Chapter 34: Has the Spirit Stone Problem Been Solved?
In the cultivation world, one needed more than power to survive—honeyed words were just as important.
When his cultivation was lacking, Chu Xingchen had relied on charm and eloquence.
Now, his smile was warm and graceful, as soothing as a spring breeze.
"You're too kind," he said with an easy laugh. "After speaking with you, I find that your manners and bearing are truly those of a refined lady."
The courtesan, about to respond with admiration, froze as Chu Xingchen suddenly turned his head toward the entrance.
There, walking briskly toward him, was Li Xingtian.
Chu Xingchen immediately rose to his feet. His second disciple was the sort who only cared for cultivation; if he had come here, something must have happened.
Li Xingtian glanced briefly at the courtesan before lowering his voice. "Senior Sister said a cold but very beautiful woman came to ask if you live at our residence. She wasn't sure if she was an enemy."
A cold beauty?
Chu Xingchen's eyes lit up in realization. That could only be Yaoqin.
He hadn't expected her to come in person—he thought she would at most send her maid A-Ling.
Relaxing, he said calmly, "It's nothing serious. She's an acquaintance. Let's go back."
The courtesan, seeing him ready to leave without hesitation, panicked inwardly.
Such a man—handsome, refined, and otherworldly—was a rare encounter.
Before she could stop herself, she called out softly, "My lord, this humble one's name is Wanyun. May I ask for yours?"
Chu Xingchen paused, turning his head slightly. His expression held a fleeting hint of sentiment before he sighed faintly.
"Two wanderers adrift in the same world—why insist on knowing each other's names?"
With that, he turned and left without looking back.
To him, this was merely practice—an exercise in the art of rhetoric and charm he hadn't used in some time.
Judging by the result, his skill had not dulled at all.
Don't get attached to me, he thought with quiet amusement. I'm only a legend passing by.
Behind him, Wanyun stood motionless, clutching her pipa. Her lips trembled as she repeated softly to herself, "Why insist… on knowing each other's names…"
Neither noticed the young man in white standing nearby.
He had listened from the beginning, captivated by every word.
When he heard that final line, his eyes suddenly lit up. Watching Chu Xingchen's departing figure, a grin spread across his face.
"Good… very good…" he murmured to himself.
——————
Chu Xingchen and Li Xingtian hurried back to the courtyard residence.
Even before entering, they heard Li Yingling's overly sweet tone drifting from inside.
"Sister, how could I lie to you?"
Followed by Yaoqin's cold, suspicious voice:
"You've been lying to me since I knocked on the door."
When Chu Xingchen stepped through the gate, he saw Yaoqin sitting elegantly at the stone table, while his eldest disciple was busy pouring her tea with an ingratiating smile.
The moment he and Li Xingtian entered, both women turned toward them.
Li Yingling visibly relaxed at the sight of her master—thank heavens, the visitor wasn't here to start a fight.
Yaoqin, however, shot to her feet. In a flash, she appeared before Chu Xingchen and seized his wrist.
Her divine sense surged directly into his body.
Startled, Chu Xingchen instinctively activated his Golden Core defense, blocking the intrusion. "What are you doing?"
Her expression was cold as frost. "Let me see for myself."
"Isn't that a bit inappropriate—with so many people watching?"
"Then our business ends here," she said flatly.
Cornered by her icy threat, Chu Xingchen reluctantly gave in, lowering his guard.
Yaoqin's divine sense pierced into his meridians, examining every trace of his energy.
Li Yingling stood frozen, eyes wide. What on earth was going on?
Li Xingtian glanced once, then looked away with a faint sigh.
This was clearly a matter of feelings.
Master might be a genius, but in emotional matters… he was still a bit too superficial.
Once Chu Xingchen withdrew the protective energy of his Golden Core, Yaoqin's divine sense entered him smoothly.
But the moment she did, she froze on the spot.
The spiritual power circulating within his body was pure—astonishingly pure. Its flow was steady and balanced, the quality of the energy refined to a degree rarely seen.
The aura was upright, calm, and harmonious. The rotation speed of his core energy and the rhythm of his breath were extremely fast—this was something only a top-grade Golden Core cultivator could achieve.
And the level of his spiritual power had to be at least the late Golden Core stage.
After examining a little longer, Yaoqin finally confirmed there was no trace of that sinister blood energy she had seen in the talisman or the corrupted stones.
Only then did she relax and release her hand.
At least now she knew—Chu Xingchen was not a demonic cultivator.
That was the most important thing.
Chu Xingchen blinked at her, puzzled. "Why are you acting so strange today?"
Yaoqin didn't answer directly. She instead took out the talisman Zhao Wanqing had given her and handed it over. "Look at this. The blood energy sealed inside feels almost identical to what's inside the Blood Qi Spirit Stones you gave me."
Accepting it, Chu Xingchen infused a wisp of spiritual power. The talisman burst open, releasing a surge of violent blood qi into the air.
His brows furrowed slightly. "Wait… did this come from the Demon Sealing Division?"
Yaoqin's eyes narrowed. "How did you know that?"
"Because the one who got infected by this blood energy was someone I fished out of the Yuzhou River," Chu Xingchen said helplessly. "You could say I saved his life."
At that moment, Chu Xingchen felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.
What kind of ridiculous karmic loop was this? He had fished a man out of the river—only for that same incident to circle right back to his doorstep.
"You fished him out?!" Yaoqin asked incredulously.
Chu Xingchen sighed and gave her the short version—how he'd been quietly fishing, how he'd accidentally hooked the poor Demon Sealing officer, and how he'd saved the half-dead man with a few well-placed needles.
Yaoqin said nothing, but Li Yingling, who had been eavesdropping from the side, suddenly piped up with bright eyes.
"Master, next time you go fishing, take me with you!"
She had thought her master's 'fishing trip' was just an idle hobby.
Who would've guessed he'd reel in a story like that?
Fishing for adventure sounded far more exciting than wandering the streets buying trinkets!
Chu Xingchen shot her a sharp glare.
Li Yingling only gave an awkward smile and shrank back behind her teacup.
"Those two… your disciples?" Yaoqin asked, frowning slightly.
Chu Xingchen exhaled in resignation and shrugged. "Yes. Two leaky cotton jackets that can't keep the cold out."
"Master!" Li Yingling pouted in protest.
She could understand calling Li Xingtian a "leaky jacket"—her junior brother barely spoke and didn't seem the least bit affectionate toward their master.
But she was different! She was loyal, helpful, and always eager to assist.
Calling her a "leaky jacket" was completely unfair—she was at least an eighteen-layer down robe!
Chu Xingchen chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair in mock consolation before turning back to Yaoqin.
"You didn't just come to accuse me, did you?" he asked with a knowing look. "How's the issue with the Blood Qi Spirit Stones coming along?"
Yaoqin froze. Her once-cool expression faltered, and her eyes drifted to the side, avoiding his gaze.
Chu Xingchen immediately understood.
So she hadn't solved it after all.
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 8 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 64 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise