Deer Calls with Grass in Its Mouth

Old Fan's real name is Fan Yuan. Cultivator at the Ninth Realm and is known as the Ninefold Mountain.

Just cross this mountain, and you'll reach the Celestial Person.

A higher level of cultivation means having seen more of the world.

Having seen a lot of the world, one can naturally understand the meaning behind words at a glance.

"You gave me this leaf, and then told me not to go anymore." Fan Yuan held the leaf's root, gently twirling it. "Are you trying to say that we are not on the same path?"

"And--"

He paused, then looked down at the leaf in his hand.

The Spiritual Qi on it had completely dissipated, making it no different from an ordinary fallen leaf.

But when it was freshly picked from the tree, it clearly still carried that refreshing and invigorating fragrance.

The young man's gift of the leaf was both a polite gesture and a subtle reminder.

What you want isn't in the tree.

Thinking about this, I suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Fan Yuan never regarded Qin Wangchuan as a true master.

After all, the boy's life trajectory was clear; he was just a child from an ordinary family.

As for the claim of being a reincarnated Exiled Immortal, it was merely a casual, tentative statement.

I said it just to see the other person's reaction.

What he truly cared about was always that tree.

But now.

"The trees are ordinary trees, but the people... I wonder if they are ordinary people too."

Fan Yuan sighed deeply as he finished speaking.

He originally wanted to get the tree.

But now that I think about it, what's the point of moving the tree back if its Spiritual Qi dissipates?

The only thing that's certain is that there's something wrong with that yard.

As for the young man, he hadn't even figured out whether the other party was human or immortal, yet he had already narrowed his path.

Thinking of this, Fan Yuan sighed again.

Worry.

What else can we do?

Let's go for a walk.

He remembered that there was a small river outside the town when he entered it, so he planned to sit there for a while.

Stepping out of the inn, the streets were deserted.

The houses on both sides were shrouded in darkness, with only the occasional bark of a dog coming from afar.

I chose the road that led out of town the shortest way, but after taking only a few steps, I suddenly stopped.

Who is it?

Fan Yuan did not turn around; his voice remained calm.

"Oh?" A voice came from the shadows, tinged with amusement. "Looks like you've got some skills, old man."

Fan Yuan looked in the direction of the sound.

A young girl sat casually on the eaves of a nearby building, one leg crossed over the other, which dangled down and swayed gently.

They've clearly been observing for quite some time.

"Young lady, is there something you need?" Fan Yuan asked calmly.

Although the opponent's aura was fleeting, it was definitely not strong, so he didn't need to be nervous.

"A little."

The girl jumped down from the roof, brushed the dust off her skirt, tilted her head and looked at him, "Where do you want to go?"

The moonlight fell, illuminating that pretty face.

The person who arrived was Qin Zhaoer.

"Going to clear my head," Fan Yuan answered truthfully, then countered, "Little girl, you haven't answered my question yet."

Qin Zhaoer did not respond.

She simply moved closer to him.

Her gaze fell upon him, slowly and deliberately scrutinizing him.

"Ninth Level of Cultivators is quite impressive in this place."

Qin Zhaoer's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried force. "But old man, even the most powerful Cultivator is just a Qi Refining Qi Refining Practitioner who hasn't even touched Spiritual Power."

"I'm here to give you a heads-up."

She stopped, no more than three feet away from him.

"There are some people you shouldn't approach."

"Swallow those crooked thoughts back and get far, far away."

"Understand?"

Tonight we're here to give this old man a hard time.

I overheard his conversation with Qin Wangchuan just now; his tone and demeanor were so arrogant.

He's just a worthless nobody from the Lower Realm, so why is he so arrogant?

Fan Yuan listened, but instead of getting angry, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"Understand."

Suddenly, everything became clear to him.

The yard and the trees are fine; the problem is with that person— Qin Wangchuan.

How could a teenager who could send someone to intimidate him in the middle of the night be an ordinary person?

Besides...

"Spiritual Power."

Fan Yuan silently repeated the word to himself, a hint of excitement creeping in.

Martial Practitioner cultivate their inner energy (qi), Cultivator refine their vital essence (yuan).

He had lived for 110 years and had never heard of any Spiritual Power.

But the way the little girl blurted it out was so natural; it didn't seem like she was making it up.

In other words, there are things beyond Cultivator that I have never encountered.

Fan Yuan's breathing became heavier.

He had a vague feeling that he might stumble upon something extraordinary on this trip.

This feeling is just like when I first learned that Cultivator existed in the world.

Excitement, trembling, and a hint of inexplicable awe.

There's still too little information.

Fan Yuan sighed inwardly. Since this young girl had taken the initiative to show herself, he might as well take this opportunity to ask her as many questions as possible.

"The truly wise live in seclusion, as expected." He looked at Qin Zhaoer, who was about to leave, and softened his tone. "But young lady, aren't you afraid of being exposed by telling me all this?"

"Like that thing— Spiritual Power."

"Oh."

His response was a dismissive sneer.

Qin Zhaoer turned around and gave her a disdainful look.

Even if you knew, what could you do?

Fan Yuan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

"You're too naive. Knowing too much will only hasten your demise."

After Qin Zhaoer finished speaking, she turned and left with light steps.

Fan Yuan stood there, watching the figure disappear into the alleyway, motionless for a long time.

The night wind blew in from the alley entrance.

He looked up at the moon and suddenly let out a long breath.

Do you regret it?

A little.

He was too arrogant in front of that boy back then.

He put on airs like Ninth Realm Cultivator, constantly proclaiming that he stood high enough; now that I think about it, people probably just find it laughable.

Let's say give up.

But I'm not willing to give up.

One hundred and ten years of cultivation, the title of Ninefold Mountain, the threshold of becoming Celestial Person.

He can't let go of these things.

Moreover, the boy was right in front of him, the courtyard was right there, and he had personally witnessed the Spiritual Qi of that tree.

The opportunity is right in front of us, how can we be content with that?

But we can't rush it.

Qin Wangchuan had already given him the order to leave. The young girl had made her intentions so clear. If he were to rashly approach her again, he feared he would lose even the last shred of hope.

The night is still long, no rush.

Three days passed quickly.

Qin Wangchuan used the Spiritual Qi drawn by the Gathering Spirit Talisman to cultivate, finally gaining the means to establish himself in this world.

Although only his hands have been tempered, his body is now vastly different from the weak and helpless boy he once was.

Qin Zhaoer next door was also busy cultivating with this Spiritual Power, and her strength was steadily increasing as well.

That morning, Qin Wangchuan left early to go to the martial arts school to get the calligraphy from Blacksmith Song.

Blacksmith Song was forging iron. When he saw him coming, he didn't even look up, but gestured towards the corner of the wall with his lip.

Qin Wangchuan walked over and picked up the already typed note.

The iron ingot was heavy and the strokes were square, showing that a lot of effort had been put into it.

"Thank you, Uncle Song."

He thanked him and took the calligraphy to Manager Li's paper shop.

Shopkeeper Li took the letter, looked at it over and over several times, and was so happy he couldn't stop smiling. He immediately brought over a ladder and hung it up.

But when they saw it up, their smiles froze.

This is excellent for remembering characters.

The strokes are powerful and the structure is distinct; when it's hung up, the other characters next to it look like they're missing bones.

Qin Wangchuan also felt awkward looking at it and said, "How about we change the rest of the words as well?"

"No need to trouble Uncle Song this time, I'll do it myself."

Manager Li waved his hand. "Forget it, forget it. It's not perfect, it's just a signboard anyway. Who's going to be looking at it from there?"

It was easy for him to say, but Qin Wangchuan could tell that Uncle Li wasn't unmoved; he just didn't want to cause any more trouble.

This matter will be put aside for now.

From this day forward...

Qin Wangchuan spent his days learning blacksmithing from Blacksmith Song, living a life as carefree as a wound-up toy.

Blacksmith Song may be sharp-tongued, but he's honest and straightforward when it comes to his actions.

"Each strike must be evenly applied. A good weapon is made up of these strikes; you can't rush it." He swung the hammer down, sparks flying. "Watch closely: your wrists must be flexible, your waist must be strong. If you only rely on your arm, you'll be ruined after three strikes."

Qin Wangchuan took the hammer and did as instructed.

Because of the blessing of the Origin Source, many things are easy to learn as soon as you start.

Furthermore, forging iron relies not only on hammering skills but also on the proportions of materials.

In the past, this could only be achieved through the experience passed down from generation to generation of old Artisan. The amount of iron and carbon added depended entirely on feel.

But he's a time traveler.

Using the vague chemical knowledge from his previous life, he crushed, mixed, and smelted several ores in proportion.

At first, the Blacksmith Song thought he was just messing around, but after seeing that the small items he made were indeed harder and tougher than ordinary ironware, he stopped stopping him, only saying:

"Don't break my stove."

Qin Wangchuan nodded and continued to work diligently on the preparation.

With materials precisely controlled by percentages, the potential output is far greater than that achieved through trial and error.

He didn't explain these things to Blacksmith Song, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to explain them clearly.

Learning skills by day, practicing at night.

When Qin Wangchuan returned home that evening, he sat cross-legged under the Jujube Tree, drawing Spiritual Qi into his body to refine his acupoints.

Spiritual Qi surged in from all directions, seeping into the meridians in strands.

Qin Zhaoer from next door would sometimes climb over the wall, and without saying a word, she would sit next to him and practice.

The Spiritual Qi is gathered in this courtyard; it's enough to absorb even one more person's energy.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

That night, Qin Wangchuan cultivated under the Jujube Tree as usual.

Halfway through the Spiritual Qi, his eyelids twitched slightly.

There was a scent outside the door.

He got up, unlatched the door, and pushed the door open a crack.

A deer stood there, pure white with antlers like coral, its head bowed, sniffing the lingering Spiritual Qi by the threshold.

Startled by the sudden opening of the door, the deer jumped back and ran away.

"Drawn here by Spiritual Power?" Qin Wangchuan stood at the door, gazing in the direction it had disappeared, and muttered to himself.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and earth is the source of all things, and it is perfectly normal for animals to flock to it.

He didn't take it to heart, closed the door, and returned to the Jujube Tree to continue his cultivation.

But it came again the second night.

They also brought gifts.

Qin Wangchuan's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the object it was carrying in its mouth.

It is some kind of herb.

In the darkness, its exact appearance was unclear, but a faint fluorescence could be vaguely seen flowing between the leaves.

It turned out to be a Spirit Grass rich in Spiritual Qi.