Chapter 143: The Secondary Consort and the Private Tutor

"Everything this woman said just now actually turned out to be the truth."

Looking at Tian Manyin, who was fast asleep, Lu Sheng thought to himself.

Earlier, his conversation with Tian Manyin had seemed like casual small talk, but in reality, he had continuously used spiritual guidance to probe for her true motives in approaching him.

To his surprise, however, every single word Tian Manyin had uttered appeared to be completely genuine.

"Even so, this does not rule out the possibility that she is still harboring some hidden agenda—"

"At the very least, she didn't mention a single word about her master!"

The bitter feud between Lu Hongxiao and Lu Chunyuan was a matter known to everyone in the upper echelons of Yujing City. Yet Tian Manyin, despite being Lu Hongxiao's disciple, had completely omitted any mention of it.

With just this thought, Lu Sheng decided not to place absolute trust in her words.

"Fortunately, I haven't lost out in this deal!"

Embracing Tian Manyin's warm, jade-smooth body, Lu Sheng mused inwardly.

The women of the Yin-Yang Sect truly lived up to their reputation for alluring others with their charms; Tian Manyin's performance moments ago had left Lu Sheng thoroughly satisfied.

What pleased him even more, however, was Tian Manyin's current level of cultivation.

"At the peak of the Martial Master realm, she has already condensed nine layers of qi vortexes. I only need to practice dual cultivation with her for a few months to reach this exact level of cultivation!"

As a technique derived from the same source, a special connection existed between the Primordial Origin Technique and the Yin-Yang Technique. Utilizing the secret arts imparted to him by Lu Chunyuan, Lu Sheng could synchronize with the qi vortexes within Tian Manyin's body during their dual cultivation sessions, allowing the qi vortexes in his own three dantians to similarly reach the ninth layer.

"My heart has already been fully tempered, and my brain is very close to completion. After a little more time, once the tempering of my whole body is finished and all three dantians are cultivated to the ninth layer, it will be completely effortless."

"No wonder my teacher imparted the dual cultivation secret art to me and told me to find a woman from the Yin-Yang Sect."

An insufficient accumulation of profound Qi had always been Lu Sheng's greatest bottleneck. Yet after practicing dual cultivation with Tian Manyin, this bottleneck appeared to be on the verge of a swift resolution.

After all, whether it was the Primordial Qi Pearl left behind by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains or using karmic merit to convert energy, Lu Sheng would be able to rapidly advance his profound Qi cultivation once his realm reached the required stage.

"When the qi vortexes expand to their absolute limit and my three dantians intersect, I will be able to attempt merging them into one, giving birth to an inner universe within my body."

"At that time, aside from lacking communion with heaven and earth to generate my own personal energy field, my strength will be virtually indistinguishable from someone at the perfection of the Martial Ancestor realm."

"Therefore, my energy must now be focused on sensing heaven and earth, so that I can communicate with them as soon as my qi vortexes reach their limit."

At this thought, a trace of excitement stirred deep within Lu Sheng's heart.

Having arrived in this world for so long, he finally began to feel that he was no longer just a small fry!

***

"You're awake!"

"I've already had someone inform my teacher that I intend to take you as a secondary consort of the Prince of Jinyang."

"So, just rest easy and stay here. Don't let your mind wander to other matters!"

The next day, upon seeing Tian Manyin as she just got out of bed, Lu Sheng, who was stretching his muscles in the courtyard, said to her.

Shortly before, Lu Chunyuan had sent a messenger to instruct Lu Sheng to visit him the day after tomorrow, and Lu Sheng had taken that opportunity to relay the matter regarding Tian Manyin through the messenger.

Presumably, with his teacher stepping in personally, even if the Duke of Cheng was dissatisfied, he would have no choice but to accept this outcome!

"Ah!"

Stretching languidly, Tian Manyin let out a yawn, seemingly still recovering from the previous night, and replied to Lu Sheng:

"A secondary consort is fine, I suppose. It barely matches my status!"

"Now, give me something to eat first so I can regain some of my strength!"

She did not seem to care in the least about becoming the secondary consort of the Prince of Jinyang.

"Here, eat this!" Casually retrieving a piece of roasted dragon meat from his spatial ring, Lu Sheng tossed it to Tian Manyin.

This was specially prepared for him after he found a chef in Central Province, and he had already stored an unknown number of pounds of it inside his spatial ring.

"This is..." Taking a surprised bite, Tian Manyin verified, "It's so delicious, this must be dragon meat!"

"So this is what you usually eat. No wonder you have such immense physical strength!"

Although she was a martial master, she had still exhausted all her stamina the previous night trying to cater to Lu Sheng; otherwise, she would not have fallen into such a deep sleep.

Now, tasting the dragon meat, she seemed to understand the reason behind it.

"You need to become a Greater Martial Master as soon as possible, and strengthen your endurance after refining your blood!" Glancing at her, Lu Sheng said unsparingly.

Puffing out her chest, Tian Manyin retorted, "Fine! Then why don't you act as my cultivation vessel first? I guarantee I'll become a Greater Martial Master in no time!"

With that, she even waved the piece of dragon meat in her hand and said:

"You have dragon meat to replenish your vital energy and essence, so you shouldn't be afraid of serving as a vessel first, right?"

"I think your suggestion is worth considering!" Stopping in his tracks as if pondering the proposal, Lu Sheng thought for a moment and told Tian Manyin, "As long as you can advance to a Greater Martial Master, it is indeed an option worth entertaining!"

With the Three Treasures Wishful Scripture and an ample supply of karmic merit, his vital energy and essence could be quickly restored after being expended.

Therefore, Tian Manyin's suggestion was not entirely out of the question for him.

With that thought, Lu Sheng said, "Tell me the cultivation technique you practice. If there are no hidden issues within it, we can give it a try tonight!"

"Are you certain you aren't just trying to trick me out of my cultivation technique?" Full of disbelief, Tian Manyin said. Having spent only a single night together, she truly found it hard to believe that Lu Sheng would be willing to make such a sacrifice for her.

"Believe it or not! In any case, as long as we engage in normal dual cultivation, your cultivation will progress just the same." Since helping Tian Manyin was not an urgent priority for him, Lu Sheng responded indifferently upon hearing her suspicion.

Shaking her head, Tian Manyin remained somewhat skeptical and ultimately chose not to pass the technique on to him.

Regardless of whether the Yin-Yang Sect's cultivation methods were widespread or not, no disciple who remained loyal to the Yin-Yang Sect would ever want the sect's arts to be leaked through them.

At this moment, Tian Manyin's feelings for Lu Sheng clearly still fell short of her loyalty to the Yin-Yang Sect.

"Let's go!"

"Clean yourself up properly and come with me to meet a guest!"

Lu Sheng said.

After bathing and washing up with Tian Manyin and having her tidy up slightly, he led her to the front hall.

***

"You are Shen Xiuye, and your father is a member of the Duke of Kang's estate?"

Looking at the young man before him, Lu Sheng held a letter of recommendation in his hand and asked.

Early that morning, Lu Sheng had received word that someone had come to pledge their allegiance to him. Therefore, upon arriving at the front hall, he summoned this person first.

From the other party's letter of recommendation and the features of his brows and eyes, he vaguely recalled that when he had used the alias Luo Yidao, he seemed to have met this young man's father.

"Yes, Your Highness the Prince of Jin!"

Composed and unhurried, Shen Xiuye replied:

"My late father, Shen Yancheng, served as a private tutor in the Duke of Kang's estate!"

"A private tutor!" Nodding, Lu Sheng remarked, "Private tutors usually act as teachers or political strategists. Which category did your father belong to?"

Shen Xiuye answered, "My father was both a strategist and an elementary tutor for the young lords and misses. He was responsible for teaching them literacy and reading before they began their martial arts training."

Lu Sheng then asked, "Then why didn't you stay in the Duke of Kang's estate, but instead came to me to seek a position?"

Without concealing his intentions, Shen Xiuye replied, "Your Highness has a boundless future ahead, and the Duke of Kang also wished to draw closer to you through me. Therefore, I came here!"

Before setting out to pledge his allegiance to the Prince of Jinyang, his father had instructed him to serve his master with absolute loyalty. As for the Duke of Kang's estate, he was simply to actively avoid any involvement whenever future conflicts arose.

Noncommittal, Lu Sheng said, "Your name is Shen Xiuye; you must have quite a knack for managing family estates."

"I still have several manors bestowed upon me by the Emperor in Central Province. You may choose one of them to manage."

"Do a good job, and I will naturally reward you; do a poor job, and you can return from whence you came!"

With that, he ordered someone to escort Shen Xiuye out.

As far as he was concerned, whether this young man possessed true talent or was a sleeper agent sent by the Duke of Kang would naturally become crystal clear in a few months—

Only then would he employ him with full peace of mind!