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Chapter 292: Waiting in Line
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:16:15 +0000 UTCAfter leaving the inn, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu headed straight to the ticket office for the spirit ship.
It was located in the heart of the city.
Originally, this place was a shop owned by the Yuan family, but it had been temporarily closed and loaned out to the staff selling tickets for the Talisman Master Conference.
Luckily, Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu had set out early in the morning, so the sky was still dim, and the line for tickets wasn’t too long yet.
Although the Talisman Master Conference was a grand event held once every hundred years, not everyone had the time or the spirit stones to easily part with 200 spirit stones just to attend an event that might not concern them.
Still, there were about a hundred or so people in line.
Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu quietly joined the end of the line.
Jiang Youfu, full of excitement, looked around with his bright eyes, eager to say something to Lin Xiao. But suddenly, he remembered the lecture Senior Liao had given him the previous day. Immediately, he pursed his lips tightly.
He needed to remain calm, steady, and cautious for his safety.
Lin Xiao turned to see Jiang Youfu standing there with his lips clamped shut, looking like he was holding back something.
"What’s wrong?"
Jiang Youfu loosened his lips, intending to respond, but as soon as he did, a burst of air rose from his throat, and he let out a loud hiccup right at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao cleared his throat and patted Jiang Youfu on the shoulder, saying, "Be careful with all those snacks you’re eating. Don’t overdo it, or you’ll ruin your appetite. We still have plans to go to Xianxiang Tower later."
The line moved quickly.
Before long, there were fewer than twenty people ahead of them.
The shop's front only had a small entrance, and due to some kind of formation in place, Lin Xiao couldn’t see what was happening inside.
Of course, with his current cultivation at the Golden Core stage, he could have easily checked if he wanted to.
But there was no need.
Nothing worthwhile could be gained from prying, and it could attract unnecessary trouble.
Soon, it was their turn.
Lin Xiao finally got a clear view. Inside the small door was a modest counter, behind which sat a middle-aged cultivator.
His cultivation level was indiscernible, meaning either he was stronger than Lin Xiao or was using some method to conceal his level.
Lin Xiao didn’t stare for long and simply handed over 400 spirit stones, saying, "Two tickets, please."
For some reason, the middle-aged cultivator seemed curious and glanced up at Lin Xiao. However, his hands didn’t pause. He took the spirit stones with a wave and handed over two tickets.
From the shadows behind the small door, a young voice suddenly said softly, "The ship departs in three days at Chen hour. Please don’t miss it."
Surprised by the unexpected voice, Lin Xiao glanced inside but saw nothing.
The middle-aged cultivator also appeared slightly surprised by the voice. His eyes flicked briefly to the back of the room before signaling that Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu could leave.
Lin Xiao pretended to store the tickets in his storage pouch but actually placed them in his private storage before leading Jiang Youfu away. As they left, Lin Xiao used a cleansing spell to remove any potential lingering auras from himself and Jiang Youfu, and they also changed their appearances with a disguise spell.
Only then did they nonchalantly head toward Xianxiang Tower.
Though the city was lively, it wasn’t noisy.
This part of the city had no commoners or street vendors. The shops here were all established by prominent families and old, well-established businesses. The streets gave off an air of dignified tranquility.
As Lin Xiao and Jiang Youfu walked down the bustling yet quiet street, Jiang Youfu occasionally sneaked a glance at Lin Xiao.
He was itching to see what the 200-spirit stone tickets looked like.
But he held himself back.
He now understood why Lin Xiao had acted the way he did earlier.
Don’t flaunt your wealth.
Four hundred spirit stones wasn’t a small amount.
Looking as young as they did, others might assume they were easy targets.
Whether they could handle trouble or not, it would still be a hassle.
When out in the world, it was best to avoid unnecessary complications—something Senior Liao had told him just yesterday.
Jiang Youfu felt that he was growing up, becoming more mature and level-headed.
On their way to Xianxiang Tower, they took a detour to Jiang’s livestock shop and bought a spirit pig to be sent ahead to the restaurant.
When they finally arrived at Xianxiang Tower and the food was served, Lin Xiao set up a protective formation in the room. Only then did Jiang Youfu, his eyes sparkling, eagerly ask:
"Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao, can I see what the ticket looks like?"
Senior Liao emerged from the Soul Nurturing Pendant, poured himself a small cup of wine, and, while sipping, looked disdainfully at Jiang Youfu.
"Look at you, acting all excited over a mere ticket. What’s so special about it?"
Lin Xiao smiled and said nothing. He reached into his robe and pulled out one of the tickets, handing it to Jiang Youfu.
The two young men huddled over the ticket, examining it closely.
The "ticket" was, in fact, a small piece of light-red jade.
There was nothing on its surface.
Jiang Youfu flipped it over several times, finding nothing of interest. Feeling slightly disappointed, he returned it to Lin Xiao.
"There’s nothing on it!"
Lin Xiao pocketed the ticket and chuckled, "You should get used to using your spiritual sense, Youfu. It has many useful applications."
Usually, Jiang Youfu would agree with whatever Lin Xiao said, but this time he shook his head and replied:
"Brother Xiao, using spiritual sense is exhausting. There were a few times I used it while cooking, and it made me dizzy afterward."
Hearing this, Senior Liao, who had been enjoying his wine, glanced at Jiang Youfu in surprise and asked:
"Every time you use your spiritual sense while cooking, does it feel a little easier than the time before? Can you last longer? And the food you make comes out better, doesn’t it?"
Jiang Youfu, not entirely sure what he meant, nodded slowly.
Senior Liao, holding his cup near his mouth, sighed, "Impressive, kid. You’re training your spiritual sense just by cooking. But don’t go around telling people that."
As he spoke, he grabbed a large piece of meat to go with his wine.
Lin Xiao pondered for a moment and asked:
"Isn’t that how all spirit chefs are?"
"Of course not," Senior Liao replied.
"Most cultivators can only increase their spiritual sense passively as their cultivation level rises. They can’t find an effective way to actively train it. And even for those who do, the usual methods are so inefficient that after a year or two of training, they only see minimal improvement. It’s often faster to just focus on cultivation and increase their level instead."
"Training spiritual sense is different for everyone. Some people never find a method that works for them, while others might be lucky enough to figure it out. But discovering that method isn’t easy."
He cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Youfu and added with a hint of jealousy:
"Except for ridiculously lucky people like you."
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