Ye Wan’s expression changed instantly. she abruptly turned back to face the person who had spoken. “What happened to my Suisui?”
“I’m not entirely sure of the details. I heard she damaged the spiritual plants at Yuhua Peak.”
Ye Wan: “…”
Yuhua Peak was the peak of True Person Chiyu, the head of the Alchemy Hall. Every single spiritual plant on that peak was meticulously cultivated by True Person Chiyu. He was a man famously obsessed and crazed with alchemy; he treated his alchemical materials like his own children and could not tolerate the slightest loss.
The spiritual plants that True Person Chiyu cared for personally were naturally of high grade. *Could it be that my Suisui, in her need for a ‘supplement,’ directly chewed on someone’s spiritual plants?*
Ye Wan hurried toward Yuhua Peak, asking the system in her mind: “Weren’t you able to eavesdrop on the outside world while you were in the Library? Listen for me and tell me how my daughter is doing.”
The system, which had been playing dead since binding in the Library, replied, “I must first collect the data of the various barriers in this sect and calculate a way to crack them before I can do that.”
“Never mind, don’t waste your energy,” Ye Wan said, directly and manually shielding the system’s vision.
The system’s CPU ran a little hot again. It felt that this host, despite being a ‘love-brain,’ was actually quite considerate.
The peak master of Yuhua Peak was True Person Chiyu, one of the few Soul Transformation stage experts in the sect and the head of the Alchemy Hall. Because the peak master was an alchemist, the disciples under him were all proficient in the craft. The mountain was covered in spiritual plants and flowers, making it more refreshing and pleasant than the other peaks.
Yuhua Peak had a barrier. Those who came to watch the excitement and “eat melons” couldn’t enter at all. They only heard that Suisui had damaged True Person Chiyu’s spiritual plants inside and that the True Person was in a towering rage.
By the time Ye Wan arrived, the entrance to Yuhua Peak was already surrounded by layers of disciples gathered to watch.
Before Ye Wan could announce her identity, the disciple guarding the gate recognized her as Suisui’s mother and let her in immediately.
By now, except for those out on missions, who didn’t know that a milk-baby named Suisui had arrived, who could make the Divine Tree transform? Naturally, as Suisui’s mother, Ye Wan had drawn a lot of attention as well.
“Senior Brother, my Suisui isn’t crying, is she?” Ye Wan asked the disciple leading the way.
The disciple looked at Ye Wan with envy. “No, the child is very well-behaved. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.”
Ye Wan felt relieved. Although she knew that with Bian Yun around, the chances of Suisui getting hurt were slim, as a mother, she couldn’t help but worry.
Turning a corner, the two encountered Ao Shuang, the parent of the other child, who had just urgently come out of seclusion.
“Senior Sister Ao Shuang,” the disciple greeted with cupped hands.
Ye Wan naturally followed suit and bowed.
Ao Shuang wore an exquisite frost-white daoist robe. She stood with one hand behind her back, her expression arrogant and proud.
She looked down at Ye Wan with disdain. Having heard that the mother of the other child who caused trouble with her son was only an outer disciple at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, Ao Shuang felt contempt from the bottom of her heart.
“My son was kind-hearted enough to bring someone into Yuhua Peak, but I didn’t expect someone to lack a sense of propriety and cause trouble. My view is that whoever caused the trouble should bear the responsibility. What does this Junior Sister think?”
As Ao Shuang spoke, she secretly released the pressure of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Logically, Ye Wan, who was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, should not have been able to withstand this pressure. However, Ye Wan acted as if she felt nothing. It was unknown whether it was the credit of her inheritance or if her constitution had been modified when she gave birth to her daughter.
She picked at her ear and asked lazily, “Did this Senior Sister just say something?”
Ao Shuang: “…”
Ao Shuang pulled out a small porcelain bottle. “One Foundation Establishment Pill. Have your daughter take the blame for this.”
*What a familiar ‘Here’s a million, stay away from my son’ plot.*
Ye Wan’s gaze slowly fell on the small bottle. Ao Shuang sneered inwardly. *See? One Foundation Establishment Pill is enough to make her knees go soft.*
To her surprise, Ye Wan’s face showed a look of struggle, but then she shook her head firmly. “No. A mere Foundation Establishment Pill… how could I wrong my daughter like that?”
The disciple who knew the inside story felt envious tears practically leaking from the corners of his mouth.
*A ‘mere’ Foundation Establishment Pill?* A Foundation Establishment Pill carried by an inner disciple was likely of high grade at the very least. How many people begged for even one to establish their foundation, let alone a high-grade one?
Should he remind Senior Sister Ao Shuang? But one shouldn’t turn against one’s own, right?
At the critical moment, Ye Wan held up one finger to him, and he decisively turned his back on his own.
He was just a guide; he knew nothing.
Ao Shuang knew Ye Wan was raising the price. Although she was very annoyed, she had to compromise because her son often messed around in the sect, which had already caused dissatisfaction. If this matter wasn’t handled well, she feared her son would be expelled from the sect and sent back to the family for discipline.
She came from a small family, and her mother was only a concubine. Her mother had told her long ago to find a partner with good conditions and have a child while her cultivation was still low. Otherwise, as her cultivation grew higher, it would become difficult to conceive. Having a child would allow her to receive resources and support from the husband’s family.
She thought that made sense, so ignoring the warnings of her fellow disciples, she had partnered with a direct disciple of the Tool Refining Hall and had a son.
That disciple came from a prestigious family. Cultivation families placed great importance on their descendants. Thus, the birth of the little fatty was recognized by the husband’s family and benefited her own family as well.
She was usually busy refining pills, and the child’s father was dedicated to refining tools. For the most part, the child was raised with little supervision. He would spend time at his paternal family’s home or his maternal family’s home, leading to him being spoiled to an lawless degree.
Ao Shuang gritted her teeth. “I’ll add three Grade 8 to Grade 9 spiritual plant seeds.”
Ye Wan folded her arms. “Senior Sister, you aren’t bullying me, a backgroundless outer disciple, are you? If these seeds weren’t something you couldn’t grow yourself, would you be willing to give them away?”
A flash of guilt crossed Ao Shuang’s eyes. “I’ll add one Heart-Clearing Pill.”
Ye Wan’s eyes widened. “Senior Sister, are you looking down on me, or are you looking down on yourself? You’re actually counting Heart-Clearing Pills one by one?”
The Heart-Clearing Pill was a Grade 1 pill with a certain sedative effect. It could resist some low-level illusions during travel. The price was about thirty spirit stones per pill.
A skilled alchemist could refine a furnace of these with their eyes closed and wouldn’t even bother using them; they used higher-grade versions instead.
The disciple acting as an invisible man: *Can you even haggle like this? I’ve learned something new.*
Ao Shuang said with a cold face, “Fine, then one bottle!”
“Well, alright. Since I’m a powerless and unremarkable outer disciple, I can only wrong my daughter. *Sigh!*” Ye Wan sighed with an air of helplessness.
*Talk about getting a bargain and still acting aggrieved!*
Ao Shuang threw a Foundation Establishment Pill and a bottle containing thirty Heart-Clearing Pills to Ye Wan.
Ye Wan tucked them away nimbly and reached out her hand again. “I’m quite curious about those three spiritual plant seeds Senior Sister mentioned.”
Ao Shuang: “…” *Does she really have no shame at all?*
Ao Shuang threw the silk pouch containing the seeds to Ye Wan.
They were seeds that couldn’t be grown anyway, so giving them was no loss. But why did it feel so frustrating?
As it turned out, there was no “most frustrating,” only “more frustrating.”
With the conditions settled, Ao Shuang naturally disdained walking with Ye Wan and strode ahead with a flick of her sleeve.
Ye Wan gave the guide disciple one Heart-Clearing Pill as “hush money.” Faced with the disciple’s surprised eyes, she remained unfazed.
“You didn’t think I meant the Foundation Establishment Pill, did you? Does the Heavenly Dao know you have such wild dreams?”
“No, I thought you would give me a spiritual plant seed.” After all, anyone with eyes knew those seeds were impossible to grow. If they could be grown, no alchemist would ever give them away.
The disciple accepted it happily. “One Heart-Clearing Pill is already very good.”
The two arrived at the front of the hall and saw Ao Shuang waiting for them—more precisely, waiting for Ye Wan to enter with her to draw the fire.
The disciple left after delivering Ye Wan, and before leaving, he cast a look of subtle pity at Senior Sister Ao Shuang.
Ao Shuang, with a cold face, walked ahead and entered the main hall of Yuhua Peak.
As soon as they entered, they saw Suisui sitting on True Person Chiyu’s lap, holding the little Ice Phoenix and eating snacks. Her short legs were swinging leisurely, and True Person Chiyu was smiling with an expression that looked “worthless.”
Ao Shuang doubted if she had entered the right way. That fair, tender, and incredibly exquisite milk-dumpling was actually being held by the usually stern Peak Master, while her own son—the little tyrant who thought he was second only to the heavens—was standing by the side handing Suisui tea. There was also another child who occasionally reached out to help wipe the snack crumbs from the milk-dumpling’s mouth.
What kind of “stars surrounding the moon” scene was this? It didn’t look like trouble had been caused at all.
Ao Shuang looked at Ye Wan. *Did she know all along?*
Ye Wan immediately feigned a shocked expression, turned to meet Ao Shuang’s gaze, and whispered, “My Suisui looks like she’s being treated this way because she performed a great service. On the other hand, your son looks like he’s being punished for doing something wrong by serving tea. I think I need to raise the price.”
Ao Shuang: “…”
Ao Shuang wished she could cover Ye Wan’s mouth. *Does she have any cultivation common sense at all, whispering right under the nose of a Soul Transformation stage cultivator?*
“Disciple Ao Shuang pays respects to the Peak Master.” Ao Shuang hurriedly bowed and saluted.
Ye Wan followed immediately. “Outer disciple Ye Wan pays respects to True Person Chiyu.”
“Mother!”
When Suisui saw Ye Wan, her eyes lit up. she immediately scrambled down from True Person Chiyu’s lap, tossed the little Ice Phoenix aside, and rushed over like a little cannonball full of joy.
Little Ice Phoenix: *The ‘cub protection period’ is over for me, isn’t it?*
Ye Wan nodded to Bian Yun, picked up her soft little daughter, and gave her a big kiss. “Did you miss Mother?”
“I did! Missed you so much my little face got skinny!” Suisui hugged Ye Wan’s neck, nuzzling her with total dependence.
“Let Mother see.” Ye Wan pinched the chubby cheek. “Are you sure it’s skinny and not fat?”
“Mother is mean!” Suisui buried her face in her mother’s shoulder. “I just missed you.”
The things made by the aunts and uncles at the sect’s Dining Hall were delicious, and the older brothers and sisters in the sect would feed her whenever they saw her. There were simply too many delicious things. Her “cuteness” might have expanded a tiny bit—just a tiny bit, though.
Seeing how close Sister Suisui was with her mother, and how her mother returned the affection with nuzzles and kisses, the little fatty felt a bit envious.
His mother wouldn’t nuzzle or kiss him; she rarely even held him. Ever since he could remember, guards were the ones who accompanied him the most.
Thus, the little fatty also ran toward his mother like Suisui, looking up with expectation and calling out, “Mother.”
Ao Shuang grabbed the little fatty and made him stand properly. “Peak Master, it is all because of this disciple’s poor discipline. This child forgot the rules of Yuhua Peak and brought someone in without permission.”
True Person Chiyu looked at the mother and daughter who were nuzzling each other as if no one else were there, then at the Ao Shuang and her son who were eager to apologize. “Yuhua Peak has no rule forbidding people from entering. In the future, Suisui must bring Little Ancestor Lang Xuan to play often.”
Ao Shuang: “…”
Everyone knew that Yuhua Peak strictly forbade outsiders from entering, for fear that someone would mindlessly ruin the spiritual plants on the peak.
Wait! *Little Ancestor Lang Xuan?* Is that the transformed Little Ancestor of the Divine Tree?
Ao Shuang’s gaze fell on the handsome but somewhat stiff child standing close to Suisui. Was this the legendary Little Ancestor of the Divine Tree?
“Peak Master, this disciple heard that the child Xiao Yu brought back caused trouble?” Ao Shuang asked tentatively.
Ye Wan also stopped the nuzzling and looked at Suisui. Suisui blinked, looking perfectly innocent.
“She did cause trouble, but it was trouble well-caused.” True Person Chiyu was in a pleasant mood. He first looked at Lang Xuan with a trace of regret, then his gaze toward Suisui became even softer.
“Thank you, Suisui, for bringing the Little Ancestor Divine Tree to play at Yuhua Peak. As soon as the Little Ancestor arrived, my Grade 8 spiritual plant that was wilting regained its vitality.”
Ao Shuang: “!!!”
In other words, the “causing trouble” part didn’t exist at all. Then what were the things she had just given away?
“It wasn’t me,” Lang Xuan denied.
“It’s no use for the Little Ancestor to deny it. It certainly couldn’t be Suisui’s credit,” True Person Chiyu laughed and shook his head.
A few days ago, it was heard that the Little Ancestor Divine Tree had awakened and snatched a child, transformed for that child, and even stuck by the child’s side. Now, he had witnessed with his own eyes that the rumors were true.
Since Lang Xuan’s transformation, other than Suisui, he had spent the most time with Ye Wan. Ye Wan had some understanding of this Divine Tree cub; he spoke very formally and mechanically, never wasting words, let alone telling lies.
Ye Wan remembered the flowers, plants, and vegetables in the village courtyard that didn’t need much care but grew exceptionally lush. She suddenly understood.
It wasn’t that her innate gardening DNA had awakened; it was Suisui’s credit.
*My cub, how many more surprises do you have that this old mother doesn’t know about?*
“It was Suisui who pulled the weeds,” Lang Xuan stated stubbornly.
“Yes! Suisui pulled them! The flower-flower said the little weeds were bullying it, so I helped pull the little weeds out!” Suisui raised her hand high.
“My daughter has become quite spiritual after spending time with the Little Ancestor Divine Tree.” Ye Wan pinched her little daughter’s mouth into a “little goldfish” shape. *Keep it low-key, my Little Ancestor.*
“That was a Xuanfu flower. Traditionally, the planting methods handed down always claimed that the Xuanfu flower could not live without its companion grass. Who would have thought that today, the Little Ancestor would break that established belief,” True Person Chiyu remarked with emotion.
“Yes! After all, he is the Divine Tree. Even if his transformation looks small, his perception of spiritual plants is stronger,” Ye Wan nodded emphatically.
This credit had to be firmly pinned on the Divine Tree cub; her daughter was just an ordinary little mischief-maker.
“Suisui…”
Lang Xuan wanted to say more, but Ye Wan’s hand landed rebelliously on his head.
“I know you want to say everything was done by Suisui, but Suisui is still small. If the credit is too big, it will bend her small shoulders. You’re different; you look small, but you’ve actually lived for who knows how many millions of years. You have more endurance than Suisui.”
Lang Xuan: *Is that so? It seems to be so. Suisui is indeed still a little sprout; if she bears too much, she might easily be bent.*
Thus, Lang Xuan remained silent.
True Person Chiyu took note of Ye Wan’s actions. Moreover, the Little Ancestor Divine Tree didn’t resist her at all. Heaven knew that when he tried to lift the boy onto a chair earlier, his palm was nearly pierced by a vine.
True Person Chiyu’s heart stirred, and he asked Ye Wan, “Do you have a master?”
Ao Shuang: “…”
Ao Shuang was having a bit of an existential crisis. The outer disciple she looked down on just a moment ago was now about to join Yuhua Peak and become her junior sister?
No! It was even possible she would become a direct disciple and become her senior sister!
However, Ye Wan shook her head. “I am honored that the True Person thinks well of me, but I have no destiny with the Dao of Alchemy.”
“No matter. You can just have your name listed. Let Suisui bring Little Ancestor Lang Xuan to live here at my Yuhua Peak.” If the Little Ancestor took a walk around the Alchemy Peak, the spiritual plants would all become much more spirited.
Ye Wan: “…”
*So, to kidnap the Divine Tree cub, you first kidnap Suisui, and to kidnap Suisui, you first kidnap Suisui’s mother?*
“Suisui is still small and at an age for causing mischief. We won’t come to trouble the True Person’s Yuhua Peak.”
This was a tactful refusal, and True Person Chiyu couldn’t force the matter.
“This is the Grade 7 Marrow-Repairing Pill, consider it a thank-you gift for the children.” True Person Chiyu used his spiritual power to push a small porcelain bottle each to Ye Wan and Ao Shuang.
The Marrow-Repairing Pill was an advanced version of the Qi-Recuperating Pill. A Qi-Recuperating Pill could restore energy, like pumping a surge of air into the body to support continued combat, but it left the body with a “hollowed-out” damage that required a long time to recover. A Marrow-Repairing Pill, however, directly repaired the bone marrow, restored blood-producing functions, and sped up health recovery without causing any subsequent damage to the body.
Ao Shuang could barely restrain the excitement on her face. This was a Grade 7 Marrow-Repairing Pill personally refined by the Peak Master. How many people couldn’t buy one even if they wanted to? You should know that currently, only the Dan Xia Sect had two Grade 7 alchemists. This truly was a blessing in disguise.
Until they left the hall, Ao Shuang was still in a daze.
She had given away one high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, a bottle of Heart-Clearing Pills, and three spiritual plant seeds. In the end, her son hadn’t caused any trouble at all; on the contrary, he had merit and no fault.
The other woman’s cub not only got a Grade 7 Marrow-Repairing Pill but also a token for free entry to Yuhua Peak. Not only that, Ye Wan even got a chance to become a disciple, yet she refused. Did she know what she had refused?
Ao Shuang stopped and looked at Ye Wan.
“Is something wrong, Senior Sister Ao Shuang?” Ye Wan, holding Suisui, asked knowingly.
Ao Shuang: “…”
She wanted to ask for her things back, but she felt that even if she had the face to ask, Ye Wan would make her lose even more face.
“Hmph! I’m not like some people who have no face or skin!” Ao Shuang took her son’s hand and strode away.
“Is Senior Sister referring to how you offered bribes right away to push everything onto my daughter? Since the children didn’t cause trouble, you want to take your things back, don’t you? Then I’ll have to go and ask the Senior Brother who led me here to return the pills I gave him,” Ye Wan said loudly on purpose.
“Shut up!” Ao Shuang hissed, wishing she could personally gag Ye Wan.
By shouting so loudly, if others heard, where would her reputation go?
Ye Wan blinked innocently. “Then who exactly was Senior Sister saying had no face or skin?”
Ao Shuang: “…”
She suspected Ye Wan was playing dumb. After such a series of maneuvers, who else could be “shameless”?
“Mother, who has no face or skin? Suisui’s mother has a face and skin, and she’s very pretty. No wonder she could give birth to such a pretty Suisui. Mother, your face-skin isn’t as good as Suisui’s mother’s, so you can’t give birth to a child as pretty as Suisui.”
After the little fatty finished speaking, he didn’t forget to compare the two back and forth, nodding to confirm his insight.
*Pfft!*
Ye Wan actually found the little fatty a bit likable now.
She had already learned the sequence of events from Bian Yun. First, the little fatty cheated at the ring toss to win Suisui, wanting to take her back as a playmate. Suisui was unwilling, so finally, the little fatty offered a hundred spirit stones to hire Suisui to escort him back to Yuhua Peak.
Although Suisui’s little head couldn’t count from one to a hundred yet, she knew a hundred was “lots and lots,” so she agreed.
Children naturally love to play in new places. Under the little fatty’s lead, they went everywhere they could and couldn’t go, ruining quite a few spiritual fruits. Midway, they passed a pot of wilting flowers, and Suisui casually pulled the “grass” out of that pot.
The spiritual plant that the Peak Master of Yuhua Peak had meticulously planted wouldn’t live no matter what, and he was about to give up, but it suddenly regained its vitality. One can imagine what a sensation it caused on Yuhua Peak. When the news spread, it became the rumor that Suisui had caused trouble.
Ao Shuang’s face was dark. *Is it too late to start beating the child now?*
The little fatty was not a child who knew how to read the room. He asked Suisui expectantly, “Sister Suisui, can I look for you to play again next time?”
“Sure! Next time, Suisui won’t take your spirit stones!” Suisui waved her small hand in response.
Speaking of this, Ao Shuang was even more frustrated. Not only had she been swindled by the adult, but her son was also foolishly handing spirit stones over to the little girl.
In the end, Ao Shuang couldn’t help but say out of spite, “Like mother, like daughter.”
Ye Wan’s face cooled. “So Senior Sister’s bitterness, arrogance, and rudeness were inherited from your own mother? It looks like the pupil has surpassed the master.”
Ao Shuang was stunned for a long while before she realized Ye Wan was saying she was insulting herself.
“I was clearly talking about you!”
“Oh? I won’t say who exactly is bitter, arrogant, and rude.”
Ao Shuang: “…”
Ye Wan didn’t care that Ao Shuang was red-faced with anger. she knelt down and patted Suisui’s small head. “These are spirit stones Suisui earned with her own ability; we accept them with a clear conscience. Now, after playing with this brother, does Suisui still want to take these spirit stones?”
Suisui blinked, feeling a bit reluctant, but she still took the spirit stones out and pitter-pattered forward to return them.
“Brother Xiao Yu was a tiny bit bad at first, but he became good later. Suisui is willing to play with Brother Xiao Yu. Playing together doesn’t need money-money.”
“If I said they’re for Sister Suisui, they’re for Sister Suisui.” The little fatty, Song Yu, heroically stuffed the spirit stones back to Suisui and turned to look at Ye Wan.
“Suisui’s mother, you are such a big person, why do you make Sister Suisui earn spirit stones to raise you? It’s very hard for Sister Suisui to earn spirit stones to raise you. My mother has spirit stones; we don’t lack this little bit.”
“Because Suisui will soon be a big four-year-old child and needs to learn to raise herself. If one day there are no adults around, she will be able to earn spirit stones to support herself.” Ye Wan ruffled her daughter’s head.
Suisui seemed to sense something. She hugged Ye Wan’s leg and shook her head vigorously. “Mother will always be here. I want to earn lots and lots of spirit stones to raise Mother.”
Ao Shuang hadn’t expected Ye Wan to be so shameless that she even swindled her own daughter?
She felt her chance for revenge had come and spoke with the tone of someone granting a favor—
“Since you can’t afford to raise the child, and my son happens to want Suisui as a playmate, I’ll be kind enough to give her a good place. From now on, let her stay at Yuhua Peak. An outer disciple like you might not even reach the inner sector after another ten years of cultivation; your daughter is more promising than you.”
Ao Shuang truly felt this way. For how many outer disciples was Foundation Establishment a hurdle they could never cross? They would never establish their foundation even until their lifespan ran out.
She had completely forgotten that Ye Wan had just refused to join Yuhua Peak earlier.
Ye Wan let out a long “Oh.” “I think the ‘Place of Five Grains Cycle’ is a good place for you, Senior Sister. Surely you won’t refuse my kind intentions?”
*Pfft!*
A figure had leaned against a tree ahead at some point, and the laughter came from that person.
Ao Shuang recognized the newcomer, her expression freezing as she bowed. “Greetings, Senior Brother Qin.”
“I heard my Suisui was being bullied?” Qin Zixun walked past Ao Shuang toward Suisui.
Ao Shuang: “…”
*It turns out this little dumpling not only has a Little Ancestor Divine Tree as a follower but also knew the Sect’s Eldest Senior Brother long ago.*
Until Qin Zixun reached Suisui, Suisui was still blinking, having forgotten what this big partner’s name was.
Qin Zixun bent down and scooped Suisui up, pinching her little cheek. “What? Forgotten this big partner of yours after just a few days?”
“Brother Qin!” Suisui remembered and happily hugged Qin Zixun’s neck. “Brother Qin, so your home is here.”
“Brother Qin said we’d meet again. Did you miss Brother Qin?”
Suisui’s eyes darted around guiltily. “Hehe! I did! Now Brother Qin can play with me.”
“Little liar, you almost didn’t remember me, yet you say you missed me.” Qin Zixun pinched her cheek again and glanced at the spirit stone bag in Suisui’s arms.
“Suisui, Brother Qin tells you: we can eat anything, but we don’t ‘eat a loss’ (suffer a loss). Besides, today, who benefited from whom? Some people know in their hearts.”
Ao Shuang: “…”
It was true. Without Suisui, her son wouldn’t have had the chance to play with the Little Ancestor Divine Tree, nor would he have received a reward from the Peak Master.
Ao Shuang quickly took her fatty son and slunk away, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would have to give away even more things.
Qin Zixun carried Suisui, with Ye Wan following behind as they walked out of Yuhua Peak. The disciples watching outside were all shocked to see Qin Zixun carrying Suisui.
The fire of gossip burned fiercely in everyone’s hearts, wishing they could see some scandalous “untold story” between Qin Zixun and Ye Wan.
*They say that Master Bian Yun beside Suisui was left by Suisui’s father, so her background and strength are clearly not bad. Senior Brother Qin loves her but can’t have her, so he quietly protects her and treats Suisui like his own daughter, asking for nothing in return. How tragic!*
Just as everyone was enjoying the “love triangle” gossip, a voice came from far to near.
“I heard the Little Ancestor Divine Tree came here? Where? Where is the Little Ancestor?”
The eyes of the onlookers lit up, and they specifically made a path.
Thus, Xu Dan entered and successfully saw the Little Ancestor Divine Tree he had been longing for. He was also captivated by the milk-dumpling in Qin Zixun’s arms.
That milky-white, tender little dumpling, holding a fluffy little spirit pet in her arms and looking back with those round, sparkling, pitch-black eyes… Even someone like him, who usually stayed far away from children, wanted to give her a hug. Especially since the person holding her was Qin Zixun, he wanted to hug her even more.
“When did such a cute little Junior Sister join the sect?” Xu Dan, being wealthy and generous, pulled out a storage bag and stuffed it into Suisui’s arms. “This is a meeting gift from Senior Brother.”
Suisui held the little Ice Phoenix in one hand and grabbed the storage bag with the other, looking at Ye Wan blankly, not knowing if she could accept it.
Ye Wan pulled information about this person from the original owner’s memories.
Xu Dan could be said to be the direct son of the Xu family, the wealthiest family in the Qianyuan cultivation world. The family was so “poor” that they had nothing left but spirit stones. Unfortunately, he had a four-element spiritual root, and one of them was even “leaky.”
Don’t let the title of “wealthiest” fool you; in reality, they survived by depending on the sects and spending vast amounts of spirit stones to hire high-level cultivators for protection.
The Xu family had always depended on the Wan Yan Sect. As the Wan Yan Sect declined over the years, the Xu family was also affected and had been hinted at by other sects more than once to “choose another tree to perch on.”
It was unknown whether the Xu family’s loyalty to the Wan Yan Sect was true love or far-sighted planning, but regardless, they didn’t switch sides. They even threw massive amounts of spirit stones at the Wan Yan Sect to squeeze this son with the leaky spiritual root into the Sect Master’s tutelage, making him a direct disciple.
In the original owner’s memory, this “leaky” Senior Brother had established his foundation once, but because of the leak, he dropped back to the ninth level of Qi Refinement. He had also taken Longevity Pills to extend his life. For someone to go through such ups and downs on the path of cultivation and still be so optimistic, his mindset was truly exceptional.
“Outer disciple Ye Wan greets Senior Brother Xu.” Ye Wan stepped forward and gave a bow meant for peers before saying, “This is my daughter Suisui. she is only three years and seven months old, not yet of age to join the sect.”
“That’s right! When I’ve lived to five years, I can call you Senior Brother just like Mother!” Suisui opened five fingers.
She hadn’t spent these past few days in vain; she knew that the brothers and sisters a few years older than her only joined the sect after turning five and called the older ones “Senior Brother” or “Senior Sister.”
Ye Wan held back a smile, pressed her hand down, and corrected her, “It’s ‘grow to,’ not ‘live to.'”
Xu Dan was delighted. He snatched Suisui from Qin Zixun’s arms. “Your name is Suisui. Since you don’t call me Senior Brother, what should you call me?”
Suisui carefully studied Xu Dan. No mustache, no white hair, no wrinkles. *Mmm, his body seems a tiny bit wider than Brother Qin’s.*
She nodded her little head and called out in a milky voice, “Uncle.”
Xu Dan was several hundred years old; forget “Uncle,” he could even be called “Grandfather.” He happily pulled out another storage bag filled with spirit stones and stuffed it into Suisui’s arms.
Ye Wan: “…”
*As expected of a master who is so ‘poor’ he only has spirit stones left. He gives out spirit stones whenever he’s happy.*
“He only has spirit stones left to give. Come, Suisui, Brother Qin will hold you.” Qin Zixun reached out and took Suisui back.
“Better than some people who don’t even have spirit stones.” Xu Dan didn’t fight with Qin Zixun, for fear of hurting Suisui.
“Wait!” Xu Dan suddenly realized something, pointing at Qin Zixun and then himself. “You call him ‘Brother,’ but you call me ‘Uncle’?”
He didn’t think much of it before, but as soon as it involved Qin Zixun, he wouldn’t stand for it. Why was Qin Zixun “Brother” while he was “Uncle”?
“Look at that face of yours, almost covered in ravines. It’s good enough she didn’t call you ‘Grandfather,'” Qin Zixun sneered.
Xu Dan immediately pulled out a small mirror to check. *It’s fine, it’s fine.* Although his spiritual root leaked, maintaining a young and handsome appearance was no problem.
Suisui blinked in confusion. “Is calling you ‘Uncle’ not good? Uncles are bigger than brothers. Suisui wants to be an Auntie, not a little sister.”
Xu Dan’s heart brightened. He put away the mirror and raised his chin at Qin Zixun. “That’s right, Uncles are bigger than brothers! From now on, I am Suisui’s Uncle. If someone wants to be Suisui’s brother, they have to call me ‘Uncle’!”
“You certainly want to rank above me, your Eldest Senior Brother, but you can only dream.”
“Hah! The pot calling the kettle black. Don’t think I don’t know—you just feel that because I used spirit stones to buy my way into the Wan Yan Sect and under your father’s name, you feel aggrieved for your father and find it humiliating. That’s why you’re obsessed with earning spirit stones, wanting to surpass me.”
“Stop using that tiny brain of yours to speculate about me. Spend more effort on your cultivation. You’ve already established your foundation once, and you took a Longevity Pill when your lifespan was near its end. You should think more about how to advance and extend your life.”
A cultivator at the Qi Refinement stage has a maximum lifespan of two hundred years, and the lifespan doubles for each subsequent rank. Xu Dan, with his leaky spiritual root, had taken a Longevity Pill before he even established his foundation. Later, when his lifespan was almost out, he took massive amounts of pills and spent night and day cultivating while “leaking” until he barely managed to cross the Foundation Establishment threshold.
Fortunately, after Foundation Establishment is certified by the Heavenly Dao and lightning, the corresponding lifespan is granted. Even if one’s cultivation regresses, the lifespan does not decrease. Otherwise, Xu Dan would have died long ago.
Even so, almost two hundred years had passed since Xu Dan established his foundation. Even if he could luckily establish it again, it wouldn’t increase his lifespan anymore—unless he advanced to the Golden Core stage in one go. But that was impossible. Given his colander-like spiritual root, establishing his foundation again would be good enough; a Golden Core was unthinkable. Therefore, everyone in the sect assumed Xu Dan was simply waiting out the remainder of his days.
And a Longevity Pill can only be taken once per person; taking more has no effect. Otherwise, with Xu Dan’s personality, he would rather spend spirit stones to find heavenly materials to refine Longevity Pills than spend day and night cultivating to fill that bottomless pit of a leaky spiritual root.
“No need for your concern. Haven’t you always felt that I’ve taken a spot as a disciple under your father and shamed him? When my lifespan ends, it will be exactly as you wished.”
“I bring shame to the old man myself; why would I be afraid of you shaming him? Don’t make things so dramatic for yourself.”
As the two argued, they suddenly realized the surroundings were a bit too quiet. They turned to look and saw that Ye Wan had taken Suisui away at some point. The mother and daughter were sitting on the steps behind them—one big, one small—feeding each other small biscuits. They hadn’t forgotten to look after the Little Ancestor Divine Tree beside them.
The onlookers had likely seen the two bicker so often that it was no longer a surprise. Although they weren’t eating anything, they were also sitting cross-legged, quietly watching the show.
The two: “…”
*Since when did the sect’s discipline become so lax?*
“Brother Qin, Brother Xu, are you done arguing? Who won?” Suisui asked innocently. Earlier, her mother had told her to call him “Brother Xu.”
*Careless.* They had actually started arguing in front of a three-year-old milk-baby.
Qin Zixun and Xu Dan exchanged a glance, then turned their heads away from each other in mutual disdain, as if looking at something filthy.
“Arguing like that is no good,” Suisui walked over with her hands behind her back like a little adult.
Ye Wan saw Suisui’s posture and knew things were about to take a turn.
Sure enough, the three-head-tall milk-dumpling stomped her foot while pointing her small finger: “You have to argue like this: ‘Begone! Begone! Begone!'”
Qin Zixun and Xu Dan watched as this soft, doughy little dumpling taught them how to argue with full posture, paired with that milky voice. It was impossible not to laugh. Suddenly, all their anger vanished.
Ye Wan rubbed her forehead: *Letting her roam free was a mistake. Not only did she remember the gossip of the village aunties, but she even learned the essence of street brawling.*
“Be good, we don’t learn that.” Qin Zixun scooped Suisui up. “We weren’t arguing; we were just…”
“They were just using the sharpest words to show care for each other. You indeed shouldn’t learn that. They are hundreds of years old, yet they don’t even know how to speak kindly.” Ye Wan mercilessly exposed the awkwardness in their hearts.
“Who cared about him!”
Xu Dan and Qin Zixun spoke in unison, their faces turning red simultaneously.
Qin Zixun had Suisui in his arms to ease the embarrassment; Xu Dan only regretted being a step too slow.
His gaze fell on the similarly three-head-tall Little Ancestor Divine Tree. He wondered if giving spirit stones would let him have a hug.
The Little Ancestor Divine Tree silently turned his head away: *Not interested.*
That’s right—this person was the big fool who always came under his original tree body to mutter and then stuff spirit stones into him.
Suisui liked spirit stones very much; he wondered if this big fool would continue to stuff spirit stones under his original tree in the future.
Xu Dan felt it was a pity, but only a little. This Little Ancestor didn’t look as huggable as Suisui.
Suddenly, Xu Dan remembered the reason he heard for the Divine Tree transforming into a child and rushed back to the sect, and he felt terrible.
He moved in front of the little Divine Tree… Little Ancestor, and whispered: “Little Ancestor, you couldn’t hear the outside world before you transformed, right?”
“Do you mean the part where you came under my tree to beg me to protect your leaky spiritual root so it would disappear?” Lang Xuan was a Divine Tree cub; he didn’t know how to feel embarrassed for others.
“Hahaha… Junior Brother, I didn’t expect you could be so naive!” Qin Zixun didn’t miss this chance to mock him.
However, in the next moment, he couldn’t laugh anymore.
The Little Ancestor Divine Tree turned to look at him. “He also said he wanted you, the Eldest Senior Brother, to cultivate well. If you wanted spirit stones, he would earn them for you—”
In the end, Xu Dan committed the rebellion of “insubordination” and covered the Little Ancestor’s mouth. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was bound into a bundle by tree vines.
Qin Zixun cast a spell to set up a barrier, blocking others from witnessing the scene of his foolish Junior Brother making a fool of himself.
He looked at Xu Dan, who was bound like a zongzi on the ground, his expression somewhat complex.
Xu Dan had said he was standing up for his father, but that was just childhood ignorance.
At that time, he heard others provocate that the Wan Yan Sect could only recruit “trash,” and even his father, for the sake of spirit stones, would take even someone with a leaky spiritual root as a direct disciple, lacking any integrity or character.
Back then, earning spirit stones became his obsession. Later, as he grew up, his thoughts weren’t so shallow, but he truly grew to love the feeling of earning spirit stones.
It was just that now that he was an adult, his pride wouldn’t allow him to bow his head. So he let this foolish Junior Brother continue to misunderstand. He hadn’t expected that while the other man acted like he didn’t respect his Eldest Senior Brother on the surface, he was actually working for his benefit in secret.
Seeing the complex look from Qin Zixun, Xu Dan only wished the Little Ancestor would bind his head as well. How was this any different from stripping him naked?
Suisui was about to say that Tree Brother couldn’t just bind people up like that when she was quietly hushed by her mother and carried to the side.
*What a great ‘moment of truth’ session. As a bystander, it’s best to just quietly ‘eat melons.’*
“What kind of look is that? I wanted you to cultivate well so you wouldn’t always come to snatch my job of earning spirit stones.” Xu Dan used a loud voice to cover his discomfort.
Adhering to the “I am the Eldest Senior Brother, I won’t hold it against you” attitude, Qin Zixun walked over to Lang Xuan and knelt down. “Little Ancestor, he was disrespectful to you. I apologize on his behalf. I ask you to please release him.”
“Who asked you to apologize for me? Can’t I do it myself!” Xu Dan shouted awkwardly.
Suisui pitter-pattered over and squatted in front of Xu Dan. “Brother Xu, shouting so loud is ‘being unweasonable.’ Mother said so. When I’m angry and argue with Mother, and I can’t win, and I get super loud, Mother says I’m being unweasonable.”
Xu Dan and Qin Zixun looked at Ye Wan at the same time.
*How old are you, arguing with a three-year-old, and your own daughter at that?*
Ye Wan raised an eyebrow: *So what if she’s my daughter? I can’t let her think that being loud makes her right just because she’s small. Otherwise, where would this silver tongue of hers come from?*
Lang Xuan walked to Suisui’s side. “Should I let him go?”
Qin Zixun: “…” *So my apology was for nothing.*
Suisui nodded her little head. “Tree Brother, Brother Xu is not a bad person. Let him go.”
“Okay.” Lang Xuan raised his hand and retracted the vines on Xu Dan.
Qin Zixun took a look and said to Ye Wan, “Junior Sister Ye, that business deal you mentioned to me, I’m almost ready. I plan to open for business on the day of the Great Sect Trial. I still have many questions to ask you; shall we find a place to talk?”
“That ‘box’ thing you’ve been mysteriously busy with these past few days, the one you said you met a benefactor who gave you advice… that was Suisui’s mother?” Xu Dan straightened his appearance and walked over to join the conversation.
Likely due to “loving the house and its crows” (loving Suisui), Xu Dan’s perception of Suisui’s mother was also very good.
“That’s right. This time I’ll definitely be able to earn spirit stones, and the kind with sustainable development.” Qin Zixun was full of confidence.
Ye Wan thought Xu Dan would mock him, but instead, he turned to look at her. “Give me an idea too. I want to compete with him. If he loses, he has to go back and cultivate in seclusion obediently.”
“Bring it on. If you lose, you have to cultivate too. No more giving up on yourself and drifting along.”
Ye Wan: *And so I’ve become a part of your ‘play.’*
Clearly, they both wanted the best for each other, but neither could bear to lose face and reconcile.
Truth be told, Ye Wan really did think of something in the cultivation world that would be suitable for someone like Xu Dan, who didn’t lack spirit stones.
“I do have an idea, but it’s a bit costly in terms of Recording Stones,” Ye Wan said.
“A mere Recording Stone. Tell me,” Xu Dan waved his hand with a wealthy air.
Because of the leaky spiritual energy, his family not only didn’t disdain him but instead felt he could only cultivate to Foundation Establishment at most and only had four hundred years of life. Thus, they pampered him to death, letting him do what he liked in his limited life, and provided more than enough spirit stones.
Ye Wan explained her idea of using Recording Stones to film the stories from storybooks. Xu Dan listened, deep in thought.
“So we find people to act out the stories in the books and record them with Recording Stones for people to watch…”
The more Xu Dan thought about it, the more he felt it was viable. He couldn’t help but clap his hands. “Brilliant! We use multiple Recording Stones to film while they act, and then we can open what you called a ‘cinema’ in various cities…”
As expected of someone from the family of the wealthiest in the cultivation world; she hadn’t even finished, and he was already thinking about opening a global chain.
After hearing it, Qin Zixun gave Ye Wan a crafty look and said, “I’ll arrange the storybooks!”
Ye Wan: “…” *Somehow, I have a bad feeling.*
When Xu Dan suggested the three of them split the profits equally, Ye Wan only wanted 10%. She wouldn’t handle anything subsequently; even 10% felt like she was being thick-skinned. It was only because she lacked spirit stones and thought that if she couldn’t snatch heavenly materials, she could at least buy them.
If her strength allowed it, she would have wanted to do it herself.
Finally, after some debate among the three, Qin Zixun made the call to give Ye Wan 20%. He would just take a fee for providing the storybooks, and the remaining 80% would go to Xu Dan. He even said she’d regret it if she didn’t take it. That strange look in his eyes made Ye Wan increasingly suspect he was planning some mischief.
Ye Wan returned the “trump card” piece Qin Zixun had given her earlier, bid farewell to the two brothers who had broken the ice but not completely, and carried Suisui back to Changliu Peak.
The journey was filled with Suisui’s milky voice, babbling to her mother about everything that happened over the past few days. She even filed a complaint against the little Ice Phoenix for being a picky eater.
“Mother, Mother, I also met many, many brothers and sisters. The uncle in the kitchen is the best of all; he always gives Suisui the biggest chicken leg!”
“Is that so? Then did Suisui thank the uncle properly?”
“I did! Look! A big chicken leg! I saved one for Mother!” Suisui pulled a still-warm chicken leg from the stone space and pushed it to Ye Wan’s lips.
Moved, Ye Wan gave her daughter’s cheek a loud kiss and took a bite of the chicken leg. “My daughter is so good! I am a treasure because my daughter thinks of me.”
“That’s right! Mother is Suisui’s big treasure, and Suisui is Mother’s little treasure.” Suisui swung her little feet proudly.
Beside them, Lang Xuan, holding the little Ice Phoenix, said nothing but stayed close, fully showing his participation.
Bian Yun followed silently like an invisible person. If no one said anything, no one could tell this was a Soul Transformation stage powerhouse.
However, looking at the somewhat crooked round bun on the back of Suisui’s head, Bian Yun felt a bit guilty. Compared to the small braided flower-bud bun Ye Wan had made when she left three days ago, it was simply unbearable.
Just as the group came down from Yuhua Peak, the mother and daughter were stopped by a female disciple. It was the same female disciple who had been the first to show support at Suisui’s stall and symbolically won the hair clip.