Chapter 171: Planting Tea
A few more days passed…
Inside the Immortal Spirit Valley, mist coiled endlessly, and spiritual springs trickled softly.
Han Yu and Jiang Che stood before a newly cultivated spiritual field, carefully holding a small tea branch about three inches long. It was vividly green, its leaves carrying faint golden veins—this was the "Dongming Mist Sprout" they had painstakingly brought back from the Xuanwu Sect.
"Senior Brother, do you think this tea branch can really survive?" Jiang Che asked nervously.
Han Yu smiled slightly and drew something from his storage pouch—the "Palm Heaven Gourd." Uncorking it, a refreshing fragrance immediately filled the air.
"With this, how could it not survive?"
As he spoke, he carefully tilted the gourd. A drop of crystal-clear spiritual liquid fell onto the root of the tea branch. The instant it touched the soil, it seeped in like a living thing. The tea branch trembled, and its previously drooping leaves spread out with visible vitality, their color growing even more vibrant.
"It's alive!" Jiang Che said in delight, unable to help but sigh inwardly at his senior brother's fortune. Even in the Upper Realm, treasures like this would drive great sects to bloodshed.
After all, this item was nearly equivalent to the very foundation of a top-tier sect.
Han Yu nodded and continued watering the branch with the spiritual liquid.
As the liquid nourished it, the roots quickly spread into the soil, and the main stem began to grow. Within moments, the once three-inch branch had reached half a foot in height, with several tender green buds sprouting at its tip.
"At this rate, we should be able to harvest the first batch of tea leaves in three days," Han Yu said with satisfaction, putting away the gourd. "When that happens, we'll bring some to Master—he'll surely be pleased."
The two exchanged smiles and continued tending to the tea plant, unaware that a snow-white figure had quietly followed them deep into the valley.
…
Not far away, a white fox flicked dew from her ears and irritably kicked aside a pine cone blocking her path.
She—dignified daughter of the Monster Race's Sacred Lord—was actually lost in this shabby valley! It was all because of the rolling mist that constantly obscured her vision.
"Still, this place does have strong spiritual energy…" the white fox sniffed lightly, then suddenly caught the scent of honeyed sweetness.
Her eyes lit up as she pushed through a clump of bushes—and the view opened up.
A massive gray bear lay sprawled under the sunlight, a beehive resting on its belly. Golden honey dripped down its glossy fur.
Hearing a rustle, the gray bear lazily lifted its eyelids, but the moment it saw who had arrived, it jolted upright as if struck by lightning. The beehive slapped onto its face with a wet "smack."
"Sa–Sa–Saint… Saint—" The bear's tongue tangled itself, honey smeared all over its face, yet it didn't even dare wipe it off.
It rubbed its eyes repeatedly, unable to believe what it was seeing.
It had to be dreaming—how could this ancestor show up here?!
Unknowingly, it had spent the past ten years living comfortably as a domesticated beast. Chen Xingcai, its master, was generous and kind, allowing it to advance smoothly to the Returning Origin Realm.
As for the figure before it—her snowy fur shimmered with a pearly luster, her long tail drifted like flowing clouds, and most importantly, on her front paw glowed a faint silver crescent mark, a symbol only monsters could perceive!
The white fox tilted her head, studying the trembling creature. "You know me?"
The gray bear slapped a paw over its mouth.
Of course it knew her! A hundred years ago, at the Monster Clan Grand Assembly, it had seen this little ancestor sitting on the Sacred Lord's head from afar.
Moreover, her mischievousness was notorious throughout the Monster Race.
But the real question was—why was she here, in its master's territory?
"I–I–I am just…" the gray bear stammered, suddenly dropping onto all fours and bowing low. Its head hit the ground with a thud. "Merely a passing minor demon. Greetings to the Saintess!"
The white fox's tail curved upward in amusement.
Though she was unruly within the Monster Race, ever since stepping into human territory, it had been a long time since anyone had shown her proper respect.
Even that old man from Xuanwu Sect—she knew well that his courtesy was only out of respect for her father, not for her personally.
She padded up to the gray bear and suddenly sniffed close. "Returning Origin Realm, to cultivate to this level on human territory… you're… quite impressive."
Hui Xiong gave a nervous chuckle and dared not move.
"Stay with me for a while," Bai Hu suddenly said, patting Hui Xiong's broad shoulder with her paw.
"Stay with you?"
Cold sweat trickled down Hui Xiong's face.
Though its presence had faded over the past decade, that did not mean it wished to leave. It had grown accustomed to the comfortable life here, and as a beast with a master, it could not decide to leave on its own.
Hui Xiong fretfully rubbed its paws together, torn between loyalty to its master and fear of offending the Monster Clan Saintess. It could not afford to anger either side.
After a moment's thought, it bowed its head and said, "My lady Saintess, I have made a home here. I have elders above and young below; it would be inconvenient to leave for long."
Bai Hu narrowed her eyes.
"You didn't just say you were merely passing through…" She suddenly leaned close, her nose nearly brushing his whiskers. "Now you say you've settled nearby—are you lying to me?"
Hui Xiong felt terror flood his soul.
All the Monster Clan knew the Saint had only one daughter; to offend her was to court a fate he dared not imagine.
As he scrambled for a way to stall, a distant roll of thunder suddenly sounded. Hui Xiong seized the chance and blurted out, "It's going to rain! Saintess, shall we find shelter?"
Bai Hu stared at him for a long moment, then grinned. "Very well."
She lightly jumped onto Hui Xiong's head. "Since you say you live nearby, I have something to ask you."
"W-what is it, Saintess?"
"I want to know if two humans live here," she said.
"Humans?"
Hui Xiong froze and began to recall the elders in the valley. "Which ones do you mean?"
"You know them!" Bai Hu snickered coldly.
Hui Xiong hurriedly explained, "No, Saintess, there are indeed a few humans living here, but they might not be the two you're looking for."
"No, they must be them!" Bai Hu said with certainty. "I saw them fly in with my own eyes."
"Eh… why do you seek them?" Hui Xiong began to tremble.
"Because they offended me! I'll burn this place down!" Bai Hu declared.
"W-what!? Burn it?"
Hui Xiong's vision darkened as he imagined his miserable fate.
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