The three of them respectfully thanked the cultivator and could only steel themselves to continue forward. They truly could not afford the exorbitant lodging fees at Kelaiju; with only a dozen or so low-grade spirit stones each, they couldn't bear to spend them so recklessly.
Bai Ruixin, known by his Daoist title Ruihua, was the last Nascent Soul Ancestor of the East Beast Mountain’s Bai family. He sat within a private guest room of the Bai Family Restaurant, where the window offered a full view of the market’s main street. He took a sip of spiritual wine and glanced down at the street, unable to suppress a faint smile. He had noticed those three little fledglings the moment they entered the East Beast Mountain Market. In truth, the entire market fell within the range of his divine sense; focusing on any specific detail was an effortless task.
"Let me guess the identities of these three little ones," he murmured to himself between sips of wine. "They definitely just arrived from the outer perimeter. Hmm, first time out for experience. Strange, did their elders not give them any pointers? No, they likely have no elders at all, otherwise, who would let them wander about blindly?" He took another sip. "Eh? What an interesting little tyke. At the peak of the third level of Qi Condensation, yet he’s suppressing his cultivation to the second level. Fascinating! Wait, he’s been at the peak of the third level for quite some time. Looking at his age, he’s only seven or eight; he should have broken through easily." He frowned, continuing his monologue. "Right, it must be the cultivation technique. Either they have no technique at all, or the one they have is utter trash." He used his divine sense to observe more closely, his expression growing increasingly peculiar. "How very interesting."
"Come in," Bai Ruihua called out softly toward the door. A cultivator at the early stage of Core Formation entered respectfully and bowed. "Ancestor, what are your orders?"
Bai Ruihua pointed out the window. "Bring those three children up here."
The Core Formation cultivator glanced out the window and understood immediately. He turned to leave, but Bai Ruihua shook his head slightly.
"Send a shop assistant. Don't go scaring the children."
"Understood," the Core Formation cultivator replied respectfully.
Li Xue and her companions were rushing along like headless flies, constantly glancing to the right. They kept thinking to themselves: *Why haven't we seen that small alleyway yet?*
Just then, a cultivator dressed as a shop assistant, possessing a cultivation of the sixth level of Qi Condensation, approached them. The three of them came to a halt.
"Fellow Daoists, please wait a moment," the cultivator said. "Would the three of you care to join us at our restaurant for a cup of spiritual tea?"
Li Xue and the others exchanged looks, eyeing him with a hint of wariness. Ji Rufeng asked, "Senior, which restaurant do you represent?"
The cultivator pointed to the nearby Bai Family Restaurant. "It’s clear at a glance that this is your first time at the East Beast Mountain Market. Our Bai family is the host of East Beast Mountain, and we treat visiting cultivators with great hospitality—especially young cultivators like yourselves. You surely possess great opportunities in your future, and our restaurant treats such guests as honored visitors. Please, follow me!"
The cultivator was secretly breaking into a cold sweat. He had worked at the Bai Family Restaurant for two years and had never once been so humble toward cultivators with lower status than himself. Today was an exception. Seeing how guarded the three were, he feared they might refuse him outright, which would be a massive loss of face. The Ancestor was watching from above; if he couldn't even handle a small task like this, he might as well go home and sleep for good.
The three of them whispered among themselves for a moment. They felt that there was little danger in broad daylight. Besides, a mere shop assistant could easily overpower them if he wished, yet his tone was kind and welcoming. There shouldn't be any immediate peril. Regardless of the man's motives, they decided to go and see for themselves.
The assistant watched them deliberate and felt a sense of amusement, relieved that he had maintained a gentle tone. He led them toward the Bai Family Restaurant.
Upon reaching the third floor, they stopped before a magnificent door. The assistant bowed respectfully to a cultivator standing guard. "Grandmaster Uncle, I have brought them."
The cultivator addressed as Grandmaster Uncle nodded, signaling that the assistant could leave. Then, with a faint smile, he said to Li Xue’s group, "Young friends, please enter."
The three of them knew in their hearts that this man was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. Not daring to be negligent, they thanked him respectfully before entering. The cultivator nodded, satisfied with their polite manners, thinking to himself that the Ancestor truly had a keen eye.
Inside the room, they saw a young man in white robes and a jade crown sitting by the table, drinking wine. His elegant and unrestrained aura made him look like an immortal who had transcended the mortal world. In their few years of cultivation, they had never encountered a cultivator with such a temperament, and they couldn't help but stare for a moment.
The cultivator who had led them in stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and then withdrew from the room.
Only then did the three snap back to their senses. They hurried to bow respectfully. They reasoned that anyone who received such a respectful bow from a man called "Grandmaster Uncle" must surely be a high-level cultivator.
Bai Ruihua pointed to the three chairs opposite him. "Little babies, sit."
The three of them wore strange expressions upon being called "little babies." Li Xue and Ji Rufeng subconsciously glanced at Li Lin before offering their thanks and taking a seat.
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 22 | An Unexpected Invitation | Novela.app | Novela.app
