Double teaming – it’s not the first time Bubai has done this...

  Yet this is indeed the first time he’s ever teamed up with a wrinkly geezer boasting a head full of messy grey curls.

  The age gap was real. So was the experience...

  “Good lad. Remember, precision is key. This isn’t something you can rush, especially not with someone like her. You'll just make it worse for yourself.”

  The bad old geezer’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mirth, clearly enjoying his eagerness to end the game.

  Of course, his eagerness to curry favor meant Bubai couldn’t lose the “game” outright nor could he win. “Uf… O-Of course, Elder Ma. Ju-Junior only wish to do it right. B-but-”

  Ma Pei chuckled softly. “Patience lad. If you can make her breathless, this old man will give you a surprise.”

  Surprise? Oh Merlin, being surprised really didn’t sit well in his dictionary. All the more reason to lose.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bubai lost all his pieces in the chess game.

  After a weary exhale, Bubai cried out, “Elder Ma’s technique is truly unparalleled! This junior is no match.”

  The bad old geezer’s grin widened. “Hooh… young ones are really getting worse every generation. Well, you’re learning, at least.”

  “Yes, junior thanks elder for your guidance.”

  Bubai then stepped aside to watch the old geezer finish.

  The game was set, and a half-filled vial soon floated into the winner’s waiting hand.

  Ma Pei inspected the essential contents and brought the vial to his nose for a sniff.

  “Hoh? No wonder those juniors have their eyes on you. In this old man’s eyes, it’s nothing extraordinary, but this old man can see why those stingy old fogeys and muscle-heads would find merit in it. Yes… It’ll make for a fine gift.”

  Sensing an opportunity, Bubai hastily capitalized on it. “Junior is willing to dedicate a box of this treasure to honor Elder Ma every month.”

  Ma Pei chuckled and dismissed the offer. “A few vials will do. This old man isn’t in need of so many.”

  “Yes, junior understands.”

  Floating back and settling in his seat, Ma Pei eyed Bubai’s ugly face of flattery. “Hoho… This old man can see now why that lassie is so good to you. You really don’t miss her at all?”

  Lassie? Bubai’s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected question. Was this another test?

  Bubai’s quick wits kicked in, and he immediately flipped on the drama switch, beating his chest and choking out exaggerated sobs.

  “Junior doesn’t dare to lie to Elder Ma. Speaking the truth, junior really misses Weiwei deeply! She gave me a storage pouch, money for food, money for women, money to learn formations, money—”

  “Alright, alright, enough crocodile tears! This old man gets your point. Cheap brat.”

  Ma Pei gave him an exasperated roll of his eyes.

  “A gift given is like water poured out, but this old man won’t take your little gift for nothing.”

  With a flip of the old man’s ringed hand, a black embroidered pouch appeared on his palm.

  Gazing at the pouch, the sentimental feelings seemed to be spilling off the old geezer’s face.

  “This old relic has been with this old man for a long time. It’s time this old man passes it down to the next generation.”

  A casual wave of Ma Pei’s hand sent the pouch floating over to Bubai.

  Catching the pouch with trembling hands, Bubai really did feel a bit giddy inside.

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  He really wasn’t wrong. Buttering up to old fogeys really did wonders!

  Still, Bubai knew just what this old ginger was doing here.

  A high-grade spatial storage pouch. For a golden core cultivator, it wasn’t too difficult to pick up a few on a round trip to a secret realm.

  Who knows how many pouches the old geezer had collected during his centuries of life!

  So, this common storage device wasn’t too valuable in the eyes of the strong, but to normal juniors like him, it was a hefty gift nevertheless.

  To top it off, treating it like a hand-me-down…

  This was just a typical trick to buy the heart of juniors!

  Of course, knowing the truth didn’t stop Bubai from acting out the script.

  Showing a face full of struggle, Bubai acted as if he was holding a hot potato he wasn’t willing to let go. “T-This is too precious! This junior can’t accept-”

  “Don’t be so wishy washy! It’s nothing special, just a high-grade bag. Take it! Just do well and don’t throw this old man’s face in the tournament. This old man is optimistic about you, young man.”

  Looking at the old geezer as if he was his father, Bubai quickly knelt on a knee and properly showed immense gratitude by kowtowing.

  “Junior will never forget elder’s grace and will not disappoint Elder Ma!”

  “Hoho. That’s what this old man likes to hear.”

  Ma Pei then pointed at Xiao Hong.

  “Good brat, this will be the old man’s second gift. From now on, as long as she delivers the rent on time, she’s yours to play with. Anytime, anywhere. Even with anyone.”

  This time, the implications were a whole different dynamic compared to the previous monthly harvester status!

  Thus, Xiao Hong’s head snapped over in shock. “Master! Hong’er-”

  Ma Pei’s gaze sharpened, his tone turning cold. “Hoh? Unwilling?”

  Knowing she had no choice, Xiao Hong dropped her head in submissiveness. “Yes, Hong’er obeys.”

  The old geezer’s dangerous aura relaxed and he leaned back. “Good. Why aren’t you greeting your new owner?”

  Turning to Bubai, her mask of arrogant superiority cracked just slightly when she squeezed out a meek, “Master.”

  That’s what she said. But everyone knows in their hearts who she truly belonged to.

  Bubai almost rolled his eyes at the situation. Great, just got rid of one spy and earned himself another.

  Bet this was the real “surprise” the bad old geezer planned to give him from the get-go.

  But this was similar to the leverage he wanted.

  The longer this thorny rose was planted at his side, the more time he’ll have to prune her.

  Of course, this wasn’t the time to deal with this new complication.

  Gifts were great and all, but they weren’t the important matter he was gunning for.

  Bubai gave the elder a respectful salute. “Junior is deeply thankful for everything the esteemed Elder has bestowed thus far, but that…”

  Absently stroking his beard, Ma Pei returned a knowing smile.

  “This old man knows what you brat is worried about. Like this old man said. There’s not much I can do about the others. But there should be no issues within our faction after this old man has a good talk with old Mo.”

  No one can be sure if this shameless old timer would stick to his words, but all Bubai wanted was an attitude.

  Just a little change in attitude can open up more room for him to turn the real deal around. A part of his goal was achieved.

  “With Elder Ma’s guarantee, junior’s heart can finally rest easy.”

  Seeing the gratitude as warm as spring rain on the other’s face, Ma Pei nodded, his smile widening just a fraction.

  “Don’t worry too much about the others. What must come will come, but no one’s silly enough to ruin a golden goose like you. Now, off you two go.”

  …

  Walking out from the palace, Bubai couldn't help but glance back at the towering gate, its grandeur a stark reminder of the high-stakes game he had just played.

  Honestly, he might have played a bit big this time, but this round was played just as well as he hoped.

  A game of poker comes down to a show of hands.

  He had plenty of cards up his sleeves, but only with sufficient weight can certain sins be wiped away.

  Trivial cards like being a formation apprentice could only be the icing on the cake. It wasn’t enough to tip the scales in his favor.

  Only the few aces up his sleeves can shock the masses and achieve the intended effect.

  Among these hidden aces were his secret storage space, his mysterious green dew, his transformed physique, and his concealed evildoer status.

  Showing each one had its own risks and rewards. It was a decision that can’t be made lightly.

  In the end, Bubai chose to reveal his special physique. Why?

  First, cultivation status was off the table.

  Although Bubai could easily feign a lower cultivation realm by transferring all his Qi into his mysterious dantian space, the reverse wasn’t possible.

  Any cultivator who reached the Foundation Realm would condense an artistic concept within their dantian, known as the foundation seed.

  This seed could take various forms—totems for fellow cultivators of the dream arts, miniature swords for sword cultivators, cauldrons for those destined to be furnaces, and so on.

  Thanks to his almighty golden finger, his foundation seed was now a leaf safely locked away in an impenetrable vault no one could detect.

  Alas… this very advantage came with a significant drawback.

  There was no way to explain his missing foundation seed to others without leaking clues to his mysterious space, and therein escalating the issue to his heaven-defying cheat!

  Right now, only a few in the sect were privy to a corner of his true mystery. Namely, the granny fairy duo and Xiao Lan.

  If unnecessary, Bubai has no intention of expanding this entourage.

  Not everybody would be so kind to not dig into his soul to find his true secret. So, the less clues handed out, the better.

  Due to these risks, publicity for any played cards without independent origins was out of the question.

  Consequently, the very nature of his hidden space set it as another nonstarter.

  Similarly, openly selling his mysterious dew would bring into question its origins.

  But time is of the essence. It’s already too late to cover up some matters.

  Rather than let the imagination of others run wild and think he has some heaven-defying secrets, it was best to cleverly misdirect them.

  A unique, drool-worthy physique was the perfect smokescreen, no?