Lin Mufeng watched longingly as Yang Kai tucked away that small bottle of Snow Pool Crystal Marrow, his face twisted with the pain of parting with something so precious.
Yang Kai pretended not to notice.
Before he could say anything further, the middle-aged woman whose name he still didn't know smiled first. "I don't have as many treasures as these two, but I do have something that can boost cultivation efficiency. If you don't mind, little brother, it's yours."
As she spoke, a set of small banners appeared in her hand. Each banner was a different color—red, orange, yellow, green—seven in all, radiating dense spiritual energy fluctuations.
An artifact? Yang Kai was mildly curious. He couldn't figure out what use this artifact could have that would improve cultivation efficiency.
"These Seven-Colored Spirit Gathering Banners are a low-grade Void-grade artifact. When arranged according to a specific method, they can gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. I used them throughout my own cultivation, but after my strength and realm improved, I put them away. They haven't been touched in nearly a hundred years, so they're perfect for you now, little brother."
Yang Kai's eyes lit up again. He couldn't help but marvel that these people, as the highest-ranking officials of the Heng Luo Trading Company's branch, really lived up to their status—every single thing they produced was something you'd never ordinarily encounter. He wondered how many more treasures they had hidden away.
This time he wasn't nearly as impatient as before. He carefully accepted the Seven-Colored Spirit Gathering Banners from the middle-aged woman and politely offered his thanks.
The middle-aged woman smiled softly. "Lower the defenses of your Spiritual Sea. I'll pass the method of arrangement to you!"
Yang Kai nodded, and the woman extended a slender jade-like finger to press against his forehead. In an instant, every nuance and use of the Seven-Colored Spirit Gathering Banners was comprehended and mastered by Yang Kai.
After carefully reflecting on it, Yang Kai was highly satisfied with the Seven-Colored Spirit Gathering Banners.
Though they were only a low-grade Void-grade artifact, for Yang Kai at his current stage they were an extraordinarily rare treasure. He could use them indefinitely, and whenever the day came that he no longer needed them, he could gift them to someone close to him.
They weren't as precious as the Heavenly Spirit Ghost Orchid or the Snow Pool Crystal Marrow, but they were far more practical than either.
All three had gone to considerable lengths, expending real effort and thought. Yang Kai cupped his fists and said, "Many thanks to the three of you for your assistance. I'm truly grateful."
"Don't mention it!" Harika laughed heartily. "As long as we can awaken Lord Xue, we'd gladly spend every last thing we own!"
He looked the part of a man of unwavering loyalty, though how much of it was genuine, Yang Kai couldn't tell.
"How about... the little brother takes two more Moon Slaves?" Lin Mufeng suddenly remembered something and made the suggestion.
"Moon Slaves?" Yang Kai frowned, eyeing them with suspicion.
The middle-aged woman's cheeks flushed red. She spat, "You fool! The little brother is still young—you should be setting him a good example, not teaching him these wicked tricks! How will you explain yourself when Lord Xue wakes up?"
Lin Mufeng looked thoroughly awkward. "Two Moon Slaves shouldn't be a problem, right? The little brother strikes me as a person of firm resolve. He won't let something as trivial as two Moon Slaves derail his future."
"Mm, two of them really shouldn't be an issue," Harika chimed in from the side.
"What are Moon Slaves?" Yang Kai asked, curiosity overflowing as he listened to them go back and forth.
Harika gave a light cough and explained. "Moon Slaves are a special class of women cultivated by our Trading Company. They practice a unique technique and take special pills. When the time is right, they can be paired with a man—their Yin Essence contains incredibly pure energy, and any man who takes them first will gain tremendous benefit! If you want to improve your strength quickly, little brother, Moon Slaves are your best option."
"Yin harvesting to supplement Yang?" Yang Kai's expression shifted.
"No, no, no!" Lin Mufeng smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "The method developed by our Trading Company is nothing as crude as simple Yin harvesting. As you probably know, many cultivators practice dark techniques that harvest Yin to supplement Yang—their strength rises quickly, but the power gained through such methods is mixed and impure. Their combat ability falls far below cultivators of the same realm. Our Trading Company would never engage in something so crude. The Moon Slaves are selected from women with exceptional aptitude and physiques, then cultivated through special means. When their Yin Essence is transferred to a man, it causes minimal side effects. With your current cultivation realm, taking two Moon Slaves of equivalent level is perfectly fine."
"That's right. If there were problems with our Trading Company's Moon Slaves, we wouldn't have so many customers coming to buy and order them," Harika added from the side.
"You're actually in the business of trafficking people?" Yang Kai was visibly shaken. He had never imagined that a massive enterprise like the Heng Luo Trading Company could be so dark.
"It's entirely consensual," Lin Mufeng explained, seeming to pick up on Yang Kai's distaste for the practice. "These Moon Slaves come from impoverished families—ordinary people. Without our Trading Company, they'd live a few decades and simply grow old and die. Our company provides them with cultivation resources and an environment to cultivate, giving them extraordinary abilities... Moreover, after a Moon Slave is paired with a man, there are benefits for them as well. They can continue cultivating and improving their strength, and if they manage to win their master's favor, wealth and glory await. Many Moon Slaves who've left our Trading Company have gone on to live quite well."
The middle-aged woman stood off to the side, her face flushed red, not saying a word. But she clearly knew a great deal about Moon Slaves as well.
"Forget the Moon Slaves..." Yang Kai deliberated for a moment, then waved his hand with a pained expression. "I'm afraid Lord Xue will go berserk when she wakes up."