Chapter 98: Returning Home to Revitalize the Cultivation World (98% complete)
The shouts of street vendors rose and fell, while in the teahouses, storytellers recounted the story of the duel between the old and new masters of the Holy Prayer Palace in vivid and captivating tales.
Shen Suqi and Xiao Tingyuan strolled through Dongyu City. As they passed the entrance of a teahouse, they exchanged a smile.
Shen Suqi laughed and said, "I used the Thunderfire Talisman to create the barrier. It must have been hard for them to come up with so many details."
"I thought you would operate on a low-profit, high-volume model," Xiao Tingyuan asked, voicing his confusion. "You've carved so many memory stones, and the prices are so high. Aren't you afraid you won't be able to sell them?"
Shen Suqi was well-prepared. Before the battle, she placed dozens of recording stones in the barrier. In the end, one of them stubbornly survived and recorded the entire duel.
Shen Suqi had a profound and unfathomable expression: "You don't understand the market. The first batch of people who rushed to buy were all people who wanted to get first-hand information. They would buy no matter how expensive it was. Once the market cools down, the remaining memory stones can be sold at a lower price, and another batch of curious people can be harvested."
"This must be Xiao Yao's idea again, right?" Xiao Tingyuan asked subconsciously.
“Hmm.” Shen Suqi nodded without hesitation. She trusted Su Xiaoyao unconditionally when it came to matters involving spirit stones.
Xiao Tingyuan revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."
Shen Suqi asked him, "By the way, you went back to the academy after that day. What did the culinary master teacher say? He must be very happy. You've avenged him."
Xiao Tingyuan looked somewhat conflicted: "How should I put it, the Ancestor isn't entirely happy."
After leaving the Xuan Tian Sword Sect, he immediately returned to the academy to find the God of Cookery. When the God of Cookery heard the news that Canmeng's soul and spirit had been destroyed, he first laughed loudly, but then felt a little sad.
He said that Canmeng was a very petty person who valued fame and fortune, but he never expected that she would die an obscure death.
He also recounted many past events, including his acquaintance with Canmeng when he was young, how well Canmeng had treated him, how Canmeng protected him and healed his wounds, and how Canmeng ultimately betrayed him out of jealousy.
"At first, I hated him and couldn't understand why he would betray me. Later, when I was bored in the ring, I pondered for a long time and came to terms with it. He was just like me, someone who climbed up from the bottom with all his might. Cultivation is the way for us to change our destiny, and ascension naturally became our obsession. He was more concerned about inequality than scarcity. If I had no hope of ascension, he would probably have kept a mask in front of me for the rest of his life."
Shen Suqi sighed softly: "After all, we used to be friends."
"Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to handle it so quickly," Xiao Tingyuan said.
They met on their way back to Dongyu City. She had originally stayed at Kunpeng Mountain to handle the power transition between Xuantian Sword Sect and Shengqi Palace with Su Xiaoyao and Helian Yi.
Shen Suqi waved her hand: "There's not much going on at the Holy Prayer Palace. The elders and disciples are mentally prepared for the outcome. I dealt with a few elders and deacons who were causing trouble, and there wasn't any major issues. It's not so good with Xiao Yao. Although she had the cooperation of the former sect leader, there were too many people who were not convinced. She got into eight fights in three days and ate the spirit-replenishing pills that Dai Kui gave her like food. But overall, things went relatively smoothly. Brother Yi was very helpful in assisting her."
Xiao Tingyuan nodded upon hearing this: "Helian Yi has always been quite concerned about matters related to Xiao Yao."
Shen Suqi couldn't help but smile: "It's just a pity that Shui Fan has turned into a glowing jellyfish."
Seeing his puzzled expression, she composed herself and coughed lightly: "Well, before I left, I made an appointment with them to meet again in the mortal realm. Our graduation trip will start from the imperial city."
Xiao Tingyuan didn't notice her abrupt change of topic and continued to recount his observations: "I heard that things went very smoothly with Xu Lingyou as well."
"Did he message you?"
“No.” Xiao Tingyuan said helplessly, “When I returned to the academy, Senior Brother Lin Ming was also there. He received a message from Huangfu Mian.”
Shen Suqi couldn't help but mutter, "Why don't those two learn from Xiaomian's straightforwardness?"
“I also ran into Su Qinghuan.” Xiao Tingyuan suddenly remembered, “He challenged the little octopus to a duel, saying he wanted to avenge his previous defeat.”
"Did you win or lose?" Shen Suqi's eyes lit up.
"We won."
Shen Suqi pouted, thinking she had some good news to share with Su Xiaoyao.
Xiao Tingyuan said to himself, "I asked him what his plans were next, and he said that body cultivators need to gain experience and he planned to travel around with some classmates."
He then shared updates on several classmates, which Shen Suqi listened to with great interest.
"Junior Sister Bao stayed on the island to open a shop? That's not bad, the island has plenty of spiritual energy."
"Wow, you mean that guy from the sound editing class? I thought he was going to do something big, but I didn't expect him to choose to stay at the school as a teacher."
"That girl from the pharmacy class stayed on at the school too? But I remember she majored in poisons. Won't she lead the younger students astray?"
"That name sounds familiar. You mean the vice class monitor in Xiao Yao's class? She went to the Treasure Pavilion as a guest elder? That's great. Xiao Yao told me before that she's very creative. I'm sure we'll see a lot of different magical artifacts in the shops in the future."
The two walked and talked when suddenly a hesitant female voice interrupted.
"Brother? Sister Xiaoqi?"
Xiao Tingyuan was taken aback, then turned to see his younger sister.
Shen Suqi also saw the person who came and greeted him happily: "It's Aru."
The younger sister exclaimed with delight, "It really is you! You're back!"
She rushed to Shen Suqi's side, her eyes filled with adoration: "Sister, have you really become the Palace Master of the Holy Prayer Palace?"
Although she had already heard the results, she couldn't help but ask again in person.
Shen Suqi replied proudly, "Of course."
The younger sister exclaimed excitedly, "Wow! I've heard it almost ten times at the teahouse, and he describes the details differently each time. This time, I want to hear it from my older sister herself!"
“No problem.” Shen Suqi had the air of returning home in glory. “I even brought a recording stone. We can look at it and talk about it later.”
"That's awesome! Long live the sister!"
The younger sister remembered the important matter and pulled her older brother aside: "Brother, Mom and Dad know you're coming back and they're all waiting at home, as are all the relatives."
"Okay, brother will go home with you now." Xiao Tingyuan affectionately patted the little girl's head.
The younger sister blinked and looked her familiar relative up and down: "Brother, I feel like something's different about you. You used to say weird things all the time, and I didn't like standing next to you, but now you're so gentle."
Xiao Tingyuan was a little embarrassed: "I was younger back then..."
"Oh, right, there's one more thing." The younger sister looked at Shen Suqi, "Father and Mother mentioned a few days ago that when Sister Xiaoqi comes back, they will formally dissolve your engagement."
Xiao Tingyuan was taken aback, then belatedly remembered that he had a marriage agreement.
Shen Suqi was also taken aback, and slapped her forehead, saying, "We still have a marriage contract that exists in name only. We agreed to break it off when we reached the Nascent Soul stage, but we've been dragging it out until now, and we almost forgot about it."
Although the laws can no longer bind them, they haven't been lifted in name only.
The younger sister affectionately hugged her arm: "Speaking of which, I have to thank you, sister. If it weren't for you ordering people to help our family back then, the Shen family would have caused us so much trouble. We've been living peacefully in Dongyu City these past few years because you've taken care of most of our problems."
“I already agreed with Lao Xiao,” Shen Suqi said with a smile.
They walked together for a while, and when they reached a fork in the road, Shen Suqi parted ways with them.
She smiled knowingly and raised an eyebrow at Xiao Tingyuan: "The Shen family has eyes and ears all over Dongyu City. They should be receiving news of my return by now. What do you think will greet me?"
Xiao Tingyuan couldn't guess; with his happy family, he simply couldn't imagine a gladiatorial arena like the Shen family's.
Shen Suqi didn't really let him guess, and continued, "I guess I'll see Shen Qirui tied up and waiting for me to deal with him as soon as I enter the door, and after a few more steps I'll see my opportunistic old father, and when I get to the head of the family in the front hall, he'll be waiting for me."
"Do you want to take over the Shen family? The Shen family hasn't treated you well," Xiao Tingyuan asked.
“Of course I’ll take it. Power that comes knocking on my door.” Shen Suqi said indifferently, “Except for a few individuals who I have to deal with, I’m not one to fuss over others as long as they benefit me.”
As he watched her leave, Xiao Tingyuan noticed that his younger sister was still staring at her back.
The little sister turned her head, her eyes full of admiration: "Brother, Sister Xiaoqi is so capable!"
Xiao Tingyuan chuckled.
Su Xiaoyao used to say that he was like a domineering and arrogant dragon, but in his opinion, the two of them, who held great power, were more in line with her description.
The younger sister tugged at her brother's attention: "Brother, tell me about your friends. I've only seen them in the photo stone. Why didn't you invite them over?"
“Everyone has their own things to do, and those who aren’t busy should go home first, just like me.” Xiao Tingyuan paused for a moment.
Speaking of going home, I wonder how Jiang Yun is doing. After we parted ways at Kunpeng Mountain, he said he wanted to go home, but his home...
Before returning to the old house, Jiang Yun, who was being missed, thought he would see ruins or a mansion with a new owner. However, he was surprised to find that the layout and furnishings of the Jiang mansion remained exactly as they were when he left, with neat flowers and plants and clean windows and tables.
He had his doubts and inquired around before he learned that when the Jiang family suffered a disaster, the government office collected the bodies of 120 members of the Jiang family and did not know what to do with the mansion. It was left vacant for a long time, during which time various ghost stories continued to circulate. Until five years ago, an imperial edict came from the capital, ordering the government office to keep the Jiang mansion as it was and to send people to clean and tidy it regularly. It stated that a person named Jiang Yun would return in five years, at which time the government office would have to take the initiative to return the land deed.
Jiang Yun recalled Su Xiaoyao saying that the emperor was a good person.
Far removed from the chaos of the cultivation world, he walked on the familiar streets. No one recognized him as the renowned ghost cultivator genius, nor as the wretched, surviving only son of the Jiang family.
He stood by the dog hole, his thoughts drifting away, recalling that most desperate day when the irritating mechanical voice suddenly rang in his ears.
He felt inexplicably lonely; he wished 444 were still around.
After many years, Jiang Yun stepped into his former home again, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.
Three banners rose up behind him, and ghostly figures flew out from the banners; these were his closest family members.
The father's outline was still faintly discernible, the mother's hair was still neatly tied as when she was alive, with her favorite flowers still in her hair, and there was also the old steward Wu Bo who had taken care of him since he was a child, Wu Bo's son who grew up with him, the maid sister who loved to laugh the most in the mother's courtyard, and the gatekeeper brother who always let him sneak out to play... But now, their faces were distorted, their eyes burned with a resentful and venomous light, and their bodies were surrounded by a sinister ghost aura.
Facing the wronged spirits of his loved ones, Jiang Yun felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
He closed his eyes, gripped the Soul-Binding Banner and the Soul-Crossing Banner tightly, and it took him a long time to muster the strength to wave them.
An invisible barrier of ghostly energy unfolded, enveloping the entire mansion. The wronged souls, drawn by some force, drifted involuntarily towards the places most familiar to them in their previous lives. Gradually, their狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) faces softened, and the resentment in their eyes dissipated, replaced by bewilderment and confusion.
Time seems to reverse in this mansion.
In the courtyard, Jiang's father sat on a stone bench, holding an account book and carefully checking it with a frown. Jiang's mother leaned against the window with a gentle expression, embroidering a handkerchief. Uncle Wu was directing the servants to move things in the courtyard, occasionally helping his stiff back.
Everything returned to normal, and everyone forgot the fact that they were already dead.
Even though he knew it was an illusion, Jiang Yun still couldn't help but greedily stare at every face.
"Young master, why are you standing here?" A maid with her hair in two buns walked in from the backyard carrying a food box. Her voice was light and cheerful, and her eyes were filled with familiar concern.
Jiang Yun opened his mouth to speak, but his throat tightened.
"Young master, don't cry. Tell your sister what's bothering you. Do you want some candied hawthorns from East Street? I'll go buy them for you." In the maid's eyes, he was still a thirteen-year-old child, so she naturally adopted a coaxing tone.
“No, I…” He could barely utter a complete sentence.
"Or has someone bullied you?" The maid frowned. "Tell me, and I'll get revenge for you!"
“No, I just…” Jiang Yun suppressed a sob, “I just wanted to eat the peach shortbread my sister makes.”
"Oh dear, it's just peach shortbread. Look, what's this?" The maid opened the food box with a smile, revealing a plate of peach shortbread inside.
She pulled him to sit down in the front hall and pushed the plate of peach shortbread over there.
"If you want to eat peach shortbread in the future, just tell your sister and I'll make it for you anytime."
Jiang Yun picked up a piece of peach shortbread and put it to his lips. The familiar taste spread between his lips and teeth. His hands began to tremble and his eyes gradually became moist.
"My son, what has wronged you?" As soon as Jiang's parents entered the front hall, they saw Jiang Yun crying uncontrollably and immediately asked.
"Father! Mother!"
Overwhelmed by endless grievances and longing, Jiang Yun could no longer control herself and could only hold them close, pouring out her myriad emotions through tears.
"Who wronged my son? Tell your father, and I will definitely get justice for you." Jiang's father was heartbroken.
"The child is crying like this and you're still asking?" Jiang's mother hugged Jiang Yun, patted his back to help him catch his breath, and then glared at Jiang's father.
Jiang's father awkwardly touched his nose.
Jiang Yun had a lot to say. He wanted to talk about the hatred in his heart over the years, and the suffering he had endured, but he couldn't.
He wanted to maintain the illusion's perfection so that his loved ones could leave without any worries.
He leaned against Jiang's mother's chest, his beautiful eyes filled with confusion. What should he do? How could he compose himself?
"Sigh, this is the time for me to step in."
A child's innocent voice suddenly rang out, attracting everyone's attention.
The arrogant boy strode into the front hall with his arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at Jiang Yun.
Jiang Yun was stunned. He didn't remember knowing this person. Besides, there were only 120 members of the Jiang family in the illusion. How did this person break through the barrier and enter? But looking at this person's expression, he felt inexplicably familiar.
Wu Bo arrived shortly afterward, glanced at the boy, and then looked at Jiang Yun: "Young Master, this young master says he is your friend."
The boy gave a soft hum, slightly raised his chin, and glanced at him sideways with his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes.
"It's only been a short time and you don't recognize me anymore? Tsk, the new leadership has indeed triumphed over the old."
Jiang Yun's brow twitched sharply, and his eyes suddenly lit up: "You are..."
The boy stepped forward and extended his hand.
"You can call me Sisi now."
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Author's Note: Besides the male and female leads, there's another couple in this story, Xiao Yao and Helian Yi. This pair should be quite obvious~
The players thought the newbie period was over and there would be no vacation, but actually a big gift package for new players is waiting for them! I'm also reluctant to see the mission takers separated from the system.
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