Setting a Price

Jiang Yao was sobbing, clinging to Fairy Xueyun's embrace.

"Mother, don't blame my sister, it was my fault, I didn't stand steady."

Jiang Wan: Who says she's a normal three-year-old? I'll eat pills standing on my head...

"Mother,"

Before she could even speak, Fairy Xueyun, holding Jiang Yao, flew away.

Jiang Wan couldn't understand. There really were people who disliked their own children and doted on others'.

Zixiang watched from not far away. Seeing the Sect Leader's wife leave, she quickly went forward.

"Junior Sister, it's alright. Sect Leader's wife is probably just temporarily angry. She'll cool down in a couple of days."

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

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

Seeing that she didn't seem very upset, Zixiang breathed a sigh of relief.

She carried Jiang Wan back to her own courtyard.

Back in the main courtyard, Fairy Xueyun held Jiang Yao as she returned. Seeing that her arm was bruised and purple, she tenderly applied medicine with her Spiritual Power.

"Does it hurt, Yao Yao? Mother will apply medicine for you."

Jiang Yao, dressed in a pink dress, sat obediently while Fairy Xueyun applied the medicine.

"It doesn't hurt. It's just that when Junior Sister Wan pushed me just now, I remembered that dream again. In the dream, Junior Sister Wan was covered in black energy, it was so scary.

The Sword Immortal who taught me the sword techniques said that was demonic. Mother, what is demonic?"

Fairy Xueyun's hand paused as she applied medicine, then continued.

"You're still young, you don't need to know about those things for now. Yao Yao, promise me you won't tell anyone about this again, okay?"

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

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

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

Jiang Wan, carried by Zixiang on a sword back to her own small courtyard, ran inside as soon as her feet touched the ground. "Sister Ziyun, I'm hungry! Can we eat now?"

Ziyun was cultivating. Sensing their return, she had already prepared the meal in advance. Knowing Jiang Wan's large appetite, she had specifically gotten two extra portions.

"It's all ready, just waiting for you to come back!"

Seeing the table full of delicacies, Jiang Wan felt incredibly happy. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her small, segmented arms, and picked up a chicken leg to gnaw on first.

"Sister Zixiang, Sister Ziyun, are you eating too?"

Zixiang and Ziyun shook their heads.

"We've already eaten Bigu Pills and don't eat this. This was specially prepared for you by the Sect Leader from the mess hall."

Hearing this, Jiang Wan didn't insist. She placed the leopard cat beside the table and remembered another chicken leg, handing it over.

"Good kitty, you'll follow me from now on and eat three meals a day!"

"Meow~."

At a large round table, a little girl in a light purple dress was gnawing on a chicken leg. Beside her, a white cat also lowered its head to gnaw on a chicken leg. The big and small one ate with great gusto.

After eating her fill, Jiang Wan leaned back in her chair, patting her round little belly. The white cat's belly was also bulging with food. It lay sprawled on the stool, fast asleep.

Forcing her eyes open, she picked up the snow-white kitten and went to the bedroom. Sleeping on the bed was much more comfortable.

Ningshuang, a Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator sent by Fairy Xueyun, said she was here to teach manners, but in reality, she was just explaining common knowledge about the cultivation world. It wasn't as scary as she had imagined, which was good.

Jiang Wan had been very well-behaved these past two days, especially since that annoying Madam Li was confined to Meditation Cliff, her father was in seclusion, and she didn't have to entertain guests. Jiang Yao hadn't come to bother her either.

Every day, she listened to Ningshuang talk about the cultivation world and learned that the sects under the Great Myriad Sect had to pay tribute to the Great Myriad Sect annually.

Even the geniuses among the younger generation had to go to the Great Myriad Sect to cultivate. Additionally, there were many cultivation families under the Great Myriad Sect.

In short, their Myriad Talisman Sect was like a very small branch company that only produced one product?

Thinking about it that way, the 'Sect' in Myriad Talisman Sect felt a bit inflated.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Her cultivation had improved from the First Layer of Qi Refining to Qi Refining Layer Three.

Carrying Fat Tiger, who had grown a little bigger – she had named it because it was a chubby cat, so Fat Tiger was just right – they ran to the river to catch fish and practice swimming. It was purely out of boredom.

Senior Sister A: "Did you hear? Senior Brother Chuzhou is back, but he's seriously injured."

Senior Sister B: "I used to really like Senior Brother Chuzhou back then. He has the Pure Yang Body. It's a shame he's so badly injured this time."

Senior Sister C: "What are you two sighing about? Even though Senior Brother Chuzhou is injured, as long as he marries his fiancée, Fairy Shuyin, not only will he recover, but his cultivation will also improve! If you ask me, our sect has happy events approaching."

Senior Sister A: "I heard Fairy Shuyin has the Pure Yin Body. When it combines with our Senior Brother Chuzhou's Pure Yang Body, heavens, I can't even imagine how quickly their cultivation will improve."

Senior Sister B suddenly looked at the river. A small figure emerged from it, with a ball of white, fluffy cat fur on its head.

"Oh, it's Junior Sister. Greetings, Junior Sister. We have other matters to attend to, so we'll be leaving now."

"Ah,"

Jiang Wan wanted to ask about Senior Brother Chuzhou, but the three of them ran off as fast as rabbits.

She climbed ashore and reached into the water, pulling out the turtle that had hatched two days ago to let the excess water drain out.

Zixiang ran over and saw her soaked. She quickly used her spiritual power to dry Jiang Wan's clothes.

"Sister Zixiang, I caught several more fish today! Shall we have grilled fish today?"

As Jiang Wan spoke, she put the turtle into the spirit beast bag at her waist.

She had already made the spirit feeding bracelet invisible, only using the spirit beast bag on the surface. After Jiang Yao tried to steal her spirit feeding bracelet, she decided to act low-key from now on.

Zixiang shook her head.

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

Jiang Wan knew that Fairy Xueyun had two sons and one daughter. She hadn't met either of her sons, and the daughter was herself.

She hadn't expected her own elder brother to have a Pure Yang Body and a single fire spiritual root. Then why did she have mixed spiritual roots of five elements?

Never mind, she wouldn't dwell on that. Now that her elder brother was back, she should go see him.

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

Liuhuo, the young boy, ran over. At such a young age, this kid was a cultivation fanatic. Look at his cultivation, he was already in the late Qi Refining stage.

"Okay, Senior Brother, let's go together."

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

Things were not peaceful on the main peak at this moment.

"Without three spirit stone mine veins and three ninth-rank talisman treasures, our Shuyin cannot marry into your family."

Fairy Xueyun sat at the head of the table, her hands clenched in anger. Her gaze swept over the small head peeking out from the doorway, and she said nothing more, continuing to bicker with the person from the Nangong family.

"The betrothal gift we agreed upon earlier was one spirit stone mine. Now you're suddenly adding three, which is simply excessive. As for the ninth-rank talisman treasures, there was no mention of adding them before, and you want three of them. Ninth-rank talisman treasures can only be made by our sect's Nascent Soul Elders, and they take a month to craft. You know Chu Zhou's situation; we can't afford any more delays. Does your Nangong family insist on adding these now?"

Jiang Wan understood. Wasn't this just price gouging?

As she watched, Zixiang scooped her up and carried her to Chuzhou's cave dwelling.

When Jiang Wan saw her elder brother, his skin was covered with burn marks.

[Upon seeing the stone statue of Emperor Chuzhou again, you recall how he desperately protected you amidst the magma of the ten-thousand-meter volcano, even when you had already entered the Demonic Dao. You have always kept this kindness in your heart. Even after Emperor Chuzhou's death, you slaughtered the entire Nangong clan for revenge, yet you still regret not being able to revive him from the river of time.

Quest: Emperor Chuzhou is sealed within a stone statue. Break the seal and expel the fire poison. Quest Difficulty: Supreme! Quest Reward: Phoenix Feather Robe.]