A Plot That Felt Familiar

The next day, Lu Xuan made a round through the Spirit Field. After nurturing the Spirit Plants with various low-level spells, he looked at the Grass Puppet still slowly moving through the field.

"You didn't spend the whole night walking around the Spirit Field, did you? Stop, stop."

The Grass Puppet still slowly stretched out its thin straw legs.

Only after Lu Xuan returned to the house did it finally react, stopping in place with its straw head facing the Spirit Field.

"I'm planning to go out for a bit. Want to come with me?"

After entering the house, Lu Xuan spoke to the Azure-Eyed Cloud Stepping Lynx lying on the floor.

"Awooo..."

The Lynx Cub tightened its throat and let out a low cry, its eyes indifferent as it walked to the doorway.

Seeing it act this way, Lu Xuan knew this was its habitual aloofness. In truth, deep down, it was probably dying to accompany him.

Sure enough, when he reached out to grab the lynx's fur, the cub symbolically struggled twice, then obediently lay on Lu Xuan's shoulder.

Four snow-white clouds hooked onto Lu Xuan's clothes. A pair of pointed ears stood upright, and the two tufts of gray-white fur atop them fluttered in the wind.

There wasn't much Spirit Beast Meat or Spirit Rice left at home, so Lu Xuan planned to buy some at the market.

After raising the Three-tailed Red-Whiskered Carp and the Azure-Eyed Cloud Stepping Lynx on his shoulder, the consumption of Spirit Beast Meat and Spirit Rice had suddenly increased by a great deal. While satisfying them, Lu Xuan could only hope that once they matured, they would give him better Light Orb rewards.

As for the nine mature Spirit Firefly Grass, he did not plan to sell them to Hundred Herbs Hall for the time being. He placed them in a White Jade Box and kept them in his Storage Bag, intending to deal with them together once he had more.

After arriving at the market, Lu Xuan swept his gaze over the various stalls as usual, seeing if he could obtain what he currently wanted most: Unknown Spirit Seeds, Spirit Beast eggs, or cubs.

Unfortunately, his luck was poor, and he did not run into any.

His mind remained calm as he entered a shop and bought twenty jin of the lowest-grade Spirit Rice and five jin of Demon Beast Meat, spending a total of over ten Spirit Stones.

After that, he still had around eighty Spirit Stones left.

After putting the Spirit Rice and Demon Beast Meat into his Storage Bag, Lu Xuan was just about to leave when suddenly, a huge Demon Bird beat its wings and flew across the sky.

The Demon Bird's spread wings spanned about thirty zhang, leaving a vast shadow across the ground.

"That's the Wang Family's Rank 3 Demon Beast, the Iron Feather Eagle. They've raised it for over a hundred years, and its strength is equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator."

"Judging by this, it's probably bringing back a group of cultivators who went to develop the new Secret Realm."

In the market, a well-informed cultivator said in a low voice.

Sure enough, not long after the Iron Feather Eagle passed, all sorts of Demon Birds and Flying Boats swept through the sky above the market one after another.

In the end, they stopped at a spacious square several hundred zhang away.

Lu Xuan followed behind the crowd and looked from afar.

"That's Wang Wenhong, at Qi Refining High Stage. Among the Wang Family's talented youths of this generation, his cultivation is one of the highest. I heard he was taken into the Wilderness for tempering."

A steady-looking Young Man walked out of the square, carrying a Scarlet Longsword in his hand. As he moved, faint Sha Qi seeped out from him.

"I wonder how the development of that new Secret Realm is going? Do we Rogue Cultivators have any chance to go in and get a little leftover soup and scraps?"

"You're only at Qi Training Stage 2, and you still want to enter the new Secret Realm? Forget the Wang Family and the Rogue Cultivators who went to develop it scraping the Secret Realm clean to the very bottom—even if a few good things were left, with your cultivation, you wouldn't even make it through the entrance."

"What exactly did these Wang Family cultivators encounter in the Secret Realm? Every one of them looks so grave."

"No need to overthink it. They're just coming back normally to resupply and rest."

The Rogue Cultivators in the market discussed animatedly. Lu Xuan mingled among the crowd and observed carefully.

Aside from a large team of Wang Family cultivators, several hundred Rogue Cultivators had also returned.

Many Rogue Cultivators did not have Storage Bags. Their waists were bulging, and one glance was enough to tell they had reaped a rich harvest.

None of the Rogue Cultivators looked relaxed. Suspicion, lingering fear, heaviness...

Lu Xuan swept his gaze around but did not find Zhang Hong.

However, he was not especially worried about his safety. After all, not long had passed since Zhang Hong last returned, and with the journey so distant, he would not easily waste time going back and forth.

He quietly withdrew from the crowd.

With so many cultivators returning, quite a few good things would probably flow into the market over the next two days. He planned to pay closer attention.

After returning home, he took out the Spirit Rice and Demon Beast Meat, carefully put them away, and warned the Cloud Stepping Lynx not to enter the kitchen and steal meat, or else he would make sure it had no good fruit to eat.

In the afternoon, Wang Shan came by.

The moment he entered, the Cloud Stepping Lynx cub glared fiercely at him with its Emerald Green Pupils, letting out a low growl.

"Awooo~!"

"This is a Demon Beast I bought at the market some time ago. Its wild nature hasn't been tamed yet. I'm truly sorry for startling Fellow Daoist Wang."

Lu Xuan gently patted the Cloud Stepping Lynx's head, signaling it to quiet down, then smiled as he spoke to Wang Shan.

"No harm done. Brother Lu certainly has refined interests, even raising a Demon Beast like this. Though this Cloud Stepping Lynx's eyes do look rather special."

"All show and no substance. There's nothing particularly miraculous about them."

Lu Xuan said casually.

"As for raising a little thing like this, it's mainly because I'm planning to have it watch the house and guard the courtyard. Besides, after staying in a residence alone for too long, boredom is hard to avoid. Having something to keep me company is better in the end."

"I'm not like you, Brother Wang, with warm fragrance and soft jade in your arms, day and night, Forgetting Home in Shu."

Lu Xuan teased.

After not seeing him for some time, Wang Shan's face looked even more radiant with springtime delight.

"Hahahaha!"

Wang Shan laughed heartily.

"I came over because I wanted to give Little Brother Lu a reminder."

"This time, hundreds upon thousands of Rogue Cultivators have returned from the New Secret Realm in the Wilderness. Every one of them has good things on them, so naturally it will draw many covetous eyes. And they themselves are at their most sensitive right now, so conflicts are very easily stirred up."

"Today alone, there have already been two fights in the North District, and three Rogue Cultivators died."

"Besides that, Evil Spirits come and go like ghosts out on the Wilderness. It's very possible some may have slipped in together with them. Daoist Lu, you should be extra careful."

"Many thanks for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Wang."

Lu Xuan said gratefully.

No matter what happened in the outside world, he, at least, would only stay in his courtyard and cultivate Spirit Plants.

If any cultivator intended to disturb his peaceful farming life, he would not let that person have an easy time of it either.

Wang Shan chatted for a few more sentences, then went off to patrol the various streets of the North District.

Lu Xuan shut the courtyard gate tight, and the Array Formation cut the courtyard off from the outside world.

Before long, a soft, delicate voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

"Little Brother Lu, are you home?"

It was precisely the Concubine Wang Shan had taken.

Lu Xuan opened the courtyard gate. The beautiful Wang Shi stood quietly at the entrance, her loose robes unable to hide her curving figure. Her pair of eyes were lowered, and when she saw Lu Xuan come out, the moment she lifted her head, they seemed to shimmer with rippling light, full of a thousand charms.

"Sister-in-law Wang, what brings you to me?"

Lu Xuan asked.

"I don't know what's in my home, but it keeps making strange noises. I'm scared all by myself. Little Brother Lu, could you come over and help me take a look?"

Wang Shi's expression was timid and weak, as though she were a white rabbit, ready to dart away at the slightest rustle of wind or grass.

A strange smile appeared at the corner of Lu Xuan's mouth.

A newlywed couple; the husband busy with official duties; trouble at home for the wife, leaving her no choice but to seek help from the Young Man next door.

Why did this plot feel so oddly familiar?