Chapter 69: Qingli Chu Grows Stronger with Each Defeat
This year, Chichi Su was nine years old.
However, the peaceful days of cultivation in the valley did not last long.
A month later, the depths of this secluded forest welcomed its first uninvited guest.
The arrival was someone Chen An and Chichi Su were both very familiar with.
That sky-blue dress seemed to be a signature outfit for Fairy Qingli.
Because it was a remote mountain range rarely visited by humans, she had taken off her veil, revealing her true face.
Her slender waist was tied with two sashes. A gentle breeze from the valley blew, lifting the sashes and the corner of the woman’s dress.
Chichi Su hopped forward, smiling, “Fairy Sister, why are you here to get beaten again? Have you fallen for my Master?”
Fairy Qingli glanced at her, her hand tightening slightly on the sword hilt.
She thought to herself, *What an annoying little girl, just like her Master.*
Then, she raised her hand slightly, her long sword pointing directly at Chen An.
Fairy Qingli’s expression held a hint of arrogance. She looked at the man before her and said with a cold face, “Thanks to you, I have successfully formed my Golden Core. Today, I will show you what it means to grow stronger with each defeat!”
As she finished speaking, her eyes blazed with astonishing fighting spirit. Dust swirled around her body without any wind, and her long sword rang out multiple times.
The aura was truly intimidating, causing Chichi Su to instinctively take a step back.
Three minutes later, the battle was quickly concluded.
The outcome was no different from what Chichi Su had seen before.
In fact, in terms of time, it was precisely, perfectly three minutes.
Because the time it took Fairy Qingli to complete her sword techniques was about three minutes.
The woman lay on the ground, half her body buried in the earth. Her long sword was planted beside her, trembling slightly, symbolizing her futile struggle.
Around her, traces of crisscrossing sword energy could be seen everywhere, attesting to the swiftness of the battle.
Her sky-blue dress was also tattered in many places, exposing large areas of her fair skin.
If not for her faint breathing, onlookers would likely have mistaken her for someone recently dug up from a mass grave.
Chen An frowned, remaining silent. He simply took Chichi Su’s hand and turned back towards the valley.
Fairy Qingli was left alone, her fate unknown.
But Chen An knew that the woman would likely return soon.
After all, they had faced injuries far more severe than this multiple times.
Fairy Qingli was like an indomitable cockroach, possessing incredibly tenacious vitality.
The more miserably she was beaten, the more her cultivation advanced the next time she appeared.
Chen An did not go for the kill; he was not someone who enjoyed needless killing.
Besides, apart from her penchant for fighting him, Fairy Qingli did not bother him otherwise.
He often heard news about her from passersby.
Such as “Fairy Qingli has once again slain a certain demonic beast” or “She has successfully challenged someone from a higher cultivation realm,” and so on.
The footsteps of one big and one small person slowly faded away.
Accompanying them was the girl’s receding laughter.
“Master, she’s so silly…”
Fairy Qingli lowered her head and silently pulled her body out of the dirt.
The fighting spirit in her eyes was gone, replaced by a hint of unspeakable melancholy.
She couldn’t understand why this man was always one step ahead of her.
Although Fairy Qingli was very reluctant to admit it, her first encounter with Chen An, where she was defeated in such a humiliating manner, had undoubtedly left a deep scar on her heart.
She could accept defeat, but she couldn’t bear to lose so utterly.
This was also the reason why she persistently challenged Chen An again and again.
All Fairy Qingli wanted to preserve was this sliver of insignificant dignity…
The woman slowly stood up straight and left in a daze.
Her murmured words drifted in the wind.
“So, you had already reached Golden Core…”
…
…
As for Chichi Su, there was nothing else for her to do in the valley.
She simply cultivated and played with her Master every day.
Perhaps because she had witnessed too much of the world’s splendor with Chen An in the past two years, she didn’t find this life boring.
The proportion of cultivation and play was probably fifty-fifty.
During this period, perhaps due to Chen An’s excessive indulgence, the girl’s personality had gradually become a little spoiled. She would often make other requests during the time meant for cultivation.
And Chen An never refused.
Chichi Su’s requests were often whimsical.
One moment she might be clamoring to grab a fishing rod and go fishing, and the next she would be clinging to Chen An’s arm, coquettishly asking her Master to play music for her.
Their fishing rods were made of bamboo by Chen An. They also had a peculiar way of fishing, never baiting the hook, and relying purely on luck to catch anything.
Chichi Su didn’t understand that fishing required bait, while Chen An was simply lazy.
Anyway, the girl learned by imitation from her Master. So, when the two of them went fishing by the lake, they often returned empty-handed.
Chichi Su didn’t know why, only occasionally grumbling that this wretched lake had no fish.
But she still loved going.
As long as she was with her Master, no matter what they did, it made her feel comfortable.
The little girl didn’t know how to describe this feeling. It was like soaking in a hot spring; her whole body felt warm, and even her hair seemed to exude happiness.
As for playing music, it was Chen An’s hobby to pass the time when he had nothing else to do.
Sometimes he would play songs he had heard on Blue Star, and sometimes he would play melodies popular in Shenzhou.
Outside the valley, there was a small bamboo forest. Chen An used the bamboo from there to make a transverse flute, as well as fishing rods.
Making a flute was simple, but to make the bamboo flute resonate clearly and produce a pure sound, a high-quality flute membrane was needed.
Flute membranes were mostly made from reeds. Chen An searched around the valley but couldn’t find any.
He didn’t force it, and instead used his spiritual energy to conjure a flute membrane, settling for it.
However, it ultimately lacked a certain charm, like cooking without salt, which left Chen An with a slight regret.
To the east of the valley lay a medium-sized lake.
On one side of the lake stood two bamboo chairs, one large and one small.
On the chairs reclined two figures, one large and one small.
Chichi Su held her fishing rod with both hands, her gaze focused on the lake’s surface.
The lake water was so clear that many aquatic creatures could be seen swimming back and forth.
After watching for a while, Chichi Su suddenly asked out of the blue, “Master, what’s the name of this lake?”
Chen An was taken aback. *The nearest village is probably several days’ journey away.*
The mountains were perpetually desolate and rarely visited by humans. Where would a lake here get a name?
So, he replied, “It doesn’t have a name.”
Upon hearing this, Chichi Su’s eyes lit up.
“Then let’s give it a name.”
Chen An lay on the bamboo chair, his eyes half-closed, and asked casually, “What name do you want to give it?”
The girl lowered her head, thinking earnestly for a long time.
After a while, she finally said with a serious expression, “Master, since it’s such a big lake, why don’t we just call it Big Lake?”
Chen An sighed, but agreed, “Then it shall be called Big Lake.”
And so, the lake finally had its name.
Big Lake.
(End of Chapter)
