Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Chapter 218

“Then let me ask you directly—did you come to Tianxuan Sect to offer congratulations, or because you missed Qin Qingwan?” Wu Yanhan stared seriously at Xu Ming.

Under Wu Yanhan’s intense gaze, Xu Ming shivered involuntarily.

He had a strong feeling that if he didn’t answer this question properly, Wu Yanhan might very well throw a punch at him.

And Wu Yanhan’s punches weren’t the kind of playful “little fists” one might joke about.

A punch from Wu Yanhan might genuinely make someone question their existence.

“Qingwan is my friend. She helped me a lot in the Baiwa Secret Realm. She even got injured quite badly because of it. I just wanted to check on her and see if there’s anything I can do to help,” Xu Ming explained slowly.

“I didn’t say anything, so why are you explaining so much?” Wu Yanhan took a sip of tea from the cup on the table. “Even if you’re here because you miss her, it’s none of my business. That’s your freedom.”

Despite what Wu Yanhan said, she actually felt quite pleased in her heart after hearing Xu Ming’s explanation.

Though she suspected Xu Ming might just be lying to her, at least he bothered to offer an explanation.

As for whether it was true or not, she didn’t want to dig too deeply into it.

Xu Ming, watching Wu Yanhan’s expression, couldn’t help but feel that she seemed a little jealous.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

When he stopped her from fighting Mo Zhu’er and remained neutral, it was understandable for Wu Yanhan to feel upset. After all, they were “brothers” who had gone through life-and-death situations together, yet he didn’t take her side. That would surely make her uncomfortable.

But Qingwan was his childhood friend and had no conflicts of interest with Wu Yanhan. Xu Ming couldn’t figure out any reason for her to feel jealous.

‘Could it be that Yanhan likes me?’

A bold thought popped into Xu Ming’s mind as he glanced at Wu Yanhan.

Noticing his strange gaze, Wu Yanhan blinked at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Caught off guard, Xu Ming quickly took a sip of tea. “No reason.”

“You’re so weird.” Wu Yanhan stood up. “It’s getting late. I’ll be leaving now. If there’s anything you need, just tell me. By the way, after attending the Zixia Grand Ceremony, do you have any other plans?”

Xu Ming shook his head. “I was planning to visit the Wanjian Sect, but with the selection for the Rootless Secret Realm starting soon, I probably won’t have time. After the ceremony, I’ll be heading back to Wudu.”

Wu Yanhan nodded. “Once I finish my diplomatic mission here, I’ll also return to Wudu to report. Why don’t we travel back together?”

“Did the Wuguo (Wu Kingdom) military accompany you here?” Xu Ming asked.

Wu Yanhan replied, “It’s just a diplomatic mission to Tianxuan Sect, not an invasion. Why would I bring the army? That said, I do have 2,000 Dragon Leopard Cavalry with me. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing, just curious. Alright, let’s travel back together then.”

Xu Ming had only asked to ensure that he wouldn’t bring trouble to Wu Yanhan if they encountered another assassination attempt.

But with 2,000 Dragon Leopard Cavalry present, he felt reassured.

Although most of the cavalry were only in the Heroic Soul and Dominant Spirit stages, their spears and armor were forged from black iron. Their mounts, Dragon Leopard Horses, carried the bloodlines of Lu Shu, Flood Dragons, and Thunder Leopards, making them incredibly formidable.

More importantly, the Dragon Leopard Cavalry could form battle formations, turning them into a lethal weapon on the battlefield.

As one of Wuguo’s three elite armies, 2,000 Dragon Leopard Cavalry could make even Nascent Soul cultivators cautious, not to mention Golden Core cultivators.

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

After receiving Xu Ming’s confirmation, Wu Yanhan didn’t waste any more words and left his courtyard.

Not long after Wu Yanhan left, Shen Shengsheng, who had been playing with mud, ran up to Xu Ming and held out a figure she had shaped.

“This little dog is pretty well-made,” Xu Ming praised, looking at the clay sculpture in her hands.

Shen Shengsheng shook her head. “Not… a dog.”

“Not a dog? Then what is it?” Xu Ming studied the figure closely.

Shen Shengsheng pointed at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming pointed at himself in disbelief. “You made me?”

Shen Shengsheng nodded but lowered her head, looking sadly at the clay figure of Xu Ming in her hands.

Seeing the little girl’s dejected expression, Xu Ming quickly changed his tone. “Oh, I was wondering why it looked so familiar. Turns out it’s me! Thank you, I really like it.”

“Really?” Shen Shengsheng lifted her small head.

“Really,” Xu Ming said as he took the clay figure. “I never lie to Shengsheng.”

Shen Shengsheng’s eyes curved into happy crescents, her mood instantly improving.

In truth, Shengsheng was quite intelligent. She just had trouble expressing herself verbally.

When Wu Yanhan had come to the courtyard, Shengsheng had quietly played by herself, not disturbing Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan. Only after Wu Yanhan left did Shengsheng run over.

“Look at you, covered in mud. Go wash your hands,” Xu Ming said, rubbing the top of Shengsheng’s head.

“Mm!” Shengsheng nodded obediently, then ran to the water vat. Standing on tiptoe, she scooped two ladles of water into a wooden basin. She crouched down and carefully washed her little hands.

After washing up, Shengsheng ran back to Xu Ming with light steps, holding out her soft, clean hands to him.

“Alright,” Xu Ming acknowledged with a nod, turning his head as he continued thinking about the issues at Sanshi Peak.

But moments later, Shengsheng shifted to stand in front of him again, stretching out her clean hands once more.

Seeing her adorable expression, Xu Ming quickly understood what she wanted.

Smiling, he reached out and ruffled her hair. “You washed them very clean.”

“Hehehe.” Shengsheng, like a little beast, happily rubbed her head against Xu Ming’s palm.

Looking at her well-behaved demeanor, Xu Ming asked, “Shengsheng, what do you think of the big sister from earlier?”

Shengsheng thought seriously for a moment. “Pretty.”

Xu Ming chuckled. “She is very pretty, but I wasn’t asking about her looks. I meant, what do you think of her personality?”

Shengsheng bit her finger as she thought hard again. “Fierce.”

Xu Ming was momentarily stunned before pinching her little nose. “Yanhan is indeed a bit fierce, but she just looks that way. Deep down, she’s very gentle. Once you spend more time with her, you’ll see.”

“Mm-hm,” Shengsheng nodded, then sat quietly beside Xu Ming.

In Shengsheng’s mind, it didn’t really matter what kind of personality that pretty big sister had. All that mattered was that she could stay by Xu Ming’s side.

As night fell, an outer disciple delivered dinner.

The meal came in a wooden box, designed to be discarded after use. It consisted of five dishes and a soup, all in generous portions.

The ingredients used were all either the meat of magical beasts or spiritual vegetables cultivated with spiritual springs, brimming with spiritual energy.

Such meals were luxuries that common folk couldn’t afford, and even noble families or high-ranking officials couldn’t eat them every day.

Not that they would need to—ordinary martial artists couldn’t absorb spiritual energy, and overeating such meals might even cause health issues.

After dinner, night had fully descended.

Xu Ming took Shengsheng to a nearby stream for a bath. Naturally, he kept his back turned while Shengsheng bathed.

Initially, Xu Ming had considered taking her to the women’s bathhouse, where the water was infused with spiritual flowers and herbs, beneficial for the body.

However, since Shengsheng still had some beast-like features, it wouldn’t have been appropriate if others saw her.

After her bath, Shen Shengsheng let out a loud “Awoo” toward Xu Ming in the distance. Hearing this, Xu Ming knew she was done.

He led Shen Shengsheng back to the courtyard, where a maid was waiting outside the gate.

When she saw Xu Ming return, the maid bowed respectfully. “Chenyao from Lingzhi Peak greets Young Master Xu.”

Xu Ming nodded in acknowledgment and returned the gesture. “What brings Miss Chenyao here?”

“The Sect Master sent me to deliver some items, things that Senior Brother Xia promised to give you during the Baiwa Secret Realm expedition,” Chenyao replied with a gentle smile, producing a box from her storage ring.

“Oh, I see. Please convey my thanks to the Sect Master and Senior Brother Xia. As expected, Senior Brother Xia is a man of his word.”

Xu Ming accepted the box.

“You’re too kind, Young Master Xu. Additionally, the Sect Master asked me to relay a message. If you need anything, please feel free to ask. The Sect Master will ensure your requests are met,” Chenyao said softly.

“Of course, of course. I won’t hold back,” Xu Ming replied with a smile, graciously accepting the gesture.

However, within Chenyao’s polite words, Xu Ming discerned a hint of warning.

This maid wasn’t here on behalf of Xia Donghua but rather the Sect Master of Tianxuan Sect.

The underlying message was clear: “I’m aware of what happened between you and my son. Yes, my son was in the wrong. These items are my apology. But I hope this matter ends here. Please grant me this favor.”

Whether to accept the favor or not was a matter for another time. But within Tianxuan Sect, Xu Ming had to at least pretend to show respect.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Farewell, Young Master Xu.”

“Take care, Miss.”

After a polite bow, Chenyao stepped back and departed.

Once she was gone, Xu Ming returned to his courtyard with the box in hand.

When he opened it, he was greeted by a rush of rich spiritual energy.

Inside, the box was divided into three layers. The first two layers neatly held 50 superior-grade spirit stones, while the third layer contained five Grade-One Spirit Fruits.

In the mortal world, gold and silver served as the primary currency.

But in the cultivation world, while gold and silver had some purchasing power, the main currency was spirit stones.

Spirit stones were divided into three grades: low, medium, and high/superior, with an exchange ratio of 100:1 between each grade.

In other words, one superior-grade spirit stone was equivalent to 10,000 low-grade spirit stones.

As for the exchange rate between spirit stones and mortal gold or silver, it wasn’t fixed.

The rate largely depended on “international circumstances” and the relative strength of each mortal dynasty.

For a powerful dynasty, one low-grade spirit stone might be worth a single copper coin.

For weaker or smaller countries, one low-grade spirit stone could fetch two copper coins, or even ten.

Even when not exchanging for legal tender like copper coins, the value of spirit stones against hard currency like silver and gold fluctuated based on the balance of power between the mortal and cultivation worlds.

For instance, in a scenario where the mortal world held significant influence over cultivators, one superior-grade spirit stone might be worth 8,000 taels of gold.

If the cultivation world overwhelmingly dominated the mortal kingdoms, the value of a superior-grade spirit stone could exceed 10,000 taels of gold.

The mortal and cultivation worlds maintained a delicate, mysterious equilibrium.

Regardless, when Xu Ming had demanded 50 superior-grade spirit stones from Xia Donghua, it was undoubtedly an outrageous request. Xia must have felt a pang of pain agreeing to it.

The five Grade-One Spirit Fruits were also incredibly valuable, with each roughly equivalent to a superior-grade spirit stone.

As for whether the Tianxuan Sect Master might have poisoned the spirit fruits?

That was out of the question.

The higher the grade of a spiritual fruit, the purer its essence.

For a Grade-One Spiritual Fruit like these, any contamination—such as poison—would instantly taint its spiritual energy. The fruit’s vibrant clarity would become dull, and the flesh might even begin to rot.

However, these five Grade-One Spiritual Fruits were flawless, glistening with a crystalline brilliance, clearly untainted by anything harmful.

Shen Shengsheng had her hands on the edge of the table, only half her head peeking above it. Her wide eyes blinked rapidly as she stared at the spiritual fruits on the table, drool trickling down from the corner of her mouth.

Seeing her adorable, greedy expression, Xu Ming chuckled. “Do you want one?”

Shen Shengsheng nodded eagerly, but then quickly shook her head firmly.

“It’s fine. If you want it, go ahead and eat one,” Xu Ming said, picking up a fruit shaped like an apple and handing it to her. This particular fruit was called a Water Dragon Fruit. Juicy and tender, it had a thin, almost translucent skin through which one could see the flesh inside.

Shen Shengsheng reached out to take it but hesitated, pulling her hands back.

“You don’t need to be shy. You gave me a clay figure, so I’m giving you a fruit in return,” Xu Ming said with a warm smile.

After a moment of hesitation, the temptation proved too much. Shen Shengsheng finally took the fruit and began munching on it with loud, crisp bites.

When she finished, she let out a satisfied burp, her little belly noticeably full.

Xu Ming lifted her onto the table and began carefully adjusting her spiritual energy.

Shen Shengsheng’s cultivation level was low, and the spiritual energy contained within a Grade-One Spiritual Fruit was immense. Without proper guidance, it would take her a long time to absorb and process the energy.

After about half an hour, Shen Shengsheng let out a contented sigh and flopped backward. Xu Ming caught her, realizing she had fallen asleep.

He carried the little girl to her bed, gently tucking her in under a warm blanket.

Just as Xu Ming finished smoothing the covers, his hand paused mid-motion. His expression hardened slightly. “Entering someone else’s residence without knocking is hardly polite.”

Behind him, a young woman in a black dress stood leaning against the doorway. Her alluring smile curved slightly as she replied, “If I knocked, how could I have seen this gentle side of Young Master Xu?”