Chapter 30 (Chapter 30) - Receiving the Sword

The aroma of cooking food rose from the courtyard, filling the entire Qing family home with the fragrance of ingredients as they were cooked.

Many disciples, unable to bear the incense any longer, dared to squat at the entrance of Qingjue's residence.

Qingjue asked Qinghuan to bring some bowls and chopsticks to distribute to the outside, and picked up a slice of piping hot beef.

He initially refused the idea of ​​a divided hot pot, but considering that people in ancient times generally preferred lighter flavors, and that there were many underage children present, he eventually compromised.

Ruan Linglai proudly displayed her superb chopstick skills, effortlessly picking up a meatball.

Wen Tianyu was much weaker in this aspect; actual combat had never been his forte, and he couldn't get the meatball out of the clear soup pot even after poking it for a long time.

Qingjue picked it up and put it in his bowl.

"Thank you, Master."

"No need to thank me. What did you encounter today? What kind of monster was it?"

Ah Ju was panting heavily from the hot beef in his mouth, struggling with the beef slices with his mouth as he said, "Guys, I've caught one..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Swallow what's in your mouth before you speak," Yan Shiqun couldn't stand it anymore and handed him a cup of water. "We encountered a toad. It took advantage of people's greed, luring the surrounding villagers into the mountains and then eating them. When it died, it spat out a lot of real gold and silver, which it temporarily stored in its Qiankun bag."

“Okay,” Qingjue roughly understood what was going on: “Then find some time tomorrow to return these things to the owner.”

Wen Tianyu: "What about some unclaimed treasure?"

"Well, then let's take it back to the Qing family and consider it confiscation."

Yan Shiqun is not as irritable as before. Qingjue feels that he now has more of the temperament of a Demon Lord because he is more mature and capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

The others watched helplessly as Qingjue poured himself a pot of wine.

The group stared wide-eyed at each other, and then, without prior arrangement, all turned their attention to Xie Zhoujian.

Jie was calmly drinking tea during the day when he scooped a slice of carrot from the clear soup pot.

Carrots are delicious, sweet, and he likes them.

It's only because Qingjue spoils him; otherwise, this most hated thing would never be allowed to appear on the dining table.

The wild goose, possessing spiritual power, relayed a message: He drank it, he drank it!

Ruan Linglai joined the group chat: What should I do? What should I do? Is it too late to go to Senior Sister Qingfeng for sleeping pills?

Wen Tianyu: ...How about I be rude and knock Master unconscious?

Aju: Wasn't it someone from our side who knocked him out? Are you sure he wasn't killed before he even touched anyone? Have you forgotten the beatings you got while training these past few years?

Ruan Linglai: Huh? Master didn't apply it directly to the face, does that mean the wine isn't intoxicating?

Yan Shiqun: I can smell the alcohol, how could it not be intoxicating?

Before the exchange of glances among the group could even finish, Qingjue suddenly slumped onto the table with a thud.

He slept peacefully.

He calmly put down his teacup during the day.

Qinghuan returned to the courtyard, paused for a moment, and asked, "Immortal Lord, what is this...?"

Jie Zhoujian then spoke up: "Senior brother, you've worked hard. Go back and rest early. We'll take care of things here with Master."

"Okay, if you've almost finished eating, I'll pack up then?"

Ruan Linglai didn't know what had happened, but it was always good to get busy: "Senior Brother Qinghuan, let me help you!"

Yan Shiqun leaned closer and whispered to Jie Zhoujian, "What did you do?"

Jie calmly swirled his teacup during the day: "I added some sedatives."

Yan Shiqun already had some psychological trauma from Jie Zhoujian, after all, he had been beaten up since childhood, and now he only felt that this guy was even more terrifying.

Wen Tianyu swallowed hard and tried to make amends, saying, "It's understandable, it was something we had no choice but to do."

Aju was slumped over the table, his tongue still blistered from the burn, and he was mumbling, "Now that Senior Brother Qinghuan is gone, shall we move Master back into the house?"

Yan Shiqun: "He just said he had something to say, and then he fell asleep. Are we going to have to wait until tomorrow?"

Jie Zhoujian said, "Master has been traveling all day and should get some sleep. I'll take him inside in a bit. You should all go back and rest first."

It's reassuring to have Jie around during the day; thankfully, he had the foresight, otherwise no one would be able to sleep tonight.

But... I'm really curious, what exactly is he going to say? Couldn't he have announced it first before we started drinking?!

Jie carried Qingjue back to bed. He had only just begun to stretch out his body. Perhaps because he was a cultivator, his strength and senses were much stronger and more acute than those of an ordinary person.

Moreover, at 14 years old, he was already almost as tall as Qingjue.

Upon closer inspection, it seems to be only half a head shorter.

Jie covered the person on the bed with a blanket, tucked the corners of the blanket in, fed him a cup of sweet water, and poured another cup and placed it on the bedside table.

It was very thoughtful.

Jie stared at Qingjue's sleeping face for a while, then picked up a stool and sat by the bed to watch over him, lest he suddenly wake up in the middle of the night with a headache.

Um……

His master...

...They obviously ate a big meal outside before coming back today.

Jie narrowed his eyes and guessed it easily.

It's not advisable to eat too much at night. I must have a good talk with Master when he wakes up.

Qingjue sneezed in his sleep.

He opened his eyes again and blinked, suddenly remembering everything that had happened yesterday, and suddenly realized what had happened.

That brat actually took it upon himself to drug him; he's gotten so bold.

"Master is awake. Have some water."

Qingjue reached out, took the water, drank a sip, put down the glass, and slapped him on the head.

"...I know I was wrong during the day, but I can't let you destroy the house like this."

"You're getting more and more opinionated these days," Qingjue thought to himself, "I wasn't that scary when I was drunk. I was perfectly fine when I woke up last time. You've even managed to drug me. What are you planning to do next?"

"I really realized I was wrong during the day."

That's because they repaired the house overnight; otherwise, it would have been terrible if the elders had seen it.

"Never mind..." Qingjue wasn't an unreasonable person, and she didn't really want to blame him. She could roughly guess that he had indeed done some inappropriate things while drunk: "Oh dear, this is terrible!"

He suddenly remembered that there was something he hadn't done last night.

"Quickly call your junior brothers and sisters over. I wanted to tell you last night that you, you brat, drugged me and made me sleep all night."

"I'll take care of it during the day."

Early in the morning, before they had even had a chance to sleep, they were summoned to Qingjue's courtyard.

Ruan Linglai's hair was still uncombed. He was already living in a room by himself, unlike when he was a child and needed someone to accompany him. Although he hadn't grown much braver, he had become a bit bolder.

She yawned and asked, "Master, why did you call us here so early, when there's no morning lesson?"

Qingjue glanced at Jie Zhoujian beside him: "I wanted to say it last night, but I fell asleep and never got around to it."

Qingjue glanced at the children in front of him; as accomplices, they all seemed quite guilty.

"Alright, alright, Tianyu, come forward."

“?” Wen Tianyu stepped forward as instructed.

Although he didn't understand the purpose of such a grand display, Wen Tianyu knew that his master must have his reasons, so he did as he was told.

"Catch the sword."

"!"

Qingjue raised his hand, palm facing upward, and a sword with a scabbard gradually materialized in the air.

Qingjue repeated: "Receive the sword."

It was a sword, a sword of superior quality, perfectly suited to Wen Tianyu.

Now, not only him, but everyone held their breath.

"This sword has no name yet. Its blade is well-formed and its weight is light. It's perfect for you."

Wen Tianyu took the longsword and could indeed feel the abundant spiritual energy surrounding it, and this spiritual energy even felt somewhat familiar.

After sensing it for a while, Wen Tianyu asked in surprise, "...Yuanmuyuan Divine Tree?"

“Not bad, it seems I couldn’t hide it from your eyes after all,” Qingjue said with a smile. “There is indeed a small branch of the Divine Tree mixed in here. I passed by that place today and found a section of tree root growing out of the ground. Don’t worry, it has been approved by Muyuan. I also added a fragment of the Heart-Stabilizing Mirror that she gave me back then.”

“You’re at the age where you should tie your hair up. I happened to run into Muyuan in Liuchun a couple of days ago, and after discussing it, we decided to give you this as a gift.”

"Thank you, Master. Tianyu likes it very much and will make the best use of it and keep it safe."

Qingjue told him to get up and said, "Take your time thinking about a name. Back then, Aju thought about it for a whole year."

Jie asked during the day, "How is Sister Muyuan?"

"She's a good person. She's gotten used to wearing a cloak and remaining anonymous. You guys should go out and explore more; you might even hear stories about her chivalrous deeds."

Then his friends gathered around and examined his sword closely.

"Wow, there really is a part of the sacred tree in here? That's so cool." Ruan Linglai's eyes were practically overflowing with envy. Now she was the only one among them who didn't have a sword... How could she not feel frustrated?

However, she's past the age where she cries at the drop of a hat.

……Fake.

Ruan Linglai sniffed, looking aggrieved.

Qingjue saw through the little girl's thoughts at a glance, reached out and patted her head, saying in a fatherly tone, "Don't worry, you have the best physical skills, and the one worthy of your good sword is definitely coming later."

"...Yes! I will wait patiently for it."

"Quickly, quick, quick, let's try it out!" Aju couldn't wait to draw his sword, clamoring to spar with Wen Tianyu.

You should know that this kid usually dislikes using swords the most. He would rather use a hidden weapon than a regular weapon because he finds wielding a sword too tiring.

His sword was also made of the finest obsidian. It was a piece of obsidian from the deep mountains that he discovered by chance while searching for clues. The stone was already a thousand years old, and its appearance and quality were both excellent, so it was used to make his sword.

It was the obsidian stone in the mountain that chose Aju; this is fate.

Because Aju was made of a special material, its blade was covered with deep patterns. Wen Tianyu's sword, on the other hand, only had a black line in the center, which was probably a mark left by a branch of the divine tree and could not be removed during the forging process.

The name of Aju's sword is "Minghen," a name he came up with after a year of thought.

He said the meaning was to do good deeds anonymously.

The two of them started fighting in the yard, with Jie acting as referee during the day, while Yan Shiqun watched from across the river from the wall.

Qingjue glanced at Ruan Linglai, who was standing beside him and looking at her.

"Actually, I also have a gift for you."

Ruan Linglai turned to look at him, puzzled: "Me?"