The moment the words left her mouth, Wang Bing blurted out, “Shall we give it a try?”

Jiang Chen was taken aback. This was completely unexpected.

Given the relationship between Wang Bing and Wang Hu, he had intentionally maintained his distance. He had assumed her repeated attempts to chat were merely probes. He never imagined the truth was that she had actually… taken a liking to him.

“Am I not suitable?” Seeing that he showed no reaction, Wang Bing’s heart tightened.

Jiang Chen considered his words carefully. “Fellow Daoist Wang, the kind of Dao companion you have in mind and the one I am seeking may not be the same.”

Wang Bing looked puzzled. “What kind of Dao companion are you looking for?”

Jiang Chen replied seriously, “I am looking for a hired Dao companion to assist me in cultivating a new spiritual root through dual cultivation. I am not looking for a lifelong partner, nor a wife to marry and have children with.”

Wang Bing was stunned. She involuntarily took a step back.

Her gaze and expression grew complex, mirroring the chaos in her mind.

In her understanding, when Spirit Farmers sought out Water Spirit Roots, it was almost always for a romantic partnership. One tilled the fields; the other summoned the rain. Men and women working together eased the burden of labor.

She never expected Jiang Chen to want a hired Dao companion. A transactional arrangement for dual cultivation. It was truly beyond her expectations.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, please think it over carefully,” Jiang Chen said in a deep voice.

Wang Bing took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright. I will go back and consider it.”

She summoned a black flying shuttle and quickly departed.

Jiang Chen watched the direction she had vanished, his gaze complicated.

He really hadn’t expected Wang Bing to be interested in him. Perhaps it stemmed from the incident in the sea of flowers.

Facing a slender, fresh-faced female disciple with a Water Spirit Root, logically speaking, he had no reason to refuse. Furthermore, Jiang Chen wasn’t someone who had become ascetic or detached from desire just because he cultivated immortality.

The problem was that he held too many secrets.

First, five harvests a year. Second, the mutated Spirit Rice beneath Stone Mountain. Third, and most importantly, the secret of his longevity. None of these could be easily revealed.

Therefore, a hired Dao companion was the most suitable choice. She wouldn’t live here permanently, only arriving at scheduled times. And since it was an employer-employee relationship, there would be no messy emotional entanglements.

“However, Wang Bing’s visit was a good reminder.” Jiang Chen quickly retrieved a communication talisman from his small storage bag and infused it with wood spiritual power.

“I’d like to ask if there are any formations that can conceal scents?”

“Then… are there any convenient ones that can be installed and used on the fly?”

“You mean a portable formation?”

“Since we’re on good terms, I’ll give it to you for 50 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.”

After agreeing on a transaction time with Tie Xin, Jiang Chen put away the talisman.

He hadn’t expected the 100 Mid-grade Spirit Stones to vanish so quickly. Before they could even warm his hands, half were already gone.

However, if it could conceal the scent of the mutated Spirit Rice under Stone Mountain, it was a worthwhile long-term investment. After all, the price of mutated spirit plants was currently quite high.

Jiang Chen proceeded to cook while waiting for Tie Xin.

About an hour later, a small black dot wobbled toward him in the sky.

Jiang Chen, who had finished eating and was sitting under the poplar tree enjoying the cool air, knew immediately that Tie Xin had arrived. After all, only she would dare to fly around while drunk.

With a loud rumble, the flying shuttle smashed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Wh… where is everyone?” Tie Xin stumbled out unsteadily.

Jiang Chen said with annoyance, “Can’t you be more careful? You almost destroyed my Spirit Farm.”

Tie Xin chuckled. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare offend you. Hic~”

Jiang Chen walked up to her. Smelling the strong reek of alcohol, he frowned and immediately handed over 50 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. “Here are the Spirit Stones.”

Tie Xin reached out to grab them but grasped at empty air.

She tried again, but still missed.

In her eyes, the Spirit Stones had split into three separate piles.

Speechless, Jiang Chen stuffed the Spirit Stones directly into her arms. “Can’t you drink a little less?”

Tie Xin hugged the Spirit Stones, complaining, “I want to drink less too. But who told you to brew such delicious wine?”

Not only was it delicious, but it also increased cultivation speed and significantly aided in comprehending cultivation techniques. As a result, she got dead drunk basically every day.

Yet, her strength didn’t lag; instead, it steadily increased. The effect was comparable to Tier-2 Spirit Rice. She had become addicted and simply couldn’t stop.

Jiang Chen curled his lip. “So it’s my fault?”

Tie Xin waved her hand dismissively. “Ah… I’m not blaming you.”

Jiang Chen couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Alright, just give me the portable formation.”

Tie Xin began rummaging through her storage bag. She fumbled around for a while before finding it. She focused her mind, and in the next second, something resembling a jade plate appeared in her hand.

Jiang Chen could barely make out the markings on it. They seemed related to orientation or cardinal directions. It looked similar to the compass she had held before, though much cruder.

Tie Xin casually tossed it to him. “This portable formation is called the [Concealing Breath Formation]. It covers an area of about ten zhang.”

Jiang Chen caught it. It was surprisingly heavy.

The jade plate was roughly the size of two adult palms pressed together. Holding it felt like holding a small shield.

Suddenly, Tie Xin’s eyes darted around slyly. “The Spirit Wine I got from you last time is finished. Sell me some more.”

Jiang Chen initially intended to bring out his remaining Tier-2 Spirit Wine. However, on second thought, he needed someone to test the higher-quality Golden Wine.

He turned and entered the house, returning from the kitchen with a jin of Golden Wine.

“So fragrant!” Tie Xin’s nostrils flared as she inhaled the pervasive aroma. Her eyes went wide with desire.

Jiang Chen handed over the Golden Wine. “This is my new brew. Give it a try.”

Previously, the Tier-2 Spirit Wine had carried several negative side effects. In contrast, this Golden Wine was completely different. Having reached the ‘Skilled Hand’ proficiency level, it possessed no negative effects whatsoever.

No matter how much one drank, it wouldn’t harm the body in the slightest. At most, you would just get dead drunk.

Tie Xin blinked, then snatched the bottle right out of Jiang Chen’s hand. Without hesitation, she raised it to her lips and guzzled it down.

Glug glug…

The wine wasn’t harsh; on the contrary, it was quite sweet. In terms of flavor alone, it was superior to the Tier-2 Spirit Wine.

She downed the entire jin of Golden Wine in one go until only dregs remained.

Tie Xin giggled foolishly. “Feels great…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes snapped shut. She instantly lost consciousness.