The House of Waveswept Rocks.

Cha Jin sat upright on a stone stool, her mind wandering.

She didn’t know why, but ever since Su Yi left with Ning Sihua, she’d felt a bit dazed and out of sorts.

Even though she knew that with Su Yi and Ning Sihua’s methods, they could resolve any dangers they faced, she just couldn’t calm herself.

The stronger the young lord gets, the greater the gap between him and me. Sooner or later, when I’m no longer of any use to him, perhaps…. I wonder if he’ll just throw me away?

As soon as this thought occurred to her, Cha Jin’s spirits sank.

People advanced to greater heights, while water flowed downhill.

Cultivators wholeheartedly pursued the Dao. How could they possibly bring a burden with them on their journey?

No, wait. Why am I thinking about all that? Don’t tell me I’ve already started relying on that guy? Cha Jin looked dazed, and her heart felt as if it were tied up in knots.

“Auntie Cha Jin, if you’re tired, you should go back to your room and rest,” Zheng Muyao called out from not far away.

The sultry young woman in black sat there, her skin white as snow and her eyes bright and sparkling, dazzling beneath the lamplight.

Auntie!?

When she heard this title, Cha Jin’s brow furrowed, forming black lines on her forehead.

She took a deep breath, then plastered a charming smile on her face. “Little girl, if you’re tired, you should go home. You’re still so young, and a girl at that. This is an important stage in your body’s development; you mustn’t stay up all night!”

Zheng Muyao’s arched eyebrows furrowed, and she straightened her back, forming the angles of two “upside-down jade bowls” beneath her clothes. 

“I’ve always had an excellent figure,” she said somewhat coquettishly. “You needn’t worry about that, Auntie. On the contrary, you’re getting on in years. You must be sure to take good care of yourself!”

“Oh?” Cha Jin’s eyes were like autumn waters. She scanned the girl’s chest, and her red lips curved into a playful smile.

She said nothing. However, that expression and inquisitive grin made Zheng Muyao thoroughly uncomfortable. The look on her pretty face flitted back and forth. “Auntie, why are you laughing?”

Cha Jin pointed at the lotuses floating in the nearby pond. “Look—the little lotuses have only just barely sprouted above the surface, and they’re still only buds. How could they possibly be as beautiful as a flower in full bloom?”

The night was dark and deep. No matter how good their eyesight was, how could they possibly see the lotus flowers clearly?

Zheng Muyao naturally wasn’t stupid; she could tell that Cha Jin was using the flowers to make fun of her. She thinks my figure is inferior to hers?

She didn’t hesitate to counter-attack. “Auntie, a bud will one day bloom, but a flower that’s already blossomed… Hehe, before long, it’ll wither away.”

Cha Jin laughed as if none of this meant anything at all. “Little girl, you don’t understand. We’re cultivators; so long as we continuously increase our cultivations, we can maintain our youthful appearances and live in the springtimes of our youths for all eternity. Forget it—there’s no need to discuss that with you. Even if I did, you wouldn’t understand.”

Zheng Muyao was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. However, just as she was about to say something, Zheng Tianhe, who’d been waiting a bit further away, suddenly shouted, “Young Lord Su is back!”

Before he even finished speaking, a dark, shadowy figure streaked down from the skies like lightning. In the blink of an eye, it landed in the courtyard.

When they saw Su Yi and company dismount from the Bluescale Eagle’s back, Cha Jin’s lingering anxiety vanished into nothingness. She immediately rose to greet them.

But Zheng Muyao had already whooped for joy and charged over, a sweet smile on her face. “Uncle Su! Are you alright?”

Little fox! You really are a competitive one, huh…? Inwardly, Cha Jin couldn’t help but criticize.

“Young Lord Su, Palace Master Ning, you’re back!” Zheng Tianhe walked up and greeted them with a smile as well.

Ning Sihua nodded, then turned to look at Su Yi. “I’ll bring Elder Zhu back to Heaven’s Origin Academy for now. Later, when I have some spare time, I’ll come back to pay you a visit.”

With that, she and Zhu Guqing rode the Bluescale Eagle and soared back into the sky.

“Palace Master Ning really does have the bearing of a supreme being,” said Zheng Tianhe wistfully. Then, he turned to Su Yi, clasped his fist, and smiled. “Young Lord Su, since this matter has been resolved, I’ll be on my way.”

“After what you did for me today, I owe you and the Zheng Family a favor,” said Su Yi.

Zheng Tianhe shook from head to toe, and his heart surged with indescribable delight. He realized that, after this incident, he’d won Su Yi’s approval.

He smiled and waved dismissively. “It was but a trifle. I was honored to be of service.”

Su Yi said nothing in response, and Zheng Tianhe dared not linger. He simply turned and led his clearly-unwilling daughter away.

In the moments before she left, the pretty young woman waved repeatedly. “Uncle Su, I’ll be back tomorrow~~!”

Cha Jin snorted coldly. I’ve got to find an opportunity to make that little imp back off.

When she saw Su Yi carrying Wen Lingxue toward the pavilion, Cha Jin hurried after him. “Young Lord, is Miss Lingxue alright?”

“She’s fine. Go start a fire and prepare some hot water. It’s highly likely that she’ll want a bath as soon as she wakes up.”

“Alright.”

“The sun will rise soon. When it does, go buy some food. Make sure to prepare extra congee, but nothing salty. Lingxue prefers the sweet kind.”

“Got it.”

“Right, if you have the spare time, don’t forget to visit that store you mentioned and buy some additional clothes for her.”

“Okay.”

As he spoke, Su Yi reached the room. He glanced at Cha Jin, who was still following him. “That’s all. Go on and get to work.”

With that, he went inside, shutting the door behind him.

 Cha Jin stood outside, all on her own, gently biting her red lips. She felt an indescribable sourness well within her heart.

That lazy, proud guy even remembers what kind of porridge his little sister-in-law likes? He’s obviously had untoward thoughts about her for a long time!

Cha Jin had followed Su Yi for quite some time now, but this was the first time she’d seen him treat a woman like this. So, it turns out he can be this considerate too…. 

After a while, Cha Jin shook her head, turned, and left.

Meanwhile, within the room.

“Enough. Don’t pretend to be asleep any longer.” Su Yi sighed, but his voice revealed a hint of doting.

Wen Lingxue’s head was resting on her shoulders as she “slept.” Her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened. She muttered, “Brother-in-Law, I haven’t slept for two days. I can only rest at ease with your shoulder as a pillow.”

Her voice was soft and a bit coquettish. 

But a moment later, she raised her beautiful head, stretched out her fair and slender arms, and patted Su Yi on the shoulder. “Brother-in-Law, let me down.”

Su Yi relaxed his grip, and she slid off. Suddenly, he no longer felt her softness and warmth pressed right up against his back. He felt relaxed and lighter, but also a bit reluctant.

A moment later, he shook his head, then slumped lazily in a chair off to the side. He looked her up and down, then said gently, “Cha Jin will finish preparing your bath soon. Once you’ve bathed, you should eat your fill, then get a good night’s sleep.”

Wen Lingxue sat off to the side, holding her little head in her hands and staring directly at Su Yi. She whispered, “Brother-in-Law, do you know what I was thinking the whole time I was in Ninebends City?”

Before he could respond, she continued seriously, “I was convinced that if anyone in this world could save me and Senior Zhu Guqing, it had to be you.”

Her voice was soft, yet she spoke with unwavering conviction.

Then, she broke into a radiant smile. “As expected, just as I was about to give into despair, you appeared, like an immortal descending from the heavens. When I saw you, I almost dared not believe my eyes…”

Her face was still pallid, with unconcealed exhaustion on her brow, but in that moment, her smile contained incomparable joy.

Her smile was clear and pure, and when he saw it, Su Yi’s heart filled with indescribable pity. He couldn’t help but reach out and tousle her hair. “Rest assured. No matter what happens, I’ll stand beside you, just like I did today.”

“Hm! I’ll do the same for you!”

Su Yi smiled.

Before long, Cha Jin finished preparing the hot water, and she led Wen Lingxue off to take her bath.

Su Yi stayed behind. He pushed open the latticed windows and stared off into the distance.

The first rays of the morning sun were matchlessly bright as they broke through the inky darkness. Soft, warm light washed over the human world.

Daybreak.

Su Yi took a deep breath of the clear morning air, then took the giant bundle of treasure out of his black jade pendant. This was the bundle containing the apology gifts he’d received from the various ghosts and yao.

After a cursory examination, he found some tier-three spiritual herbs, materials, spirit stones, and other treasures, as well as various strange and unusual trinkets, like an ore capable of nourishing the soul or a spirit jade capable of refining the blood and qi.

All were quite valuable.

“Hm?” Something suddenly drew Su Yi’s attention. It was a stone reminiscent of ashy gray amber. He picked it up and examined it up close.

The stone wasn’t at all eye-catching; it was only about the size of a baby’s fist, and it was gray and dull. However, faint strands of spiritual energy emanated from it.

It was obvious it had been excavated only recently; it was still covered in a faint layer of dirt, dust, and fragmented rock.

When he held it, it was surprisingly heavy: despite its size, it weighed over fifty kilos.

But Su Yi’s senses picked up on a faint, nigh-imperceptible sharpness within the rock!

Su Yi drew Guiding Mysteries with a clang and carefully scraped the stone’s surface with its edge.

Fragments of stone scattered like sparks, and hints of bright like surged within the dingy gray rock. Its sharp energy gradually intensified.

Before long, Su Yi held a dazzlingly bright stone in his palm. It was silvery and metallic, and it glinted with intimidating sharpness. It was only the size of a pigeon egg, but it was clear and translucent. The light shining from it was so intense that even Su Yi couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

“It really is Shooting Star Iron Essence!” Su Yi understood in a flash, and he couldn’t help but grin. “I wouldn’t have thought this trip would result in such a harvest….”

Shooting Star Iron Essence!

This was a rare spiritual material that fell from beyond the heavens. It was ranked amongst tier-five materials. It shone like silver but was sharp as cold lightning, and it contained the fierce destructive power of the stars!

In the eyes of a sword cultivator, this was a top-quality material for forging spiritual swords. Adding even just a little powdered Shooting Star Iron Essence would increase a weapon’s class by a whole level!

And although the piece Su Yi now held in his hand looked like it was only the size of a pigeon egg, it weighed fifty kilos. In such quantities, it was far more precious than other tier-five spiritual materials.

I’ve already used up about forty percent of Guiding Mysteries’ power. Once my cultivation enters late-stage Qi Accumulation, Guiding Mysteries can no longer display the full extent of my power, Su Yi thought to himself.

But with this piece of Shooting Star Iron Essence, I can refine a true spiritual sword, the real deal!