"To reach the Northern Crane Fortress, you must take a spatial array in the city centre here," Master Bao explained, carefully rolling the shimmering parchment and handing it to Lian.
"People are preparing to go up North too for the Twin Dragon, Phoenix competition, so do be warry so scammers there."
"Many thanks, Uncle Bao." Lian took the map, the spiritual paper vanishing into his storage space with a flick of his wrist. He then stepped back and offered a deep, respectful bow.
"Venerable Bao... for your kindness." Lian reached into his Spirit Book and withdrew a small, translucent jade bottle. The liquid inside glowed with a faint, ethereal green light. He stepped forward and pressed it into the old man's hands.
"This is the most potent wine from the Small Universe," Lian thought to himself. "Master Bo drank this like water, so I hope it's enough to repay the favour."
"No, no, Nephew... you really don't have to," Master Bao hesitated, his fingers brushing against the cool jade before he finally accepted it.
"Mmm... a small bottle of jade wine?" Bao thought, a hint of his old scepticism returning. "Is this all a Young Master from a Great Family can afford as a—"
Master Bao stopped mid-thought. A single, microscopic whiff of the wine's aroma escaped the cork and passed through his nostrils.
"What?! My... my soul is trembling!"
Using a thread of his Qi, he carefully extracted a single, pearl-like drop and placed it on his tongue. The moment the wine touched his mouth, his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. The energy didn't just go to his stomach; it surged upward, bathing his spiritual sea in a warmth he hadn't felt in a hundred years.
"This is... the Soul-Warming Jade Wine!" He looked up at Lian, his voice shaking with a mix of awe and terror.
"Young Master... are you absolutely sure you want to give this away, young sicion? This is a precious tressure A single bottle of this could buy a lifetime of comfort for a small clan!"
"Mmm its worth that much, ha, how rich can't lie i am a little envious." Li Fuang thought, staring at Lian.
The old man's hands trembled as he stared at Lian. "Honestly, I don't ever want to let go of this... but this gift is too great. If I take it, the karmic debt I owe this youth might be more than I can pay!"
"He really likes the wine, huh?" Lian mused as he thought to himself, watching the old man tremble.
"The Thousand Spirit Pill Book I got from the Pill Saint mentioned that this wine has a profound effect on soothing the soul; it was recorded as medicine. In fact, now that I think about it, Master Bo was drinking it like some cheap wine from the back alleys; that man is an alcoholic through and through. Tch, never mind that. Could it be that Bao has some kind of soul injury? If I give him more, he'll definitely feel indebted to me."
A sudden spark of inspiration flashed in Lian's eyes. He reached into his storage space once more and produced a second translucent jade bottle, identical to the first.
"Master Bao... please, take this one as well," Lian said, pressing the second treasure into the elder's shaking hands. "This wine is of no use to me in my current state, and since you gave me your personal map, I consider this an equal exchange."
Lian spoke with such casual certainty that Master Bao almost forgot how to breathe. As his fingers closed around the second bottle, his hands shook violently.
"My... oh my! This youth is truly generous!" Bao's heart hammered against his ribs. "With two bottles of Soul-Warming Jade Wine, I am certain I can finally shatter the bottleneck that has held me back for the last fifty years! My cultivation will finally advance!"
Master Bao didn't dare leave the treasures in the open. With a flick of his wrist, both bottles vanished into his highest-grade spatial ring.
"Young Master... I will never forget this kindness," the old master spoke, his voice thick with emotion. He stood straight, his eyes burning with a new light. "If you ever require me in the future, regardless of the distance or the danger, simply call for me. The Yin-Yang Sect owes you a great debt."
But the moment of gratitude was cut short. A sudden, synchronised thud echoed from the street below.
Almost as if summoned by the promises of servitude, another branch of the Golden Guards appeared. They were larger and more heavily armoured than the first; they landed outside the Zenith Tea House.
"CRIMINAL! Come forth from the tea house and face your punishment!" The voice boomed from the street, amplified by Qi, and the glass in the tower rattled as fine cups and tea pots broke. "Fighting within these walls is prohibited! What's more, you have destroyed the Dantians of city officials who tried to stop you! For your crimes against the King and Country, you shall be purged!"
Outside, a shimmering Golden Veil was rising. It was a high-level sealing array famed throughout the east. The light crawled up the sides of the Zenith Tea House like a climbing vine of pure energy.
"Tch. I got so swept up in the wine and the talk that I forgot to ask... what started this fight against the Tang and the city guards to begin with?" Master Bao muttered, his brow furrowing.
"Meeeoow."
Suddenly, Mao Mao appeared out of thin air, landing softly on Lian's shoulder. The fox began to purr, its slit-pupil eyes locking onto the Old Master with a gaze that felt frightening.
"What is this beast?!" Master Bao's heart nearly stopped as they began walking down the stairs. "This youth is just too mysterious, even for an Azure Crane scion. That spirit beast can play around in the Void freely... it must carry a Primordial Bloodline. To give such a creature to a youth for a mere trial... the Crane Family's foundations must be deeper than the ocean."
Bao glanced at the back of Lian's head. "I'm certain the thing that intercepted my Divine Sense earlier was a treasure of that same level. Tch. It's best not to probe too much. If I offend the power protecting him, I'll end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Too much greed is a poison."
As they reached the ground floor, Lian followed behind the Old Master with a calm, steady stride. Just as quickly as Mao Mao had appeared, the fox flickered and vanished back into the Nothingness, leaving no trace of its presence.