The Cleaner

Su Qinghua quickly waved her hand, her face slightly flushed.

"No way, we're just telling the truth. Sister Xian'er is naturally as beautiful as a fairy, it's not like we're just flattering her."

Xian'er's eyes crinkled with delight upon hearing this.

"Your two younger sisters are both very sweet-talking; I quite like them."

Shen Jingchuan then spoke up.

"From now on, I'll have to trouble you to take good care of them, Sister Xian'er. I'm entrusting them to you now. If there's anything you need them for, just let them do it."

As he spoke, he turned to the two sisters.

"You two must listen to your senior here, do you understand?"

"Don't worry, brother!" the two replied in unison.

After speaking, they turned around again and bowed respectfully to the figure in mid-air.

"If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask us."

Shen Jingchuan took out two bottles of pills from his Ring and handed one to each of them.

"This is High-Grade Grain Avoidance Pill. You haven't reached the Foundation Establishment yet, so you're still in your mortal state and will get hungry. Swallow one pill when you're hungry; one pill will last for three days, and it will not only keep you from getting hungry but also replenish your Spiritual Qi."

There are thirty pills in one bottle, enough for three months. I'll bring you more later.

The two sisters took it and examined it curiously in their hands.

"Alright, I'm leaving this place to you two." Shen Jingchuan added, "If you don't understand anything, just ask your senior."

"Okay, brother."

Having given the instructions, Shen Jingchuan left the spatial dimension.

A figure flashed before their eyes, and their brother disappeared. The two sisters were still a little dazed. They turned to look at the Xian'er in mid-air and asked politely.

"Sister Xian, what... should we do now?"

Xian'er didn't answer immediately. She raised her hand and pointed to the corner where the three horses were, her brows furrowing slightly, looking disgusted.

"Get to work. See those three stinky guys? Clean up all their droppings and bury them in the field some distance away. Let it decompose, and it'll be good for fertilizing the land."

She paused, then added.

"If we don't clean this place up, it'll stink up in no time. Remember this, from now on, you'll do this every day. Their food, water, and excrement are all your responsibility; don't neglect a single thing."

The two little girls pinched their noses, peeked into the corner, obediently agreed, and rolled up their sleeves to get busy.

After leaving the space, Shen Jingchuan sat in the room and pondered for a while. Tomorrow night they would launch a counterattack against the Government Army troops down the mountain, so everything that needed to be done had to be completed tonight.

He made up his mind to go back to the modern world. Meng Ke's Spirit Root should also be tested. They were both his women, and he couldn't favor one over the other.

He went to Lin Qingyao's room first.

Lin Qingyao's eyes lit up when she saw him come in, and she got up to greet him. Shen Jingchuan pulled her aside for a chat, and casually mentioned that he had arranged for Qingshu and Qinghua to be placed elsewhere and wouldn't be back for a while.

Lin Qingyao simply nodded without asking any further questions—she knew perfectly well how capable her husband was, and there must be a reason for his arrangement.

The couple, with their curtains drawn, lingered tenderly for an hour.

After finishing, Shen Jingchuan dressed neatly.

I have some errands to run, I'll be back tomorrow.

"Okay, be careful." Lin Qingyao straightened his clothes for him, without asking where he was going.

After leaving the house, he originally wanted to visit Bai Ruoli again, but then he thought that the battle tomorrow might still be somewhat dangerous. He could only travel twice a day, so he would go back tonight and not take up tomorrow's quota. He would have another chance to travel after returning tomorrow, so he would have room to maneuver.

With that thought, he abandoned the idea, found a secluded spot, and with a thought, traveled straight back to the modern world.

Back at the West Mountain Separate Garden, he glanced at the time; it was already past eleven at night. He didn't bother Meng Ke, but went into his room and sat cross-legged on the bed.

He took out a High-Grade Qi Condensing Pill and swallowed it, then opened the Spirit Gathering Formation Plate before closing his eyes and circulating his energy.

The Qi Condensing Pill is a pill that can only be used in the Qi Refining Late Stage. Its medicinal power is much stronger than that of the Qi Gathering Pill. Ordinary cultivators at the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer dare not touch it, as they would damage their meridians if they were not careful.

But Shen Jingchuan wasn't afraid. He had Five Spirit Roots, so his Spiritual Power was several times stronger than others of the same level. He also cultivated the Heaven-level "Five Elements Qi Refining Instruction," so although refining it wasn't easy, it was still stable.

This is also the reason for his rapid progress. Others Qi Refining are lucky to have a mid-grade Mid-Grade Qi Gathering Pill, and their Cultivation Method are mostly yellow or black grade; but he is different. He has almost a constant supply of high-grade pills, his Cultivation Method is heaven grade, and now he is even using Qi Condensing Pills, which are only used in the later stages. With all three of these advantages, it would be difficult for him to progress slowly.

A pill slowly dissolved, and Spiritual Qi circulated through his meridians. When he finished his practice, his cultivation had steadily reached the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer Middle Stage, bringing him a few steps closer to the threshold of the sixth level.

He practiced his internal energy all night, swallowing four more High-Grade Qi Condensing Pills, until dawn before slowly stopping. He got up and cast Cleaning Technique, feeling refreshed and invigorated, without a trace of the fatigue from staying up all night.

It was already broad daylight when he made a phone call to Meng Ke.

As soon as the call connected, he said he was back and at the West Mountain Separate Garden, and that he was driving to pick her up.

"No need, no need." Meng Ke perked up immediately, her voice soft. "You wait here, I'll come find you myself."

He hung up the phone after saying that.

Shen Jingchuan glanced at his watch; it was a little past eight. The city was usually congested at this time, and it would take her more than an hour to drive over. Since he had nothing else to do, he simply sat down cross-legged again, took out another High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill, swallowed it, closed his eyes, and circulated his Qi through a Greater Celestial Circuit to refine the medicinal power completely.

They had just finished practicing when they heard the gate to the underground parking garage rattle, and a car slowly drove in.

Shen Jingchuan knew it was Meng Ke who had arrived, so he got up to greet her. Just as he stepped into the courtyard, Meng Ke came up from the underground parking garage. She saw him at a glance, ran over without saying a word, and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I miss you so much..."

"You're finally back."

The two cuddled together for a while before Shen Jingchuan helped her sit up.

He already had a plan in mind: first, he would test Meng Ke's Spirit Roots. If she truly had them, he would tell her the truth and take her with him to cultivate; if not, he would pretend nothing had happened and save her from getting disappointed.

"Xiao Ke, put your hand out."

He took out the Spirit Testing Stone and placed it in her palm.

Close your eyes and don't think about anything.

"What's wrong? Why are you being so mysterious?" Meng Ke tilted her head to look at him.

"Just do as I say, you'll see in a moment."

Meng Ke didn't press the matter. Her boyfriend had a lot of strange and unusual things going on, and she trusted that he would never harm her, so she obediently placed her hand on his and closed her eyes.

The next instant, a five-colored light flashed within the Spirit Testing Stone —white, cyan, blue, red, and yellow—the five colors slowly swirling, reflecting a rainbow of light across the entire hand.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Meng Ke opened her eyes and was immediately stunned.

"Oh my god..." she exclaimed, holding the stone with shining eyes, "This five-colored light is so beautiful! What is it?"