s mainly to increase his understanding of the sword embryo. As for what kind of spirit object was needed to improve the sword embryo next, he still needed to further comprehend the Hengjian Stone Tabl...When Lu Xia Tian learned of Cao Kun's fondness for Qing Zhu's wine, he decided to confront him directly. Sometimes, being direct can actually be safer.

After finishing his words, Lu Xia Tian directly crossed his arms and stared at Cao Kun, waiting for him to make his own decision.

Cao Kun's face flickered with a mix of emotions. Water that is too clear holds no fish. With his position in the Hou Mansion, arranging a few people to enter wouldn't be difficult at all, especially if they were just doing menial tasks in some inconspicuous places within the mansion. It would be effortless. He had arranged for one or two like this before, and they were still serving in the mansion. However, someone like Lu Xia Tian, who was clearly acting with ulterior motives but also made his intentions so obvious, he had never encountered such a situation before.

His gut told him to refuse, after all, he couldn't allow anyone to threaten the Earl of Townville.

However, Lu Xiaitian's honesty was also quite sincere. The other party had made their intentions clear; they were only using the Hou Mansion's unique fire spirit energy for cultivation. It wasn't a big deal. Moreover, what Lu Xiaitian said was right, he alone, especially after confronting them, couldn't really make much of a wave. Even a late-stage Jindan cultivator entering the Hou Mansion with ulterior motives, under already heightened vigilance, would surely meet a dead end. Unless they were a Yuan Ying cultivator, of course, that situation could be ruled out.

If Lü Xiaotiān poses a threat to the Hou Mansion, of course he must not be allowed in. However, Cao Kun also felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. If he doesn't pose a threat, what harm could there be in letting him into the mansion

“To enter the Hou Mansion, a single jar of Qingzhu wine might not be enough. Even if I knew your secret recipe, it's impossible to make something out of nothing. Without the right materials, it would be futile.” Having figured out the key point, Cao Kun leaned back in his chair and said lightly.

“I still have some spirit wine here, not too much, but not too little, enough for you to drink for a while. Of course, preparing these spirit wines is quite difficult and hard to come by. Naturally, I can only give them to you one by one after entering the Marquis’s mansion. Otherwise, if you renege on your debt, what can I do about it” Lu Xia Tian felt relieved in his heart. As long as Cao Kun agreed, everything would be fine.

"Alright, then let's talk about it after I enter the mansion. But let me make something clear beforehand: best not to have any ulterior motives, or you'll only be harming yourself."

"Cao Gun glared at Lu Xiaodao."

"Enough said, after you enter the mansion, just handle things yourself. However, if you drink my wine, don't assign me trivial matters. Otherwise, at worst, we'll part ways. I'm not going to work for Marquis Zhenwei anymore." Lu Xia Tian didn't care much about Cao Kun's threat.

"Alright, then it's settled." Since a decision had been made, Cao Kun didn't think about it any further. He became even more eager to get his hands on the wine in Lu Xia Tian's possession.

Lu Xia Tian didn't say much, directly giving the entire pot of wine to Cao Kun. He wasn't against savoring fine wine occasionally, but he wouldn't waste too much time on it here; Lu Xia Tian believed he couldn't afford to. For him at this moment, nothing was more important than improving his cultivation level.

During their conversation at the tavern, Cao Kun also tried to probe Lu Xiaoteng's background. However, after several inquiries, he only learned that Lu Xiaoteng was just a wandering cultivator who had spent some time on the outskirts of the Black Heaven Mountains and had no fixed residence. Unable to glean any further information, Cao Kun did not press the matter further.

After the banquet, Cao Kun, as promised, brought Lu Xia Tian to Zhenwei Hou Mansion. Entering through the main gate, one could truly feel the grandeur of Zhenwei Hou Mansion. It was even more impressive than some smaller sects in scale. The vermilion lacquered red pillars and the grand entrance decorated with luxurious adornments featured several large golden characters crafted with meticulous detail. The strokes were bold and powerful, giving off an imposing aura just by looking at them. The person who wrote these characters must have been a high-cultivator, able to infuse their artistic intent into the very script. Truly an extraordinary individual.

The guards at the gate bowed to Cao Kun from afar. Cao Kun merely nodded slightly and didn't say much, directly leading Lu Xia Tian inside. Lu Xia Tian was slightly surprised, it seemed that Cao Kun's status in the Zhenhou Mansion was higher than he had imagined.

Once you enter the Hou mansion, it's like diving into the deep sea. Passing through the most extravagant section of Zhenwei Hou Mansion, Lu Xiaoteng had a deeper understanding of this saying. If an ordinary person came here, they probably wouldn't even know which way to go.

Following Cao Kun to the Hou Mansion's backyard, one could see that it was miles away from the crowded houses and towers of the main mansion. Guards patrolled regularly. Within the grounds were vast fields planted with various spiritual herbs, streams, and continuous green hills. Compared to Yue Yin Mountain Villa where he had stayed before, this place was several times larger. Perhaps calling this Zhen Wei Hou Mansion a territory would be more appropriate.

"Well, this is your residence. A solitary one, as you requested. You'll be in charge of this pond filled with six-tier crimson lotus plants. Things are usually quiet here. Just make sure those stray spirit beasts don't sneak in and eat the lotus leaves. Should be a peaceful job, wouldn't you say" Cao Kun chuckled.

"Not bad, I won't leave this area easily unless something unexpected happens. You should also keep people away from me. I might not practice in the house, maybe somewhere else in the back mountains. Anyway, just don't step into important places within the Hou Mansion." Lu Xia Tian was quite satisfied with the arrangement and threw Cao Kun another pot of Qingzhu brew. "Save some, if you drink too fast, you probably won't last long."

"Alright, if you truly just want to cultivate here, no one will disturb you except when I come over for wine." Cao Kun nodded and turned to leave. After walking dozens of miles away, Cao Kun's mouth twitched upwards, and he let out a low howl.

With a whoosh, a shadow flashed past and stopped. It was a diyou hound, shaped like a horse with sharp claws, a canine head, and stood beside Cao Kun. It nuzzled against Cao Kun affectionately.

Cao Kun chuckled. Few people in the mansion knew that this eight-ranked Di You dog was his spirit beast. Ever since he had fallen from the mid-Golden Core stage to his current realm, he had kept the Di You dog inside the mansion. Cao Kun offered the wine gourd to the Di You dog for a sniff. "Remember this person's scent. Once he steps within thirty miles of Lord Hou's residence, immediately alert me, understand"

Di You's dog let out a low whine, nodding in a very human way to show he understood.

Cao Kun patted Di Youquan's head with satisfaction. Di Youquan moved his four legs and disappeared quickly. Watching Di Youquan disappear, Cao Kun muttered to himself, "I hope you are not a treacherous person, otherwise you will be courting death."

>

Lu Xiaoxiao finally got his wish and entered the Zhenwei Houfu. Under Cao Kun's obvious vigilance, he naturally wouldn't go out of his way to find trouble for himself. At first, when he entered the mansion, Lu Xiaoxiao didn't make any changes. He just cultivated on his own every day, further refining the puppet doll in his body. Over the past few months, besides planning how to enter the mansion, Lu Xiaoxiao's cultivation had not slowed down at all. flower of the other shore here, and such a complete one at that. It's truly rare. Judging by its height, it probably took tens of thousands of years to grow to this size." Lu Xiaoteng's face lit up w...