The manager, surnamed Wang, hurriedly followed the clerk toward the reception room, clutching his large belly.
When he reached the door, he patted his stomach, caught his breath, and then pushed the door open.
“My surname is Wang,” Wang Jingli said cheerfully, shaking hands with Lang Junxian.
“Young man, may I ask your surname?”
“Just Lang,” Lang Junxian replied, extending his hand to shake, and pushed the box toward him.
“You’re a straightforward one,” Wang Jingli chuckled, patting his belly and reaching for the box.
Unlike the excited clerk, Wang Jingli just glanced at the quality, then closed the box.
“What price do you have in mind?”
Lang Junxian held up one finger.
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Wang Jingli burst out laughing.
“Five million? Young man, you don’t seem like an outsider, but if you open with a lion’s mouth, we can’t do business.”
“It’s not just this one,” Lang Junxian shook his head, remaining calm throughout.
“If the price is right, we can continue working together in the future.”
Wang Jingli’s smile froze for a second.
He confirmed, “You have more of this quality?”
Lang Junxian nodded.
“There’s more.”
Wang Jingli was calculating in his mind, took a sip of tea, and sat down, looking ready for a long talk.
“How many can you offer this time?”
“Two. One Five Hundred Year Ginseng, one Three Hundred Year Lingzhi.”
Lang Junxian took out the box with the lingzhi as well and pushed it toward Wang Jingli.
Wang Jingli opened it, leaned in to take a sniff.
The specimen was flawless, the medicinal fragrance rich—it was a rare treasure.
“Eight million. I’ll take them both.”
Lang Junxian rested his chin on his hand, silent for a moment, watching the anxiety flickering in the fat man’s eyes.
He nodded slowly.
Wang Jingli smiled in relief.
“Mr. Lang, you’re a straightforward man.”
“Money for goods, at the same time,” Lang Junxian smiled ambiguously, starting to press for payment.
Wang Jingli’s smile grew even wider.
He picked up his checkbook, signed, and handed the check to Lang Junxian.
“Looking forward to our next cooperation.”
After putting away the check, Lang Junxian suddenly remembered the Biqi Dan Bai Maomao had given him.
He hesitated for a moment, then took it out.
“Take a look at this—are you interested?”
Wang Jingli reached for it, assuming it was more herbs.
But when he opened the box, he found a round, plump pill.
“What’s this?”
“Biqi Dan,” Lang Junxian replied calmly.
“Replenishes qi and blood, extends life and health.”
Wang Jingli looked the young man up and down, thinking to himself, could this one also be a cultivator?
“Are you, by any chance…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but his gaze lingered on the pill, glancing meaningfully at Lang Junxian.
Lang Junxian didn’t answer, only asked, “Do you want it or not?”
Wang Jingli didn’t take offense, just smiled.
“Please wait a moment, I need to have someone check it.”
The clerk beside him took the pill and left, but soon returned and whispered a few words in Wang Jingli’s ear.
Lang Junxian remained still, but in reality, he heard every word the clerk said.
He hadn’t expected the Biqi Dan, which Bai Maomao had made for practice, to be so popular.
“Three million,” Wang Jingli said with a smile, looking at Lang Junxian as if he were a fat piece of meat falling from the sky.
Lang Junxian shook his head, half-smiling.
“At least five million.”
Wang Jingli stiffened, realizing this man might really be a cultivator, and that nothing he’d said earlier could be hidden from him.
So he simply went along, “Alright, five million it is. If Mr. Lang has more good things in the future, please consider Tongrentang first. We’ll never shortchange you on price.”
Lang Junxian nodded with reserved grace.
“Of course.”
Thinking again that the three of them were still undocumented, and seeing that Tongrentang seemed quite solid, it seemed a good idea to cooperate with them long-term.
So Lang Junxian mentioned their undocumented status, and Wang Jingli cheerfully agreed, promising to deliver proper identification to their Hotel in three days.
Only then did Lang Junxian give a genuine smile, thanked him, and went home happily with the check.
Three days later, Wang Jingli really did deliver identification for all three of them to the Hotel as promised.
Wang Jingli was thorough in his work.
Guessing they were new to town, he even sent a Tour Guide along.
With money in hand and proper identification, the family finally breathed a sigh of relief and, led by the Tour Guide, explored all the good food and fun in Guangshi Shi.
Bai Maomao had been cooped up for days and was desperate to get out.
He couldn’t stand staying in the mountains, and when he wasn’t cultivating, he’d run wild everywhere.
But in Guangshi Shi, he’d been stuck in the Hotel all day, forced to study—it was pure torture!
Now that he could finally go outside, Bai Maomao’s eyes nearly lit up.
The little face that was always so tense relaxed a lot.
All along the way, eating and drinking, his face still stern, but his whole body seemed to bubble with pink happiness.
After eating and playing, the next thing was shopping.
Right now, Bai Maomao and the others were still wearing the clothes they’d bought in the village—only one set each.
When they got dirty, they’d just use Qingjie Shu to clean them.
No one cared in the mountains, but now that they were in the city, they had to fit in.
So the three of them hit the nearby mall.
After buying clothes, phones, and all the daily necessities, they carried their big bags and headed home.
Back at the Hotel, Bai Maomao immediately hugged his new Banana 8 and started playing Lianliankan.
A few days ago, he’d been obsessed with playing Lianliankan on the computer.
When he found out you could play it on a phone too, he even asked the store clerk to download it for him.
He’d already played all the way home in the car, and as soon as he got back, he couldn’t wait to play more.
Su Yao snatched his phone away with a dark face.
“You’ve been playing the whole ride. Time to cultivate.”
“A Mu~”
Bai Maomao blinked, calling out softly.
“No acting cute,” Su Yao’s anger rose just thinking about it.
Ever since Bai Maomao learned to use a computer, he hadn’t cultivated properly.
“How long has it been since you cultivated?”
“I did cultivate…the day before yesterday…”
Bai Maomao muttered, lacking confidence.
“…”
Su Yao was speechless.
The spiritual energy in Guangshi Shi was thin, completely unsuitable for cultivation.
Originally, once they had enough money, they should have headed north, but seeing the kids so happy these days, she hadn’t had the heart to bring it up.
She just wanted them to have a couple of good days first.
She hadn’t expected Bai Maomao to get more and more addicted to playing, and now the issue was finally out in the open.
“The spiritual energy in Guangshi Shi is too thin. We can’t stay too long.”
“Yeah,” Bai Maomao lay on his pillow, a little downcast.
“I know.”
That’s why he had to play as much as possible before they left.
“A Mu, don’t worry. We know what’s important. We won’t neglect our cultivation,” Lang Junxian sat beside Bai Maomao, patting his head.
“As long as you know,” Su Yao sighed helplessly.
They were cultivators, seeking longevity, and couldn’t get lost in indulgence.
The path of cultivation was destined to be hard.
Su Yao went back to her room to rest. Bai Maomao still lay on the bed, sulking.
Lang Junxian flopped down beside him, their heads touching.
“Xiao Hei, why do we cultivate?”
Bai Maomao’s voice was muffled.
“For longevity?”
Lang Junxian tilted his head, uncertain.
“Most people do it for that.”
“What about you? Why do you cultivate?”
“Me?”
Lang Junxian’s gaze dropped, his voice low.
“Probably to avenge my mother.”
He wanted to ask his father why he’d treated them that way.
“But I don’t know why I cultivate.”
Bai Maomao rubbed his face into the pillow, rolled over, and stared quietly at the chandelier above.
Since birth, he’d had to cultivate.
A Mu treated him well, but her standards for cultivation were always strict—no slacking off.
Over time, Bai Maomao got used to this life, but it was only today that he realized—why was he cultivating?
Xiao Hei was doing it for revenge, others for longevity, but he himself—he didn’t have anyone to take revenge on, and he didn’t particularly care about living forever…
Bai Maomao stared blankly at the ceiling, full of doubt.
“You’re cultivating for us, silly,” Lang Junxian covered his eyes, his warm hand making Bai Maomao feel comfortable.
“Cultivation is fighting fate, and in the end, you’re often left all alone.”
“A Mu wants to see you grow up, get married, have children, and live a long life. Of course she hopes you’ll live longer.”
Bai Maomao blinked, his long lashes brushing against Lang Junxian’s palm, making him feel ticklish.
He gently let go.
“I understand now.”
Bai Maomao smiled.
If he didn’t cultivate properly and left early, who would protect A Mu and Xiao Hei if they got bullied?
Besides, Xiao Hei still needed to avenge his mother—if he wasn’t there, Xiao Hei would be all alone.
So he had to cultivate well, to protect A Mu and Xiao Hei!
Bai Maomao gave himself a pep talk, all his confusion swept away.
Full of motivation, he clenched his fist, “Let’s leave tomorrow!”