Chapter 48

The crowd that had fled the bamboo hut seemed to replay the earlier scene, running nonstop until they reached the nearest village. Only upon seeing signs of life did they halt, their faces pale and legs trembling.
Zhang Shi covered her swollen, reddened cheek, seething with anger and indignation, feeling utterly wronged. "Taoist Wuyao, what is the meaning of this? We paid you so much money, not to watch you kowtow to someone else…"
Her furious voice trailed off under Wuyao’s icy glare, a chill creeping into her heart.
The others, initially also enraged, witnessed this and quickly closed their mouths, patting their chests to calm themselves.
Wuyao waited until Zhang Shi fell silent before speaking coldly, "When you hired me, you didn’t mention that your niece was living so well!"
Zhang Shi muttered defensively, "Well, it’s just that she’s disobedient, isn’t it?"
Her tone carried a hint of guilt.
Li Sheng quickly interjected, "Master, we were just overly concerned and acted rashly. Please don’t blame us!"
"Overly concerned?" Wuyao sneered, his voice low and stern. "Do you even know who resides in that place?"
Su Family’s second son whispered timidly, "We’re just ordinary farmers. How would we know such things? Master, what exactly is going on?"
The others nodded in agreement, staring at him with wide, anxious eyes, careful not to make any sudden movements lest they provoke the master again.
But the earlier scene had been so shocking, and the fact that they had only caught a glimpse of those two figures made the disparity all the more terrifying.
Wuyao glared at these ignorant people, furious. If not for them, had he sensed the situation earlier, he might have been able to build a good relationship with that esteemed senior and gain some benefits. Instead, not only had he gained nothing, but he had nearly made an enemy of the senior. It was utterly infuriating!
He muttered angrily in a low voice, "What's going on? Seeing how capable you all are, I thought you knew! If you don’t know, why are you talking so much?"
The Su family members and the meddling onlookers were all scolded into a wilted state, not daring to raise their heads.
Zhang Shi wanted to say more, but her son Li Sheng tightly covered her mouth, forcing her to reluctantly fall silent.
Seeing that they had quieted down, Taoist Wuyao felt slightly more at ease and said gravely, "Do you know about the Spirit Realm? This senior is from the Spirit Realm! Only those with at least Foundation Establishment cultivation can create such an aura of pressure! A Foundation Establishment cultivator! Do you realize how powerful that is? With just a flick of their finger, all of you mortals could die!"
In the mortal world, where spiritual energy was sparse, even being able to refine Qi into the body was considered a rare talent, let alone reaching Foundation Establishment, it was utterly impossible.
Thus, Taoist Wuyao, who lived in the mortal world, was only a Qi Refining third-level cultivator, yet even so, he was held in extremely high regard in this world.
If he hadn’t disliked the imperial palace, he might even have been revered as a state preceptor.
After speaking, Taoist Wuyao still felt a lingering fear.
He never expected to encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator here. Judging by their demeanor, they must be a direct disciple of some sect who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world. It was truly a pity that he hadn’t been able to establish a connection with them.
As he thought this, he couldn’t help but feel regretful. His listeners exchanged glances, slowly realizing the implications, and waves of shock surged in their eyes.
Soon, low exclamations erupted frequently among the dozen or so people:
"From the Spirit Realm?!!"
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator, a celestial being!"
"Oh my heavens, is that girl really that powerful?"
"What’s the relationship between that celestial being and Su Ling?"
Zhang Shi’s face drastically changed, her swollen cheeks still red like a tomato. Hearing the chatter around her, she suddenly slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh my, my niece is so capable now, she can serve a celestial being! Son, do you think your sister could do it too?!"
Everyone: “...”
Damn, they’d never seen someone so shameless.
Those with even a shred of decency glared angrily at Zhang Shi, but only Li Sheng nodded in agreement, "Mother, you’re right!"
Just as everyone was about to voice their disdain, a few drops of water fell on their faces. They looked up and felt the rain beginning to fall more heavily, as if it was about to pour.
Taoist Wuyao shook his head, waved his horsetail whisk to form a barrier, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

While chaos reigned over there, this side should have been peaceful and serene.
But once the crowd had completely left, the originally gentle Demon Lord Yi Heng, who had been softly stroking Su Ling’s head, suddenly turned pale, then flushed crimson, and spat out a mouthful of blood with a "Pfft, "
To avoid staining the table, Yi Heng tilted his head, and the blood splattered onto the bamboo floor of the hut, dyeing the brown bamboo a shocking red.
Su Ling panicked, leaping to her feet so abruptly that the stool behind her toppled over. She rushed to support Yi Heng, frantic with worry, "Master, what’s wrong?! Why are you spitting blood?!!"
"Master, did you use your spiritual power just now? How could you use it when your injuries haven’t healed? I thought you were handling it easily"
Su Ling was genuinely terrified. In her modern mindset, vomiting blood was a terrifying thing, especially when it happened right in front of her. For a moment, her mind went blank, and her hands and feet turned cold.
Yi Heng furrowed his brow, steadied his mind, and with his left hand forming a hand seal, he flipped it twice. He channeled the last remnants of spiritual energy within his body to suppress the excruciating pain in his meridians and chest. Feeling a slight relief in his throat, he hurriedly said, "It's nothing."
"Nothing, my foot!" Su Ling retorted angrily, rolling her eyes. Her usually clear voice carried a hint of hoarseness. "You're spitting blood, and you call it nothing?!"
His body was in agony, and Yi Heng couldn't even use his spiritual sense to survey his surroundings. His eyes remained tightly shut, yet he could feel a trace of warmth seeping into him from the small hands supporting his arm, eventually enveloping his heart.
He forced a faint smile, took two deep breaths to suppress the pain, and said gently, "What I coughed up was stagnant blood. It's not a problem."
Su Ling eyed him skeptically, using her other hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.
Just then, Yi Heng, who had gradually recovered, formed another hand seal and slowly exhaled a turbid breath. His complexion improved noticeably.
"Pour me a cup of water," Yi Heng said.
Su Ling complied, but as she handed him the teacup, she hesitated. "Master, maybe you should go back to your room and rest?"
"Really, I'm fine," Yi Heng chuckled, his expression growing even softer, his eyelashes fluttering slightly. "This is the apprenticeship banquet, we can't miss it."
Seeing his determination, Su Ling pressed her lips together and said no more.
During the meal, she made sure to serve him more dishes and take extra care of him.
After much effort, the rabbit meat finally made it to her mouth. Su Ling savored the roasted rabbit carefully and nodded in satisfaction, feeling she had outdone herself today. The rabbit was perfectly cooked, crispy and tender on the outside, with a mix of spicy peppers that left her lips tingling and red, yet she couldn't stop eating.
"So delicious!" Su Ling exclaimed, shaking her head in delight.
Hearing the girl's pleasant voice beside him, Yi Heng's lips curved into a smile. His oil-glistened lips looked even more attractive than before, carrying a hint of allure.
Su Ling's gaze unconsciously drifted toward him for a moment before she quickly looked away, taking another big bite and feeling utterly content.
Yi Heng didn't notice her glance, only feeling a bit regretful that he couldn't see her expression at that moment. She must look adorable, enjoying the food so much.
After holding back for a few seconds, Yi Heng attempted to extend a wisp of spiritual sense, not aiming for much, just wanting to catch a glimpse of the girl beside him.
But the moment the thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain shot through his spiritual sea, aggravating the injuries in his internal organs. Ugh!
He stifled a silent groan, the taste of blood rising in his throat. Gritting his teeth, he held back from vomiting blood. Outwardly, he appeared unaffected as he picked up some food and ate it. The spicy rabbit meat only made it harder to breathe through the pain.
Yet, for some reason, Yi Heng felt a sense of joy in his heart.
After finishing the meal, both of them felt satisfied.
Su Ling helped Yi Heng into the room to rest. When his fingers touched her forehead, a stream of information flowed into her mind, and he withdrew his hand just as quickly. She then heard him say, "I need to heal my injuries and will be in seclusion for a while. Memorize this cultivation technique first. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, don’t rush. Wait until I come out, and I’ll teach you."
"Alright," Su Ling nodded obediently. "Master, take your time. I have plenty of time."
"Mm," Yi Heng curved his lips into a faint smile and tentatively reached out his hand, only to grasp at empty air. Just as he was about to feel disappointed, his palm brushed against something soft, his little disciple had leaned her head in on her own.
Su Ling walked out with light steps, eager to see what Yi Heng had transmitted to her.
Before, she hadn’t thought there was much difference whether one cultivated immortality or not. But after tasting the vegetables nurtured by the energy cluster, she thought, cultivation was actually quite good!
In the future, she would also raise many animals and feed them with those spirit-infused vegetables. Perhaps their flavors would improve significantly as well!
The bamboo door closed, cutting off Su Ling’s line of sight.
She didn’t see that behind the bamboo door, the man sitting on the bed had turned pale again. He spat out another mouthful of blood before collapsing weakly onto the bed, unconscious.

When Su Ling stepped outside, the heavy rain was still pouring. Raindrops pattered down outside the bamboo hut, but inside, she felt none of it, only a slight coolness that was quite comfortable.
The previously incessant chirping of birds had vanished. The chicks and puppies had all retreated into their little shelters to take cover.
Su Ling held an umbrella as she added a bit of water and food to each of their containers. Then, she boiled water for a bath before returning to her room to practice the technique.
The cultivation method Yi Heng had given her was clearly of exceptional quality.
It was so profound that Su Ling couldn’t grasp it at first glance.
However, transmitting knowledge through spiritual sense was truly remarkable, it was incredibly detailed, and since she recognized every single character, she began to understand it after reading it a few more times.
The technique had no name, but after comprehending it, Su Ling felt it was perfectly suited to her.
Unlike ordinary cultivators who sat cross-legged to meditate, she simply lay flat on the bed, closed her eyes, and followed the method described in the technique to guide the spiritual energy scattered throughout her meridians to circulate within her body.
She had to guide the energy through every single meridian. By the time she had completed a full cycle, the spiritual energy guided by her consciousness had gathered into a substantial mass. Finally, she condensed this energy in her dantian.
This process seemed simple, but circulating spiritual energy through a minor heavenly cycle required a considerable amount of time.
By the time Su Ling completed the cycle, she felt a sharp pang of hunger. Opening her eyes and stretching, she felt refreshed and invigorated. Light on her feet, she hopped off the bed and hurried outside to check.
It was still raining outside, though the heavy downpour had eased into a light drizzle.
The bamboo hut was situated on relatively high ground, so there was no flooding. The air was slightly colder than before, but Su Ling didn’t feel the chill.
The two dogs were lying at the entrance of their little house, sticking out their tongues and barking at her.
With no sun in sight, Su Ling roughly estimated from the sky’s hue that she had been cultivating for nearly an entire day!
No wonder she was so hungry.
She glanced toward Yi Heng’s room. Even with the rain’s interference, her senses were now much sharper than before, and she could detect no movement inside. It seemed Yi Heng wouldn’t be emerging anytime soon.
She suddenly lost all interest in cooking and simply reheated the leftovers from yesterday to fill her stomach. After that, she grabbed an umbrella and headed to the vegetable patch.
Unlike before, when she struggled to condense a faint, small ball of energy, Su Ling’s control over spiritual power had improved significantly after a full day of cultivation. Extending her delicate, pale fingers, she could see a thread of spiritual energy, as fine as a strand of silk, slowly winding around a cabbage that had grown considerably after being washed by the rain.
The spiritual energy quickly merged into the cabbage, and it rapidly grew, from the size of a finger to so large that both hands couldn’t hold it. The emerald-green leaves and tender white roots, with water droplets still trembling on them, looked incredibly enticing.
She gazed at it with adoration, then decisively uprooted the cabbage and generously tossed it among the chicks. The hungry little chicks fluttered their wings excitedly and began pecking at it.
Watching from the side, Su Ling’s expression was almost maternal. "Eat up quickly. Once you’re all grown, Master should be out by then, and we can make chicken soup!"
The chicks felt a chill run down their necks: "Cheep cheep cheep???"