“How could this happen…”
The troublemaker held the bottle in his hand. He felt dampness and cold seeping between his fingers, and he was completely stunned.
Heavens, how could he have forgotten about this.
This bottle of Bilin Liquid had been bought on his way here. It was meant for his wife, and he had simply tucked it into his clothes, planning to give it to her as soon as he returned.
He had not put it into his storage pouch because he was forgetful. His wife was about to leave on a long trip, and he was worried about missing the best time to give it to her.
Who would have thought that the bottle had cracked.
“So that is the case. Fellow cultivator, it seems this was indeed your own issue,” the stewards all said in relief.
The man had made such a scene in front of so many people in the cultivation hall. If it had not been properly resolved, unpleasant rumors might have spread outside.
Clarifying everything on the spot was the best outcome.
“My apologies. I did not investigate clearly and misunderstood you.”
The man flushed red with embarrassment. He cupped his hands toward the crowd, then lowered his head and hurried away, leaving behind a wave of laughter.
“We truly must thank you. Otherwise we would not have been able to explain this clearly,” Cen Guanshi said with a smile as he walked over and cupped his hands toward Ning Zhishui. “But how did you guess the reason?”
“Uncle Cen need not be so polite. I merely read something similar in a book before and made a casual guess. I did not expect it to be correct,” Ning Zhishui replied.
A verbal thank you is rather shallow. Should they not gift a few extra days of cultivation hall usage to show appreciation.
Perhaps I should try bringing it up.
Just as Ning Zhishui was thinking about how to speak, Ning Chengfeng suddenly said with a grin, “Uncle Cen, you see, our family has many members, and we only have a few days of cultivation left. Could you make an exception and extend it for a few more days?”
Ning Zhishui looked at her second brother in surprise.
He thought of the same thing as I did.
Not bad. He is clever.
Of course I am clever.
Ning Chengfeng lifted his chin proudly.
“This…”
Cen Guanshi looked troubled and glanced at the other stewards.
He personally had no issue with it. However, extending the time could not be hidden from the others. Unless they all agreed, he did not have such authority alone.
Ning Zhishui had deliberately planned to ask in front of all the stewards for this reason.
This way everything would be transparent. When many people agreed, it would not create any negative impact.
“This young friend helped us resolve such a big matter. It is only proper. Why not reward her with ten days of cultivation room usage?” Steward Zheng, who was on good terms with Cen Guanshi, spoke first.
“Three or two days would be enough. Is ten days not a bit too much? So many people cannot even get a spot,” said a dark and stout steward with a frown.
Each steward had a certain number of slots in hand that they could use to grant favors and gain benefits. It was part of their authority.
Giving ten days at once meant their own available slots would decrease.
“If today’s matter had not been resolved satisfactorily and the hall master found out, we would certainly be reprimanded. In exchange for that, ten days is not much at all,” Steward Zheng said with a chuckle. “If you think ten days is too little, then perhaps twenty days.”
“Zheng Hou, you…”
“Enough. It is only ten days. She deserves it. We are not so stingy,” another steward waved his hand and said casually.
“In that case, we shall extend it by ten days,” Cen Guanshi said with a smile as he looked at the Ning siblings. “It is a gift from the steward hall. No spirit stones required.”
“Thank you, Cen Guanshi,” Ning Zhishui said.
“Thank you, Uncle Cen,” Ning Chengfeng exclaimed excitedly.
Ning Zhishui shot him a sideways glance.
Fool. Calling him Uncle in public like this. Are you afraid others will not notice how close we are to him.
It is fine to say it in private, but he truly does not know how to read the situation.
At least I addressed him as Guanshi. That should offset it.
Ning Chengfeng fell silent.
Seeing that there was no more spectacle to watch, the other stewards and cultivators gradually dispersed.
At this moment, Ning Zhishui stepped forward with two colorful pearl bracelets from Binnan Sea and handed them to Cen Guanshi and Steward Zheng respectively.
“Thank you, Uncle Cen and Uncle Zheng. I made these myself. Please give them to Aunt Cen and Sister Zheng. They will surely like them.”
Cen Guanshi had a wife and son but no daughter. Steward Zheng’s dao companion had passed away early, leaving him with only a daughter.
“This is too much trouble…”
They said so, yet their eyes lingered on the bracelets.
Although they did not understand jewelry very well, they had recently seen female cultivators wearing similar pearls. It seemed to be fashionable.
Their wives and daughters would certainly like them.
“I made them myself. How could it be troublesome? Please accept them. It would not look good if others saw.”
Ning Zhishui pressed them into their hands and left with her second brother.
“This little girl is remarkable,” Steward Zheng said as he closed his palm to conceal the glow of the pearls. “She is perceptive and quick witted, knows how to judge the situation, and is quite beautiful.”
“What a pity. She only has five spiritual roots,” Cen Guanshi sighed.
Steward Zheng also shook his head, feeling regretful.
In the cultivation world, five spiritual roots meant being at the very bottom. Under normal circumstances, reaching the fifth or sixth realm would already be their peak.
Even with extraordinary fortune, at most they might reach the seventh realm. Those who could reach the eighth realm were so few that they could be counted on one’s fingers, and those individuals usually came from extremely powerful families, their cultivation piled up through family resources.
After leaving the steward hall, Ning Chengfeng grew cheerful again. “This is great. We gained ten extra days at once. Father and Mother will definitely be happy when they hear about it.”
“When you return, tell Father and Mother to use the same cultivation room as today,” Ning Zhishui said.
“Of course.” Ning Chengfeng agreed, then voiced his doubt. “Little sister, I noticed that your cultivation speed seemed especially fast today. The surrounding spiritual energy was moving much faster. What is going on?”
“Was it? I do not know. I was just cultivating normally,” Ning Zhishui said without changing her expression.
“Are you sure?” Ning Chengfeng looked suspicious. “I feel like you are lying to me.”
“How could that be.”
So what if I am lying to you. You do not understand anything anyway.
Ning Chengfeng took a deep breath and suddenly felt his hand itching.
If it itches, then do not hold back.
He raised his hand, intending to knock her lightly on the head as he usually did.
But just as his hand lifted, he met Ning Zhishui’s gaze as she looked up at him.
When their eyes met, his own gaze felt as though it had sunk into a deep, unfathomable sea. It was mysterious and dangerous, and for a brief moment he felt a trace of fear.
That knock could no longer fall.
“What are you doing?” Ning Zhishui asked.
“My head… it itches.”
Ning Chengfeng placed his hand on his own head and scratched it seriously.
My second brother is still foolish.
No wonder he trusted his master so completely and was ultimately possessed.