Interrogation

Time flew. Two years passed.

Forty li from Bamboo Creek Island, on the surface of the lake.

A sturdy man in a short hemp outfit brought his knife down, cutting the spirit carp in his hand to draw blood, then deftly tied it to the bow.

Seeing this, Xu Qinghou said, "I wonder if there are many Fuluo Eels around here. We might end up taking a loss."

Over the past two years, as their fishing skills grew more and more refined, the Fuluo Eels that had overrun the waters near Bamboo Creek Island had been hunted nearly to extinction.

As a result, the retainers on Bamboo Creek Island had gone two months without catching a single eel, and complaints rose on every side.

Had Yuan Dahu and his group not stood united against outsiders, using every hard and soft tactic at their disposal, they would likely have been threatened into revealing where the nets came from long ago.

Even so, fishing near Bamboo Creek Island had become difficult.

Xu Qinghou and the others rowed the boat and spread the nets, while Yuan Dahu used the Spirit Eye Technique. Once he spotted signs of a Fuluo Eel, he would tell them to haul in the nets.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. By noon, with the sky brightly lit, they had made quite a haul, bringing up five or six Fuluo Eels.

Yuan Dahu rubbed his tired eyes and suddenly caught sight of a streak of green spiritual light flying through the sky.

Then he heard Xu Qinghou and the others say respectfully, "Deacon Su!"

The newcomer was Su Wen. In the two years that had passed, she had polished her Qi Refining Middle Stage Law Power to perfection.

Once she received the Spirit Condensation Pill bestowed by the Lineage tomorrow, she could choose a day to break through to Late Qi Refining.

Su Wen was quite pleased to see how diligently Yuan Dahu's group was working.

It was precisely because of her contribution to dealing with the Fuluo Eels that she had been able to save several years of cultivation.

Those years were not to be underestimated. Once she passed sixty, her Qi and Blood would decline, and her chances of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment would drop sharply.

At the thought of becoming a great Foundation Establishment cultivator, Su Wen realized that with her looks, she might have a chance to marry a Core Formation True Person.

When that happened, wouldn't the entire Su Household reach new heights under her leadership?

Her heart surged with excitement, and even the freckles on her face seemed to glow. It was thanks to these rogue cultivators, who worked tirelessly without complaint, that she had such a bright future!

She had not expected managing things properly to bring such rewards. From now on, she would be sure to reward and punish fairly!

With a wave of her hand, she bestowed several talismans. "The lake is dangerous. Keep these as a means of protecting yourselves."

The retainers were overjoyed, moved to grateful tears. "Thank you, Deacon Su!"

Only then did she compose her expression and ask, "Xu Qinghou, why have I heard that Zhou Ning fishes for three days and dries his nets for two?"

Standing face-to-face with a cultivator at Qi Refining Middle Stage Perfection, Xu Qinghou felt as though thorns were pricking his back.

He steeled himself and said, "Deacon Su, I've worked with Zhou Ning for several years and have never heard of him slacking off."

Still, when he thought of Zhou Ning practicing the Blood Sha Palm all day, Xu Qinghou couldn't help grumbling inwardly. What the hell use were mortal martial arts?

"Oh?"

Su Wen asked no further questions. Instead, she activated her lotus-leaf Law Artifact and flew toward the fishing grounds near Bamboo Creek Island.

Sure enough, Zhou Ning was nowhere to be found. She stormed toward the island's residential area.

Over the past two years, Zhou Ning had broken through to the Third Layer of Qi Refinement.

His progress with the Heavenly Pivot Meridian Opening Instruction had been just as smooth. He had opened the Laogong, Dragon Bone, and Five Elements meridian gates in succession.

He was now stuck at the Ancestral Aperture Divine Meridian between his brows. If he opened it, he could develop Divine Sense even without entering the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

Unfortunately, this meridian was extremely difficult to open.

This time, Zhou Ning had combined his four days of monthly rest, then spent three days tending to his body and mind. Now he was making another attempt.

He drew upon the power of his Qi and Blood and directed it against the Ancestral Aperture meridian gate.

An incense stick's time later.

The attempt failed, and the immense power of his Qi and Blood scattered. His eyes were entirely red, filled with bloodshot veins, a horrifying sight!

"Alas, Chai Dingchun wasn't lying to me. I really do need materials that clear the mind and soothe the spirit to help."

Zhou Ning sighed.

Just then, a shout rang out from the sky. "Zhou Ning, how dare you slack off at work!"

"The Su Household provides you with a Spirit Vein and spirit rice, yet you do nothing to repay such kindness!"

As the words fell, Su Wen landed in the courtyard. Her gaze swept over Zhou Ning, taking in his miserable appearance.

She involuntarily stepped back half a pace, her expression filled with shock and uncertainty.

Zhou Ning bowed, looking rather puzzled.

"Deacon Su, why do you say that? Since joining the Su Household, I, Zhou Ning, have never missed a day in twelve hundred days and nights. Even when conditions were harsh last month, I still caught three Fuluo Eels."

"As for why I'm home today, it's because I saved up this month's days off and took them together. Xu Qinghou and Jia Xingwang can both testify to that."

His words were reasonable and well supported, leaving Su Wen unable to continue her questioning.

After all that, she was the one who had neglected her duties, unaware of Zhou Ning's attendance.

She held it in for a while before saying, "Days off aren't for resting. They're the perfect time to strive for greater things. If you indulge in pleasure, how can you overtake others on the path of cultivation?"

Hearing such heaven-defying logic, Zhou Ning wondered what would happen if he worked himself to death without rest.

The Su Household wouldn't pay compensation.

Even so, he humbly agreed. "Deacon Su is right. I've been practicing the Spirit Eye Technique diligently at home today so that I can repay the Su Household's kindness in the future."

Su Wen understood. No wonder his eyes were so blood-red.

Her expression shifted. "Since you're so grateful, I'll give you a packet of Clear Spirit Powder. Recover soon."

With that, she casually tossed it to him, slightly off target.

Zhou Ning instinctively reached out to catch it, but the instant he moved, his heart tightened. He deliberately missed by an inch, letting the packet fall to the ground.

He failed to catch it.

Su Wen watched every part of his clumsy movement.

"It seems he really did injure his eyes practicing the Spirit Eye Technique."

Only then did her vigilance fade. She supposed he would not dare lie; after all, rogue cultivators like him would surely regard anything she bestowed as a priceless treasure.

"Since you know to repay kindness, I'll grant you half a month's leave. Rest and recover."

Su Wen rode her Law Artifact out of the courtyard.

Zhou Ning's voice drifted faintly up from below.

"What am I to do? I'm afraid I won't have repaid the Su Household's kindness even when I'm laid to rest!"

Su Wen was thoroughly satisfied. She then went on to pick out other "examples," to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!

Zhou Ning rested at home for three days, only stepping out of the courtyard once his eyes had returned to normal.

He heard that two fishing retainers who had neglected their duties had their cultivation crippled by the Su Household and were driven out of Cuiwei Lake.

The many retainers were anxious, and their former laziness disappeared.

For a cultivator, having one's cultivation crippled was simply a fate worse than death.

Zhou Ning grew even more cautious. Su Wen might usually seem rather brainless, but anyone who truly took her for a fool would never come to a good end.

If he hadn't resorted to a little trickery that day, he would probably have been the one singled out.

"Being so cautious over every little thing is really stifling!" Zhou Ning was displeased.

He had now opened four meridians in succession. Qi and Blood surged throughout his body, giving him the strength to split steles and shatter stone.

His Qi Refining cultivation had progressed well, reaching the Third Layer, but he found it difficult to gauge his own strength, having never fought a cultivator of the same level.

Still, he reckoned that against someone like Su Wen, at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and equipped with a flying Law Artifact,

he most likely couldn't do anything to her.

"I still need to cultivate diligently."

Zhou Ning went next door to ask Old Jia about materials that could clear the mind and soothe the spirit.

Old Jia was sunning himself in a reclining chair. He answered, "There is something: the Spirit Condensation Pill. It can strengthen Divine Sense and help condense true essence. Want to buy one?"

"How much does it cost?"

Old Jia chuckled. "I've toiled for half my life, and I can't afford a single one."

Zhou Ning: "..."

As it turned out, the Spirit Condensation Pill helped cultivators break through to Late Qi Refining and was extremely rare.

Deacon Su had recently changed her approach to management because the Lineage had rewarded her with one.

"Think carefully, old sir. Is there anything cheaper? The cheapest you can think of. I'll invite Scholar Xu over and cook a few dishes for you to try later." Zhou Ning adopted the manner of someone asking a favor.

"All right, then. Though I've spent years frequenting high-end shops, I also know a thing or two about the stalls run by low-level cultivators."

"There's a thing called the pure heart wisteria flower. It clears the mind... Let me tell you, it's wonderful for soothing the spirit. Good quality, cheap price, absolutely first-rate! You might as well throw Essence Condensation Pills straight into a ditch. Just buy pure heart..."

He seemed to have hit upon his area of expertise. Old Jia talked on and on, spittle flying.

Zhou Ning clicked his tongue in wonder. It was like people in his previous life talking about their extravagant pleasures: it was always the same old lobster and red wine, but when they spoke of saving money, the methods came in all shapes and sizes.

Once Old Jia had tired himself out talking, Zhou Ning asked a question.

"So how much does this wonderful thing cost?"