Chapter 23 was first published on Jinjiang Literature City. Thank you for subscribing!

Qi Mu's hand was grasped by hers, his body stiffened slightly, and his ears turned red almost imperceptibly. He felt his collar tighten, as if someone was pulling on his collar, and his whole body held its breath. He dared not look at her.

He took her hand first, just to let others see their relationship. She was already very nervous, and she kept talking to him to explain the herbs, which was not without the intention of relieving her anxiety. Her attention was shifted to other things, and she felt less nervous. But in this daze... she ended up walking into the depths of the spiritual spring.

He was startled; this place was off-limits to the tribe, and they had to leave immediately.

Unexpectedly… in his nervousness, he let go, only to have her grab his hand in return…

"Miss Sisi..."

Yao Sisi said, "Why is there suddenly thick smoke ahead? Let's go take a look!"

Qi Mu nodded, this was exactly what he wanted. The two of them ran hand in hand toward the thick smoke. Strangely, the smoke was near the manor, and something had caught fire. By the time they arrived, the fire had already been extinguished, leaving only black ashes.

This happened strangely, and it left just as strangely...

Yao Sisi also found it strange. There were quite a few people gathered outside the manor, and judging from the insignia on their clothes, they all belonged to the Qi Mu family. One of the men, an uncle around forty years old, kept glancing at them.

Yao Sisi gently tugged at Qi Mu's hand, "Why is that person staring at us?"

Qi Mu pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "It's someone from Father's side. They probably want to get a good look at you and then report back..."

Yao Sisi understood: "Have you already told them about the engagement?"

Qi Mu: "I have informed you. The engagement banquet will be held in three months."

Yao Sisi nodded. Three months would be enough for her to explore the senior's cave. Besides, the engagement banquet was not the wedding banquet, so the levels were different. It was just a small banquet. She estimated that she would leave here before the wedding banquet.

The contract only stipulated that I would help him with his engagement party; the wedding party was pending, and there would be at least a year between the two.

She won't stay here for long; she'll almost miss the wedding banquet, so she can't delay him for much longer either.

Sigh, I wonder what he'll do then...

Seeing that the fire had been extinguished, the two held hands and retreated back to the manor. Along the way, they received many stares. Yao Sisi was fine; holding hands while walking down the street in modern times was perfectly normal. However, she felt someone trembling in her palm. She moved it slightly and found that his palm was sweating...

Well……

Young master, you're so innocent, you should wait a few more years to arrange a marriage. The parents here are too impatient, completely disregarding their children's feelings...

The two walked back slowly, looking very well-matched to onlookers. However, those who had seen her before frowned slightly, sensing that this girl was not easy to get along with...

After they returned, they didn't go to the herb field. Instead, Qi Mu took her to the reception room to admire some of the prepared medicinal potions.

Yao Sisi's attention wasn't on admiring the potion, because the artifact spirit was sending her a message from within the space, "Master, why didn't you take the spiritual spring when you had such a good opportunity? Why did you go to watch the excitement instead?"

Yao Sisi's eyes flickered, and she said perfunctorily, "I'm the only outsider who approached the spirit spring in that manor. Wouldn't I be immediately exposed and caught? Little spirit, are you trying to harm me?"

The spirit was taken aback: "How could that be? I wouldn't harm my master. It's just that if my master takes the spirit spring, he can hide inside me. They can't catch you!"

Yao Sisi not only did not believe its words, but also thought of the words on the jade talisman. It must have been put into the spring a long time ago, when it might not have been bound to the spirit.

Besides, the spirit of the artifact acted on its own initiative when she transmigrated, and she had already sensed something fishy. Yao Sisi probed, "Is there no other place with a spiritual spring besides here? It's too difficult to obtain a spiritual spring that already has an owner."

The spirit of the artifact huffed, "What do you mean it has an owner? We discovered this spirit spring first!"

Yao Sisi chuckled: "Oh? I see. Why didn't you take the spare one back then? It's been taken over by someone else now!"

The spirit seemed to be hopping and jumping around in the space, as if it could crush those who coveted the spiritual spring: "Back then, this spiritual spring was very small, the springhead was not even the size of a palm, so we left it here to grow slowly!"

Yao Sisi thought to herself: At most, you've discovered it, but how can the spiritual spring be considered yours?

Furthermore, this indicates that the spirit of the artifact had been here before. Who was the person who came with it? And what is their connection to the person who just gave her the jade talisman to warn her?

Yao Sisi frowned: "Alright, don't be in such a hurry. You can't rush things. At worst, I'll ask Qi Mu to give some spring water to irrigate the land in the space."

The spirit seemed to realize that it wouldn't be able to obtain the spiritual spring today, so it had no choice but to compromise, saying, "Alright then, Master..."

Yao Sisi didn't lie to it, besides, she was also curious about what would happen to the space after it was irrigated with the spiritual spring water.

She said to Qi Mu, "Could I have a bucket of the spring water you use to irrigate the medicine field?"

Qi Mu paused: The spiritual spring is his family's secret. He can look at the medicinal herbs, but he can't touch the spiritual spring. Did she see something? Why would she want the spring water?

"What does the young lady plan to plant?"

Yao Sisi shook her head: "No, I just felt that the spring water was clear and had some energy, so I wanted to ask for some to make tea. Maybe it will have an unexpected effect."

Qi Mu was probably taken aback by her words and was also stunned. "No one in my family has ever used it to brew tea. What you said makes me want to try it too."

Yao Sisi smiled and said, "Good water needs to be paired with good tea. I wonder if there is any spiritual tea for sale outside."

Qi Mu said, "There's no rush to find the spiritual tea. I'll bring you some water first. Do you have any containers for storing water, Miss?"

Yao Sisi waved her hand, somewhat helplessly, "There really isn't one for now. I didn't expect it to be like this before I came."

Her words were truly reassuring, at least proving that it was just a whim rather than something she was deliberately watching.

Qi Mu: "I have a water gourd here that can hold one stone of water. Although it's not a lot, it's still more than that bucket of water. Take it back and try making spiritual tea with it."

Yao Sisi joked, "I didn't expect that having the young master deliver water would also result in a water gourd. Speaking of which, water gourds are commonly used containers, and I should keep more on hand."

Qi Mu thought she meant he had used the water gourd. As everyone knows, water gourds are usually used for drinking directly from the mouth, which is quite intimate and a bit awkward. He said, "This is a pre-stored item for you, Miss. I have never used it."

Yao Sisi praised, "Young Master is so thoughtful. I only carried a water bag when I was traveling, which contained only a peck of water, far too little. Fortunately, I learned the Water Condensation Technique, so I can drink clean water whenever I want."

That's why she didn't think to buy an extra water container, but it's always good to have more in case of an emergency.

Qi Mu nodded and sent someone to fetch water. The young master's clothes swayed gracefully as he walked, making him look very lively. She watched his departing figure and couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.

Qi Mu returned quickly, and the two chatted idly inside the house.

Yao Sisi asked him, "How is your swordsmanship practice going, young master?"

When Qi Mu heard her ask, a shy smile appeared on her face: "I have been practicing, but it has not been long, and it is only in its initial form, not yet in its essence."

Yao Sisi: "Yes, it's true that the time is still short, but to have made progress in just a few days, it seems that you are very diligent!"

Soon, someone from outside came to deliver water hyacinths. They had growth lines on them, looked like they were made of pure wood, and were only the size of a palm, making them very convenient to carry.

Yao Sisi: "Was this gourd deliberately shaped, or was it made from a gourd itself?" It's so cute, so small.

Qi Mu said, "It's a naturally grown gourd. It's been slightly processed to make it smaller. Many people use it to hold water or wine, but that's just the common way. It's not uncommon for people to use it to hold poison."

Yao Sisi wanted to know what would happen if the spiritual spring water was sprinkled in the space, and she didn't want to stay here any longer. "Young Master, when shall we leave?"

Qi Mu was taken aback: "Don't you want to finish your dinner before you leave, Miss?"

Yao Sisi: "No, I had some inspiration during the day and want to go back and practice."

Qi Mu felt somewhat ashamed, "No wonder you were able to achieve enlightenment and improve your cultivation level with such hard work, Miss. I've delayed your important business."

Yao Sisi said, "No, not really. Accompanying you here, young master, is also a serious matter for me. However, there are too many outsiders here, and I am not used to staying here. If we can go back to the manor for dinner, I would be more than happy to do so."

Qi Mu glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, since that black smoke has already spoiled our enjoyment, let's leave here and go back to our residence!"

Yao Sisi asked, "Is there anything I need to do?"

Qi Mu didn't quite understand: "Hmm, what are you doing?"

Yao Sisi said, "There's no need to do anything. Would it be bad for your reputation if you went back to your private residence with me, young master?"

Qi Mu: "It's okay, I'll leave tonight. Besides, the engagement date has already been set, so everyone is turning a blind eye to everything now."

Yao Sisi was still a little worried for him. After all, their engagement was fake. If he got engaged later, wouldn't people bring up what had happened?

She wasn't quite sure how feudal this era actually was...

"Young master, you should be careful. You are different from me. Sooner or later I will..." She didn't say the unspoken meaning, but they both understood.

When they left the estate, almost everyone knew about it, and many people began to send people to inquire about it. After all, Qi Mu, as the heir in the open, was the face of the household handling all sorts of trivial matters, and the person he married had to be "sensible".

At this moment, everyone was thinking that women who were willing to marry into the family and become live-in wives were probably easy targets...

Yao Sisi quickly returned to Qi Mu's private residence, riding in his sedan chair. Liu Yuan, who usually accompanied him, was not there. The two of them sat in the sedan chair, getting closer and closer.

Yao Sisi asked curiously, "Where did that guy who's always by your side go? That's rare."

Qi Mu: "Xiao Yuan is currently preparing items for my engagement and wedding, so he naturally doesn't have time to accompany me out often."

Yao Sisi thought: In ancient times, wedding ceremonies were indeed relatively more complicated.

"Have you finished reading the travelogue I sent to the young master before?"

Qi Mu was not a talkative person. When the two of them were together, the other person would ask questions and he would answer, "Not yet, there are too many things to do at home, I've only read the beginning."

The sedan chair circled back into the city, and soon they were back at their residence.

As soon as Yao Sisi returned, she couldn't wait to explore the space. She casually started a conversation, "Then, young master, go back to your room and read for a while. I'll excuse myself for a moment and find you something interesting to bring back."

Qi Mu stretched out his hand, and the books flew out of the storage bag into his hand automatically. "What would you like to eat, Miss? I'll tell the kitchen staff when they come over later."

Yao Sisi: "Hmm, I want something spicy."

After she left, Qi Mu rubbed his brow, even wondering if he was too unattractive, wondering why Miss Sisi didn't seem to have any feelings for him at all, which made him feel somewhat frustrated.

He was, after all, her first fiancé, and she treated him so well, giving him a sword, teaching him swordsmanship, and sharing travelogues to make him happy. She even comforted him when he was in a sorry state and hugged him under the eaves. Yet, she didn't have the slightest bit of romantic feelings for him.

He couldn't help but doubt himself, wondering if he was really that bad...

Yao Sisi was unaware that this young master was having wild thoughts. She returned to her room and then flashed into her spatial dimension.

Since the spirit needs the source of the spirit spring, that thing must be extremely precious and of great use to it. However, the spirit is both friend and foe, so she is naturally worried about letting it become powerful rashly. Who knows what might happen then?

She held the small gourd in her hand, cast a spell, and the water inside the gourd fell like a light drizzle, nourishing the land in the space. She could almost feel the joy of the spirit within.

A single stone of water could not thoroughly irrigate the soil, but it did wet the surface of the land. She sensed it with her divine sense and found no major changes in the space.

"Spirit of the artifact, how are you feeling?"

The spirit: "It's like being thirsty for a long time and then drinking a small cup of water, but there wasn't enough water, it didn't even quench my thirst temporarily, waaaaah..."

Yao Sisi put away the little gourd: "Take your time, at least you've had a sip of water, haven't you?"

The spirit: "Waaaah, when can I finally have a full drink...?"

Yao Sisi, like the Big Bad Wolf deceiving Little Red Riding Hood, wagged her hypocritical tail: "Do you have any books about spiritual springs? I'd like to learn more about them, otherwise if I see someone selling spiritual spring water outside, I won't even recognize it, let alone buy it for you to drink."

The spirit said pitifully, "Master, upgrading the little hut will allow us to have more things, but upgrading the little hut requires a spring, or a lot of mystic stones..."

Yao Sisi: Can't you stop coveting my Xuan Stone?

"How many Xuan Stones would it take to upgrade such a large thatched hut? I certainly don't have that much money to do it. Can't we just upgrade the quality of the book box?"

The spirit: "..."

Why is her owner so stingy this time? In the past, every owner had always prioritized it, giving it everything it needed. What went wrong? How could she have contracted with such a miserly woman? Not only is she denied water, but she wants to upgrade the house, even wanting to upgrade different sections…

Its voice grew increasingly pitiful: "I've never tried before, I don't know if it will work..."

Yao Sisi seemed not to hear the spirit's tone: "Then give it a try. I don't think upgrading the book box should cost too many Xuan Stones."

The spirit said, "Alright... Master, place the mystic stone on the book box. It will absorb energy on its own until its appearance changes noticeably, then you've succeeded..."

Yao Sisi stingily took out ten Xuan Stones from her storage bag and placed them on the book box. Good heavens, almost instantly, the energy inside the Xuan Stones was completely devoured, leaving only a clump of useless powder, yet its appearance remained unchanged.

"Tsk, looks like it's not even enough to fill a gap between teeth..."

She decided to try throwing out a hundred Xuan Stones, and they were gone in an instant again...

Yao Sisi frowned, wanting to tell it, "Don't be so ungrateful. It's just a small book box, what are you trying to do?"

She simply threw down a thousand Xuan stones, and good heavens, the box finally changed. However, it only turned from an old box into a brand new one. She couldn't help but rummage through it, but not a single book had been added.

"That's a bit excessive. This is a matter of starting over, not a complete overhaul. Why would you need so much profound energy?"

She tightened her storage bag and tentatively threw in another thousand Xuan stones. The book box finally changed, but it only turned into a dilapidated bookshelf, which was several meters wide and covered an entire wall. However, a few books were scattered on it, like something that had been abandoned and could be thrown into the garbage dump at any time.

She walked over and flipped through the books. There was no information about the spiritual spring, but these weren't the same books she had seen before. She opened the bottom shelf, which had double doors, and the original books lay there. The books still looked the same old-fashioned style, unchanged.

She had a premonition that spending another sum of money would be enough, so Yao Sisi threw down another thousand Xuan stones. The bookshelf became half new and half old, piled high with a large number of books, all made of animal hide, which were not easily decayed and easy to browse.

"Spirit, were these books collected by your former master?"

The spirit replied, "Yes, it is! But it wasn't collected by one master, but by multiple masters."

She randomly opened one of the books, which contained some edited and published books, and guessed where these books were bought from. However, there were also some rare copies, which looked like they were written by previous authors.

However, some cultivators, in order to make some money, would copy books they no longer needed and sell them to multiple people, claiming them as rare and unique copies.

Based on travelogues I've read, whether it's Xuan Stone, Spirit Stone, or what some places call Five Elements Stone, these energy stones are extremely rare. Ordinary cultivators would spend their entire lives searching for them...

Yao Sisi knew all too well that money was running out. Despite having acquired so many Xuan Stones, she found she had less than four thousand left in her storage bag…

In just two days, half of the Xuan Stones were used up. Who can stand that?

She was certain that even those young masters didn't have that much money.

She glanced helplessly at the bookshelf and comforted herself: This money was well spent. All those families combined might not have this much private collection.

The great man said it well: books are the ladder of progress. Now that she has the books, she can really start reading them.

She rummaged through the bookshelf, looking for books related to the Spirit Spring. She found two in no time, both about the Spirit Spring. Instead of searching for more, she picked up a few travelogues, flipped through them casually, and took some out of her spatial storage.

It was getting dark when she went to find Qi Mu with the book in her arms. Qi Mu was in the main house looking through the travelogue he had given her before. When he saw Yao Sisi arrive, he gave her a bright smile.

“Miss Sisi, the travelogue you gave me is very interesting, and that senior is very knowledgeable.”

Yao Sisi flipped through the book and understood what he was saying, but she didn't care too much: "I was lucky enough to explore a cave before, and there were a lot of books left inside, but not many of them were useful. There were a lot of miscellaneous travelogues. Maybe this senior liked to read stories, so he collected so many."

Qi Mu said, "Do you like reading it? Actually, there are quite a few books in the family library. I can bring you some to read if you like any of them. However, none of them are as advanced as the sword techniques you gave me, nor are they as interesting as these travelogues."

Yao Sisi thought to herself: I can't even finish reading my own books, I don't want to read yours anymore.

"Forget it, I get a headache just thinking about reading. I just happened to find a fun travelogue, so I'll show it to you. But I haven't read this one yet, I've only flipped through the beginning, so I'm not sure if it will be useful to you."

Qi Mu was very modest, and his every move was gentle and refined: "It's just a travelogue to broaden your horizons. It's not a cultivation technique, so it's not that useful. I'll take it back to you after I've finished reading it."

Yao Sisi nodded: "Okay, let's read while we wait for dinner!"

Qi Mu noticed that all the books she pulled out of her storage bag were geology books. For some reason, he remembered that she used to borrow similar books from the butler when she was with him. However, the books in the private residence were all written by ordinary people, so they weren't very useful.

The book she was holding, judging from its material, was the kind of book cultivators used for taking notes. "Miss Sisi seems to really enjoy reading this kind of book."

The spiritual spring that Yao Sisi was reading was in this book, but it didn't take up much space. She made an excuse, saying, "I might have to go out and gain experience in the future, so it's always good to know more about the geography."

Qi Mu: "What you say is true, Miss." Then, his eyes lit up and he remembered a book about the Mystic Beast Forest in the library. "Miss, I have a book about the Mystic Beast Forest at home. It was brought back by my elders when they were out training. Would you like it?"

Yao Sisi was taken aback. She had just said she didn't want to read his books, but she didn't expect to be contradicted so quickly. Moreover, she planned to cross the Xuan Beast Forest in the future, and relying solely on Ri Jiu's inheritance would be too weak. Knowing more might come in handy. "Alright, then I'll trouble you to bring them to me when you have time, young master."

Qi Mu: "Yes! I'm happy to be able to help you, young lady."

Yao Sisi raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead, the space spirit jumped out and started running around in her mind: "Master, look how much he likes you! Find a way to invite him to the manor again! You can pretend to put him underwater, then rescue him and fill the space with water at the same time, okay?"

Yao Sisi: "???"

"I don't want to date him, but I want to challenge you to a fight!"

The spirit quickly shrunk back, not daring to make a sound.

Inside the room, the two read quietly, the only sound being the rustling of pages, creating a sense of tranquility and peace.

The warm atmosphere was interrupted when the kitchen staff came to serve the dishes. Qi Mu put his book back into his storage bag, and Yao Sisi, seeing him do so, also put away her book. Then, watching the servants carry trays to the table, she said, "Young master, there are far too many dishes."

Qi Mu: "I didn't know the young lady's specific tastes, so I had them make some of everything."

Yao Sisi: "I have pretty average tastes. I generally like anything spicy, and I especially like meat."

Once the meal was set on the table, there were a total of eighteen dishes, including two small soup bowls.

The servant quietly and quickly set out the food and then left the room, leaving only the two of them inside.

Seeing him get up to serve the food, Yao Sisi quickly said politely, "I can do it myself. It's not that expensive. When we're out fighting, a barbecue is all we need."

Qi Mu wasn't sure if she really thought that way or if she didn't like what he was doing, so he took back the serving chopsticks and said, "Then please make yourself at home, young lady. Don't be shy."

Yao Sisi said, "I've been at your residence for so long now, it's too late to be so polite."

Qi Mu smiled and handed herself a small soup bowl, but paused noticeably when she opened it.

Yao Sisi smelled a faint medicinal scent. "Oh, young master, is this a medicinal meal? Could it be for regulating your meridians?"

She quickly opened her bowl and found it was just normal mushroom soup, which made her a little disappointed.

Seeing her like this, Qi Mu couldn't help but laugh: "Your soup is excellent, Miss. Mine is... a nourishing soup..."

Yao Sisi: "???"

"Nourishing the body...isn't it about warming and nourishing the meridians?"

Qi Mu sighed, "It was prepared by my father for your future marriage and children. I guess he'll prepare something for you after you get engaged..."

Yao Sisi gasped, "...It's a little scary!"

Qi Mu: "Logically, these tonics are prepared by the elders, but isn't your situation special...?"

Yao Sisi saw him scoop up a spoonful of soup with his little spoon, bring it to his lips, and blow on it. "So you're really going to drink it?"

Qi Mu's eyebrows curved into a smile: "Otherwise, it would be a waste to throw away precious medicinal herbs, especially since they are just for nourishing the body and there is no harm in it."

Besides, he was injured back then and his body hasn't fully recovered, so it's always good for him to take some rest.

Yao Sisi: "Didn't you prepare a medicinal bath for your body-strengthening?"

Qi Mu: "We've already been secretly acquiring them, but it's not enough. There are two good medicinal herbs that are temporarily out of stock."

Yao Sisi: "What medicine do you need? I'll keep an eye out for it for you."

Qi Mu: "A hundred-year-old hibiscus and a hundred-year-old Tang fairy herb."

Yao Sisi nodded. She had seen these two medicinal herbs in the herbal encyclopedia, but she hadn't seen them when she went out. "They are indeed rare medicinal herbs, especially since they are a hundred years old. But you can't be sloppy with body-strengthening medicine. Don't worry, you can find them eventually if you look slowly."

As the two talked and ate their dinner, it gradually got completely dark, and Qi Mu had no choice but to leave as if to avoid suspicion.

That evening, Yao Sisi washed her brush, took a pile of talisman papers into her spatial dimension, and took out a mystic stone from her storage bag to ask the artifact spirit, "How many are needed to activate a one-year time array?"

The spirit said, "One hundred Xuan stones is much cheaper than a month's supply."

Yao Sisi gave her a look that suggested she was a promising student: "You need to learn to be more careful with your money in the future, okay? You did a great job this time."

The spirit: "..."

To be honest, ever since it contracted with this host, it hasn't felt like it's gained anything; in fact, it's been constantly putting more and more money into it...

Yao Sisi placed one hundred Xuan Stones into the array plate. After the time array was activated, she took out the Refining God Technique and tried to cultivate it to the initial stage. She spent the rest of her time drawing talismans and reading books. There were too many books on the bookshelf. She read them voraciously, and she focused on reading about things related to the Spirit Spring.

It turns out that the spirit of the artifact wanted the spiritual spring because it could produce water continuously, and the living spring had a life-giving power that could even nourish the spirit and help it recover.

So... since the space is said to be ten years away from collapsing, there's no need to rush to treat it. Since she can only partially improve it by reading a book, there's no reason why the space can't be partially improved, right?

She gritted her teeth in the shadows and grinned broadly.

The spirit didn't know what she was thinking, but felt a chill in her heart, as if something bad was about to happen.

Over the course of a year, Yao Sisi browsed through most of the books on her bookshelf, selectively reading only. Even so, she hadn't finished reading all the books she had seen, only choosing the parts she needed. Her bookshelf had far too many books. If her book box only had a few hundred books, then this wall of bookshelves had thousands of books, and she hadn't even counted them carefully yet.

Fortunately, each book is quite thin and the content is very dry, often consisting of more than ten pages. Otherwise, it would be impossible to read a book so quickly...

She counted on her fingers. She hadn't even explored the cave yet, and she still had to attend the engagement banquet. Apparently, engagements required gifts, and it would be embarrassing for a groom to marry empty-handed. Hmm… she'd go with Ri Jiu to scout out the route in a few days…

I wonder if I could get my hands on a flying boat or something. Although it's dangerous in the sky, aren't there even more mythical beasts on the ground?

If only she knew how to refine weapons!

How about... we try it in the space?

-----------------------

Author's Note: A sincere thank you to my lovely readers for subscribing! *bows*