My daily cultivation progress is calculated.

Chapter 120 This is a bit tricky! More money is needed!

Chapter 121 This is a bit tricky! More money is needed!

The next day.

Shen Yan went out early in the morning to look for Shen Rong at his residence.

Just as Shen Rong was about to leave, Shen Yan blocked his way and asked, "Shen Yan, what brings you here?"

"Brother Rong, could we talk in a quiet place?"

When Shen Rong heard Shen Yan say this, he knew that Shen Yan had a secret he wanted to talk to him about, so he led him to the study.

"Brother Rong, do you think there are immortals in this world?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Someone invited me for drinks last night. He said that he seemed to have seen immortals when he went out to sea to seek immortality and medicine."

Shen Yan told Shen Rong about what happened to A Si last night, but did not mention his name.

Shen Rong seemed to be reminiscing, and sighed, saying, "The Innate Grandmaster is already beyond the realm of mortals. Above the Grandmaster is the Great Grandmaster realm, which wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them immortals. Perhaps there's even a realm above the Great Grandmaster, where one could be called a celestial being!"

Hearing his words, Shen Yan seemed to know something and continued to ask, "Does Brother Rong know about the Grandmaster?"

"This matter is not a secret. Did you know that the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was a Grandmaster? Back then, the last emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty was incompetent, and in the final years of the dynasty, warlords carved out their own territories. The founding emperor, Emperor Taizu, started from humble beginnings and carved out his own territory to establish the Great Zhou Dynasty."

"Why haven't I heard of the founding emperor?"

"Emperor Taizu ordered the erasure of events from the previous dynasty, so very little information has survived. The Great Qian Dynasty is an ominous one; you'd better not inquire about it."

Shen Yan would not be interested in inquiring about other matters, but since this involved the path of cultivation, he did not want to give up.

According to the current level of martial arts, those who practice external martial arts will begin to experience a decline in their qi and blood after the age of fifty, making it impossible for them to support a martial artist in advancing to higher levels.

While internal cultivation might be better, if one hasn't reached the first rank by the age of fifty, there's no chance of breaking through to the innate level in this lifetime.

Not to mention the later realms. According to Shen Rong, Li Yuan was already a Grandmaster at the age of fifty, which is simply impossible nowadays.

The first Duke of Dingguo also started fighting alongside Li Yuan at the age of twenty, and by the age of thirty he had already broken through to the Grandmaster level.

If the transmission of martial arts techniques has not been interrupted, then only changes in the world have made it more difficult for martial artists to break through.

Shen Yan wanted to know why it had become more difficult.

He wondered to himself, "Could there truly be spiritual energy in this world? Is it as described in the novels of my past life, that we are now in the Dharma-ending Age?"

He even suspected that Li Yuan might not be dead yet. Grandmasters could live for hundreds of years, and even great grandmasters might live for who knows how long.

Shen Rong's reluctance to discuss the matter further left Shen Yan somewhat disappointed.

"It seems I'll have to find these clues myself, but luckily I'm still young and have plenty of time."

1

The "Longevity Formula" prolongs life, so it's foreseeable that Shen Yan would break through to the Innate Realm.

With the added benefits of the Dao Fruit, he anticipated that living for hundreds or even thousands of years would not be a problem.

Back to the Heavenly Prison.

Shen Yan summoned Sun Fugui.

"Brother Shen, what do you need me for?"

"Go and collect some records about legends of immortals and gods, as well as anecdotes from the previous dynasty."

Sun Fugui smiled and accepted the silver note without asking Shen Yan why he did this.

Shen Yan is generous and never shortchanges those who do things for him.

Sun Fugui was overjoyed; Shen Yan assigned him tasks every day.

Shen Yan made up his mind.

"Whether it's cultivating immortality or pursuing the highest realm of martial arts, as long as there's still a road ahead, I want to take that journey."

Having attained the Dao Fruit, Shen Yan naturally did not want to waste his life any longer.

While ordinariness is good, he is not content with it.

Just then.

Ma Danian arrived at Shen Yan's cell.

Seeing his hesitant expression and flushed face, Shen Yan couldn't utter a single word.

He frowned and said, "What is it? Why are you stammering for so long?"

for a long time.

Ma Danian finally mustered up his courage and asked, "Sir, do you want a wife?"

"No! When did you start acting as a matchmaker?"

"My lord, you've misunderstood. I only wish to offer you a concubine. With someone close by your side and someone to manage the household, and perhaps a son or daughter, the Shen family will have an heir."

"Huh?! Old Ma, are you out of your mind?"

Ma Danian became somewhat anxious and finally revealed the truth.

It turned out that one of his friends was involved in Yan Fan's case, and the men in his family were either exiled or beheaded.

The women in the household were thrown into the brothel.

The Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) was full of wives and daughters of disgraced officials, and was under the jurisdiction of the Sili (Directorate of Ceremonies).

The money they earned all went into the imperial treasury, so it was essentially a royal brothel.

Shen Yan had never been there; he usually frequented Chunfeng Tower.

I've heard that many officials favor the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district) and dislike the Chunfenglou (another government-run entertainment district).

Ma Danian wanted to find a woman to be Shen Yan's concubine, but she was still imprisoned in the women's prison and had not yet been sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution).

He knew that once he was on the list of those in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), it would be almost impossible to get away.

There was still plenty of room in the prison, and Ma Danian believed that as long as Shen Yan was willing to help, they could definitely get him out.

Before his death, the old friend pleaded with Ma Danian, saying that he only had this one daughter.

The only person Ma Danian could think of and contact was Shen Yan.

Having money isn't enough to get connections; you also need to find the right people.

Some time ago, Shen Yan managed to get many people out of the prison, which Ma Danian witnessed.

If Shen Yan agrees, then this matter should be settled.

Being his concubine is a thousand times better than going to the brothel.

Shen Yan frowned upon hearing this.

It wasn't that he didn't like women; he did want a woman at home to manage things. But ultimately, he had too many secrets and wasn't suited for marriage.

Moreover, you can only believe three-tenths of what a matchmaker says.

They're praising me to the skies now, but what if I'm actually fat and ugly when we meet? Wouldn't I be stuck with them?

At this point, Shen Yan saw Ma Danian as a matchmaker.

He began, "Uncle Ma! We've worked together for so long, don't you know what kind of person I am?"

"How could I not know that you value loyalty and keep your word? That's why I thought of you."

Shen Yan shook his head.

"You don't understand. It's better to keep matters of the heart pure. If you mix too many things in, they become impure."

Ma Danian sighed and said, "It seems that you have someone in mind, sir. I wonder which lady has won your favor. Alas! I apologize for my intrusion."

Shen Yan laughed and said, "No! You misunderstood. What I meant was to pay money. With money, you can have all kinds of things at Chunfeng Tower."

Ma Danian's mouth gaped slightly, his face filled with shock, but he quickly exclaimed in praise, "Sir, you are truly an extraordinary person! How much will it cost?"

Shen Yan suddenly remembered that the women's prison was different from the imperial prison; it mostly housed the wives and daughters of convicted officials who were about to be sent to the brothel.

The guards of the women's prison were all eunuchs and palace maids, but he thought of one person.

He Yun, whom Chen Yu had met once before outside the prison, had a good relationship with him.

He Yun knew that the influence of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs should be effective in the Women's Prison.

He said to Ma Danian, "I don't know the price yet. I'll tell you after I ask!"

Ma Danian was overjoyed when he heard Shen Yan's words.

"Thank you, sir!"

Watching his cheerful departure, Shen Yan shook her head and said, "I suffered a lot during my blind dates in my past life. I don't believe a word you say."

However, they still had to bail him out, and Ma Danian rarely asked him for help.