Fey Evolution Merchant (Web Novel)

There was an unwritten rule among the Creators in the Sky Beyond the Clouds. Creators of higher grades should make their appearance last to show their honor.

In terms of status, Ling Muzhuo, the Palace Master of Fortune Treasure Palace, was comparable to a Grade 5 Creator. However, regardless of the circumstances, he would not offend these Creators, even if their lifespans were about to reach the end.

Therefore, while making arrangements, Ling Muzhuo went back to consider the Creator's rules.

Lin Yuan smiled and addressed Ling Muzhuo, "Brother Ling, you can arrange things as you see fit, but please ensure my prior arrangements are upheld."

He reiterated his request to Ling Muzhuo, trusting in their budding friendship and Ling Muzhuo's attitude toward him to handle the matter appropriately.

Zhan Lu felt overshadowed by Ling Muzhuo's presence around Lin Yuan, which made him hesitant to engage too deeply in conversation.

Instead, he directed his attention to Huang An. Although their relationship wasn't as close as Li Feng's and Huang An's, they had exchanged words on a few occasions.

Zhan Lu took the initiative, addressing Huang An, "Sir Huang An, it's a pleasure to meet you here. I see you're acquainted with Young Master Lin. It's been a while since you've graced Fortune Treasure Palace with your presence."

Though Huang An wasn't an official honor guest, Zhan Lu regretted that Huang An hadn't accepted a prior invitation. If Huang An were to becan esteemed guest, Zhan Lu's efforts would surely be recognized.

Huang An glanced at Zhan Lu, favorably impressed by his connection to Lin Yuan. His tone remained polite.

Earlier, on their journey, Huang An had suggested Lin Yuan reveal his identity as a servant, but Lin Yuan declined, preferring to maintain a facade of a business relationship.

Knowing Ling Muzhuo's extensive information network, Lin Yuan didn't want to imply any control over the Creator.

With Lin Yuan's intentions clarified, Huang An had prepared his response for others.

"It's true that I haven't been here for a while. Not only do I know Young Master Lin, but he's also an important partner of mine."

Huang An straightforwardly expressed his attitude toward Lin Yuan, which attracted Ling Muzhuo's attention. The fact Lin Yuan was valued so highly by a high Grade 4 Creator was enough to prove Lin Yuan's worth.

Ling Muzhuo allowed Zhan Lu to chat with Huang An. It would be great if Zhan Lu could bring Huang An into Fortune Treasure Palace as a special honor guest.

"Brother Lin, rest assured. These three Creators are each in separate rooms. Two of the Grade 4 Creators hold grudges against one another. The Grade 5 Creator refused to share a room with them, feeling it would diminish his status. If you wish to meet them all simultaneously, I'll need to make extra arrangements."

Ling Muzhuo's words both explained the situation and served as a warning about the difficult nature of the Grade 5 Creator. He hoped Lin Yuan would be mentally prepared.

Ling Muzhuo had intervened on Lin Yuan's behalf, hoping to avoid any conflict with a Grade 5 Creator. Otherwise, their good intentions might lead to undesirable outcomes.

Observing Lin Yuan's silence, Ling Muzhuo wondered if his message had been understood.

Ling Muzhuo trusted Lin Yuan to understand the boundaries implicitly, so he refrained from further explicit warnings.

Lin Yuan entered the room without Huang An, accompanied only by Winter.

As Zhan Lu had been in contact with Huang An, he allowed Huang An to stay in Fortune Treasure Palace for further communication.

Upon entering the tranquil room, Lin Yuan spotted an elderly woman with white hair seated, sipping tea. She exuded an aura of fragility as if a mere gust could snuff her out.

Her appearance reflected the toll of age, a stark contrast to her youthful essence as a Creator.

Upon seeing Ling Muzhuo enter with Lin Yuan and Winter, she set her teacup down and rose unsteadily, taking the initiative to greet them.

The impression she left on Lin Yuan differed greatly from that of Huang An.

Huang An, with a lifespan of 100 years remaining, exuded arrogance, underestimating his reliance on connections to extend his life.

Perhaps he also underestimated Li Feng's ability to forge beneficial alliances for him.

As a Grade 4 Creator, this elderly woman wielded formidable power. Her struggle against aging likely drove her to value any means of extending her lifespan dearly.

Ling Muzhuo introduced Lin Yuan to the elderly woman, "Master Xi Mei, this is Young Master Lin that I told you about. Young Master Lin has a way to increase your lifespan.

"Brother Lin, this is Master Xi Mei. She's an intermediate Grade 4 Creator and is very famous in this area. She's very good at healing injuries and has saved the lives of many experts in this area.

"You two have a good chat. I'll leave first. I can guarantee that no one will listen in on your conversation."

After saying that, Ling Muzhuo left the room. He did not continue to chat with Lin Yuan and Xi Mei after the introductions and left the space to them.

Ling Muzhuo hoped that Lin Yuan's methods could help Xi Mei recover her lifespan. This way, as the person who introduced her, Xi Mei would owe him a huge favor.

If Lin Yuan did not help her recover her lifespan, Xi Mei would die within a month or two. If Xi Mei was going to die, Ling Muzhuo wouldn't want her to die in Fortune Treasure Palace.

Lin Yuan trusted that Ling Muzhuo could create a favorable environment for him, where they wouldn't be subjected to any form of surveillance.

However, Lin Yuan would not place his trust in Ling Muzhuo. The moment he left the room, Winter had already enveloped the room with his aura. If someone were to investigate the situation in the room, Winter would discover it immediately.

Xi Mei took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Lin Yuan. "Young Master Lin, this should be the first twe've met. Try this pot of life-prolonging tea that I specially concocted. The life-prolonging tea uses pine needles as the base and incorporates four spiritual ingredients known to increase lifespan, the Longevity Purple Ginseng, the Heavenly Fate Snow Mushroom, the Knotweed, and the Longevity Scarlet Fruit. It's specially stir-fried and brewed with lotus heart dew.

"For those who are replenishing their lifespan for the first time, this cup of tea that I specially concocted can extend their lifespan by at least 500 years. It's just that I can only taste it lightly."

Lin Yuan raised his brows. The four spiritual ingredients Xi Mei mentioned were all precious. Fortune Treasure Palace would only hide resources that would not be sold.

Lin Yuan took the teacup but did not drink the tea. He knew the meaning behind her words. Xi Mei was telling him that even with such spiritual ingredients, she couldn't increase her lifespan. If Lin Yuan couldn't drink the tea in the cup, then he should leave.

To Xi Mei, even the most precious resources were merely objects. Otherwise, Xi Mei would never have squandered this kind of tea that could extend lifespan nor would she casually give it to others.

Xi Mei most likely didn't believe she could extend her lifespan again. Her reluctance to give up was simply driven by the desire to survive.

Lin Yuan did not need to use so many methods to deal with Xi Mei's situation like he did with Huang An.

When she saw that Lin Yuan had put down the teacup she had handed over and had not drunk the tea, Xi Mei's gaze wavered as she looked up at Lin Yuan.

There was no species behind Xi Mei, nor did she have any faction she belonged to, which meant no one could inherit Xi Mei's resources.

If it were a Creator from a species of faction whose lifespan was about to run out, they would not be able to squander like Xi Mei.

Lin Yuan did not immediately answer her question, nor did he take out the resources she wanted to see. Instead, he asked her, "Xi Mei, if someone could enable you to live longer, but it required you to join their faction and work for them, would you be willing?"

Lin Yuan's gaze was fixed on Xi Mei as he spoke.

Xi Mei could sense Lin Yuan's seriousness from his words.

Xi Mei smiled. "Is there such a good thing? Any life, when facing the prospect of becoming a withered and decayed tree like me, would consider staying alive as the greatest pursuit.

"Death is the end of everything. Only by living can you enjoy this world. Even if there's such a good thing in this world, I don't believe it will fall into my lap."

Just as she finished speaking, an orange mouse appeared in Lin Yuan's palm. It was looking around curiously. When Xi Mei saw the orange mouse, she subconsciously looked away.

Xi Mei, who had averted her gaze, froze for two seconds. Then, shock surged out of her eyes as she stared at the Lifespan Mouse in Lin Yuan's palm. Her breathing suddenly quickened, and she couldn't help but raise her hand.

Facing a glimmer of hope greater than expected, Xi Mei, already in despair, could no longer conceal her emotions.

Winter's gaze remained fixed on Xi Mei. If she showed any signs of attempting to snatch the Lifespan Mouse, Winter would stop her immediately.

Lin Yuan watched quietly as Xi Mei released her emotions. After a long while, Xi Mei released her holy spirit and bowed to Lin Yuan. "Young Master Lin, I will treat you as my salvation and serve you for life. I will be proud to serve you."

Xi Mei's actions proved to Lin Yuan she was smart.

After gaining control of Xi Mei's holy spirit, Lin Yuan said, "After you contract this Lifespan Mouse, it has to be placed in my hands. I will help you feed it and ensure that its lifespan is in an infinite state."

After seeing Huang An, Lin Yuan had already decided to employ dual tactics to control these Creators. Even with Xi Mei's cooperation, Lin Yuan still had to abide by the rules he had set.

Xi Mei said with a smile, "I believe in the value I can create and that you won't waste such a treasure for nothing. I'm extremely grateful you're willing to helpfeed the Lifespan Mouse."

Xi Mei's integration as Lin Yuan's subordinate was abnormally smooth, and Lin Yuan instructed her, "Don't let outsiders know about the situation of the Lifespan Mouse and everything that happened here today, including the other Creators in the faction!"

Lin Yuan said this because he did not want the Creators who had joined Sky City to know that he possessed numerous Lifespan Mice. As long as he stopped these Creators under his control from sending messages, others would not know. With these two layers of control in Lin Yuan's hands, it was impossible for the Creators under his control not to abide by his orders.

Lin Yuan had given Huang An the sadvice, but neither Huang An nor Xi Mei knew his true intentions.

"Young Master Lin, don't worry. I've never been a talkative person. When we go out later, should I directly reveal my identity as your subordinate or conceal our relationship to let the Palace Master think we have established cooperation?"

Xi Mei knew that Lin Yuan was going to meet a total of three Creators. Be it that woman with the sharp tongue or that arrogant old man, their lifespans had already reached the end. It was likely that Lin Yuan would take the other two under his wing as well. Regardless of whether Lin Yuan's plan would succeed or not, his actions were too conspicuous.

Xi Mei's suggestion was beyond Lin Yuan's expectations. She was very good at reading people's minds.

Although Xi Mei was not as capable as Huang An as a Creator, she was more worth nurturing than Huang An for Sky City.

"Xi Mei, you only need to tell the public that we have reached an agreement. Don't forget to thank Palace Master Ling."

Lin Yuan walked out of the room.

He wanted Xi Mei to thank Ling Muzhuo, conveying that introducing these Creators, whose lifespans were nearing their end, would be advantageous for him.

Ling Muzhuo would only use his connections to introduce more Creators who were about to reach the end of their lifespan to Lin Yuan if there were benefits involved.