Chapter 86: Beauty is like a wolf and a tiger, capable of destroying one’s will!

“What kind of strange habits could I possibly have?”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes were clear and bright, and he spoke with a calm and collected tone.

Looking at Lu Changsheng’s calm demeanor, Lu Miaoyun gazed at him suspiciously for a moment before withdrawing her gaze, saying nothing.

After all, it was only natural to look.

She was dressed up like this, wasn’t it for others to see?

Although she usually reacted to gazes with a “what-are-you-looking-at, want-me-to-dig-out-your-eyes” attitude or even directly scolded them, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of disgust or annoyance towards Lu Changsheng’s gaze. Instead, she felt a sense of delight.

She thought to herself, “I must have charm, and I’m indeed the most beautiful one.”

The two of them walked side by side for a while.

“Well, I’m going home now, goodbye, Second Miss.”

When they reached a crossroad, Lu Changsheng directly waved goodbye to Lu Miaoyun.

He didn’t have much to chat with this Second Miss, and since they had reached her home, it was natural to return and take a bath.

Seeing Lu Changsheng leave after walking only a short distance, without even offering to send her off or asking if she wanted to visit and have a cup of tea, Lu Miaoyun pouted, her red lips curling up in displeasure, and let out a soft “goodbye.”

She departed like a proud and aloof peacock, her high heels clicking away.

Night fell.

The White Jade Tower sent over the four maidservants Lu Changsheng had purchased.

Because Lu Changsheng was too lazy to wait, the four maidservants he had chosen were all available on the spot.

However, Xiao Yueju, who possessed a Spirit Root, needed to wait for notification from the White Jade Tower, and it would take a month for her to arrive.

Gao He, who lived next door, saw Lu Changsheng buying maidservants again and couldn’t help but feel speechless.

He didn’t often visit Lu Changsheng’s home, instead inviting Lu Changsheng to his own home for tea, because Lu Changsheng’s courtyard was filled with too many women, making him feel that frequent visits wouldn’t be appropriate.

Now, seeing Lu Changsheng buying maidservants again, he couldn’t help but think to himself, “Maybe I should be more careful too.”

After all, he also had a daughter at home.

Although his daughter was still young, Lu Changsheng’s appearance, demeanor, and aura were simply irresistible to both old and young, making him feel a sense of unease.

Lu Changsheng, of course, was unaware of Gao He’s thoughts.

After acquiring four more maidservants, he discovered another problem.

That was, his courtyard was becoming too crowded.

If he continued like this and added a few more people, this courtyard would become too small, and they would have to live in cramped conditions.

“Ah, it’s almost time to slow down,” Lu Changsheng sighed.

Although he said he was buying maidservants, the Lu Family, including Lu Miaoyun, wouldn’t say anything.

But having been in Jiulong Market for only half a year and already having ten children outside, it was indeed a bit too fast.

Moreover, raising a batch of maidservants in Jiulong Market was a significant expense.

These maidservants were carrying his children, and he naturally couldn’t neglect them.

Their daily food and drink were all spirit rice and spiritual food.

They lived in Jiulong Market, so they also needed to apply for long-term residence permits.

These scattered living expenses added up, and once the number grew, it wouldn’t be a small amount.

If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

Lu Changsheng didn’t think much about it and let the new maidservants attend to his bath.

The next afternoon, Lu Miaoge came to the Talisman Shop.

It was because of Lu Miaohuan’s matter, and she came to thank Lu Changsheng.

Jiulong Market was neither big nor small, and the Lu Family and Zheng Family had some influence in the market. It was normal for this kind of news to reach their ears.

Lu Changsheng naturally responded with a casual tone, saying it was no big deal.

Before he knew it, half a month had passed.

In Lu Changsheng’s daily life, apart from adding the cultivation of the Black Dragon Magic Bead, there were no other changes.

After half a month of cultivation, he had already refined about one-fifth of the Black Dragon Magic Bead.

Among the four maidservants he had previously purchased, one of them had successfully become pregnant under his favor.

On this day, a young servant came to the Spirit Talisman Shop, he was sent by the Second Elder to notify him.

He said that in ten days, they would be returning to Qingzhu Mountain and asked if Lu Changsheng wanted to go with him.

“Please tell the Second Elder that I will go back with him.” 

Lu Changsheng replied immediately upon hearing the message.

It had been almost four months since he last returned.

Now that the Second Elder was going back, he naturally would take the opportunity to return home.

Six days later was the day for the Spirit Talisman Shop to receive new stock and inspect the goods.

Lu Changsheng also informed Gao He in advance.

With Gao He’s help, the two of them completed the inspection of all the goods within two days.

“Thanks for your trouble, Brother Gao.”

Lu Changsheng handed over twenty spirit stones.

This was the agreed-upon labor fee.

“No need to mention it, Brother Lu. I should be the one thanking you instead.”

Gao He didn’t stand on ceremony, smiling as he accepted the spirit stones.

As a medium-grade Talisman master, a daily labor fee of ten spirit stones was quite a decent side income.

After accepting the spirit stones, Gao He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Brother Lu, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say or not.”

“Oh? Brother Gao, go ahead and say it. What’s there to hesitate about?”

Lu Changsheng raised his eyebrows and said casually. 

“As an old friend, I’ve been working as a Talisman master in the Spirit Talisman Shop, and I often drink and chat with other Talisman masters and shopkeepers from various spirit Talisman shops. I have a general understanding of the situation in this market, including the quality rate of the goods.”

“Considering the reputation of your Lu Family’s shop, the defect rate of the goods is a bit unreasonable.”

“Especially since you, Brother Lu, cancel cooperation with several shops every few months. It’s likely that all the Talisman masters in the market have cooperated with you at some point.”

Gao He spoke up.

Lu Changsheng immediately understood what Gao He meant.

He was hinting that the shop’s supply chain had some issues.

How could he not understand the underlying reasons after working in the shop for so long?

The entire Spirit Talisman Shop’s procurement, purchasing, and cooperation matters were all handled by Shopkeeper Zhang Shan alone.

It was impossible for there to be no hidden interests or embezzlement involved.

He himself had also casually established a supplier’s name and cooperated with Zhang Shan, who could easily do the same.

However, Zhang Shan had been working in the Spirit Talisman Shop for over ten years and had performed well in the past half year, able to get things done.

So, it was understandable that he would take some benefits for himself.

As long as it wasn’t too excessive, Lu Changsheng would turn a blind eye.

After all, if the water was too clear, there would be no fish.

“Thanks for reminding me, Brother Gao. I also understand the underlying reasons.”

Lu Changsheng smiled and said.

“It seems I’ve spoken too much, but indeed, there’s no big problem.”

Gao He heard this and knew that his concerns were unnecessary.

He had been in contact with Lu Changsheng for a long time, and their relationship was good. He was worried that Lu Changsheng was too young and might be taken advantage of, so he spoke up to remind him.

“Brother Gao is willing to tell me this, which means you consider me a friend.”

Lu Changsheng waved his hand, knowing that Gao He was warning him out of kindness.

He also knew that Gao He was a good person, or else he wouldn’t have invited him to help.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked out, going to the Jade Feast Shop to eat.

The owner of the Jade Feast Shop, Yu Maocheng, saw the two of them and gave them a warm welcome, even sending over a plate of small dishes.

Three days later.

“Second Elder, Sister Miaoge.”

Lu Changsheng was bathing in the backyard.

When he heard the maid, Baihe, say that the Second Elder and Sister Miaoge had arrived, he immediately went to the living room.

“Hehe, I originally wanted to send someone to notify you and have you come directly to the main courtyard to live. We’ll set off for Qingzhu Mountain tomorrow morning.”

“But I thought about it and decided to come over and take a look, since you’ve been living on your own for so long and haven’t come to visit.”

In the living room, the Second Elder wore a long blue robe, his tall figure dignified, as he smiled and held a teacup.

The eldest lady Lu Miaoge was dressed in white and sat elegantly to the side. 

“How could that be, Second Elder? You’re welcome to come, and I’m still not able to welcome you properly.”

Lu Changsheng politely replied.

Then, Lu Changsheng chatted with the Second Elder for a while, also showing him and Lu Miaoge around the courtyard.

During the process, the Second Elder saw the many beautiful women in Lu Changsheng’s courtyard and couldn’t help but shake his head.

He thought to himself, “Lu Changsheng’s reputation as a ladies’ man is indeed well-deserved.”

How long had it been since he came to Jiulong Market?

In just over half a year, he had already taken in so many beautiful and talented maidservants.

When he saw that several of the maidservants were pregnant, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and take a closer look.

As a result, he discovered that almost all the women in the courtyard were pregnant.

The Second Elder counted them.

One, two, three… eleven!

When he finished counting the number of pregnant women, the Second Elder was stunned.

He didn’t expect Lu Changsheng to take in so many maidservants and get them all pregnant.

Was this young man’s vitality really that strong?

Didn’t he need to cultivate, draw Talismans, or work? What else did he do?

The Second Elder couldn’t help but look at Lu Changsheng and ask, “Changsheng, are these all your newly taken maidservants? Are they carrying your children?”

Even though he knew he was asking a pointless question, but he still couldn’t help but confirm it.

This matter was simply too unbelievable.

For cultivators, matters of the flesh would damage their Vital Essence and affect their cultivation speed.

Even for dao companions who practiced dual cultivation, they were very restrained in this aspect, only doing it occasionally, and not excessively.

But Lu Changsheng’s situation was clearly going overboard, getting eleven women pregnant in just over half a year.

Lu Miaoge, who was standing beside him, pursed her lips and didn’t say a word.

But her beautiful eyes couldn’t help but reveal a hint of disappointment.

In her opinion, if Lu Changsheng was willing to focus on his cultivation and dedicate himself to the Talisman path, he still had a chance to become a second-grade Talisman master and strive for a breakthrough.

She had also talked to Lu Changsheng about this before.

But seeing Lu Changsheng bring Guan Xin to Jiulong Market and now having so many maidservants, she couldn’t help but feel some disappointment.

She knew that Lu Changsheng hadn’t taken her words to heart.

“Yes, Second Elder, these are all my newly taken maidservants, carrying my children.”

Lu Changsheng heard this and felt a bit embarrassed.

He himself also knew that, in this world, as a cultivator, getting eleven women pregnant in just over half a year was quite excessive.

Although he didn’t feel anything unusual about it in his daily life, being asked about it by the Second Elder made him feel a bit awkward.

Especially with Lu Miaoge standing beside him.

“Ah.”

The Second Elder heard this and couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh.

At this moment, he had a deep understanding of Lu Changsheng’s reputation in Qingzhu Mountain, that he liked to take in wives and concubines and have children.

He lightly coughed twice and then said to Lu Changsheng, “Changsheng, beauty is like a wolf and a tiger, capable of destroying one’s will. It’s okay to enjoy yourself occasionally and relax.”

“But don’t get too caught up in this aspect. You should still focus your time and energy on cultivation and the Talisman path.”

The Second Elder spoke with a serious tone.

This matter was indeed unbelievable, but it wasn’t excessive either.

After all, it was Lu Changsheng’s personal life, and he couldn’t interfere too much.

He thought that when he returned, he would talk to the Fourth Elder about it and have her advice Lu Changsheng.

Otherwise, in his opinion, Lu Changsheng’s uncontrolled behavior would truly ruin himself.

If that happened, it would be a great loss for the Lu Family.

“I will follow your teachings, Second Elder.”

Lu Changsheng responded with a serious and respectful expression.

After all, the Second Elder was his elder, and he naturally had to listen to his advice.

As for what to do in the end, it’s up to oneself.

However, Lu Changsheng himself was planning to be more frugal for a while, to save some money.

Previously, he had thought of buying a set of fine clothes for his wives and children, and even a beauty-enhancing elixir.

But whenever he had money, he would spend it, and his expenses would increase, making it impossible for him to save.

This time, he didn’t have enough money to buy a slightly more expensive gift.

“En.”

Seeing this, the Second Elder didn’t say much either.

This kind of talk, if said too much, would only lead to resentment.

Later, Lu Changsheng and Xiao Qing gave a brief instruction, and then, along with the Second Elder and Lu Miaoge, headed to the Lu Family’s eastern district residence.

They were preparing to return to Qingzhu Mountain together early the next morning.

Upon arriving at the eastern district residence, the arrangement was the same as last time, with them staying in the small courtyard.

“Knock knock knock!”

Lu Changsheng was meditating in his room when he heard a knock on the door.

He got up and opened the door.

“Brother Cheng?”

It was Lu Miaocheng standing outside.

“Changsheng, I’m returning the spirit stones I borrowed from you earlier.”

Lu Miaocheng took out twenty spirit stones and handed them over.

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

He didn’t expect Lu Miaocheng to take the initiative to return the debt.

To be honest, he had already written off these twenty spirit stones as a loss.

The other party’s actions had truly caught him off guard.

“Brother Cheng is too polite, and it’s a hassle for you to make a special trip.”

Lu Changsheng smiled and accepted the spirit stones.

He could see that Lu Miaocheng’s spirit and complexion had improved significantly.

It was likely that he hadn’t gone to the brothel or tea house for a while.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to save up spirit stones.

“There’s no trouble, and I’ve owed it to you for so long.”

Lu Miaocheng patted Lu Changsheng’s shoulder, saying enthusiastically, “Changsheng, the Spring Tea Shop will have a new batch of tea next month, and I’ll invite you to join me.”

Lu Changsheng’s mouth twitched slightly.

He thought that Brother Cheng had quit, but it seemed he was wrong.

He shook his head and spoke with a serious tone, “Brother Cheng, I never go to such places.”

“Changsheng, I’m telling you, many of these new teas are unopened.”

Lu Miaocheng continued.

“No, no, I still won’t go.”

Lu Changsheng said firmly.

He had so many wives, concubines, and servants at home; why would he need to go to such places?

It was simply a waste of money and energy!

With money, he could buy two servants, and buy gifts for his wives and children; wasn’t that better?

“Alright.”

Seeing this, Lu Miaocheng felt it was pointless to persuade him further.

Lu Changsheng looked at Lu Miaocheng’s back, thinking that this Brother Cheng was probably the type to indulge in pleasure and then restrain himself for a while, repeating the cycle.

Otherwise, how could he have been so weak previously and now seemed so normal again?

The next morning, the Second Elder led Lu Changsheng and several others from the Lu Family out of the Jiulong Market’s east gate.

Then, he took out a small, palm-sized, yellow-brown flying boat.

Under the activation of his magic, the flying boat immediately flew out of his palm, transforming into a small boat about a zhang long, with array patterns drawn on its interior and exterior.

“Get on.”

The Second Elder said.

Lu Changsheng boarded the flying boat, finding a seat to sit down.

The flying boat had a total of seven seats, and under each seat, there were recesses embedded with spirit stones.

He knew that this flying boat could be powered by inserting spirit stones, replacing the need for cultivators to use their spiritual energy.

Otherwise, relying solely on the cultivator’s spiritual energy would be impossible for long-distance flight, and the consumption would be too great.

“Let’s go!”

After everyone had sat down, the Second Elder also boarded the flying boat, using a hand seal to activate a faint, shimmering water screen barrier around the boat’s edge, and it took off, transforming into a streak of light.

“This speed is even faster than the steel-feathered eagle, and if we squeeze in, we could fit ten or so people.”

Lu Changsheng looked at the flying boat’s speed and thought to himself.

He felt that this thing was quite good.

If he had one, it would be much more convenient to travel back and forth to Jiulong Market with his wives in the future.

However, the price of such a flying boat would be at least a thousand spirit stones.

Moreover, the flying boat was quite conspicuous, and without any real power, it would be easy to attract attention on the road.

A day and a half later.

The flying boat landed in front of Qingzhu Mountain.

Everyone got off the flying boat and entered the Qingzhu Mountain valley, and Lu Changsheng bid farewell, and headed straight home.

“Husband~”

“Husband is back!”

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

As soon as Lu Changsheng walked into the courtyard, his wives and children, who were in the courtyard, saw him and exclaimed with joy, surrounding him and hugging him.

This scene made Lu Changsheng smile, feeling warm and fuzzy, as he picked up the two children who had run over to him.

But with so many children, he could only put them down immediately and take turns hugging them all.

At the same time, he also hugged several of his wives.

Although he had many concubines in Jiulong Market.

He lacked this kind of warmth and feeling from his wives and children.

His wives and children here had been together for many years, and there was a lot of affection between them.

Before long, Lu Miaoyun and Qu Zhenzhen, along with the other women, came to see Lu Changsheng, their eyes filled with gentle love and affection.

Lu Changsheng saw the little ones in their arms, who seemed to have grown a bit, and were very cute.

Then, he also took a look at the children of Shui’er and Jiu’er.

The two little ones’ hair was the same as their mothers’.

One was red, and the other was blue.

But their eye pupils were black.

Seeing his two somewhat unconventional children, Lu Changsheng also found them quite lovable.

Immediately, Lu Changsheng began to play with the children and chat with his wives, listening to their stories and sharing some of his own.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Qingzhu Valley.

“Second Brother, you said that after Changsheng moved to Jiulong Market, he indulged in women every day, not only taking a number of concubines, but also impregnating each of them, resulting in over ten children?”

The Fourth Elder was shocked and found it hard to believe upon hearing the Second Elder’s words.

She was different from the Second Elder.

After interacting with Lu Changsheng for so long, she knew that Lu Changsheng liked having children, but she had never imagined that he would be so indulgent in women.

Usually, he was very diligent and serious in his cultivation and Talisman crafting.

But now, hearing the Second Elder’s words, she didn’t know what to say.

Because this behavior, in her opinion, was indeed a bit excessive.

Thinking back, the Lu Family had taken in a son-in-law, and in twenty years, they had only asked for fifty children.

But Lu Changsheng had gotten eleven women pregnant in just over half a year.

At this rate, would he still need to cultivate or practice Talisman crafting?

“I am not someone who likes to joke around!”

The Second Elder saw that the Fourth Elder was skeptical, and immediately said, “Miaoge was also there at the time, and she saw it too. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask Miaoge later.”

“This kind of thing, I don’t want to say much, but as an elder, you’re close to him, so you can talk to Lu Changsheng about it later, and also have Miaoyun keep an eye on him.”

“Otherwise, I’m really afraid that he’ll waste himself on women.”

The Second Elder sighed and said.

He wasn’t bothered by Lu Changsheng taking in concubines.

After all, men being fond of beauty was normal.

It was just that Lu Changsheng’s behavior, in his opinion, was a bit excessive.

Beauty was like a wolf, devouring one’s will!

And Lu Changsheng was still young, with an unsteady will, and might not be able to control himself in this aspect.

If this continued, who knew if a talented Talisman cultivator would fall.

“I’ll go take a look tomorrow, and ask Changsheng what’s going on.”

The Fourth Elder’s face also turned serious, and she nodded.

She had a good impression of Lu Changsheng, her grandson-in-law.

She still didn’t believe that Lu Changsheng would completely indulge in women and neglect his cultivation and Talisman crafting.

She was prepared to go take a look tomorrow, and ask what was going on.

And she would also check on Lu Changsheng’s Talisman crafting skills, and then she would know the truth.