The Disciple of the Number One Saber Saint Under Heaven

Jing Pu said seriously, "What's there to joke about? Fairy Maiden Ling Ju is the prettiest person I've ever seen. I'm not making that up at all."

Jing Pu was an honest man who said whatever was on his mind, and Ling Ju really was the prettiest person he had ever seen.

But Jing Pu's completely sincere words only made Ling Ju's face flush even redder. She stood there helplessly, unsure what to do.

A few seconds later, Ling Ju's cheeks still red, she hurriedly said without daring to look at Jing Pu:

"Oh, Senior, please teach me how to roast tea..."

Roasting tea was very simple. All she had to do was squat beside the little stove and keep an eye on the heat. That was it.

Ling Ju did feel a little awkward, though. The main reason was that she was wearing a pair of Crystal High-heeled Jade Shoes. Seeing her squat beside the little stove, those shiny high heels on display, Jing Pu stared blankly.

So this was what the girls here wore...

Jing Pu had never really noticed before. He had been here for over a week and had only seen two girls: Ling Ju and Ling An'an.

Speaking of which... where had Ling An'an gone?

Jing Pu suddenly thought of that cute and playful Ling An'an. She seemed to have disappeared without a trace these past few days.

He had been busy all week and hadn't given it much thought, but now that he had some free time, the question suddenly occurred to him, leaving him a little puzzled.

Still, Jing Pu didn't dwell on it. Not every cultivator liked to circle around him whenever they had nothing to do, the way Ling Jing did. Ling An'an probably had something to take care of. He could ask Ling Tiannan next time he saw him.

Jing Pu liked Ling An'an a lot and was very grateful to her. She was polite and unpretentious. If she hadn't been there back then, who knew where Jing Pu would be now?

As Jing Pu sat around with nothing to do, thinking about all sorts of random things, he suddenly noticed Ling Ju, squatting in front of him, blushing as she covered her Crystal High-heeled Jade Shoes with the hem of her plain skirt.

"Um... I only brought a few pairs of shoes... They're all like this... so I can't change into anything else."

Jing Pu snapped back to his senses and nodded repeatedly. Back in the ancient times of his previous life, it seemed women weren't supposed to show their feet to men. He wasn't sure how things were here, but he wondered if he had been rude just now.

Jing Pu immediately found Ling Ju a meditation cushion. The system had given it to him when he practiced the Dao Heart, and he had been using it ever since.

After setting it down in front of Ling Ju, Jing Pu said, "If it feels awkward, take off your shoes and squat on it, or sit on it. The ground's dirty."

Ling Ju looked at Jing Pu gratefully and nodded. She took off her Crystal High-heeled Jade Shoes, placed them neatly to one side, then sat down on the cushion.

The instant Ling Ju's feet touched the cushion, a deep hum rang out!

The True Qi and Spiritual Power throughout her body surged wildly. In that instant, Ling Ju understood—this was another opportunity bestowed upon her by Senior!

With the True Qi and Spiritual Power in her body surging wildly, Ling Ju struggled to lift her head and glance at Jing Pu, who seemed completely unaware of what was happening. Her heart filled with gratitude. Senior, oh, Senior... just how generous could you be?!

Enduring the violent surge of True Qi and Spiritual Power within her, Ling Ju crouched on the cushion, gritting her pearly teeth as she gently fanned herself with the palace fan. As she did, she felt a sense of affinity wash over her.

The True Qi and Spiritual Power surging within her no longer felt quite so unbearable. What was more, Ling Ju could feel her cultivation rising at a speed she could actually perceive!

The palace fan and cushion complemented each other perfectly, and in an instant, a bold thought came to Ling Ju.

If things continued like this... in a week, she could reach the peak of the Golden Core!

In a month, she could break through the Golden Core and advance to the Nascent Soul!

For a moment... Ling Ju hardly dared to imagine it. To reach the Nascent Soul at her age... That would be an unprecedented miracle in all of Northern Province... no, across the entire continent!

But why was Senior treating her so well? Could it be... just as Ling Jing had said...

For a moment, Ling Ju's heart was truly in turmoil.

Jing Pu wasn't watching Ling Ju anymore. He sat in the pavilion with one leg crossed over the other, eating snacks he had bought earlier in Qinghe Town. He was feeling quite content, sipping tea and munching on snacks as he watched Ling Jing and Lie Chun working in the yard.

He was probably the only person under heaven who could order cultivators around to do chores while being a mortal himself. And these cultivators weren't ordinary, either. They were all geniuses.

Jing Pu had no idea what these people were after. Thinking it over, perhaps it was his paintings—or maybe his bearing and looks?

He wasn't being modest about the last part. He really was handsome, no question about it. But Jing Pu thought the main reason was probably that he had cultivated all sorts of skills. As the saying went, a belly full of books gave one an air of refinement.

Jing Pu's belly held more than just books. It held just about everything, and he had reached the pinnacle in every one of those things. Maybe all those strange skills had made him so extraordinary.

Really, all that was beside the point. Put more simply, it came down to six words: handsome men were loved by all.

About ten minutes later, the tea Ling Ju had roasted began to give off a fragrant aroma. The scent was fresh and crisp, and everyone in the yard who breathed it in felt their weariness swept away.

Whether it was Ling Jing or Lie Chun, they knew the fragrance of this tea all too well.

After all, for the past seven days, this tea had been the only thing keeping them alive. But what puzzled Ling Jing and Lie Chun was that this time, the tea hadn't been made by Senior. It was Ling Ju.

Seeing Ling Ju crouched on the cushion with the palace fan in her hand, the two of them suddenly understood. It must be another opportunity Senior had bestowed.

Naturally, Ling Ju, carefully roasting the tea, had noticed it too. She understood that everything was thanks to the palace fan in her hand. She couldn't help feeling that it was almost unreal, impossible to believe that Senior had given her such a divine treasure.

Jing Pu watched the steam rising from the little stove and took a moment to savor the aroma. Then he said:

"All right, you don't need to roast it anymore. Take some of the tea leaves out to cool, and we'll brew the rest to drink."

Ling Ju nodded immediately and got up to do as he said. Seeing how diligent she was, Jing Pu suddenly looked at her curiously and asked:

"Do you like Tea Dao? If you do, I can teach you. I'll teach you properly."

In this cultivation world, Tea Dao did seem to have room to flourish. Over the past week, Jing Pu had learned that anything could become a path of cultivation here. One could, for example, enter the Dao through tea and comprehend the secrets of heaven through Tea Dao.

Of course, all of this required a spiritual root. Jing Pu didn't have one, so no matter how far he took Tea Dao, it wouldn't do him any good.

But if Ling Ju wanted to learn, Jing Pu was willing to teach her. He would teach her sincerely.

Of course, Jing Pu had no idea whether his Tea Dao and the Tea Dao of this cultivation world were compatible.

But regardless, he had nothing better to do. In a way, Jing Pu was still quite lonely.

There might have been plenty of people around him now, but he couldn't really talk to them. Take Ling Jing and Lie Chun, for example. They came over and got straight to work, with nothing in common to talk about.

If Ling Ju was willing to learn Tea Dao, then the two of them would have something in common. Jing Pu wouldn't feel so bored, and he might gain a confidante—and such a beautiful one, at that.

He just didn't know whether Ling Ju would be willing to learn the Tea Dao of a mere mortal like him.

After all, there was a good chance it would be a waste of her time.

But Jing Pu was clearly overthinking it. Ling Ju was more than willing—she was very willing. She immediately replied in a clear, melodious voice:

"Senior, I'm willing! Of course I'm willing!"

Seeing that Ling Ju didn't look down on the Tea Dao of a mere mortal like him, Jing Pu grinned and nodded. But before he could say anything, someone suddenly kicked his courtyard's wooden gate open with a crash!

A young man strode in, full of swagger, and shouted:

"You, Ling Jing! I was wondering why you came early to this godforsaken place. So you'd found such a cultivation paradise!"

Jing Pu stared at the newcomer, bewildered, and asked:

"Who... who's that?"

Ling Ju looked toward the newcomer. It seemed that she was displeased that he had interrupted Jing Pu, and she frowned slightly.

"He's Yu Shen, the disciple of the Number One Saber Saint Under Heaven."