I woke slowly to the warmth of three soft bodies pressed against mine. The room was quiet, the morning light slipping through the thin wooden shutters of the roadside inn.
Lanyin lay against my left side, her slender arm resting across my chest. Yu'er slept on my right, her cheek pressed comfortably against my shoulder. Suyin lay partially across my legs, her long dark hair scattered over the blanket like dark silk.
Only thin robes covered our bodies after the long night of cultivation.
The air still carried the lingering warmth of circulating qi. Our breathing was slow and steady, the quiet calm that followed a long night of shared cultivation.
I could sense how our energies had intertwined during the night, the three women's auras resting close to mine, naturally drawn together as if guided by an unseen current.
Lanyin was the first to stir. Her lashes fluttered open, and for a moment she simply looked at me. A soft blush colored her cheeks when she realized how closely we were tangled together. Then she smiled gently and leaned forward, pressing a quiet kiss against my lips before pulling back.
Yu'er woke soon after, stretching lazily like a satisfied cat. She noticed Lanyin's expression, then laughed softly. "You started without me?" she teased before leaning down and claiming her own kiss. Hers was warmer, playful, lingering just long enough to make Lanyin roll her eyes.
Suyin had already opened her eyes by then, watching the two with calm amusement. Without a word she shifted closer and pressed her lips against mine as well, slow and unhurried. When she pulled away, the faintest smile curved her lips before she calmly rose from the bedding.
Morning preparations began soon after. The three women straightened their robes and tied their hair, the quiet intimacy of the night slipping easily into routine. One by one they returned briefly to their own room in the small inn to finish packing their belongings before our departure.
The inn itself was little more than a rest stop village along the road, built to serve passing caravans. Wooden buildings surrounded a dusty courtyard where horses and carts gathered each morning. By the time I stepped outside, merchants and guards were already moving about, preparing for another day of travel.
We shared breakfast together in the common hall. Bowls of hot porridge, steamed buns, and salted meat filled the long wooden table.
Yu'er casually stole one of my buns while Lanyin poured tea beside me. Suyin ate quietly but her eyes occasionally met mine, calm and thoughtful. The three of them looked noticeably different from when we first met, healthier, their complexions clearer, their qi far steadier.
Once the caravan began to move again, the three women naturally joined me in the last horse cart just like the previous day. None of them even hesitated.
When I raised an eyebrow, Yu'er simply grinned. "We already told the caravan leader," she said. "He doesn't mind."
I could sense the change within them clearly.
A night of dual cultivation had refined their qi circulation, strengthening their meridians and clearing impurities. For sectless cultivators like them, such progress was not something easily obtained. Their gazes toward me carried a quiet understanding, they knew the opportunity they had found.
The road ahead remained mostly peaceful. With my Perception Eyes spread across the surrounding terrain, I could sense wandering beasts in the forests and even a few groups of hidden bandits watching from a distance.
But seeing the size of the caravan, none dared approach. I simply ignored them and allowed the journey to continue undisturbed.
The following days passed in much the same rhythm. We traveled beneath the open sky during the day, and rested at small roadside inns each night. Behind closed doors and beneath the dim glow of lantern light, the four of us continued our dual cultivation.
The Milky Dao Seeds released from my Thick Dao Tool had already settled within each of the women, quietly rooting itself in their cultivation. With every passing night, that subtle connection deepened, strengthening the bond between us as our qi began to flow together more smoothly than before.
By the time the caravan finally approached the gates of Baoyan Town several days later, the changes within the three women were unmistakable.
Their cultivation had advanced, their auras steadier and brighter. For wandering cultivators who struggled for every scrap of progress, the path they had found beside me was something they had no intention of leaving.
When our caravan finally entered Baoyan Town, I immediately noticed how well the place was maintained. The outer walls were not as grand as those of the capital, yet the stone blocks were clean and carefully repaired, without the cracks and neglect often seen in smaller settlements.
A handful of guards stood at the gate, checking travelers as they passed through. Their numbers were modest compared to the capital's garrison, but they carried themselves with discipline.
Beyond the gate, the town opened into a network of busy streets.
Though Baoyan Town was not large, everything felt orderly and purposeful. Merchants displayed ores, tools, and supplies in tidy stalls, their goods clearly meant for miners and caravans traveling through the nearby mountains. The faint scent of coal smoke drifted from the smithing workshops, where hammers rang steadily against metal.
Most of the commercial activity centered around the mining trade. Wagons filled with freshly extracted ore rolled through the streets while laborers hauled crates toward warehouses and guild depots.
Near the center of town stood the Mining Guild building, its wooden sign marked by a stylized pickaxe carved deeply into the wood.
There were other establishments as well.
A few slave shops stood along one of the side streets, their entrances guarded but open for business. Not many, but enough to serve the demands of merchants, miners, and passing cultivators.
Further down the road were several pleasure houses, their painted doors and soft lantern lights hinting at the kind of entertainment they offered travelers who had coin to spend.
Nothing extravagant.
Just enough to serve its purpose.
I observed the town quietly while walking beside the three women.
For a mining settlement, Baoyan Town was clearly prosperous enough to maintain order. The streets were clean, the buildings sturdy, and the people carried themselves with the calm confidence of a town that had long learned how to survive along the frontier.
As we moved deeper into the streets, I began considering where I should stay.
Before I could decide, Yu'er turned toward me with a grin.
"There's an inn we usually stay at whenever we pass through Baoyan," she said. "Not fancy, but the rooms are clean."
Lanyin nodded in agreement. "The owner is trustworthy. Many traveling cultivators use that place."
Suyin added calmly, "It's also close to the market and the guild hall."
They then explained that they would remain in town for a few days before finding another merchant caravan returning east toward Xiling City.
"We plan to head back after a few nights of rest," Yu'er said casually. "Caravans pass through here often."
I considered their suggestion briefly.
Having a familiar place to stay would certainly save time.
In the end, I simply nodded.
"Then lead the way."
The three women exchanged small smiles before turning toward one of the quieter streets deeper within the town.
I followed them without hesitation.
Since it was already quite late by the time we settled in, I decided there was no need to rush into business. The ores and materials of Baoyan Town would still be there tomorrow. Instead, I invited the three women to share a proper meal first at the inn.
The inn's dining hall was lively but not crowded. Lanterns hung from thick wooden beams, casting warm light across sturdy tables filled with travelers, merchants, and miners finishing their day's work.
The owner clearly knew how to run the place, food arrived quickly, fragrant bowls of stew, roasted meat, fresh vegetables, and warm rice placed before us.
Yu'er immediately began eating with her usual enthusiasm, while Lanyin poured tea for everyone with quiet grace. Suyin remained calm as always, though her eyes occasionally drifted toward me with a thoughtful look.
Our conversation flowed easily, much like it had during the past days on the road.
They spoke again about their future plans.
Their destination was still the Central Continent, a place far richer in resources, sects, and opportunities for cultivators. But to reach it, they would first need to return east to Xiling City, where larger caravans and ships regularly departed for longer journeys.
"We'll stay here a few days," Yu'er said, resting her chin on her hand while looking at me. "Then we'll take a job guarding another trader caravan heading back to Xiling City."
Lanyin nodded gently. "Caravans move between Baoyan Town and Xiling City almost every week. It won't be hard to find one needing guards."
Suyin spoke quietly after them, her calm eyes meeting mine. "It means we can remain here for a few days… before leaving."
The meaning behind their words was obvious.
Staying a few more days in Baoyan City meant they could spend more time with me before taking another guarding job back to Xiling City.
I simply smiled and raised my cup in quiet acknowledgment, finishing the last of the meal with them before we eventually returned upstairs to the inn.
The hallway had grown quiet by then, most travelers already settled in their rooms for the night.
Once we entered my room, the three women closed the door behind us without hesitation. The familiar atmosphere quickly returned, the subtle anticipation between us already understood.
The moment the door shut, Lanyin, Yu'er, and Suyin naturally moved closer, their gazes calm yet filled with knowing intent.
Soon our cultivation began once more.
Our energies intertwined as my Thick Dao Tool resonated between us, guiding the circulation of qi through each of their meridians. The room slowly filled with the gentle flow of spiritual energy, slow, steady, and precise, as the four of us moved together in the quiet rhythm of dual cultivation.
When my Thick Dao Tool resonated at the proper moment, I guided it carefully toward Lanyin first.
She moved closer without hesitation, her slender arms resting lightly around my shoulders. Our breaths slowly aligned as our lips met in a deep, lingering kiss. The rhythm of cultivation flowed smoothly between us, our qi circulating in steady harmony. After some time, my Thick Dao Tool reached its peak resonance, releasing refined Milky Dao Seeds that quietly settled within Lanyin, strengthening the bond and stabilizing her cultivation.
Next came Yu'er.
With her usual confident smile, she stepped forward as I guided my Thick Dao Tool into her. Our movements quickly found their rhythm, the flow of qi becoming smooth and natural between us. Yu'er's playful nature softened into focused calm as our breathing synchronized and our lips met again in a deep kiss. The circulation of energy intensified gradually until my Thick Dao Tool responded once more, releasing another load of Milky Dao Seeds that flowed into Yu'er, quietly anchoring itself within her meridians.
Lastly, it was Suyin's turn.
She approached with her usual composed grace, her calm eyes meeting mine before our cultivation began. As I guided my Thick Dao Tool into place, Suyin moved in perfect rhythm, her breathing steady as our lips joined in a slow, controlled kiss. Our energies intertwined smoothly, circulating through her refined meridians without resistance. After some time, my Thick Dao Tool once again reached its peak, releasing the final load of Milky Dao Seeds that settled gently within Suyin's cultivation.
But a single cycle was never enough.
Cultivation through such a method required patience and repetition, allowing the essence released by the Dao Tool to settle properly within their meridians.
So the night continued as we repeated the process again and again, our qi circulating in smooth, measured currents. Each cycle refined their energy further, clearing impurities and deepening the quiet connection that had already begun forming between the four of us.
Hours passed beneath the soft glow of the lantern, the room filled only with steady breathing and the gentle pulse of circulating spiritual energy. Gradually the pace slowed as fatigue and satisfaction settled over us.
By the time we finally rested upon the bed, the night outside had grown deep and still, the town silent beyond the inn's wooden walls.
I woke early the next morning, long before the town fully stirred to life.
The faint morning light filtered through the shutters, casting soft lines across the bed. Lanyin, Yu'er, and Suyin were still asleep beside me, their breathing calm after the long night of cultivation. Thin robes loosely covered their bodies, barely disturbed as they rested peacefully.
I leaned down and gave each of them a simple kiss, first Lanyin, then Yu'er, and lastly Suyin, before quietly rising from the bed.
My destination was clear for today: the Mining Guild. If this town truly thrived on mining, then it was the perfect place to gather materials for future crafting.
The Mining Guild building stood prominently near the commercial district. A sturdy wooden structure reinforced with stone, its entrance marked by the emblem of crossed pickaxes. Inside, the hall was already busy with merchants, miners, and buyers negotiating trades. Wooden crates filled with ore lined the walls while guild clerks moved between tables recording transactions.
I approached the front desk where a guild clerk greeted me politely. When I asked about purchasing ores and crystals, he nodded with the practiced patience of someone used to answering such questions.
According to him, Baoyan Town possessed a wide variety of mining resources, ranging from common materials to rare spiritual metals. The price and availability naturally depended on grade and rarity.
Copper and iron were the most plentiful materials here. Large quantities were mined regularly from the nearby mountains. These metals were commonly used to craft everyday tools, household items, and standard weapons for guards or soldiers. For ordinary craftsmen, these ores were more than sufficient.
Silver and gold were somewhat rarer but still appeared frequently enough in the mines. These metals were often used in accessory crafting, rings, bracelets, ornaments, or mixed into weapon forging to enhance balance and conductivity for qi circulation. Many merchants traded them both as crafting materials and as forms of wealth.
The clerk then mentioned spirit stones and elemental crystals.
Spirit stones were a common resource within cultivation societies, though raw stones mined from the earth could not be used directly as currency. They first needed to be processed and refined, something strictly controlled by the government.
Once processed, they became the standard currency among cultivators. Aside from that, spirit stones could also be embedded into equipment to strengthen spiritual conduction.
Crystals were a different category entirely.
These naturally formed stones carried elemental attributes, red for fire, blue for water, green for wood, yellow for earth, and so on. The darker and purer the color, the higher the quality of the crystal. These were often used for forging elemental weapons, talismans, or enhancing formation arrays.
Then the clerk spoke about the rare ores. These were far less common and often appeared only in small quantities when a mine struck a deeper vein. Merchants occasionally competed fiercely to obtain them, though their rarity also meant they were not always easy to sell unless a buyer truly understood their value.
However, based on the available list, one material immediately caught my interest—Dragonbone Metal.
This mysterious metal was formed when ordinary mineral deposits fused with fossilized dragon remains buried deep beneath the earth over countless years. The result was an incredibly sturdy material with exceptional compatibility with spiritual energy.
According to the guild clerk, many experienced cultivators considered it one of the best materials for forging a simple flying sword.
That alone was enough for me to make a decision.
I asked to see the available stock, and after a short wait the clerk returned with several dark metallic lumps placed carefully on a wooden tray.
Even without refining, the metal carried a faint spiritual resonance. Its surface held a dull gray sheen with subtle vein-like patterns running across it, almost like ancient bones fossilized within the metal itself.
I purchased several lumps of Dragonbone Metal on the spot.
With enough of this material, I could forge multiple swords in the future, one for myself, and others for the women who would stand beside me.
A well-crafted flying sword would not only serve as a powerful weapon but also allow rapid travel using flying techniques, greatly shortening journeys across vast distances.
Of course, rare metal alone was not enough for crafting.
I also purchased several large baskets filled with ordinary iron ore. These would serve as the foundation for forging better weapons, training blades, and various metal tools. Iron was inexpensive and versatile, making it perfect as a base material when experimenting with forging techniques.
In addition, I bought several lumps of silver and gold ore. These metals were excellent for crafting accessories or for mixing into weapon alloys to improve qi conductivity. Rings, pendants, bracelets, or weapon fittings could all benefit from small amounts of refined precious metal.
By the time the transactions were finished, the guild workers had already prepared my purchases and arranged them neatly for transport. The amount I bought drew a few curious looks from nearby merchants, but nothing unusual for someone planning future crafting work.
After paying the guild clerk and confirming the delivery of the materials, I stepped out of the Mining Guild building with a satisfied mind.
For now, my shopping in Baoyan Town was complete.