Starting From a Son in Law to Build a Long Lasting Family
Chapter 70: Sister Miaoge, I never go to such places!
Two days later.
Two Iron Feather Eagles, like sharp swords, pierced through the clouds and mist.
“Changsheng, Nine Dragon Market is just ahead. Prepare to descend.”
“Be careful, don’t crash into the market’s formation, or you’ll be attacked by it.”
Lu Miaoge, dressed in a white dress, her black hair cascading like a waterfall over her snowy shoulders, sat elegantly on the Iron Feather Eagle, transmitting her voice to Lu Changsheng.
“Okay, Sister Miaoge.”
Lu Changsheng nodded, already seeing the Nine Dragon Market ahead.
Looking down from the high altitude, the entire market appeared larger than Green Bamboo Mountain, covering an estimated area of tens of thousands of acres.
It was surrounded and supported by nine towering peaks that pierced the clouds.
This was also the origin of the Nine Dragon Market’s name.
On the nine peaks, layers of terraced fields could be seen, filled with spiritual plants, and around the market, there were also large tracts of spiritual fields being cultivated.
The market was obscured by formations, hazy and indistinct, revealing only a rough outline, making it impossible to see the specific details inside.
Along the way, as they approached Nine Dragon Market, the number of cultivators coming and going increased.
Some rode spiritual birds, some flew on magical artifacts, and some controlled flying boats.
There were also many riding demon beast steeds, galloping on the land, or escorting goods.
Lu Changsheng felt a strong sense of cultivation.
He stayed at Green Bamboo Mountain all day and rarely went out, so this was his first time in such a cultivation market.
Niu Tou Mountain back then was just a small gathering place for rogue cultivators, not even a market, and there was no atmosphere of cultivation.
A moment later, Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge, riding the Iron Feather Eagle, landed safely next to the entrance of Nine Dragon Market.
Although it was called a market, it looked almost like a city.
It was built much more magnificent and grand than Ruyi County, which he had visited before.
The city wall, nearly a hundred meters high, lay like a blue dragon, connecting the nine surrounding peaks.
There were faint spiritual energy fluctuations on the city wall, clearly engraved with formations.
Lu Changsheng felt that the defense of the Nine Dragon Market’s formation was a level higher than that of Green Bamboo Mountain.
But this was normal.
Green Bamboo Mountain was a second-grade middle-rank spiritual vein.
It was rumored that the Nine Dragon Market was a second-grade high-rank spiritual vein, and had multiple spiritual vein branches, much larger than Green Bamboo Mountain.
Moreover, the Nine Dragon Market was established by the Azure Cloud Sect, so naturally there were formation masters who arranged the great formations.
The two arrived in front of the entrance gate tower.
The gate tower was dozens of feet high, majestic and extremely grand, making people standing in front of it appear very small.
Two Azure Cloud Sect cultivators were stationed at the entrance, and there was also a small pavilion next to it.
Every cultivator entering the market had to show an identity token.
Without an identity token, they had to go to the small pavilion to register information and pay spirit stones to apply for one.
Lu Miaoge told Lu Changsheng that the identity tokens were divided into temporary and long-term.
The temporary one cost one spirit stone and allowed you to stay inside for only half a month.
The long-term fee was ten spirit stones, valid for two years.
Only those who bought a house or owned a shop in the market could obtain free residence.
If the identity token expired and was not renewed on time, and the person was still in the market, they would be arrested by the Azure Cloud Sect’s law enforcement team and fined spirit stones.
If there were no spirit stones to fine, they would be caught and forced to work as coolies to repay the debt.
This was also one of the main profits of establishing the market.
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but sigh secretly, no wonder many cultivators didn’t come to such large markets.
Although it was safer and more convenient than outside.
But for the bottom-level cultivators, this entrance fee was not a small amount.
Moreover, after entering the market, they had to eat, drink, and live, which would cost money again.
As for buying a house or owning a shop in the market, it was definitely difficult.
Indeed, cultivation was difficult, and survival was even more difficult!
Afterwards, Lu Changsheng followed the crowd, paid ten spirit stones, and obtained a long-term identity token.
These ten spirit stones could be reimbursed from the Lu family later.
Holding the identity token, Lu Changsheng followed Lu Miaoge into the Nine Dragon Market.
Entering the city, immediately before his eyes was a bustling street.
Pedestrians came and went on the street, men, women, old and young, almost all cultivators, with pavilions and towers on both sides, and magnificent palaces.
“The Azure Cloud Sect has regulations that fighting and causing trouble, setting up stalls at will, and spending the night on the streets are prohibited in the market.”
“Once discovered, or reported, the law enforcement team will come to punish them.”
“Moreover, except for the Azure Cloud Sect’s law enforcement personnel and Foundation Establishment great cultivators, ordinary Qi Refining cultivators are not allowed to fly on magical artifacts in the market, or ride demon beast mounts.”
Lu Miaoge transmitted her voice to Lu Changsheng.
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng nodded.
No wonder he didn’t see anyone flying or riding mounts, they were all walking.
He felt more at ease about the security environment of this Nine Dragon Market.
“The Nine Dragon Market is divided into five areas: east, west, north, south, and central.”
“The central area is also the core area of the second-grade spiritual vein, which is for the Azure Cloud Sect disciples to live and cultivate, and only a small part of the cave dwellings are open to the public.”
“The east area is where some cultivation families and wealthy households live. Our Lu family has a large courtyard in the east area. You can also live there when the time comes. The spiritual energy is between a low-grade spiritual vein and a middle-grade spiritual vein.”
“The west area belongs to the rogue cultivators. The conditions there are relatively poor, but it also has a first-grade spiritual vein level.”
“The south and north areas are commercial and entertainment areas. Various inns, restaurants, and shops for clothing, food, housing, and transportation are all in these two areas.”
“We are now in the north area, and our Lu family’s spirit talisman shop is just ahead.”
Lu Miaoge led Lu Changsheng towards the city, constantly introducing the situation of the Nine Dragon Market to Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng nodded and listened.
It was the first time he had heard Lu Miaoge say so much.
But he also knew that Lu Miaoge was just aloof, didn’t like to talk usually, and seemed otherworldly, but her personality was actually quite good.
That’s why she brought herself to the Nine Dragon Market, knowing that he was unfamiliar with the place, so she said so much and introduced it in detail.
While walking on the road, Lu Changsheng also kept looking at the pavilions and towers on both sides of the street.
‘Drunken Immortal Tower’, ‘Gathering Immortal Tower’, ‘Myriad Treasure Pavilion’, ‘Dan Ding Pavilion’, ‘Hundred Refinements Workshop’, ‘Brocade Embroidery Workshop’.
Through the names of these pavilions and halls, he could vaguely know what they did.
Seeing the Drunken Immortal Tower, with red lanterns hanging high, and faint sounds of music coming from the building, Lu Changsheng felt that it didn’t seem like a proper restaurant.
“Changsheng, you are also a married man, try not to go to this kind of place, it not only wastes money, but also affects cultivation.”
Lu Miaoge said when she saw Lu Changsheng staring at the Drunken Immortal Tower, her soft voice carrying a hint of shyness.
Hearing this, the corner of Lu Changsheng’s mouth twitched.
He instantly determined what kind of place this Drunken Immortal Tower was.
No wonder he vaguely heard the sound of girls calling out, he wasn’t mistaken.
Sure enough, fairies are not only in the mortal realm, but also in private rooms.
“Sister Miaoge, I just thought this restaurant was strange, so I took a few more glances. I never go to this kind of place.”
Lu Changsheng supported his waist and said solemnly.
He really had no interest in this kind of place.
He was, after all, a man with five wives, six concubines, two favored concubines, and a maidservant, so why would he need to go to this kind of place?
Even if he always wanted to take a concubine, to take a ‘fairy’ to have children for him.
It was impossible to come here to persuade a fairy to be good, that would be crazy, right?
But this young lady actually knew about this kind of place.
That’s right, this young lady looked otherworldly, but she was six years older than him.
She had also been coming to the market all these years to manage the shop, how could she be a completely ignorant and simple little girl?
“That’s good.”
Lu Miaoge lightly pursed her lips and replied faintly, without saying much in this regard.
Then she continued to introduce some situations to Lu Changsheng.
In this way, the two walked and talked, and after about a quarter of an hour, Lu Miaoge stopped in front of a shop.
She said to Lu Changsheng: “This is our Lu family’s spirit talisman shop.”
Lu Changsheng looked at the shop in front of him.
The shop was the mainstream three-story structure on the street, about six feet high, with carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent and not vulgar.
A plaque with the words ‘Green Bamboo Lu Family Spirit Talsiman Shop’ hung above it.
“Shopkeeper!”
At the entrance of the shop, there was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl with a pretty face, wearing a work clothes printed with ‘Green Bamboo Lu Family Spirit Talsiman Shop’, who gave a graceful bow when she saw Lu Miaoge.
Then her eyes involuntarily fell on Lu Changsheng next to her.
Attracted by Lu Changsheng’s handsome face and gentle, jade-like temperament.
“Yes.”
Lu Miaoge nodded coldly.
She introduced to Lu Changsheng through voice transmission that this was the shop’s reception sales.
Currently, this spirit talisman shop has one shopkeeper, two apprentices, and two reception sales.
The shopkeeper’s name was Zhang Shan, a Qi Refinement stage six cultivator who had worked at the Lu family’s spirit talisman shop for over ten years.
The two apprentices were named Li Shi and Wang Wu, and they had been at the shop for five or six years.
They were descendants of cultivators from this Nine Dragons Market, possessing only ninth-grade spirit roots.
However, they had some talent in talisman-making and were sent by their families to the spirit talisman shop as apprentices.
Their daily work consisted of drawing talismans and making talisman paper and spirit ink.
The Fourth Elder’s mention of taking care of apprentices referred to these two.
These apprentices were under long-term contracts, only requiring the shop to provide room and board and occasional guidance in talisman-making, without even a monthly salary.
That was the way of apprenticeship.
Whether it was talisman-making, alchemy, or weapon refinement, acquiring a skill that reached the threshold was the same, relying on gradually accumulating experience.
Even if they didn’t succeed in learning the skill in the end, there was no one to blame.
As for the two receptionists and salespeople, they were mortals.
Although Nine Dragons Market was a market for cultivators, it wasn’t entirely populated by cultivators; there were also many mortals.
Some had come here with cultivators in the past.
Others were descendants of cultivators who worked and lived here.
Although living in the market was not easy.
As long as they could find a job, even mortals could survive.
They could even save one or two spirit stones.
After all, in the secular world, they earned gold and silver, but in this Nine Dragons Market, they earned spirit stones.
“He Liu, come in here.”
“I have something to tell you.”
Lu Miaoge looked at the woman.
She led Lu Changsheng into the shop.
The shop was about two hundred square meters in size.
The furnishings were very simple, with exquisite counters on both sides and in the center.
They displayed various talismans, as well as talisman paper, spirit ink, talisman brushes, and other talisman-related items.
“Shopkeeper!”
“Shopkeeper!”
In the hall, there was a thin middle-aged man in his forties or fifties and a young woman in a work uniform.
When they saw Lu Miaoge and Lu Changsheng, they cupped their hands in greeting.
“Uncle Zhang, go and call Li Shi and Wang Wu here; I have something to tell you all.”
Lu Miaoge nodded and said to the thin middle-aged man.
“Yes.”
Zhang Shan went to the inner room upon hearing this.
Soon, he returned to the hall with two women around twenty years old, with beautiful faces, wearing ‘Azure Bamboo Lu Clan Spirit Talisman Shop’ work uniforms.
Although the two were cultivators, their cultivation levels were not high, only at the second or third level of Qi Refinement.
“This is Lu Changsheng, a mid-grade talisman maker from our Lu family.”
“I will be too busy to manage the shop in the future, so I will hand it over to Changsheng to manage from now on. He is now the second owner of the shop.”
“Uncle Zhang, in the future, if there is anything regarding the shop, you can report it directly to Changsheng.”
“Li Shi, Wang Wu, if you have anything in the future, report it directly to the Second Shopkeeper.”
After seeing that everyone was present, Lu Miaoge said to them.
Her tone was cold, with a hint of decisiveness.
This allowed Lu Changsheng to see a different side of this young lady.
When usually interacting with Lu Miaoge, the latter always had an ethereal and elegant demeanor, with a temperament like water, never like this before.
Upon hearing this, the five were all somewhat surprised and looked at Lu Changsheng in astonishment.
They didn’t expect that this handsome young man was actually a mid-grade talisman maker!
Their future new owner.
“Zhang Shan greets the Second Shopkeeper.”
“Li Shi greets the Second Shopkeeper.”
“Wang Wu greets the Second Shopkeeper.”
“He Liu greets the Second Shopkeeper.”
“Sun Qi greets the Second Shopkeeper.”
The five didn’t think much and immediately cupped their hands and saluted.
The surprise and astonishment in their eyes turned into envy, admiration, respect, and infatuation.
A mid-grade talisman maker could live a comfortable life anywhere.
Especially when they heard Lu Changsheng’s name and surname, Lu.
They subconsciously thought that he was a member of the Azure Bamboo Lu family.
Coming to take over the shop was just to gain experience and experience life.
Handsome, talented, and with a good family background, it was simply even more enviable.
Especially Li Shi, Wang Wu, and the two receptionists and salespeople, their gazes towards Lu Changsheng were already different.
“I will be troubling everyone in the future.”
Lu Changsheng smiled at the crowd and cupped his hands slightly.
Lu Miaoge had also told him some things about the shop before he came.
Usually, the shopkeeper Zhang Shan could handle the situation in the shop, so he didn’t have to worry about it at all.
Apart from guiding Li Shi and Wang Wu in talisman-making, his main task was to oversee the goods.
The spirit talisman shop had to replenish its stock every month.
These goods, of course, could not all rely on the Lu family itself.
High-grade and even top-grade talismans were mostly drawn by the Fourth Elder.
Basic talismans and low-grade and mid-grade talismans were mostly purchased from some rogue talisman makers.
Although these rogue cultivators had been cooperating with the Lu family for many years, the quality still needed to be monitored and controlled by him, the talisman maker.
In order to avoid situations where inferior goods were used or the quality was too poor.
After all, the things sold in this kind of shop were generally more expensive than those on the rogue cultivators’ stalls.
This expensiveness was due to the guarantee of quality.
The same was true for talisman paper, spirit ink, and talisman brushes.
Furthermore, sometimes the shop was out of stock of a certain talisman, and if a customer urgently needed it, he, the talisman maker, would try to draw it.
After introducing Lu Changsheng to the employees, Lu Miaoge didn’t say anything more and let everyone disperse.
She took out a stack of talismans from her storage bag and handed them to Zhang Shan.
They were all first-order mid-grade and high-grade talismans.
She would also bring a batch of talismans from the Fourth Elder every month when she went back, besides the Fourth Elder guiding her in talisman-making.
Lu Miaoge told Lu Changsheng that in addition to some mid-grade and high-grade talismans, the Fourth Elder would also draw three first-order top-grade talismans every month.
These were also the shop’s treasures and its foundation.
However, she would not give these three top-grade talismans to Zhang Shan, but would keep them with her.
She would only trade them in person if someone wanted them.
After that, she took Lu Changsheng to visit the shop and introduced the situation.
This shop had three floors.
The first floor, in addition to the sales hall, also had a reception room and a small courtyard at the back.
The second floor was where Li Shi and Wang Wu worked, rested, and slept.
The third floor was where Lu Miaoge, the owner, rested and slept, with a living room, bedroom, rest room, talisman room, and storage room.
The third floor was set with a restriction, and a token was required to enter.
Afterwards, Lu Miaoge told Lu Changsheng that she rarely lived here.
If Lu Changsheng found it troublesome and didn’t want to live in the Lu family’s mansion in the East District, he could also live here usually.
Lu Changsheng didn’t care.
He said that he would go to the Lu family’s mansion first.
Now that he had come to Nine Dragons Market, he had to go there.
Before he came, the Fourth Elder had told him that Nine Dragons Market had more than just this spirit talisman shop, but also other businesses of the Lu family.
The Lu family’s Second Elder managed the Lu family’s market business and was usually stationed in Nine Dragons Market.
He could also directly find this Second Elder if he had anything.
This was the family, with many worldly affairs.
Otherwise, he would appear too aloof and unsociable.
“Sister Miaoge, it’s getting late, how about I treat you to a meal?”
“I will be troubling you all the time in the coming days; otherwise, I would feel bad.”
After Lu Miaoge took Lu Changsheng for a walk around the shop and explained everything, Lu Changsheng said to Lu Miaoge.
“Okay, let’s just eat something nearby.”
Lu Miaoge didn’t refuse and nodded.
“I haven’t eaten anything good for the past two days; I feel like there’s no taste in my mouth at all. I’m just waiting to have a good meal today; how can we just eat something casually?”
“Sister Miaoge, is there anything good to eat nearby?”
Lu Changsheng said directly.
“Then let’s go to the Jade Cuisine Pavilion next door. I’ve eaten there a few times, and the taste is very good.”
Lu Miaoge pondered slightly.
“Then let’s go.”
Lu Changsheng nodded.
Immediately, the two went downstairs. There was a customer in the shop at this time looking at talisman brushes, and a shop assistant was introducing them.
Although the shop assistant was an ordinary person, they had been trained and knew these things like the back of their hand.
Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge didn’t look much and nodded slightly to the shopkeeper Zhang Shan to signal their departure.
They came to the ‘Jade Cuisine Pavilion’ that Lu Miaoge mentioned not far away.