Ever since that day spent fishing on a pleasure boat, Yu Xian had frequently taken beauties out for excursions, occasionally even indulging in a threesome.
It was then that Yu Xian truly understood why couples in his past life would forgo the comfort of their homes during holidays, instead choosing to pay for hotel rooms just to "toss and turn." It was all about the atmosphere. In the same environment, looking at the same face, one gets bored easily. If you cannot change the person, changing the scenery can often lead to marvelous discoveries.
At any rate, Yu Xian felt his motivation for cultivation soar, and his progress was advancing steadily. However, he soon encountered a severe problem: he was running out of money.
As everyone knows, having fun is an expensive activity, especially when women are involved and special programs are added to the mix. The two hundred taels of silver the Prince’s Estate provided monthly were more than enough for a bachelor, but for a man with women in his life, it was never enough.
Yet, Yu Xian didn’t complain about the low allowance. The Estate provided housing and wives, covered all his meals, and didn’t require him to do any labor; he took the two hundred taels for free and received large bonuses whenever he was actually asked to act. Since the Chen Xiao incident, the Estate had approached him twice more, both times for tasks involving murder and wiping out families. The pay was generous, and there were additional spoils of war. But Yu Xian found it troublesome and worried that he might run into some hidden old master and expose his identity as an Immortal Cultivator, so he turned them all down. He had decided that unless it was an absolute last resort, he would just keep freeloading to the end.
The Estate didn’t force him. After all, the weight of a Heaven-ranked Consort was there, and the Estate could certainly afford two hundred taels a month to keep a Martial Grandmaster on staff. It was just that he shouldn’t expect any extra perks. The Estate wasn't stupid; they would provide riches and honor, but you had to be willing to sell your life for them.
But if he didn't want to work and only wanted to freeload, where would the money come from? Yu Xian was very annoyed.
***
Prince Fu’s Estate, Earth-ranked Courtyard No. 3.
Unlike the Heaven-ranked pavilions, which had their own private entrances and courtyards, the Earth-ranked Consorts lived in quadrangle dwellings, with one room allocated to each person. Most Consorts had their own businesses and homes, merely keeping their names on the Estate’s rolls to contribute when needed. However, some lived in the Estate full-time.
For instance, Doctor Huang, who was well-versed in medicine. He became a Consort for a simple reason: the Estate had enough medical texts for his research and a variety of patients with strange ailments for him to choose from. Most importantly, even if he couldn't cure them, no one dared to cause him trouble because he was under the Prince's protection.
But right now, someone was indeed causing him trouble.
"The money is all gone?!"
Yu Xian’s gaze turned cold as he stared at Doctor Huang, who was wiping sweat from his forehead.
"That was blood and sweat money I earned by hacking through thorns and fighting an enemy for three hundred rounds! And you’re telling me it’s all gone? Is it because I’m usually too easygoing that people think I’m soft and can be pushed around?"
It never rains but it pours. Just as he was worrying about where to get money to take the girls out, Doctor Huang told him the ingredients for his "All-Ten-Great-Supplement Wine" were cut off. A thousand-tael banknote had vanished in less than two months. That wasn't just medicine; it was the fueling station for his kidneys!
Flesh and blood could take it, but his dignity could not! If Doctor Huang didn't give him a satisfactory explanation today, he might just have to be high-profile for once and perform a "rob the rich to help the poor." He’d heard that doctors were usually quite wealthy.
"This old man would never dare to deceive Consort Yu!"
Doctor Huang, whose given name was Huang Yu, was over fifty, thin, and sported a short goatee. He waved his hands repeatedly and hurriedly fished a list from behind his bookshelf, placing it before Yu Xian with a look of grievance.
"Every bit of medicine Consort Yu used is itemized here. I didn't even charge a cent for labor. It’s just that… *cough, cough*… the dosage you require is truly enormous. Furthermore, all the ingredients are precious treasures. A thousand taels of silver is a lot, but it isn't enough for such constant consumption."
Yu Xian took the list and scanned it. When he saw the precious herbs costing over a dozen taels for a fraction of an ounce, along with the century-old wild ginseng roots, his expression gradually calmed. The items and prices on the list were clear; he could verify them just by checking outside pharmacies. Doctor Huang wouldn't make such a low-level error. Of course, the main point was that the medicinal wine Huang brewed was truly effective. Otherwise, even if the list were filled with century-old spirit herbs, he would have made him cough it back up ten or a hundred times over.
"I’ve wronged you, then."
Thinking of his financial troubles, Yu Xian unconsciously touched the spirit stone in his purse. The value of spirit stones in the Mortal Realm went without saying. For martial artists stuck at the Houtian peak, a single spirit stone could help them guide Qi into their bodies and advance to Xiantian; they would trade a thousand gold for it without hesitation.
However, while a spirit stone could be traded for silver, silver could not buy back a spirit stone. Ever since Yu Xian got these two stones from Chen Xiao, he hadn't been willing to use them. For one, his cultivation didn't strictly require them, and for another, they served as a trump card. In the event of an emergency where he exhausted his Mana and couldn't afford medicinal pills, he could use the stones to recover quickly.
But the All-Ten-Great-Supplement Wine was equally important; it concerned his cultivation and his doubled happiness, so it couldn't be cut off. It was easy to go from frugal to luxurious, but difficult to go from luxurious to frugal. Now that his consumption had gone up, it was truly hard to suffer again.
*Should I take out one spirit stone to tide me over?* Yu Xian was deeply conflicted.
Doctor Huang seemed to notice Yu Xian’s predicament and suddenly asked, "Is Consort Yu short on silver?"
Yu Xian glanced at Doctor Huang with a blank expression. *Damn it, the old guy dares to mock me! Can't you see I’m short on silver?*
Under Yu Xian’s gaze, Doctor Huang felt a chill down his spine. He offered a sheepish smile and hurriedly explained.
"Consort Yu, please don’t misunderstand. I just suddenly recalled that a few herb merchants approached me a while ago, saying they wanted to meet you and make friends. I was worried about disturbing you, so I refused. As far as I know, they are always very generous with their friends."
Yu Xian’s eyes lit up instantly, though he feigned a tone of reprimand.
"Old Huang, this is where you are wrong. I have always been easygoing and love making friends most of all. By the way, how exactly do they ‘make friends’? Please, tell me in detail."
Hearing Yu Xian address him as "Old Huang" so politely, Doctor Huang almost pulled out his own goatee. The change in expression was far too natural. Previously, Doctor Huang had worried that Yu Xian was a high-minded individual. After all, Yu Xian had acted quite proper for the past few months, only amusing himself with a few women inside the Estate. He never set foot in brothels, gambling dens, flower boats, or taverns—leaving others no chance for an "accidental" encounter.
Because his medical research required ingredients and various test subjects, Doctor Huang had dealt with many factions outside the Estate. There were a few large herb merchants he couldn't easily turn away, so he had promised to act as a bridge. He hadn't rushed to bother Yu Xian, instead waiting for today's opportunity.
Hearing this, Doctor Huang pondered for a moment and spoke with some subtlety: "Making friends means eating, chatting, and, incidentally, presenting you with small gifts, Consort Yu."
Yu Xian was very dissatisfied upon hearing this, his expression showing it clearly.
"Small gifts? Do you think my status is so small?"
*Vulgar! Truly vulgar!* Doctor Huang cursed inwardly while forcing a bitter smile, deciding to speak plainly.
"Not small, not small at all. For a first meeting, if they don't bring a ‘greeting gift’ of at least a thousand taels or so, I wouldn’t forgive them myself."
Hearing that there were over a thousand taels to be had, Yu Xian felt better. He nodded with reserve and said, "It seems they are sincere about making friends with me. I’ll give Old Huang some face and go meet them."
Of course, the gifts were just for the meeting. If they asked him to do something after giving the gifts, that would be a different price entirely.