CHAPTER 25: JIANG LINGSU'S REQUEST

As the sun rose slowly into the sky, light shone faintly onto the ground. Jiang Lingsu wore a long green dress, her sleeves fluttering like silk in the wind, giving her the air of a serpent maiden. Her eyes sparkled, carrying a trace of drowsiness.

She brushed the strands of hair from her forehead and took a deep breath of the fresh air. “It seems that I lost a piece of Jinyuan Jade yesterday. Alas, it’s a shame that it can’t be bought here, at Divine Radiance Sect. I’ll just have to make do without it.”

The Jinyuan Jade was a type of spirit jade. When ignited, it’d release a mysterious fragrance that cleared the mind and sharpened the vision. Yesterday, the puppet that was cleaning the house had thrown away a piece that hadn’t been used completely.

In the past, she wouldn’t have cared. The problem was that she couldn’t find a replacement in the Divine Radiance Sect. Thus, Jiang Lingsu decided to go to the trash heap to retrieve it.

When she arrived at the garbage pile, she covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve. She was about to summon a puppet to search for it when she suddenly froze.

Jiang Lingsu stared at the garbage. "Did someone go through the trash?"

It seemed as if someone had rummaged through the pile outside her hut. The heap usually held her daily refuse, including leftover scraps of unused spirit items like the Jinyuan Jade.

She pondered for a moment before summoning one of her many talismans. It was the Sensing Talisman, crafted by a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. She usually kept it by her bed to serve as a warning.

Jiang Lingsu used it to check for clues around the garbage pile. A faint mark appeared in the center of the Sensing Talisman.

“Last night, around 1-3 a.m.? A living being lingered outside my house for about an hour?”

From the residual information on the talisman, Jiang Lingsu deduced that some being had lingered near her house for quite some time last night. However, due to the lack of hostility, the talisman hadn’t issued a warning. Otherwise, how would she have gotten any sleep?

She furrowed her brow at the trash heap. “On the Seven-Colored Peak, there’s only Master, Senior Brother, and me. Ordinary animals wouldn’t trigger the talisman. It must’ve been something with spirit, at least.”

Suddenly, Jiang Lingsu turned her gaze toward the thatched hut next door. “Could it be...”

She recalled how her Senior Brother had eaten spirit food last time, and an indescribable feeling stirred in her heart.

”Haa...”

She thought for a moment, then returned to her room.

Half an hour later, Jiang Lingsu arrived outside Qi Yuan’s courtyard. She called out softly, “Senior Brother, are you awake yet?”

“What is it, Junior Sister?”

Qi Yuan had changed into a white robe. He seemed rather handsome and unrestrained. Today was the Foundation Establishment Event, so he had risen earlier than usual.

Jiang Lingsu felt her heart clear and brightened. Indeed, laying eyes upon beautiful things always lifts one’s mood.

Jiang Lingsu asked, “Senior Brother, could I trouble you with something?”

Still grateful for the cultivation jade slip and spirit food, Qi Yuan was warm and cheerful. “Oh? What is it?”

“Senior Brother, do you know if there are any unusual people in our sect? Or perhaps, mysterious individuals?”

The one who could resist the calamity. At first, Jiang Lingsu had suspected the Seven-Colored Peak’s master, Ruan Yixi. Still, she felt she should broaden her scope and identify more candidates.

“Unusual people?” Qi Yuan pondered. Then, his eyes lit up. “I know someone very unusual.”

Jiang Lingsu’s heart gave a sudden thump. “Who?”

Qi Yuan pointed at himself. “Me!”

Jiang Lingsu was speechless. Well, you are indeed rather unusual. After all, Obsession cultivators are all a little abnormal.

She felt a bit dejected. Was her request too much for him after all?

Yet, recalling the matter from earlier in the morning, she pulled out a storage pouch. “Senior Brother, here are a thousand spirit stones. Consider it your payment. Please help me keep an eye out for unusual people. I can give you more later on.”

Qi Yuan blinked at the pouch. “Junior Sister, why are you doing this?”

She hadn’t expected him to ask. Then, she remembered that Obsession cultivators could be eccentric, but they were no fools.

Jiang Lingsu gave the excuse she’d prepared. “Before I came to the Divine Radiance Sect, I met a fortune teller. He told me there’s a special person in the sect—someone who’d be my benefactor. I’d like to find out who it is.”

Qi Yuan couldn’t help but mutter, “Believing that is as good as believing that I’m an emperor.”

Jiang Lingsu was dumbfounded.

Qi Yuan finally said, “But very well, I’ll take on this matter.”

He accepted the pouch. After all, his eyes could see things others couldn’t. He could just be the most suitable person to find this unusual character.

“Does this person have any other traits?” Qi Yuan asked.

Jiang Lingsu lowered her head. “He must be very strong, or else exceptionally gifted. Oh, but he might not even be a person! Please, Senior Brother, I entrust it to you.”

After that, she departed from his courtyard. Qi Yuan stared at the pouch of a thousand spirit stones. It was a fortune for him. In fact, it was the largest sum he’d ever seen. Yet, his heart barely stirred.

Instead, he murmured to himself, “Why would Junior Sister give me spirit stones?”

Although her request sounded genuine, the spirit stones felt more like a gift.

A wild thought crossed his mind. Could it be that Junior Sister has seen through my false bravado, and wants to tear down my mask? Does she want to support me?

Regardless, he didn’t dwell on it. His gaze shifted instead to the vegetable knife tied up in his yard. “Junior Sister has seen through my stubbornness. Do you see it too, Knife?”

No response.

“Knife? Chopper? Choppy? Chop-Chop? Demon Saber? Heavenly Saber?”

At last, the knife shivered slightly.

Qi Yuan didn’t miss it, doubt flickering in his eyes. “So, this is what gaining spiritual wisdom looks like? Yet you are nowhere near as clever as my AI assistant, Seeree!”

If he asked Seeree to fart, it’d at least know to summon Newtube to fart in its stead. This vegetable knife, though? With or without spiritual wisdom, it was useless!

Still, as he gripped it, he could feel his combat strength rise a level. “Can I fight Core Formation cultivators with my Eight Summer Slashes?”

Unfortunately, it was inconvenient to practice with the saber here on the Seven-Colored Peak. With the upcoming event where he’d represent his sect, he hardly had time to train.

***

The time had arrived for the Foundation Establishment Event. With a level 1 spirit item as the prize, only formidable sects from Great Shang attended.

“Elder Feihua of the Demonic Desire Sect has arrived!”

“Sword Master Fenguang of Floating Mountain Sect has arrived!”

“Prince Changsan has arrived!”

“Black Chicken Ancestor of Black Mountain Sect has arrived!”

With the cries of the young announcers, colorful clouds gathered before the sect gates. Spirit ships descended from the skies one after another, coming to rest before the Divine Radiance Sect’s entrance.

Qi Yuan stood in his white robe, the wind whipping it into loud flutters.

He calmly stared at the arriving guests from various sects, smiling refinedly. “Welcome to Divine Radiance Sect. Thank you for coming to the Foundation Establishment Event!”

At that moment, he did seem reliable.