Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

Chapter 274: Fairy Lin, Please Show Some Restraint!

It took Han Lie a long moment to recover from the sticker shock. He let out a dry, tactical cough. “Shopkeeper… isn’t this a little steep?”

“My lord Immortal, I assure you, this Dao Comprehension Tea is a bargain!” the shopkeeper insisted with practiced sincerity. “Consider this: you drink my tea, achieve a timely breakthrough, and just then, a Fated Chance appears—or an old enemy comes knocking. That breakthrough could be the very thing that turns disaster into fortune. How can you put a price on that? The returns would dwarf a mere million Spirit Stones!”

Right. Keep spinning your tales.

The shopkeeper’s pitch was smooth, almost logical. But as a transmigrator, Han Lie had heard it all before. He wasn’t falling for it.

“Well, well, pretty boy. Fancy meeting you here. It must be fate.”

Just as Han Lie was about to make his escape, a sultry whisper slithered past his ear. A wave of intoxicating fragrance washed over him, and an instant later, a pair of impossibly soft, suffocating mounds pressed firmly into his back.

A jolt shot through Han Lie’s entire body. He spun around to find Lin Jiaomei’s bewitching face inches from his own, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

“Fairy Lin, please have some decency!” he snapped, pushing her away with a righteous glare.

Coincidence? Fate? What a load of crap. She was obviously stalking me, waiting for the perfect moment to stage this ‘chance encounter.’

Lin Jiaomei simply laughed, a sound that could bewitch armies. “Hehe, don’t be like that, pretty boy. What are you buying? Let your big sister help you pick something out.”

“I’m not—”

Before Han Lie could finish, the shopkeeper seized the opportunity. “Fairy, this esteemed Immortal is interested in my Dao Comprehension Tea, but he feels the price is a bit high.”

“Dao Comprehension Tea is a rare, high-grade commodity, and this is Ancient Desolate Heaven. A million Spirit Stones for a few ounces is more than fair, wouldn’t you agree, Fairy?”

Lin Jiaomei tapped a slender finger against her chin, her eyes narrowing. “Hmm… Shopkeeper, you’re being dishonest. It’s a rare tea, yes, but it’s not worth a million. Even here in Ancient Desolate Heaven, the absolute most it’s worth is six hundred thousand. You saw my innocent little pretty boy and thought you could fleece him, didn’t you?”

The shopkeeper’s face fell. “Fairy, you put me in a difficult position. This is a small business, my only livelihood. If the rent weren’t so obscene, I’d gladly sell it for less.”

“Six hundred thousand. Take it or leave it,” Lin Jiaomei stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Sell it to my pretty boy for that, or we’ll take our business elsewhere.”

“Fairy…” The shopkeeper’s brow furrowed in conflict. “Please, what about six hundred and fifty thousand? Just a little more for me, I have a family to feed!”

Lin Jiaomei wagged her finger. “At six hundred thousand, you’re still clearing a profit of at least a hundred thousand. I’m already being generous. Don’t push your luck.”

“This…”

Seeing the shopkeeper still hesitate, she turned on her heel. “Let’s go, pretty boy. Big sister will take you to the next shop.”

“Wait a—”

Han Lie was baffled. Since when are we on a ‘we’ basis?

“Immortal, Fairy, please wait!”

Seeing them actually start to leave, the shopkeeper finally cracked. After a moment of pained internal struggle, he gritted his teeth. “Fine! Six hundred thousand it is!”

A triumphant smirk played on Lin Jiaomei’s lips. “See, pretty boy? Big sister just saved you four hundred thousand. Are you going to take it or not?”

“………”

“Fine,” Han Lie sighed. “Shopkeeper, weigh me out a portion of the Dao Comprehension Tea.” Compared to the original price, six hundred thousand suddenly seemed almost reasonable. Besides, it was a gift for Ye Qingxuan. For her, it wasn’t expensive at all.

“Right away, Immortal! Please wait just a moment!” Seeing the deal was done, the shopkeeper scurried off to prepare the tea.

While his back was turned, Lin Jiaomei’s hand shot down, her fingers closing around him with shocking boldness.

Han Lie’s body went rigid.

“Fairy Lin, control yourself!” he hissed, slapping her hand away with force.

The touch hadn’t been pleasurable; it was repulsive. If not for the massive gap in their cultivation and the delicate nature of his plan, he would have already drawn his sword on this filthy harlot.

But his rejection only seemed to excite her. Lin Jiaomei’s eyes lit up, a feverish blush coloring her bewitching features. “Heehee, you’re full of surprises, aren’t you, my little toy boy?” she purred. “I’ve never encountered such a… magnificent treasure before.”

The more he resisted, the more she craved to conquer him, to break him.

A moment later, the shopkeeper returned with a neatly packaged portion of Dao Comprehension Tea.

Han Lie snatched it, tossed over six hundred thousand Spirit Stones, and left the shop without a backward glance.

“Pretty boy!”

Lin Jiaomei followed him out, calling after him. “Big sister saved you four hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Don’t you think you should repay me?” she hinted, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Your big sister has been so very… empty lately. Why don’t you come and help fill this void? Both in my heart… and my body.”

“Fairy Lin, I can’t thank you enough. Farewell!”

Tossing the words over his shoulder, Han Lie quickened his pace and disappeared into the crowd.

That woman was, without a doubt, the most shameless cultivator he had ever met. Absolutely feral.

Back at the inn, Han Lie reported his encounter, confirming for Ye Qingxuan that Lin Jiaomei was still in Ancient Desolate Heaven.

“It seems your judgment was correct,” Ye Qingxuan mused. “We will depart tomorrow. Let’s see if she follows.”

Han Lie nodded in agreement. He then retrieved the Dao Comprehension Tea from his Storage Ring and began to brew it.

As the rich, calming fragrance filled the room, Ye Qingxuan’s attention was drawn. “Is that… Dao Comprehension Tea? You bought it?” she asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Ah, yes,” Han Lie said with a casual smile. “You’ve been complaining about how awful the tea is here. I passed a shop earlier and picked some up. It’s nothing top-grade, so I can only ask you to make do for now, Qingxuan.”

A genuine smile bloomed on Ye Qingxuan’s face, a sight so breathtaking it could eclipse a field of flowers and bring kingdoms to their knees.

“You shouldn’t have spent so much,” she said softly, though her eyes betrayed her pleasure. “Dao Comprehension Tea has its uses, but they are limited. If its effects were truly profound, the price would be ten, even a hundred times higher.”

Still, while the chances of it inducing a true Epiphany were slim, the taste was exquisite. And beyond its primary purpose, the tea was known to soothe the mind and calm the spirit, making it well worth the cost.

“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t that expensive,” Han Lie said with a grin. “And if I get the chance, I’ll find you the finest, most priceless tea in all the heavens!”

……….