“According to our previous agreement, I should give you roughly this many Spirit Stones, right?”
After scribbling on a piece of paper for a while, Linglong pointed at the numbers and asked Hua Jian.
Since Hua Jian wanted to settle the accounts, they would do just that.
Regardless, Linglong didn’t lack such a small amount of pocket change.
Having just finished her bath, Hua Jian wore only a loose Long Robe.
She hadn’t activated her usual Spiritual Garment, leaving her in her most defenseless state.
Cradling the slightly cool kitten in her arms, Hua Jian leaned toward Linglong to glance at the numbers on the paper.
“That should be right… Strange, why does it feel like so little?”
She didn’t suspect Linglong of embezzling her wages.
Linglong had clearly written out the entire calculation process on the paper and had even added some bonuses based on the events they had encountered.
If it had been a few months ago, back when Hua Jian was struggling to get by on her own, this sum of money would have been enough for her to abandon her dignity, kneel at Linglong’s feet, and shout, “Rich lady, please support me!”
Now, although she still felt a flicker of joy, the intensity of that happiness wasn’t nearly as great.
‘Could it be that my consumption has upgraded and I’ve started looking down on these things?’
Linglong helplessly tapped the top of Hua Jian’s head with her pen. “I already told you, for you, Spirit Stones will become increasingly worthless.”
Setting aside other minor income, just the few Storage Pouches the White Flower Venerable had casually given Hua Jian could be resold for many times the commission she was receiving now.
Hua Jian was undoubtedly a little rich lady now; she simply hadn’t realized it herself.
Putting the paper aside, Linglong took out several high-quality Spirit Stones from her Storage Pouch and handed them to Hua Jian.
She didn’t bother calculating the small change and simply rounded up.
Hua Jian took the Spirit Stones and tucked them into her own Storage Pouch, feeling a sense of emptiness after a job well done.
Even though she had earned Spirit Stones, she didn’t feel as happy as she used to. It was quite strange.
“Is this the so-called Sage Mode?”
“What Sage Mode?” Linglong was already used to Hua Jian’s habit of spouting incomprehensible slang.
It was likely slang from Hua Jian’s hometown.
After all, since Hua Jian had grown up in places where all sorts of people mingled, it wasn’t surprising she had learned strange things.
“Uh, it’s just when you finish a goal or complete a task, then you look back and realize the reward isn’t that impressive, so you feel empty inside,” Hua Jian explained in a relatively simple and innocent way.
She certainly couldn’t say it was the state of mind after venting one’s desires through that kind of activity.
‘Speaking of which, do Dragon Girls have those kinds of physiological needs?’
Hua Jian’s thoughts drifted slightly before she immediately cut them off.
‘No, if I keep thinking in this direction, my head will be completely occupied by strange things.’
Watching Hua Jian’s expression change several times in front of her, Linglong tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand what was wrong.
“If you feel empty, find something new to do. There is still a long time before the Ascension Gathering begins. What do you plan to do?”
“I’ll probably just stay here and train hard to prepare for the assessment. I just did a count, and the Spirit Stones I have are enough for me to stay here for a few months.”
Prices in Ascension City were indeed much higher than in other places, but Hua Jian wasn’t that poor anymore.
If all else failed, she could just find someone to mooch off of.
She didn’t believe Linglong would watch her go to the Outer City to beg for survival.
“A few months should be enough for me to cultivate something…”
Hua Jian knew her current cultivation was around the middle of the Spirit Master Realm.
If she practiced hard for a few months, she should be able to push her cultivation to the late stage.
In terms of raw cultivation level, Hua Jian’s advantage among geniuses of the same age wasn’t very obvious; she actually seemed somewhat average.
Where she truly excelled was in her ability to use that cultivation to exert combat power far exceeding that of ordinary talents.
Previously, she had relied on her wits and sneak attacks to defeat those geniuses, but now, she had completely evolved.
The current Hua Jian did not fear Cultivators of the same level in a head-on fight.
Once she entered a domain she was skilled in, even a Ling King would struggle to gain an advantage over her.
And that was just her personal combat power.
One mustn’t forget that Hua Jian was currently a Pokémon Master who could casually summon a Dream Butterfly at the peak of the Ling King Realm to bully some kids.
Honestly, this fighting style really did seem to share a fate with the Wanling Sect, didn’t it?
“There’s a method that might be meaningless to you. There are many Arenas in the Outer City, as well as Battle Secret Realms operated by the Linglong Pavilion. If you achieve striking results there, you will also gain the attention of the Saint Sect,” Linglong explained why other Cultivators arrived at Ascension City so early.
First, they didn’t want any accidents on the road to make them miss the Ascension Gathering.
Second, the selection process actually started before the official gathering began.
If one could make a name for themselves in the Outer City, the probability of being chosen by a Saint Sect would definitely be higher.
For example, if you held a sword and became undefeated in the Outer City Arenas, the Sword Sect would definitely come knocking on your door to recruit you.
That was the Sword Sect’s preference. Each Saint Sect had its own style.
As long as you could match that style and make your presence known in front of the corresponding Saint Sect Disciples, you could effectively increase your chances.
“If you want to practice your combat skills, you can try going there. Cultivators who can achieve multiple consecutive victories in those places are the real deal.”
“There are also Cultivation Chambers. Cultivating in one is faster than anywhere else, but the prices for them in the city are quite high. Even you wouldn’t be able to afford much time.”
As Linglong continued, Hua Jian’s expression grew worse.
Wow, she had only thought about basic necessities like food and housing.
She hadn’t factored in the cost of a Cultivation Chamber at all.
Once she calculated that, she realized she was a pauper again.
Hua Jian was poor. She had never considered cultivating in a proper chamber before, and it was only through Linglong’s reminder that she learned about them.
“Hiss… Now that you mention it, I feel like I need to get a job,” Hua Jian muttered, rubbing her chin.
She didn’t know how to do many things, and she couldn’t leave Ascension City.
Thinking about it, there were only a few types of work she could do.
Among them, she was most interested in things related to Spiritual Flowers and Lingcao.
Therefore, “How about I go work at the Wanling Sect’s flower shop!”
Smack!
As soon as she finished speaking, Linglong tapped her on the head.
Saying she wanted to work at the Wanling Sect’s flower shop right in front of the Saintess of Jade Pool?
It would have been a miracle if Hua Jian hadn’t been hit.
Just imagine what kind of surprised, joyous smiles the people of Lingcaifeng would have if they knew why Hua Jian had come to work.
Linglong was certain that Lingcaifeng would tell her, ‘Sister Hua Jian, don’t worry about working. Just go straight to our Cultivation Chamber in the Inner City. Use it as long as you want! If anyone dares to charge you Spirit Stones, your Senior Sister will beat them to death!’
Geniuses had to be fought for, especially a genius like Hua Jian. People would break their heads competing for her.
Linglong hadn’t mentioned the Cultivation Chambers to tell Hua Jian she needed a job; she wanted to use the opportunity to make Hua Jian understand how many benefits she could get by staying with the Jade Pool.
Stay here, and the Cultivation Chambers would be open to her twenty-four hours a day.
She could use them however she liked for free, with no strings attached!
“You don’t need to go out and work for money. You can use our Cultivation Chambers here at the Jade Pool however you like,” Linglong said, pressing her hands on Hua Jian’s shoulders with absolute seriousness.
“Ah? That wouldn’t be right, would it?”
Hua Jian asked cautiously, fearing Linglong was digging a pit for her.
“I won’t suddenly become one of your people just because I used your chambers, right?”
“We at the Jade Pool aren’t so desperate that we’d resort to forced sales. Besides, if we don’t do this, the Wanling Sect will kidnap you the moment you go outside. The conditions they offer certainly wouldn’t be bad; free use of a Cultivation Chamber is just the baseline.”
Linglong didn’t hide anything from Hua Jian, bluntly stating the reason why the Jade Pool was willing to do this.
If they didn’t do it, there were plenty of others willing to treat Hua Jian well.
If even the Wanling Sect didn’t do it, believe it or not, Penglai would shamelessly come forward and try to drag Hua Jian back to stay with them for a few months.
“Haha, so I’m already that impressive,” Hua Jian scratched her head, still finding it a bit difficult to adjust to her change in status.
A few months ago, she was just a girl no one cared about. Now, she could enjoy this kind of treatment from a Saint Sect.
If she told anyone, they’d surely think she was daydreaming!
“Yes, you are now a genius who is somewhat famous within the Saint Sects, especially among the Cultivators who participated in that Secret Realm. They have a very deep impression of you!”
This wasn’t Hua Jian’s first time showing her face.
Her debut had been completed months ago, and she had gained recognition from the top to the bottom of the Saint Sects.
However, the younger geniuses who had just entered the Sects didn’t have such a great attitude toward Hua Jian.
Most of them wanted to find her for revenge.
After all, being farmed like a monster by Hua Jian several times in the Secret Realm was truly embarrassing to talk about.
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to get familiar with the Cultivation Chambers and have my Senior Sister make you an unlimited access Token,” Linglong said with glowing eyes.
As she spoke, her tail wrapped around Hua Jian’s waist. “It’s getting late. Let’s get some rest.”
Hua Jian shivered slightly, her eyes scanning Linglong’s room.
There only seemed to be one large bed here. Did someone have to sleep on the floor?
“There’s only one bed…” she reminded her in a small voice.
Linglong tilted her head. Was only having one bed a problem?
It wasn’t a small bed meant for only one person. Given the size of the bed in this room, it could easily fit three of them.
“My point is, it might not be appropriate for the two of us to sleep in one bed, right?”
Hua Jian tried to make Linglong understand that this wasn’t suitable for them, but Linglong blocked her explanation with a single sentence.
“You have a guilty conscience.” Linglong looked into Hua Jian’s eyes and said softly, “I remember my Senior Sisters telling me that the guiltier a person is, the more likely they are to have secrets in their heart.”
Hua Jian swallowed hard, still trying to defend herself. “No, I’m just not used to sleeping with others…”
“Have you tried before?”
“No! How could I! Don’t slander my innocence!” Hua Jian quickly retorted.
How could she have slept with anyone else? She, Hua Jian, was very protective of her virtue!
“Then how do you know you aren’t used to it? How will you know without trying? Are you worried I’ll do something to you while you’re asleep?”
Looking into the Dragon Girl’s golden eyes, Hua Jian found herself unable to nod.
No matter how much she resisted, she couldn’t say that Linglong had any bad intentions toward her.
After all, Linglong had had countless opportunities to make a move on her, yet she hadn’t. Why would she start now?
The person with secrets in their heart wasn’t anyone else—it was Hua Jian herself!
She liked girls and wanted to do those strange things with them, so when she looked at other girls, she suspected they were the same.
But was that really the case?
No. For example, with Shiqi, Hua Jian didn’t feel like Shiqi had those kinds of thoughts at all.
Being with Shiqi felt like being with a brother.
It was just that this brother happened to be a girl.
Linglong was different. When Hua Jian was with her, she didn’t feel like Linglong was a “brother.”
Linglong’s attitude toward her was better and more delicate than Shiqi’s.
Even though she knew Linglong just wanted to be her sect sister, Hua Jian couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.
She imagined Linglong doing various wonderful things to her, and then she became wary based on those imaginary scenarios.
This was definitely a form of self-torture.
This was a bit unfair to the Little Dragon Girl. Hua Jian reflected on herself, deciding she couldn’t go on like this.
Thinking that such a beautiful Dragon Girl might be in love with her was far too narcissistic. She couldn’t be someone with an overactive ego.
‘Fine, changing myself starts tonight!’
Hua Jian took a deep breath, wearing an expression of grim determination.
“Alright, I’ll sleep here tonight!”
Seeing that resolute look on Hua Jian’s face, Linglong was momentarily at a loss for words.
Was sleeping together to deepen their bond such a terrifying thing for Hua Jian?
It was truly baffling.
However, since Hua Jian had accepted the invitation, Linglong didn’t intend to probe further.
She released the tail wrapped around Hua Jian’s slim waist and took two steps back, indicating she was going to change into her pajamas.