It was late, and Ning Zhishui did not speak with her parents for long before returning to her room.
She spent the night cultivating and was only awakened the next morning when Ning Chengfeng knocked on her door.
“Wake up, wake up, lazybones! All you do is sleep!”
“What is it?” Ning Zhishui asked.
Ning Chengfeng was momentarily stunned. Ning Zhishui’s voice was clear and her response was instant, clearly not from sleep.
Has she changed her habits?
He did not realize that after cultivating for hundreds of years, Ning Zhishui had long developed good habits.
Her previous laziness and love of sleep were gone.
No one ascends by chance. Talent without diligence cannot reach the Tenth Stage. Cultivators need resilience to maintain years of steady practice over decades.
Luck is important, but relying solely on it would make ascension a fantasy.
Ning Zhishui opened the door, looking refreshed. “What is it?”
“Father and mother said we should go to the cultivation hall,” Ning Chengfeng replied. “You just broke through. Your dantian lacks some spiritual energy. The gathering spiritual array there will help replenish it.”
I know a method to create a gathering array, she thought, but my skills are rusty and my cultivation is low. I probably cannot draw it myself.
Better to go to the hall and strengthen my power, she decided.
“All right,” she said.
Ning Chengfeng smirked. After a night of doubt, he was now convinced that yesterday’s events were real.
At the front hall, their parents and Aunt Fang were having breakfast.
“Why not go to your shop?” Ning Zhishui asked Ren Fei.
“I have assistants there. I will check later,” Ren Fei sighed. “Every time I go, people crowd around asking questions. It is so annoying.”
That is only because you are too beautiful, Ning Zhishui thought.
Why not set a minimum spending requirement to be personally served? That way, the shop earns more, and she would not have to deal with everyone.
Ren Fei’s eyes lit up. This method seemed workable.
Her beauty was well known across Huying City. Even with a boyfriend, she could not avoid attention from many men.
Running a shop meant opening to customers. Whenever she went, a group of men would gather, asking questions to flirt rather than shop.
She had grown tired of it and seldom went, but if she avoided the shop, business would decline.
Ning Zhishui’s suggestion was perfect. Personal reception was harmless and practical.
“By the way, Aunt Fang, has Moonlight Fabric become popular?” Ning Zhishui asked.
She had sorted through events likely to occur soon, though “soon” could be as long as ten years.
With a long cultivation life, her sense of time was not precise. Some events had already occurred, others would happen in a decade.
She could only recall and adjust her memories gradually.
Moonlight Fabric would appear soon, she thought. Its popularity was unforgettable.
If the city does not have it, they could seize the opportunity.
“Moonlight Fabric? I know of it, but our city has none. It is extremely fine but rare, and expensive to stock,” Ren Fei said, her eyes gleaming. “You know it too?”
If the city has none, that is perfect. They could make a fortune.
Its raw material comes from the blood of Blue-tail Stonefish from Chengxin Sea. They could stock up and profit when demand exceeded supply, Ning Zhishui explained.
That was good. There was still a chance. If they stocked more and figured out the tailoring method, they could earn the first fortune in the city.
She realized her words might not be taken seriously by others.
Moonlight Fabric glowed pale blue with a subtle brilliance. In sunlight, it shone with seven colors, breathtaking.
For a long time, it was coveted by female cultivators, but its price and the secrecy of materials kept it exclusive.
Shops selling it profited immensely, and those who could not afford it envied them.
Eventually, people discovered that the fish’s blood was the source. Cultivators flocked to the Chengxin Sea to hunt them, causing disputes and even deaths.
Later, the fish nearly went extinct until a new material emerged, eclipsing Moonlight Fabric.
The new material came from a secret realm, still undiscovered, so it was irrelevant for now.
After speaking, Ning Zhishui lowered her head to eat, unaware of the exchanged glances around her.
Ren Fei and Ning Chengfeng were used to this odd behavior, but Ning Cheng and Ren Muqing were hearing it for the first time. They were clearly bewildered.
Could she really know what would happen in the future?
Had their daughter lost her mind?
“Zhishui, you are saying &!@##%*&(&**…”
Ren Muqing froze, her mouth open.
What was she even saying?
Ning Chengfeng laughed, shoulders shaking.
Ren Fei stifled a laugh, silent.
Ning Zhishui raised her head. “What? Mother, are you choking on food? Here, have some water.”
She naturally poured a cup of tea and handed it to her mother.
Ren Muqing took the tea, sipped, frowning deeply, looking dramatic.
Ning Cheng, seeing this, opened his mouth. “Your mother is saying @#%…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Ren Fei and Ning Chengfeng were laughing uncontrollably, heads almost buried in their bowls.
They had not found it funny before, but seeing others like this made it hilarious.