Chapter 29: A Vampire Appears

At that moment, the innkeeper interjected, "You monster, how dare you spout such nonsense here? The Bamboo Grove Institute is heavily guarded. If you lure these two there, would you not be harming others?"

Sun Wuming replied, "Easy for you to say, since you built your foundation by luck. Everyone knows the Bamboo Grove Institute hides the Immortal Dew—why shouldn’t I talk about it?"

The innkeeper was shaking with rage. "Get out, get out! You monsters are up to no good!"

Sun Wuming snapped, "Then old Sun won’t pay for the wine!" With that, he dragged Qin Yue and Luo Yu out of the tavern in a huff, while the innkeeper shouted after them, "You two, don't keep company with it, or you’ll bring trouble upon yourselves!"

The three of them were thus driven out. Luo Yu and Qin Yue were both embarrassed, but Sun Wuming seemed used to it. He curled his lip and said, "The Bamboo Grove Institute is hoarding that stuff just to refine pills. When old Sun is ready to build his foundation, I’ll sneak in and steal a drop for myself... You two might as well try it too. The old folks at the Institute don’t need it anyway—what a waste."

Luo Yu whispered, "I doubt it’s wasted. They must be saving it for their disciples."

Sun Wuming said, "What use is Immortal Dew by itself? Without Spirit Essence, it’s pointless... Listen, every year at mid-autumn, the dew forms. That’s when they collect it in jade bottles. If you want to go, you’d better time it right."

Luo Yu felt exasperated—following this one was enough to ruin anyone!

Qin Yue, meanwhile, frowned slightly, lost in thought.

After Sun Wuming’s enthusiastic encouragement, he made a deal with the two and then parted ways.

Seeing it was getting late, they decided to find a place to stay for the night.

Walking for a while, they came upon a building with a sign reading "Welcoming Immortals Residence." The establishment truly lived up to its name: elegant eaves that soared and curved, inlays of gold and jade, even the door pillars were made from golden-threaded nanmu wood. The building stretched all the way up the mountainside, with pavilions and towers barely visible in the distance.

Luo Yu looked at the inn and hesitated to enter—could they afford such luxury with just two hundred spirit stones between them?

But Qin Yue, accustomed to wealth, strode right in, and Luo Yu had no choice but to follow nervously.

Inside was a grand hall, exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and mysterious exotic flowers arranged in jade basins.

When they entered, the manager at the counter didn’t even look up, simply asking, "Looking for lodging?"

Luo Yu thought, well, this attitude is even colder than the tavern’s. Is this how it is in the cultivation world?

Qin Yue asked, "How much is a room?"

The manager replied, "Only one premium suite left, but it's occupied. The rest are standard suites—five spirit stones per night, two extra if sharing, totaling seven spirit stones. Meals are separate. Ten spirit stones deposit."

Qin Yue nodded, handed over the spirit stones, and said, "We’ll take a suite."

The manager took the stones, handed them a jade token, and paid them no further heed.

Luo Yu felt a bit uneasy but kept quiet, following Qin Yue as they ventured deeper inside.

In the next room, they were greeted by twelve palace-dressed beauties in ruqun, standing in two rows. Luo Yu tensed up instantly—he had just been complaining about poor service, and now look at this! These must be attendants.

Blushing, he glanced at the beauties who, when they entered, all bowed elegantly in unison. One stepped forward and, in a respectful tone, said, "Esteemed Immortals, please follow me."

Luo Yu studied her closely—wait, her expression was stiff, her voice mechanical... A quick probe with his spiritual sense—damn, another fake! A puppet! How deceptive.

He immediately stood taller, indignation rising. Qin Yue, however, remained unperturbed. They followed the puppet through several courtyards and pavilions, then along a winding covered corridor up the mountain. The beauty of the journey soothed Luo Yu's earlier irritation.

Finally, the puppet stopped in front of a courtyard and said, "Esteemed Immortals, please open Floating Fragrance Garden."

Qin Yue looked up—indeed, the sign above the gate read "Floating Fragrance Garden." The closed vermilion doors bore a glowing character for "lock."

Taking out the jade token, Qin Yue channeled in some power. Instantly, a flash of white light, and the character faded.

The puppet stepped forward, opened the doors, and said, "Esteemed Immortals, please enter." Once they were inside, it closed the doors and the "lock" character reappeared on the inside.

Luo Yu wondered, is locking the door enough? Couldn’t someone just climb over the wall? He spread his spiritual sense and discovered the entire courtyard was enveloped in a barrier—quite secure, in fact.

The puppet led them to a small building in the courtyard and said, "If you need anything, please call me." With that, it stood motionless at the door, like a machine powered down.

Luo Yu and Qin Yue entered, feeling awkward. Inside, they found a study, chess room, music room, art room, bedroom—all complete, with furniture crafted from rare woods, exquisitely beautiful. The carved canopy bed was especially extravagant, almost like a small openwork pavilion with steps and a lounge area—Luo Yu was so amazed he immediately took out his phone to take pictures.

After exploring, Luo Yu collapsed on the bed and exclaimed, "Immortals really do live in luxury! Compared to this, Master Shuijian lives a life of true austerity."

Qin Yue lay down beside him and said, "It’s a matter of different pursuits. This town isn’t ideal for cultivation—too many people, too little spiritual energy, and the mountain-protecting array siphons off much of it. Those who choose to live together like this often have little choice. Who wouldn’t rather find a good place and claim a mountain for themselves?"

Luo Yu said, "So, if we find that—"

"Shh!" Qin Yue suddenly interrupted. "Now that we’re among cultivators, keep your spiritual sense active at all times. If a Golden Core cultivator comes by, the formation won’t block their senses. Anything we say could be overheard if someone tries. Our spiritual sense is strong for our level, but it’s nothing compared to Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators. If they want to eavesdrop, we won’t even know. Out here, if you want to talk, set up a spiritual barrier first."

Luo Yu nodded obediently, then climbed to the window to look at the view. "How does the payment work? Lodging seems cheap!"

Qin Yue replied, "Cultivators lack for everything but housing, so accommodation is cheap. One hundred spirit stones equals one spirit jade. One hundred spirit jade equals one celestial stone. But spirit jade is rare, so everyone uses spirit stones. The more valuable celestial stones, celestial crystals, and celestial jades are beyond our means."

Luo Yu said, "Two hundred spirit stones should be enough to buy something, right?"

Qin Yue warned, "Don’t celebrate too soon—books aren’t cheap."

A thought struck Luo Yu. "There’s a study here, isn’t there? Let’s see what books they have!"

He hurried to the study and began browsing. Most books turned out to be histories of the cultivation world, miscellaneous essays, biographies, and introductions to places and customs—everything but the practical manuals he wanted. Still, these were helpful, so he picked out a pile to read with Qin Yue.

They spent the afternoon reading, learning a great deal. As evening fell, they took food from their storage pouches for dinner. Afterward, Luo Yu suggested they visit the night market to get a feel for the area, and Qin Yue agreed. Together, they strolled out into the streets.

Along the way, they saw many shops: pill refining workshops where apprentices from large sects practiced their craft, weapon forges likewise run by the great sects, shops selling pills and magical tools, even tailors offering garments from every era.

They entered an herbal shop to check prices—a two-hundred-year-old ginseng sold for about two hundred spirit stones. Selling that root to Sun Wuming had indeed been a bit of a loss. Other higher-grade herbs cost at least a hundred spirit stones apiece.

Looking further, Luo Yu found that he actually possessed a spirit herb called "Patterned Grass," a century-old plant valued at nearly five hundred spirit stones. Curious, he asked the shopkeeper why it was so expensive. The answer: Buddhist cultivators prized it for their indestructible body technique—it was an effective aid.

After discussing it, Luo Yu and Qin Yue sold a stalk, earning five hundred spirit stones on the spot.

They then visited a pill shop. Foundation Establishment pills, even supporting types, cost five hundred spirit stones and up. Pills that directly boosted cultivation were over a thousand each, and even the most basic ones for Qi Refining, though common, sold for fifty spirit stones. Compared to that, lodging was a bargain.

Next, they went to a weapon shop. Everything for sale was a magical implement—no true treasures here. The cheapest implements cost about a hundred spirit stones, the better ones over five hundred, and the shop’s "pride and joy," a top-grade implement covered with arrays and shimmering with light, was priced at three thousand spirit stones.

Luo Yu couldn’t help but ask, shielding his words with spiritual sense, "How much would your handkerchief fetch?" Qin Yue replied calmly, "Mine is infused with Essence of Glazed Water, a top-grade support implement. It may not hit as hard as these, but it's just as valuable."

Luo Yu was tempted to buy something, but his funds were too limited. After much hesitation, he decided they should check out a bookstore first.

Just as they were about to leave, a group of foreigners with blond hair, blue eyes, and high noses walked in, stunning Luo Yu. Some wore designer suits; others, ornate European aristocratic attire. Watching them, Luo Yu noticed their skin was extremely pale, and now and then, sharp fangs flashed as they spoke—vampires! He was electrified.

The foreigners noticed Luo Yu and Qin Yue too. Most gave them a glance before moving gracefully to inspect the implements, but one, a strikingly handsome man in a suit, stared at Luo Yu for quite a while, clearly astonished.

Qin Yue, seeing the man’s gaze linger on Luo Yu, quietly blocked his line of sight. Meanwhile, the vampires behind them began to exclaim in clumsy Chinese, "Oh my god, what have we found? These are a hundred times finer than dwarf-forged weapons! Lampes, darling, come look at these enchanting works of art!"

The one called Lampes snapped out of his daze and joined them.

Leaving the shop, Luo Yu grinned, touching his face with a touch of vanity. "I must be more handsome than you—did you see how that vampire stared at me?"

Qin Yue snorted, "Careful you don’t get yourself bitten."

Bromance in the Immortal Realm, Chapter 29: Vampires Appear—end of update!