Chapter 249

Chapter 249: Drinking

Once again arriving at the courtyard adorned with arrays, Brother Tiger beckoned the two to follow him into the inner compound. They passed through a corridor and entered the innermost room.

Only after ensuring complete security did Brother Tiger take out a storage bag and toss it to Zhou Luo. "Have a look. Five hundred spiritual stones. Non-negotiable price."

Zhou Luo caught the storage bag. His nostrils twitched slightly as he caught a lightly discernible scent of blood.

It seemed this must have been the storage bag of some unfortunate cultivator.

He opened it, confirming that inside were the four kinds of auxiliary herbs for Foundation Establishment he needed. Though their quality wasn’t high, it was better than having none.

Still, charging five hundred spiritual stones for just four auxiliary herbs was decidedly not cheap.

However, there was logic behind the high cost—if such items appeared on the open market, they’d likely be snatched up in less than a second. Having vast wealth wouldn’t help. Zhou Luo handed over four hundred spiritual stones.

"I quite admire your straightforward manner," Brother Tiger said, highly satisfied.

With the transaction concluded, Zhou Luo named several other materials he required. He prepaid one hundred spiritual stones, instructing the other to notify him immediately upon receiving any information. Brother Tiger instantly assured him it would be no problem.

"Brother Zhou, this time you owe me a considerable favor," Wang Lang said with a smile as they exited the courtyard.

Zhou Luo’s eyes flickered. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Spirit wine, of course. I’ve been coveting it for ages," Wang Lang stated. Then he swiftly shifted his tone, "But as an exchange of courtesies, I invite you to the brothel to listen to songs." After all, this deal had earned him a tidy sum of spiritual stones.

Hearing these words, Zhou Luo sensed the other had some other agenda.

If it were merely about exchanging courtesies, Wang Lang wouldn’t have prefaced it with "you owe me a considerable favor."

If it were meant to repay a favor, inviting him to the brothel felt deliberately arranged.

Zhou Luo refrained from prying further. He rather wanted to see what exactly this guy was after.

"Fine," Zhou Luo agreed smoothly. "We’ll head to the brothel for songs first. Back home, I’ll treat you to wine."

"Agreed," Wang Lang replied, seeming in good spirits.

…

The visit to the brothel was merely an interlude; the true purpose was the wine-drinking upon returning home.

Approximately an hour and a half later, the two returned to Feng Yuan Ju.

Zhou Luo brought out the spirit wine, placing one jar each in front of them.

"Mhm, fine wine," Wang Lang inhaled the potent, rich aroma, his face a picture of enjoyment.

"Drink," Zhou Luo opened the spirit wine, finding himself inevitably relaxed and content as well.

Having been in Immortal City for over two months, he finally had some tangible gains.

Though one main ingredient and fifteen auxiliary herbs remained unacquired, time was ample, so he wasn’t anxious.

"Drink. A toast to you." Wang Lang lifted his wine jar and extended it forward.

Zhou Luo and Wang Lang exchanged glances, both smiling simultaneously.

Zhou Luo’s smile was genuine, deeply sincere without a trace of falsehood.

For his mood was genuinely good, and he anticipated that the other would soon reveal his true purpose.

Wang Lang’s smile held a touch of relief. After two months of interaction, he had gauged the other’s temperament and knew Zhou Luo also harbored suspicions about him.

He decided to seize this moment to lay things bare. Even if he couldn’t obtain that item, so be it; he could simply consider it making a friend.

After three rounds of wine, Wang Lang finally spoke up, "Brother Zhou, actually, I have a favor to ask."

Zhou Luo looked at him with a smile, replying, "Brother Wang, speak freely. If it’s something I can help with, I certainly will."

He wasn’t afraid of someone asking for a favor; what he feared was someone asking for nothing.

Because the more unnecessary kindness others showed, the more it made him wary.

"To be honest, Brother Zhou, the reason I sensed you immediately that day is because I detected a certain item on you," Wang Lang said slowly.

He was a straightforward person by nature, but he had refrained from mentioning it earlier, unsure of the other’s character.

Only after coming to understand Zhou Luo did he finally decide to bring it up.

"Oh? What item?" Zhou Luo couldn’t help feeling a flicker of curiosity.

All his belongings were inside his storage ring; how could the other have sensed something?

"If I’m not mistaken, you should possess a bell-like magical artifact, Brother Zhou."

Wang Lang set down the wine jar, shedding his previous carefree demeanor, his expression turning serious.

Hearing the word "bell," Zhou Luo’s first thought was the Clarity Bell he had obtained in the Illusionary Forest over twenty years ago.

He turned his right hand over, and the top-grade magical artifact appeared in his palm.

"You mean this?" Zhou Luo asked.

Since the other had already sensed it, he saw no need for concealment.

Seeing the Clarity Bell, Wang Lang’s eyes instantly burned with desire. He leaned forward, an impulse to seize it surging within him, but reason forced him to remain calm.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "That bell is actually an item belonging to my Wang Family…"

Following Wang Lang’s explanation, Zhou Luo learned that the Clarity Bell had been a vital magical artifact wielded by a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Wang Family.

At the time, the Wang Family was a prominent long-life family boasting two Foundation Establishment strong persons and ranked first among the other five great families; they were at the peak of their influence.

However, one of their Foundation Establishment strong persons, while seeking an opportunity, was ambushed by an evil cultivator, died, and lost the way. That magical artifact disappeared along with him.

According to Wang Lang, wearing this artifact while drafting spiritual symbols or concocting pills provided significant enhancement.

That Foundation Establishment cultivator had himself been a spiritual symbol master; it was largely thanks to this artifact that he not only reached the Second Level, but later even achieved the Foundation Establishment realm.

Regrettably, his luck had simply not been enough, which led to calamity.

Because there was a matching pair of auxiliary bells for this artifact, which Wang Lang now possessed, he was able to sense the main bell’s presence.

After hearing the full story, Zhou Luo became more interested in Wang Lang’s set of auxiliary bells.

Given Wang Lang’s account, this seemed to be a set or suite; combining them might enhance the Clarity Bell’s abilities.

As for returning the item to the Wang Family? That was absolutely out of the question.

Though it was unknown how it later ended up with the Qinyuan Sect, he had obtained it through considerable effort; there was no reason to give it away.

After Wang Lang finished speaking, he noticed Zhou Luo remained deep in thought, not uttering a word.

He understood the implication; he also clearly recognized he lacked the strength to claim this top-grade magical artifact.

But since he had brought it up, he needed to speak plainly.

"Brother Zhou, rest assured. Since I chose to reveal this, I won’t inform my family."

"I don’t ask you to relinquish it now. It’s just that, during our time together, I’ve come to see you as a friend worth befriending deeply."

"In the future, I hope we can be completely open with each other. My only request is that when I possess an item of equivalent value, I can exchange it for this artifact."

Wang Lang spoke sincerely; this was his true purpose today.

In his view, Zhou Luo was someone worth fostering a connection with.

Zhou Luo hadn’t expected this guy to declare he wouldn’t report the matter to the Wang Family.

But even if the Wang Family knew, he wouldn’t fear them.

Still, he didn’t entirely trust Wang Lang’s words. He merely said, "I understand. If you truly can offer something of equal value, I can trade you this item."

His mental strength rivaled the Foundation Establishment stage; the Clarity Bell wasn’t crucial to him. Getting something better in exchange would be ideal.

"Thank you, Brother Zhou! To that, let’s drink!"

Hearing this, Wang Lang was delighted, a further sense of relief washing over him. He lifted the wine jar and took a hearty, unrestrained swig.

They drank until the evening, when Wang Lang finally took his leave.

Not long after he departed, Yao Wu entered, bringing dinner. Her steps were slow, as if weighed down by troubled thoughts…