Dual Cultivation God Returns

Wu Long and Ye Ling sat on a terrace overlooking a garden. A light rain was drizzling, the raindrops hitting the stone paving of the garden paths and the roof tiles above them creating an uneven and yet melodic sound.

Like most of times they spent together in this particular way they did not really exchange much words, only sometimes talking in a low and peaceful voices, mostly content with just each other’s presence.

Wu Mengqi sometimes jokingly called this Old Couple Time, which both Ye Ling and Wu Long unironically found quite an apt name for it.

However, once in a while, when they did have something to discuss, one of them would open up the talk during this time.

“I must admit, it is hard to not do anything and let her be”, Ye Ling spoke with a wry smile.

“You should know, Ling’er, helping someone who is trying to stand on their own two feet and is not seeking help, is not help, but an insult, no matter how good your intent is”, Wu Long shook his head with a smile as well, implying that trying to help Gong Liwei at this moment in time would be almost counter-productive, in that it might help her achieve the results she wants, but her mental burden would not only be alleviated but become heavier instead.

“Because what they are struggling with is not the challenge they are facing itself, but the concept of their ability to overcome challenges”, Ye Ling nodded with understanding.

“Yes, it is a struggle of building the sense of self-worth”

“You have to at least acknowledge it is not easy to idly stand by and watch, right?”, she turned a wry look at him.

“I do acknowledge that, which is why a great many cannot help themselves but try to help, not out of malice but out of goodwill itself. But you know external help in this case does not resolve the struggle even if it solves the challenge, it can even break the spirit of the one struggling, since they no longer believe they can do it on their own terms”, Wu Long sighed.

“And can generate resentment that is stained with guilt for that resentment”, Ye Ling nodded with a sigh as well.

“So the best course is to let her try. Even in case she fails, although I don’t think she will – in fact I am certain she will prevail – but regardless, it is not a deadly challenge, and is not one that would ruin her in case of failure. Instead, she will at least know she failed with her own strength and could claim ownership of that failure. That alone is already worth it, since it is a partial win in the struggle even if it is a loss in the challenge”

“On the other hand, it is important to show that if she wants help she can always get it”, Ye Ling smiled, agreeing with him.

“Of course, after all, if she realizes that there is nothing shameful in receiving help from those close to you, and asks for it herself, it becomes a completely different situation altogether. And it is also a win in the struggle. It was so in the case with her Saturated Dantian… although this time I believe she will win on her own”, Wu Long nodded again, adding in a slightly playful manner, “Have faith!”

“I do, it was the same with you as well”, she lowered her gaze, a nostalgic look appearing in her eyes as a smile appeared on her lips.

“Hahaha, it looks quite embarrassing now that I look back at it”, he lightly chuckled, nodding, since he was once in Gong Liwei’s position.

“You were younger then, there is nothing to be ashamed about. If you behaved like that now, however…”, the look in her eyes turned a bit playful as she looked at him.

He just smiled back at her, as they lightly giggled and turned to face the garden again, the sound of the rain regaining its dominance, as the two remained in the hold of this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

—

Old Yen and Guanting entered the outer courtyard of the inn through the gates and then to the Main Hall, taking off their bamboo hats and cloaks soaked in rainwater.

“Welcome back, Mr. Yen, Guanting”, Butler Bang greeted the two, and then led them to Wu Long who just left Ye Ling’s side.

“”Boss””, the two cupped their fists.

“Good work out there”, Wu Long nodded to them and proceeded to walk to the room with a round table that they usually used for discussions, “So?”

“Qian is almost ready with his plan, by this evening we will sell all the stockpile we acquired to several vendors ahead of the merchants who manipulated the price with the artificial shortage ahead of disruptions in shipments. So the price should instantly drop to standard rates by tomorrow morning. By the time the stockpile we will sell runs out the next shipments will begin arriving, so the window of creating a shortage will close. Hahaha, they would be royally pissed since they have likely acquired at least part of that stock with already heightened prices, as did we of course, but ours sold at the peak price. Well they can’t complain that the price returned to normal before they could sell their stockpile if they didn’t manage to accumulate the entire stock available on the market. In fact that Qian did a clever trick, we originally…”, Old Yen started going into a long-winded monologue with details when Wu Long stopped and half-turned to him.

He lightly coughed to clear his throat after seeing the look in Wu Long’s eyes and concluded, “Khm, we should be seeing a reaction from them soon, it should come tomorrow at the latest”

“Good”, Wu Long almost sighed, turning to walk forward again, “What of the Dual Cultivators?”

“Yes, it appears those two are not the only Dual Cutlivator Sects that have arrived in this city in the past week or so”, Old Yen reported.

“Hmm, interesting”, Wu Long entered the room and sat at the table, Old Yen and Guanting taking their usual seats as well.

“We have not yet been able to pinpoint their objective, as no publicly available information points to the reason. While from what we gathered, the price on the non-publicly available one is quite high, and is sold at a level we haven’t reached yet in this city’s underbelly”, Old Yen further explained.

“It is likely a precious Yang attribute Natural Treasure of sorts”, Wu Long commented as both Old Yen and Guanting widened their eyes.

“You researched separately, Boss?”, Guanting asked, feeling slightly incompetent since their Boss had to personally research something they couldn’t find out for him.

“No”, Wu Long shook his head with a light smile, “It is this World. You heard this city is called the city of eternal summer, right?”

The two nodded as Butler Bang entered the room with a serving tray in his hands, serving Wu Long a cup of steaming tea first, and then Old Yen, finishing by placing a drinking cup and a porcelain bottle of wine for Guanting, and then coming around to stand behind Wu Long.

“It is because this World quite literally has only one perpetual season of summer, at least one of its two suns being in the summer sun phase at all times. But as you may have noticed on the way here, there are not that many farms with medicinal fields around, even though this would be a perfect place to grow Alchemy Ingredients”, as Wu Long was talking, Old Yen and Nie Guanting both nodded, remembering these details.

Meanwhile, he continued the explanation, “The reason for that is because once in a while both suns enter summer sun phase at the same time, the heat wave destroying most medicinal plants that are not of pure Yang attribute. And the latter cannot survive the sudden loss of that boost after, withering away after the heat wave recedes, so they have to be harvested before the end of the heat wave, even if they are not ripe. In other words, only rare Yang attribute plants that have unique tolerance to such specific conditions are suitable for growth here”

As the realization from his explanation dawned on not only Old Yen and Nie Guanting, but Butler Bang as well, Wu Long concluded with an intrigued look in his eyes, “I did think that such a world would be an ideal place for an incredible Yang attribute treasure, but I never expected to be so lucky to really come at such a good timing… if there’s something that attracted so many Dual Cultivation Sects from far and wide, and no doubt quite a few rogue Dual Cultivators who are not as noticeable as well, it has to be quite a good one”