CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42 THE NOURISHING SOUL LOTUS MATURES, A CITY FULL OF EXORCISM CHARMS_1

"Additionally," Xiao Qingyu continued, "that Tiger Demon’s corpse went unused, so I helped you deal with it at the disciple trading market. Since it was a tigress and had no tiger penis, its value was a bit lower. The skin, blood, meat, and bones were sold separately for a total of 2,078 Spirit Stones. I’ve rounded down for you. Here are 2,000 Spirit Stones. Keep them safe."

With a gentle wave of her sleeve, four pink brocade pouches appeared before Wang Xiu. Each was embroidered with white lotus flowers and emitted a faint, sweet fragrance.

Wang Xiu took a sharp breath. There’s actually money to be made from this? Incredible.

He pushed two of the pouches toward Xiao Qingyu with a chuckle. "Senior Sister Qingyu, I can’t let you run around on my behalf for nothing. Let’s split this!"

Xiao Qingyu gave him a wry smile. "Giving away a thousand Spirit Stones just like that? When did our Junior Brother Wang Xiu become so generous? Could this be... a betrothal gift?"

Wang Xiu laughed wryly. "Senior Sister, you make it sound like I’m stingy. I just didn’t have any money before!"

It wasn’t that he was just crying poor. Although the Divination Sect allotted him 100 Spirit Stones per month—enough to live lavishly for years if he left the mountain—cultivation was an activity that burned through wealth. Before slaying the Tiger Demon and finding the Nourishing Soul Lotuses, Wang Xiu’s cash flow had been tight. The gift he had given Xiao Qingyu truly was scraped from the bottom of the barrel.

"Alright, alright," Xiao Qingyu said, shooting him a playful glare and laughing. "You don’t have much money on hand right now, so you should keep it. You’ll have plenty of things to spend it on in the future! I’m stationed in the Task Hall and don’t leave the mountain. What would I do with so many Spirit Stones? They’re just worldly possessions."

Wang Xiu paused, then mumbled, "If they’re just worldly possessions, how about not rounding down the change?"

Xiao Qingyu was stunned into silence.

CLANG!

A dazzling sword light pierced the void and stabbed into the ground in front of Wang Xiu. Xiao Qingyu stomped her foot in frustration. "Get out of here!"

Wang Xiu laughed, scooping up the lotus-embroidered pouches as he beat a hasty retreat. "Since Senior Sister likes lotuses, if I find another Nourishing Soul Lotus, I’ll give you one! Not for alchemy, just for you to look at!"

Watching the young man’s retreating figure, Xiao Qingyu’s cheeks flushed slightly. "Hmph," she muttered softly. "Who cares about looking at a lotus? Flowers eventually wilt, but Spirit Stones are forever."

In the Cultivation World, in this chaotic era, survival, growing stronger, and protecting one’s corner of the world were the foremost concerns for every disciple of the Sanqing Immortal Sect. Appreciating flowers? Unless the sect possessed a celestial pond where lotus leaves stretched to the horizon in endless shades of green, and their blossoms reflected the sun in a dazzling crimson light, it was a foolish fancy. Otherwise, once a Nourishing Soul Lotus was picked, its medicinal potency would dissipate with every passing moment. Who would be sentimental enough to place it in a vase simply for decoration?

Exhaling a soft sigh, Xiao Qingyu regained her usual cool and indifferent demeanor and slowly stepped out of the reception room.

「Meanwhile.」

After leaving the Task Hall, Wang Xiu summoned the Black Tortoise Mirror and shot toward Maple City at full speed. Now at the Eighth Heaven of the Foundation Establishment Stage, he piloted the mirror with such speed that he was a mere streak of green light, so fast an ordinary person couldn’t even make out his afterimage. In no time, he crossed hundreds of miles and arrived at Mingyue Mountain on the outskirts of Maple City.

The Nourishing Soul Lotuses in the Yellow Springs Grotto were flourishing. Twelve of them had progressed from blossoming to being in full bloom. Wang Xiu took out a prepared jade box, cast a Soul Locking Charm on it to slow the dissipation of spiritual energy, and then carefully placed the lotuses inside, one by one.

Alright. Setting aside the one I’m giving to Senior Sister Qingyu, that leaves eleven to sell. That means I can make at least thirty thousand, maybe even forty thousand Spirit Stones. The days of escaping poverty and building a small fortune aren’t far off!

After stowing the jade box, Wang Xiu checked the seal at the bottom of the pool one more time, and only after confirming it was intact did he leave.

Leaving Mingyue Mountain, Wang Xiu soon arrived in Maple City, but the sight that greeted him made him frown. The atmosphere in the city was strange and eerie. The streets were deserted and silent, and every household had its doors shut tight. Many doors were adorned with yellow talismans that fluttered in the wind. The few pedestrians on the streets scurried along, seemingly afraid to linger outside for even a moment.

In a word, the city was on high alert.

Wang Xiu landed his Black Tortoise Mirror in front of a house and plucked off the yellow talisman to inspect it. It was a ghost-expelling charm from the Sanqing Immortal Sect, but the spiritual energy it contained was weak, and its power was limited.

Hmm. How to put it? It’s the kind a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator can mass-produce. It has some effect on Malicious Ghosts, but not much.

"Senior Sister Qingyu mentioned Maple City has been unsettled lately. Could it be haunted?" Wang Xiu muttered to himself. He reattached the talisman to the door and flew his mirror toward Qingfeng View, the station for the Sanqing Immortal Sect’s Managing Disciples in Maple City.

Inside Qingfeng View were two Managing Disciples from the Sanqing Immortal Sect, with the Taoist names Qingyun and Changfeng. They had once cultivated on the Sanqing mountains, but after hitting a bottleneck in their cultivation, they were no longer willing to wander. Instead, they accepted a task from the sect to descend the mountain and oversee this area.

"Qingyun pays his respects to Senior Brother."

"Changfeng pays his respects to Senior Brother."

The two disciples looked to be in their thirties or forties. Dressed in light-blue Taoist robes, they had a rather celestial air about them. Although both were clearly older than Wang Xiu, within the Sanqing Immortal Sect, they were only outer-sect disciples. Their cultivation was merely at the second or third heaven of the Foundation Establishment Stage, so according to the rules, they had to address Wang Xiu as Senior Brother.

"There’s no need for such formalities, Junior Brothers," Wang Xiu replied, returning the gesture properly. As he did, he quickly noticed that both Taoists had torn spots on their robes and their complexions were pale. Clearly, they had recently survived a fierce battle and had not yet recovered from their injuries.

Furthermore, having cultivated the Ming Emperor’s Infernal Prison Scripture to the perfection realm, Wang Xiu could sense that the spiritual flames of these two junior brothers were dim, as if their very souls had been wounded. While the injuries weren’t severe enough to damage their foundation, it would likely take three to five years of recuperation to fully recover.

After getting the address for Landlord He’s residence, Wang Xiu didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he asked, "Junior Brothers, I see that every household in Maple City has posted ghost-expelling charms. Is a ghost causing trouble here?"

Qingyun and Changfeng exchanged a look, a bitter smile on their faces. "Indeed. A ghost is causing trouble, and it’s an extremely vicious Malicious Ghost."

As the two recounted the tale, Wang Xiu began to understand the situation. There were four major families in Maple City. Besides the wealthiest He Family, there were the Zhao, Qian, and Sun families, along with a dozen or so smaller ones. This Malicious Ghost came from one of those smaller families—the Nie Family. Specifically, it was the eldest daughter, Nie Linglan.

According to them, Nie Linglan was born into a scholarly family. She had been well-versed in the classics since childhood and was skilled in poetry, songwriting, and embroidery. Moreover, she had the heart of a bodhisattva; she would tread carefully for fear of harming an ant and would cover lamps with gauze to save the moths. She often sold her paintings and embroidery, using the money to help the poor and suffering in the city. She was known throughout Maple City as a respectable and virtuous lady.

Alas, beauties often suffer tragic fates.