Cultivating Immortality by Raising a Cat (GL) Chapter 88

“That was Wang Chuanying?” Feng Liang drew his gaze back from the flying sword that had vanished in an instant. After a short pause, he asked, “After what happened last time, I never ran into her again. What about you?”
Lin Mianmian naturally shook her head.
The little green turtle also shook his neck in an arc clear enough to see.
“After what happened last time, this trial ground was the first time we saw her too.” As Xiong Lanlan spoke, she stroked Wang Minger’s head with one paw. She did not care at all that the hair Feng Liang had just smoothed had turned into a messy grass nest under her paw.
“Then maybe True Person Han’s words back then still worked,” Feng Liang said after thinking. “Perhaps the chance to train in the trial ground was rare, so True Person Wang let her out only once. Senior Brother Wang was waiting here to pick her up. Maybe that also means he was watching over her.”
Lin Mianmian saw that Feng Liang’s reasonable words did not scatter the displeasure on Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger’s faces. Her thoughts shifted, and she asked, “Did you have some friction with her inside?”
“That annoying junior sister stole our Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs! She also stole our Purple-Vein Ginseng!” Wang Minger was very angry. Her little face, which still had baby fat, puffed up roundly. Looking at her made people naturally ignore what she was saying and instead pay more attention to wanting to poke that soft chubby face.
Lin Mianmian had just rubbed her fingertips when Feng Liang beside her had already stretched out a hand. But no matter what, he was not faster than the black bear closest to the little girl. A glossy bear paw slid down from the top of that grass-nest head and smoothly pinched the little girl’s anger-swollen face a few times.
That bear paw was big enough to cover several of the little girl’s faces, yet it nimbly curved into an orchid-finger shape. With only two claw tips, it pinched the little chubby cheeks a few times, and the little girl was forced to leak air.
Feng Liang withdrew his slow-moving hand with some regret.
Lin Mianmian relaxed her fingertips.
Speaking of demons, they were truly impressive. Look at this huge black bear, big and thick all over, with a massive heavy paw that looked as if a casual slap could kill someone. Yet this bear demon could make that paw curve like a flower. In the kitchen, it could make sticky bean buns. In the hall, it could poke a child’s face.
Xiong Lanlan did not know what the people beside her were thinking. Seeing the little girl had been pinched soft, she also let out a breath. “Sigh, stolen is stolen, and the person already left. Let us not talk about it here. Everyone is together, so let us go eat.” After speaking, she blinked at the little friends.
“Hmph. With eyes that small, can you stop using them as if they can talk?” Gui Changshou was the first to understand that Xiong Lanlan wanted to change places to talk. But the little turtle had only advanced to the third level of Qi Refining that morning, so he still had a little temper. Naturally, daily bear-jabbing could not be skipped.
“What, angry that you did not catch up and enter with us? Heh.” Xiong Lanlan put Wang Minger back on her leg fur. While jabbing back with a laugh, she stepped over the turtle shell.
“Bear, are you blind? You cannot see me here?” He was a third-level Qi Refining turtle now, after all. Although the giant bear had heavily stepped on him, he still stubbornly stayed on the ground and did not sink in.
“My eyes are small. I cannot see.” Xiong Lanlan waved her paw at the little friends. “Hurry up. We got some fruit inside. It tastes pretty good. But after eating it for three days, I really miss hot dishes.”
The group naturally laughed and followed. Though the little turtle kept muttering about how angry he was, he did not fall behind.
Lin Mianmian looked around. In the time it took them to say a few words, the wild boar stone statue had already returned to its original state. It seemed everyone had come out, and about half the people on the teleportation square had already left.
But…
Lin Mianmian’s feet paused. She left the group and quickly walked a few steps toward the tree-lined path at the side.
Meng Tianhe, standing beneath the shade of the trees, met Lin Mianmian’s eyes. He quickly turned his gaze away and shifted his feet as if he were about to leave. But after taking one step, he hesitated and stayed where he was, looking at Lin Mianmian as she walked over.
Lin Mianmian always felt that since Meng Tianhe had appeared here three days ago, and had appeared again today, he should be like her, Feng Liang, and Gui Changshou. He was thinking of Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger, who had explored the trial ground for the first time. Since he still cared about his little friends, why did he always refuse and keep his distance? What happened that time had only been an accident. No one had held it in their heart.
There were many things Lin Mianmian wanted to say. Some were things she had already said. But looking at Meng Tianhe, who seemed to have pulled himself inward again and again, she finally only smiled lightly and greeted him. “Junior Brother Meng, come eat with us.”
“Wang Baiguang agreed to confine Wang Chuanying mostly because he was giving True Person Han face. And True Person Han probably stepped forward because Senior Sister Yuan insisted. Now Senior Sister Yuan is in seclusion, and True Person Han has been busy with sect matters on the main peak. If Wang Chuanying was only let out once for the trial ground, it is best not to have Wang Minger go to True Person Han to fight about anything.” Meng Tianhe paused briefly, then sighed. “Senior Sister Yuan is still a guest elder. It is hard to say when she might return to her own sect. Wang Minger is at least True Person Han’s personal disciple…”
Meng Tianhe spoke vaguely, but Lin Mianmian understood him very clearly.
“Junior Brother Meng’s words are very right. But I am still a little confused. This is not a good place for a long talk. Why not eat and talk at the same time?” Lin Mianmian inwardly sighed that Meng Tianhe saw far ahead. Because he had pulled away yet still thought of the little friends, her heart warmed, and regret rose. She put on a confused look.
“How could you be confused? What I mean is that you all…” Meng Tianhe stopped mid-sentence. “You clearly understood.”
“I do not understand, I do not understand. Since Junior Brother is concerned for us, why not eat fruit, drink water, and then guide us more?” Seeing that she could not fool him, Lin Mianmian could only push him along.
Since the distance between them had not grown out of dislike, why not try to pull together a little?
A moment later…
“Only fruit and water? No wine or meat, and you still pushed me into coming…”
In the teleportation array, the young man’s helpless voice seemed to move from one place to another.
Xiong Lanlan’s little courtyard had already been built as if it were born for gatherings.
The winter day was chilly, but the little house was warm. The steaming stove and the roasting stove had both been moved indoors. Soft couches, soft pillows, and blankets of all thicknesses could be seen everywhere. Open the small cabinet beside a couch, and there were buried jars of wine, dried fruit, and all kinds of snacks.
It was not Meng Tianhe’s first time here, but it had indeed been a long time.
Fortunately, everyone seemed to have forgotten that he had not come for a long time.
Feng Liang naturally called Meng Tianhe over to arrange the soft couches around them. Lin Mianmian took the huge tray Gui Changshou was carrying on his shell. The tray was full of all kinds of spiritual fruit Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger had picked in the trial ground. Wang Minger shouted that she wanted to help Xiong Lanlan cook, but in the end, after she shot a fireball into the stove to start the fire, Xiong Lanlan picked her up and tossed her onto a soft couch.
Only after the smell of roast meat and sticky bean buns mixed and filled the room did Xiong Lanlan finally have time to talk about the trial ground.
The realm for third-level Qi Refining disciples was the lowest-level one among the three trial grounds.
Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger had begun preparing to enter the trial ground as soon as they reached the third level of Qi Refining, so naturally they had asked many senior brothers and sisters about its situation. Because of that, when Wang Minger, who had been hanging from Xiong Lanlan’s leg fur, suddenly vanished as they entered the wild boar stone statue, Xiong Lanlan did not panic.
The empty, dark space with nothing inside was a Heart-Questioning Road. The first time each person entered, what they saw, what they met, and what they were asked would all be different. Only after walking through the Heart-Questioning Road did one truly arrive at the trial ground.
From the senior brothers and sisters Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger had asked, some had seen their parents and siblings from the mortal world, some had seen benefactors and enemies. Some had met a Nanke Dream, some had met their past, and some had even met prophecy. Some were asked about the root of their cultivation, some about the Dao in their hearts, and some about what their hearts desired.
All kinds of questions had no correct choice or answer. It was only that after some people came out of the Heart-Questioning Road, they received items, while some did not. Of course, there was no punishment either.
Xiong Lanlan had rather bad luck on the Heart-Questioning Road. What she met was a Nanke Dream. The instant she entered the dream, it made her forget all her past. The Heart-Questioning Road poured a new identity from the dream into her. In the dream, she was still a bear demon. She had demon companions and human companions. Then she went through a war between demons and humans. The struggle and choices inside, what she gave up and what she gained, were hard to put into words.
By the time Xiong Lanlan walked out of the Heart-Questioning Road, it was truly as if she had lived another life. When she stepped onto the grass of the trial ground, her heart was already full of exhaustion.
Xiong Lanlan spoke very simply about her experience on the Heart-Questioning Road. Even so, darkness still flashed across her furry face now and then. And after waking from that Nanke Dream, the relief she felt was even harder to describe. When she saw the little girl throw herself onto her leg fur, the softness in her heart was also beyond words.
Wang Minger was clearly much luckier. She had only been asked a few questions in the void, about her past, about the Dao in her heart. Normal questions, answered in a child’s words. Her father eaten by wolves, her mother forced to remarry, herself secretly sent by her mother to Immortal-Welcoming City to test her spiritual roots. The strong eating the weak was what she had seen. Growing stronger and eating others was the Dao that made her understand, the Dao she wanted to walk.
By reason, this kind of Dao was not what the current righteous path praised. Yet after Wang Minger came out of the Heart-Questioning Road, she had an extra sword on her. It was a good sword. Xiong Lanlan could not tell exactly how good. They could only wait for True Person Han to return from the main peak and have her look at it for Wang Minger.
Comparing bear to person truly angered the bear. Xiong Lanlan had lived through a whole lifetime in the Nanke Dream and tasted all the bitterness of bear life. After coming out, all she got was a handful of fruit. It was stronger than those people and demons who got no reward, yes. But looking at the child, who had only answered a few questions and received a rather good-looking sword, one had to say that bear life was not easy.
Beside the warm roasting stove, Xiong Lanlan complained while turning the roasting fish. With a sweep of her paw, she took that handful of fruit from her storage bag and casually tossed it onto the fruit pile on the tray.
Lin Mianmian, who had recently become very interested in spiritual plants, leaned close to the tray and looked. One glance was enough to make the corner of her mouth twitch twice.
“Lanlan, do you know what fruit this is?” Lin Mianmian reached out and carefully hooked the branch that connected the fruit.
“What fruit can it be? This easiest stone-statue secret realm does not produce poisonous fruit, right? It should just be first-grade or second-grade edible fruit. It looks about the same as that pile of green ones on the tray. It probably is not sour.” Xiong Lanlan did not care much. She scooped up some seasoning from the side and swept a paw over the roasting fish. In an instant, the roasted fragrance in the room rose by two levels.
“…” Lin Mianmian looked at the pile of little green fruit, each the size of a fingernail, then looked at the purple fruit on the branch, also only a little bigger than a fingernail.
Fine. You win, bear.
Lin Mianmian was still considering whether to keep her in suspense and let this bear, who dared eat things without knowing what they were, suffer a little and learn a lesson. Just then, a small hand nimbly reached out from the side, and one purple fruit on the branch disappeared in an instant.
“Wait.” Lin Mianmian hurriedly reached out to stop her, but she was still one step late.
“It is sweet.” Wang Minger wiped her mouth.
“Wait for what? She cannot eat it? Spit it out!” Hearing Lin Mianmian’s attempt to stop her, Xiong Lanlan immediately grabbed Wang Minger to her leg with one paw. She did not even have time to curve her paw into orchid fingers. Her claw tips quickly pinched the little girl’s cheeks.
“Not poisonous, not poisonous.” Seeing Wang Minger’s little mouth had been pinched open, Lin Mianmian hurriedly stopped the bear who was about to pinch the child apart. “This is Origin-Body Fruit. It can be eaten, it can be eaten.”
“Then why did you say wait?” Xiong Lanlan ignored Wang Minger’s struggling and lowered her head to look at the little tongue that had already been dyed purple. Then she looked at Lin Mianmian. “Is it fine that her tongue turned purple?”
“It is fine. It will fade in one cup of tea’s time.”
Xiong Lanlan let go of the struggling little girl.
“But…” Lin Mianmian opened her mouth weakly.
Wang Minger quickly ran to the corner of the room. “Can Sister Mianmian please be done and say everything at once? My face is going to be pinched swollen!”
“I can still be done.” Lin Mianmian was both annoyed and amused by the little girl’s glare. “Although Origin-Body Fruit is a first-grade spiritual fruit, its effect is very interesting. If Lanlan eats it, she can turn into a human. Tell me, is that interesting? Guess whether you can still be done.”
After hearing the first half of Lin Mianmian’s words, the little girl, who had been so excited that she was about to run over and stuff fruit into Xiong Lanlan’s mouth, tripped on the second half and fell flat on the floor.
“I… I…” Wang Minger raised her head and looked at Lin Mianmian, half about to cry and half not. “I do not want to turn into a bear.”
Xiong Lanlan, who had just stood up to go help the child, sat back down in her chair.
“Hahahaha.” Gui Changshou nearly laughed himself into the fruit tray.
“If a demon eats it, they can turn into a human. If a person eats it, they may not necessarily turn into that demon. It will change in one cup of tea’s time. I think you should go wait in the courtyard. If you turn into an elephant demon later, this place cannot fit you.” Lin Mianmian looked at the little girl lying on the ground with amusement. Actually, it would not be bad for a bear child to become a bear, right?
Of course, a bear child was still a bear child. Holding the thought that if she could not be fine, no one else should get to watch the show and eat meat either, Wang Minger stubbornly stayed in the room and refused to go out.
One cup of tea’s time was enough for Lin Mianmian to explain the information about Origin-Body Fruit that she had seen in World-Viewing Hall.
Origin-Body Fruit had a transformation effect when eaten. A demon like Xiong Lanlan, who was still in demon form, would become human after eating it. A demon already in human form, like a human, would turn into demon form after eating it. The form created by eating Origin-Body Fruit, whether human or demon, was random.
To put it simply, if Xiong Lanlan ate it, she might turn into an old woman, or she might turn into a tiny baby. If Wang Minger ate it, she might turn into a giant elephant demon, or an ant demon, and so on. After eating one Origin-Body Fruit, one cup of tea’s time was needed for the transformation to complete, and the change could last for one hour. If a second fruit was eaten right after, not only would the duration not stack, it would instead cause another immediate transformation.
Just hearing the description, Origin-Body Fruit seemed somewhat powerful, as if it easily crossed the borders between human and demon, body size, and age. In truth, the fruit was very useless. When a demon body became human, the appearance was random and could not compare at all to the human form one made after cultivating to a certain realm. And a human becoming a demon was even more useless. They only gained a demon shape, with no demon ability and not even demon qi. Each time, the demon species was random too. So although this fruit was interesting, it had little practical use. It was mostly used for pranks, to amuse oneself and others.
“Origin-Body Wood grows at the border between Nanhe and the Eastern Sea. Astral winds rage there, which is not good for plant growth, yet if Origin-Body Wood leaves the astral winds, it cannot survive. The Origin-Body Fruit it bears is also scarce because of the astral winds. Although it is only a first-grade spiritual fruit, it is much more precious than other first-grade spiritual plants.” Lin Mianmian had just finished speaking when Wang Minger, who was leaning crookedly on a soft couch and gnawing on roasted fish, cried out.
A pink little pig about the length of an arm grunted and poked its head out from Wang Minger’s fallen robes on the soft couch. In its mouth, it still held half a fish tail.
“Hahaha, good thing it was not the elephant demon Mianmian mentioned.” Feng Liang laughed while lightly patting his chest, as if he had truly relaxed.
Gui Changshou stood on a soft cushion nearby, stretching toward the tray to eat roasted fish. With a pfft, he spat out a fish bone and turned to look at Xiong Lanlan by the roasting stove. “Perfect. Roasted fish is slow to eat and not filling. Now the main dish is here.”
“With your tiny bit of body, one pig trotter is bigger than you.” Though Xiong Lanlan said this, she still slapped the last two roasted fish on the stove into Gui Changshou’s plate. Then she patted the seasoning powder off her bear paws, stood, and pulled the pig out of Wang Minger’s pile of clothes.
“Clothes, clothes…” The little pink pig had already been pulled out halfway. Its back hooves hooked tightly onto the robes. Even the half fish tail in its mouth dropped to the floor, but it had no time to care.
“What clothes are you wearing? Have you ever seen a demon wear clothes? I told you not to rush to eat. I could not even stop you. Do we not usually feed you enough?” Xiong Lanlan angrily tapped the silly pig’s head, then also scooped up the robe and wrapped it around the little pink pig.
Seeing the bear carry the pig back to the stove, the little turtle standing with one claw on his roasted fish raised his neck. “Thin slices of pork belly. Roast them longer. More powder. No spicy powder.”
“Do not eat me…” The little pink pig buried its head into the bear’s arms. While pitifully burrowing into the bear fur, it also worked hard to straighten its back legs and kick the roasting stove farther away.
“I heard you only turned into the shape of a pig demon. I did not hear that your brain turned into a pig brain too.” Xiong Lanlan slapped a paw over the little pig’s constantly kicking hooves, saving them from becoming roasted pig trotters. Then she glared at Gui Changshou, who was gnawing fish while watching the show.
The latter laughed heh-heh.
Xiong Lanlan angrily looked away. Accepting her fate, she took pork from her storage bag, sliced it, and started roasting.
Pork belly sliced as thin as cicada wings rolled through a bowl of secret oil seasoning and was placed on the roasting net. Soon, clear fat dripped from the roasting meat into the fire, carrying a strange fragrance that fed the flames. The meat quickly cooked and curled on the net.
Net after net of meat slices, paw after paw of seasoning, the pig in her arms poking its head out now and then to steal pork, and a circle of diners beside her who would never be full…
Xiong Lanlan looked at the setting sun outside the window and always felt she had a group of fake little friends.
As plate after plate of roasted meat came out, Xiong Lanlan continued talking about the trial ground.
After Xiong Lanlan passed the Heart-Questioning Road, the empty dark space shattered and scattered. After a faint dizziness, she was already in a place of green mountains and clear water.
Xiong Lanlan had just woken from the Nanke Dream and was still somewhat dazed. Even looking at the scenery around her, stepping on the soft grass, and smelling the light scent of plants gave her a feeling of unreality. Fortunately, in the next moment, the grassland filled with people, and a small body threw itself onto her leg fur with a practiced posture.
Now Xiong Lanlan could analyze it. Judging by the huge difference in difficulty between her and Wang Minger’s Heart-Questioning Roads, the Heart-Questioning Road’s time flow should be different from the true trial ground. That was why everyone could appear on the grassland at almost the same time.
The trial ground had mountains and water, and one could not see its edge at a glance. It was truly hard to imagine that such a small world existed inside the mouth of a wild boar stone statue.
The liveliness on the grass did not last more than a few breaths. Everyone had entered to train and search for resources. They only had three days, not enough to waste.
The beginner trial ground had no real danger, and even team exploration was not very necessary. Soon, most of the people on the grass had left. Xiong Lanlan also took Wang Minger, who was hanging from her leg fur, and chose a direction at random.
The reason it was called choosing a direction at random was that senior brothers and sisters who had entered this trial ground before all said the ground inside this beginner trial ground seemed able to run by itself. This time, there might be a medicinal field to the north. Next time, that medicinal field might be to the south. Even the place where everyone came out after passing the Heart-Questioning Road was different each time.
Xiong Lanlan and the others were considered lucky this time, appearing on grassland. One senior brother had said that when his group passed out of the Heart-Questioning Road, they appeared directly above a waterfall. Their feet stepped onto empty air, and those who failed to react fell below the waterfall. Luckily, they were all third-level Qi Refining disciples. Otherwise, such a fall might have cost lives.
Since there was no map and the land blocks could move, naturally they could walk however they liked.
Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger, one with good aptitude and one taught by a Golden Core cultivator, also cultivated diligently on ordinary days. This easiest trial ground had no difficulty for them. It was like strolling through a market. They only picked the spirit beasts and spiritual plants they needed and harvested them.
Until the evening of the third day, when they met a herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs.
The Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig’s attack power came first from its four hooves, which were as hard as stone, and second from its charging force. For cultivators at the third level of Qi Refining, those attacks were not hard to deal with.
For Xiong Lanlan, the simplest earth pit could trap the stone hooves, and an earth wall could bounce back a charge. More than that, there was Wang Minger, a five-spiritual-root cultivator. Although cultivating five spiritual roots together was not as refined as Xiong Lanlan’s single earth root, her methods were richer: water arrows, wood vines, fireballs.
If it were a single Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig, it probably would not last three moves under them.
But that herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs had nearly thirty. They had only just entered the third level of Qi Refining, and their spiritual energy was limited after all. They feared that if the fight dragged on, exhaustion would become trouble.
Xiong Lanlan, who was bringing a child along, still wanted to be steady. She thought there was still time, and they could go look for other lone spirit beasts. There was no need to take a risk with a herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs.
But children did not think that way.
Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig was a low-level ingredient Clear Heart Hall needed long-term. The sect raised some itself, but supply still did not meet demand. It was a food ingredient Clear Heart Hall bought all year, and the buying price was not low. If cooked first, the buying price was another ten percent higher.
In Wang Minger’s eyes, that herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs had already become boiled pork ribs, boiled pig heads, boiled pig trotters, and boiled pig tails in her pocket. How could she be willing to let them go?
Although after the Iron-Inlaid Embroidered Stone Array matter, Xiong Lanlan had worked hard to correct the mistaken knowledge Wang Minger had learned from Lord Huanxue’s storybooks, it seemed that in Wang Minger’s heart, Xiong Lanlan was still a bear who needed her care. When Wang Minger met good things, she wanted to pull them toward Xiong Lanlan. At least she no longer used those strange old methods to give things.
On ordinary days, this was still all right. But once they entered the trial ground, Wang Minger simply entered a state where no goose could pass without losing feathers. Xiong Lanlan had personally seen her burrow into the deepest part of a cave and dig spiritual plants out of mud piles filled with unspeakable smells. She could not block Wang Minger’s passion for this herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs at all.
Resources, after all. No one would think they had too many. The Five Elements Sect treated disciples well, and daily cultivation resources were never lacking. But if one wanted to go further, one still had to rely on oneself.
Xiong Lanlan could not outlast the bear child already lying on the ground and clutching grass roots, refusing to leave. She could only think of a way to take down this meat.
Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs did not attack people on their own. But if one attacked a pig in the herd, the others would follow. Xiong Lanlan thought that she would be responsible for drawing the pigs, while tiny Wang Minger picked off lone pigs from the back. Running in circles, with each of them holding a spirit stone to recover spiritual energy at any time, they might be able to wear all the pigs to death.
Xiong Lanlan also made several traps in advance in a few places, so that if any side became hard to handle, they could use them to catch their breath. In any case, both of them had talismans that could teleport them out. Even if they failed, when the herd charged over, they could teleport out early.
It was already the evening of the third day. If they missed this herd of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs, they might not find anything more valuable in the last half day anyway. They might as well try.
Xiong Lanlan made the first move to lure the pigs. Only after luring them did she realize that the reason this herd had gathered here was that they were digging at a patch of Purple-Vein Ginseng on the ground. Purple-Vein Ginseng was a spiritual plant used to refine Meridian-Moistening Pills. Among second-grade spiritual plants, it was a common plant rather liked by alchemists. Judging from the size of the leaves on the ground, there were at least three ginseng roots underground.
But now the pig herd was behind her, so it was not time to dig ginseng.
Things went just as Xiong Lanlan expected. One black bear held the herd’s hatred, while one small child picked off stragglers at the outer edge. One could see a bear leading a herd of pigs in circles all over the place, while a child hid behind them. Now and then, she cast a water sphere over a pig that had fallen behind, then bound it with vines and dragged it away.
The bear and the person worked well together. Only one mistake happened in the middle. When Wang Minger dragged away one pig, two other pigs that had also fallen behind noticed her. Fortunately, there were traps, and they fell into an earth pit.
Xiong Lanlan held the hatred tightly. Every time the pig herd seemed to notice something wrong, she could throw dirt all over their faces and pull their attention back, letting Wang Minger’s hidden strikes fly freely.
Wang Minger was still young after all. Although she wanted spirit stones, she had not reached the point of wanting spirit stones more than life. Seeing Xiong Lanlan chased by a herd of pigs until she was covered in dust, Wang Minger had long since begun regretting her own suggestion. But it was too late to speak of regret now. She could only speed up her pig-fighting, wanting to lighten Xiong Lanlan’s burden faster.
With one pulling and one striking, before they knew it, the ground around them was covered with pig corpses they had no time to clean up.
The fewer than ten Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs left finally sensed something was wrong. After pausing for a moment, they split into two groups and attacked Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger separately.
There were five around Xiong Lanlan and four around Wang Minger. They were somewhat troublesome, but victory was certain.
Just as Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger were thinking of ways to save spiritual energy and wear down that last batch of pigs, a female cultivator wearing a cloak and a tightly pulled hood jumped out from somewhere. Without a word, she raised her hands and began digging ginseng. In a few moves, she pulled out several purple ginseng roots and stuffed them into her storage bag. Without stopping, she began picking up pig corpses.
Xiong Lanlan and Wang Minger, who were tangled up with the remaining Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs, naturally shouted at her. But that person seemed deaf. With extremely quick hands and feet, she picked up all the Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs on the ground, then looked toward the bear and child’s battlefield. It seemed she was considering whether to wait for them to kill a few more and pick those up too.
Wang Minger was already furious. She did not even bother first handling the pigs fighting her and quickly ran toward that person.
But that person saw things were turning bad, did not get greedy, and quickly withdrew. Wang Minger, once again tangled up by pigs and unable to move, could only pour all her anger onto those pigs. This directly caused that by the time Xiong Lanlan still had two pigs around her, Wang Minger had already killed the four beside herself.
“We worked ourselves to death. The pig herd was cleared by us, and counting the two in the traps, in the end we only got eleven Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs, not even half the herd.” Xiong Lanlan shook the iron net and tipped the roasted meat into Meng Tianhe’s plate. Then she took out another pile of meat slices and began roasting them. “And that Purple-Vein Ginseng. Judging from the size, it should have had some age.”
“That annoying junior sister stole all of it. When Master comes back, I will definitely make her return it!” The little pink pig sitting in the bear’s arms while eating a sticky bean bun was so angry that its hooves stretched straight.
“You have read so many of Lord Huanxue’s storybooks. Have you not seen plenty of resource fights in the cultivation world? This time, we were not careful enough. We did not think that even in the sect’s small secret realm, all fellow disciples, such a thing could happen. Treat it as a lesson.” Xiong Lanlan stuffed another sticky bean bun into the little pink pig’s mouth just as it was about to argue. “Besides, True Person Han is really busy. She almost lives on the main peak and rarely returns to Array Peak. On Array Peak’s side, Wang Baiguang manages many things too, right? It is not worth stirring up another matter over those things.”
“This matter is different from last time. This time, if Wang Chuanying insists that she picked up ownerless things, it will be much harder to prove otherwise. Also, those Stone-Foot White-Skin Pigs should already have been broken down by her by now. Maybe they have already been cooked and sold. Besides, like Xiong Lanlan said, fights over resources are far too common in the cultivation world. This time, since it happened inside the sect, one could still argue a little. If it happens outside in the future, what right and wrong can there be? It is only win and loss.” Meng Tianhe, who had not spoken much all afternoon, opened his mouth. “Right now, the Five Elements Sect has too few Golden Core elders. Before the new group of Golden Cores grows up, Wang Baiguang’s position in the sect is still very stable. He was willing to give True Person Han face once, but who knows how many times he will keep giving it.”
“Then our pigs and ginseng just benefit her for nothing?” The little pink pig’s nose was almost tilted into the sky from anger. “If I had known, when we ran into her in the morning, I should not have torn off her hood. I should have smashed all the arrays Master gave me onto her!”
“How is it for nothing? The days are still long. In the future, we can grab her chances without feeling even a little guilty.” Gui Changshou rarely spoke up to coax the child.
Feng Liang, who was always kind, also nodded. “The main thing is that True Person Han is always on the main peak right now. You are on Array Peak, so it is better not to offend Wang Baiguang too much. These things are useful to us right now, but in the eyes of those Golden Core True Persons, they would probably take up space in a storage bag. When True Person Han has time, you can mention it to her, but do not make noise for her to stand up for you. The matter is not big, and it should not be made big. We will always have a chance to vent this anger ourselves.”
The little pink pig, whose mouth had been stuffed with three sticky bean buns by the bear, thought about it and nodded unwillingly.
“This morning, we cleaned up two of them by the river in the secret realm. Do you want to eat any? Take some back?” Seeing that the little pig in her arms no longer kicked around, Xiong Lanlan let out a breath and slapped two buckets of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig meat out of her storage bag.
Clear Heart Hall often made Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig dishes. That familiar gamey smell seemed to rise in their noses the moment it was mentioned. Everyone naturally waved their hands again and again, except Lin Mianmian.
Watching Lin Mianmian put a large piece of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig pork belly into her storage bag, everyone had only two words in their hearts: respect.
“After I stew it, I will invite you all to eat.” Lin Mianmian, who had some spirit stones now and could finally afford stewed meat ingredients, invited them sincerely.
The little friends shook their heads in neat agreement. Roasted pork from the mortal world? They could have another two plates. Stewed Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig? No appointment.
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the gathering ended.
Carrying a large piece of Stone-Foot White-Skin Pig pork belly and a few Origin-Body Fruits, Lin Mianmian slowly walked through the spiritual fields and wandered back to her courtyard.
Those few Origin-Body Fruits were something Lin Mianmian had traded from Xiong Lanlan with a bag of Moon-Watching Epiphyllum. Originally, Lin Mianmian had wanted to pay spirit stones, but Xiong Lanlan only said the fruit was too useless and did not need spirit stones at all. She wished she could give all of them to Lin Mianmian to save storage bag space. Lin Mianmian could not refuse, but she did not want to take them for free. So she took out the pile of Moon-Watching Epiphyllum she had forced to grow before and had not handed in for tasks. She only said that this pile of grass was not easy for her to sell, and since Xiong Lanlan had gone to the trial secret realm, she could take it and treat it as something found in the secret realm to hand in for tasks.
Once Xiong Lanlan heard that this was her little friend’s troublesome matter, she accepted it.
Origin-Body Fruit was a rather uncommon fruit. Lin Mianmian did not know whether Senior Sister Yuan and A-Bai had seen it before, or whether they wanted to try it. It was with this thought that Lin Mianmian traded for the fruit.
Only as she walked and walked on the road, she could not help shaking her head and laughing. Senior Sister Yuan and A-Bai had already cultivated for a hundred years. How could they not know this fruit?
Still, she always wanted to see what kind of demon Senior Sister Yuan would become after eating it.
Probably a gentle, slightly moody, fluffy demon?
The kind that would feel very soft and warm to touch.
Lin Mianmian was startled by her own imagination. How had it turned into touching?
Maybe this winter was a little cold.
Even though she was already a cultivator, she still felt cold. Lin Mianmian breathed warm air into her palms and thought of the little cat she had always held in her arms last winter.
If Senior Sister became a demon, would she also be as cute as Rice Ball?