Chapter 14 - Divine Cultivation

As soon as Chen Yubai reached the Guos.h.i.+ Residence, he came face-to-face with his 'beloved disciple' holding the door with an expression like she was looking forward to his return.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ lowered his eyes and could not control the involuntary twitching at the corner of his eyes.

The old Housekeeper of Guos.h.i.+ Residence was standing behind Ji Xiaoli and when he saw his Master had returned, he happily reported.

"My Lord has finally returned!  Miss Xiaoli has been waiting for your Lords.h.i.+p the whole day!"

Chen Yubai sighed in his heart and reluctantly raised his eyes to look at her.  "Is there anything?"

"s.h.i.+fu!"  Ji Xiaoli stared at him with sparkling eyes that were full of expectations.  "Yesterday, s.h.i.+fu promised to teach me divine cultivation!"

She still dares to mention about yesterday!

The corner of Chen Yubai's eyes started to jump again and he gritted his teeth in anger

"Did I?  I don't seem to remember anything about it."  He said icily.

Ji Xiaoli immediately began to feel anxious when she heard him.  Hastily, she reminded him about the situation when he made his promise yesterday.  "s.h.i.+fu had forgotten?  Yesterday, while s.h.i.+fu was on the couch with me…….."

*Ke!*  Guos.h.i.+ instantly interrupted her with a distinct cough.

Under the gaze of the old Housekeeper that had 'lighted up', Chen Yubai pulled his lips tight and with restraint, he said to her.  "Let's go…….s.h.i.+fu will teach you divine cultivation."

The little girl smiled with satisfaction and with an expression like a puppy following a meaty bone, she followed behind her s.h.i.+fu and left.

**8**8**8**8**

Chen Yubai led her to a small garden behind Guan Xing Pavilion's rear courtyard.

The flowers and plants in the Guos.h.i.+ Residence are valuable, strange and famous in the world.  This refres.h.i.+ng and secluded garden is truly rare and even many flowers and plants found here could not be seen in the palace.  Most of them already possessed the spirit essence therefore, when Ji Xiaoli walked in, she could feel the magical energy of the spirits rus.h.i.+ng onto her face.

Unfortunately, it is not known why that not even a single plant was talking or chatting.

She looked around and suddenly stopped in front of a pearl-shaped flowering plant.  She mumbled a word "Yi?……." and then happily cried.  "Lianyi?!……"

The peony plant was blooming with flowers in cl.u.s.ters, beautiful and glamorous……..the complete opposite of the bald plant 'Lianyi' in Princess Yanyang's garden.  However, the movements of the force field around the plant were very familiar to her, so she could not be mistaken.

In the originally quiet garden, there were only sounds of breaths sucking in…….the tree demons and flower spirits had heard about the tragedy in the spiritual world of the 10-li Snow Flower Forest and old Green Vines Formation that was hundreds of years old.

So all the plants mutually agreed and took an oath to never to say a word in front of this weird girl.  But the name 'Lianyi' is exactly what this pearl-shaped flowering plant would be using on the day it becomes a spirit.  Not a plant had opened its mouth but this girl is able to say it out!

When the name of the peony plant was called out and it saw Lord Guos.h.i.+'s cold and ruthless eyes trained on itself, it became so frightened that it screamed and denied.  "I don't know you!  I haven't seen you before!  Quickly, go away!  Go away!  Go away!"

Ji Xiaoli felt sad.  "When you were in Princess Yanyang's Garden, I watered you countless times.  Why do you pretend not to know me?"

"That must be my sister from the same root!  It's not me!"  The peony plant broke down.  "I only drank water from the sky!  It must be you who had watered it to death!"

"No, that's incorrect……"  Ji Xiaoli replied with sorrow.  "It was Ji Bei who pulled out her roots and trampled her to death."

The peony plant was stunned and then it burst into tears.

The cries sounded extremely miserable and Ji Xiaoli was helpless.  She turned her head around and asked her s.h.i.+fu.  "s.h.i.+fu, s.h.i.+fu,……what to do?"

"What do you mean 'what to do'?…….."  Chen Yubai sounded impatient and cold.

Ji Xiaoli was stunned.  Feeling a little surprised, she tried to probe.  "s.h.i.+fu……can't you hear what it said?"

In this world, tens of thousands of living things grow in places that are full of spiritual essence or collect nourishment for thousands of years from the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.  Once they have absorbed the spiritual essence, they would gradually become spirits or demons.

Since young, Ji Xiaoli could hear them talk but no one believed her.  Even her brothers who love and pamper her so much only a.s.sumed she was fabricating stories and being playful.

But s.h.i.+fu is a fairy, how come he can't hear them?

Her eyes were filled with doubts while Chen Yubai felt annoyed.

It was even more annoying when she called him 's.h.i.+fu' so sweetly.

Thinking about it for a while, he asked her.  "What did it say about me?"

Xiaoli turned around to look back at the peony plant that was trembling with fright.  Its teeth were chattering and its blooming crown had even drooped down.

"It…….nothing…….."

"Will it hurt me?"  Lord Guos.h.i.+'s hands were folded behind his back and he asked faintly.

"It doesn't dare."  Ji Xiaoli was very certain about this point.

Its spirit has still not reached the refined stage so, it is still not considered a spirit yet.  It only has a slightly strong energy field and when it meets a mortal with pure power, it will even feel afraid.  So meeting someone as powerful as her s.h.i.+fu who exuded a strong icy force field, even a qualified demon was no match for him and it would only feel terrified of him.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ was very satisfied with her firm reply and smiled slightly at her.  "Then…….why should I listen to it?"

Those things are like air and meant nothing to him.  Does he need to listen to what they say?

Ji Xiaoli was stunned.  When she thought more about it, she suddenly realized and instantly her eyes lighted up with wors.h.i.+p for him.

"That's right!  s.h.i.+fu!  You are awesome!"

The person who was wors.h.i.+pped sneered coldly.

s.h.i.+fting his gaze, his eyes rested on the gossipy peony plant.

"Don't you want to learn divine cultivation?  The roots of this peony plant can make your body as light as a swallow.  Pulled it out and refined it into medicine."

Ji Xiaoli beamed with happiness and then hesitated for a moment. "But it will die in this way.  It is about to become a spirit……"

Lord Guos.h.i.+ lowered his eyes and clenched his hands.  He said to her firmly.  "You are its destined calamity.  It's either you become a fairy or it will become a spirit……there is only one choice."

Since young, her wish is to cultivate to become a fairy.  The little girl's face turned pale and her eyes became big and round.  She was filled with conflicting thoughts and was overwhelmed with painful struggles.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ stared at her eyes that were filled with a brilliant display of emotions and watched her with enjoyment for a while.  Then in a good mood, he turned away happily and left.

**8**8**8**8**

Since he was a child, Xiao Tian had been following Chen Yubai but he had never been able to understand his Master.   It was because the expression on his Master's face was the same throughout the year.  When the old Lord Guos.h.i.+ was still alive, occasionally a faint smile would appear on his Master's cold face.  Later when the old Lord Guos.h.i.+ flew off with the cranes* (died), his Master only showed a serious expression all year round.

Therefore, when Miss Ji Xiaoli just arrived, she would provoke his Master every two to three days so much so that he would show the seven emotions which simply shocked Xiao Tian.

Who would expect that today, his Master would display another expression?  He still had that cold and icy expression but the thin lips that thousands of women in the upper capital city were captivated with, were hooked into a faint smile.  In his eyes……..there was something that could not be ascertained…….can it be pleasure?

Xiao Tian tilted his head sideways and looked at his Master in a daze.  He even forgot to put down the teacup in his hands.

With arms folded, Chen Yubai was standing at the window looking down at the garden below.  A very small person was squatting in front of the peony plant and she was wiping her tears with complex feelings.

He watched for quite a while with great interest and his mood was inexplicably happy.

Lord Guos.h.i.+'s childhood years were extremely cold or else he would have understood that this is tantamount to bullying others and it is the feeling of gloating over the misfortunes of others.

He was unaware that the seven emotions were displayed on his face and looked at the dazed young boy who was holding a cup of tea standing foolishly there.  It was until he s.h.i.+fted his eyes sideways and asked 'What is it?' that the round-faced young boy came back to his senses and quickly served up the cup of tea.

"It looks like my Lord is in a good mood today."  The young boy said happily.  "Yesterday, when you entered the palace, did the Emperor bestow a reward?"

When 'yesterday' was mentioned, Chen Yubai frowned and as he picked up his teacup, he let out an "Umm……."

Xiao Tian thought it was true and he retreated with joy.  Instantly, the room became quiet again.  Chen Yubai stood by the window to look out while holding the teacup in his palm as the fingers of his other hand caressed the cup.

How did the Unicorn Medallion end up in the hands of Qin Sang?

When he thought of the young and handsome present Chief of Martial World Alliance, Li Weiran……Chen Yubai could figure out a thing or two.

Of course, the matter he was worried the most was not the Unicorn Medallion in Qin Sang's hands but he was fearful this Emissary Qian Mi would keep the current Chief of Martial World Alliance, Li Weiran under her skirt*.  It would certainly create chaos in the world.

(Under her skirt means to mesmerize someone with her charms.)

For hundreds of years, the Qian Mi Tribe had been searching for their legendary holy land.  According to the legend, as long as they return to their holy land, they will be able to obtain the divine power left to them by the ancient G.o.ds to revitalize the thousands of Qian Mi people that had regressed for centuries.  The map that showed the way back to the holy land was engraved and cast into 49 pieces of black iron Dark Night Medallions.  All this time the Qian Mi Tribe had been trying to collect all the Dark Night Medallions to put the map together.  But the medallion owners holding the Dark Night Medallions were destined to guard the world as they would never hand over the Dark Night Medallions to the evil sinister Qian Mi people so easily.

In other words, for Li Weiran to hand over the Unicorn Medallion to Qin Sang, it is not just a simple infatuation for him.

Chen Yubai did not want to intervene in the affairs of other people but if this becomes a world crisis then he, as the Chief of Black Tortoise Order, could not turn a blind eye to this matter.  When the chaos really surfaces, it will even be more troublesome to settle the matter as compared to settling it now.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ detested trouble.

The little girl was still crying in the garden.  Squatting there, her figure looked very small and no matter how one looks at her, she does not look anything like a Qian Mi.  Not to mention, most Qian Mi people are more intelligent and talented as compared to others.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ stood there quietly and his eyes turned deeper and deeper.  The smile that was visible on his face a while ago had disappeared.

**8**8**8**8**

At dinner time, the person sitting opposite Lord Guos.h.i.+ still had a sad expression on her tender delicate face.

Lord Guos.h.i.+ was also feeling unhappy and did not even pick up the chopsticks.  In a cold voice, he asked the young boy, Xiao Tian who was standing at the side.  "You didn't send dinner to her courtyard?"

Xiao Tian answered cautiously.  "No, it's not like that……Miss Xiaoli refused to return to her courtyard."

Lord Guos.h.i.+ looked coldly at the person sitting opposite him.

Ji Xiaoli looked at him with her teary pitiful eyes.  "s.h.i.+fu, I can't bear to pull out Lianyi and turn it into medicine!"

"No one is forcing you."  Chen Yubai said faintly.

"Can s.h.i.+fu teach me other ways to become as light as a swallow?"  She asked tearfully with full of expectations.

Chen Yubai looked at her eyes swimming with tears that were about to drip and his heart felt very happy.  Lifting his eyebrows, his words smoothly slipped out.  "Yes, of course.  Go and look for the tallest tree in the Residence, then climb up and just jump down."

The words made the little girl who came from a military family horrified and two streams of tears flowed down.  "I don't know qinggong……..I will fall to my death ….. wu,wu,wu ……."

At least she is not hopelessly stupid……..Chen Yubai thought as he lifted his eyebrows and sneered while picking up the chopsticks.

"Oh!"  The person who was crying suddenly became excited.  With tears still streaming down her face, she shouted ecstatically and her eyes shone.  "I know!  Since I had rubbed off so much divine energy from s.h.i.+fu, even if I don't know qinggong, I can still fly!"

The young round-faced boy standing at the side tried hard to hold back his laughter and his whole face became red.  Lord Guos.h.i.+'s face turned dark and he pressed his lips tightly together.

But even if he did not speak, it was still useless.  Ji Xiaoli who could get the best of both worlds felt so ecstatically happy that she became talkative.  She also warmly picked up food for him and urged.  "s.h.i.+fu!  Eat this meat!  Meat is delicious!"

Lord Guos.h.i.+ grasped the chopsticks tightly and endured.  After that, he slowly let out a long breath and stood up without a word.  With an empty stomach, he left for Guan Xing Pavilion to study the stars.