Du Xinghe’s three sentences fried the System’s CPU.
She told it to think things over while she checked on the progress at the weapons shop.
The weapons available at an ordinary market shop could hardly be considered divine artifacts, unless by chance a master blacksmith happened to visit, encountered Du Xinghe, recognized her as a once-in-a-generation sword prodigy, felt a connection, and decided to forge her a peerless divine blade.
However, when Du Xinghe arrived at the weapons shop, lifted the curtain and entered—while also considering if there were any suitable weapons for Xinyue to practice with—she found the master smith excitedly stroking her old sword by the forging furnace:
“Boss, this is incredible! You even managed to get a sword belonging to a direct disciple of the Nine Yang Sect. This opens up a new revenue stream for us. Though carving the Golden Crow mold was tricky, I finally managed to create a perfect 1:1 replica after working through the night. We can melt the sword down now.”
Du Xinghe: “…”
Well then. Any embarrassment would fall upon the Nine Yang Sect, nothing to do with her, the rogue cultivator Du Xinghe.
The shopkeeper noticed her and greeted her awkwardly, making small talk: “Fellow cultivator, you’re here quite early! The sword isn’t ready yet. Speaking of which, since you’re a direct disciple of Nine Yang Sect, why go through the trouble of melting it down? Have you returned today because you changed your mind and want it back? Good thing we haven’t started melting it yet!”
“Let me be frank with you,” Du Xinghe said. “While Nine Yang Sect does issue swords to disciples of different ranks, direct disciples typically have their masters personally procure materials and oversee the forging of a unique sword tailored to their cultivation path. This Golden Crow Sky Patrol sword—I’m the only one among my peers who uses it. Well, consider this replica a novelty.”
Du Xinghe smiled and, noticing the melting furnace was already heated, asked if they could proceed with melting the sword.
The shopkeeper hurriedly replied: “Certainly. Would you like to do the honors, fellow cultivator?”
She stepped forward, picked up the sword from the long workbench, and tossed it into the furnace. The flames cast a warm glow across her face, lending her an indescribable charm. Despite the cool detachment in her eyes that kept others at a distance, it couldn’t conceal her striking beauty.
“Such freedom from attachment, fellow cultivator. We could never emulate that,” the shopkeeper said admiringly.
Du Xinghe shrugged it off: “You’re reluctant because you see it as valuable. To me, it’s useless. I’m actually eager to get my new practice sword.”
“Rest assured, fellow cultivator, it’ll be ready in three days.”
With the shopkeeper’s promise secured, she browsed around the shop a while longer. Seizing the opportunity, he recommended: “Would you care to look at this newly arrived treasure staff? It measures six feet one inch, weighs twenty-three catties and eight taels. Rumor has it this was crafted from a Suan Ni’s bone paired with wood from Li Zhu Mountain, combining ferocity with flexibility…”
“‘Rumor has it’ it’s Suan Ni bone. What’s the reality?” Du Xinghe countered.
The shopkeeper lowered his voice: “Reality is… lion bone.”
Du Xinghe shook her head, immediately ruling out both the staff and the rake.
Returning to the inn, she devoted herself to cultivation for three days.
During this swordless period, she practiced the cultivation methods from the Rainbow Skirt Sword Sutra—though she remained hopeless at healing and saving others, she made significant progress in using spiritual energy to harm.
She had Shenshui capture live rats and slice their forelimbs, then instructed Xinyue to heal them.
Ordinary blade wounds were simple for a Water Spiritual Root cultivator to treat—fast-acting and effective. But when Du Xinghe’s Rainbow Skirt cultivation method swept over a rat’s leg in an attempt to “heal” it, a thin layer of frost formed over the wound. When Xinyue then tried to heal it, the injury showed no improvement.
Xinyue concluded: “Master’s spiritual power is so potent that whatever it touches either perishes or ends up disabled.”
“Hmm, but I was trying to heal it… Tell me, how did you manage to cure the mouse?”
Since her master asked, Xinyue answered earnestly:
“When I want to heal someone, I can sense the flow of their meridians and mend the broken parts of their injuries. But the areas you’ve treated, Master—no matter how hard I try, I can’t piece them back together.”
Du Xinghe roughly understood. Though she was related to the Water Spiritual Root, for some reason, her healing always had the opposite effect. It wasn’t a big deal—it just meant she had one less healing skill and one more auxiliary skill that could cripple and disable healing on the opponent, which could work wonders in battle.
Patting her knees, she stood up and went to the weapon shop to retrieve her sword.
The shopkeeper, seeing she was a female cultivator, had once asked what designs she wanted. She had declined them all: “Flying swords that can be called Magical Treasures have inscriptions and patterns passed down through families and sects, serving strategic purposes. I’m alone in this world; there’s no need for aesthetics.”
Thus, the newly forged sword turned out even plainer and more inconspicuous than before its reforging.
But as soon as Du Xinghe held it in her hand, she could tell the swordsmith’s skill was excellent.
The sword was three feet nine inches long, weighing thirty-two taels and two maces.
The blade was clear and bright, gleaming like white frost, its edge concealed yet sharp, as if piled from snow.
The shopkeeper explained: “Since you requested it to be as low-key as possible, the swordsmith engraved your name without filling it with color. What color would you like it filled with?”
Du Xinghe twirled the sword and only then noticed her name near the hilt.
Without color filling, she had to run her fingertip over it to feel the uneven texture; it was invisible to the eye normally: “No need to fill it. It’s fine as it is.”
Payment settled, Du Xinghe sheathed the sword.
On her way back to the inn, she urged the System again, asking if it had come up with any plans.
“I want to turn the Don’t Develop Here Palace into the most solid fortress, tight as a drum, clearing out all the spies so no one can poison it.”
What did the System say?
Preventing poison wasn’t impossible, but it needed to know the specific type of poison to report and customize defenses.
So Du Xinghe went to the merchant guild again and bought more detailed intelligence on the Evil Ridge. When the System asked if she wanted to guard against well poisoning, musk buried under trees, or food poisoning, she said: “Poisonous mist seeps from all directions, even from the ground, and the nearby water sources are toxic—one sip is a lethal dose.”
…
The System fell silent briefly, then posed a soul-searching question: 【Host, these environmental conditions sound less like a harem and more like an underground palace.Only imperial tombs and underground palaces, strictly guarded against tomb raiders, would be filled with poisonous gas, or even mercury.
Du Xinghe argued confidently: “My emperor just loves living in an underground palace—it’s cool, perfect for avoiding the heat, and the sun can’t reach him.”
Some statements sounded like nonsense, yet they weren’t entirely impossible.
In history, superstitious emperors were common; some even used palace maids for alchemy. Compared to an emperor becoming a monk and personally promoting Buddhist teachings in temples, preferring to sleep in an underground palace… seemed somewhat plausible.
“As the saying goes, if I were rich, I’d be just as crazy.”
“And the second-generation emperor is the one with the most capital to be crazy—ruining the state, destroying the land!”
The System yielded once more, and Du Xinghe got what she wanted. The master and disciples set off again, selling their horses and taking a Flying Ship to the Evil Ridge.
Evil Ridge is the colloquial name used among the common folk, while its official designation is Ba You Southern Ridge. The Flying Ship not only stops only at the outer edge but also has to detour around a large area due to the toxic miasma on the ridge that affects the ship’s stability, consuming more time. After landing, travelers still have to walk a stretch of the journey themselves.
This time aboard the Flying Ship, Du Xinghe was considerably wealthier than before, able to secure a single room that could squeeze in the master and two disciples.
Both Xinyue and her master were of few words. The two of them meditated and practiced cultivation in the single room, while Shenshui went out to chat with other passengers and gather information.
It was this division of labor that made Du Xinghe feel increasingly as if they were on a journey to the Western Heaven to retrieve scriptures.
After a while, Shenshui returned carrying three bowls of steaming hot food.
“Corn and pork rib soup, sour soup dumplings, and fish jelly mixed rice—which would Master and Senior Sister like? I saw others eating happily and asked where to find food. Turns out there’s a cafeteria on the Flying Ship, located in the middle section, capable of seating a hundred people. Spiritual Food is expensive, but ordinary meals are quite cheap.”
Spiritual Food is prepared from Spirit Herbs and Spiritual Beast Meat, with the rice being Spiritual Rice cultivated in Spiritual Fields. Moreover, the chefs are always cultivators. The spiritual energy contained within is highly beneficial to cultivators, and the flavor is extraordinary. Thus, even after reaching the Grain Avoidance stage, many well-off cultivators still consume Spiritual Food.
The Golden Core Ape God left some spirit stone assets for its descendants. The amount wasn’t large—at most enough for them to achieve banana freedom. Du Xinghe withheld a small portion as a handling fee and returned the rest to Shenshui, lest he end up so poor he’d have to sell his monkey butt again.
Shenshui happily accepted it, and his first act was to spend the money to show filial respect to his master.
“I’ll take the sour soup dumplings.”
Du Xinghe had long mastered Grain Avoidance with ease, but it was, after all, her disciple’s heartfelt intention.
When others sincerely offer gifts out of respect, she accepts them. If one clearly has done favors for others but persistently refuses their gratitude, it might foster ungrateful people.
She took the steaming bowl. The vibrant red broth was sprinkled with finely crushed toasted sesame seeds, and the glistening sesame oil emitted an appetite-whetting aroma. The flavors of Sichuan pepper and star anise infused the soup. Picking up a plump dumpling, she found it sour and spicy upon tasting, mixed with a savory and rich meat filling—extremely appetizing.
“There are so many people on the Flying Ship. I remembered Master’s advice to observe more and speak less, as lacking worldly wisdom might cause trouble.”
“There’s an Alchemy Pavilion at the rear where pill rooms can be rented. The cultivators I encountered there all had their noses in the air, not talking to each other. The atmosphere wasn’t as lively as other places on the Flying Ship.”
Shenshui’s exploration wasn’t in vain; he remembered the rental prices for the alchemy rooms and reported back, thinking it might be useful for his master.
Du Xinghe: “Those are all Alchemists.”
Pill refining, artifact forging, and talisman crafting are all precious cultivation legacies. Minor sects cling to them to gradually build their foundations, content with ruling their own small corners, and rarely teach them to outsiders, as they are fundamental to securing one’s place in the world.
Alchemists hold high status and tend to be somewhat arrogant.
“But to have alchemy rooms for rent on a Flying Ship—the merchant guild is not simple.”
“Are alchemy rooms that rare?”
Xinyue asked.
Coming from a farming family, her knowledge was limited. Having been lifted onto the cultivation path by Du Xinghe, her thirst for knowledge was particularly strong.
Yet, right after asking, Xinyue lowered her head, afraid her master would think she asked too many questions.
Du Xinghe hummed in acknowledgment: “Alchemy rooms come equipped with Pill Furnaces and Fire Seeds. There’s great intricacy in this, and it’s costly. The rent you mentioned is much cheaper than I imagined… The merchant guild probably intends to build goodwill with Alchemists.”
Once the elixir pills were refined, they needed to be sold, and going through a merchant guild was the most convenient and worry-free option.
Du Xinghe glanced at her, seeing her in such a state, and said, “With your talent, you’d be a sought-after genius in any sect. If the elders found out a Heavenly Spirit Root disciple had taken a master who only recently reached Foundation Establishment, they’d be so furious they’d draw their swords and cut me down. Don’t underestimate yourself—ask whatever you need to. It’s just a few words; I don’t mind.”
In a novel, Xinyue would still be an important presence.
Without her constant questioning, how would the world’s settings be explained?
“I don’t want anyone else as my master. I only want to be your disciple. To me, Master is a true immortal.”
Xinyue muttered stubbornly, her small face set with determination.
Du Xinghe averted her gaze, thinking this conversation felt too much like an imperial harem intrigue drama—a newly selected palace maid, blinded by loyalty, firmly believing her mistress would one day dominate the rear palace.
In reality, she couldn’t even afford the Spiritual Food on the Flying Ship right now.
“I’m going to take a look around the Flying Ship. Xinyue, don’t wander off. Stay in the room and cultivate.”
Shenshui asked eagerly, “Master, what about me? Any arrangements?”
Du Xinghe thought for a moment: “If there’s really nothing else, go find a tree to hang from.”
Shenshui touched his face and followed along, thinking to himself that he’d made the right choice transforming into a girl. The master was genuinely biased toward females—if he’d followed her with a man’s face, he probably wouldn’t even qualify to eat at the table.
But the master still cared about him, knowing he liked sleeping in trees.
Led by Shenshui, Du Xinghe easily found the Alchemy Pavilion on the Flying Ship.
Unlike other areas of the ship, the Alchemy Pavilion was filled with the scents of various Spirit Herbs. Closing her eyes, it felt as if she’d stepped into an herbal medicine shop. She noticed the ship’s staff moving Pill Furnaces outside and asked in confusion, “What’s going on here?”
The pavilion master was on site directing operations. Assuming she was also an alchemist since she asked, he enthusiastically explained: “Master Chunci obtained a batch of extremely high-quality Clear Orchid Mushrooms and had his disciples refine Soul Gathering Detoxification Pills while he provided unified guidance… Fellow Alchemist, getting to hear a few words of his advice is worth the price of the Flying Ship ticket alone.”
Shenshui exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t it said that alchemists are rare? Aren’t they afraid others will steal their techniques?”
“If alchemy could be learned just by watching, it wouldn’t be such a rare skill. The mysteries involved—forget just watching, even with a master teaching hand-in-hand, only a few can truly grasp it,” the pavilion master smiled. “I’m an alchemist myself, though I’m far from comparable to Master Chunci. The formula for the Soul Gathering Detoxification Pill isn’t a secret, but even if an outsider obtained it, they wouldn’t be able to refine it properly.”
“You know so much, that’s amazing! Could you say more to broaden my horizons?”
Having dealt mostly with aloof cultivators, the pavilion master had never encountered such a straightforward one before. Under Shenshui’s sincere praises, the pavilion master gradually lost himself:
“It seems you’re young cultivators just starting your travels! Pills are divided into four grades: Supreme, Heaven, Mysterious, and Earth. Some low-level pills are just made by crushing spiritual medicines according to formulas and shaping them into balls—slightly better than chewing raw Spirit Herbs, at least the proportions aren’t wrong, but the medicinal effects are mediocre, and long-term use accumulates Pill Toxin.”
“Take the same Antitoxin Pill—when I refine it, it’s Earth-Grade. Occasionally, with a flash of inspiration and ancestral blessing, I might produce a Mysterious-Grade. But when Master Chunci makes it, it’s always Heaven-Grade!”
“These techniques cannot be learned just by watching with the naked eye.”
The Pavilion Master spoke with profound sincerity, urging Shenshui to abandon that idea and properly appreciate the master’s brilliance.
Hearing the Pavilion Master’s praise, Du Xinghe fell into thoughtful contemplation.
Alchemy was certainly a valuable art not passed on to outsiders, but was there truly no way for her to steal the techniques?
From now on, “he” will be used uniformly for reference! December Sparrow Treasure, do your best!