Time passed quietly.
Under Wang Po's arrangement, a procession of graceful and attractive Female Cultivators entered the VIP room one after another.
But often, in less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, these Female Cultivators would storm out with dark expressions.
Some of the more ill-tempered ones couldn't help but mutter curses, spitting all sorts of malicious and venomous taunts as if the purple-robed young man inside was their mortal enemy.
Inside the VIP room, Ling Changqing was equally speechless. The Female Cultivators themselves were actually quite decent catches, but because of this, their standards were unbelievably high. Their wild fantasies constantly challenged his perception of reality.
However, Ling Changqing had no intention of being a lapdog. He wouldn't budge an inch on his principles, so it was no surprise that the talks always fell apart.
Fortunately, he hadn't actually planned on finding a Female Cultivator to take home anyway. If this lot didn't change their unrealistic expectations, they were destined to remain single.
'Even if I have zero expectations for this... can't I find a single sane Female Cultivator in this entire Celestial Fate Pavilion?'
Ling Changqing grumbled inwardly as he watched another Female Cultivator storm off in a huff.
A moment later, the next candidate entered gracefully. She was a Female Cultivator with the surname Yun, dressed in a cyan gown. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with gentle and serene features, and greeted him in a soft voice.
She had a Fifth Layer Qi Cultivation and a Mortal Grade Top Spirit Root. Her looks and figure were indeed outstanding, but her real age was over forty.
"...Fellow Daoist Ling, to be honest, I already have two daughters. You must treat them as if they were your own!"
The Female Cultivator surnamed Yun continued softly, "Perhaps you'll feel this is a bit unfair to you, but they will call you father and will take care of you in your old age! As a man, you should be broad-minded and not fuss over such things!"
"Childbirth is difficult for Female Cultivators, so I hope you can understand my situation. I don't wish to have any more children in the future!"
"As for the betrothal gift, I won't ask for much—just two thousand Spirit Stones! Of course, a Cave Mansion Blessed Land and a Flying Ship for travel are essential. You can't let my daughters and me suffer..."
Ling Changqing sighed. 'It's a big forest, and there are all kinds of birds in it,' he thought.
Looking back on his past and present lives, how had he never realized that women from different times and places were all so similar in certain respects?
"Fellow Daoist Yun, you are a peerless beauty, but I am not worthy of your grace. Please, show yourself out."
Ling Changqing picked up his teacup, a clear gesture for her to leave.
"...You men! Not a single one of you is any good!"
The Female Cultivator Yun's expression turned ugly as she rose and left reluctantly.
Outside, she saw Wang Po waiting at the turn of the corridor. The Female Cultivator Yun snorted heavily, her expression still full of indignation.
"Fellow Daoist Yun, what's this...?"
Wang Po stepped forward and asked.
The Female Cultivator Yun said, annoyed and resentful, "He actually turned me down! He could have become a father right after the wedding—what more could he be dissatisfied with?"
"I don't believe this! A divorced Male Cultivator can look for an unmarried Female Cultivator, so why can't I look for an unmarried Male Cultivator?"
"..."
Wang Po smiled helplessly. She hadn't wanted to let this one come over in the first place, but the woman was distantly related to her family and had offered to pay double the introduction fee, so she had reluctantly agreed.
How could Wang Po not understand a man's mind? While other matters might be negotiable, no sane man would ever agree to raise another's children.
'She was clearly treating him like an idiot. It would have been a miracle if he'd given her a pleasant reception!'
After offering a few words of comfort and seeing the Female Cultivator off, Wang Po walked into the VIP room. Seeing Ling Changqing quietly sipping his tea, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"Brother Ling, this whole affair was... quite improper. She was the one who insisted on coming to see you."
Wang Po explained in a low voice.
Ling Changqing, who was in an excellent mood, didn't mind at all. He put down his teacup and said:
"It's no matter. Fellow Daoist, are there any other suitable candidates here? Have them all come over for a look!"
The feeling of fleecing these conniving girls was just too satisfying, so much so that Ling Changqing was left wanting more.
"Well..."
Wang Po thought for a moment and explained, "We do have some outstanding Female Cultivators, but their own Cultivation is higher, mostly at the Qi Cultivation 6th Layer or above. Therefore, they have strict requirements for their partner's Cultivation Realm!"
"To even meet them, the man must be at least at the Qi Cultivation 8th Layer, or even a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator. So, it's difficult for me to arrange."
Ling Changqing shook his head. 'How many Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators are there in the entire Ling Family's territory?'
Besides, once a man reached that level, he certainly wouldn't be short on high-quality Female Cultivators. Would he still need to come to the Celestial Fate Pavilion to find one?
"It seems I won't be able to get what I want today?"
Ling Changqing said helplessly.
It's hard for those with poor prospects to find a partner, but it's not as easy as one might think for those with good prospects either. After all, their expectations are on a completely different level.
It was like the matchmaking market in his previous life, where men and women who were clearly a six out of ten thought they were a seven, and wanted to find a partner who was an eight.
But when they finally met an eight, that person thought they were a nine and wanted to find a perfect ten!
Wang Po thought for a moment, then continued with a suggestion:
"Actually, Brother Ling, your own qualifications are excellent. If you're willing to relax your standards just a little, I have quite a few candidates."
"Besides, if one doesn't satisfy you, you can always pick a few more! I have several pairs of well-qualified sisters, and even... If you're interested, Brother Ling, you can take a look at all of them!"
Ling Changqing nodded, readily accepting her advice. "That sounds wonderful. I'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Wang to make the arrangements!"
As long as he could keep fleecing them, Ling Changqing couldn't care less about the Female Cultivators' qualifications. He wished Wang Po would bring every single Female Cultivator in the Celestial Fate Pavilion for him to meet.
After all, no matter what demands they made, he could just claim it wasn't a suitable match afterward.
Wang Po breathed a sigh of relief and happily went to make the arrangements. With such a high-quality client, her income for the month was about to increase again.
Ling Changqing didn't wait long. A new batch of Female Cultivators soon arrived, entering one by one to meet him as arranged by Wang Po.
This time, the style changed a bit. There were groups of sisters, an aunt and niece who came together, and even a mother who brought her daughter... the situations were varied and endless.
Before he knew it, the entire day had passed.
After seeing off another pair of beautiful sisters, Ling Changqing put down his teacup with a contented look, not appearing the least bit disappointed as he stood up.
"Brother Ling, I'm truly sorry about today..."
As she accepted a large handful of Spirit Stones from Ling Changqing, Wang Po did indeed look a little embarrassed.
"It's fine. I'll come back tomorrow to continue looking. Could I trouble Fellow Daoist Wang to keep an eye out for me as well?"
Ling Changqing said gently.
A hint of delight appeared on Wang Po's face. She quickly patted her chest and promised, "Rest assured, Brother Ling! I will make perfect arrangements for you. If a good candidate appears, I'll inform you immediately!"
Ling Changqing chuckled, used his Communication Jade Talisman to add her contact information, and then left, fully satisfied.
According to the feedback from the Era Star Palace, his Divine Soul Power had increased from 23 to 25, and his comprehension had even gone up by 1 point.
This showed that as long as this fleecing operation could continue, Ling Changqing's Divine Soul, comprehension, and Root Bone would all grow rapidly, to a degree that not even a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator could match.
Back at the inn, the Communication Jade Talisman in Ling Changqing's pocket began to vibrate slightly, indicating that someone was trying to contact him.
Ling Changqing took out a palm-sized, cyan Jade Talisman. It was a special Magical Artifact sold by the Ling Family Bank.
Any Cultivator within a radius of several thousand miles around Zenxin Island could use this Magical Artifact to communicate without obstruction, and it didn't consume much Spiritual Power.
The item was expensive; Ling Changqing had gritted his teeth and bought one the last time he came to take out a loan. After all, as a disciple of the Ling Family's Direct Lineage, it would be unseemly for him not to have one.
Out in the world, this Communication Jade Talisman was also a standard item for proving a Loose Cultivator's wealth and status. Whether you had one or not completely changed how others looked at you.
Ling Changqing glanced at the Jade Talisman and saw that the message was from one of the Female Cultivators he had met.
"Fellow Daoist Ling, the conditions aren't entirely non-negotiable..."
The Female Cultivator with the surname Ma said in her message.
Ling Changqing replied, "What do you have in mind?"
He seemed to recall that this particular Female Cultivator's asking price had been the most outrageous. Not only did she want a Cave Mansion Blessed Land for herself, but she also demanded he buy a Spirit Vein Cave Mansion for her younger brother—paid in full, no loans.
"How about this? We can meet at Xianwei Pavillion tomorrow at noon, have a meal together, and have a proper chat. I'll bring my best friend along!"
The Female Cultivator Ma added that Xianwei Pavillion was one of the most high-end restaurants on Zenxin Island, serving only Cultivators.
The ingredients they served were all high-quality Spirit Rice, meat from second rank or higher Demon Birds and Demon Beasts, and cellared Spirit Wine. One could only imagine the cost; ordinary Loose Cultivators could never afford it.
"..."
Ling Changqing instantly guessed the sort of scheme she might be planning, but he didn't care. This was exactly the outcome he wanted.
"Alright, it's a deal then!"
Ling Changqing laughed to himself and readily agreed.