The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 76

Gu Jingyang raised her head and glanced at the sky. The rising sun was in the east, and the sky was a brilliant golden. The sun had already fully emerged from the clouds and was slowly climbing upwards. Gu Jingyang turned to look at Lan Fushang, who was sitting next to her, also propping her head up, seemingly numb from waiting. “So,” she asked, “are we just going to eat lunch directly?”
Hearing Gu Jingyang, Lan Fushang sighed heavily. She truly felt they might end up going straight to lunch. “If A’Ling only wakes up around lunchtime, then yes, we’ll probably go straight to lunch.” Lan Fushang looked at the person bustling about in the hastily set up makeshift kitchen, feeling a rare surge of sentiment.
Gu Jingyang turned to look at A’Ling’s motionless tent, knitting her brows. “What’s wrong with A’Ling? What time is it already? Why isn’t she up yet?” She looked at the blue-glowing spiritual shield. Just now, she had tried to call A’Ling, but found this barrier to be very formidable. One touch told her it wasn’t A’Ling’s usual shoddy ward.
“What happened this morning?” From the moment she woke up until she sat at the table, Gu Jingyang had only seen Shi Qingqian bustling non-stop by the stove. It was just breakfast, yet she was preparing it like a grand family night banquet. She had seen such elaborate scenes before in the Gu family’s kitchens. Shi Qingqian had already prepared who knew how many dishes, but none of them were coming to the table. Gu Jingyang was starving just watching her!
“Something must have happened,” Gu Jingyang said with certainty. She turned to Lan Fushang. “Do you know what happened?”
Lan Fushang did know a little, but the matter was somewhat hard to explain. Shi Qingqian also hadn’t said whether it could be told or not. Seeing her expression, Gu Jingyang became even more certain. Something had definitely happened, and the person in front of her knew about it.
“Did someone tell you not to say anything?” Gu Jingyang asked.
Lan Fushang shook her head.
“Then you can say it. Tell me, what happened?” Gu Jingyang coaxed.
Lan Fushang actually wanted to tell. After all, Shi Qingqian truly hadn’t said it was a secret that couldn’t be revealed. She hesitated for a moment, but after much internal struggle, she recounted the morning’s events to Gu Jingyang. From seeing Shi Qingqian emerge from A’Ling’s tent, to Shi Qingqian suddenly telling her she wanted A’Ling to be her cultivation partner and asking for her thoughts, and how she had replied—she told everything in meticulous detail.
Lan Fushang felt much lighter after she finished speaking, but Gu Jingyang didn’t feel so light after hearing it. Hearing Shi Qingqian say she wanted A’Ling to be her cultivation partner, Gu Jingyang raised her eyes to look at Shi Qingqian not far away. How did this person suddenly come to her senses?
Did A’Ling do something?
Lan Fushang had just said that Shi Qingqian claimed A’Ling had called her into the tent last night. It was actually A’Ling who initiated it.
What did A’Ling do to make Qingqian make this decision?
Before she could figure out the reason, a commotion came from behind her.
A’Ling was startled after emerging from the tent. Why was it so bright? When she was inside, the sky was still clearly dark. And why were Lan Fushang and Gu Jingyang, sitting by the dining table, looking at her like that?
“What’s wrong with you all? Why are you all looking at me? Did you finish breakfast already? Are we leaving now? My apologies, I thought it wasn’t daylight yet.” A’Ling hurried forward to stand beside the two.
Lan Fushang was about to say breakfast wasn’t ready when she saw one exquisite dish after another instantly piled high on the entire table. She swallowed hard. Looking up, she saw Shi Qingqian had used her magic to directly transport all the prepared dishes to the table in front of them. This scene…
“What in the world!” A’Ling exclaimed in surprise, looking at the scene before her. “What is this supposed to be?”
It’s just breakfast, do we need to use magic for it? And this huge table of food—were they really just having breakfast? There were only a few of them here; could they even finish it all?
As she was exclaiming in surprise, Shi Qingqian had already walked over. She seemed completely unfazed by A’Ling’s reaction, lowering her rolled-up sleeves as she handed A’Ling a bowl and chopsticks.
“Awake? Sit down and have breakfast.” She said this, giving A’Ling no chance to refuse, and led her by the arm to a seat.
A’Ling didn’t even have time to react. What was happening with this bizarre situation…?
Gu Jingyang and Lan Fushang weren’t much better off, but with one look from Shi Qingqian, both of them simultaneously picked up their bowls and chopsticks. Their movements were so synchronized that they themselves felt a wave of awkwardness.
“Try this,” Shi Qingqian said, picking up an off-white, peach-shaped pastry and placing it into A’Ling’s bowl.
A’Ling looked at the dull gray ceramic bowl, with such an exquisite, picturesque pastry placed inside, and for a moment, she wondered if she was still dreaming.
Meanwhile, Gu Jingyang and Lan Fushang, though feeling quite uncomfortable, had woken up early and long since had their appetites whetted by the aroma of Shi Qingqian’s dishes. They had waited for a long time, finally reaching the moment they could use their chopsticks. Putting aside all other thoughts, they quickly began to eat.
It was truly delicious. Gu Jingyang believed the Gu family’s kitchen was among the best in Longyin Town, but compared to what Shi Qingqian had made, it still fell far short. As for Lan Fushang, her life had been difficult before, and this was truly the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. It was so delicious that she almost wanted to shed tears.
A’Ling looked at the food in her bowl. She no longer thought Shi Qingqian would poison her, but this kind of ‘goodness’ felt like a poison to her as well. A’Ling swallowed with difficulty, looking at Shi Qingqian, who wasn’t moving, only watching her with her eyes, as if hoping she would eat more. After thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth. “Thank you.”
Gu Jingyang had bitten halfway through a piece of white jade pastry. Hearing those words, the other half slipped from her chopsticks and fell into her bowl. She turned to look at A’Ling, only to see her demeanor was gentle, her face serious, as if she was genuinely thanking Shi Qingqian. What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly so polite to Shi Qingqian?
Gu Jingyang chewed on the sweet half-piece of white jade pastry in her mouth. Her brain, now replenished with food, suddenly began to work. The attitude of these two towards each other seemed to have undergone, if not earth-shattering, then definitely profound changes overnight. Shi Qingqian had always been good to A’Ling before, but never so overtly, and so, as if no one else was around. As for A’Ling’s attitude toward Shi Qingqian, that went without saying. Just being able to sit at the same table meant A’Ling was in a good mood. And just yesterday she was still worried Shi Qingqian would poison her; why was she so polite today, even looking as if she had done something to offend Shi Qingqian?
Gu Jingyang picked up the half-piece of white jade pastry that had just fallen into her bowl, put it into her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. A sweet fragrance gently caressed her tongue and teeth. She glanced at the spiritual shield that had been removed after A’Ling emerged from her tent.
What happened between them last night?
Xing Yanchu watched the happy people eating in the distance, struggling hard to break free from his restraints. He forcefully shouted towards the group, but couldn’t make a sound. That hateful Shi Qingqian, just because he shouted a few times, complained he was noisy, tied him to a tree, and even silenced him. She truly went too far! After returning, he would definitely report all the wicked deeds of this group to the Abode Master!
Perhaps because they were each lost in their own thoughts, the four people at the dining table finished their breakfast without noticing that in the corner, there was still one person tied up.
A’Ling finished her breakfast at the fastest speed. She couldn’t bear it anymore; after she said thank you, Shi Qingqian’s gaze, which continued to watch her with a smile, made her feel as if she was sitting on pins and needles. This huge table of pastries, naturally, couldn’t be finished by four people. Lan Fushang was responsible for packing up all the food. Shi Qingqian went to clear the tableware, and A’Ling immediately went with Gu Jingyang to pack up the tents.
Gu Jingyang finally seized the opportunity to be alone with A’Ling. She quickly asked, “What’s going on with you and Shi Qingqian?”
A’Ling was rolling up the tent. Hearing this question, she sighed faintly. “Don’t ask. I’m the one who wronged her.” As she spoke, A’Ling had already packed away the tent and went to the side to pack up the reclining chair Shi Qingqian had slept on last night.
Gu Jingyang stood frozen in place after hearing A’Ling’s words. Lan Fushang had said that last night, A’Ling had called Shi Qingqian into her tent to sleep, and now A’Ling was saying she had wronged Shi Qingqian. Tent, night, sleeping, wronged? What could have happened under these circumstances to become ‘wronged’? Gu Jingyang looked incredulously at the remorseful A’Ling. She then glanced at Shi Qingqian, who had finished packing and had been immersed in a strangely happy mood all morning. A suspicion slowly rose in her heart, one that sounded absurd but was strangely logical. A’Ling… she… she slept with Shi Qingqian?
Throughout the rest of the journey, Gu Jingyang wanted to ask A’Ling many times if it was as she thought, but she never found the opportunity. The reason was simple: wherever A’Ling was, Shi Qingqian was there too. She wanted to use a stone mirror to send a message to A’Ling when night was deep and quiet, but after several attempts, she found she couldn’t contact A’Ling. Shi Qingqian’s spiritual shield was truly formidable.
Throughout this journey, Shi Qingqian completely replaced Lan Fushang’s role from the previous trip, though only where A’Ling was concerned. By the third day, she had even crafted a brand new tent, one larger than all three tents Lan Fushang brought combined. Only then did Gu Jingyang and the others realize what Shi Qingqian had been gathering plants for throughout their journey.
Xing Yanchu was furious when he saw the tent. He was single-mindedly eager to return to the Cave Dwelling, but these people were dawdling, using the excuse of recovering from injuries, resting after walking for only a short while. “Now they’ve even made a tent! Next time, are they going to look for spirit-gathering vines to make a bed?!” Xing Yanchu even began to suspect these people were deliberately stalling for time, unwilling to return to the Cave Dwelling. But having been tied up once, Xing Yanchu, no matter how angry, only dared to vent in deserted places. He seethed with hatred, now thoroughly despising all four of them, including A’Ling.
Gu Jingyang didn’t notice that Xing Yanchu’s gaze toward them was gradually filling with hatred. She now increasingly believed that her guess was true. Gu Jingyang had seen Shi Qingqian’s kindness toward A’Ling before, but now it was just more aggressive. But A’Ling was truly too abnormal. Gu Jingyang clearly saw that A’Ling didn’t want to accept that tent, yet she accepted it under Shi Qingqian’s somewhat deliberate ‘injured’ gaze. Throughout this journey, Shi Qingqian’s kindness advanced step by step, while A’Ling accepted it by retreating step by step. What could make A’Ling yield was definitely her feeling indebted to the other person. What could she owe Shi Qingqian, and for it to have started that very night? But wasn’t A’Ling going to find Lan Fushang to be her cultivation partner? How did things change so quickly?
Gu Jingyang had a belly full of questions but still had no chance to ask clearly. On the afternoon of the third day of their return journey, they met the people sent from the Cave Dwelling to look for them on an unnamed mountain peak. Now her questions could only be completely put aside for now, as she thought she would ask again when they returned, if she had the chance.
When Zeng Bilan saw that Gu Jingyang and the others were all accounted for, a great weight was finally lifted from her heart. Although she didn’t know how Shi Qingqian was also there, she was now the Abode Master of Heavenly Peace Cave Abode. She nodded in greeting, and the two of them exchanged greetings. Seeing Shi Qingqian’s unwilling-to-communicate demeanor, she also gave up the idea of exchanging a few polite words.
Zeng Bilan turned to see that Gu Jingyang and the others seemed to have injuries. She had the medical cultivator who came with her examine everyone, and after confirming there were no major issues, she then asked what they had encountered.
Before Gu Jingyang could speak, Xing Yanchu, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, described how terrifying the strange demonic beasts they had encountered were. He spoke of how difficult it was for them to survive, making it sound as if he had eliminated the two mutated sword dragons and saved everyone. Zeng Bilan was also greatly astonished when she heard Xing Yanchu say that plants grew on the mutated demonic beasts.
Gu Jingyang, however, was somewhat puzzled as to why Zeng Bilan would suddenly bring people here. “How did the Cave Dwelling know something had happened to us?” Gu Jingyang asked, puzzled.
Zeng Bilan glanced at A’Ling. “It’s because her spiritual shield in the Cave Dwelling broke. Qingyi was worried something had happened to you and told me to bring people to assist.”
A’Ling heard Zeng Bilan mention her spiritual shield and quickly stepped forward to ask, “I also sensed that my spiritual shield broke. May I ask, Abode Master Zeng, do you know who broke it, and is there anything unusual in my Cave Dwelling? Is my dog still there?”
How would Zeng Bilan know if A’Ling’s dog was there or not? She was quite displeased by A’Ling’s tactless question. She was the Abode Master of Twin Fields Cave Abode, a spiritual cultivation manor. Was she supposed to be looking after this person’s dog?!
Gu Jingyang noticed her displeasure and immediately changed the subject. “It was hard work for Abode Master Zeng to come find us; Jingyang is extremely grateful. What we saw this time was truly unexpected, and this matter needs to be reported to the Cave Dwelling as soon as possible.”
Zeng Bilan looked at the respectful Gu Jingyang, who knew proper etiquette, and felt a little more comfortable, no longer bothering with A’Ling’s rudeness.
“Oh, right,” Zeng Bilan said, recalling an important matter. “On our way here, we also met the sword cultivator elder Zhao Shan, who set out with you.”
Gu Jingyang thought, This isn’t good.
Sure enough, the next second, Zeng Bilan said, “He said A’Ling injured him without cause and that you abandoned him halfway. Is there truth to this?”
A’Ling was about to explain, but was stopped by a glance from Gu Jingyang. Gu Jingyang signaled A’Ling not to speak. Zeng Bilan was already displeased with A’Ling, so it was more appropriate for her to speak about this matter.
“This matter was my idea. After returning, I will explain to the various Abode Masters.”
Zeng Bilan knitted her brows. She unhappily glanced at A’Ling, thinking, Gu Jingyang is probably cleaning up this A’Ling’s mess. But this place was indeed not a good place for talking. They still needed to return to the Cave Dwelling as soon as possible.
“As for Zhao Shan,” she continued, “I already sent someone to escort him back to the Cave Dwelling a few days ago. If you all are fine, let’s depart for the Cave Dwelling now.”
Xing Yanchu was the first to agree. He had long since found Gu Jingyang and the others’ slow movements annoying.
Gu Jingyang felt a faint unease in her heart when she heard Zhao Shan had already returned.
Zeng Bilan saw that Gu Jingyang and the others had no objections, and Shi Qingqian was also silent by her side, so she took it that they all agreed. She divided the people she brought into two groups. The larger group continued to Zhuoling Mountain to see if what Gu Jingyang and the others said was true and if there were any surviving demonic beasts. The other group consisted of only her, one sword cultivator, one spiritual cultivator, and one medical cultivator disciple—a total of four people—to escort Gu Jingyang and the others back to the Cave Dwelling.
For the rest of the journey, A’Ling and the others traveled day and night, never stopping to have a proper meal or stay for a night. Shi Qingqian’s newly made tent was not used even once.
Upon returning to the Cave Dwelling, everyone was utterly exhausted. A’Ling even felt that if another demonic beast appeared now, she would immediately lie down and let fate decide. She was truly too tired. Her strength, which she had painstakingly recovered, was completely exhausted by the continuous sword flight day and night. Gu Jingyang and Lan Fushang were the same. The two of them took turns flying on their swords later on, but were still utterly exhausted. The one who seemed to be in the best condition was Shi Qingqian, but that was also normal. A’Ling stubbornly bore it all herself and didn’t let Shi Qingqian take turns flying on her sword. Shi Qingqian also had no objections.
Gu Jingyang glanced at Shi Qingqian in confusion. She couldn’t see through her at all now.
After everyone landed, Shi Qingqian landed alongside A’Ling. Seeing the figure in front of her was somewhat unsteady, she immediately stepped forward, grasped A’Ling’s arm, and steadied the swaying person. Spiritual energy flowed from Shi Qingqian through A’Ling’s wrist into A’Ling’s body. A’Ling felt that her spiritual energy, which she had just exhausted, was replenished somewhat.
Throughout this journey, whenever she felt she couldn’t go on, Shi Qingqian would infuse some spiritual energy into her, making it so she couldn’t collapse, and thus she was supported all the way back. Thankfully, they finally arrived! She turned back to glance at Shi Qingqian. This time, she had truly risked half her life to bring them back, hadn’t she? Look at Shi Qingqian, her complexion had recovered so well, fair with a rosy glow. She could at least consider half her debt of gratitude repaid!
Shi Qingqian watched A’Ling turn back and seriously look at her. The warmth on their touching skin seemed a little too hot, causing a flush to her face. She had actually recovered her spiritual energy long ago and had considered directly using spatial teleportation to bring A’Ling back. But seeing that A’Ling seemed very eager to fly her back on her sword, she didn’t mention it. She could only infuse some spiritual energy into A’Ling when A’Ling’s spiritual energy was about to run out. A’Ling actually didn’t refuse, and Shi Qingqian’s heart couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation, as if some stones pressing down on it had shaken off many under successive tremors.
A’Ling felt her spiritual energy had recovered somewhat, and as it no longer affected their journey, she removed Shi Qingqian’s hand. Accepting her spiritual energy on the way was so that she could safely bring her back. Now there was no need to accept her spiritual energy anymore.
Shi Qingqian looked at her empty hand, feeling somewhat puzzled. Why does she only need this much today?
Before she could open her mouth to ask A’Ling what was wrong, someone came to deliver a message, telling Gu Jingyang to bring her people to the Immortal Rainbow Platform. Gu Jingyang thought, Just as expected. Zhao Shan must have gone back and said something. This interrogation came really fast.
Zeng Bilan departed a step ahead of them.
By the time Gu Jingyang and the others arrived at the Immortal Rainbow Platform, eleven of the twelve Peerless Floating Thrones were already occupied. The remaining chair, close to the center, was empty. A’Ling turned back to look at Shi Qingqian, who was standing beside her, and asked softly, “Aren’t you going to sit up there?”
At her question, Gu Jingyang and Lan Fushang also simultaneously looked at Shi Qingqian. She was now the Abode Master of Heavenly Peace Cave Abode; for this trial of the Twelve Cave Abodes, she should indeed be seated at the head. Otherwise, this scene would be a little strange.
Shi Qingqian seemed to feel nothing of it. Her gentle expression toward A’Ling remained unchanged. “I’ll be with you all.”
A’Ling quickly averted her gaze. She couldn’t stand Shi Qingqian in this state; she even thought the Shi Qingqian from her dream, who kept calling her ‘idiot,’ was more normal. Her current demeanor was as if A’Ling had put some kind of enchantment on her.
The presiding cultivator at the head seat should have already spoken, but seeing Shi Qingqian still hadn’t taken her seat of honor, she waited until everyone looked at her before finally having to speak.
“This gathering of the twelve Abode Masters,” she began, “is because Heavenly Peace Cave Abode’s sword cultivator elder Zhao Shan has accused Warm Tower Cave Abode’s spiritual cultivator disciple A’Ling of bullying fellow disciples and maliciously injuring others; and Warm Tower Cave Abode’s spiritual cultivator disciple Gu Jingyang of intentionally shielding her and disregarding human life during an external mission by abandoning a severely injured fellow disciple.” She paused, looking at A’Ling and Gu Jingyang below, and said loudly, “Do you two plead guilty?”
Gu Jingyang directly denied this accusation on behalf of herself and A’Ling. “Abode Masters, please observe clearly,” Gu Jingyang began. “Zhao Shan’s injury was due to his own provocation; A’Ling merely fought back in self-defense. It was Zhao Shan himself who was unskilled and sustained some injuries in the spar. I saw his injuries were affecting the mission’s progress, which is why I had no choice but to leave him in a safe place, and I even left him healing medicine to help him recover. My companion here, Lan Fushang, a new disciple of Soaring Rainbow Tower, can testify to this.”
Lan Fushang heard Gu Jingyang finish and immediately responded, “The facts are indeed as stated. I can testify.”
Heng Qingyi at the head seat scoffed after hearing this. “See? Wasn’t I right? One should not believe only one side of the story. Sparring among disciples in Mystic Crane Mountain is quite normal. How can it be called maliciously severely injuring a fellow disciple?” She said this blandly to the three Abode Masters from the sword cultivator manors.
The three Abode Masters from the sword cultivator manors, Gong Shuangyu, Yun Jingying, and Xia Yuanrong, all looked at Heng Qingyi with some displeasure. Her words seemed to imply that sword cultivators were prone to slandering others. The Abode Master of Earthly Peace Cave Abode, Gong Shuangyu, had always looked down on the former Abode Master of Heavenly Peace Cave Abode, Qiu Fanbo, and was even ashamed to be a fellow sword cultivator with disciples like Zhao Shan. But no matter what, what Zhao Shan was now claiming was that spiritual cultivators deliberately ostracized sword cultivators during external missions. This was more serious than Zhao Shan merely getting beaten.
Gong Shuangyu spoke slowly. “Sparring among disciples is indeed normal, but injuring someone to the point they can’t get up is rare. Spiritual cultivators are truly formidable, to injure someone in a casual spar so that they haven’t fully recovered even now.”
Heng Qingyi was choked for a moment and rendered speechless. A’Ling was about to step forward to argue, but was again stopped by Gu Jingyang. She stood in front of A’Ling, neither humble nor arrogant, and clearly, concisely, yet not without mockery, recounted the incident between Zhao Shan and Lan Fushang.
“Lan Fushang was injured to the point of being on the verge of death,” Gu Jingyang argued. “Medical Cultivator Mu Ling of Zhenpu Medicine Pavilion can testify to this. If not for her treatment, Zhao Shan might have been responsible for a death. The Cave Dwelling’s investigation results at the time also stated that this was a normal spar among disciples in Mystic Crane Mountain. So, Zhao Shan can spar, but our A’Ling cannot spar with others?”
A’Ling looked at Gu Jingyang, who was protecting her from the front. Gu Jingyang rarely debated with others; the only few times seemed to be for her sake. Lan Fushang looked at Gu Jingyang, who spoke with clear logic, with powerful and distinct pauses in her tone, and whose words showed great protectiveness towards her friends. Her eyes welled up with admiration. This matter started because of her. If not for her, A’Ling wouldn’t have had a conflict with Zhao Shan.
She was about to step forward to corroborate that what Gu Jingyang said was all true, when suddenly, a shout interrupted her plan.
Xing Yanchu was also brought here to be tried. He was also a participant in the entire affair, and it should have been his turn to speak, but because Gu Jingyang debated with Gong Shuangyu, the Abode Master of Earthly Peace Cave Abode, he hadn’t gotten his turn to speak for a long time. But he believed he was the only one who knew the truth of this matter, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He walked a few steps forward and stood in front of everyone. He didn’t even have time to salute the Abode Masters at the head before impatiently declaring, “I know why this happened!”
Everyone simultaneously looked at him. Gu Jingyang also looked at him in confusion. What did he know?
Xing Yanchu didn’t wait for the presiding cultivator to ask and anxiously declared, “A’Ling resorted to such ruthless methods entirely because she has fallen into the demonic path!”