I Idle in the World of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 41: Secured
On the seventh day, the news came.
Not from Peak Master Chen himself, but from one of his young disciples. Early in the morning, he ran up the back mountain, panting heavily, standing at the mine entrance, bent over with his hands on his knees, unable to speak for a long time.
Yue Long was watering the spirit field. Her rabbit ears caught the sound first, perking up and turning a circle. Then she stood up, brushed her skirt, and ran to the mine entrance.
"What is it?"
The young disciple panted for a while before finally speaking. "M-master sent me to tell you… they found out who's trying to buy the inn…"
"Who is it?"
"East side of Suihuang City… a spirit stone mine owner… surname Sun. A wealthy merchant. He wants to buy Fortune Inn… turn it into a private club… for entertaining… entertaining…" The young disciple scratched his head. "Master said he didn't want to say it out loud, but it's nothing proper anyway."
Yue Long's rabbit ears turned. "Did he make an offer?"
"Yes. One thousand. The innkeeper already took a deposit."
"How much deposit?"
"Two hundred."
Yue Long frowned, turned, and ran to Lin Luo. "Master, someone already paid a deposit."
Lin Luo put down his axe. "How much?"
"Two hundred. The innkeeper took it."
Lin Luo wiped his hands, took out spirit stones from the Shared Storage. One thousand one hundred, stacked neatly. He looked at Yue Long.
"Let's go. To the inn."
Yue Long followed behind, her rabbit ears floating in the wind. "Master, how much did you bring?"
"Eleven hundred."
"One hundred more than the other bid?"
"Yes."
"What if the innkeeper won't refund the deposit?"
"Then offer more."
Yue Long opened her mouth, then didn't ask again.
---
Fortune Inn looked the same. The sign was older. More moss. The innkeeper wasn't asleep at the counter. He was standing in front of it, facing a middle-aged man in an embroidered robe. The man was fat, with a round face, three spirit stone rings on his fingers. Beside him stood a Foundation Establishment Layer 4 guard, arms crossed, face expressionless.
Yue Long's rabbit ears turned. "Master, that man—"
"Merchant Sun."
"How do you know?"
"Guess."
Lin Luo pushed the door open. The innkeeper looked up and his expression changed. Merchant Sun turned, looked Lin Luo up and down – chores uniform, Greenwind Sword, Foundation Establishment Layer 3 – not threatening.
"Innkeeper, you have a guest. Take care of him. We'll talk about the inn later." Merchant Sun smiled and turned to leave.
Lin Luo didn't look at him. He looked at the innkeeper. "I'm here to buy the inn."
The innkeeper's face grew even more troubled. "Um, Sect Leader Lin, this Merchant Sun has already paid a deposit—"
"How much?"
"Two hundred."
"I'll pay three hundred. Refund his deposit."
Merchant Sun's steps stopped. He turned back, looked at Lin Luo, and smiled. "Young friend, I came to this inn first. I've already paid the deposit. You think three hundred will make me back out? I'll pay twelve hundred."
Lin Luo looked at him. "Thirteen hundred."
"Fifteen hundred."
"Sixteen hundred."
"Eighteen hundred."
"Two thousand."
Merchant Sun's smile froze. Two thousand spirit stones for an inn about to go out of business – not worth it. He was a businessman, not a hothead. He stared at Lin Luo for a few seconds, then looked at his chores uniform.
"Are you from the Cangxuan Sect?"
"Idle Sect."
Merchant Sun frowned. "Never heard of it."
"Now you have."
Merchant Sun was silent for a moment, then laughed. "Fine. The inn is yours. I won't fight you for it. But the deposit—" He turned to the innkeeper. "Two hundred spirit stones. Refund me."
The innkeeper quickly took two hundred stones from under the counter and handed them over with both hands. Merchant Sun pocketed them, looked at Lin Luo.
"Young friend, you have guts. But two thousand stones for this run-down inn – not worth it."
"Worth it or not is for me to decide."
Merchant Sun shook his head and left with his guard.
The innkeeper stood behind the counter, sweating. "Sect Leader Lin, do you really want to pay two thousand?"
Lin Luo put eleven hundred stones on the counter. "Eleven hundred now. The remaining nine hundred, paid within one month."
The innkeeper looked at the pile of stones, then at Lin Luo's face. He wanted to say "not for sale," but didn't dare. Merchant Sun was gone, and no one else was bidding. If he didn't sell to Lin Luo, the inn might never sell again.
"Deal."
He took a contract from under the counter, filled in the price and payment terms, and handed it to Lin Luo. Lin Luo read it and signed. The innkeeper signed too, then put the inn's keys on the counter.
"Sect Leader Lin, the inn is yours."
Lin Luo took the keys and put them into the Shared Storage. Yue Long stood beside him, her rabbit ears straight up, her eyes sparkling.
"Master, the inn is ours?"
"Yes."
"What about the well?"
"Let's go see."
---
They walked through the main hall to the back courtyard. The courtyard wasn't large. In the center was a stone well. The well's rim was covered in moss. The water was clear, and you could see the bottom.
Yue Long lay on the well's edge and looked down. Her rabbit ears drooped, almost falling into the well.
"Master, the water is clear."
"Yes."
Lin Luo took out the Spirit Vein Heart from the Shared Storage. The glowing stone pulsed like a heartbeat. He crouched, placed the Spirit Vein Heart at the bottom of the well, and held it down with small stones so it wouldn't float up.
The moment the Spirit Vein Heart touched the water, the well water lit up. Not the kind of light from sunlight reflecting – light from within. Pale gold. Warm. Like a small piece of twilight sealed at the bottom of the well.
Yue Long lay on the well's edge, her rabbit ears straight up. "Master, the water is glowing!"
"Yes."
"Spiritual energy – the spiritual energy coming from the well is so much thicker than before!" She took a deep breath, her rabbit ears twitching. "Ten times. It really is ten times."
Lin Luo stood up and brushed the dust off his hands. "The inn is bought. The Spirit Vein Heart is placed. Now we wait for guests to come."
"What if no one comes?"
"Then wait."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Master, do you think Merchant Sun will come looking for trouble?"
"No."
"Why?"
"He's a businessman. He won't do anything that loses him money."
Yue Long nodded, stood up, and brushed her skirt. "Master, what now?"
"Go to the market. Do a good deed."
"After the good deed?"
"Come back. Make soup. Chop wood. Idle."
Yue Long smiled. She ran two steps and walked backward, facing Lin Luo. "Master, you said a lot of words today."
"You asked for it."
"I asked you to say more, not this much."
"Then I'll say less tomorrow."
Yue Long pouted. "Then say more."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved.
---
The two walked toward the market. Passing the wonton stall, the owner was closing up. When he saw them, he waved and smiled.
"Little girl, no good deeds today?"
"Yes! After I do it, I'll come eat wontons!"
"Then I'll wait for you."
Yue Long ran into an alley, her rabbit ears up, her eyes scanning every corner. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, she saw an old woman sitting on a doorstep, a pile of firewood in front of her. The old woman bent over, carrying a piece of wood into the house with great effort.
Yue Long ran over. "Granny, let me help!"
The old woman looked up, saw Yue Long, and smiled. "Thank you, little girl."
Yue Long picked up the pile of wood and carried it into the house. It was heavy, but she was strong. After two trips, it was all moved. The old woman came out with a bowl of water and handed it to Yue Long.
"Have some water."
Yue Long took a sip, gave the bowl back to the old woman. "Granny, is there anything else you need help with?"
"No. Thank you."
Yue Long crouched on the doorstep, took out her phone.
[One good deed a day · Completed.]
[Merit +10.]
[Sect contribution +10.]
[Current sect contribution: 50.]
She put her phone away, stood up, brushed her skirt, and ran back to the wonton stall.
"Boss! Two bowls of wontons!"
The owner put two bowls of wontons in the pot. Yue Long took a bite – hot, but she didn't spit it out. She swallowed with tears in her eyes.
"Master."
"Yes."
"The inn is bought. The Spirit Vein Heart is placed. The good deed is done. Today feels perfect."
Lin Luo didn't speak.
Yue Long lowered her head and ate her wontons. After a few bites, she took out her phone and glanced at it – next to Su Xiaoxiao's profile picture, the words "Awakening in progress" still showed. She put her phone away.
"Master, how much longer for Sister Xiao?"
"A little over a day."
"After she wakes up, will she send us a message?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"She will when she wakes up."
Yue Long nodded and kept eating her wontons.
---
After finishing the wontons, the two walked back. Halfway, Lin Luo's phone buzzed. He took it out – not Su Xiaoxiao's. Bone One's.
[Bone One · Total damage dealt to Nascent Soul demon beast: approx 31%. Demon beast status: Right front leg broken, left hind leg tendon torn, tail stump infected and spreading, movement speed decreased by 85%.]
[Win rate updated: 32% → 41%.]
Lin Luo stared at the "41%" for a few seconds. The beast was near death. Bone One's skeleton was also near death – on the screen, the skeleton had several new cracks through its torso, the left arm broken at the shoulder, the right arm still there but two fingers gone. It held its short blade and crawled out from behind the rubble, walking toward the demon beast.
Yue Long leaned over to look. "Master, Bone One's hand is broken."
"Yes."
"Can he still fight?"
"Yes. He still has one hand."
Yue Long turned her face away. "Master, it hurts me to watch."
"Then don't watch."
Yue Long turned the phone face down in Lin Luo's hand and walked ahead. After a few steps, she turned back.
"Master."
"Yes."
"After Bone One wins, will he come back?"
"Yes."
"Back to the mine?"
"Yes."
Yue Long nodded, turned back, and kept walking.
---
Back at the mine, Rat One was dozing by the spirit field. When he saw them return, he squeaked twice, turned over, and kept sleeping.
Yue Long crouched by the spirit field, playing with the Glow Mushrooms. After a few touches, she turned back to Lin Luo.
"Master."
"Yes."
"The inn is bought. The Spirit Vein Heart is placed. The phone update still needs five thousand stones. When will we update?"
"Wait for Bone One to finish."
"Why?"
"After Bone One finishes, he'll bring back the Nascent Soul demon beast's bones. Those bones are valuable."
Yue Long's eyes lit up. "How much are they worth?"
"I don't know. We'll find out when we sell."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "What if the bones aren't worth five thousand?"
"Then wait."
Yue Long nodded and kept playing with the Glow Mushrooms.
Lin Luo leaned against the stone wall, took out his phone, and opened Bone One's interface. The skeleton had already reached the demon beast. The beast lay on the ground, breathing heavily. Its right front leg was broken, its left hind leg broken too. Dark red pus oozed from the tail stump. It saw Bone One and didn't move. Not that it didn't want to – it couldn't.
Bone One raised his short blade and stabbed it into the beast's throat. The beast let out a low whimper, scratched the ground twice with its claw, and then stopped moving.
[Nascent Soul Layer 1 demon beast · Defeated.]
[Bone One gained experience: Large amount.]
[Bone One cultivation: Body Refining Layer 3 → Body Refining Layer 4 → Body Refining Layer 5.]
[Drops: Nascent Soul demon beast skeleton ×1 set, Demon beast core (Nascent Soul) ×1, Demon beast essence blood ×5.]
[Note: The demon beast skeleton is of extremely high quality and can be used for artifact refining. It is recommended to process it soon to prevent spiritual energy loss.]
Lin Luo stared at the line "Body Refining Layer 3 → Body Refining Layer 5" for a few seconds. Two layers at once. After over a hundred deaths, finally finished.
Yue Long leaned over, her rabbit ears almost poking his face. "Master! Bone One won!"
"Yes."
"He went up two layers!"
"Yes."
"Can you say something else!"
"Good fight."
Yue Long opened her mouth, then smiled. Her rabbit ears went up, twitching in the wind.
"Master, when will Bone One come back?"
"Soon."
"After he comes back, should we celebrate for him?"
"No. He doesn't need it."
"Then I'll make him a bowl of soup. He can't drink it, so I'll drink it for him."
Lin Luo looked at her. "You just want to drink soup."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "…You caught me."
The corner of Lin Luo's mouth moved.
Yue Long went to make soup. She busied herself by the stove, getting flour on her rabbit ears again without knowing it. Rat One squatted by the stove, waiting for mushroom scraps to fall. When Yue Long cut a mushroom, a piece fell. Rat One grabbed it and ran.
"Rat One! You're stealing again!"
Rat One squeaked twice and hid in his nest to eat.
The soup was done. Yue Long brought two bowls, one in front of Lin Luo, one in her own hands.
"Master, drink."
Lin Luo took a sip. "Not salty."
"I didn't put any salt in today."
"Good."
Yue Long froze. "What did you say?"
"Good."
Yue Long's rabbit ears went up. "Say it again."
"No."
"You just said it! I heard you!"
"Then you heard it."
Yue Long took a deep breath and stopped asking. She crouched by the spirit field, holding her soup, her rabbit ears twitching.
Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest and squeaked twice.
Yue Long looked down at him. "Rat One, do you want some too?"
Rat One squeaked and ran over, crouching by her feet. Yue Long scooped a little soup with her spoon and put it on the ground. Rat One took a lick, then another lick, then buried his whole face in it.
"Master, Rat One is drinking soup!"
Lin Luo glanced over. "He's drinking it off the ground."
"It's still soup."
Lin Luo didn't answer.
Yue Long finished her soup, took the bowls away, crouched by the stove, and washed them. As she washed, her rabbit ears slowly went up.
"Master."
"Yes."
"The inn is bought. The Spirit Vein Heart is placed. Bone One won. The phone update still needs five thousand stones. We'll sell the bones."
"Yes."
"If we sell the bones, will it be enough for five thousand?"
"I don't know. We'll find out after selling."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then when will we sell?"
"Tomorrow. Go to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion."
Yue Long nodded, dried the bowls, put them away, walked over to Lin Luo, and sat down beside him. Her rabbit ears slowly drooped, resting on his arm.
"Master."
"Yes."
"I'm tired today."
"What did you do?"
"I did a good deed. Carried wood. Drank soup. And celebrated for Bone One."
"Celebrating is drinking soup?"
"Yes. The Idle Sect's way of celebrating."
Lin Luo didn't answer.
Yue Long closed her eyes. Her phone rested on her knee. The chibi figure hit the wooden fish again and again. Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1.
Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest, squeaked twice, and ducked back in.
The mine was very quiet.
Just keep idling.
---
(End of Chapter 41)
Current Status
Main Account · Lin Luo
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 3 (Displayed: Qi Refining Layer 1)
Nine Cycles Mystic Art: Third Cycle (progress 0.1%)
Lightning Prison Indestructible Body: Second Layer
Defense: 1000
Attack: ~400
HP: ~600
Spiritual Energy: ~20%
Spirit Stones: 6350 - 1100 (inn down payment) = 5250 (900 owed to inn, to be paid within one month)
Possessions: Fortune Inn ownership contract, inn keys, Spirit Vein Heart (already placed in inn's well), Nascent Soul demon beast skeleton ×1 set, Demon beast core (Nascent Soul) ×1, Demon beast essence blood ×5
Plan: Sell bones → gather 5000 stones → phone update → use remaining stones to pay inn debt
Alt Account · Bone One
Cultivation: Body Refining Layer 3 → Body Refining Layer 5 (two layers up)
Status: Demon beast defeated, returning
Cumulative deaths: ~120
Alt Account · Blood One
Cultivation: Qi Gathering Layer 8
Status: Hidden – Demon Abyss second layer
Alt Account · Rat One
Cultivation: Spirit Gathering Layer 6
Status: Spirit field at mine land
Sect · Idle Sect
Sect Leader: Lin Luo
Members: Yue Long, Su Xiaoxiao (bloodline awakening)
Level: 2
Idle Bonus: +15%
Sect Contribution: Yue Long 50, Lin Luo 0
Idle Sect Disciple · Yue Long
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 (Human) + Essence Gathering Layer 1 (Buddhist)
Merit points: ~850
Fudo Myoo's Resolution: 0.12%
Sect Contribution: 50
Today's good deed: Helped an old woman carry firewood
Spirit Stone balance: ~1100
Idle Sect Disciple · Su Xiaoxiao (bloodline awakening)
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 1
Status: Inside Divine Phoenix Ruins, Five-Colored Divine Phoenix bloodline awakening in progress
Awakening time: ~24 hours remaining
Communication status: Cannot communicate
---
(End of Chapter 41)