“Impudent.” Upon hearing Lily’s shamelessly one-sided words flattering Ryan Foster, Eric Carter suddenly turned around, his piercing gaze so sharp that even Lily, who had spent years in the world of pleasure, instinctively avoided his eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

“So young, yet with such presence and courage—I find myself starting to admire you a little.”

At this moment, the slightly wicked-looking young man had lost his previous edge. He stepped forward with a light laugh and said, “I most enjoy making friends with talented young people. Though you are still young, to have such presence is rare. Why not follow me as an attendant in the future? I guarantee it will be far more promising than just going to school.”

Although Eric Carter had not yet fully completed his Foundation Establishment, his keen insight, honed over a hundred years in the cultivation world of the Central Plains, remained. At first glance, he sensed something was off about this young man. Now, observing his words and the wicked glint in his eyes, Eric Carter became even more certain of his judgment.

“First, he offered two hundred thousand to buy the girl’s Red Pill, and I see a faint trace of lewdness between his brows. His skin is fair and lustrous, even more so than that of a young maiden, and there’s a faintly sweet, cloying scent in his speech… Judging from all this, this youth before me must be a demonic cultivator who practices the art of harvesting yin to supplement yang.”

The art of harvesting yin to supplement yang is the lowest tier of cultivation methods, not even worthy of being called a true cultivation technique. Even the most degenerate demonic cultivators in the Central Plains look down on it. In Eric Carter’s memory, only those so-called secular clans, vassals to some demonic sect, would practice such evil arts. These inferior techniques are mostly passed down by cultivation sects to those wealthy families who support them financially.

Fortunately, Eric Carter had never divided the world into good and evil, always relying on his own judgment. That’s why he once refined the “Demon-Slaying Cauldron” for Master Jiuyue and also crafted the “Five Devouring Ghost Banners” for Ancestor Chongyou. Now, even though he was sure that Ryan Foster practiced the Red Pill harvesting technique, as long as he gave up his delusions about Sophie Baker after understanding the consequences, Eric Carter had no intention of dealing with him.

“Young Master Foster, the Red Pill is usable, but you must be careful of the imbalance between yin and yang. The art of harvesting is a most inferior technique; even if you obtain thousands of Red Pills, you will never achieve true mastery. And remember this: not every virgin is someone whose first night you can buy with money. Know your limits—don’t force what shouldn’t be taken.”

Eric Carter suddenly stepped forward, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered with a smile into Ryan Foster’s ear. The latter’s expression changed dramatically, his face shifting between light and dark for a long moment, his eyes nearly narrowing to slits as he stared at Eric Carter. Suddenly, he waved at Lily and said, “This has nothing to do with you. Step aside. I have some private matters to discuss with this young man.”

Lily naturally sensed something strange about the whole affair, but she dared not disobey Ryan Foster. After all, the Duan family was the most powerful among the three major underworld factions in the south, and as the sole heir to the “Xinghai Alliance,” offending Ryan Foster was far more dangerous than simply ending up dead in the street.

Chapter 11: The Hidden Master

With a hint of excitement in his expression, Ryan Foster pulled Eric Carter aside and whispered, “Little brother, with such keen insight, may I ask if you are also a cultivator?”

After Eric Carter revealed that Ryan Foster practiced the Red Pill harvesting technique, the latter naturally assumed Eric Carter was also from a cultivation family. Even in a modern metropolis like Shanghai, there were at least four or five cultivation circles that Ryan Foster knew of, but he had no impression of Eric Carter at all, which only made him more curious.

Hearing Ryan Foster categorize him as a fellow member of a marginal cultivation family, Eric Carter couldn’t help but shake his head disdainfully. “How could I possibly be the same as you? As I said just now, the art of harvesting is the lowest of all cultivation methods. Since you’ve entered this circle, you should know that yourself.”

To Eric Carter’s blunt words, Ryan Foster showed no anger at all. Instead, he spoke in a flattering tone, “So, little brother, you mean to say you practice a far more advanced cultivation method?”

The internal and external methods of the Treasure Refining Pavilion were not the very top tier, but among the hundreds of sects in the Central Plains, they were considered high-level. It was only because Eric Carter had been obsessed with treasure refining that he failed his tribulation and nearly perished, body and soul.

If it weren’t for Ryan Foster’s current fawning attitude, and the fact that Eric Carter found him somewhat agreeable and was in a good mood, he wouldn’t have bothered to answer. After a brief pause, Eric Carter said quietly, “Any cultivation method I practice is a hundred times superior to your Red Pill harvesting technique. By the way, which sect is your family a vassal to?”