Zhong Cai fell into a dilemma, murmuring, “How do we judge the grade of the mutation?”
Wu Shaoqian hadn’t expected such an accident to occur.
According to the manual, if everything goes smoothly, a fifth-grade Hunsui Lingxin can restore his aptitude to the top-tier of the Huang-rank . But with the mutation, it’s hard to say. Who knows if it’s a benign mutation or something dangerous?
Zhong Cai gritted his teeth.
Seeing him like this, Wu Shaoqian comforted him, saying, “Maybe this is just a blessing in disguise.” He couldn’t help but smile as he continued, “In the end, it worked out. It seems like all that nagging and praying you did for me really paid off.”
Zhong Cai gave him a sidelong glance. “Who am I worrying about?”
Wu Shaoqian said sincerely: “Seeing you so anxious for me, I can’t be anxious anymore.”
Zhong Cai: “…”
Wu Shaoqian cleared his throat lightly, not wanting to truly annoy Zhong Cai. Holding the Hunsui Lingxin, he began to describe its texture. “It feels cool and smooth to the touch, much like jade.”
Zhong Cai irritably leaned over, flipping through the manual to the page about the Hunsui Lingxin, carefully comparing.
The fifth-grade regular Hunsui Lingxin and this mutated one have almost identical physical characteristics and touch sensations, with the only difference being their color.
All Hunsui Lingxin have a purple surface that emits a soft, iridescent glow when flipped.
The higher the grade, the lighter the purple color and the stronger the iridescent glow.
At the same time, the texture becomes softer.
— If it’s a Hunsui Lingxin that can restore aptitude to the Xian Rank, the color will be nearly transparent.
When not flipped, it looks like a still pool of water, but once it’s rotated, it becomes a brilliant, colorful light, as if it could flow between the fingers.
Wu Shaoqian flipped the silver Hunsui Lingxin, which also emitted a colorful halo.
He gently pressed his finger on the surface of the mutated Hunsui Lingxin.
At this moment, the pressed area slightly dented, but quickly returned to its original state.
Zhong Cai looked at the mutated Hunsui Lingxin, then glanced at the images in the manual.
“After pressing, the performance is also the same.”
Wu Shaoqian placed the Hunsui Lingxin on the table beside him and discussed with Zhong Cai, “So, what should we do with it?”
Zhong Cai pinched the manual, thought for a moment, then scratched his neck and lightly tapped his head against Wu Shaoqian’s. He hesitated and said, “Since there’s a ‘mutation’, it should have been mentioned when describing the ‘regular’ ones. But the ‘regular’ section doesn’t… Do you think it’s because the difference is too big, so they were recorded separately?”
Wu Shaoqian was taken aback. “Makes sense.”
The two looked at each other and then focused their gaze on the manual.
This time, they didn’t skim through the pages but carefully flipped through each one.
Following the Hunsui Lingxin were over fifty pages detailing other types of celestial materials and earthly treasures, most of which were related to “restoration”:
For example, several types that have a repairing effect on the soul, four types that can restore aptitude (though the process is not as gentle and stable as with the Hunsui Lingxin)…
Further examples include limb regeneration, organ regeneration, correction of innate defects, restoration of innate abnormalities, and treatment of innate diseases… When they reached a certain page, a rare treasure caught Zhong Cai’s attention.
Wu Shaoqian noticed Zhong Cai’s fingers pause, and he looked over as well.
Yan Ru Chan.
A celestial material born naturally from special rocks, milky-white in color, about the size of a thumb, shaped like a cicada but not a real living creature.
Its greatest function is to ensure that the prenatal vital energy within the mother’s body is sufficient, enabling natural childbirth when giving birth.
Zhong Cai pursed his lips.
Wu Shaoqian knew he was thinking of his own mother.
Zhong Cai shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
Zhong Cai’s own mother, Sun Xi, had difficulty giving birth because of insufficient prenatal vital energy.
This condition is very rare, and whether the prenatal vital energy is sufficient can only be known during childbirth, making it impossible to detect in advance.
According to reason, the fetus in the womb would also be unable to leave the mother’s body smoothly due to insufficient prenatal vital energy. However, at that time, Zhong Cai had a vague awareness and a strong desire to survive, which instinctively made him exert extra effort, enabling him to be born.
Zhong Cai still had feelings for his mother. After all, his biological father might have just had a brief moment of pleasure, while his mother had to carry the pregnancy for a long time. From this perspective, the effort put forth is not the same.
However, they never had the chance to interact, so Zhong Cai only remembered her fondly and didn’t have any clear impression of her.
After formally meeting his stepmother and hearing her describe some things about his mother, Zhong Cai learned that she was a woman of deep emotions. If she were alive, she would probably have been a mother who didn’t fit into the aristocratic world but was gentle and loving.
Naturally, Zhong Cai would occasionally have a few more imaginations.
Zhong Cai quickly reassured himself, saying, “It’s a bit regrettable, but my own imagination is the most perfect.” He grinned, “My mother, aside from being a bit romantic, also cares a lot about Grandfather and Auntie. I’ll remember this. If Auntie wants to have children in the future, I’ll go find some and give them to her. No matter what happens then, I’ll be able to take care of her sister for my mother.”
Wu Shaoqian couldn’t help but smile, “Alright, I’ll accompany you when the time comes.”
Zhong Cai continued, “If she doesn’t get married, I’ll give her and Grandfather more pills. With their strength increased, they’ll live longer, which is also a way to take care of my mother’s loved ones.”
Wu Shaoqian didn’t have any relatives to look after, but if Zhong Cai did, that would be great.
So he said, “I’ll help you.”
Zhong Cai bluntly replied, “Of course you have to help me! In the days to come, I’ll have you in every plan, you can’t even think of running away!”
Wu Shaoqian felt a warm feeling in his heart and promised with a smile, “I definitely won’t run away!”
Zhong Cai snorted, “That’s more like it.”
He continued flipping the pages, “Help me remember, if you happen to draw it with good luck, make sure to store it away carefully.’”
Wu Shaoqian readily agreed, “Got it.”
The records in the ‘Ancient Rare Treasures Compendium’ were indeed meticulous. As the booklet became thinner and only about twenty percent remained, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian both fixated on the words ‘Special Chapter – Growth Class Treasures’.
Zhong Cai widened his eyes.
Wu Shaoqian’s pupils contracted.
Without any prior agreement, they both reached out and almost simultaneously turned the page.
The first item wasn’t… the second item wasn’t…
By the time they reached the sixth item, the image that met their eyes was a silver-white, mutated Hunsui Lingxin.
Zhong Cai’s heart raced.
The growth of the mutated Hunsui Lingxin… what kind of growth is it?
Wu Shaoqian was also somewhat excited, carefully examining the small print on the entire page.
Zhong Cai was doing the same.
—
The mutated Hunsui Lingxin, changing from purple to silver, has no difference in characteristics from the ordinary Hunsui Lingxin.
The method of use is the same as the ordinary Hunsui Lingxin, but when it is combined with the core of the soul and used to nurture the new soul artifact gateway, it will seek to find a companion artifact that matches the cultivator’s growth.
Because the growth limit of the companion artifact is not fixed, there will be some consumption of the soul during the process of nurturing the gateway. Therefore, the cultivator not only needs to ensure the absolute integrity of the soul when integrating the Hunsui Lingxin, but also needs to continuously replenish the power of the soul in the following period.
The higher the growth potential of the companion artifact, the greater the consumption during the nurturing of the “gate,” and the more replenishment is required.
If the replenishment is insufficient, there is a high possibility that the gate will fail to open, and it will not be possible to summon a matching companion artifact, and the soul will also be damaged.
Afterwards, if the cultivator wants to restore their qualifications, they will need to repair the soul and find a new Hunsui Lingxin.
Annotation: The most common way to replenish consumption is:
First, through the supplementation of pills.
For example, Yang Hun Dan, Bu Hun Dan, Yun Hun Dan, Yu Hun Dan…
When the Hunsui Lingxin integrates with the soul, the soul is easily shaken and rejects impurities, so only top-grade first-grade can be taken.
Second, precious medicine supplementation.
For example, Yang Hun Grass, Yue Ling Flower, Liuyue Qiongjiang…
Only the pure and unadulterated sap can be consumed. Yin-type precious herbs need to be fused with Yang-type precious herbs to achieve Yin-Yang balance before they can be taken.
Third, ordinary Hunsui Lingxin .
Using the mutated Hunsui Lingxin as the foundation, continue to integrate other Hunsui Lingxins as nutrients—even if a higher-grade ordinary Hunsui Lingxin is integrated, the initial grade of the companion treasure will still match the mutated Hunsui Lingxin.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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[More details] Skipped.
—
After reading, Zhong Cai couldn’t help but jump up, extremely excited!
“Old Wu! This thing is even better than the ordinary one! It’s practically tailor-made for you!”
Wu Shaoqian was also very shocked.
As long as his divine soul is fully healed, this thing can be used immediately! Not only does it not delay his cultivation and improvement time, but it also doesn’t limit his aptitude to a certain upper limit.
After jumping around a few times, Zhong Cai sat back down beside Wu Shaoqian, unable to hide his joy—he had felt so regretful when he initially drew a fifth-grade item, but now he was a hundred times happier!
In fact, the highest level of Hunsui Lingxin obtainable from the Purple Flame Pool could only restore Wu Shaoqian’s aptitude to the peak of the Xuan Rank. Naturally, something that can grow is much better.
Wu Shaoqian couldn’t contain his happiness and couldn’t help but hug Zhong Cai tightly.
Zhong Cai returned a big hug, both of them fully indulging in their shared joy.
After the two calmed down, they sat side by side.
Zhong Cai exhaled and said, “I have other recipes for nourishing the soul, but among the selected ones, there’s only the Yang Hun Dan. The other types are in the common recipes.”
Wu Shaoqian, suppressing his overflowing emotions, listened with a smile.
Zhong Cai continued, “Since those recipes are ordinary and their effects are similar to the Yang Hun Dan, there’s no need to learn them for now. After all, consistently taking top-grade Yang Hun Dan won’t cause any resistance. This is the one I’m most skilled at making, so it’s better to refine more for you. Right now, you only need one pill per hour, but when you merge with the mutated Hunsui Lingxin, it might not be enough, so we need to stockpile them.”
Wu Shaoqian’s expression softened as he listened to Zhong Cai’s plans for him.
Zhong Cai said cheerfully, “For now, let’s prepare the Yang Hun Dan. We can also gather more strands of spiritual aura, and who knows, we might get lucky and draw another ordinary Hunsui Lingxin? Then we can tackle it from both sides and really boost you up!”
Wu Shaoqian laughed, “Alright, I’ll wait for you to boost me up.”
Zhong Cai’s mood blossomed, but then he suddenly grew humble again.
“It’s just that my skills aren’t advanced enough yet. Otherwise, I could directly refine second-grade Yang Hun Dan, and you wouldn’t have to spend so much time slowly restoring your soul. A few pills would do the job.”
Wu Shaoqian saw Zhong Cai’s slightly deliberate look and, with a smile, pressed his hand on Zhong Cai’s head, giving it a good rub.
“There’s no ‘not skilled enough,'” he said, using a bit of force, watching Zhong Cai struggle in his palm, and praised, “You’re the best!”
Zhong Cai: “…”
‘It’s enough to praise me; no need to express it physically!’
In fact, there was another reason why Zhong Cai insisted on using top-grade Yang Hun Dan for Wu Shaoqian—Wu Shaoqian should actually be taking second-grade Yang Hun Dan.
After reaching the peak of the Palace Aperture Realm, when a cultivator uses their life soul as a core and starts absorbing the celestial soul, they officially enter the Enlightenment Realm. When Wu Shaoqian’s life soul and celestial soul were disrupted, his realm naturally fell.
However, the Dao Palace that Wu Shaoqian originally established still existed and did not suddenly shrink back, so he remained at the peak of the Palace Aperture Realm.
The first-grade Yang Hun Dan were not entirely suitable, but the top-grade pills were free of impurities and had very pure medicinal power with strong effects.
Therefore, with substantial supplementation, spending a bit more time could also fully restore Wu Shaoqian’s soul.
Zhong Cai said cheerfully, “Once you successfully summon the companion artifact, I’ll stock up on Buqi Dan for you. Then you can draw in the essence of heaven and earth while using the pills to supplement your qi. Like I said before, even if the grade is lower, as long as there are enough pills, they’ll do the job!”
“And then you’ll be able to quickly recover to the peak of the Palace Aperture Realm. Since you’ve experienced it before, you can swiftly advance to the Enlightenment Realm, and your strength will be fully restored!” As he spoke, his joy was so intense it seemed to radiate from him. “Then, you can take me flying again—”
Wu Shaoqian leaned against the stone seat, smiling as he looked at Zhong Cai.
“Didn’t we agree that I’d take you flying with Xiao Qingyu?”
Zhong Cai snorted, giving Wu Shaoqian a sidelong glance. “Xiao Qingyu is Xiao Qingyu. It’s a different feeling when you carry me. Can’t I reminisce about past happiness?”
Wu Shaoqian chuckled and surrendered, saying, “Sure, why not? Once I recover, you can decide how you want me to fly. If you don’t want Xiao Qingyu to carry you, I can carry you all the time.”
Zhong Cai laughed, “You said it.”
Wu Shaoqian promised, “I said it, and it will never change.”
Zhong Cai beamed with joy, becoming even happier.
The dawn was truly in sight.
Before, no matter how much they tried to relax, Wu Shaoqian would inevitably feel a bit unsatisfied with his own aptitude, and Zhong Cai would always pay attention to Wu Shaoqian’s feelings, harboring a bit of hidden concern.
But now, they were truly relieved.
Zhong Cai took out a box and carefully placed the mutated Hunsui Lingxin inside.
“How much longer do you think it will take to fully heal your soul?” he asked.
Wu Shaoqian calculated the time, popped a Yang Hun Dan into his mouth, and then said, “About forty to fifty days.”
Zhong Cai placed the box securely in a corner of the stone seat and sighed, “This mutated Hunsui Lingxin seems to be of very high quality. When you summon your companion artifact, it should be the best of the top Huang-rank. But even so, your cultivation speed might still be slower than before…”
Wu Shaoqian smiled, “By then, our aptitudes will be the same, and we can cultivate together.”
Zhong Cai beamed, “That’s true.”
Wu Shaoqian added, “You mentioned before that your altar might grow bigger as your strength improves and as you invest more spiritual energy into it, so it can also grow.”
Zhong Cai nodded, “We’ll be the same in that aspect too.”
Wu Shaoqian agreed, leaning closer to Zhong Cai. “My high aptitude drew too much attention back then. It’s not surprising I was targeted. The higher the aptitude, the harder it is to hide, and the initial phenomena were already well-known.”
Zhong Cai agreed, “There’s no way around it. Phenomena appear with aptitudes above the Di-rank.” He smiled and continued, “Companion artifacts that can grow may require more resources and have greater consumption, but they can grow quietly without drawing attention and getting targeted.”
Wu Shaoqian also smiled, “That’s why I think this situation is actually better now.”
The two talked for a while, and their hearts settled completely.
Zhong Cai smiled, “I still have over two thousand strands left. Since my luck is good now, let’s continue drawing cards.”
Wu Shaoqian naturally supported him.
So Zhong Cai continued with the sacrifices, feeling quite cheerful.
Now it didn’t matter what he drew, as there was no urgent need.
It would be great to get ordinary Hunsui Lingxin, but if he didn’t, it wasn’t a big problem.
At most, he would just use more pills during the nurturing of the secret artifact gate. If the demand for matching companion artifacts was high, he could also just gobble them down, one batch at a time.
After all, he could afford it!
He would have the Qingkong puppet go buy Yang Hun Grass, first nearby, and if that didn’t work, he would search in farther places, as much as he could…
First, there were two sets of ten consecutive draws from the Blue Flame Pool.
The first time, Zhong Cai drew by himself, and the second time, he let Wu Shaoqian draw.
As the golden light spun and flickered, smoke billowed…
Numerous resources appeared one after another, available for the two to pick.
The total was twenty items, including seven Xuanzhu.
There were two guaranteed ten consecutive draws of rare herbs: a fourth-grade rare herb, the Shixin Hibiscus, and a Jin Sunflower.
There were four second-grade resources: one beast pill, one rare beast egg, one talisman, and one humanoid puppet.
There were five third-grade resources: one secret technique book, one cultivation technique book, one refining material, one rare herb, and one beast skin.
There were two fourth-grade resources: one heavenly treasure and one cultivation technique book.
Wu Shaoqian asked with a smile, “Another ten consecutive draws from the White Flame Pool?”
Zhong Cai nodded, “We should also stock up on low-grade resources now. Let’s use up all the strands.”
With 789 strands of spiritual aura remaining, they could perform seven more sets of ten draws from the White Flame Pool.
Zhong Cai unhesitatingly invested 700 strands.
The White Flame Pool crazily spat out seals, “swish, swish, swish,” floating in front, forming a vast white expanse.
Zhong Cai took forty and gave Wu Shaoqian thirty.
Both of them activated them simultaneously.
The white seals shot out in unison, neatly hanging in mid-air.
Dozens of seals shook together, releasing dense smoke, numerous gold pieces, and a large amount of first-grade resources.
Once again, heavy golden light spun in circles, revealing a large number of second-grade resources.
Then there were the guaranteed items, with large flashes of golden light…
The final results were—
Thirty one gold coins, fifteen first-grade resources, thirteen second-grade resources, and eleven third-grade resources (including seven guaranteed rare herbs).
Most of the spiritual aura was used up, so single draws from the White Flame Pool were no longer necessary.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian sat together and began sorting through all the resources.
Wu Shaoqian said, “Quite a few of these are suitable for Xihu.”
Zhong Cai nodded. “I was thinking of giving them a technique and saying it was something you got earlier.”
Wu Shaoqian raised his eyebrows and accepted this.
“We’ve drawn several techniques from first-grade to fourth-grade. Which one do you want to choose?”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go with a third-grade one. We can consider higher grades later.”
Wu Shaoqian agreed, “That works.”
After birth, each cultivator forms a contract with heaven and earth, allowing them to possess a compatible companion artifact.
These companion artifact can be formed naturally by heaven and earth, created by humans but are already ownerless, or remain in the world without dissipating, and so on.
Naturally formed artifacts include heavenly treasure and various precious items, while man-made ones include magical artifacts. Lingering in the world could be sentient human souls (primordial souls) and beast souls.
Heavenly treasures and precious items usually come with instructions on usage and cultivation. Beast souls often come with introductions and methods for coordinating actions with the soul. If these souls possess intelligence, they can bring considerable knowledge and might even carry various legacies.
Sentient human souls have wisdom, and though they may lose some memories after death, much of it remains. It’s almost like carrying a personal teacher who can directly impart their knowledge to the cultivator—what the human soul knows, the cultivator is highly likely to learn.
However, these types of companion artifacts are much rarer compared to magical artifacts, with human souls and beast souls being the rarest.
For a magical artifact to carry a legacy, it often needs to have a long history and to have been wielded by a highly powerful cultivator.
These legacies might be deliberately attached by the previous owner seeking a compatible heir, or they might naturally inscribe themselves over time as the artifact absorbs the cultivator’s aura. Sometimes, the artifact has existed for so long that it naturally resonates with the world, forming compatible legacies over the years.
Thus, low-grade magical artifacts rarely carry legacies. Mid to high Huang Rank artifacts might carry a few techniques. At the Xuan Rank, artifacts might contain partial legacies, such as incomplete sword techniques, half a cultivation manual, or other fragmented inheritances. Only at the Di Rank does the likelihood of a complete legacy increase, but it’s still common to find artifacts with only cultivation techniques and no moves, or just secret techniques without cultivation techniques.
For magical artifacts of the Tian Rank and Xian Rank, most of them have legacies. However, cultivators of such high caliber are usually geniuses who, while benefiting from these legacies, may find them not entirely compatible. As these cultivators progress, they often seek to transcend the limitations of inherited techniques and embark on the challenging yet rewarding path of creating their own cultivation methods.
On the continent, several common cultivation techniques are widely practiced: “Qi Absorption Technique,” “Natural Scripture,” and “Qi Swallowing Method”
These are all cultivation methods for the Heavenly Induction Realm, capable of reaching its peak. Their advantage lies in being peaceful and easy to practice. Additionally, switching to other methods later on is straightforward and conflict-free.
Therefore, most independent practitioners and small families without inheritance choose to practice these methods. If they achieve success in the future, they often plan to transition to other methods that better suit their needs.
For established families like the Zhong family and the Wu family, which have large populations, there are naturally more opportunities to inherit techniques. Family members often submit their personal techniques to the family repository in exchange for rewards, enriching the family’s collection of techniques.
This system benefits individuals by rewarding them and helps younger or less experienced family members find suitable techniques quickly, saving them a lot of time.
Moreover, techniques obtained during adventures can also be added to the family repository in exchange for additional rewards. Similarly, many sects recruit cultivators to absorb their techniques and experiences, organizing these into comprehensive systems to attract even more cultivators to join them.
At the same time, cultivators with good comprehension and strong abilities often create their own cultivation techniques and secret techniques through integration with their companion artifacts. After verification, these creations can become the foundation of various clans and sects.
However, sects and influential forces have various tests for admitting disciples. Some larger sects have high thresholds, and the disciples they admit are naturally not as mixed in quality as those in family circles. Therefore, there is a greater possibility of creating cultivation techniques and secret techniques.
For this reason, many individuals from family circles with good aptitude will try to join sects and influential forces. Doing so not only weakens the constraints of the family but also allows access to a wider range of resources, which is more beneficial for personal growth.
Even ancient and well-established families, with rich legacies, recognize the value of sending some of their members to join other powers. This serves to expand their network of connections, gain access to external resources, and strengthen their overall position.
Sun Hu, Zhong Cai’s grandfather, was a lone cultivator who initially practiced common cultivation techniques. However, his fortunes took a turn for the better when he stumbled upon a third grade cultivation technique during his adventures. This fortuitous discovery allowed him to open his Dantian in his twenties, a significant milestone in his cultivation journey. Despite starting from scratch, he managed to build a successful business, demonstrating his resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
Now, if Zhong Cai were to give him a third grade secret technique, it would greatly enhance his combat capabilities.
—-
After Sun Liu returned to the inn, she met up with several companions.
Everyone had dispersed to different alchemy shops to inquire, but from their disappointed expressions, it was clear that they had gained nothing this time and had not found any suitable pills.
Accompanying them was a middle-aged man at the peak of the Heavenly Induction Realm named Li Zheng. He stroked his short beard and spoke regretfully:
“This stuff is damn hard to buy. I’ve practically crippled my legs running around. Every time I ask, it’s either out of stock, just sold the last one, reserved by someone else, or even if I offer a high price, they won’t break their promises… Can’t there be a few more alchemists in this world?”
The other hunters also complained one after another:
“Alchemists are just too rare!”
“Ain’t that the truth? Even though there are several alchemy sects nearby, I’ve asked around. Each sect has only a few dozen alchemists, at most two or three thousand. Even if those alchemists work day and night, how many of the same pills can they produce each month? There are just seven or eight fifth-tier cities nearby, not to mention dozens of counties and countless towns!”
“Considering most of their alchemy skills, even thousands would be generous!”
“Just in our Xiaolin Town, there are seven to eight hundred thousand people! In any fifth-tier city alone, the population is at least in the tens of millions! If they divide that up, even if the cities have a few more, we won’t get a chance!”
“If it weren’t for the alchemists being so rare, I’d suspect those shops are deliberately not selling to us, just because we’re wandering cultivators!”
“Could be, they might really look down on us.”
“I heard that the pills produced by alchemist sects hardly ever get sold freely. At least half of them are taken by family circles and other sects. If we can get twenty percent of what’s made, that’s not bad…”
The group was in an uproar, all discontented and unwilling to accept their fate.
Sun Liu used to be just like these companions, worrying about not being able to buy pills.
But things were different now. As she listened to their complaints, her fingers unconsciously reached into her sleeve, touching the small bottle containing the top-grade Buqi Dan. Surprisingly, she felt quite good.
Several hunters noticed Sun Liu’s changed expression and gradually fell silent.
Someone asked, “Deputy Leader, did you manage to buy some pills this time?”
The experienced Li Zheng, however, knew Sun Liu’s purpose for leaving. He speculated silently, could it be that this trip went smoothly, and Xi’s child recognized her? Heh! Most likely!
Li Zheng was genuinely happy for Sun Liu and also for his old friend—recognizing an aunt naturally meant recognizing a grandfather.
Thinking of this, Li Zheng no longer felt angry about not being able to buy pills.
After all, not being able to buy them was the norm.
Then, Li Zheng started to think about how to smooth things over.
But Sun Liu just smiled and said, “I didn’t buy any pills, but I found another way.”
Li Zheng was taken aback.
Sun Liu said mysteriously, “I need to discuss the specifics with my father first. When I have a result, I’ll let everyone know.”
—As for the matter of her nephew being an alchemist, she wouldn’t tell anyone. Even if this news spread from the Wu and Zhong families in the future, she would find an excuse to distance herself.
After all, who could have known that a young man who had only recently opened up his soul artifact and was not yet twenty years old could have such high talent?
If it weren’t for her nephew, she might not even have believed it, even if she had seen those pills!
The members of the hunting group cheered, but they all followed the rules and didn’t ask further questions.
It was Li Zheng who, when others weren’t paying attention, quietly asked Sun Liu.
“Liu girl, did you go see your nephew?”
Sun Liu whispered, “Yes, I did. Everything went smoothly. I came out early, and had some unexpected encounters.”
Li Zheng nodded, saying with relief, “That’s good to hear.”
The members of the Xihu Hunting Group didn’t stay long in Fengyun City and soon headed back to Xiaolin Town.
Sun Liu had a lot to tell her father. After tying up the horned tiger, she quickly walked towards Sun Hu’s residence.
Sun Hu was still recovering. Seeing Sun Liu walk in, he smiled and asked, “Back already? Did you get the medicine?”
Sun Liu sat on the stool by the bed and straightforwardly said, “I didn’t get the medicine. But that wasn’t my main goal this time; I went to see Cai’er.”
Sun Hu was taken aback.
Sun Liu continued quickly, “Cai’er sent me a letter a month ago asking to meet. I arranged a time with him…”
There was so much to say about the whole trip.
Sun Hu was a bit confused, and his expression kept changing as Sun Liu recounted everything.
After speaking quickly, Sun Liu took out a small bottle and handed it to Sun Hu.
“This is from Cai’er for you.”
Sun Hu took it, still somewhat dazed.
Sun Liu said, “Cai’er mentioned that he would come to visit you.”
Sun Hu clenched the small bottle, not even checking what kind of medicine it contained, and hesitantly asked, “When will Cai’er come?”
Sun Liu softly replied, “He said he’d come in a few days, once he’s taken care of things at home. He might already be on his way.”
Sun Hu’s eyes welled up with tears.
Sun Liu smiled and said, “Before he arrives, Father, we should carefully discuss what Cai’er has planned. Let’s work on developing Xihu properly to support him well.”
Sun Hu nodded heavily.
The father and daughter shared an understanding. While they planned and discussed, they decided not to reveal the medicine brought back just yet.
They would wait for Zhong Cai to visit and leave, then after some time, Sun Liu would pretend to go out and take care of various things before announcing some news within the hunting group in a limited manner.
This way, even if Zhong Cai’s identity as an alchemist was exposed later, it could be covered up.
—-
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian finished organizing their resources and were quite satisfied with their gains.
After some careful selection, they decided to take the secret technique book along with some other first- and second-grade resources.
This time, Zhong Cai planned to stay at the Xihu Hunting Group for a few days. After discussing it with Wu Shaoqian, he had Qiao Hong go and terminate the lease on the courtyard. They would take everyone with them when they left.
As Zhong Cai packed their belongings, he said, “Though I originally thought of just going out for a while, now that I think about it, there’s no real need to go back to the Wu family…” He raised his eyebrows. “Why don’t we just wander outside? Going back is troublesome, and we can’t hide anything with people constantly around and the slightest movement causing a stir.”
Wu Shaoqian had no objections.
In the past, he often trained outside and rarely stayed at the Wu family mansion for long periods. Often, it was more convenient to meet up with Zhong Cai outside to hang out together.
Zhong Cai continued, “In a month or two, you’ll be trying to recover your aptitude, and your strength will soar. If you’re still at the Wu family mansion, it will be easily exposed. It’s better to recover while we’re outside. Once we find something to conceal your Enlightenment Realm strength, we can occasionally visit the Wu family.”
Wu Shaoqian agreed, as he had the same thought.
Zhong Cai sighed, “If I had known we wouldn’t be returning often, I should have brought Zhong Da with us.”
Wu Shaoqian said, “Once we settle down, we can have Xiang Lin go fetch Zhong Da.”
Zhong Cai nodded, “That sounds feasible.”
Although Xiang Lin, as a death guard, should stay close to protect Wu Shaoqian, they already had the puppets with them. They could refrain from sending the puppets on errands while Xiang Lin was away.
Moreover, the new puppet they had drawn also had Palace Aperture Realm strength, which could temporarily replace Xiang Lin.
Zhong Cai continued, “As for the two maidservants at the courtyard… although they are good for chores, they can’t be trusted with important tasks. It wouldn’t be very useful to bring them along, but leaving them behind, I’m afraid your cousin might still be watching us.”
Wu Shaoqian suggested with a smile, “Let Xiang Lin bring them together to Xihu. Since those maidservants are bound by death contracts and we don’t really need them, we can place them at Xihu, letting them handle chores for your grandfather and aunt.”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and agreed, “That works.” Then he added with a laugh, “If they happen to take a liking to someone at Xihu, they can marry as they wish.”
“And then there’s Zhou Lin and Dong Jin, whom I brought from the Zhong family. Their skills aren’t high and their abilities overlap with Qiao Hong and Bi Cen. It’s better to leave them with my grandfather. They can also marry if they find someone.”
Wu Shaoqian chuckled.
For the two of them, the ones they truly trusted and were willing to bring along were only Xiang Lin and Zhong Da. The others had mediocre aptitude and strength. In comparison, the new arrivals Qiao Hong and Bi Cen were sharp and capable, which is why they were kept around.
Zhong Cai pondered for a moment and said somewhat regretfully, “To avoid trouble, we should leave Xihu after staying there for a few days. Next time, we shouldn’t choose Xiaolin Town as our destination.”
Wu Shaoqian nodded, “Do you have any place in mind?”
Zhong Cai shook his head, “Not yet. But no rush. We’ll ask Grandfather for a map later. The Xihu Hunting Group travels all over, so they must have maps. We’ll study the map carefully.”
Wu Shaoqian agreed, “Alright.”
After everything was prepared, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaoqian boarded the carriage.
The group traveled smoothly and leisurely towards Xiaolin Town.
The journey was uneventful without any hitches.
Four days later, they arrived safely at Xiaolin Town.
Outside the town, Zhong Cai opened the carriage window.
It was quite lively, with a good number of people coming and going.
At this moment, Zhong Cai was more eager to go to the Xihu base. Besides, since they would be staying here for some time, he wasn’t in a hurry to observe the surroundings.
So, after taking a quick glance around, he was about to close the window.
It was during this glance that Zhong Cai inadvertently caught sight of a figure, and his movement immediately froze.
Wu Shaoqian noticed his reaction and leaned over to look outside as well.
It turned out that not far from them, outside a tavern, several hunters were drinking and constantly eyeing the passing carriages around them.
This was nothing unusual, except that Sun Liu was among them.
Wu Shaoqian raised an eyebrow. “Your aunt.”
Zhong Cai also noticed. At this moment, she was no longer dressed elegantly, but looked like any ordinary hunter.
She was stationed here, her actions clearly showing her intentions.
Wu Shaoqian chuckled. “Seems like she’s here to pick you up.”
Zhong Cai sighed softly. “I wonder how long she’s been waiting.”
The two didn’t say anything more.
Wu Shaoqian knocked on the carriage door and gave a few instructions to Xiang Lin.
Xiang Lin drove the carriage to the side of the road, jumped down, and opened the carriage door.
The parking spot was very close to the tavern.
The hunters over there naturally noticed the situation here and looked over.
Sun Liu’s gaze fell on Xiang Lin.
She recognized him; the last time her nephew left, it was this young man driving the carriage.
In the next moment, Sun Liu immediately stood up and hurriedly walked towards them.
The wide-open carriage door revealed a handsome, fair-faced young man who waved energetically in their direction.
Zhong Cai didn’t rush to get off the carriage. Instead, he flashed a bright smile at Sun Liu. “Auntie! I’m here!”
Sun Liu stood hurriedly and looked Zhong Cai up and down, unable to help but say, “You’ve been through a lot on your journey.”
Zhong Cai waved his hand dismissively. “What hardship? Auntie, come up; let’s go together.”
Sun Liu nodded and said to her other companions, “Could you help lead the way?”
The other hunters laughed, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your ride too.”
Without further hesitation, Sun Liu jumped directly onto Zhong Cai’s carriage.
Among the hunters, someone took the lead and hurried back faster to deliver the message.
In the carriage, Sun Liu saw Wu Shaoqian leaning against the window.
He’s here too… Of course, he would come too, she thought.
Wu Shaoqian nodded at Sun Liu and greeted her with a smile, “Auntie.”
Sun Liu took a deep breath and nodded back warmly.
Zhong Cai sat down next to Wu Shaoqian, also smiling.
“Auntie, have you been waiting long?”
“Not long, just today’s business …”
The carriage drew closer and closer to the Xihu’s base.
At the entrance to the base, a tall elderly man was already waiting.
Translator: I don’t know how this Hunsui Lingxin is graded, but they will use the mutated version anyway, so maybe I’ll just let it go.
Yeah, I will also just let it go. 😞
Can’t wait to see what kind of artifacts ml might formed.
😌
Ah, family meeting!!!
Thank you for your translation 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Thanks for the chapter! Wonder what ML’s new artifact will be like. It has to be something useful for his new him.
Thanks for the chapter!
I can’t wait for the moment he gets a new artifact. I’m so curious!!
I’ve already given up on the different ranks, I’m always so confused 😅
Thank you so much for have a translator note of the order whenever a realm is mentioned. I’d be lost without them.