were clearly well-maintained; not a speck of moss could be seen, and no unpleasant odors emanated from them.

As evening fell, the street was bustling with pedestrians.

The vast majority were mortals. Judging by their faces, they showed few signs of hunger and were likely able to eat their fill.

When the mortals here saw Lü Zhong approach, they would bow in deference to a cultivator and step to the side of the road to let him pass. Their behavior was slightly different from the mortals of the Yanling Mountain area, but it reminded him of those in Qingliu Square.

Occasionally, a few cultivators would stumble out of a roadside tavern, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.

They were stinking drunk, spouting nonsense, and all were only at the first or second layer of Qi Refining.

Lü Zhong continued on until he came to an inn.

As he approached, he heard the sound of someone being loudly scolded inside.

A heavily made-up woman stood in the main hall, loudly berating a line of young serving girls.

"Every single one of you is useless! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? If you don’t conceive an Immortal Embryo, you’ll be stuck in this village for the rest of your lives, surrounded by common folk! The best you can hope for is to become a farmer’s wife, toiling in the fields! Is that what you want? Or would you rather have the easy life of the elite in Yongling City?"

"There are seven days left this month. If no one is with child by then, I’ll marry every last one of you off!"

Lü Zhong, listening from outside the door, felt nothing in particular upon hearing this.

After all, most of the mortal women who became "serving girls" at an inn like this did so voluntarily.

Their decent looks suggested they didn’t come from poor families. They were clearly served fine food and drink every day; otherwise, they wouldn’t have developed such fair, delicate skin.

Their goal, of course, was the so-called "Immortal Embryo."

It was a long-established conclusion in the Cultivation Realm that the union of two mortals had the lowest probability of producing offspring with a Spirit Root. The union of two cultivators had the highest probability, while a union between a cultivator and a mortal fell somewhere in the middle. This was the origin of mortals seeking to conceive an Immortal Embryo with a cultivator.

’A means of survival, or a vulgar custom?’

Lü Zhong didn’t intend to pass judgment on it. He simply stepped into the inn.

Seeing an Immortal Master enter, the heavily made-up woman, who had been like a fierce tiger moments before, instantly adopted a new persona. She became a delicate, aging beauty and cooed in a soft voice:

"This way, Immortal Master. We still have our best rooms available. You may rest easy tonight."

The woman led him to one of the best rooms.

The room’s decor could be described as elegant; the hanging scrolls of calligraphy and painting were all from the hands of masters.

The bedding smelled of sunshine, and a faint fragrance of orchids hung in the air. It had clearly been carefully sun-dried and perfumed.

A small door to the side revealed a bathing chamber where a wooden tub stood, already filled with steaming hot water.

"Not bad," Lü Zhong said, nodding in satisfaction. ’I can even take a proper bath.’

’Although a cultivator can relieve fatigue through meditation alone,’ he thought, ’it’s nowhere near as comfortable as taking a bath and sleeping.’

He turned to the woman. "How many talismanic coins for a night?"

"It’s five talismanic coins a night for one of the best rooms, Immortal Master." The woman’s voice was laced with unconcealable disappointment. After all, if a cultivator offered to pay, it meant he didn’t require any... company.

And without company, where would the "Immortal Embryo" come from?

No wonder she was so disappointed.

Lü Zhong handed her the talismanic coins. "You may go," he said with a wave of his hand.

He shook his head as he listened to her footsteps fade away.

"Sigh... one pair of vermilion lips, tasted by ten thousand men..."

If he had paid for such services, Lü Zhong certainly wouldn’t let the money go to waste. But as it was... ’Better not,’ he thought.

’Only once you’ve experienced a Female Cultivator can you truly know what mortal women lack.’