Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2206 139: Tribute (4)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Wang Ba picked an empty immortal cave at random and settled in.
Yin Fu acted quickly, sending several female attendants to serve him.
However, Wang Ba declined the offer with a polite gesture.
Recognizing that Wang Ba was a Clear Cultivator who preferred solitude, Yin Fu withdrew and ceased to disturb him.
Once the entrance to the immortal cave was sealed, Wang Ba executed a hand seal to activate a protective formation, cutting off the interior from the outside world.
Only then did Wang Ba take a seat cross-legged. Surveying his quiet, unfamiliar surroundings, he finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Safety at last... That Wisdom Magic Arhat hasn't appeared for a long time, so he clearly harbors some dread regarding Zhang’s Ruins. It appears my decision to come here was correct."
He had traveled to Zhang’s Ruins with the intent to gamble on a bluff.
As expected, the Wisdom Magic Arhat had not pursued him this far.
Even if that wasn’t the sole reason for his safety, being in this location gave him a much-needed sense of security.
Furthermore, he suspected that even if the Bodhisattva of Supreme True Buddha arrived in person, they might not find any advantage in this territory where rogue cultivators gathered in such numbers.
"Still, depending on others is a fragile strategy. My current Cultivation realm is quite a hindrance if I want to find allies to break through the Immortal Pass."
He lamented silently to himself.
Despite being at the Unification stage—a level where one could look down upon most from a great height—he had not been granted an audience with any Tribulation-Transcending Realm cultivators since arriving at the Yin Ruins Arena. It was clear that in their eyes, he would not be truly respected until he stood upon the same stage as them.
As of now, he lacked the standing to be a rival to the Supreme True Buddha, just as he lacked the status to be a peer to those in the Tribulation-Transcending Realm.
"For now, the priority is to cleanse the remaining residues and rules, then find a path to a breakthrough..."
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, the cave’s formation was triggered by a knocking sound from the outside.
A polite voice followed shortly after:
"Taoist Friend, I am Diao Shaoping..."
Wang Ba’s eyebrows knit together as he extended his Spiritual Mind to investigate.
Outside the immortal cave, he sensed a young cultivator with a curious expression peering toward the entrance.
The man’s features were decent enough, though he had a peculiar look due to one eye being noticeably larger than the other.
Confused by the sudden visit, Wang Ba wondered what the man wanted.
After a brief hesitation, he deactivated the formation, opened the door, and walked out.
The young cultivator immediately scrutinized Wang Ba with a hint of suspicion before cupping his hands in greeting.
"Are you the new Tribute? I am Diao Shaoping; I don’t believe we’ve met before."
Still uncertain of the stranger's motives, Wang Ba gave a small nod.
"I am. May I ask what brings you here..."
"Ah, I reside nearby. I saw Mr. Yin personally escorting you earlier and thought I should pay my new neighbor a visit. I hope I’m not intruding."
The young cultivator was exceptionally polite, yet Wang Ba could detect a faint trace of guardedness in the man's eyes.
The situation was unclear to him.
Wishing to end the interaction, Wang Ba managed a forced smile.
"I appreciate the gesture, but I was in the middle of Cultivation."
Diao Shaoping seemed to ignore the obvious dismissal and smiled broadly.
"Incidentally, the Yin Family’s Merit office just posted a task. It involves scouting for information outside and offers a significant amount of merit. Would you be interested?"
Wang Ba’s frown deepened.
In another time, he might have indulged in small talk, but he currently had no patience for it.
He shook his head slowly.
"I thank you for the offer, but I am preoccupied with my Cultivation and have no time to spare."
With a short bow, he stepped back into the immortal cave.
The formation was promptly closed and locked.
Left standing outside, Diao Shaoping’s friendly expression instantly froze.
He struggled to keep a fake smile on his face as he muttered to himself:
"Fine then, if you’re so busy."
He turned away and flew toward an immortal cave located some distance away.
The moment he entered his own dwelling and sealed the formation, his facade crumbled, and his face darkened with rage.
"What an arrogant brat!"
"I’ve met every Guest Elder of the Yin Family except for this one."
"I wonder what kind of backing he has to arrive as a Fourth-Rank Minister!"
"I tried to be welcoming, and he treats me with such coldness... hmph!"
"So what if he has connections? What makes him so special!"
"When I’ve gathered enough merit to reach the third level, I’ll earn the guidance of a Tribulation-Transcending Realm master. Once I hit the mid-stage of the Unification realm, we’ll see if he still dares to act so high and mighty!"
Venting his frustration made him feel slightly better.
But then, an icy voice suddenly echoed from outside his cave:
"Taoist Friend Diao... That man is not someone you should provoke. Take heed."
"If I catch you bothering him again, well... you know what will happen."
Diao Shaoping’s heart nearly stopped at the sound of that voice.
Yin Fu? Mr. Yin?