**Chapter 125: Returning Home**
Jiang Huai found himself at a loss for words; this time, it was he who pinched Luo Qingyu’s fair face, saying, “Got it, got it.”
“Then let’s stay like this for a while… Let’s go out and watch the clouds,” Luo Qingyu said as she nestled into Jiang Huai’s arms. He gently lifted her and walked out to the deck. At that moment, Luo Yueguan was softly chatting with Bai Li, handing her a defensive magic tool.
Bai Li was never one to be shy about accepting such things, and she understood that Luo Yueguan was doing this out of appreciation for Jiang Huai’s favor. She accepted the magic tool naturally, silently remembering the sentiment behind it.
Jiang Huai sat on a chair, holding Luo Qingyu, as they leisurely watched the clouds in the sky. Luo Qingyu’s waist felt soft in his embrace, and at this moment, she appeared perfectly obedient again. Jiang Huai moved closer and gently pinched her earlobe. From his earlier experimentation, he found that her earlobe was particularly sensitive, though not as excessively so as Luo Yueguan’s. The most sensitive part of Luo Qingyu’s body… was her delicate pink tips.
Having been toyed with by Luo Qingyu last night, he thought it was time to come up with a plan to reclaim his authority as a husband.
The spirit boat traveled through the sea of clouds for quite some time, and Bai Li moved a stool over to sit beside them. Jiang Huai pulled out a Storage Ring filled with an abundance of snacks, as well as various Healing Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills, along with pills that could briefly boost cultivation but would harm one’s vitality. He had organized and labeled everything during his free time yesterday and handed it over to Bai Li for safekeeping.
With her extensive experience in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm, Bai Li was in control of the situation, which reassured Jiang Huai. She collected everything and smiled at him, “Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of Sister Qingyu.”
“Mm, be careful and stay safe.”
Bai Li nodded gently, and they exchanged a glance, the rest of the warnings no longer needed.
…
Tian Xuan Sect, Guanxue Mountain.
“Let’s stop practicing the sword for today,” Chu Xianning said as she put away the wooden sword, her cold eyes resting on Wen Wanwan.
Wen Wanwan, dressed in a white Daoist robe, had a slight flush on her cheeks. Upon hearing Chu Xianning’s words, her tense body relaxed; her delicate lips parted slightly as she breathed in small gasps.
It had been fifteen days since Jiang Huai had descended the mountain. During these fifteen days, Wen Wanwan had come to practice swordsmanship with Chu Xianning for an hour each day, and Chu Xianning had been quite serious in her instruction.
Over time, Chu Xianning gradually discovered that Wen Wanwan’s progress seemed to exceed her expectations. Whenever she thought Wen Wanwan had learned something new, by the next day, Wen Wanwan would be even more skilled than when they ended the previous day’s practice. Soon, Chu Xianning figured out the reason; likely, Wen Wanwan had practiced diligently on her own after returning home.
This significantly improved Chu Xianning’s impression of her.
Her only disciple, Jiang Huai, was a thorough slacker, yet he had exceptional talent—a fact that left her with no room for criticism. Although Wen Wanwan’s talent was somewhat lacking, she was diligent and obedient. During these days, she had served tea to Chu Xianning and cleaned the courtyard, tending even to the flowers and plants. Although Chu Xianning had said nothing, she noted everything in her heart.
Just yesterday, Wen Wanwan had brought her homemade pastries; Chu Xianning usually disliked accepting gifts but made an exception and tried a piece.
Recently, Wen Wanwan had also taken on quite a few orders from the Medicine Refining Mountain. She had explained this to Chu Xianning, framing it as a way to earn spirit stones for Jiang Huai. However, Chu Xianning was well aware that Jiang Huai did not lack spirit stones at all. He was simply too lazy. If he truly intended to earn spirit stones, given his alchemical or formation skills, he should have plenty of methods. He merely wanted to provide Wen Wanwan with resources for her cultivation without making her feel inferior. Although Chu Xianning could see through this, she didn’t bring it up. For reasons she couldn’t quite articulate, she felt a certain fondness for Wen Wanwan.
If Wen Wanwan were Jiang Huai’s Dao Companion, Chu Xianning thought she might be a better match than Luo Qingyu.
Chu Xianning did not dislike Luo Qingyu; she just felt that there was something a bit untrustworthy about her expression. Having lived for six hundred years, she spent little effort in charm, but she had seen many people. Just by looking into a pair of eyes, she could often discern whether the emotions they revealed were genuine or not.
“You’ve fully mastered Wangyue and Mist Slash, so now you can officially begin your journey. From here on out, you’ll have to rely on your own exploration. My Silver Ray doesn’t have many variations. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you 【Zhe Zhi】, a sword technique based on the soul; given your constitution, it should yield excellent results. Make sure to rest well when you go back.”
“Mm, but Wanwan has an alchemical order… I’ll leave a bit later.”
“Go ahead,” Chu Xianning said calmly.
Wen Wanwan nodded quietly before heading to the backyard bathhouse. After bathing and tidying up, she went to the bamboo grove in the backyard. Jiang Huai’s alchemy furnace was placed there. During this time, she had already earned over ten thousand spirit stones for him—a lucrative venture. Wen Wanwan had never seen so many spirit stones in her life.
Now, her sister’s health had improved significantly; she could already skip around the courtyard all day. As for Wen Wanwan’s own cultivation, it was on the right track; she had achieved Late Stage Foundation Establishment. In fact, the surplus spiritual energy was already sufficient for her to form a core. However, since Jiang Huai had promised to accompany her to the Daoji Ancestral Land, she repeatedly refined the spiritual energy within her body, making it more pure for the future formation of a core, hoping for the opportunity to create a better spirit pill.
Wen Wanwan had never really aspired for much; her greatest wish in this lifetime was for her sister to recover. Beyond that, she had never considered her own future. As the older sister, it was her duty to care for her younger sister. But now, as her sister grew less dependent on her, she found herself becoming somewhat confused and anxious, beginning to ponder her future.
She knew that soon Jiang Huai would be marrying Luo Qingyu.
With Qingyu Fairy’s esteemed status, Jiang Huai and she seemed to be a match made in heaven. They appeared so well-suited together that whenever Wen Wanwan caught a glimpse of Luo Qingyu’s eyes, she would instinctively avert her own gaze, unable to distinguish whether it was guilt or shyness.
If Jiang Huai were to marry, would she still have the chance to stay by his side? Would Luo Qingyu accept her as a concubine? She had never hoped for the title of the main wife, but even as a concubine… she might not have such a chance.
Thinking of this caused Wen Wanwan to feel slightly breathless; she lowered her head, standing in the bathhouse. The young girl’s body was shining white, and her fingertips grazed over her skin, feeling the smoothness.
If she were to ask Jiang Huai for the status of a concubine… would it put him in a difficult position?
Wen Wanwan’s eyelashes lowered slightly.
…
The spirit boat from Luo Yueguan arrived at Tian Xuan Sect.
Luo Yueguan raised her hand, wrapping Jiang Huai in a thread of spiritual energy and gently lowering him towards Guanxue Mountain. Then, as if recalling something, she focused her thoughts and locked onto Chu Xianning’s location on Guanxue Mountain, transmitting a message to her.
The message simply informed Chu Xianning of recent events but most importantly conveyed that Jiang Huai had verbally agreed on the wedding date with Luo Qingyu, set for her twentieth birthday.
She wasn’t worried that Jiang Huai would be angry; it was something that needed to be said eventually. Since he didn’t know how to broach the subject, she would take care of it herself.
“I told your master about the time you and Qingyu finalized your marriage,” Luo Yueguan said, glancing at Jiang Huai.
“Okay,” Jiang Huai nodded, lightly kissing Luo Qingyu on the lips as they prepared to part.
Luo Yueguan used spiritual energy to lower Jiang Huai onto Guanxue Mountain, and the spirit boat swiftly disappeared from his view. Jiang Huai approached the courtyard, finding the door tightly shut. He reached out and gently pushed the door open.
Chu Xianning, clad in a white Daoist robe, sat in the pavilion, gazing at a steaming tea bowl on the table. The sound of Luo Yueguan’s transmission still echoed in her ears.
Turning at the sound of the door, she met Jiang Huai’s gaze.
Jiang Huai stood beneath a tree, the summer sunlight bright and hot, with dappled shadows dancing around him as he stood in the mottled light. Chu Xianning sat in the shade of the pavilion.
“I’m back,” he said.
Chu Xianning nodded slightly, saying nothing.
Jiang Huai sat down opposite her, poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot on the table, and hesitated for a moment before saying, “I had a lot of gains in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm. I was lucky to find a Dragon Blood Spirit Flower. Later, I’ll go to the pharmacy to gather the necessary materials for a medicine to treat old injuries.”
Chu Xianning stared at his cheek for several seconds without speaking.
After Jiang Huai went to Dragon Burial Valley, she had sought out information. The secret realm of Dragon Burial Valley was rumored to attract countless cultivators, specifically because of the Dragon Blood Spirit Flower, yet he had initially claimed he was looking for medicine to heal his own injuries.
“What about the spiritual medicine for your injury?” Chu Xianning asked flatly.
Jiang Huai scratched his head. “Haven’t found a suitable one yet, but I encountered many fortuitous events in the secret realm. My friend obtained the chance to transform into a dragon, and I received Ji Shi Zhenren’s Hunyuan Lifedeath Sword inheritance, which is quite impressive.”
Chu Xianning’s eyelashes lowered slightly as she replied softly, “Good news.”
Jiang Huai stared at Chu Xianning for a long time; she remained silent. After a while, she lifted her gaze and coolly asked, “Why are you staring at me?”
“It’s been a long time since I saw my master, so I wanted to look a little longer.”
“Have you seen enough?”
Jiang Huai hurriedly looked away, turning his face and standing up. “I’ll go bathe first.”
“Wen Wanwan is in the bathhouse, so do not barge in.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for her outside.”
Chu Xianning watched Jiang Huai’s back for a moment before turning her face away.
While Chu Xianning didn’t understand medicine, she had occasionally acquired a bit of fortune-telling inheritance. Upon seeing Jiang Huai, she noticed his pale complexion, unsteady steps, and chaotic breath, as he had likely vomited more than eight times since last night.
