The Chicken-Chasing Female Cultivator

At the summit of Refining Peak stood the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association's four refining branches: A, B, C and D.

Each branch was divided into four kinds of workshops: pill-making, talisman-making, artifact-refining and array-making, with a number of stone caves serving as workshops.

Tang Yuan found Feng Bin, an array-maker, in Workshop Two of the association's Branch C.

Feng Bin was at the Qi Refinement Tenth Layer, with a Late-stage Qi Refinement cultivation, and was already over a hundred and fifty years old.

Feng Bin, white-haired and white-bearded, with a grim, malicious face, read the talisman letter Ding Chunqiu had given Tang Yuan. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Tang Yuan, you're only at the Qi Refining First Layer. There are many arrays you can't make.

"The Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture you're studying is a Cultivation Method for raising your cultivation.

"As an array-maker, you also need to study books specifically on arrays.

"The association has no shortage of array-makers who make fire arrays, and I have no need for an apprentice.

"But since Ding Chunqiu recommended you, I can only take you on as my disciple, though it's against my better judgment.

"You have a mediocre Spirit Root, but you do have a Thunder Spirit Root.

"As for lightning arrays, I'm too busy to attend to them myself, so you can make those.

"I just don't know whether you have any children.

"Once you start making lightning arrays, your line will die with you.

"Give it some thought."

Making lightning arrays would leave him without descendants?!

The corners of Tang Yuan's mouth twitched.

Seeing that Tang Yuan was somewhat puzzled, Feng Bin explained.

Once mortals reached the Qi Refining Stage, it became very difficult for them to have children.

Among the five-element Law Techniques, lightning Law Techniques had the greatest offensive power.

The Heavenly Dao was imperfect. Once cultivators who practiced lightning-attribute Cultivation Methods reached the Qi Refining Realm, it became all but impossible for them to have children.

The power and price of different attack talismans, arrays and Technique Lightning varied.

For example, a blank array disc for a beginner-level Blazing Fire Array cost roughly one spirit coin.

With supplementary materials and the fee for using earth fire, the total cost came to about three spirit coins, and it generally sold for more than five.

A beginner-level lightning array also cost about three spirit coins in total, but sold for more than ten.

The Holy Cardamom Sect's Blood Skeleton Technique Lightning, for example, was an intermediate lightning-attribute Technique Lightning that sold for twenty spirit coins.

He already had five children, and making lightning-attribute arrays was more profitable, so of course he wanted to learn the Cultivation Method for making lightning arrays.

Tang Yuan deliberately hesitated for several breaths before saying firmly, "I've never married, so how could I have children?

"But I, Tang Yuan, am devoted to pursuing the Dao. Love and children are not among my concerns.

"I want to learn the Cultivation Method for making lightning arrays. Please show me the way, Senior Brother Feng."

Feng Bin snorted. "You want to learn the Cultivation Method for making lightning arrays because of the pressure of your loan from the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association, I suppose.

"Hmph. Which refiner under the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association isn't crushed so hard by those loans that they can barely breathe?

They have no choice but to work for the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association and neglect their cultivation.

"Fine, fine. You can learn to make this Lesser Heavenly Gang Soul-Extinguishing Lightning Array.

"These are two Cultivation Methods. One is called Introduction to Lightning Arrays. It contains the methods for making two beginner-level lightning arrays.

"The other is the Heart Lightning Meridian-Forging Instruction, a high-grade mortal technique used to direct and channel lightning."

Tang Yuan accepted the two Jade Slips and cupped his hands in salute.

"There's no lightning vein on Refining Peak. If you want to make lightning arrays, you'll have to go to Gang Lightning Mountain on the outskirts of the sect.

"The lightning vein there is free to use.

"But let me warn you:

"Don't stay on Gang Lightning Mountain too long, and certainly don't spend the night.

"Stay there too long, and it'll shorten your lifespan," Feng Bin kindly warned.

"You'll have to pay for the array materials yourself up front.

"I'll give you five spirit coins for every Lesser Heavenly Gang Soul-Extinguishing Lightning Array you deliver to me.

"Today is the eighth day of the fifth month, year 4032 of the New Immortal Calendar. Three months from now, on the eighth day of the eighth month, you must deliver at least three arrays to me.

"Otherwise, I'll take back the Cultivation Method books, and you can seek a better position elsewhere.

"If you have questions in the meantime, you can come and ask me, but only once, and only after you've successfully made an array.

"All right, if there's nothing else,

"you can go back and study, or have a look around Branch C..."

Feng Bin had given him two Cultivation Methods as soon as they met and kindly warned him not to stay too long on Gang Lightning Mountain.

At first, Tang Yuan was quite grateful to Feng Bin.

But Feng Bin wouldn't give him any hands-on instruction in making arrays; he had to figure it all out himself.

Having to pay for the materials himself up front was particularly harsh.

After all, he was just beginning to make arrays. He was bound to ruin some blank array discs and waste quite a few other supplementary materials along the way.

All of that cost money.

Fortunately, he had three hundred blank array discs on hand, so he wouldn't mind ruining a few.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Feng. I'll take my leave..." Tang Yuan cupped his hands in salute and withdrew from the workshop.

He had just stepped out of the stone cave when he heard laughter.

A young female cultivator, her skin whiter than snow and smooth as jade, her eyes like pools of autumn water, was chasing a chicken in a sorry state—a Purple-Crowned Five-Colored Spirit Chicken.

"Du Qing, whatever you do, don't use spiritual power to catch the chicken, and don't kill it. Otherwise, the medicinal effect of its spirit blood won't be as good.

"You can only catch it barehanded, with a mortal's body.

"Catch it quickly. Don't let it get away.

"There's an array suppressing it here. Once it gets out of the courtyard, it won't be easy to catch," a young artifact refiner who looked like a fair-faced scholar reminded her.

"I know, Cousin..." Du Qing, her strapless top pulled extremely low to reveal a large expanse of snowy skin, panted as she thanked him and continued her determined pursuit.

But the Purple-Crowned Five-Colored Spirit Chicken had some intelligence and knew how to evade capture.

Du Qing twisted and turned, chased and blocked it for half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, but all she had to show for it were a few chicken feathers in her hand and several scratches on her face. Gradually, she began to give up.

Whether everyone had tacitly decided to enjoy the show or was simply sweeping the snow from their own doorsteps, not one of their fellow disciples in the courtyard came to help catch the chicken, despite Du Qing's repeated requests.

Tang Yuan chuckled through his nose and walked toward the gate.

Just as he was about to step out of the courtyard, Du Qing's bewitching, bone-melting plea came from behind him. "Handsome senior brother in black at the gate, could you catch the chicken for me?

"Boo-hoo-hoo...

"I spent five spirit coins on it..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Purple-Crowned Five-Colored Spirit Chicken on his left, about to run out of the courtyard.

Tang Yuan snorted and kept walking, with no intention of helping. Better one less trouble than one more.

He didn't know whether the spirit chicken could see that it was about to escape to freedom and, in its excitement, couldn't hold its backside shut,

or whether it had deliberately wanted to disgust Du Qing,

but in any case, the moment it stepped out of the courtyard, it dropped a pile of chicken shit.

Squarely and unerringly, Tang Yuan's left foot landed in it.

The spirit chicken flapped its wings excitedly, let out a cry, bent its legs and sprang into the air.

The corners of Tang Yuan's mouth twitched when he stepped in the shit.

He lunged forward, caught the spirit chicken with one hand when it had just flown four feet into the air, and immediately moved to snap its neck.

Before Tang Yuan could squeeze with his left hand, Du Qing was already beside him. "Thank you, Senior Brother, thank you.

"Thank you for helping me catch this Purple-Crowned Five-Colored Spirit Chicken...

"Of all these people, you were the only one who helped.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Looking at the charming Du Qing, Tang Yuan's mouth twitched, and he smiled.

"We're fellow disciples. It was only right."

"To catch a chicken, grab it by the base of both wings.

"That way, it can't scratch you, and it can't break free." After giving her that instruction, Tang Yuan carefully handed the spirit chicken back to Du Qing.

The back of his hand brushed against Du Qing's, and an uncontrollable tingle ran through Tang Yuan's whole body...

"Senior Brother, what is your distinguished name?

"My name is Du Qing. I'm an apprentice artifact refiner here.

"Will I see you again soon?" Du Qing asked coquettishly as she watched Tang Yuan's tall, imposing back.

Tang Yuan waved, stepped onto his flying shuttle, and flew east without looking back...