Bidding Up the Price on the Spot

Jiang Yao sobbed pitifully in Fairy Xueyun's arms.

"Mother, don't blame Little Sister. It was all my fault—I didn't stand steady myself."

Jiang Wan: Whoever said she was an ordinary three-year-old child, I'd stand on my head and eat... pills.

"Mother,"

Before she could even finish, Fairy Xueyun flew away with Jiang Yao in her arms.

Jiang Wan couldn't understand it. Were there really people who disliked their own biological child but liked someone else's child?

Zixiang had been watching from nearby. Seeing the Sect Master's Wife leave, she hurried over.

"Junior Sister, you're fine. The Sect Master's Wife may just be angry for the moment. Her anger will fade in a couple of days."

Jiang Wan wasn't angry at all. Her stomach was growling.

"Big Sister Zixiang, my tummy is hungry-hungry. Food-food."

Seeing that she did not look terribly upset, Zixiang let out a breath of relief.

She carried her back to her own courtyard.

Far away in the main courtyard, Fairy Xueyun carried Jiang Yao back. Seeing the bruises all over her arm, she tenderly applied medicine with spiritual power.

"Does Yaoyao hurt? Mother will apply the medicine, and you'll be fine."

Jiang Yao, dressed in a little pink skirt, sat obediently and let Fairy Xueyun treat her injuries.

"It doesn't hurt. It's just that when Junior Sister Wan'er pushed me earlier, I thought of that dream again. In the dream, Junior Sister Wan'er was covered in black qi. It was so frightening.

"The Sword Immortal who taught me the sword art even said that was a demon. Mother, what is a demon?"

Fairy Xueyun's hand paused before she continued applying the medicine.

"You're still young. You don't need to know about those things for now. Yaoyao, promise me that you won't tell anyone else about this in the future, all right?"

Something stirred in Jiang Yao's heart, and she immediately nodded obediently.

"Don't worry, Mother. If Mother says not to tell, then I won't tell. Yaoyao promises not to tell anyone."

Fairy Xueyun stroked her head, a trace of melancholy in her eyes. If what Yaoyao had said was something that would happen in the future, then what should she do?

Jiang Wan was carried in Zixiang's arms as they flew back on a sword to her little courtyard. The moment her feet touched the ground, she ran inside. "Big Sister Ziyun, I'm hungry! Can we eat now?"

Ziyun had been cultivating. Once she sensed their return, she had already laid out all the food. Knowing Jiang Wan had a large appetite, she had specially collected two extra portions.

"It's been ready for ages. We were just waiting for you to come back!"

At the sight of a whole table of delicious food, Jiang Wan was blissfully happy. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing little arms like lotus roots, then picked up a chicken leg and took the first bite in salute.

"Big Sister Zixiang, Big Sister Ziyun, aren't you eating too?"

Zixiang and Ziyun shook their heads.

"We've both taken Bigu Pills, so we don't eat these things. The Sect Master specially had the dining hall prepare these for you."

Hearing that, Jiang Wan did not insist. She placed the Leopard Cat beside the table, then remembered the other chicken leg and handed it over.

"Be good, kitty. Follow me from now on, and you'll eat three meals a day!"

"Meow~."

At a large round table, a little girl in a pale purple dress gnawed on a chicken leg. Beside the table, a white cat lowered its head and gnawed on a chicken leg too. One big and one small, both ate with great gusto.

Full and satisfied, Jiang Wan leaned against the back of her chair and rubbed her round little belly. The white cat's belly was also stuffed round, and it sprawled belly-up on the stool and fell asleep.

Forcing open her drooping eyes, she picked up the snow-white kitten and carried it into the bedroom. Sleeping on a bed was still more comfortable.

The foundation establishment female cultivator Ningshuang, sent by Fairy Xueyun, said she had come to teach rules. In truth, she was there to explain common knowledge of the Cultivation World to her. She was not as frightening as Jiang Wan had imagined, which was fortunate.

Jiang Wan had been very well-behaved these past two days. Especially since that annoying Madam Li had been locked up at Meditation Cliff, her father was in secluded cultivation, she did not need to go out and meet guests, and Jiang Yao had not come to bother her either.

Every day, she listened to Ningshuang talk about the Cultivation World, and she learned that sects like theirs, which were subordinate to the Great Myriad Sect, had to pay tribute to the Great Myriad Sect every year.

Even the talented members of the younger generation had to go to the Great Myriad Sect to cultivate. Besides that, there were quite a few cultivation Lineages under the Great Myriad Sect.

In short, their Myriad Talisman Sect was like some tiny subsidiary company under someone else's command, one that only made a single product?

Thinking of it that way, the "sect" in Myriad Talisman Sect really had quite a bit of water mixed into it.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Her cultivation had risen from the First Layer of Qi Refining to Qi Refining Layer Three.

Taking along Fat Tiger, who had grown just a tiny bit, she had given the plump cat its name. Since it ate itself so fat, calling it Fat Tiger suited it perfectly.

At the moment, one person and one cat ran to the river to catch fish and practice swimming along the way, purely because they had nothing better to do.

Senior Sister A said, "Have you heard? Senior Brother Chuzhou is back, but he's seriously injured."

Senior Sister B said, "Back then, Senior Brother Chuzhou was my favorite. He has a Pure Yang Body. I heard he was badly injured this time—what a pity."

Senior Sister C said, "What are you two sighing about?

"Although Senior Brother Chuzhou is injured, as long as he marries his fiancée, Fairy Shuyin, not only will he recover completely, his cultivation will rise as well!

"If you ask me, our sect's joyous occasion is close at hand."

Senior Sister A said, "I heard Fairy Shuyin has a Pure Yin Body. Once she joins with our Senior Brother Chuzhou's Pure Yang Body, heavens, I don't even dare imagine how quickly their cultivation will advance."

Senior Sister B suddenly looked toward the river. A tiny figure emerged from it, with a fluffy white cat perched atop her head.

"So it's Junior Sister. Greetings, Junior Sister. We have matters to attend to, so we'll be leaving first."

"Hey,"

Jiang Wan still wanted to ask about Senior Brother Chuzhou, but those three ran off as fast as rabbits.

After climbing ashore, she reached into the water and fished around, pulling out the turtle that had hatched two days ago and letting the water drain off it.

Zixiang ran over and found her dripping wet. She hurriedly used spiritual power to dry her off.

"Big Sister Zixiang, I caught several more fish today. Let's have grilled fish today, okay?"

As she spoke, Jiang Wan put the turtle into the Spirit Beast Bag at her waist.

She had already concealed the Spirit Feeding Bracelet and only displayed the Spirit Beast Bag on the surface. After Jiang Yao tried to snatch her Spirit Feeding Bracelet, she had decided to keep a low profile from now on.

Zixiang shook her head.

"Let's not talk about food first. We need to go see Senior Brother Chuzhou. He's your older brother, and you haven't met him yet."

Jiang Wan knew that Fairy Xueyun had two sons and one daughter. She had not met the two sons yet, while the one daughter was herself.

Who would have thought? Her biological eldest brother actually had a Pure Yang Body and a single Fire Spirit Root. Then why did she have a five-element Mixed Spiritual Root?

Forget it, she would not think about that now. Since her eldest brother had returned, she ought to go see him.

"Junior Sister, Junior Sister, Senior Brother Chuzhou is back! Let's go see him together!"

Liuhuo, the little boy, ran over. At such a young age, this brat was already a cultivation fanatic. Look at his cultivation—he was already at the Late Qi Refining Stage.

"Sure, Senior Brother. Let's go together."

As Jiang Wan spoke, she looked up at Zixiang. Understanding at once, Zixiang released her flying sword and took them to the main peak.

The main peak was far from peaceful at this time.

"Without three Spirit Stone Mine Veins and three Ninth-Rank Talisman Treasures, our Shuyin cannot marry into your family."

Fairy Xueyun sat in the seat of honor, so furious that she clenched the armrest. Her gaze swept over the little head peeking in at the doorway, but she said nothing and continued bargaining with the Nangong Family's representatives.

"The betrothal gift we agreed upon before was one Spirit Stone Mine Vein. Now you've suddenly increased it to three. This is truly excessive.

"As for Ninth-Rank Talisman Treasures, you never said before that more would be added, much less three of them.

"Ninth-Rank Talisman Treasures can only be crafted by our sect's Nascent Soul Elders. Each one takes a long time to make, requiring a month. You know Chuzhou's condition as well. It cannot be delayed any longer. Does your Nangong Family insist on raising the price at a time like this?"

Jiang Wan understood. Wasn't this bidding up the price on the spot?

As she watched, Zixiang carried her away to Chuzhou's cave dwelling.

When Jiang Wan met her biological eldest brother, his skin bore burn marks everywhere.

[Upon seeing Emperor Chuzhou's stone statue again, you recalled how he had thrown himself heedlessly into ten thousand meters of volcanic magma to protect you, even when you had already entered the demonic path.

You always kept this debt of gratitude etched in your heart. When Emperor Chuzhou's body and soul perished, you slaughtered the entire Nangong Lineage to avenge him, yet still regretted being unable to bring him back from the river of time.

Mission: Emperor Chuzhou is sealed within the stone statue. Break the stone statue's seal and purge the fire poison.

Mission Difficulty: Supreme!

Mission Reward: Phoenix Feather Robe.]