“Of course there has to be a trial! You don’t think they’ll just test your talent and then recruit you just like that, do you?”
Hu Qiao’er nodded; she really did think that was how it worked.
Yuan Qingqing sighed.
“Then let me ask you, do you have money?”
“No.”
“Do you have any backing?”
“No.”
“Do you have an Immortal’s Guidance?”
Hu Qiao’er pointed at Yuan Qingqing in front of her.
“Uh, I guess not… Hmph! If you don’t have anything, you definitely have to go through the trial so the higher-ups can get to know you. Otherwise, who would care about you?”
Yuan Qingqing’s reasoning made perfect sense, and Hu Qiao’er nodded.
After all, she was just a fourteen-year-old girl.
Seeing Hu Qiao’er like this, Yuan Qingqing seemed to realize something.
“I’m telling you, you’re not here at Shenxiao Sect without a purpose, are you?”
Yuan Qingqing eyed Hu Qiao’er suspiciously.
“A purpose…”
Hu Qiao’er muttered softly, as if she’d just thought of something, and her face instantly flushed red.
Seeing this, Yuan Qingqing immediately broke into a sly grin.
“I knew it, you little brat. What about you?”
Yuan Qingqing quickly turned her attention to Wang Hao.
Wang Hao’s thoughts were simple: bind Jiang Che as his Master, activate his system, and become First Under Heaven.
But he had to phrase it differently.
“Me? Of course I want to cultivate immortality! I’ll become a Heaven’s Chosen! Save the people from suffering and calamity!”
As he spoke, Wang Hao pointed his finger like a sword and gestured dramatically.
This scene instantly made Yuan Qingqing want to laugh.
“Cultivating immortality isn’t as simple as you think.
You think it means slaying demons and monsters, saving the people from harm, but every living being has the right to survive.
You think becoming stronger will protect your family and companions, but the longer you cultivate, the more you realize that while heavenly tribulations can be overcome, human hearts are unpredictable.”
Yuan Qingqing spoke very seriously, as if she had experienced it herself, sending chills down the backs of Hu Qiao’er and Wang Hao.
“Alright, I remember there’s a woodshed nearby. You can make do there for one night; I have to leave now.”
“Wait.”
Just as Yuan Qingqing was about to leave, Hu Qiao’er called out.
“Um, sorry for not trusting you all along.”
Hearing this, Yuan Qingqing smiled softly.
“It’s okay, I’m not mad. I wish you find the one you’re looking for, grow old together, and have children soon!”
After saying this, Yuan Qingqing dashed up the mountain.
“…”
What a lousy blessing.
Hu Qiao’er’s cheeks reddened; with a girl’s secret thoughts, her purpose for coming was only one thing—or rather, for only one person.
……
The moon was bright, and stars sparse.
Xu Qianlan still hadn’t returned.
Jiang Che sat on Xu Qianlan’s bed.
He could feel his body was much better, and stronger than before.
Xu Qianlan had truly put a lot of effort into helping him.
Back then, Jiang Che’s meridians were severely damaged after being chased down by the Grand Elder and a group of Steward Disciples—he was practically a cripple.
With Xu Qianlan’s help, Jiang Che felt his meridians had recovered about seventy to eighty percent.
The hidden illness that had lingered was gradually healing as well.
Moreover, Xu Qianlan had added Spirit-Nourishing Herbs to the medicinal bath.
This helped restore the Shen Shi Jiang Che had overdrawn and severely damaged three years ago.
The restoration of his Shen Shi meant Jiang Che could now use the Inner Vision Technique to observe his body.
At this moment, Jiang Che was using Inner Vision to check his condition.
Since burying Xiao Xia, a subtle, almost imperceptible change had appeared in Jiang Che’s heart.
Out of curiosity, he tried the Inner Vision Technique on himself.
His previously fragile meridians had become much tougher.
At the Dantian, the cluster of Spirit Power Xu Qianlan left behind looked like a glowing orb under his vision.
It was a Compressed Spiritual Power Sphere, formed by Xu Qianlan’s strong control, compressed to a high degree.
This also ensured it wouldn’t harm Jiang Che.
Inside Jiang Che’s body, the Shi Ling Gu was leisurely enjoying Xu Qianlan’s Spirit Power.
“Sigh.”
Jiang Che let out a long breath.
“The recovery of Shen Shi is a good thing, but without a Spiritual Root, I can’t cultivate at all—not even draw Qi into my body.
Sigh!
And this Shi Ling Gu that I don’t even know how I got… it means I don’t even have a chance to develop a postnatal Spiritual Root.”
Jiang Che’s frustration grew.
He remembered reading about the origins of the Shi Ling Gu.
Calling it demonic wouldn’t be an exaggeration; it was utterly wicked!
Originally developed by the Gu Clan of Southern Borders, they based it on the Demon Clan’s methods.
When a Shi Ling Gu is implanted into a cultivator’s body, it endlessly absorbs the cultivator’s Spirit Power.
Their cultivation level constantly regresses.
But when did it get implanted?
Back then, he was already a cripple; if he had contracted this Shi Ling Gu then, he’d surely be dead.
And…
Jiang Che now thought of something even more terrifying.
The Shi Ling Gu he read about was a parasitic Gu that only greedily absorbed Spirit Power.
But the one in his body actually threatened Jiang Che’s life.
Under such circumstances, removing this Shi Ling Gu would become extraordinarily difficult.
It absorbed Spirit Power at its leisure—eat, sleep, eat, sleep—utterly carefree.
“So… I’m basically harboring a deadbeat in my body?”
Jiang Che, knowing his cultivation was hopeless, collapsed onto the bed.
He thought about Hu Qiao’er.
He hadn’t seen her for a long time; she must be worried sick.
But Jiang Che never considered that Hu Qiao’er would come looking for him from afar.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe she would do it.
He was just avoiding thinking about it.
Because… a Xiao Xia had already died because of him.
“Click!”
The door opened quietly.
Jiang Che guessed it was Xu Qianlan returning.
But he immediately smelled a strong stench of alcohol.
“Xiao Che~ I’m home.”
Xu Qianlan’s voice was drawling, heavy with the scent of alcohol.
Jiang Che instantly felt something was very wrong.
In the past, Jiang Che had thought that Lin Yin didn’t drink, but Xu Qianlan was at the other extreme—she drank whenever she was free.
And when drunk, Xu Qianlan was the most troublesome.
Before Jiang Che could even think about jumping off the bed to escape, Xu Qianlan had already come over.
Her warm palm pressed on his shoulder.
The force wasn’t heavy but carried the unique stubbornness of drunkenness, allowing no chance for resistance.
Jiang Che felt his shoulder sink, and he was pressed back onto the bed.
Before he could catch his breath, Xu Qianlan’s arm snaked around him, her fingertips warm and burning from the alcohol as they hooked under his neck.
When she lay beside him, the heat of her chest radiated through the thin fabric of her clothes.
Xu Qianlan wore a loose, dark green robe with slits at the hem.
Her fragrant shoulder and jade-like leg were exposed, not the slightest bit stuffy.
“What’s wrong, Xiao Che? Just got back and you want to leave already? Don’t you miss me at all?
I remember you said that only cultivators drinking alcohol truly taste it.”
Jiang Che had indeed said this before, but that was because he read novels on Blue Star where cultivators often drank with beautiful women.
He had even imagined what it would be like if his Master Lin Fairy drank—but that was long ago.
Now, Xu Qianlan’s hand kept caressing Jiang Che’s chin.
Jiang Che couldn’t take the provocation and immediately struggled.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“You little rascal, I’ve done so much for you, and you can’t even let me touch you? Hmph?”