The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 24

Raindrops pattered on the eaves, dripping one by one from the extended corners like scattered pearls.
In the damp mist, Shi Qingqian’s pure white inner robe was muddy at the hem, her shoes were beyond recognition, and her entire body was soaked as if she had just crawled out of a ditch.
Her dark hair clung to her forehead, making her appear utterly disheveled.
On her pale face, her brows were tightly furrowed, and the red mole at the corner of her eye added a touch of demonic allure.
No one knew which bed she had just gotten out of, nor what she was doing standing silently under the corridor.
She bit her lip, a crescent white mark appearing on her pale pink lips. Her lips parted as if she was about to say something.
A’Ling’s pupils trembled violently, her heart plummeting as if off a cliff. Staring at the person by the window, she slammed the side table beneath the window.
“What’s with the hanging ghost act first thing in the morning? Your games are getting wilder and wilder! What are you trying to do, scare me to death?!”
After A’Ling finished speaking, she sharply closed the window with a bang. A’Ling pressed down hard on her frantically pounding heart from that instant, turned her back, and leaned against the side table beneath the window, breathing heavily.
She was scared to death! This early in the morning, A’Ling’s remaining drowsiness had completely vanished.
It was too terrifying; she almost thought it was a new nightmare. She had always said that white attire was unlucky, and paired with Shi Qingqian’s eerie face, it was even more frightening.
A’Ling forcefully rubbed her chest, wanting her frantic heartbeat to slow down.
Gradually, her breathing finally returned to normal.
A’Ling glanced at the scattered letters on the floor, secretly thought, ‘This isn’t good,’ and quickly opened the door to go out.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw the same figure squatting on the ground.
After A’Ling clearly saw what she was doing, her foot, which had stepped out of the door, froze in place, keeping one foot out and one foot in.
Ready to advance or retreat.
The person on the ground picked up the scattered papers from the corridor and slowly stood up. A lock of her dark hair clung damply to her forehead, making her appear utterly disheveled.
Her eyes were streaked with crimson blood, entirely lacking her usual graceful demeanor.
She slowly rose, stacked the papers she had picked up, and handed them to A’Ling. Whether from excessive force or the cold due to the rain, her slender fingers were stark white.
A’Ling looked at the bloodless hand right before her eyes, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter.
Shi Qingqian’s half-closed eyes were like a moon just pulled from the water, cold and profound. Her long hair, usually neatly behind her, clung to her slowly raised arm like damp seaweed.
Her snow-white, cold face made her peach blossom eyes appear strikingly blood-red.
Her outstretched hand moved slowly, very slowly, as if stubbornly waiting for the person opposite to reach out and take the papers.
A’Ling snapped out of her confusion and glanced at the letters held by Shi Qingqian. Snapping back to her senses, she snatched them away, wondering if the other person had peeked.
“Who told you to just take other people’s things? Are you addicted to stealing, or does snatching things make you happy? Acting like a ghost first thing in the morning, what are you trying to do?!”
A’Ling glanced with disgust at the ‘water ghost’ in front of her, who looked as if she was about to claim a life. She looked down and saw several water stains on the papers, and where Shi Qingqian had held them, there was even a thumbprint. She shook the papers in her hand distastefully, as if something unclean were on them.
The flicker of light that had appeared in Shi Qingqian’s eyes when A’Ling took the items vanished, turning dark and heavy again.
When A’Ling looked up again, she saw the abnormal person in front of her. Her pale face surprisingly held a melancholic expression, and the thought of scolding her a few more times was startled back into A’Ling’s mind.
Something abnormal must mean something demonic is afoot!
A’Ling gave up the idea of arguing with Shi Qingqian, quickly pulled back her outstretched leg, and was about to close the door when Shi Qingqian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
In the damp, cold morning, Shi Qingqian’s hoarse, low voice echoed at A’Ling’s doorstep, brushing past A’Ling’s heart.
“What did you say?” A’Ling’s fingers, holding the doorframe, inadvertently slipped into the hollow carved gaps.
A’Ling furrowed her brows tightly, looking straight at the person in front of her. Her face was still pale, and her expression was solemn. A’Ling was bewildered; why would this hanging ghost come to her door first thing in the morning to apologize…?
“I’m sorry, from now on it was my fault, I know apologies can’t make up for what’s already happened, but I truly regret it, truly regret it……”
As she spoke, her already hoarse voice seemed to tear open another wound, speaking with great difficulty, each word sounding incredibly sincere and on the verge of tears.
A’Ling gripped the doorframe. Shi Qingqian’s sincere apologetic attitude would have moved anyone else present, and even A’Ling felt a momentary tremor.
But only for an instant. A’Ling’s heart began to grow cold.
Here it comes again, this again. She truly didn’t understand the thought process of people who hurt others and then came to apologize.
What did she want? Did she want A’Ling to forgive her? If A’Ling didn’t forgive, would people say, ‘Look, she knows she made a mistake,’ ‘She’s already sincerely apologized, what more do you want?’
In her previous life, she had heard such words too many times. In her previous life, Zhao Diqing was always in the wrong, but afterwards, as long as she offered a feigned apology and shed a few tears, everyone would demand A’Ling’s forgiveness.
It was as if, at that point, the ‘victim’ became the new ‘perpetrator’ if they didn’t forgive.
She detested ‘I’m sorry.’ Whether sincere or feigned, it made her nauseous.
“So what?” A’Ling looked coldly at the person in front of her, observing her regretful expression. A’Ling believed Shi Qingqian was genuinely apologizing, but so what?
Shi Qingqian’s eyes flickered. The regret in her heart was firmly etched there, like the patterns caused by the Crimson Lotus Hellfire on A’Ling’s body. She didn’t know what to do.
What could she do? No one had taught her what to do in such a situation.
“I’m sorry, what do you need me to do for you to forgive me?” Shi Qingqian asked hoarsely, gazing at A’Ling with anticipation, as if she would do whatever A’Ling said.
A’Ling sneered, “Forgive?”
Shi Qingqian nodded, holding onto a sliver of hope, wishing A’Ling would give her a chance.
A’Ling suddenly smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Alright, dig out your skull and give me three kowtows. Then I might consider what ‘Forgiveness’ even is.”
After A’Ling finished speaking, she couldn’t be bothered to look at Shi Qingqian again. She slammed the door shut with a clank, muttering, “How unlucky.” She had been disgusted again first thing in the morning.
She thought of the inauspicious dream from last night and felt a sense of unease.
Shi Qingqian’s sudden abnormality this morning; she wasn’t plotting something bad again, was she?
Although A’Ling didn’t know what Shi Qingqian was planning, her intuition told her that getting close to Shi Qingqian would bring bad luck. She still decided to stick to her previous plan: stay away from Shi Qingqian.
Right now, nothing was more important than quickly forming her Core and becoming stronger.
Fortunately, when A’Ling finished tidying her room, changed her clothes, and left her room again, the annoying figure was no longer at the door.
A’Ling opened her umbrella and left.
By the time she rented a carriage, hired a driver, and rushed to the Gu family, it was almost noon. Naturally, she ended up having lunch at the Gu family’s expense.
Gu Hongjue, hearing A’Ling ask about how cultivators fall to the demonic path, chuckled and joined the conversation.
“How would Jingyang know about these things? She’s only a few years old and hasn’t been cultivating for long.”
A’Ling’s eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this. It sounded like Gu Hongjue knew something.
Gu Hongjue didn’t hide anything. Under Gu Jingyang’s sparkling, adoring gaze, he slowly began to explain.
“The very first lesson at Hongjian Academy states that immortal cultivation primarily focuses on cultivating the mind. Your basic cultivation techniques are also mental cultivation methods that calm the spirit, precisely to prevent one’s thoughts from going astray during cultivation. Therefore, the most common reason for a cultivator to fall to the demonic path is when their own mind goes awry.”
“These improper thoughts are divided into many types: some arise from evil intentions, some are eager for quick success and want to take shortcuts, and some are purely driven by a desire to become stronger.”
A’Ling asked in confusion, “Become stronger? Can demonic cultivators be stronger than orthodox cultivators?”
Gu Hongjue nodded. “Sometimes, yes. The saying goes, ‘righteous and evil cannot coexist.’ If they can stand in opposition, then their powers must naturally be comparable. Just as Jingyang’s opponent is Shi Qingqian, not you, if demons can contend with immortals, they naturally have their powerful aspects.”
A’Ling silently rolled her eyes, ignoring Gu Hongjue’s hurtful frankness, and continued to listen.
Gu Jingyang, however, interjected to remind Gu Hongjue, “Dad, stop spouting such blunt truths. Stick to the facts, don’t use comparisons.”
This time, A’Ling directly rolled her eyes. They were truly father and daughter.
Gu Hongjue nodded and continued, “Furthermore, the conditions for demonic cultivation are simple—so simple that there are virtually no conditions. Whether you are human or a demonic creature, if you wish to enter the demonic path and cultivate, you can.”
“Because of this, most mortals choose not to enter the demonic path. Who, being a good person, would want to be associated with demonic creatures? Most mortals who cultivate demonically are those who fall to the demonic path midway through immortal cultivation.”
“Mortal demonic cultivation is not a good thing.” At this point, Gu Hongjue glanced at Gu Jingyang, and incidentally, at A’Ling too. “You two must be careful not to let your minds go astray during cultivation. For mortals, cultivating the demonic path makes merely living a painful endeavor.”
Gu Jingyang didn’t understand. “Dad, didn’t you say demonic cultivation was quite easy? How is it painful then?”
Gu Hongjue explained, “Mortals are inherently flesh and blood. Immortal cultivation requires first Foundation Establishment and then Core Formation, precisely to gradually transform the mortal body to adapt to absorbing spiritual energy. But demonic cultivation is different. If demonic energy enters the body and inadvertently invades the mind, it can cause mortals to lose their sanity.”
“But I’m not talking about those kinds of pains. I’m talking about the most basic one. For mortals, a simple act like breathing becomes a torment day and night for demonic cultivators. Every breath they take is a struggle against demonic energy. For those with higher cultivation levels, it’s like inhaling strands of hair. For those with lower levels, it’s like inhaling razor blades.”
Gu Jingyang’s eyes widened, and she gasped softly, “This is too tragic.”
As she spoke, Gu Jingyang looked at A’Ling, wanting to tell her to be careful during cultivation and not be hasty. But she turned to find A’Ling’s face pale and full of pain, her breathing seemingly heavy.
A’Ling had recalled her previous life. When she first fell to the demonic path, it was indeed as Gu Hongjue described; every breath was torture. If not for a single obsession sustaining her, she would have suffocated herself many times to end the pain of breathing.
“A’Ling, what’s wrong?” Gu Jingyang asked with concern.
A’Ling shook her head. “Just imagining that kind of pain, it’s truly terrible.”
Gu Jingyang nodded. “Remember this well: never fall to the demonic path, and don’t rush your cultivation. Build a solid foundation, and I believe A’Ling will be very strong in the future.”
A’Ling nodded. Her heart wasn’t in a hurry, but her actions were. She didn’t have much time left.
After finishing her meal at the Gu family, A’Ling accepted the Three Purity True Fire Furnace gifted by Gu Jingyang and bid her farewell.
Gu Jingyang, knowing A’Ling intended to refine magic artifacts, gave her the purest Three Purity True Fire. “You’ve just reached Foundation Establishment, so refining magic artifacts is a bit hasty. If you can’t refine anything, don’t be disappointed. It will be much better after you reach Core Formation.”
A’Ling nodded. She knew Gu Jingyang was afraid she’d be disappointed. It was rare for someone at Foundation Establishment to refine powerful magic artifacts, but A’Ling knew she could, because she had refined one in her previous life.
“Thank you very much today. You won’t accept my spiritual stones. Is there anything you want? I don’t feel right taking your things for free.”
A’Ling wanted something to exchange, but she didn’t know what Gu Jingyang needed. It seemed Gu Jingyang lacked nothing.
Gu Jingyang saw A’Ling’s serious expression, tapped her chin with a finger, and thought carefully. “Does wanting to watch a good show count?”
A’Ling’s mouth twitched, speechless. Suddenly, she remembered the events of the morning.
She missed it. If she had known, she should have used a Cosmos Pearl to record Shi Qingqian’s abnormal state. Gu Jingyang would surely have loved to watch.
Thinking of this, A’Ling said regretfully, “There was quite a spectacle this morning—”
“What was it?” Gu Jingyang eagerly pressed before A’Ling could finish.
A’Ling thought about how to phrase it. It wasn’t that she felt embarrassed about using Shi Qingqian as a topic to thank Gu Jingyang. Honestly, if Gu Jingyang wanted Shi Qingqian, and A’Ling could defeat Shi Qingqian, she wouldn’t hesitate to tie her up and deliver her to Gu Jingyang.
That’s how direct people on the demonic path were in their gratitude.
A’Ling hesitated for a moment before starting, “Have you ever seen Shi Qingqian when she was particularly disheveled?” She meant to say that if not, the next time she saw Shi Qingqian looking disheveled after falling into some ditch, she would record it and send it to Gu Jingyang for amusement.
Just as she was about to continue, she unexpectedly heard Gu Jingyang say she had.
“Huh?” This time it was A’Ling’s turn to be confused. Ever since she met Shi Qingqian, she had always been aloof and untouchable. Gu Jingyang had actually seen her looking disheveled?
“I saw her when she was five. Qingqian was also five then, but she couldn’t speak yet. She was wearing dirty, unrecognizable clothes and fell from the second-story embroidery tower of the Huo family, landing right in front of me.”
“I remember she looked extremely pitiful and disheveled at the time. When I asked her questions, she would only shake her head, and each shake splattered gushing nosebleeds everywhere.”
A’Ling looked at Gu Jingyang, seemingly trying to confirm if she was joking.
Shi Qingqian, five years old, unable to speak?