The next morning.
After getting ready at the inn, Ling Changqing returned to the Celestial Fate Pavilion to continue shearing his sheep.
As her biggest client had returned, Wang Po was naturally overjoyed to welcome him. Under her arrangement, a procession of beautiful Female Cultivators of all types was sent to him one by one.
However, their demands were all more or less the same. The betrothal gift couldn't be a single coin short, and resources like a Spirit Vein Cave Mansion, a Flying Boat Magical Artifact, and Elixirs also had to be provided.
In short, in their eyes, Ling Changqing was no different from a statue of the Buddha in a temple—someone they could make endless wishes to.
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, my Spirit Root Talent is poor. You'll need to provide suitable Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to help me with Yijing Marrow Cleansing. It would be best if I could achieve an Earth Grade Spirit Root. The effects of our Dual Cultivation will be better in the future, so it's not a loss for you either."
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, besides the betrothal gift and the Spirit Vein Cave Mansion, I also want to take a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator as my master. As long as you can make my wish come true, our business is settled! Don't you think it would be very prestigious to have a Direct Disciple of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator as your wife?"
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, I have two close male friends. We often travel together seeking fortuitous encounters. Our friendship will continue even after we're together. I hope you don't mind."
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, neither of our Spirit Root Talents is very good. I'm afraid our future children will be at a disadvantage from the start. How about... we go find a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator and 'borrow' a child? You just need to prepare the Spirit Stones and resources!"
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, my Spirit Root Talent isn't great, so reaching Foundation Establishment in the future might be difficult. Why don't you prepare three Foundation Establishment Pills for me first?"
...
Even though he hadn't held any expectations to begin with, Ling Changqing felt like he'd been struck by lightning, leaving him scorched on the outside and tender on the inside.
'Wouldn't even the Buddha have a breakdown if he heard these demands, each more bizarre and outrageous than the last?'
The result was obvious. They all left disappointed, frustrated, and fuming.
In truth, if Ling Changqing's qualifications had actually been poor, they wouldn't have been so furious, because there would have been no hope for an ideal outcome in the first place.
But Ling Changqing's qualifications were outstanding, basically matching their expectations for an ideal Dao Companion. Naturally, they were all thinking of seizing the opportunity immediately.
However, Ling Changqing's clear rejection was a huge blow to the consistently high self-esteem of these Female Cultivators. After their defenses were broken, the resentment and bitterness in their hearts grew exceptionally strong.
Of course, this was exactly the result Ling Changqing had hoped for. The Era Star Palace could harvest even more Power of the Divine Soul Origin.
When noon arrived, Ling Changqing said a word to Wang Po, left the Celestial Fate Pavilion, and headed alone to the Xianwei Pavillion, two blocks away.
Since it was a place that served wealthy Cultivators, the environment was naturally top-notch. It had a magnificent, glittering facade, a five-story building with upturned eaves and ornate brackets, and a crowd of maids in colorful attire standing on the seven White Jade Steps.
Ling Changqing went over and gave his name. A beautiful maid in colorful attire immediately came to lead him inside, heading toward the VIP area on the 5th Floor.
The Female Cultivator with the surname Ma was already waiting in a private room. And she hadn't come alone; she'd brought a "posse of besties and relatives" of more than twenty people, most of them Female Cultivators. For this, she had specifically chosen the largest private room.
The environment here was indeed excellent. There was an exquisite carpet, and the corridor pillars, tables, and chairs were all made from thousand-year-old green-veined nanmu wood, which gave off a delicate fragrance. There was a screen of beautifully carved jade, and the ceiling was inlaid with Luminous Pearls the size of fists.
Ling Changqing walked over and greeted them with a calm expression. He was immediately surrounded by the group and showered with compliments, then invited to sit in the seat of honor.
These men and women all appeared to be Loose Cultivators. Their Cultivation was mostly between the Qi Cultivation 2nd and 5th Layers, their talent was ordinary, and they didn't seem to be doing very well for themselves.
But they certainly talked a big game. One claimed to know a high-ranking Elder of the Ling Family, another dared to say they were related to a Powerful Elder, and one even boasted about being best friends with the Patriarch of the Ling Family's trusted steward.
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, these are all my closest friends. They specially wanted to see you today, so they all came along."
The Ma-surnamed Female Cultivator was beaming. Having finally met a young, rich, and ideal Male Cultivator, she naturally wanted to show him off to everyone around her.
Ling Changqing engaged in idle small talk with her, while only giving perfunctory replies to the attempts at conversation from the surrounding Loose Cultivators.
"Since everyone is here, shall we order? I'm getting a little hungry!"
A round-faced Female Cultivator said this with a charming smile, her every word and gesture reeking of affectation.
The Ma-surnamed Female Cultivator smiled and nodded. With a call, a Maid standing nearby immediately presented the menu. The menu was made of superb materials, appearing to be a Jade Book threaded together with Ice Silkworm Silk Thread.
Just as Ling Changqing expected, she ordered all the most expensive delicacies, enough to fill the large table, and finished by ordering several pots of Top Grade Spirit Wine.
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, what do you think of these arrangements?"
Only at the very end did she ask this, as a mere formality.
"It's fine. All that matters is that you're happy!"
Ling Changqing chuckled. 'You're not the one paying the bill later, so of course you'd spare no expense.'
"Mm, my little brother couldn't make it today because he had something on. How about we order a few more good dishes and two pots of Spirit Wine to-go for him?"
The Ma-surnamed Female Cultivator mused to herself, 'An opportunity like this is rare, so of course I have to spend to my heart's content.'
Before long, a variety of dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, were brought up by the Maids in a continuous stream. There was also Spirit Wine sealed in jars; a Cultivator from the Xianwei Pavillion personally undid the Restriction and Seal on site, after which the Maids carefully poured the wine for them.
Ling Changqing impassively watched them feast and drink ravenously. After several rounds of drinks and courses, he excused himself, claiming he needed to use the privy, and temporarily left the room.