Troublesome!

Jing Pu felt he absolutely needed to have a proper talk with the two of them.

He had no idea how Ling Jing had just talked his sister into this, or why Ling Jing was so determined to dig holes in his yard.

But... none of that mattered!

What mattered was that Jing Pu had to make it clear to them: no more digging holes here!

Before, he'd been busy tidying up the backyard and planting crops, so he hadn't had time to deal with the front yard. Now that the backyard was in order, he had no choice but to take care of the front.

Jing Pu curled his lip and made an inviting gesture.

"Let's talk in the pavilion."

Once everyone had reached the pavilion, Jing Pu glanced at the Dragon Heart Soft Armor in Ling Ju's hands and curled his lip.

"I really don't want this thing..."

Ling Ju's slightly flushed cheeks dimmed. First of all, it was strange enough to offer her own clothing to a senior. She had never done anything like that before.

But if the senior wouldn't accept it, did that mean he was still angry?

After all, if he refused it, that meant he wouldn't keep teaching Ling Jing, either?

Ling Ju's admiration for Jing Pu now surged like the mighty Yangtze. It wasn't that she had never seen an immortal from the Upper Realm—she had just never met one like Jing Pu.

He was so kind. Being around him brought none of the usual pressure. Most importantly, he was so generous.

Of course, sometimes an immortal from the Upper Realm traveling through the Lower Realm might feel generous and offer a pointer or two to someone. But no one had ever been as generous as Senior Jing Pu.

He gave away divine artifacts and great opportunities.

And most importantly, Senior Jing Pu wasn't just kind to Ling Jing. He was just as courteous to Elder Di Chen and Elder Ling Tiannan, and gave them paintings and opportunities, too.

Ling Ju had truly never met an immortal from the Upper Realm so kind.

Yet the kinder Jing Pu seemed to her, the guiltier Ling Ju felt toward him.

After all, she had actually judged Senior Jing Pu's character that way. She shouldn't have. If Senior Jing Pu ever found out she'd thought that about him, she couldn't imagine how heartbroken he'd be.

Jing Pu had no idea what Ling Ju was imagining. He fixed her and Ling Jing with a grave look.

"I think you can see that it's not that I won't let Ling Jing hoe the ground here. It's that there's no need to hoe it anymore!"

Jing Pu figured he had to be firm. After all... they couldn't just bully an honest man!

What was this supposed to mean? Just because he couldn't cultivate, they could keep taking advantage of him?

Besides, Ling Ju seemed like a reasonable person who could be talked to. So he'd better be serious.

After Jing Pu spoke, Ling Ju and Ling Jing fell silent in thought.

Hmm... the senior's words definitely held a deeper meaning.

He said there was no need to hoe the ground here anymore. Could it be that... Jing Pu's opportunity at this stage ended here?

While the two of them pondered,

Jing Pu continued in earnest.

"I'm going to plant some flowers and plants in my yard next. If you keep digging like this, I probably won't be able to plant anything even by next year. It'll be too late. Do you understand?"

Ling Ju and Ling Jing froze...

They understood!

They really understood!

So that was it!

They knew what the senior meant. He still wanted to teach Ling Jing, but it was just like cultivation: every stage had its own practice.

The practice of hoeing the ground ended here. Next came a deeper level of practice!

Hadn't the senior said it himself? If they kept digging like this, it would be too late!

Hearing that, guilt appeared on Ling Jing's face. If that was what the senior meant, then he must have thought Ling Jing could meet his standards in just a few days. But Ling Jing had taken seven days, and now he was going to fall behind the senior's plan!

He... really was too stupid. He hadn't met the senior's expectations at all. But from now on, he would definitely work harder!

After saying that, Jing Pu kept watching Ling Ju and Ling Jing's expressions.

Jing Pu was nervous. People said ordinary folk were like dogs in front of cultivators, treated as less than human. Had he been too harsh? What if the two of them flew into a rage and slapped him to death?

But from the looks of it, things seemed... all right!

Jing Pu saw the guilt on Ling Jing's face. Mm-hmm, this one was teachable. Nothing was better than correcting one's mistakes.

When the Ling siblings came back to themselves, Ling Ju eagerly looked at Jing Pu and asked first,

"Senior, can I come help, too?"

Jing Pu nodded. "Of cour—"

Before he could finish, he suddenly paused. What did she mean, she could come too?

Jing Pu had no objection to this beautiful immortal lady. Having someone reasonable to chat with now and then would make him happy—and she was so beautiful, too.

But... what did "too" mean?

He hadn't agreed to let anyone else come, had he?

Could it be... Ling Jing...?!

Before Jing Pu could gather his thoughts, Ling Jing suddenly looked at him excitedly.

"Senior, let my sister come along, too."

Jing Pu blinked. It was fine to let her come... but when the hell had he said Ling Jing could come, too?!

Ling Ju was gazing at Jing Pu with shining eyes, afraid he might refuse. That slightly anxious look made Jing Pu truly unable to bear saying no.

Jing Pu felt a little speechless... You cultivators... had you eaten so much meat that you were sick of it and wanted to switch to cabbage?

You could be cultivating just fine, so why run over here to dig holes and shovel dirt?!

Forget it. Jing Pu curled his lip.

"You can come, but let me make this clear first: no fooling around this time. You do exactly as I say. If you mess around, I'll have Elder Di and Elder Ling Tiannan escort you out. Understand?"

Ling Ju and Ling Jing both nodded excitedly. Ling Ju stood and stepped forward again, holding out the Dragon Heart Soft Armor with both hands. Her face was alight with excitement.

"Then, Senior, you must accept it."

Looking at the women's leather armor, Jing Pu felt utterly speechless. He really wasn't some cross-dressing enthusiast!

Why did they keep shoving women's clothes at him?!

Jing Pu sat there, at a loss for words, while Ling Ju blushed and said,

"Even though I know this is nothing special in your eyes, it's a token of my appreciation. Please accept it, Senior."

Ling Ju was so sincere that Jing Pu couldn't help wondering if these women's clothes were worth a lot of money.

But that didn't make sense... These people were working for him, and they still had to give him gifts?

What kind of logic was that?

In the end, Jing Pu accepted it. Mostly because he couldn't stand Ling Ju and Ling Jing pestering him, one after the other.

Eventually, after the two of them left, Jing Pu let out a quiet sigh. If they listened, they probably wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Jing Pu thought it over, then curled his lip. Forget it. He'd deal with it tomorrow. He tidied up, left the holes unfilled, and headed into the house. He had plenty of ideas for repairing the courtyard tomorrow.

He planned to make some tools, such as a saw, a mud-scraping trowel, and other things like that.

Of course, cultivators like Ling Ju didn't actually need these tools. It was just that they'd suddenly gotten a burst of enthusiasm, and who knew when they'd stop working? He'd still have to do it himself then.

Troublesome!