The cheerful atmosphere instantly froze. Zhou Lixing quickly asked, “Senior sister, why is that?”
Hua Shengqing pressed urgently, “Yes, I was still planning to teach little junior sister sword formations and team combat!”
Qin Sangyue sighed lightly. “Master once told me—though she revised the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Technique so it can circulate and cultivate automatically, this method is extremely unsuitable for sword cultivators. The further one trains in it, the deeper and calmer it becomes, emphasizing restraint. But sword cultivation relies on sharpness and decisiveness, directly opposing this method’s principles.
“The higher a sword cultivator climbs, the more their sword heart and understanding of sword intent are tested. The sword demands one to charge forward, fearless. But the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Technique emphasizes keeping one’s brilliance hidden, quietly gaining strength. The two paths contradict each other, which would obstruct a sword cultivator’s progress.”
After her explanation, the brothers and sisters who had been praising Nan Sinning moments ago now looked at her with thick sympathy and pity.
Feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, Nan Sinning hurried to declare her plan: “No need to pity me! Even if I can’t be a sword cultivator, I can still train in something else! For example… alchemy! I’m pretty good at that, right, third senior brother?”
She never had a fixation on the sword, so this didn’t feel like a regret to her.
Recalling their experiences in the secret realm, Zhou Lixing honestly admitted, “Little junior sister does indeed have some talent for alchemy.”
Liang Xiao asked curiously, “You refined pills in the secret realm? Who taught you?”
His tone made Nan Sinning feel looked down upon, so she unhappily replied, “My storage ring has everything. Aside from cultivation manuals, I’ve got alchemy, artifact forging, talisman-making, and formation texts. I just followed the books.”
As she spoke, she pulled out a few manuals. In truth, they were loot from her robberies—she couldn’t exactly say they came from the system.
Her brothers and sisters glanced at each other, each suspecting another had slipped those manuals into her storage ring.
After a pause, Qin Sangyue asked solemnly, “Little junior sister, are you sure about this? You really want to be an alchemist and not a sword cultivator?”
Nan Sinning answered, “I’m sure! Being an alchemist, a craftsman, even a talisman or formation master—it’s all fine! All roads lead to Rome. Cultivation is cultivation, no matter the path!”
Zhou Lixing immediately supported her. “Yes! Little junior sister is also good at forging! She’s a genius through and through!”
Seeing her junior sister’s cheerful acceptance, Qin Sangyue felt comforted but also guilty—if only she had warned her earlier, Nan Sinning wouldn’t have completed the entire Heaven and Earth Five Elements Technique.
“You’re right, little junior sister. But alchemists and craftsmen aren’t skilled in fighting. From now on, I’ll protect you.”
Zhou Lixing chimed in, “I’ll protect little junior sister too!”
Hua Shengqing jumped in as well: “And me! Don’t look down on me just because I haven’t built my foundation yet. My swordsmanship is still strong!”
Nan Sinning smiled sweetly. “I believe you, seventh senior sister!”
If she weren’t gifted in swordsmanship, her seventh senior sister wouldn’t have become such a troublesome demoness after falling into darkness in the book.
Everyone’s eyes then turned to Liang Xiao, who had yet to speak.
He hurried to add, “I’ll protect little junior sister too.”
Nan Sinning’s smile faded slightly. She reminded him, “Fourth senior brother, don’t promise lightly. I’m already locked in a life-or-death feud with Luo Qingyao. If one day we fight, will you really help me against her?”
Liang Xiao choked, unable to answer, looking awkward and embarrassed.
Hua Shengqing burst out angrily, “Fourth senior brother! In that situation, of course you’d help little junior sister! She’s family!”
Compared to Hua Shengqing’s agitation, Nan Sinning was calm. She knew too well how much her fourth senior brother simped for Luo Qingyao and had never placed much hope in him.
So she changed the subject. “Anyway, in the secret realm, after senior sister came out, third senior brother and I harvested quite a lot.”
She began pulling items out of her storage ring.
First, three or four Dragonhead Blood Ginsengs. Then, seven or eight Dragonspine Blood Ginsengs. After that, more than ten Dragon-tail Blood Ginsengs!
Seeing the heap of jade boxes pile up, everyone fell silent again.
Nan Sinning, confused, asked anxiously, “Is it not enough? If it isn’t, we’ll figure something else out.”
Hua Shengqing quickly waved her hands. “Enough! More than enough!”
Qin Sangyue also recovered, saying, “Plenty. I thought if the two of you managed to pick one or two, it would already be great. I never imagined you’d gather this many.”
Nan Sinning lied with a straight face. “Actually, it wasn’t much effort. We just got lucky.”
Zhou Lixing muttered vaguely, “Y-yeah… lucky.”
Fortunately, Qin Sangyue and the others were too focused on the blood ginseng to question further.
With so many, second senior brother Yuan Qing’an’s condition wouldn’t be a worry for now. The atmosphere relaxed.
After Qin Sangyue stored the blood ginseng, Nan Sinning was ready to take out more. “Besides those, third senior brother and I also found some other treasures—”
Qin Sangyue stopped her. “The rest belongs to you two. Divide it between yourselves. No need to share it with us.”
Nan Sinning thought a moment, then nodded. “Alright then!”
After a short rest, second senior brother Yuan Qing’an finally woke.
Seeing his dazed eyes, Hua Shengqing shrieked, “Senior sister! Look, is second senior brother stupid now?!”
The just-conscious Yuan Qing’an: …
He coughed lightly to show he was fine, though his throat burned and every word was painful. Remembering what happened before he fainted, he nearly lost composure.
Qin Sangyue checked him again and said, “This time he woke faster than before, and his meridians aren’t as badly damaged. It seems little junior sister’s desperate measures truly saved him.”
Whether it was due to the blood ginseng, she wasn’t sure.
In a hoarse voice, Yuan Qing’an said slowly, “Thank you, little junior sister.”
Nan Sinning quickly replied, “Second senior brother, you’re too polite.”
With his condition stable, everyone felt relieved.
Qin Sangyue arranged for Liang Xiao and Hua Shengqing to take Yuan Qing’an to a nearby inn to recover. She herself would find the owner of the ruined courtyard to settle compensation.
“Little junior sister, do you want to come with me, or go with fourth senior brother and seventh senior sister?” she asked.
Nan Sinning asked hopefully, “Can I go wander by myself? I have some spirit plants I want to sell for spirit stones, and I’d like to explore Luoshui City. I’ve never strolled through the streets before!”
She had heard cultivators loved setting up stalls, and stalls were where protagonists always got lucky finds. How could she miss it? For someone who loved scavenging, treasure-hunting was irresistible.
Qin Sangyue hesitated. “Third junior brother, accompany little junior sister. If she wants to sell spirit plants, go to Medicine King City’s pill shop. They collect all kinds of plants at fair prices.”
Zhou Lixing quickly agreed.
Soon the group split up. Nan Sinning and Zhou Lixing walked through Luoshui City, curious eyes roaming everywhere.
The streets were wide and clean, lined with shops, not much different from mortal towns. But every shopfront, signboard, and banner had little enchantments or formations that drew attention and lured customers inside.
Seeing her fascinated by everything, Zhou Lixing, though not good with words, racked his brain to explain whatever he knew. Right or wrong, Nan Sinning listened with great interest.
When they reached the busiest street, Zhou Lixing said, “The Medicine King City shop is at the very center. You can’t miss it.”
From afar, Nan Sinning spotted the towering building, like a modern jewelry store, several stories high. Tilting her head back to look, she said, “Alchemists really do make money!”
No wonder Xiao Jingwen had been so arrogant.
Zhou Lixing added bitterly, “Yes. Aside from sword cultivators and spell cultivators, alchemists, craftsmen, talisman and formation masters—all of them are rich.”
His path wasn’t with the sword but ran close to sword cultivation.
Nan Sinning comforted him, “Don’t be jealous, third senior brother. With me around, we’ll have plenty of chances to get spirit stones.”
Thinking of her endless ideas, Zhou Lixing nodded, fully convinced.
Inside the pill shop, the place was bustling.
While guarding Nan Sinning, Zhou Lixing explained, “The Luoshui Secret Realm is one of the rare ones that stays open. Anyone under Foundation Establishment can enter anytime. So those preparing to enter come buy pills, and those coming out sell spirit plants for spirit stones.”
Nan Sinning nodded along. Medicine King City truly had a business mind—profit from both ends, impossible to lose.
She noted that the first floor sold basic pills—Rejuvenation, Spirit Restoring, Minor Healing—the kind sold in bulk. Higher-grade pills were likely on the second and third floors.
At the spirit plant recycling counter, a long line of people waited. As Nan Sinning queued up, she overheard their chatter:
“This time, I don’t know what happened in the secret realm. No matter how long you were in there, everyone got teleported out! I’d only been inside fifteen days. Lost half my time—what bad luck!”
“Stop whining. Didn’t the City Lord’s mansion say they’ll refund the remaining spirit stones? You should be glad you kept your life!”
“What do you mean? Are you saying this incident wasn’t normal?”