The Salted Fish Holy Land

Ning Zhongzi escorted Liu Xuanye back to Hot Spring Valley.

She washed her body clean, changed her into a light white sleeping gown, laid her flat on the bamboo bed, fed her two specially made pills, and began to set up an array to heal her wounds.

On the Sword Terrace.

Lu Ya, having nothing better to do, ordered Muyu Feifei to go down the mountain and chop down some bamboo.

Using the thick stems of dozens of Sword Bamboo, he built a suspended bamboo platform on the edge of the cliff beside the Sword Terrace, then placed the immortal boat onto the completed platform.

A simple port had taken shape.

Lu Ya could have easily put the immortal boat into his spatial ring or simply carved out a pocket of space to store it.

However, seeing that Muyu Feifei seemed to like the immortal boat, he built the port on the side of the Sword Terrace to leave the boat there for them to play with.

Shipgirls must be cultivated from a young age!

Lu Ya used the port and the immortal boat as bait, making it easier to send the two little girls on errands for him in the future.

This way, he wouldn't have to do everything himself, and a wonderful life of being a couch potato was right within reach.

With the port finished, Lu Ya sat at the bow of the immortal boat.

With his feet dangling in the air and the gentle evening breeze blowing, he felt exceptionally comfortable.

Having grown tired of playing in the cabin, Muyu Feifei came out to the deck and climbed onto his shoulders all at once.

One on the left, one on the right.

Four round, chubby little legs swung back and forth, their soft heels rhythmically tapping against Lu Ya's chest.

Perhaps because feline creatures have soft pads on their feet, the tapping didn't hurt Lu Ya at all.

It even had the magical effect of a massage.

Muyu Feifei appeared carefree, but in reality, she was probing him:

"Little Lu Ya, you're clearly only in your early twenties, so why are you so powerful?"

"Can you teach us?"

"Little... Lu Ya?"

Lu Ya raised an eyebrow, feigning a stern, dignified expression.

"I am the Sword-Wielding Elder of the Bamboo Spring Sect now; at the very least, you must call me Uncle-Master."

"Little Uncle-Master, why are you so powerful?"

"..."

"Do you know that you shouldn't use the word 'little' when addressing a man?"

"Got it, Little Uncle-Master, why are you so powerful?"

"..."

"Little Uncle-Master, you said you wanted to train us as Sword Maidens—does that mean you want to teach us swordsmanship?"

"No!"

It seemed that trying to train these two brats into maids was just too difficult!

Lu Ya then tried to entice them with benefits.

"If you listen to me in the future, I'll teach you swordsmanship."

"Oh, then I won't learn."

"I hate learning swordsmanship the most."

Lu Ya:

"..."

This was exactly why he hated brats.

With a start, the two girls jumped off Lu Ya's shoulders and slumped over the ship's railing, bored, pretending to be slugs while blowing in the soft evening breeze.

"I'm going to sail the boat to East Floating City tomorrow!"

"Haha, I'm going to live on the boat from now on."

"I don't want to live with Nanny anymore!"

Just as they were speaking, thump, thump—

Two flicks landed on their heads.

Ning Zhongzi had arrived.

She brought Lu Ya two sets of men's green robes, two pairs of bamboo shoes, a sword exclusively for the Sword-Wielding Elder, and a cyan spatial ring.

"These are the sect's standard-issue items. As a Sword-Wielding Elder, there are no strict requirements for you, Senior Brother; you may wear or carry them as you please."

Senior Brother?

You called me Senior, I called you Senior Sister, and now you're calling me Senior Brother...

Lu Ya felt a headache coming on and couldn't be bothered to correct her anymore.

Call me whatever you want.

He took the clothes, slipped on the green ring, and shoved everything else inside it.

He could trade the spoils of war for some wine and meat in the immortal city later.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Lu Ya nodded.

Seeing Lu Ya sitting on the edge of the boat, Ning Zhongzi felt that standing would be distant or impolite.

She sent Muyu Feifei away, brushed off some dust, lifted her green robes, and sat down two feet away from Lu Ya.

She no longer harbored any wariness toward Lu Ya.

Even if she worried that Lu Ya might have some unspeakable secrets, without him, the Bamboo Spring Sect would have already ceased to exist; such worries were meaningless.

It was just that the Sect Master was too aloof and had never interacted with any man, and Lu Ya seemed quite passive as well, leaving her to act as the intermediary to understand the basic situation.

She was practically a matchmaker.

Facing a mysterious stranger like Lu Ya, she felt a bit nervous.

The gentle evening breeze blew against her ample chest, creating a rhythm like the surging of pine trees.

A few loose strands of hair were teased by the mountain wind, unexpectedly revealing a hint of charm.

"Are you getting used to life at the Bamboo Spring Sect, Senior Brother?"

"It's not bad."

Although Lu Ya nodded, he wasn't actually used to it.

The immortal sect had no food or drink, no tobacco or alcohol, and was severely lacking in entertainment.

Being a salted fish was one thing, but he couldn't live without his fun.

If there was no fun, what was the point of being a salted fish? He might as well just hibernate.

It seemed he would have to take care of his own entertainment.

Fortunately, there was Muyu Feifei; although the two little girls were mischievous, they didn't seem very bright. If he trained them well, they might be able to save him some effort.

Ning Zhongzi deliberated for a long time before finally asking.

"How did you encounter the Azure Phoenix, Senior Brother?"

Is she here to run a background check?

Lu Ya didn't mind; after all, he had just arrived, and they were still strangers.

"I've been traveling around for the past few years. Passing through this area today, I saw a beautiful Azure Phoenix, and so... ahem, so I was brought here by Muyu Feifei."

Traveling around...

A wandering rogue immortal?

Ning Zhongzi nodded thoughtfully and continued.

"For you to have such cultivation at such a young age, Senior Brother, you would be a key disciple in any immortal sect. Now that you have deigned to come to the Bamboo Spring Sect, I truly don't know how to treat you."

"Just treat me as you like, Senior Sister. I'm just looking for a quiet place to be a salted... to farm and temper my Dao heart."

"Have you encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation, Senior Brother?"

A bottleneck? Hmm...

"You could say that."

Lu Ya thought to himself that since he had maxed out every profession and couldn't advance any further, that probably counted as a bottleneck.

Ning Zhongzi sat up straight, adjusting her collar, as cautious as a young girl, terrified of saying the wrong thing.

In reality, she was three thousand eight hundred years old, but unfortunately, in the immortal world, strength reigned supreme, and seniority was not based on age.

Whether it was her or the Sect Master, in front of this young man who had crushed a half-step immortal sect, they were both little sisters.

The longer one lived in the immortal world, the more one realized the severity of the gap in strength.

If it weren't for the fact that Lu Ya disliked being called old, she would have called him Senior forever.

"The Sect Master has carried a restriction since childhood. Because she is afraid of hurting others, she has always presented herself as heartless. I hope you can forgive her, Senior Brother, and give her some time to adapt."

"No need to adapt, this is fine. I happen to like her aloofness."

Lu Ya thought.

Aloofness meant she wasn't clingy, wouldn't cause trouble, and it was respectable to bring her out in public.

Such a wife was truly the essential, perfect spouse for a homebody salted fish—someone who could kill and dispose of the evidence!

He likes aloofness?

Ning Zhongzi didn't know if he was telling the truth, but she decided to assume they were a match made in heaven.

"I have already sent an immortal pigeon to notify the Immortal Court deacon to process your entry into the immortal ranks as soon as possible. Once the Sect Master wakes up, we will hold a grand ceremony for your union, and after that, the Bamboo Spring Sect will gradually get back on track."

Lu Ya nodded, then suddenly asked:

"There's nothing left for me to do after this, right?"

"Naturally, I would not disturb Senior Brother's cultivation."

Ning Zhongzi stood up and bowed.

"Senior Brother must be exhausted from the journey; I shall take you to rest now."

"Where will I be staying?"

"Senior Brother may stay in the sleeping quarters next to the Hot Spring Valley in the west, along with the Sect Master."

Living together right off the bat?

Lu Ya felt a bit guilty.

After all, he was no fated person; he was relying entirely on his invincible strength to forcibly resist Liu Xuanye's husband-killing curse. Playing around with some thrills occasionally was fine, but if they lived together every day, being sliced to ribbons, losing health, and shedding skin—it was mentally exhausting...

"The Sect Master needs plenty of rest; I shall find another room to stay in for now."

Ning Zhongzi was slightly surprised, thinking that it was only the first night, so some distance was inevitable.

"That is also fine."

Lu Ya surveyed the summit of the Bamboo Spring Sect.

In the center was a lake, but the lighting and view were insufficient.

To the west were the Hot Spring Valley and Liu Xuanye's sleeping quarters.

To the east were the herb garden and Ning Zhongzi's sleeping quarters.

To the south was the main administrative hall.

It seemed only the Sword Terrace to the north was empty and uninhabited, with an open view suitable for lying down and sunbathing.

With this in mind, Lu Ya said:

"As the Sword-Wielding Elder, it is only natural for me to live at the Sword Terrace. If Junior Sister does not mind, I can build a bamboo hut by the edge of the bamboo forest."

Ning Zhongzi hurriedly said:

"Senior Brother is a guest upon his first arrival; let Junior Sister build the bamboo hut for you tonight."

Lu Ya did not refuse.

"I shall trouble you, Junior Sister."

"Senior Brother is weary from the journey and has just fought a great battle for the Bamboo Spring Sect, so you must be tired. I will take you to the Hot Spring Valley to recuperate and rest now."

"That works too."

The Hot Spring Valley was located at the western end of the mountain peak.

Entering the pitch-black bamboo forest, passing the starlit lake, and following the deep, winding path westward, the view suddenly opened up to a vast sea of clouds.

The Hot Spring Valley was shrouded in thick mist and a cyan light formation.

The valley was surrounded by cliffs, uneven like rockeries.

In the center stood a bamboo palace built upon a precipice.

The two-story bamboo structure was antique and fragrant, towering and elegant, radiating a solemn sword intent.

"This is the Sect Master's sleeping quarters; she is resting inside."

"Then I shall not disturb her."

"It is no matter; there are many pools of varying heights within the valley."

Venturing deeper into the valley, Lu Ya discovered many flat areas extending from the cliffs, with over a dozen irregular hot spring pools scattered at different elevations.

The pools varied in size and depth, refracting different colors based on the surrounding medicinal herbs, resembling variegated amber.

Ning Zhongzi led Lu Ya to a hot spring with clear water.

The shore was lined with craggy rocks, interspersed with slender bamboo, immortal flowers, and spirit herbs. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the cyan sea of clouds, the thick mist merged with the clouds outside the platform, making it feel as if one were in a celestial palace.

"This pool is suitable for relieving fatigue. Senior Brother can soak until dawn without worrying about skin issues."

"There are towels in the bamboo box nearby, and Senior Brother can place your clothes on the stone platform."

After finishing her instructions, Ning Zhongzi bowed and took her leave.

"I will not disturb Senior Brother's rest; if you need anything, you may summon me with your divine sense."

Lu Ya nodded slightly.

"You have gone to great lengths, Junior Sister."

Silence.

Cyan sea of clouds.

The water and sky merged into one.

Leaving his clothes on the stone platform by the pool, Lu Ya draped a bamboo-fiber towel over his shoulders and stepped gently into the water.

A light mist drifted across the surface, carrying the scent of fragrant herbs and flowers, transforming the pool into a fairyland under the soft, verdant glow.

The water was only waist-deep, warm, smooth, and clear. It possessed a refreshing, skin-soothing chill reminiscent of melting snow, mingled with a faint trace of sulfur. The stones at the bottom were clearly visible, surrounded by clusters of water grass, while colorful warm-water fish darted to and fro, nibbling gently at Lu Ya's skin. The sensation left him feeling slightly ticklish and exceptionally comfortable.

With the starlight of the cloud sea and the swirling green mist, the man, the water, and the sky all blended into a perfect, harmonious whole.

Lu Ya suddenly realized that despite his age, this was his very first time soaking in a hot spring.

It wasn't just in reality; even in the game, he had never once attempted hot spring cultivation. For five years, he had either been grinding monsters in dungeons or fighting in sect arenas, missing out on so many opportunities to enjoy life.

Fortunately, having transmigrated into a real immortal world with all his classes maxed out, he had suddenly found a sense of belonging after losing his life's purpose: a cold and aloof immortal wife, a gentle senior sister, a tiger-immortal loli, bamboo forests and mountain streams, the cloud sea and hot springs...

This Bamboo Spring Sect was truly a sanctuary for the idle!

Soaking in the warm, flowing water, Lu Ya felt as if he were cradled in a woman's embrace. Walking on clouds, drifting like an immortal, he soon drifted off to sleep.

At the hour of the Rat, he was suddenly jolted awake by a blinding white light—

The Heavenly Tribulation had arrived.