The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 43

“I’ll go see what delicious things A’Ling brought.”
Apothecary Yang Xia had just seen Shi Qingqian open her eyes. She had originally wanted to ask if there was any discomfort in her body, but seeing that the other party didn’t even glance at her after opening her eyes, she figured she wasn’t needed anymore. She glanced at the two clasped hands opposite her; to be precise, it was Shi Qingqian unilaterally holding A’Ling’s hand. Apothecary Yang Xia’s mind stirred. She casually found an excuse and left. After all, one luminous pearl was enough for illumination in this secret chamber. If she, this ‘lamp,’ stayed here, it would be too bright.
A’Ling had just heard Apothecary Yang Xia say she was leaving, but before she could even call out to her, she was gone. Looking at the empty secret chamber, A’Ling’s mouth twitched. Now, being alone with Shi Qingqian, she felt a strange sense of unease.
She looked at her hand, which was tightly gripped. Shi Qingqian’s knuckles were turning pale with exertion. Fearing Shi Qingqian had misunderstood, A’Ling quickly explained, “Don’t you dare wrongly accuse me. Just now, Apothecary Yang Xia asked me to help you transfer some spiritual energy.” She deliberately emphasized ‘asked’ and ‘help.’ After saying that, she felt inexplicably guilty and blurted out an extra sentence: “I absolutely did not take the opportunity to absorb your cultivation.” After speaking, A’Ling felt her words were a bit too defensive, but Shi Qingqian showed no reaction.
Shi Qingqian quietly watched A’Ling without speaking. Earlier, when she was unconscious, she felt a warm stream of spiritual energy enter her body. She instinctively wanted to reject it, but soon, she discovered something unusual: the demonic energy sealed within her body actually liked this spiritual energy. After that spiritual energy entered, the errant spiritual energy within Shi Qingqian’s body also calmed down, and it followed that spiritual energy to protect her heart meridians. Not only that, just now, Shi Qingqian found that the demonic energy within her, which hadn’t fully integrated after her forceful breakthrough, also merged into the demonic core in her body, surrounded by this spiritual energy.
Shi Qingqian’s eyes, fixed on A’Ling, gradually deepened. After a long moment, she spoke in a hoarse voice: “Thank you.”
“I can’t accept that.”
A’Ling blurted out a sarcastic remark, then awkwardly pursed her lips, adding, “What I mean is, you’re welcome.” A wave of annoyance washed over her. She was already used to opposing Shi Qingqian, always having a retort for every statement. But now, A’Ling thought, since she planned to live peacefully with Shi Qingqian from now on, with no further connection, she had to change this habit and maintain a superficial civility. She strained to pull at the corners of her mouth, revealing a clearly forced, polite smile: “Speaking of which, you helped me today too. Let’s call it even.”
Shi Qingqian looked at A’Ling, a hint of wounded fragility in her gaze. She disliked both A’Ling’s forced smile and the words ‘call it even.’ She held A’Ling’s hand tightly with one hand and used the other to push off the white jade bed, trying to sit up. A’Ling was pulled abruptly, staggered, and nearly fell onto Shi Qingqian. She quickly regained her balance. Just as a curse was about to escape her lips, she saw Shi Qingqian’s labored movements. Simply sitting up, she looked like someone on their deathbed preparing for battle, radiating a desolate determination. A’Ling’s hand was being used as a support. She reluctantly watched for a moment, silently cursed ‘drama queen,’ and then, annoyed, stepped forward to help her up.
Once Shi Qingqian was sitting properly on the edge of the bed and breathing normally, A’Ling shook her hand, which had grown clammy from being held, and ungraciously said, “Can you let go now?”
Shi Qingqian took a deep breath and slowly released her hand.
A’Ling withdrew her hand and casually wiped it on her dress at her waist, her face full of disdain. Shi Qingqian lowered her head and saw a large wrinkle on the green dress in front of her. Her brows furrowed just like the fabric. After roughly wiping the sweat from her hand, A’Ling looked at the silent, head-down Shi Qingqian. Remembering why she had come to the Apothecary’s Hut, and seeing that Shi Qingqian seemed fine sitting there, she quickly asked her question.
“Um, I came to see you about something. What happened at Flying Crane Clear Platform this morning… it wasn’t a problem with the testing crystal ball, was it?” A’Ling probed.
Shi Qingqian’s lowered head subtly nodded. A’Ling’s pupils constricted. Indeed, it wasn’t the crystal ball. If not the crystal ball, then the problem lay with her. But there was one thing she couldn’t figure out. She continued to ask, “Why was there a problem with my first test, but then it was fine later?”
Shi Qingqian didn’t answer A’Ling’s next question. She closed her eyes, then reached out and once again pulled A’Ling’s hand. A’Ling instinctively tried to pull away, but then immediately realized. Shi Qingqian was probably going to explain her problem. Was it related to her hand? She forced herself to endure the discomfort, relaxed her grip, and cooperated with Shi Qingqian’s actions. A’Ling watched as Shi Qingqian pulled her hand, and with her other hand, produced a handkerchief from somewhere. Her slender fingers supported A’Ling’s hand, and she carefully wiped each of A’Ling’s fingers one by one with the handkerchief.
A’Ling: ?
What was wrong with her hand?
She looked at Shi Qingqian in confusion. Shi Qingqian’s head was lowered, so her expression was unclear, but A’Ling could see she was extremely serious and meticulous. A’Ling had thought something would appear on her hand, but even after Shi Qingqian finished wiping each finger, her hand showed no change. Well, actually, her hand was much drier; it had still been somewhat damp when she’d roughly wiped it earlier. Now her hand was clean and fresh.
After confirming that Shi Qingqian was truly just wiping her hand, A’Ling looked at the person in front of her with a constipated expression. Had this person injured her brain? What kind of bizarre madness was this? It was so strange it made her feel even more uneasy. Just as she was about to open her mouth and curse, she heard the previously silent Shi Qingqian speak.
“The first time, you used this hand.”
Shi Qingqian said, releasing A’Ling’s hand and tucking the handkerchief back into her sleeve. A’Ling raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at her clean hand. What did Shi Qingqian mean? Was there really a problem with her hand? This time, Shi Qingqian didn’t wait for her to ask, pointing to the purple bracelet on A’Ling’s wrist. A’Ling clutched Little Wandering. “What?” Was something wrong with her Little Wandering?
Shi Qingqian raised her head, her gaze fixed on A’Ling. “Inside it, there’s the thousand-year demon core of a Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider. Do you remember the murals in the Sacrifice Cave?”
A’Ling nodded, puzzled. But Shi Qingqian saw from her expression that she hadn’t grasped the key point. She continued, “There’s a mural about the beast-fighting arena. It has a blood feud with the Xing family. When you were testing your good-will value, someone from the Xing family was right beside you. It must have sensed them.”
“Ah?” A’Ling was astonished. It was because of Xing Yanchu! A light flickered in her mind, and she looked at Shi Qingqian in surprise: “So you knocked him flying as soon as you arrived?”
Shi Qingqian nodded.
A’Ling drew inferences, and with her thoughts now clear, she understood everything: “Later, when you told me to switch hands, was it also because you were worried the demon core’s influence was still there?”
Shi Qingqian didn’t deny it, giving a soft ‘mm’. A’Ling gently stroked Little Wandering. The bracelet-shaped artifact looked harmless and inert. She hadn’t expected this to be the reason. The Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider’s demon core had indeed affected Little Wandering. In her previous life, she had also worn Little Wandering when taking the test at Flying Crane Clear Platform, and this situation hadn’t occurred. She suddenly thought of another possibility and looked up at Shi Qingqian: “Will this demon core affect me?” A’Ling also thought of another possibility: “I won’t be influenced one day to go kill someone from the Xing family, will I?” Strictly speaking, she had no grudge against the Xing family. Although she sympathized with the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider’s plight, she didn’t have a penchant for violence.
Shi Qingqian’s expression darkened slightly as she looked at A’Ling: “I don’t know.”
She now felt that the magic artifact she had hastily refined back then had various problems, and she regretted having given it away. She considered whether to reclaim and destroy it, then refine a better one to give to A’Ling. “If you’re worried,” Shi Qingqian said, softening her tone and speaking very tactfully, “why not give it to me now? I’ll destroy it for you.”
A blur of movement in the secret chamber. A’Ling hugged her wrist and jumped back a considerable distance, becoming wary. She eyed Shi Qingqian in the dim chamber with suspicion. She wondered why Shi Qingqian had suddenly become so eloquent, talking so much. So, she was after her magic artifact! What a malicious scheme! A’Ling, hidden in the shadows, gathered her inner energy in her hand and watched Shi Qingqian on the white jade bed warily. She suddenly doubted everything Shi Qingqian had just said about the Xing family and the demon core.
Perhaps everything Shi Qingqian said was just to trick her into giving up Little Wandering. What happened at Flying Crane Clear Platform today might just have been a coincidence. She couldn’t be deceived by Shi Qingqian; this person rarely spoke the truth. Just like before, with her mount. She had clearly seen it run into Shi Qingqian’s cave dwelling, yet Shi Qingqian claimed she had never seen it. She asked other elders to uphold justice, but they laughed at her, saying she had hallucinations, and that her ugly dog was so unwanted no one would even take it for free, let alone Shi Qingqian, who was a Peak Master at the time. How could she possibly be interested in it? Thinking about it now, A’Ling still felt furious. Someone as black-hearted as Shi Qingqian, even if she didn’t want it herself, might have simply not wanted A’Ling to have it. Her mount never returned after that. She used to think it had abandoned her for Shi Qingqian, but now a guess suddenly flashed through her mind: Shi Qingqian had just said she wanted to take Little Wandering and destroy it. Had her mount… also been ‘destroyed’?
A’Ling’s gaze was too sharp. Even in the dimness, Shi Qingqian clearly saw the defensiveness on her face, and the suspicion, even hatred, overflowing from her eyes. Shi Qingqian’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a surge of metallic taste bloomed in her mouth. She forcefully swallowed the bitter, swirling sensation. Her voice was terribly hoarse: “Will you never believe me?” She was just worried that the magic artifact would harm A’Ling in the future!
A’Ling scoffed inwardly. Why should she believe Shi Qingqian? But in the current situation, where the enemy was strong and she was weak, she worried that if Shi Qingqian forcibly took Little Wandering, she wouldn’t be able to protect it. Suppressing the anger in her heart, A’Ling tried to appear as calm as possible.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just—”
Before she could finish, Shi Qingqian, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up and walked towards her. “Just because of one mistake, I can never make it up to you, is that it?! What will it take for you to trust me again…” Her voice was truly hoarse. The last syllable seemed to come directly from her chest, carrying a whimpering undertone, like the low growl A’Ling had once heard from an injured beast seeking comfort from its kind. A’Ling heard the grievance in her tone. Her heart felt bitter. Their entanglement was more than just once. In Shi Qingqian’s eyes, they had only known each other for two years now, but A’Ling knew that a full century spanned between them. She naturally knew it was unfair to blame the current Shi Qingqian for the events of the previous life, but the losses she suffered because of Shi Qingqian in her previous life made it impossible for her to trust her.
Watching Shi Qingqian approach, A’Ling’s mind raced. As she retreated towards the stairs, she summoned all her acting skills, trying to appease the seemingly unstable Shi Qingqian. “I believe you. I’ll stay away from the Xing family from now on, and I’ll take good care of my magic artifact myself. You don’t need to worry about it.”
A’Ling felt an obstruction behind her foot. She looked back and saw she had reached the exit stairs. She immediately waved at Shi Qingqian: “I heard Apothecary Yang Xia calling me. I’m leaving first.” With that, she bolted out of the dim secret chamber in a few quick steps without looking back.
Apothecary Yang Xia leisurely savored the delicacies A’Ling had brought. Although they weren’t as delicious as what Qingqian had made before, she had just expended a lot of energy. Now, being able to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and some pastries, the comfort in her heart was more important than the taste of the food itself. She felt a little smug about her perceptiveness. Today, she had intentionally created an opportunity for Qingqian to be alone with A’Ling. Later, she’d have to ask Qingqian for some reward, perhaps to make more tea snacks before going to the inner sect.
Just as she was about to taste the honey date pastry from the food box, a sudden commotion came from the hidden door. The next instant, A’Ling rushed out in a panic. “Wh-what’s going on? Hey, A’Ling, where are you going?” Apothecary Yang Xia watched A’Ling’s frantic escape, thinking, Oh no, did Qingqian do something inappropriate? This won’t do. These two’s interactions should always follow a specific progression. Like first having tea together, then eating a meal together, then admiring a view together… She hastily got up and headed towards the secret chamber. She had actually forgotten to teach Shi Qingqian in advance how to interact with people like this.
A’Ling ran all the way home. Only after setting up enchantments all around did she curse ‘unlucky thing’ while panting heavily. She had originally planned to go to the inner sect later, but now A’Ling felt it was best to go as soon as possible. She finished handling her outer sect affairs within three days, entrusted her home to Aunt Sun, and paid her five years’ wages in advance. Even though Shi Qingqian said Jin Siliu had gone to the Demon Realm, A’Ling still left contact information that only the two of them could understand in the place she had lived. She also instructed Aunt Sun to let Jin Siliu stay if she came calling.
Three days later, A’Ling packed the things she needed to bring, which wasn’t much. Lightly, she went to Mystic Crane Mountain with Gu Jingyang. Also accompanying them was Gu Jingyang’s mother, Gu Jiangxue.
Although Mystic Crane Mountain was named a mountain, it was widely known that this was just a general term. Everything within the Crane Gate fell under the scope of Mystic Crane Mountain, but how vast Mystic Crane Mountain truly was, no one could precisely say. Inside, mountains piled upon mountains, and streams, rivers, lakes, and seas formed their own distinct realms. Ever since the legendary ancestor ascended, Mystic Crane Mountain had become the most coveted sacred land for cultivators, opening only once every five years. Once the Crane Gate opened, it wouldn’t close for a month. This month was also a good time for cultivators to enter and exit, but generally, one could only reach the inner sect’s first barrier—Mount Wuhen. This mountain was naturally formed, with only one cave connecting to the outside world, but there were no traces of a door on the mountain body. Those bearing Pass Tokens could pass through the cave unhindered and enter the depths of Mystic Crane Mountain.
New disciples like A’Ling and Gu Jingyang could enter this naturally formed barrier with their Silver Feather Enrollment Tokens. Gu Jiangxue also had her special access token—the Demon-Slaying Azure Flame Token. She was originally a cultivator practicing in the inner sect, just without the ambition to become an immortal. There were many such people. They came to the inner sect to learn cultivation techniques, and after mastering them, went out into the world to punish evil and promote good. This was also a major contribution of Mystic Crane Mountain to the world. After all, the Crane Gate opened only once every five years. If everyone had to wait for inner sect cultivators to help each time, then often, corpses would litter the land before the Crane Gate even opened. Therefore, besides those expelled from the inner sect and those who voluntarily withdrew, there were also cultivators whose names remained registered in the inner sect but operated in the outer world. These people held access tokens that allowed them to enter and exit the inner sect. Not just anyone could have them. They were generally given to cultivators with outstanding talent and profound cultivation, such as Gu Jiangxue, who was a high-level demon slayer.
Besides demon slayers, there were also demon pacifiers and ghost catchers, all highly respected by the world. Their destinations were different. After entering Mount Wuhen, Gu Jiangxue bid farewell to the two and went directly to find the person she was looking for. Watching Gu Jiangxue leave on her sword, the two looked at the expansive scenery before them, feeling that even their breaths were crisp and pure.
“My mother always told me since I was little that Mystic Crane Mountain was boundless. Seeing it today, it’s truly so.”
The distant mountain peaks stretched for thousands of miles, completely out of sight. Unlike the layered mountains in the distance, before them lay a vast, square plain, too immense to measure. The tall building standing directly ahead, majestic and reaching into the clouds, if one wasn’t far enough away, they might think it was just an iron wall blocking their path. A’Ling knew that was the Soaring Rainbow Tower, with seven floors, a place for new disciples to cultivate in the inner sect.
Entering the inner sect didn’t mean one had truly entered the path of cultivation. The foot of Jade Balance Mountain, where the Soaring Rainbow Tower was located, was the ‘outer sect within the inner sect’. To truly enter the ‘gate’ of cultivation, one still had to pass the triennial assessment at the Soaring Rainbow Tower. At that time, the Twelve Cave Abodes would set up assessments according to their respective Dao sects. Only cultivators who passed would truly be considered ‘Cultivation Masters’. Generally, to distinguish them from ordinary teaching masters, uniquely specialized masters would be respectfully addressed as ‘Abode masters’. In her previous life, A’Ling had entered the path of medical cultivation. Elder Qi Yu of the North Firmament Cave Abode was her Abode master. But that was an old woman obsessed with alchemy and with a somewhat eccentric temper. After taking A’Ling as a disciple, she gave her a few medical scriptures and told A’Ling to seek her out again after comprehending them. Unfortunately, A’Ling had never been able to grasp their essence. Thinking of this, A’Ling felt truly ashamed. In her previous life, her mind wasn’t truly focused on it; every day she just thought about how to make Shi Qingqian look bad.
“Let’s go, A’Ling. We should go submit our Silver Feather Enrollment Tokens first.” Gu Jingyang saw A’Ling staring blankly ahead and thought she didn’t know where to go next. Although it was her first time here too, she had heard her mother talk about it before, so she naturally took on the role of guide. But later, she discovered that A’Ling’s sense of direction was much better than hers. The two submitted their Silver Feather Enrollment Tokens at the Soaring Rainbow Tower’s new disciple reception. The cultivator in charge of reception gave them directions, handed them new disciple handbooks, and then sent them on their way. She only found their residence under A’Ling’s guidance. Although new disciples all lived on the east side of Jade Balance Mountain’s foot, the houses there, when viewed from above, looked no different from residences in the outside world.
The difference was that it was simply too vast. Rows upon rows of houses, with white roofs like the feathers of cranes ready to take flight, stretched endlessly out of sight. Gu Jingyang flew with A’Ling for about a quarter of an hour before they reached the residence marked 33018. After escorting A’Ling to her residence, Gu Jingyang set off to find her own residence, 61852. Just by looking at the numbers, one knew they weren’t close. She thought that even though she and A’Ling would both be in the inner sect, it might not be easy to meet again.
A’Ling watched Gu Jingyang leave, then looked at the small, standalone residence before her. She inserted the golden eagle feather with the house number written on it into the round hole on the head of the East Pole Stone spirit vulture statue, which stood as tall as a person, by the door. Instantly, the spirit vulture’s eyes, embedded with Illusion Pearls, lit up with a golden glow, scanning and outlining A’Ling’s form from head to toe. A’Ling knew this was the house’s East Pole Stone guardian spirit vulture. Once it recognized the owner, no one else could enter the house without permission. It was a pity this kind of thing was only available in the inner sect; otherwise, she would want one to guard her house outside too.
After completing its task, the spirit vulture statue reverted to its stone form. A’Ling pulled out the golden eagle feather and pushed the door open, entering the house. The house wasn’t large. The narrow interior was divided into two rooms by Sunfire Wood. The outer room’s desk was made from East Pole Lotus leaves, and a refreshing scent filled the house. A’Ling entered the inner room. There was a bed made of Recovery Vine there. This Recovery Vine had healing properties; simple injuries could heal on their own after lying on this bed for a while.
A’Ling sat down with a nostalgic sigh, then lay straight back. She had always been most satisfied with this bed in the inner sect. Every time she woke up from a sleep on it, she felt refreshed everywhere. But back then, she had heard this was the inner sect’s worst bed. She heard the best beds were those made of Qi-Gathering Vine in the Three Peaks’ cave dwellings – those were sacred items that allowed one to increase cultivation even while sleeping. At the time, when A’Ling thought of Shi Qingqian increasing her cultivation daily just by sleeping, she wasn’t so satisfied with her own bed. Thinking about it now, she really had been obsessed. She rolled back and forth on the bed with nostalgia, finding that pure state of mind again. Good, very good. This life, she entered the inner sect ten years earlier. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before she too could become a Peak Master. At that time, she wanted to personally experience whether it was as comfortable and miraculous as people said.
Within Mystic Crane Mountain, there were countless named peaks, but among them, twelve mountains were the most special. Each mountain contained a naturally formed cave dwelling, named after its respective mountain. These cave dwellings were rich in spiritual energy, teeming with rare beasts, and filled with numerous heavenly treasures available for cultivation. Disciples who had just entered could only enter a cave dwelling and seek mentorship for cultivation once their cultivation reached the Nascent Soul stage or above and they passed various assessments.
Among them, Martial Zenith Cave Abode, Spirit Spring Cave Abode, Warm Tower Cave Abode, and Twin Fields Cave Abode were for cultivation of techniques. East Firmament Cave Abode, South Firmament Cave Abode, West Firmament Cave Abode, and North Firmament Cave Abode were for medical cultivation. A’Ling had cultivated in North Firmament Cave Abode in her previous life. Heavenly Peace Cave Abode, Earthly Peace Cave Abode, Sovereign Peace Cave Abode, and Kinship Peace Cave Abode were for sword cultivation.
Four mountains formed one peak, connected by a river. High above the river, reaching into the clouds, stood a towering, perilous peak, whose cave dwelling housed only the Peak Master. Thus, the Peak Masters of the Three Peaks were the highest cultivated beings among the technique cultivators, medical cultivators, and sword cultivators. A’Ling remembered that in her previous life, before she died, Shi Qingqian, the sword cultivator, was the Peak Master of Winter Snow Peak; Gu Jingyang, the technique cultivator, was the Peak Master of Spring Water Peak; and Lan Fushang, the medical cultivator, was the Peak Master of Summer Shadow Peak. Above that was the Qiongdian Peak. Only when the Qiongdian Peak Ancestor ascended would the Three Peaks choose another person to go to the Qiongdian Peak. At that time, the sword cultivator Shi Qingqian had the highest reputation, and she was also the most highly cultivated among the three. In her previous life, A’Ling had never met the person from Qiongdian Peak. When she entered the sect, he was still in secluded cultivation, rumored to emerge only after a century. A’Ling never saw that legendary figure even until she was expelled from the inner sect.
She touched Little Wandering on her wrist. Although she hadn’t met him in this life either, she had taken the demon core that the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider had sacrificed to him. She wondered if he would be angry. She figured he probably wouldn’t quibble with her; from the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider’s murals, he seemed like a good person. Perhaps she could meet him once she became a Peak Master. She definitely had to tell him about the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider; otherwise, how sad would the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider be if the recipient didn’t know about its devout sacrifice of its own demon core? A’Ling reined in her wandering thoughts and glanced at the fresh-smelling room. She realized her most urgent task now was to learn sword flight. The inner sect had no carriages for her to ride, and walking on foot, even with eight legs taking turns, wouldn’t be enough. Pondering whether to start practicing today, A’Ling suddenly heard a knock at the door.
She thought it was Gu Jingyang and quickly got up to open the door. As the door opened, the familiar yet unfamiliar face before her made her hesitate. The person wore grey-collared, narrow-sleeved robes. She had an oval face, long eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and a bright appearance. Her thick black hair was simply styled into a loose braid on one side, tied with a single knot using a blue cherry grass. She smiled at A’Ling, her dark, round eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Hello there! You must be new. My name is Lan Fushang. I live next door. If you need any help with anything, feel free to find me anytime.”
A’Ling remembered. Yes, this person before her was Lan Fushang, who would later become the Peak Master of Summer Shadow Peak. A’Ling’s eyes lit up, and she smiled even more brightly than Lan Fushang.
“Yes, I do! Yes, I do!”
A good neighbor, indeed! That’s a great stroke of luck.