Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 86

Was it not agreed that once a hero appeared and spoke up with justice, the beauty would give him her heart?
Was it not agreed that if he spoke half and hid half, drawing out curiosity, the beauty would follow after him?
All lies…
Wen Liangzhi secretly gave a muffled snort. Once he returned to the peak, he would definitely throw that scroll of Mouse Zhuangzhuang’s Rise to Power back to his master.
Wicked master, give me back my radishes!
Lin Mianmian was still waiting to hear what came next, but she saw that this senior brother sold suspense, then kept selling it, and then furrowed his brows and stopped speaking.
Fine. Lin Mianmian very quickly chose between continuing the topic and leaving. She chose the latter.
“Hey, Little Junior Sister, wait!” Seeing Lin Mianmian about to leave, Wen Liangzhi could not keep inwardly scolding the master who had used a book scroll to trick him into several days of hard work. He reached out to stop her.
Then he saw the small, delicate little junior sister retreat one step as if facing a great enemy.
Wen Liangzhi hurriedly pulled back his hand and raised both palms in front of his chest in a surrender pose. He quickly explained, “Little Junior Sister, do not misunderstand. I am a good person! Your little friend Wang Minger and I both cultivate under True Person Han of Array Peak.”
“How do you know that Wang Minger and I…” Lin Mianmian listened to every sentence, but her nerves grew tighter and tighter. Did “a friend’s friend is a friend” work here too? Also, how did he know so much about her matters…
Great. Reporting his family background had not lessened Little Junior Sister’s hostility at all. Instead, it made her even more alert. Wen Liangzhi decided he would soon go return The Adventure of the Kitten That Fell from the Sky, which he had not yet finished reading, to his master as well. The stories in storybooks were all lies!
“Little Junior Sister, truly do not misunderstand. It is only that some time ago, Junior Sister Wang used an Iron-Inlaid Embroidered Stone Array to trap Junior Sister Xiong and several of you junior brothers and sisters. That matter was passed around Array Peak for a long time. Because of it, Master even specially called over us disciples cultivating under her and explained that matter in detail. She warned us again and again that Junior Sister Wang is young, so we must guide her well and not blindly follow a child.” Wen Liangzhi smiled in a friendly way. “Also, during that trapped-array incident, Senior Sister Yuan, who usually does not take part in sect affairs outside of teaching, specially went to Array Peak to negotiate with Elder Wang Baiguang’s side. Her words were rather fierce. I heard it was because among the people trapped in the array, there was a newly entered little disciple she cared about quite a bit.”
Hearing Wen Liangzhi mention Yuan Zhaoyang, Lin Mianmian’s heart somehow steadied a little. Then hearing him say “a newly entered little disciple she cared about quite a bit,” was that not talking about her… Her heart felt a little warm.
Seeing Little Junior Sister’s expression loosen slightly, Wen Liangzhi quickly pressed on. “Senior Sister Yuan’s classes always bring new gains every time one listens. Before she entered seclusion, she opened more than ten days of basic courses. I went a few times too. I saw that you and Senior Sister Yuan always came and left together each time. I thought you should be the little junior sister trapped in that Iron-Inlaid Embroidered Stone Array, the one on good terms with Senior Sister Yuan and A-Bai.”
Hearing this made one feel strangely embarrassed.
Lin Mianmian pressed her lips together. Earlier, she had not wanted to continue the conversation. Now, she truly did not know how to answer.
“Back at All Affairs Hall, there was no time to chat much. Today, when we meet again, the scene is also a little strange. I cannot blame Junior Sister for misunderstanding me.” Wen Liangzhi wore an open-minded face that said he understood and it was fine. With only a few words, he changed into a worried expression. “Junior Sister Wang and I are originally under the same teacher. You and Junior Sister Wang are also good friends. As for today’s matter, if I had not seen it, then forget it. Since I saw it, I cannot avoid saying a few more words to Junior Sister.”
Wen Liangzhi spoke with reason and evidence. Although Lin Mianmian did not fully relax, she could listen a little more.
“That Liu Longyue from before is a disciple of Elder Qin of Dan Peak. Although she is only at mid Qi Refining, her aptitude is indeed outstanding. On Dan Peak, she is a rather favored little junior sister. If Senior Sister Yuan did not look at you differently, your medicinal herbs, if sold to her, would be a route where you would not worry about long-term sales. But you have not been here long. I guess you probably have not heard Liu Longyue’s name…” Wen Liangzhi looked at Lin Mianmian.
Lin Mianmian shook her head.
Wen Liangzhi nodded and asked again, “Then you have not heard Xue Xifeng’s name either, right?”
Lin Mianmian naturally shook her head again.
Wen Liangzhi smiled. “I thought Senior Sister Yuan would not tell you this. She probably did not even notice those things. I had thought A-Bai might gossip to you a little, but perhaps because you are still young, A-Bai did not tell you either. Xue Xifeng and Liu Longyue are both disciples under Elder Qin. Xue Xifeng can be counted as the most promising one. He is not even thirty years old yet, but he is already at mid Foundation Establishment. Although Liu Longyue is only at mid Qi Refining, her aptitude is good. Her father is a Core Formation elder of the Five Elements Sect now in the Eastern Sea, and her mother is from Guiyuan Sect. Senior Sister Yuan’s fire arts are superb, and she is skilled in both artifact refinement and pill refinement. She is quite famous in the Five Elements Sect. Those senior and junior siblings are devoted to the Dao of pills. Whenever Dan Peak invites Senior Sister Yuan over to show a few moves, they are always the closest. As for Senior Sister Yuan’s classes in Great Lecture Hall, they attended every single one.”
…Were they fans in the cultivation world? Lin Mianmian listened intently. She felt a sourness she did not understand, but even more, she wanted to wildly cheer for Senior Sister Yuan, who was so amazing.
Seeing no unusual expression on Lin Mianmian’s face, Wen Liangzhi sighed even more that this little junior sister was truly still a child, all childlike innocence. The words had reached this point, yet she still looked silly.
“If those senior and junior siblings were only devoted to the Dao of pills and admired Senior Sister Yuan, that would be fine. After all, Senior Sister Yuan has always taught disciples carefully and without bias. But I heard it was not only that. About three years ago, Senior Sister Yuan helped Dan Peak refine a furnace of high-grade Beauty-Nourishing Pills. That Beauty-Nourishing Pill is actually used by cultivators whose lifespan is gradually decreasing, whose cultivation has not advanced, and who are slowly aging. There are also young female cultivators who take it to nourish themselves and look more fresh and pretty.” Wen Liangzhi knew Lin Mianmian’s cultivation was still shallow, so he explained a little, then continued. “After that furnace of pills was refined, something happened on Dan Peak. As for what exactly happened, the rumors went back and forth, and no clear version came out. Anyway, the direct result was that Xue Xifeng was forced into seclusion by Elder Qin. Then Senior Sister Yuan went to Dan Peak again and refined another furnace of Beauty-Nourishing Pills.”
Lin Mianmian listened in confusion. The only information she could draw out was that Senior Sister Yuan was indeed very amazing, one furnace after another.
Seeing this, Wen Liangzhi smiled. “Little Junior Sister, keep listening and see whether you can hear where my warning comes from. What happened to that first furnace of Beauty-Nourishing Pills, we outsiders do not know. But as for the later furnace, I heard Liu Longyue took all of it. It was also after that time that people said Liu Longyue caught Senior Sister Yuan’s eye. Every month, Senior Sister Yuan would go to Dan Peak once or twice to teach Liu Longyue pill refinement arts, treating her very closely. Until a little over a year ago, when Liu Longyue was taken away by Guiyuan Sect on her mother’s side. It seems she only recently returned to the sect.”
“Senior Sister Yuan…” Lin Mianmian wanted to ask exactly how close Senior Sister Yuan had been with Liu Longyue, but when the words reached her mouth, she could not ask.
What kind of person was she? And what kind of thing was she asking…
“She should have come back after Senior Sister Yuan entered seclusion. Otherwise, you would definitely have met at Great Lecture Hall. She really loves leaning close to Senior Sister Yuan.” Wen Liangzhi’s smile faded slightly, and he said seriously, “The rumor about what happened on Dan Peak three years ago that sounds the most real is this: Xue Xifeng wanted Senior Sister Yuan’s furnace of Beauty-Nourishing Pills and injured Liu Longyue, who also wanted those pills, so True Person Qin pressed him into seclusion. But I feel… Liu Longyue may not have been completely innocent either. Just looking at how she stuck to Senior Sister Yuan afterward, I think it is more likely that she framed her senior brother so she could have Senior Sister Yuan to herself and seek Senior Sister Yuan’s skills. Yet Senior Sister Yuan cannot pull a cold face toward junior brothers and sisters, especially someone like Liu Longyue, who can be pitiful when she should be pitiful and pleasing when she should be pleasing. I do not believe she was away for more than a year and, the moment she came back, she just happened to run into you by chance. She clearly seemed to care a lot about those high-grade Warming-Spirit Grass plants of yours, yet she only told you to find her and did not even ask who you were. Was it not because she already knew who you were? You are that little junior sister Senior Sister Yuan cared for the most while Liu Longyue was absent. Tell me, if she asks you to go over, can anything good happen?”
Wen Liangzhi felt he had explained the matter very thoroughly. He was great. He was a responsible good senior brother. Without realizing it, he straightened his chest.
“Thank you, Senior Brother. I will not go.” Although Lin Mianmian had not planned to go in the first place, her thanks now were truly sincere.
Speaking of which, that phrase… that little junior sister Senior Sister Yuan cared for the most while Liu Longyue was absent… What was that supposed to mean…
Did that mean when Liu Longyue was here, Lin Mianmian was not the little junior sister Senior Sister Yuan cared about the most?
Although she had no standing, she suddenly felt so angry!
Wen Liangzhi carefully looked at Lin Mianmian’s expression. Seeing that Little Junior Sister was soft and white, but looked very serious, he could not help smiling. Hehe, he rubbed his hands. “Junior Sister, let us discuss something.”
He had been such a proper senior brother, and just now he had even seemed a little righteous. How did he become strange again after only a couple of lines…
“Junior Sister, next time you have Warming-Spirit Grass like this, or other things, prioritize considering Senior Brother here.” Wen Liangzhi worked hard to look honest and simple.
Unfortunately, Wen Liangzhi was originally the delicate type. When he smiled normally, he looked quite nice. But now, forcing an honest look made him seem rather mismatched.
Ever since Wen Liangzhi had said that every leaf on the Warming-Spirit Grass was almost exactly the same size and that it was truly high-grade, Lin Mianmian had begun to doubt whether the spiritual plants grown by her ability matched the normal local standard. If Warming-Spirit Grass others took out had different leaves, while hers were all the same size, then one or two times, with small amounts, would be fine. But if there were many times and large amounts, would someone sooner or later notice something wrong…
In the end, Lin Mianmian still knew too little about this cultivation world. Carrying a small secret, she had no confidence in anything she did. Naturally, at this moment, she had no way to give Wen Liangzhi any response.
But the current situation was also difficult. She did not dare sell to All Affairs Hall because she feared disciple plate records. As for this stall platform, she feared Liu Longyue truly held some prejudice against her, as Senior Brother Wen said…
Why had the good road to making money become so difficult as soon as it began?
Seeing Lin Mianmian’s troubled expression, Wen Liangzhi did not press her. He only smiled and said, “Junior Sister does not need to answer me now. Spiritual plants are not things one can have just because one wants them. The great path of cultivation gives each person their own strange encounters. Senior Brother here is not someone who digs to the roots or has endless curiosity. It is only that I love earning spirit stones most in my life. Seeing such good spiritual grass in Junior Sister’s hands, it is hard not to itch. Junior Sister also does not look like someone who speaks too much everywhere, so Senior Brother will tell you the bottom line. For Warming-Spirit Grass of the quality just now, I can buy it from you for thirty-three middle-grade spirit stones per plant, then turn around and sell it for thirty-eight.”
“That high-grade Warming-Spirit Grass is worth that much…” Lin Mianmian was startled. Thirty-eight spirit stones per plant. Had she not lost money just now…
“No, no, no. It should be said that the Warming-Spirit Grass was far beyond high-grade. I have only never seen top-grade Warming-Spirit Grass. But thinking about it, yours should not be far from top-grade.” Wen Liangzhi instinctively felt this little junior sister before him was shining with golden light and did not hide it. He smiled cheerfully. “All Affairs Hall cannot sell it for thirty-eight middle-grade spirit stones per plant. Even here, thirty-three is already the highest. But if Junior Sister is willing to sell to me, for the same quality, I can buy it for thirty-four middle-grade spirit stones.”
How did such a proper senior brother seem more and more like a fox?
One extra spirit stone could not make Lin Mianmian agree. Although the terms were good, accepting them also meant that the fact that she could mass-produce spiritual grass would not be hidden from this person.
Lin Mianmian deeply regretted that she had not been able to restrain herself and had gone to All Affairs Hall to buy seeds… She should have waited for Senior Sister Yuan to come out of seclusion, or for A-Bai to return. At the very least, she should have strolled around here for a few more days…
This little junior sister, who wrote every emotion on her face, was truly quite cute.
“In any case, Junior Sister can use one seed to turn into ten plants. In the future, ten seeds turning into a hundred plants should not be hard either.” Wen Liangzhi saw Lin Mianmian look at him with some panic, and could not bear to scare her too much. “I only love earning spirit stones. Seeing that Junior Sister also wants to earn spirit stones, I wanted to work with Junior Sister. If Junior Sister is unwilling, I will only treat those Warming-Spirit Grass plants from before as things someone else gave you. I will not think too much, and I will not speak too much. Junior Sister can also ask around. Senior Brother here is truly an honest person who loves earning spirit stones, and my mouth is extremely tight. Junior Sister can consider it. I will be staying in the spiritual plant buying and selling area of All Affairs Hall for the next few months. If you need any help, come find me.”
After speaking, Wen Liangzhi stood and made a motion of tightly covering his mouth toward Lin Mianmian. Then he waved and left.
Extremely tight…
Was she about to enter a den of thieves…
With the conversation reaching this point, how could Lin Mianmian not know that in Wen Liangzhi’s eyes, she was already the person who could use seeds to grow grass? Lin Mianmian could not find any words to defend herself either. Look, Wen Liangzhi had already made up the explanation for her. What else could she say?
This cultivation world, ah. They were all shrewd people…
Carrying three hundred and thirty middle-grade spirit stones back to her little courtyard, Lin Mianmian felt none of the sense of achievement or joy from earning her first money in the cultivation world.
Lin Mianmian sat in the courtyard and thought quietly for a while. If the matter of Liu Longyue had not been made up by Senior Brother Wen to make Lin Mianmian sell him the grass, then just as Senior Brother Wen said, this time she could claim she had sold Warming-Spirit Grass given to her by Senior Sister Yuan and A-Bai. What about next time? And the time after that? Every month? If her spiritual plants truly were different from normal standards, that also meant that under the condition that she could not hide her identity, she could no longer go to that platform to sell spiritual plants.
As for whether she should sell to Senior Brother Wen… Lin Mianmian still had no decision in her heart.
This ability was a cheat power, yes, but perhaps it would also mark her as an abnormal being…
If Senior Sister Yuan came out of seclusion, with how often she interacted with Lin Mianmian, she would probably also discover Lin Mianmian’s difference…
And A-Bai too…
It was not that she was afraid they would know. She only felt that her heart was very messy…
Lin Mianmian thought about the ability until her head hurt. She tried hard to empty herself, but then she thought of what Wen Liangzhi had said about Liu Longyue.
So… Senior Sister Yuan had once treated another little junior sister that well too…
When Lin Mianmian met Senior Sister Yuan, it happened to be when Liu Longyue was not in the Five Elements Sect.
If at that time, Liu Longyue had also been in the Five Elements Sect, then would Senior Sister Yuan…
Lin Mianmian only felt her heart was wrinkled up. For a while, she was tangled over who was Senior Sister Yuan’s closest little junior sister and even forgot to keep worrying about her ability.
She paced lightly in the courtyard, but it did not scatter the faint haze in Lin Mianmian’s heart.
If Liu Longyue were in the sect, refining pills with Senior Sister Yuan every few days, attending every class, and not necessarily leaving after class… Lin Mianmian imagined what the days would have been like if Liu Longyue had not gone to Guiyuan Sect, and the more she thought, the darker she felt.
After a few steps, she happened to reach the side of the kitchen. In the water basin on the ground, half a basin of clear water faintly reflected a human figure.
Lin Mianmian paused, stopped, and crouched down.
The little girl in the water still looked thirteen or fourteen. Her skin was fair like cream and jade. Lin Mianmian’s fingertip slid across her face. White, and tender… Only, her features were delicate and small, not yet grown out, carrying a ball of childishness. On ordinary days, one could say she had not yet shed innocence and was pure and flawless. But today, after seeing Liu Longyue, who was around twenty, like a drawn-up fine tree, clear and pretty, right at a girl’s most beautiful time, this ball of childishness seemed a little unable to compare to that youthful bloom…
A moment later, the little girl in the water lowered her brows and eyes, full of discouragement.
Until night, when Lin Mianmian fell asleep sadly in bed, she still had not properly thought about why, on the matter of who was Senior Sister Yuan’s closest little junior sister, her first reaction had not been to compare aptitude or cultivation, but to compare looks…