Chapter 278: They Didn’t Even Arrest You for Eating Without Paying

Just one visit was enough to shatter the Taohua Sect disciples’ worldview.

They never imagined that the Feique Sect, an Artifact Refining Sect, would have so many Elixir Pills they seemed to be giving them away for free.

Luo Xinyao and the others had only come to pick up a batch of Magic Treasures from the Feique Sect.

They weren’t even key figures in the Taohua Sect.

Chen Miaomiao led them into a restaurant and treated them to a meal.

The delicious yet inexpensive mortal cuisine made their eyes widen in disbelief.

There were already players selling food at the Taohua Sect, but the dishes in Wang’an County’s restaurants were far more authentic.

Chen Miaomiao didn’t reveal any major secrets to them.

She just asked for some basic information about the Taohua Sect.

The Taohua Sect Master couldn’t compare to the Feique Sect’s Sect Master; she was only at Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

But in this region, a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was still an overwhelmingly powerful existence.

Besides, she wasn’t far—she was in Demon Cave Valley.

Chen Miaomiao asked these disciples to go back and find a way to inform the Taohua Sect Master that the Longevity Sect had matters to discuss with her.

The Sect Master was at Late-stage Foundation Establishment. After a moment’s thought, Chen Miaomiao had the system notify the players in Demon Cave Valley, who would then inform the Feique Sect disciples to bring back an intermediary.

That intermediary was Senior Sister Dong Yulan of the Feique Sect.

As she was also at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, she held some sway with the Taohua Sect Master.

Dong Yulan had been the one to arrange their previous transactions, so it was most fitting for her to be the one to mediate.

She treated the members of the Taohua Sect to a banquet. Knowing to treat guests from afar with hospitality, she also gifted each of them two bottles of the local specialty, Spiritual Wine.

This was a considerable gift.

This Spiritual Wine was famous even in the Taohua Sect.

Luo Xinyao, Lin Qian, and the others were in a daze as they left. They couldn’t believe a Foundation Establishment Stage senior sister like Chen Miaomiao was so gentle and polite, treated them so well, and even gave them gifts...

The natives of the Yunzhou Continent, having rarely been on the receiving end of such a "sugar-coated bullet," swore they would find a way to inform their Sect Master!

After they left, the system asked Chen Miaomiao, "You want to partner directly with the Taohua Sect?"

Chen Miaomiao nodded.

System: "And what if she refuses?"

Chen Miaomiao gestured toward the Feique Sect. "If the Taohua Sect Master is smart, she’ll realize her sect’s Elixir Pills will eventually be put in an awkward position."

They’re bound to end up competing with the Longevity Sect’s Elixir Pills.

But the Longevity Sect had a way around that.

Our players can now reach faraway places; we don’t have to flood the local market with our Elixir Pills.

But the Taohua Sect is right next door.

If they aren’t brought into the fold soon, the players won’t be able to rest easy.

The visit from the Taohua Sect disciples was an excellent opportunity.

It was much better than going to their door to make a sales pitch.

System: "She could also choose to expose you."

"She won’t." Chen Miaomiao shook her head with conviction. "Someone who has maintained a stable partnership with the Feique Sect for so many years, a person from a small sect, will have a mindset geared toward a peaceful life. Curiosity will trump all else. At the very least, she’ll want to see for herself just how I’m able to do this. They are, after all, Cultivators."

"When the time comes, I’ll have other ways to persuade her," Chen Miaomiao said confidently. "Though I doubt anything will go wrong—you can run the numbers yourself—if the worst-case scenario does happen, I’ll ask Senior Zhai Xiaotian for help."

The system heaved a long sigh. "Badass."

’She can even get Zhai Xiaotian to step in.’

Chen Miaomiao sat in the restaurant for a little while longer when a disdainful chuckle reached her ears. "You little girl, always full of tricks."

Chen Miaomiao looked up.

It was the old man who had arrived a few days ago.

He was mysterious and his power was unfathomable, but he hadn’t actually done anything yet.

Zhai Xiaotian had caught a glimpse of him once, and his expression had been incredibly grave.

Clearly, anyone could tell the old man was a handful.

Fortunately, since he hadn’t actually done anything, everyone could only turn a blind eye.

’This old man has been eating at the restaurant for days without paying!’

Chen Miaomiao said with a serious expression, "Senior, these aren’t tricks. They’re reasonable proposals."

"A normal sect would never hand over a Secret Technique like this." The old man eyed her with suspicion. "And you want to cooperate with other sects? Is your Sect really so kindhearted?"

The Feique Sect and the Longevity Sect mixing together was strange enough.

With two such sects, if one were even slightly stronger, it should have annexed the other long ago.

But now, the Longevity Sect’s overall strength surpassed that of the Feique Sect, yet there was no talk of a forced takeover.

Moreover, the benefits they provided their disciples were unbelievably good.

Every single one of these things was a move the old man had never witnessed before.

Chen Miaomiao simply said, "Cooperation leads to mutual benefit."

’Besides, we have too few people,’ she thought.

"Mutual benefit? What mutual benefit? What is it you’re trying to win?"

The old man was extremely blunt, asking whatever was on his mind.

But Chen Miaomiao had started to get a handle on his temperament; when he asked a critical question, she simply remained silent.

The old man flicked his sleeve. "I’ll find out sooner or later!"

In that moment, he seemed just like a grumpy old man squabbling with her.

He flounced out in a swirl of his robes.

A short while later, he arrived at the mouth of a secluded alley.

The buildings here had been constructed by the players to resemble an old-fashioned alley, complete with moss-covered stones. Beside it was a man-made lake with rippling turquoise water. Walking down the path evoked the feeling of a misty, rain-swept southern city.

Many players loved coming here on rainy days with an umbrella to pose for cool photos.

The residents here were also mostly players.

"Grandpa."

Seeing him arrive, a mortal girl, Little Ya, stood at the end of the alley. She held up a skewer of candied fruit made by the players that was bigger than her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she said, "For you!"

The old man accepted it without ceremony and took a bite. He then casually squatted down, bringing himself to Little Ya’s eye level. "School’s out?"

"School’s out" was a term the players used.

Little Ya nodded vigorously. "Yup! I have less homework today, so I came out to play."

It was a rare day without much homework, which was a relief for Little Ya, who found having several classes every day to be a torment.

It wasn’t just her; the school had been getting more and more crowded lately. Even the older sisters who were cultivators were attending classes.

Little Ya had once asked why, and the young woman had answered without any embarrassment, "Because I can’t read, so there’s a lot I need to learn."

’But what does she mean she can’t read?’

’How could an Immortal not know how to read!’

"This candied fruit skewer tastes pretty good. Where’d you get it?"

Little Ya said, "They’re snacks from the school. I already ate a few while I was watching them make them. They told me not to eat too many or I’d get cavities, so I’m giving this to you."

The old man: "..."

Little Ya was, after all, a mortal who had grown up in the Feique Sect. The Feique Sect disciples were generally even-tempered, but they didn’t interact much with mortals. The Longevity Sect disciples, on the other hand, were incredibly kind and doted on children. Having never experienced the harshness of the world, Little Ya cautiously asked the old man, "Grandpa, you must be a very powerful Immortal, right?"

The old man narrowed his eyes. "How did you know?"

With the unfiltered honesty of a child, Little Ya said, "Because you eat at the restaurant and don’t pay, but the big brothers and big sisters from the Longevity Sect haven’t arrested you. That must mean you’re really powerful."

The old man: "..."