Chapter 10 Cui Xingmiao:
Shengjing, Fanshi Pavilion.
Fanshige is one of the largest restaurants in Shengjing. Its second-floor window seats are highly sought after by the powerful and famous, and reservations are already booked up for three months in advance.
At this moment, the four screens by the window were half-folded, revealing a gap that allowed people to see inside. Everyone coming up from downstairs would glance inside, wondering which official or gentry was hosting a banquet there today.
Surprisingly, the two men drinking by the window were an old man and a young man. The old man had white hair and beard and wore a simple cloth robe and short jacket like a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. The young man had a handsome but indifferent face, with his arms crossed and leaning against the wall, about three feet away from the table, looking like he was tired of the world.
"Buzz—"
Suddenly, the jade pendant on the table began to vibrate.
The cold-faced youth jumped up from in front of the wall panel, rushed to the table, and grabbed the jade pendant.
Noticing the gaze coming from outside the screen, he slightly turned his head and glanced at the screen, which then automatically unfolded, completely blocking the view from the window.
After such a series of actions, anyone could tell that the young man was no ordinary person, but a cultivator.
Shengjing is a place of many talented and extraordinary people, attracting people from all directions. It's not surprising that cultivators are also present.
However, to maintain order in Shengjing, they generally do not show their true colors.
A cool-faced young man like this is either highly skilled and daring, or he's just really impatient.
Shen Bingsi certainly had both. The way he rushed over to snatch the jade pendant made it seem as if, if he had been a moment later, ten or eight burly men would have taken it away. He even knocked a corner of the small table in front of him askew.
"Buzz—"
Shen Bingsi stared at the jade pendant until its buzzing stopped and it ceased vibrating.
The old doctor across the table picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and said, "Why aren't you taking it?"
“I have important business to discuss,” Shen Bingsi put the jade pendant back into her bosom, looked up at the old doctor, and narrowed her eyes slightly. “When can you remove this makeup?”
"Heh," the old doctor chuckled, "How did you figure that out?"
As he spoke, "his" voice changed dramatically. It began with an old man's laughter, but ended with a woman's ethereal and clear voice.
"The underground expedition team noticed it back then." Shen Bingsi sized him up. "Are you really planning to keep talking to me with this face?"
The old doctor lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, took another sip of wine, and sighed, "You don't think you can remove this makeup with just a swipe of your sleeve, do you?"
Shen Bingsi raised her eyebrows slightly, as if to say, "Isn't that right?"
The "old doctor" shook his head: "I didn't expect that you, a dignified demon-slaying sword saint, would believe in those popular folk tales. Disguise isn't that easy, especially for someone as meticulous as me. Applying makeup takes an hour or two, and removing it is simpler, but it still requires special makeup water. Besides, when I came in, I was Miao Yixiu, and when I came out, I became Cui Xingmiao. What would people think? Wouldn't my hard-earned identity as Miao Yixiu be exposed?"
Shen Bingsi: "..."
"This is so troublesome." Shen Bingsi frowned. "Can't you just say you're a Miao medicine practitioner? Can't a Miao medicine practitioner be a woman?"
"Old doctor," no, she should be called Cui Xingmiao now. Cui Xingmiao sat slightly forward, one hand supporting her chin, looking at Shen Bingsi as if she were examining some kind of celestial being: "Do you think I'm like you, Rong Er?"
Shen Bingsi's eyelids twitched.
"So what do you want from me?" Shen Bingsi automatically skipped over the previous topic.
The two were old acquaintances who had met during their trip to the Dragon Cave half a month ago. However, at that time, they were both pretending to have other identities, and in the eyes of others, they were just two strangers.
The "old doctor's" true identity is quite well-known. She is Cui Xingmiao, the niece of the sect leader of Yunshan Sect. Although Yunshan Sect is not one of the three major sects, it has a good reputation, especially for its medicine. It is said that Cui Xingmiao's medical skills were passed down by the sect leader, and she is also as beautiful as a fairy. She is known in the cultivation world as "Fairy Xingmiao".
Such a beautiful and skilled woman, barely of legal age, was already being courted by heroes from all walks of life, and matchmakers were constantly knocking on her door. Forced by circumstances, Cui Xingmiao left the Yunshan Sect and became a Miao doctor, wandering the world and living a carefree life.
"Didn't you ask me for something?" Cui Xingmiao tilted her head. Ever since her identity was exposed, her whole demeanor had changed drastically. Her posture and small movements were as charming and innocent as a young girl.
If he weren't an old man with a face full of wrinkles, the scene would probably be quite pleasing to the eye.
Shen Bingsi frowned: "You... never mind, you publicly revealed the name of the jade pendant, didn't you want to talk to me about something?"
"Oh~" Cui Xingmiao understood, "You're still holding a grudge about this."
That day in the underground dragon cave, Shen Bingsi used the communication jade pendant to contact Rong Xie in order to decipher the coded message on the door. Originally, no one knew about the communication jade pendant, except for Miao Yixiu who pointed it out. Unfortunately, the team leader was a simpleton and blurted out his guess, which angered Shen Bingsi.
Although Shen Bingsi was a bit straightforward, she wasn't stupid. She could see clearly who was behind it all.
“Yes,” Shen Bingsi said, “I’m the kind of person who holds grudges and always seeks revenge. I don’t let it linger overnight.”
Cui Xingmiao sighed: "Do you know that saying this will make you lose a lot of points with girls? Never mind, it was stupid of me to say something like that to someone as ruthless as you."
Shen Bingsi didn't quite understand what Cui Xingmiao was saying: "If you don't have anything to talk to me about, then I do have something to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Cui Xingmiao rested her chin on her hand and tapped her cheek lightly with her fingers. "Tell me about it, besides revenge."
Shen Bingsi reserved a table on the second floor of Fanshige, clearly not there specifically to seek revenge on Cui Xingmiao; he genuinely had something to discuss, a very troublesome matter.
"..." After listening to Shen Bingsi's description, Cui Xingmiao's professional attitude as a doctor also rose. "You mean, he has been unable to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and recently he has shown signs of spiritual energy depletion?"
“Exactly.” Shen Bingsi frowned. He had been worried about this matter for a long time. After thinking it over, he could only ask Cui Xingmiao for help. “I heard that your Yunshan Sect has a special kind of spirit-gathering stone that can help cultivators obtain spiritual power from nature.”
Cui Xingmiao couldn't help but chuckle: "Ha, you're not talking about the treasured artifact of our Yunshan Sect, are you?"
Shen Bingsi remained expressionless: "Exactly."
Cui Xingmiao shook her head and sighed: "It's impossible. Do you know how big the Spirit Gathering Stone is? It can hold seven or eight adults soaking in it at the same time. It's as difficult as climbing to heaven for me to steal it. As for you, the sect has already listed you as a person who is not allowed to come and go. As long as you step into the sect's boundary marker, you will be hunted down by the entire sect."
Shen Bingsi touched the side of her nose and answered calmly, as if she had just heard what she was having for lunch: "Oh."
There was a moment of silence.
Shen Bingsi asked, "Is there no other way?"
Cui Xingmiao hated his self-righteous attitude, but it was all for his best friend's sake: "Yes, of course there is. Go and beg the Hehuan Sect to give you a furnace, and let their red-robed elders bestow a furnace upon you. They can teach your friend and the furnace to cultivate together. You can have as much spiritual power as you want."
Shen Bingsi's eyelid twitched.
The furnace and cauldron are things that the righteous path despises the most. They may sound like just a vessel, but they are actually living people with special constitutions and meridian circuits that are different from ordinary people. They cannot improve their cultivation level, but can only store spiritual power. When you cultivate with the furnace and cauldron, you can extract spiritual power from their dantian, just like taking what you need from a cauldron that holds things.
If Rong Xie doesn't even like him, how could he possibly like a furnace cauldron?
"Don't joke around." Shen Bingsi's face darkened. "Rong Xie is a man of integrity and upright character. How could he stoop to using this method to obtain spiritual power?"
Cui Xingmiao couldn't help but roll her eyes. She could maintain her fairy-like demeanor perfectly in front of others, but she always broke down in front of Shen Bingsi.
"If it weren't for the fact that you cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness, I would have suggested that you personally cultivate with your best friend," Cui Xingmiao complained.
Shen Bingsi fell silent once again.
Cui Xingmiao stared at him in surprise: "You wouldn't really..."
"If I could solve this, would I need to come to you?" Shen Bingsi felt a surge of irritation. He absolutely did not want to bring up this painful matter in front of outsiders. "Stop talking nonsense, let's talk about this favor. Are you going to help or not?"
Cui Xingmiao tapped her cheek lightly with her fingers, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'd like to check on your friend's situation first."
“Sure.” Shen Bingsi nodded. “However, he usually lives at Huanxue Manor and doesn’t go out much, so I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make a trip there.”
Cui Xingmiao tugged at her sleeve. To put it simply, this was exactly what she wanted. She also wanted to go and see Shen Bingsi's famous lair in the cultivation world, to see just how valuable the golden egg hidden in his lair really was, and what kind of wonderful person was she who had captivated Shen Bingsi, a hope of the ruthless path, so completely.
“Okay,” Cui Xingmiao said, putting on a reasonable appearance. “Then let’s go to Huanxue Manor. The problem might not be as serious as you think. I’ll take a look first. Maybe we won’t even need the Spirit Gathering Stone.”
Upon hearing Cui Xingmiao's words, Shen Bingsi immediately felt better, and her mood improved.
"Okay, when shall we set off?" Shen Bingsi looked like she could just push the table aside and leave.
Cui Xingmiao slowly picked up her wine cup and took another sip: "Although we are old acquaintances, we still need to go through the house call procedure. Let's talk about the consultation fee first."
“Of course, just name your price and I’ll pay.” Shen Bingsi didn’t think there was any need to negotiate.
"No, I think it's best to settle things first, so we don't end up with unresolved issues after the consultation."
"You drive."
Cui Xingmiao pondered for a moment.
"I once practiced medicine outside the Swordsmith Alliance under the guise of a Miao doctor, and I heard a legend."
Back then, the legendary swordsmith Ou Yezi forged five famous swords that shook the heavens and earth. The names Zhanlu, Chun Jun, Sheng Xie, Yu Chang, and Ju Que were known throughout the world. However, few people knew that he also left behind a set of "Sword Forging Manuals," which depicted 72 different types of swords with different materials and characteristics. Guangdian Bailan was one of them.
The Light-Powered White Orchid Sword lives up to its name: its blade is light and short, entirely silver-white, shimmering with blue light. When wielded, it is like lightning cutting through the air, leaving afterimages like the leaves of a gladiolus. If one witnesses its dance once, the afterimage can linger in one's sight for up to three days.
The Radiant White Orchid has always existed only in legends. No swordsmith has ever been able to replicate it exactly. The difficulty in forging it lies in the Lu Silver.
According to the "Illustrated Manual of Sword Casting", silver is produced on the coast of the South China Sea. It is light, flexible and tough, and its light is like lightning. It is the main material for casting photoelectric white ingots.
No one knows exactly where this South China Sea coast is, and no one has ever seen what Lu Yin looks like.
Until one day, a swordsmith obtained a piece of Lu silver from his swordsman friend. It was said to have been obtained from a sunken piece of land in the South China Sea. Hundreds of years ago, a great earthquake destroyed the coastal villages and sank the Lu silver to the bottom of the sea. The swordsman friend also obtained it by chance while chasing sea monsters.
The swordsmith was overjoyed to receive the silver and immediately began smelting and forging it. He spent a full 150 days forging it, and the Guangdian Bailan was born. It is said that on that day, the sky was filled with lightning, and when the furnace was opened, some people saw a huge afterimage of an orchid. The fragrance of the orchid lingered for three days before gradually disappearing.
The swordsmith originally intended to give the luminous white orchid sword to his swordsman friend, but the friend already had his own natal flying sword. He had no choice but to sell the sword through the Swordsmith Alliance's auction, earning enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
Thirty thousand spirit stones.
"It's a pity that the swordsmith didn't know that you were the one who took away the Guangdian Bailan sword, and you were also the one who found the Luyin sword. You just didn't want him to work for nothing. It's a truly touching friendship. This sword was something you wanted to make from beginning to end."
Cui Xingmiao looked at Shen Bingsi.
"I want this photoelectric white orchid."
Shen Bingsi fell silent.
I never expected that Cui Xingmiao knew this story so well.
“No.” He refused outright. “This sword has already been given to someone else.”
"Ah...Is that so?" Cui Xingmiao couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had been longing for the Light-Emitting White Orchid ever since she first heard about it from the swordsmith. Even though she wasn't a sword cultivator, she still wanted to obtain it.
"As long as you can cure Rong Xie, I can give you spirit stones of equal value, or other rare and precious materials, weapons, and armor. You can choose whatever I have in my inventory," Shen Bingsi said.
Hearing this, Cui Xingmiao had no choice but to give up. Shen Bingsi had always disdained lying and deceiving people over such trivial matters, so it seemed that the Guangdian Bailan was indeed taken.
Cui Xingmiao shook her head regretfully: "I don't lack money or weapons, and I don't want your cumbersome stuff..."
Shen Bingsi frowned. What was he supposed to do?
“How about this, let’s play a fun game,” Cui Xingmiao suddenly revealed a mysterious smile, holding up a finger between the two of them. “From this moment on, all the way to Huanxue Manor, as long as it’s related to treatment, you have to listen to me. When I talk to your friend, even if he’s talking nonsense, you’re not allowed to interrupt or show any extra expressions—can you do that?”
Shen Bingsi was puzzled. What kind of price was this? Was he supposed to just stand by and watch? What if Cui Xingmiao bullied Rong Xie?
"What, you don't trust me?" Cui Xingmiao smiled meaningfully. "Don't be afraid, I won't bully your friend. Doctors have the heart of parents, and I just want to cure him. Some questions are only asked because of the treatment. You don't understand. If you interrupt, wouldn't I have wasted my time?"
Although Shen Bingsi still had doubts, he had no other choice but to let her try. After all, he had been by her side the whole time, and they had known each other for a long time. If she was a person of bad character, Shen Bingsi would not associate with her.
"Okay." Shen Bingsi nodded slightly. "I promise you."
Cui Xingmiao clasped her hands together: "Deal!"
“Let’s start now,” she said, pointing to Shen Bingsi’s chest. “Take out that jade pendant, contact him, and don’t say anything. Just tell him that Fairy Xingmiao is visiting Huanxue Manor and ask him to be prepared.”
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A lot of readers suddenly joined, so I'm adding an extra chapter as requested. From now on, I'll update every other day depending on the rankings. [doge emoji]
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