Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

「Seven days later.」

Under Lü Tong's guidance, Lin Changheng arrived at a High Level Cave Mansion less than a hundred zhang away from Fusheng Lake.

It could be considered a lake-view Cave Mansion, with a pleasant view of the water.

A knock sounded. Lü Tong stepped forward to announce himself and was quickly led inside.

Lin Changheng followed him in.

A beautiful, middle-aged-looking woman in a purple dress appeared in the main seat, gently waving a round fan as she watched the two of them.

"Greetings, Nanny He."

Lü Tong went straight forward to pay his respects.

Following behind, Lin Changheng was slightly surprised by the sight. 'So this middle-aged beauty is the Tier Two Upper Grade Talisman Master? And Lü Tong calls her Nanny He?'

Moreover, her Cultivation was quite formidable; she was already at the Late Stage Foundation Establishment.

Before this, Lü Tong—whether intentionally, unintentionally, or under someone's instruction—hadn't provided many details, only referring to her as Elder He or Talisman Master He.

Lin Changheng immediately followed suit, clasping his hands in salute. "This junior greets Elder He."

The purple-robed woman's eyes swept over the two of them as she said with a faint smile, "If you had come any later, you would have missed me."

Lü Tong was surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that Nanny He is leaving the Immortal City?"

"Indeed. The Immortal City is nice, but the Cave Mansions are too small and cramped. I plan to rent a Spiritual Land outside the city."

The purple-robed woman had no intention of hiding it. She fanned herself, her full lips slightly parted, exuding an air of mature charm.

"Then this junior won't be able to visit you often, Nanny..."

A trace of reluctance appeared on Lü Tong's round face.

"Your thought is what counts. Besides, my Spiritual Land won't be too far from here. You can still come for a visit if you wish."

The purple-robed woman smiled. It seemed her relationship with Lü Tong was quite good, as if she truly saw him as one of her own juniors.

Lin Changheng didn't interrupt, simply watching them exchange pleasantries with a smile.

"This junior understands."

Lü Tong nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

Once their pleasantries were over, the purple-robed woman turned to Lin Changheng, her bright eyes twinkling. "This handsome young man must be the Alchemist Lin that Lü Tong mentioned?"

"That would be me."

Lin Changheng smiled, then explained, "Unfortunately, I am not the young man Elder He speaks of. I am already over seventy years old. I just happen to have some skill in maintaining a youthful appearance and wellness."

While Elder He and Lü Tong were talking, Lin Changheng hadn't just been standing there watching and smiling foolishly.

He had taken the opportunity to think things through, planning an entry point for when the conversation turned to him.

It had to be said that his observational skills were extremely sharp. His past life as a scientific researcher had given him a habit of paying attention to detail—

Clearly, for Elder He to have raised her Talismanic Skill to the Tier Two Upper Grade, her age couldn't be insignificant. Yet, she maintained such a beautiful and maturely charming appearance, which most likely meant she placed great importance on her looks.

Furthermore, her very first sentence was about his being a "handsome young man." This was completely different from Elder Kong or Talisman Master Chu, who had immediately focused on Lin Changheng's Alchemy Dao. It indicated that she, too, placed great importance on the "appearance" of others.

It was likely a natural reflection of her own habits and preferences.

Besides, most Female Cultivators had an obsession with beauty, especially as they aged. For instance, the noble ladies of the Immortal Race from the Huang Family he'd met before were willing to pay a high price for Solid Face Pills, which was a clear indicator.

Thus, Lin Changheng had a preliminary judgment and a direction to take.

When he replied, he directly steered the conversation toward "maintaining a youthful appearance and wellness."

"Oh?"

The purple-robed woman's shapely eyebrows rose slightly, and her gaze began to carefully appraise Lin Changheng. "Alchemist Lin, one can't tell your true age from your appearance at all. I wonder, do you cultivate a Wood Element Technique?"

Lin Changheng shook his head. "My skills are primarily in the Alchemy Dao. I mainly cultivate a Fire Technique."

The purple-robed woman seemed lost in thought and didn't speak for a moment.

At this moment, Lü Tong, who was extremely adept at reading the room, announced his intention to leave, feigning some urgent business.

"Very well. Go on and attend to your business, Lü Tong."

The purple-robed woman waved her hand dismissively.

Only after a maid had led Lü Tong away did Lin Changheng choose his words carefully and speak. "I came to visit Elder He through Mr. Lü this time mainly to request a Talisman."

"A Talisman?"

The purple-robed woman smiled at once. "Alchemist Lin, your great reputation in the Immortal City has reached my ears even in my Outer Lake Cave Mansion. I wonder, what kind of Talisman is so difficult to obtain that even you would have trouble acquiring it?"

Hearing this, Lin Changheng gave a wry smile. "My reputation is merely the result of my friends in the Immortal City flattering me. Hearing it from you, Elder, I can't help but feel a little ashamed. After all, when it comes to profound skill, I am no match for your Talisman Dao."

His meaning was that although his reputation was great, his skills couldn't compare to this beautiful woman's. If she wanted to, she could easily surpass his fame.

Sometimes, when speaking to intelligent people, it's best to be honest and only say half of what you mean. Saying too much can come off as flattery, which would spoil the effect.

Letting them connect the dots themselves is more effective.

"Hahaha, Alchemist Lin, you are quite a clever and interesting person. No wonder you've achieved such a reputation. Go on, tell me what Talisman you're looking for."

The purple-robed woman looked at Lin Changheng and couldn't help but smile.

"This junior wishes to request a Treasure Talisman."

Lin Changheng stated the purpose of his visit.

"A Treasure Talisman?"

The purple-robed woman's surprised voice echoed, clearly not expecting this answer.

"That's right," Lin Changheng nodded.

The purple-robed woman glanced at Lin Changheng, her voice airy. "I wonder if Alchemist Lin is aware that Treasure Talismans are extremely difficult to refine. Even with my attainments in the Talisman Dao, I cannot guarantee success."

'Oh? She can't guarantee success?'

A thought flashed through Lin Changheng's mind, and instead of being discouraged, he was pleased. He had naturally heard the hidden meaning in her words.

'This Elder He really can refine Treasure Talismans!'

'She's just trying to raise the price.'

When people came to him requesting Pills, Lin Changheng often said similar things.

'I've come to the right place! It seems my promise to Lü Tong to refine a batch of pills for him has paid off.'

"This junior is also a man of skill. When refining some extremely difficult Pills, I too must expend a great deal of Energy and Heart Power."

Lin Changheng said, sounding deeply empathetic.

His thinking was simple: first, establish a common ground and confirm she could refine it. The matter of payment could be negotiated.

It was just a matter of a high or low price.

This was the first time the purple-robed woman had encountered someone who responded this way. However, she wasn't surprised and simply went with the flow. "It seems Alchemist Lin is truly in need of this Treasure Talisman. I wonder, what price can you offer?"

She had thrown the question back at him. No matter what Lin Changheng said, she would hold the initiative.

Lin Changheng immediately felt that this Elder He was a difficult person to deal with. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

After some thought, he could only bite the bullet and say, "I wonder, does Elder He have any needs concerning Elixirs? My Alchemy Dao has recently broken through to Tier Two Middle Grade. Perhaps I can be of some assistance to you?"

Lin Changheng played one of his trump cards.

"Alchemist Lin, the speed of your progress in the Alchemy Dao is truly astonishing. But I have no children, no descendants, and no family. I am all alone, with only the Immortal Dao and the Talisman Dao as my companions. I'm afraid even Tier Two Alchemy can't be of much help to me."

A flash of surprise crossed the purple-robed woman's eyes—this Alchemist Lin's progress in alchemy was quite shocking, but that was all. She then spoke the words above in a soft, melancholic tone.

'Good heavens, I've run into someone with no ties and no weaknesses...'

Lin Changheng felt a headache coming on. It really wasn't easy to move a person like this.

He looked up at the purple-robed woman, who wore an indifferent expression. Finally, he could only sigh inwardly and say, "I also have some research on special Elixirs like the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Youthful Appearance Pill..."

"Oh?"

A flicker of unusual emotion suddenly emanated from her. Lin Changheng immediately saw the first change in the beautiful woman's expression.

"I am aware that Alchemist Lin has profound attainments regarding the Foundation Establishment Pill. This Youthful Appearance Pill... you have researched it as well?"

Lin Changheng's spirits immediately lifted.

Although Cultivators were not mortals, they were still human, not immortals. They had desires and attachments. Just because you couldn't see them didn't mean they didn't exist; it just meant you hadn't... discovered them.

The topic had returned to his initial, and previously dismissed, talking point. For a moment, Lin Changheng had even thought his initial judgment was wrong.

But in the end, it had come full circle.

"That's right. I have considerable skill with both the Youthful Appearance Pill and the Solid Face Pill. The latter is so effective that it's highly sought after by the women of the Immortal Races, with a reputation that speaks for itself."

Lin Changheng began to boast, no longer holding back. It was mostly true, with a slight exaggeration.

Although the purple-robed woman's expression returned to its initial state, the look of interest in her eyes could not be hidden from Lin Changheng.

"Alchemist Lin, do you have any Youthful Appearance Pills on hand right now?"

After a moment's thought, she asked.

"I don't have any at the moment, but it's thanks to this Pill's efficacy that I can maintain this appearance at over seventy years old."

Lin Changheng used his own appearance as "corroborating evidence." It was an overwhelming advantage, because the changes brought by his Rongsheng Divine Abilities True Intent were far beyond what a mere Youthful Appearance Pill could achieve. However, using it to "prove" he had taken a Youthful Appearance Pill was not a problem.

Then he dangled another carrot. "However, I've almost finished collecting a new set of medicinal materials. I'm just missing a few specific ones."

As soon as he said this, Lin Changheng instantly felt her gaze sweep over his face and body.

She didn't use her Divine Sense, however, as that would have been too rude.

The purple-robed woman was clearly tempted. She pondered for a moment but didn't rashly believe him. After all, she hadn't seen the real thing, so she couldn't rule out the possibility that Lin Changheng was trying to trick her.

She was extremely cautious, a person who wouldn't release the falcon until she saw the rabbit. After a quick turn of thought, she suddenly said, "You must have a Solid Face Pill on you, Alchemist Lin? I wonder if I might have a look?"

'Since you claim the Solid Face Pill is so effective and sought after by the women of the Immortal Races, you must have some proof, right?'

Moreover, the Youthful Appearance Pill and the Solid Face Pill came from the same origin. With her years of experience in wellness and beauty preservation, she could surely glean some truth from it.

This was, in fact, the fundamental reason why Lin Changheng's initial claim of "having some skill in maintaining a youthful appearance and wellness" hadn't moved her.

As a Tier Two Upper Grade Talisman Master and a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, what common methods of wellness or youthful preservation could she not find or have not tried?

She was even more of an expert than Lin Changheng.

It was only because the Youthful Appearance Pill was rare and its medicinal materials hard to find that it had become the one thing that slipped through her net.