The water buffalo had been brought by Lin Xiangqing and was grazing nearby.
Hearing someone approach, it raised its head warily. Seeing the unfamiliar and unfriendly Rong Ye, it took two steps back.
Fearing it might suddenly charge, Lin Xiangqing signaled Rong Ye not to come closer.
Rong Ye had no intention of approaching anyway, standing far off to the side with a cold, detached gaze.
Lin Xiangqing rolled up his sleeves and crouched down skillfully, taking out a container to place underneath as he began explaining the key points of milking to Su Tangxing.
After all, he was the head senior disciple of the Leisurely Immortal Abode and had considerable experience in raising spirit beasts.
Lin Xiangqing also told Su Tangxing, “I helped deliver it when it gave birth. The calf was in the wrong position—its legs were coming out first. My fellow junior disciples and I slowly pushed it back, and in the end, it was born and still breathing.”
Su Tangxing couldn’t quite picture the scene.
She guessed that if the system were here, it would probably freeze up too.
The Great-Grandmaster, one of the male leads in an otome game, was here milking a cow with her and telling her about helping deliver a water buffalo calf…
Who could have imagined that?
The game’s backstory hadn’t mentioned that Lin Xiangqing also had experience as a veterinarian.
“Because it was stuck for too long and couldn’t breathe well, the calf was born a bit weak. A junior disciple has been taking care of it every day, and it’ll need to grow a bit more before it can fully recover.”
Su Tangxing recalled the disciple she saw yesterday, chasing after the little water buffalo with a milk bottle.
Water buffalo milk was rich and creamy, low in yield but high in nutritional value. Su Tangxing had only ever bought packaged milk before and had never tasted anything this fresh.
Freshly milked and still warm, Lin Xiangqing asked, “Want to give it a try?”
Su Tangxing tentatively reached out, grasped it, and gave a gentle squeeze.
Lin Xiangqing helped her adjust her grip.
Listening to the soft splashing sound of milk hitting the container, Su Tangxing couldn’t help but smile.
Lin Xiangqing crouched beside her, also smiling. “Fun, isn’t it?”
“Yeah!”
The water buffalo turned its head to look at them.
Lin Xiangqing patted its belly.
Rong Ye crossed his arms—though, given his current state, this pose was somewhat difficult. Not only could he barely manage it, but touching his own soft flesh immediately soured his expression.
He trailed behind with a scowl, but unfortunately, the two ahead paid him no mind.
Lin Xiangqing, out of courtesy, asked if he was alright, but Su Tangxing completely ignored him, not at all like a child her age should behave.
Rong Ye was still waiting for her to ask, hoping to bring up the Calamity Curse on his body.
Children were usually easy to talk to—offer them something nice, coax them a little, and things might just work out.
But Su Tangxing didn’t mention it at all, simply carrying the container straight to the dining hall.
Though the milk was warm, it still needed to be thoroughly boiled before drinking. The cooks in the dining hall helped process it, and when it was served, Su Tangxing first offered a portion to Lin Xiangqing before politely asking Rong Ye, “Do you want some?”
“I have practiced Bigu fasting for many years and do not require food.”
Rong Ye still had his arms crossed.
Su Tangxing wanted to say, if you can’t hold them properly, just stop trying—isn’t it tiring to keep your fingers clenched in your sleeves like that?
But out of politeness, she held her tongue and lowered her head to taste the water buffalo milk.
Lin Xiangqing’s spiritual platform was damaged, preventing him from cultivating, so he still needed three meals a day and occasionally visited the dining hall. Disciples passing by came over to greet him, their eyes often drifting toward Su Tangxing.
Yesterday, the elders had been urgently summoned because Ancestor Tiankuang had suddenly taken on a disciple.
This time, only one disciple had been brought back, so it was obvious who the ancestor’s new disciple was.
Lin Xiangqing introduced, “This is our Great-Grandmaster.”
It really was.
The disciples looked astonished, bowing and cupping their hands in greeting.
“Greetings, Great-Grandmaster.”
Su Tangxing’s original body was tall and long-legged with perfect proportions at 178 cm, but now compressed to the age of thirteen, she still stood at 162 cm.
Sitting there drinking milk, she was surrounded by a group of disciples offering their greetings.
Licking the milk residue from the corner of her mouth, she calmly acknowledged with an “Mm,” then tugged on Lin Xiangqing’s sleeve and whispered, “Should I give them gifts?”
Her hand moved to her Storage Ring, calculating how much she could afford to give.
Lin Xiangqing found it amusing and replied in a hushed tone, “No need.”
Su Tangxing breathed a sigh of relief.
Their Great-Grandmaster was currently penniless and truly had nothing to give.
Besides, she’d rather keep her Spirit Stones for herself.
The disciples tactfully didn’t linger too long, offering their greetings before going to get their own meals.
After eating, they still had morning classes, so the crowd gradually dispersed.
Su Tangxing couldn’t keep up with their pace, so she returned to Wushi Mountain for private tutoring.
One-on-one teaching with the Fox Master.
Right at the mountain peak.
The rising, intense sunlight cast a pale golden edge over the churning sea of clouds halfway up the mountain. Looking down, mist and clouds swirled, hazy and unfathomable, stirring an inexplicable urge to jump.
The Fox Master, seated cross-legged on a cushion with eyes closed, said, “Wushi Mountain stands over six hundred and ninety zhang tall.”
Six hundred and ninety zhang—Su Tangxing did the conversion—that was about 2,300 meters.
She withdrew her foot from the edge and sat back on her cushion. “I was just looking.”
Tiankuang still wore a fox’s head, and even while meditating, his eight tails occasionally twitched. Thick and lush, they resembled deep red flames, relaxed and leisurely trailing on the ground, with one tail tip bearing a patch of white.
Su Tangxing glanced at the tails a few times before shifting her gaze to the fox head.
Unconsciously, she found herself unable to look away.
Strangely, she could see beauty and allure even in the fox’s face.
Its ears stood alert and upright, its eyes slanted upward as if naturally lined, and even the shape of its closed eyes exuded charm. Long whiskers protruded, and its nose was dark and glossy.
Wondering if something was wrong with her, she examined the 【Protagonist Aura】 on the game panel, confirming it read “All members of the opposite sex are unconsciously drawn to you,” not “You are drawn to members of the opposite sex.”
Finding no hidden additional clauses either, she decided to ask her Master.
“Master, I find you incredibly charming, and it makes me want to get closer. Why is that?”
Su Tangxing was certain she respected her Master and harbored no improper thoughts, yet she couldn’t help it.
She explained, “Right now, I can’t focus on cultivation. My mind is filled with thoughts of you.”
The Fox Master couldn’t see the game panel. He grinned, flicked his tail, and said, “That’s natural. It’s a talent of my race. My elder brother and I have profound Cultivation Bases, making it difficult for youngsters like you to resist. That’s why we rarely show our true forms.”
Su Tangxing suddenly understood.
No wonder Martial Uncle Tian Zhao was shrouded in mist, and Master Tiankuang didn’t have a human face.
So that was why.
But even with a fox head, it was captivating and unforgettable.
She asked what to do.
Her Master replied, “Calm your mind and focus on cultivation.”
“Then, may I look at you for a while first, Master?”
The Master nodded. “Go ahead.”
Su Tangxing truly stared for a long time.
As she gazed, she began to sense the Spiritual Qi gathering and swirling around her Master, and her attention gradually shifted.
Spiritual Qi was formless and colorless, invisible to the naked eye, only perceptible through quiet contemplation.
The spiritual qi on Wushi Mountain was exceptionally dense, especially that drawn by the Fox Master—it nearly formed an enclosed space around them. With each breath, it naturally flowed into her body.
Su Tangxing closed her eyes, guiding the spiritual qi to circulate through her meridians, repeatedly cleansing her acupoints, and finally gathering within her spiritual platform.
The spiritual platform was located in the dantian area, functioning similarly to a cultivator’s heart. Cultivation was akin to the heart absorbing nutrients and then pumping blood through a circulatory process.
The experience was incredibly wondrous, even more captivating to Su Tangxing than the innate talents of the Fox Master’s race.
No wonder everyone aspired to pursue immortal cultivation.