Submissive Above, Unrestrained Below

Chapter 26: I, Li Xiuyuan, Have Connections

A fierce and menacing eight-length jiao dragon pulls a moving palace.

This is the beast cart rented by Chen Ansheng.

Of course, he wasn’t extravagant enough to hire the entire cart; there were other passengers who would board along the way.

At 120 spirit crystals, the price is a bit steep, but it’s still several hundred cheaper than using a teleportation array.

Fortunately, all food and accommodations along the way are provided by the cart owner, and they will pass through ancient towns, villages, and spiritual caves, making it quite the journey.

Inside the cart, there are over a hundred seats, but currently, only Chen Ansheng occupies one.

He reclines in his seat, arms behind his head, legs crossed, fantasizing about the scenes of joining the cave for cultivation. His mood is quite pleasant.

A few hours later, a downpour begins.

Chen Ansheng lifts the side curtain, staring blankly at the rain outside.

The beast cart comes to a halt.

The first passenger, apart from Chen Ansheng, walks over gracefully.

It’s a young girl in white, carrying a long sword on her back.

Chen Ansheng glances at her out of the corner of his eye, then continues to stare out the window.

In the lower realm, he can be reckless and indulgent; everything is based on his heart’s desire.

But the celestial realm is different; he is still that low-born boy who is timid and acquiescent.

He doesn’t dare to make eye contact with strangers, especially women. If one enters his ten-zhang radius, he feels anxious and at a loss.

“Don’t come over, don’t come over…”

As he hears soft footsteps approaching, Chen Ansheng internally shouts.

There are plenty of seats in the front; why squeeze into the back?

A pleasant fragrance wafts into Chen Ansheng’s nostrils, and he inexplicably gets goosebumps.

“Young master, I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

A clear and melodious voice gently reaches Chen Ansheng’s ears.

There are only the two of them in the cart; Chen Ansheng can’t pretend the girl isn’t speaking to him, so he musters the courage to turn and show a forced smile that says “feel free.”

“I heard the cart owner say there are more people waiting to board in the town ahead, so the back seats are a bit more spacious, hence my intrusion.” Seeing Chen Ansheng’s awkward smile, the girl feels compelled to explain.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Chen Ansheng responds nonchalantly, pretending to look elsewhere.

“Do you often stay at home?” Noticing Chen Ansheng’s extreme social anxiety, the girl can’t help but ask with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah,” Chen Ansheng nods.

He has been hanging around the mining area for over a decade, and the farthest he’s gone is to the market for supplies. He has had little contact with outsiders other than the rough men in the mines and low-tier cultivators from the lower realm.

The girl doesn’t say much more; having a quiet person beside you is much better than someone constantly trying to engage you in conversation.

“It seems we won’t be able to head to the lower realm on this trip,” Chen Ansheng sighs inwardly. There are certainly people on the cart the whole way, and if he disappears for a few hours only to reappear, it would surely attract trouble.

A little annoyed and bored, he resorts to pretending to sleep.

After a couple of hours, the beast cart stops again; outside, there’s a lot of noise with many people boarding.

“Is it alright if we join you two?”

Hearing the voice, Chen Ansheng opens his eyes and sees a young boy in green already sitting between him and the girl in white.

This spot was intentionally left open by the girl.

“My name is Li Xiuyuan. My dad is the top expert in Qingniu Town, and my ancestors were true immortals, but unfortunately, the family has fallen into decline.”

“…”

“…”

Both Chen Ansheng and the girl in white roll their eyes simultaneously.

They both dislike talkative people, and by coincidence, they encounter one now.

With such a detailed introduction, anyone who didn’t know the situation would think this guy was here to court the girl in white.

“Brother, I’m heading to Qian Yue Cave on Ninefold Flower Mountain to seek a master, how about you?” Seeing that the two aren’t paying him any attention, Li Xiuyuan, not thick-skinned enough to directly chat with the girl, pats Chen Ansheng on the shoulder.

Chen Ansheng looks helpless, but since this guy is also heading to Qian Yue Cave to seek a master, they might become senior brothers in the future, so he replies, “What a coincidence, me too.”

Li Xiuyuan smiles and adds, “Not really a coincidence. Of the thirty people who got on earlier, they’re all from my hometown. They’re all going to Qian Yue Cave to seek a master.”

Chen Ansheng is taken aback. “So many? As far as I know, Qian Yue Cave only accepts a hundred disciples every ten years, and thirty from your town?”

Li Xiuyuan waves his hand grandly. “Oh, they’re just trying their luck. I’m different.”

Just as Chen Ansheng is about to ask what’s different, Li Xiuyuan looks around suspiciously, lowers his voice, “We have connections; arrangements have already been made. As long as we pass the basic assessment, we’ll be prioritized for admission. Furthermore, our family’s connections have clearly laid out my future path for promotion.”

Chen Ansheng is silent.

What’s with all the secrecy? Like no one has connections; I’m basically the little master uncle of the cave.

Li Xiuyuan then turns to the girl in white, seamlessly continuing, “Miss, could it be that you’re also going to Qian Yue Cave?”

The girl in white didn’t want to engage with him, but since he seamlessly continued the conversation, she quietly responds with a soft “yes.”

Li Xiuyuan’s expression brightens, and he quickly adds, “What a coincidence! Perhaps the three of us will be on the same path after all. Don’t worry; as long as you can pass the basic assessment, I’ll make sure you get in.”

Li Xiuyuan didn’t intend to include Chen Ansheng in that statement, but it became too obvious.

The girl in white furrows her brows slightly and asks, “If I may ask, what connections do you have, Young Master Li?”

Li Xiuyuan, acting mysterious, leans in to whisper in the girl’s ear but receives a glare, forcing him to pull back his neck in disappointment. “My father once saved the life of the third elder of Qian Yue Cave by accident, so this connection can only get me in. Of course, if I want to be promoted to a core member later, the benefits will be unavoidable.”

Li Xiuyuan gives the girl a knowing look.

The girl smirks disdainfully, seemingly unimpressed, and doesn’t respond further.

Li Xiuyuan internally snorts, pretending to be aloof. By the time I become a core disciple, you’ll be begging for my favor.

“Brother, what’s your name?”

After being rebuffed, Li Xiuyuan begins trying to engage Chen Ansheng again.

“Chen Ansheng.”

Li Xiuyuan nods and says, “Honest talk, do you have anyone to introduce you? If you don’t, even if I secretly pull strings, it would be hard to help you get selected.”

Chen Ansheng just wants to get rid of this pest and continues pretending to sleep, “I have an older brother looking out for me and wrote a recommendation letter.”

“Alright, brother!” Li Xiuyuan slaps Chen Ansheng on the shoulder. “Let me see the letter; I’ll make sure everything is in order.”

“That’s not very convenient.”

Chen Ansheng is somewhat speechless.

The recommendation letter written by Li Zhengyang is sealed with spiritual power, and he hasn’t even dared to open it himself.

“That’s true; recommendation letters are indeed private matters and shouldn’t be shown to outsiders, especially since we’re not familiar yet,” Li Xiuyuan says, appearing understanding. “How many people are in your family? Is your family a noble one? What’s your father’s last name?”

Chen Ansheng rubs his temples, yawns, and leans his head in a different direction.

“You fell asleep so fast?”

Li Xiuyuan, feeling bored, thick-skinnedly tries to engage the girl in white again.

But when he turns, he finds the seat beside him is already empty.

He wears an expression of disappointment, and his gaze inadvertently catches a fresh pool of blood on the ground.

“No wonder this girl shows no interest in me; it must be that time of the month, which makes her irritable. That’s understandable.”

Li Xiuyuan clicks his tongue, realizing no one is talking, and finds it quite boring.

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