Shi Yang leaned back in the carriage, muscles easing against the padded seat, though his thoughts remained restless. The idea that he might have truly faced an inner demon lingered in his mind. Yueqin kept their carriage steady on the road ahead, but inwardly he mused, This cultivation world really is interesting… If Han Jie is right, then my inner demon tried to trap me within my own spirit sea and end my life.
If he hadn't been quick-witted, if he hadn't adapted swiftly to the strange battlefield within his mind, things might have ended differently. Only his newly awakened Daos had carried him through. Yet even that nagged at him. Han Jie said one's first Dao would be stripped away, rendered unusable… But in that fight, I used my Water Dao again and again. Still…
It hadn't felt the same. It flowed more fluid, sharper—more attuned, especially when he alternated between flame and water in rapid succession. His chin dipped in thought, fingers brushing the stubble there. "...Was it synergy?" he murmured aloud.
Xiu Mei tilted her head from where she sat beside him. "Was what synergy, Uncle Shi?"
He gave her a small smile. "Nothing. Just speaking aloud." With that, he slipped a hand into his robes and drew out his storage mirror. The reflective surface rippled, revealing the slumbering forms of the twenty captured qilin and the assortment of trinkets he'd gathered. He sighed. "It's nothing important. Don't mind it. Just… keep working on that knot in my back."
Xiu Mei nodded softly and continued kneading his shoulders and spine, her slender fingers pressing against stubborn stiffness left by nearly a year of meditation.
Shi Yang, meanwhile, let his fingers brush the mirror's surface, summoning forth the white lotus statue.
"You're going to call that expert again?" Han Jie asked from across the carriage, her brush scratching faintly as she painted characters onto blank talisman paper. Her gaze flicked up briefly to Xiu Mei, who was perched behind Shi Yang, his hanfu shrugged from his shoulders and pooled loosely at his waist. From where she sat, Xiu Mei had a clear view of his corded chest and the golden scripture etched across his lower abdomen. Her eyes, however, lowered dangerously close to his "mighty dragon" before she quickly composed herself.
Shi Yang's voice broke the silence. "I thought it best to ask him where exactly to meet, since we're getting closer to Asura Dragon City. After that, we'll auction off slightly less than half of the qilin."
Han Jie's brows rose. "Slightly less than half?" Her brush stilled. "You don't intend to place all of them up for bidding?"
"No," Shi Yang shook his head. "That would be wasteful. At most, I'll auction seven—mostly males, including the Foundation Realm one. Enough to make a major profit."
"What? Why only males?" Han Jie frowned. "Females fetch far higher prices—for breeding attempts, for bloodline experiments with mortal creatures, or even—" her voice tightened with distaste, "because some Daoists bed them. As foul as it is, that alone inflates their worth. It would be more practical to auction some females, or at least mix them into the lots."
Shi Yang fell silent, eyes flicking toward the storage mirror again. They… what? He exhaled slowly. "If they're truly as valuable as you say, then I'll keep the females as planned—along with a few males."
Han Jie narrowed her gaze. "Brother Shi… don't tell me you're one of those people…"
"Of course not. I'd never stoop so low." His tone sharpened, but he quickly explained, "My thought was simply this: qilin are pack creatures, aren't they? With draconic lineage, if the rumors are to be trusted. If I could assume the role of their leader in my imitation dragon form, I might tame them all at once. Especially if no dominant male remained to challenge me."
Han Jie studied him a long moment, then returned to her talisman strokes. "Is that so… I almost thought you were one of those eccentrics who believe qilin can inherit heavenly shifting techniques after advancing to Golden Core."
Xiu Mei leaned forward, her thumbs pressing deeper into Shi Yang's shoulders as she whispered, "That rumor again… I've heard it too."
Shi Yang arched a brow. "Heavenly shifting techniques?"
Han Jie set her brush aside, listening as Xiu Mei spoke.
"They say that once a spirit beast fully understands its Dao and the essence of cultivation, its body adapts to the path most suited for its growth. Wings that stretch broader, claws that sharpen, scales or fur that shift according to its needs. Some cultivators through the years wondered—what if, through dual cultivation with humans, such beasts shifted into a form resembling us? After all, a human form would be the most efficient vessel for that form of cultivation."
Her voice lowered, almost conspiratorial. "But it has only ever been a theory. Reaching Core Formation alone is difficult. Cultivating a spirit beast to that level, let alone reshaping it into a humanoid form, is near impossible."
Her words trailed off, and she noticed Shi Yang's eyes narrowing in thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Brother Shi…" Han Jie warned softly, "don't tell me you're actually considering it."
Shi Yang chuckled, the gleam in his eyes betraying his wandering imagination. "We already have a Foundation Realm qilin. If I used my Blood Dao to gradually reshape its form over time, nudging it little by little toward humanoid traits… perhaps it could be done." His smirk widened.
And if it works, then why not try the same with the others? Who knows—maybe I'll end up with a harem of beast-girls.
"Though that's a thought for later," he murmured, plucking a petal from the white lotus. "Money won't be a problem. If we don't have enough, I'll see if we can book a building for a week. Expert Qian Mu said he'd be in the city in a fortnight, so roughly two weeks. That gives us time to open up Glory Clinic, build attention, and later auction off my surgeries through the Celestial Reliquary."
"Oh? You plan to sell your services through the Celestial Reliquary Auction House, fellow Daoist Yin Yang Shi?"
Qian Mu's voice rang out as his projection flickered into form above the lotus statue. His figure appeared astride a flying sword, robes billowing against the sky.
"Expert Qian Mu, that's all a little person like me can do if I wish to amass riches," Shi Yang replied with an easy smile. He cupped his fists respectfully. "I'll need funds for my new life as a Foundation Realm expert. That's why I called—to set a meeting place and let you know I'll establish shop in the city for a while. That way your friends at the White Pavilion won't have to wait any longer for their turn on my table."
"Wonderful news!" Qian Mu beamed, stroking his beard. "I'll send over a few attendants at the first opportunity. As for where we'll meet, there's a White Lotus Pavilion in the city center. You may stay there, and I'll come find you once my current matters are settled."
"Is that so? Then we'll make full use of the token you gave me," Shi Yang replied, noting the flicker of activity behind the cultivator's projection.
"Please do, fellow Daoist." Qian Mu's eyes sharpened suddenly, gaze snapping toward the ground. "But I must end this transmission short for now." With that, his figure shot away across the sky, and the projection dissolved into nothing.
The carriage fell quiet again, save for the sound of hooves and the creak of wheels. Shi Yang glanced at the girls. "Have you finished your True Elemental Pills?"
Han Jie shook her head. "Not yet. My bottle held thirty, but I've only taken ten. I don't want to rush—digesting too many at once is reckless. I'll hold off for now."
Xiu Mei gave a small smile, still kneading Shi Yang's shoulders. "I only have four. But the aura around them is so strong, I know it will take deep focus to refine them. I'd rather wait until we reach somewhere stable before sitting in meditation."
Shi Yang closed his eyes, enjoying the pressure of her hands as his muscles gradually loosened. After a moment, he put away the white lotus, then reached for his own pill bottle. With a flick, the stopper popped free, releasing a faint heat.
After uncorking it, he let the spicy fragrance rise and swirl through the carriage.
"Then I'll cultivate for a while myself," he said, tipping a pill into his palm. He placed it on his tongue, closed his eyes, and began drawing the potent essence down into his dantian, his body heating faintly as threads of flame qi spread through his meridians, and he sank into the rhythm of digestion while the carriage continued its steady journey.