Green Bamboo Valley

Wang Changxue was First Uncle Wang Mingzhi's daughter. She possessed a Wood-Water-Metal Triple Spirit Root, with Wood Spirit Root as her Primary Spirit Root. She cultivated the Yellow Grade First Rank technique, the "Evergreen Art," and was twenty-three years old this year, at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Wang Mingzhi's wife had passed away several years ago. Wang Changxue had observed mourning for her mother for three years; otherwise, she would have married long ago.

The Wang Family's male clansmen handled affairs outside, while the women managed matters within.

Wang Changxue was no exception. She was responsible for tending the Wang Family's three mu of Spirit Mulberry Trees. The Spirit Mulberry Leaves were used to feed Spirit Silkworms, and the silk they produced was excellent Refining Materials.

As the Wang Family's mistress, Liu Qing'er drew much attention. To avoid giving others something to talk about, Liu Qing'er had Wang Changxue deliver things to Wang Changsheng every time.

"Second Sister, why did you come early? I thought you wouldn't come until my birthday!" Wang Changsheng said delightedly.

"What? From the sound of it, I'm not allowed to come unless it's your birthday?" Wang Changxue teased with a half-smile.

"Second Sister, that's not what I meant. I'd be delighted if you stayed here. I'm practically bored to death," Wang Changsheng explained with a bitter smile.

Seeing this, Wang Qiusheng tactfully bowed and withdrew.

Wang Changxue noticed the Treasure Sniffing Rat on Wang Changsheng's shoulder. A trace of surprise appeared in her beautiful eyes. "Eh? This is a Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat. Where did you find one?"

"Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat? Second Sister, you recognize this kind of Spirit Rat? Can you tell me about it?" Wang Changsheng asked curiously.

"Twin-Pupil Spirit Rats can easily see through obstacles such as mist, rivers, and trees. Their sense of smell is keen, and they are skilled at finding natural spirit herbs. They like digging burrows in places where spiritual qi is especially dense. Last time, Seventh Sister saw someone selling a Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat at the Market and insisted on spending Spirit Stones to buy it. Unfortunately, the seller's price was too high—more than a hundred Spirit Stones. Even if Seventh Sister and I pooled all the Spirit Stones on us, it still wouldn't have been enough. We could only watch helplessly as someone else bought the Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat. Because of that, Seventh Sister complained to me quite a bit in private."

"Finding natural spirit herbs?" Wang Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

Wang Changxue smiled faintly and reminded him, "Don't be happy too soon. Twin-Pupil Spirit Rats do indeed have the ability to find spirit herbs, but they are only First Grade Lower Rank. If you truly put one into the deep mountains and ancient forests filled with Demon Beasts, then the moment it finds a spirit herb will also be the moment it dies. A Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat often perishes just after finding a single spirit herb. Twin-Pupil Spirit Rats aren't the only Spirit Beasts skilled at finding spirit herbs, but they do have their advantages: compared with other Spirit Beasts adept at finding spirit herbs, they eat less, are smaller, and are more agile. By the way, after all that, where did you get it?"

"Some time ago, a Ghost appeared in Wang Family Town. I made a trip there and destroyed it. On the way back, I was lucky enough to encounter it in the deep mountains."

Wang Changsheng hesitated slightly and did not tell Second Sister the truth.

When Wang Changsheng had first discovered that section of Spirit Vein, he had harbored some Resentful Qi toward his father and therefore had not Reported it. Though that section of Spirit Vein was only two zhang in size, so small it could be ignored, concealing it instead of reporting it was punishable according to clan rules.

Now that he understood his father, he could reveal the existence of that section of Spirit Vein even less. After all, his father was the Family Head; it would reflect badly on him.

After hearing Wang Changsheng's explanation, Wang Changxue raised her delicate brows and said solemnly, "Ninth Brother, tell your sister the truth. You didn't snatch this Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat from someone else, did you? According to clan rules, you would face severe punishment for that!"

Wang Changsheng smiled bitterly and explained, "Second Sister, what kind of person do you take me for? Am I that sort of person? I can assure you that I found this Spirit Rat by chance. I didn't snatch it from anyone."

"That's for the best. Still, Third Uncle was indeed wrong to send you to Peaceful County, but the Lineage is now struggling every step of the way. Try to be more understanding toward Third Uncle. In another year, you'll be able to return. When that time comes, I'll have my father arrange a job for you guarding Spirit Fields, so you can cultivate while staying in the Spirit Fields. That way, your cultivation speed won't be too slow."

As if recalling something, she said, "Right, Third Aunt asked me to bring these to you: one Big Birthday Bun, five jin of First Grade Middle Rank Azure Moon Spirit Rice, and a Spirit Egg laid by a Snowcloud Chicken. The Snowcloud Chicken I raise has started laying eggs, so I brought you one to try. It hasn't been easy for you here either."

Wang Changxue took an exquisite green food box from her Storage Pouch and placed it on the table.

"A Spirit Egg! Second Sister, thank you." A warm current flowed through Wang Changsheng's heart.

Wang Changxue had raised a Snowcloud Chicken, using the Spirit Grain issued to her by the Lineage to feed it. As a result, her cultivation speed had also become very slow. After eating Spirit Grain for five years, the Snowcloud Chicken had begun laying eggs, producing one Spirit Egg each month. Spirit Eggs could be incubated or eaten, and a single Spirit Egg sold for twenty Spirit Stones on the market.

Of course, a Snowcloud Chicken consumed dozens of jin of First Grade Lower Rank Spirit Grain each month. After deducting costs, Wang Changxue could earn five or six Spirit Stones from each Spirit Egg. However, the initial cost of raising Snowcloud Chickens was enormous, so the Wang Family only raised six of them—not counting the one in Wang Changxue's possession.

"Why be so polite among family? In a while, it'll be time to harvest the Spirit Mulberry Leaves. We'll be too busy then, so Third Aunt asked me to bring these to you early. I should go back now. Take good care of yourself."

"Second Sister, I'll see you out."

Wang Changsheng personally escorted Wang Changxue outside and watched her leave using the Cloud Soaring Technique.

After seeing Wang Changxue off, Wang Changsheng turned and returned to the house.

He opened the food box and saw a Big Birthday Bun on the top layer, giving off an enticing aroma.

The birthday bun was made from Spirit Grain and Spirit Beast meat, and it contained abundant spiritual qi.

The second layer held a white rice sack containing five jin of Azure Moon Spirit Rice. At the bottom was a huge snow-white egg that emitted a faint aura of life.

Every year on his birthday, Liu Qing'er would have Wang Changxue bring Wang Changsheng a Big Birthday Bun and five jin of Azure Moon Spirit Rice. The birthday bun and the rice contained Liu Qing'er's deep maternal love.

The Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat sniffed a few times, chirped "squeak squeak," and swished its tail back and forth.

"You want some birthday bun? No. Mother made this birthday bun for me herself, so I can't share it with you. But I can give you twenty grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice."

Wang Changsheng opened the mouth of the rice sack, carefully took out twenty grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice, and placed them on the table.

The Twin-Pupil Spirit Rat did not stand on ceremony, swallowing all twenty grains of Azure Moon Spirit Rice in a few bites.

Wang Changsheng ate the birthday bun and put the Azure Moon Spirit Rice and Spirit Egg into his Storage Pouch.

After eating the birthday bun, Wang Changsheng had no interest in those ordinary foods anymore. He returned to the second floor and sat in meditation, regulating his breath.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Early one morning, Wang Changsheng gave Wang Qiusheng a few instructions, then used the Cloud Soaring Technique to leave Lotus Island.

Peaceful County belonged to Changping Prefecture and bordered Guanglin County of Pingyang Prefecture.

Guanglin County was the territory of Pingyang Prefecture's Song Family. The Song Family was also an Immortal Cultivation Family, with strength roughly equal to the Wang Family's.

The Green Bamboo Mountain Range lay northwest of Guanglin County, stretching for more than a thousand li. Pingyang Prefecture's only Market, Green Bamboo Market, was located deep within the Green Bamboo Mountain Range, inside a valley known as Green Bamboo Valley.