Wait a minute, where is my master?

The landlady looked at Granny Meng, whose eyes flickered with a hint of concern as she took several breaks to complete her sentence.

She gently stroked the back of the other's withered hand.

"Granny, it's good that you have the heart to do this, but your health... Since we have all the time in the world, why don't you take some time to recuperate, and we can prepare the 'Yixiang Twin Marvel' for our benefactor later. It won't be too late then.

Otherwise, if you don't rest well, it could affect your skills..."

"Zidi, after I finish making this soup, how about I teach you my secret recipe?"

The landlady was interrupted by Granny Meng as she spoke.

"Granny, you..."

Hearing that the other wanted to teach her the secret soup recipe, the landlady was instinctively delighted. But the next moment, she suddenly realized something and abruptly looked up at Granny Meng's wrinkled face.

When Granny Meng agreed to stay, she had said, "The recipe can be left to Yixiang Building 'after a hundred years'."

Her saying this now...

"Granny, the secret soup recipe isn't urgent. You need to take care of your health first.

"Little Cui, take this and go to Qihuang Pavilion in the city center. Ask Master Hua to come here. You should have seen him before; he's the goat-bearded old man who often comes to our building to eat dumplings and wears a demon bag on his waist."

With a touch of panic in her eyes, the landlady stood up, retrieved a storage pouch from her sleeve, and tossed it to the maid beside her, instructing her.

The maid named Little Cui, a bit bewildered by her landlady's sudden action, nevertheless did as she was told. She grabbed the storage pouch and headed toward the courtyard door.

"Come... cough, cough, come back."

Granny Meng gasped for breath, trying to stop the maid as she struggled to get up.

At her movement, the landlady quickly squatted down to help support her.

"Granny, just sit tight, don't move... Little Cui, come back!"

Seeing that the other continued to stubbornly try to stand, the landlady could only helplessly call back the maid who was already halfway out the door.

Sure enough, after she called, Granny Meng settled back down into the wicker chair.

She breathed laboriously for a few moments before finally calming her breath and slowly spoke to the landlady, whose eyes were already red.

"Zidi, there's no need to waste that effort. This old woman spent her lifespan dealing with a demon beast attack on the mountain. In such a state, even a Cultivator skilled in medicine is helpless."

"Granny, didn't you say that your injury would heal after a few days of rest? Didn't you claim that mere demon beasts were nothing to you, since you had cultivation?"

Hearing the other admit the severity of her injuries, the landlady was struck as if by lightning, her emotions a bit out of control as she loudly questioned.

"Heh, of course, I lied to you. If I hadn't spent my lifespan, I might not have made it back, and then my secret soup recipe couldn't have been left to Yixiang Building.

"I thought I could hold on a little longer when I got back, to make soup for Yixiang Building for a few more months.

"But...

"Sigh, I've truly gotten old."

Granny Meng laughed at herself for a moment, followed by another bout of rapid panting.

She lifted her dry palm and softly patted the landlady beside her, who was now weeping inconsolably.

"Zidi, don't cry. Everyone will die eventually. Even the Immortals in heaven are no exception.

"I've been fortunate to live out my days here at Yixiang Building. You're a smart kid who, due to your background, could only sell dumplings on the street for the first half of your life. Now that you're on a good streak, having obtained..."

Granny Meng's hoarse voice was accompanied by the sobbing of the landlady and the maid, speaking intermittently with rest in between.

She knew that after she succeeded in her plan and the Little Taoist was "nourished" to death, Yixiang Building would definitely be turned upside down by the Great Xia Imperial Family and even the Cultivators from the Great Immortal Sects.

The people in this building would likely be affected as well, and their fate would not be good.

However, at this moment, Granny Meng continued earnestly and authentically to share some life philosophies and her innermost thoughts with the proprietress.

It was hard to tell whether she was still enjoying the pleasure of manipulating others and receiving their applause before her death.

Or perhaps she genuinely couldn't bear to part with this concern and care from others, which she hadn't experienced for a thousand years.

...

...

An hour later.

In the royal venue, within the guest hall.

Fatty Zhao with a clear slap mark on his face, and the handsome Jin Xu, who seemed like a banished immortal.

They were attentively listening to the closing part of the Immortal Palace Ancestor's explanation about the method of creating the "White Emperor's Cold River."

"...Finally, with all the preparations mentioned above, it would be best to set it up in a place with extreme yin and extreme cold. This way, the concentration of Taiyin Essence would be quicker."

Senior Chi finished speaking, casually picked up the teacup beside him, took a light sip, then reminded them.

"However, gentlemen, I still stand by what I said before. At the current speed at which Zhao's cultivation technique operates, he simply won't last until that day, as he will have to advance to Refining Void."

The young Taoist nodded gently upon hearing this, his face expressing contemplation.

After listening, Fatty Zhao rubbed his plump face and then turned to Jin Xu.

"Little Taoist, maybe we should just forget about it.

"I'm content to have seen the scenery along the path of cultivation; even Senior Chi said it's too late. Moreover... the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures required here are too abundant."

Zhao Dabao was born into a Cultivation Family since childhood, and his family had business dealings with the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, one of the Four Great Immortal Sects. In theory, he tacitly valued wealth rather lightly.

But today, he was shocked by what Senior Chi described as the materials required to construct the "White Emperor's Cold River."

Not to mention others, just the fist-sized Ice Phoenix Mother Stone alone could be exchanged for half of the Zhao family, let alone others that Fatty Zhao had never even heard of, like the core of the Seven-layered Frost Wood, Sanmei Water Nether Marrow, and so on.

"Don't worry about the matter of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Brother Zhao."

The "well-off" little Taoist, upon hearing the other's words, waved his hand dismissively.

Senior Chi was also nonchalant in saying.

"True, the items I just mentioned, the Kunlun Immortal Palace has them in reserve. Zhao doesn't need to worry about this. The most important thing right now is the issue of time."

Zhao Dabao, upon hearing what the two said, subconsciously shrank his already inconspicuous neck and did not speak further.

However, his heart was filled with the joy of holding onto a substantially thick leg of support.

After speaking with Zhao Dabao, Jin Xu walked to the door, intending to find Little White and ask if their Snow Wolf Clan's territory was a place of extreme yin and extreme cold.

After all, wherever the "White Emperor's Cold River" is constructed, it would be a treasure land that could steadily produce Taiyin Essence in the future.

And Zhao Dabao would certainly make thorough use of it.

That being said, it's best to keep the benefits within one's own community.

However, as the little Taoist reached the door, before he could even speak, he saw Manager Zhang walking towards them quickly, holding a card in his hand.

"Manager Zhang, what is this?"

"To answer Foreign Uncle's question, just now a waiter from Yixiang Building came with a card, saying it was for you."