Chapter 49

The rain finally stopped completely on the third day.
During those three short days, whenever Su Ling had free time, she used seeds to grow vegetables to feed the chicks. Animals are much more sensitive to the benefits of such food than humans. Every time she tossed the leaves over, the chicks would get excited for a long time. The two local dogs would drool as they stared at the chicken coop, but under Su Ling’s strict warnings, they didn’t dare make a move.
Once the rain stopped, Su Ling noticed that the chicks had grown at a speed beyond her expectations. Originally only a fraction of the size of an adult chicken, they were now half the size of one.
Though their growth was slower than that of the vegetables, it was still much faster than normal. She estimated that in just over ten more days, they would be ready to eat.
Coincidentally, Su Ling felt her talent was quite good. Even in this place with sparse spiritual energy, she could accumulate spiritual power smoothly and accelerate plant growth, which also served as training for her. So, without fail, she practiced three times a day.
Only occasionally, when she lost track of time during cultivation, would they go hungry for a meal or two.
Another three days passed, and Su Ling had run out of stored food. Yi Heng still hadn’t awakened, so she had no choice but to go out. Worried that Yi Heng might emerge while she was away, she deliberately left a note on the door.
This time, her use of the Shrinking Earth into Inches technique had improved even further. She moved so quickly and shopped so efficiently that no one noticed her. In the blink of an eye, she would disappear from one spot and reappear over ten meters away. Thus, the round trip took only about an hour.
The note remained untouched. Su Ling glanced at it, her brow furrowing slightly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her master’s condition was more severe than she had initially thought.
She had just arrived home when she heard a faint commotion outside.
Su Ling stepped out to take a look, expecting it to be those same people who didn’t know better and insisted on bothering them. To her surprise, it was an official wearing a black gauze hat, accompanied by a large group of yamen runners, bustling with importance and ceremony.
Raising an eyebrow, she decided not to go back inside and instead stood waiting at the door.
The official arrived in a sedan chair. When it reached the courtyard gate, he stepped down. Zhang Shi, who had been trailing behind, along with Su Ling’s uncles and several girls around fifteen or sixteen years old, stepped forward respectfully and said, "Lord Wang, this is the place. The immortal mentioned by the Wuyao Taoist resides here."
The middle-aged man addressed as Lord Wang descended from the sedan, straightened his robes, and wiped the arrogant expression from his plump face. Clearing his throat lightly, he glanced at Su Ling standing at the door, his demeanor growing more respectful. He thought to himself that even the girl at the door was so exquisitely beautiful, truly the work of an immortal.
He first gestured for two chests of gifts to be carried to the door and opened, revealing an array of dazzling, glittering jewels inside.
Then, with a deep bow and hands clasped, he announced clearly, "I, Wang Chuan, Magistrate of Shangyue County, pay my respects to the immortal. Hearing that the immortal has taken up residence here brings immense honor to this humble place. Worried that the immortal might lack for anything, I have come to pay my respects. These gifts are but a small token of my sincerity. If they do not please the immortal, I shall seek other treasures"
His voice was clear and melodious, rising and falling in tone, essentially conveying that he had brought gifts and, if the immortal was pleased, hoped they might consider moving to his residence, where he would provide whatever was desired.
The man was quite eloquent and spoke with great sincerity.
Su Ling listened and smiled. For the sake of the pile of treasures, she replied with a smile, "The immortal is in seclusion. You may leave."
"Hey, are you doing this on purpose? There was no seclusion before, why now that I, " Zhang Shi’s face darkened at this, and she couldn’t resist retorting.
But she had barely spoken a few words when Wang Chuan, standing beside her, snapped, "How dare you! This is the abode of an immortal, how can you speak so recklessly here?"
Zhang Shi trembled with fear, the flesh on her plump face quivering as she hurriedly shut her mouth.
Su Lao’er swaggered forward a couple of steps and chuckled. "Dear niece, we mean no harm. It’s just that the immortal shouldn’t be living in such a humble place. We’ve specially brought a few maids to serve the immortal. Look, these are all your cousins and sisters. You must put in a good word for us."
He waved his hand, and several young girls stepped forward, all dressed in vibrant, eye-catching attire. Except for one whom Su Ling didn’t recognize, the others were all her relatives.
Seeing her, the girls smiled shyly and said softly, "Hello, sister."
"Hello, sisters."
Su Ling crossed her arms, took two steps forward, and smiled at him.
Su Lao’er’s eyes lit up instantly, thinking there was still a chance, that his niece still held some familial affection for him. If his daughter could win the immortal’s favor, perhaps she too could become an immortal. Then, as the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
He rubbed his hands together gleefully and looked at her expectantly.
But as Su Ling approached them, her expression turned cold, and she said sternly, "Impossible! Leave now!"
Su Lao’er’s face fell, and he said displeased, "Dear niece, what do you mean by this? You, "
A cold, deep male voice cut him off: "Get lost!"
Everyone was startled and exclaimed in unison, "It's an Immort-"
Before the word "Immortal" could fully leave their lips, they felt a sharp, chilling current strike their chests. A chorus of gasps erupted as they all tumbled to the ground, not a single one left standing.
Wang Chuan stared in horror as he involuntarily collapsed. The pretty girls he had brought along were no longer standing gracefully; instead, they were covered in dirt, looking disheveled and filthy.
He let out a pained "Ouch!" and, clutching his buttocks, hastily knelt down, his face pale as he kowtowed. "Immortal, please forgive us! Immortal, please forgive us!"
At the same time, he regretted ever coming here. Amid his regret, he felt a deep frustration, if only he could have gained some opportunity for himself, how wonderful that would have been.
The others quickly echoed, "Immortal, please forgive us!" and then pressed their foreheads to the ground, not daring to lift their heads.
Su Ling raised her chin, a lazy smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Go on, leave, and I'll forgive you."
"Yes, yes!" Wang Chuan nodded frantically, scrambling to his feet and urging the others, "Hurry, let's get out of here!"
Zhang Shi still seemed unwilling to give up and was about to speak when Wang Chuan kicked her, snarling with hatred, "You old hag, get lost already!"
Zhang Shi, kicked so hard she nearly choked on her spit, finally abandoned her schemes. Dejected, she was helped away by her son.
With Wang Chuan's command, the others fled even faster. The few pretty young girls, their faces grim, left without a backward glance.
Su Ling chuckled softly, not even glancing at the jewelry they had left behind. She turned cheerfully and called out in a clear voice, "Master!"
Happily, she pushed the door open, only to find Yi Heng lying on the bed, eyes tightly shut, just as he had been when unconscious before, still not awake.
As she was puzzling over this, his voice echoed in her mind: "Your master has not yet emerged from seclusion. Wait a few more days."
Su Ling's spirits suddenly fell, and she lowered her gaze in disappointment.

Yi Heng's seclusion lasted nearly half a month.
For a true cultivator, this was an extremely short period.
But for Su Ling, it felt like an eternity.
She fed the rapidly grown vegetables to the chicks three times a day. In that short time, they could no longer be called chicks, they had grown into full-sized chickens.
Two days before Yi Heng emerged from seclusion, they even started laying eggs, twice a day, yielding over a dozen eggs daily. Moreover, they were smarter than ordinary chickens, recognizing Su Ling as their owner. When it was time to lay eggs, they would call her, deposit the eggs by the door, and wait for her to collect them before repeating the process in the afternoon.
Su Ling didn't even have to venture into the dirty chicken coop to gather eggs, it was quite impressive.
During this time, after Wang Chuan's last visit ended in him being scared off, he never dared to return. However, news of an immortal residing in the bamboo house spread, and local gentry began to visit.
None of them overstepped; they simply brought various gifts and spoke flattering words. Su Ling, seen as the immortal's attendant, was not highly regarded in their eyes, but outwardly, everyone treated her with the utmost respect, no longer daring to show any neglect.
After all, those who had neglected her before had all been taught a lesson by the immortal.
Some of these people were clever; most of the gifts they sent were returned by Su Ling, but a few were kept. For example, an elderly woman named Granny Li, who was efficient and quiet, was among those whose offerings were accepted.
Su Ling could handle the farm work on her own, but now that she needed time to cultivate, it became a bit overwhelming. So when someone offered servants, she selected one and gave them some spirit food in exchange.
They had wanted to send more servants, but she declined. She actually enjoyed doing things herself, mainly needing help with household chores, taking care of the chicks, and two increasingly clever dogs.
Once they became smart, they were harder to fool. When hungry, they would scratch at the door, once even startling Su Ling out of her meditative state. Angry, she forbade them from eating meat for three days, and they quickly cowered.
When Yi Heng emerged, the two dogs were fawning over Su Ling, lying on the ground with their bellies exposed, making whimpering sounds, their legs kicking incessantly, and their dark, moist eyes gazing at her, utterly adorable.
Raised on spirit food by Su Ling, the dogs had sleek, glossy coats. Granny Li often bathed them, keeping them clean, so even lying on the bamboo floor didn’t dirty them.
Su Ling’s heart softened, and she pulled two fries from her batch to give them: "Alright, here you go."
The potatoes used for these fries were specially ripened by Su Ling using spiritual energy, not only were they round and large, but they were also many times more delicious than ordinary potatoes. Whether stewed, stir-fried, or fried into fries, the flavor was exceptional.
That morning, Su Ling had heard a "crack" sound, and her body felt as if it had broken through some barrier. She could clearly sense that her body could now hold more spiritual energy than before, indicating progress. Thus, the fries were her reward to herself.
"Woof, woof!" The two dogs happily stuck out their tongues, deftly flipped over, snatched the fries from Su Ling’s hand, and gobbled them down, then pranced around the main room in satisfaction.
Suddenly, they froze, tails tucked, and stopped in their tracks.
Granny Li happened to be heading out with a rag in hand. Glancing behind Su Ling, her face stiffened, a trace of fear appearing. Without a word, she knelt and said anxiously, "Greetings, Immortal."
Su Ling turned around in delight. The person behind her closed his dark pupils, his jade-like face clean and serene, a gentle smile curling his lips as he said softly, "Your master has emerged from seclusion."
"Master!" Su Ling jumped up and hurried to his side, looking up at Yi Heng. Seeing his handsome face, her cheeks flushed, and she said nervously, "Master, I think I broke through today."
Yi Heng reached out and ruffled her hair, his smile widening as he nodded. "Yes, you’ve reached the first level of Qi Refining. You’ve officially entered the world of cultivation. Well done."
He seemed to 'scan' the courtyard with his gaze, completely ignoring Granny Li, and focused on the two vegetable patches brimming with dense spiritual energy. Shaking his head helplessly, he asked, "Did you use all your spiritual energy on these?"
Su Ling smiled sheepishly, full of anticipation. "Master, these are really delicious. Since it’s cooling down today, how about we have chicken hotpot? I’ll prepare it."
She had been eyeing those plump chickens for a long time. Hadn’t she raised them so diligently precisely for this day?
Just thinking about it made her mouth water.
Originally intending to subtly remind his disciple not to slack off anymore, Yi Heng looked at his disciple's sparkling eyes and tender lips, hesitated, and couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he nodded and said, "Alright."
The chickens in the yard diligently laying eggs: "Cluck cluck cluck???"