Chapter 6 Unveiling the Secret Treasure
Zhong Cai began to observe this new residence.
It's a fairly large courtyard, divided into inner and outer courtyards, and surrounded by high walls on all four sides, providing good privacy.
The inner courtyard has a main house, which is the couple's bridal chamber. On either side of the main house is an empty room, which serves as their respective cultivation rooms, both connected to the main house by corridors. On the left and right sides of the inner courtyard are two rooms each. The left rooms are a bathhouse and a kitchen, while the right rooms are furnished with bedding and simple furniture, presumably for their children or for entertaining guests.
The open space between the houses is quite large. Near the second gate, there is a flower bed planted with only some ordinary plants.
In front of the flowerbed stands a large tree with a wide canopy, beneath which sits a stone table and two stone benches.
The rest of the land is flat and level, enough to practice martial arts techniques.
Passing through the second gate leads to the outer courtyard, directly opposite the main gate. To the left of the main gate is a small room that serves as the gatekeeper's office. There are three rooms on each side of the outer courtyard, each simply furnished, which can be used by servants. The outer courtyard also has a large open space, which can be used by servants to practice martial arts when they are not serving.
Zhong Cai nodded in satisfaction.
Don't let its ordinary size fool you; this courtyard is actually quite large, at least several times the size of the mansions he'd seen in his previous life. Even back in his life with the Zhong family, Yuehe Garden, despite having courtyards of various sizes, only allocated him a small one—and that one didn't even have inner and outer courtyards, with just four or five rooms. It was much smaller than this place.
The one who really has a hard time adapting is probably his buddy... Thinking of this, Zhong Cai couldn't help but glance at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan followed Zhong Cai around, a slight smile actually appearing on his face.
Seeing this, Zhong Cai first praised Wu Shaogan in her heart—no wonder he's such a good friend, he has such a strong mentality! Then she praised herself a couple of times—I knew it was the right decision to marry into this family, otherwise, would her buddy be so energetic so quickly? Hey, he's really something!
·
After inspecting the accommodations, Zhong Cai turned her attention to the few people in the side corridor.
This is all the manpower they have now.
Three of them were brought by Zhong Cai: Zhong Da, a bodyguard, and two sworn servants. The man in black standing next to Zhong Da was his friend's bodyguard, Xiang Lin.
There were also two maids who looked to be in their twenties, dressed simply, with average looks, and their exposed fingers had calluses from years of working, clearly indicating that they were not there to serve her closely.
Wu Shaogan glanced at the two maids, thought for a moment, remembered them, and turned to Zhong Cai, saying, "These two were originally in charge of sweeping in Yunteng Courtyard. Their names are Miaohua and Miaoye."
Zhong Cai felt the name sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly realized and said, "You told me about this before, right? Your eldest brother has a concubine's daughter who almost beat two sisters to death. When asked why, she said it was because the two sisters accidentally broke her things, and she took her anger out on them and did something inhumane. You happened to see it and rescued them, keeping them in your yard to work... Is that them?" He immediately understood. "There's a debt of gratitude between us, no wonder they didn't leave."
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly.
Often, friends tend to think the best of people, but Miao Ye and Miao Hua's eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty. The reason they stayed was probably not out of gratitude, but because they had nowhere else to go. After all, Wu Xiang was very vengeful. The other servants could find their own way after leaving, but once they left, they probably wouldn't have a way to survive.
The two maids lowered their heads slightly, their thoughts exposed, and they were both flustered.
Wu Shaogan explained to Zhong Cai in a low voice, and then said, "I am still Wu Xiang's elder. Even if our status has changed, she can't openly harm the maids in my courtyard."
Zhong Cai glanced at the expressions of the two maids and knew that his friend was right. However, he still patted Wu Shaogan on the shoulder and laughed, "It's all about survival. It's not shameful. As long as you get things done quickly, nothing else matters."
Wu Shaogan glanced at him and said, "As long as you know what you're doing, that's fine."
Zhong Cai put her arm around Wu Shaogan's shoulder and said with a grin, "Don't worry."
The two maids hadn't expected Zhong Cai to interact with Wu Shaogan in this way, but they didn't dare to think too much about it. They simply lowered their heads and tried their best to show their loyalty.
Zhong Cai directly instructed: "The six of you will all live in the outer courtyard. Xiang Lin will choose the rooms first, then Zhong Da will choose the rooms, and Xiang Lin will allocate the remaining four rooms. Each of you will live in a room for now. If more people join later, we will change the arrangement."
Xiang Lin replied in a deep voice, "Yes, Young Master Cai."
Zhong Da, Zhong Cai's confidant, answered habitually, "Yes."
Zhong Cai then instructed, "The seedlings and leaves will continue to be responsible for sweeping and doing other chores such as wiping."
The two maids quickly replied, "Yes, Young Master Cai."
Zhong Cai took out two more death contracts, glanced at the names on them, and said, "Zhou Lin, who can cook, and Dong Jin, who is quick and efficient?"
The two servants who had been bound by their contracts stepped forward respectfully.
Zhong Cai said, "Zhou Lin is in charge of cooking, and Dong Jin is in charge of errands and such. When there's nothing to do, Dong Jin will assist Zhou Lin. If there's anything wrong, you can remind each other."
Zhou Lin and Dong Jin obeyed the order.
Zhong Cai continued, "Zhong Da, you can work as a gatekeeper normally. If there's anything I need you to do, I'll have Dong Jin keep watch for you."
Zhong Da also obeyed the order.
Zhong Cai added, "Xiang Lin is mainly responsible for protecting the young cadres. He can spend the rest of his time cultivating and improving his strength."
Xiang Lin respectfully agreed.
Wu Shaogan interjected, "If A Cai goes out, Xiang Lin, you go with him."
Xiang Lin said, "Yes."
Zhong Cai glared at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "You can't make me worry either."
Zhong Cai had nothing more to say, so she turned to stare at the servants and gave them her final instructions.
"No one may enter the inner courtyard without being summoned. Xiang Lin and Zhong Da may act as they see fit in case of danger."
All the servants responded again.
After giving his instructions, Zhong Cai waved for everyone to leave.
Xiang Lin closed the second gate. Wu Shaogan looked at Zhong Cai with some surprise. According to his personality, he should have asked Zhou Lin to prepare the meal now. Why did he let them disperse now?
Zhong Cai then gave a strange look.
Wu Shaogan frowned and asked with concern, "Ah Cai, are you feeling unwell?"
Zhong Cai nodded honestly, "It was quite uncomfortable." Before Wu Shaogan could say anything, he quickly added, "I feel like I might have used my yang energy to replenish your yang energy last night."
"It's just... it's just that I think I'm about to unlock the secrets of my soul."
It was so sudden!
·
Wu Shaogan took a deep breath and indeed found a faint fluctuation on Zhong Cai's body. He was both annoyed and amused. What did he mean by "absorbing yang to replenish yang"? Could opening the secret treasure be related to that kind of thing? This guy, Cai, just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut.
Zhong Cai was being pulled into the main house by Wu Shaogan, still rambling on and on.
"I'm not just saying this casually. Back in the Zhong family, I thought you'd have to wait until you reached the Palace Opening Realm to summon your companion treasure. But then I gave you a lucky break, and you opened up the secret treasure in one night. What else could it be but because I took advantage of you..."
Seeing that Zhong Cai's face was pale with pain, Wu Shaogan knew that the moment had come. He simply kicked open the door, picked up Zhong Cai, and quickly carried her to the bed.
Zhong Cai then muttered, "Princess carry, how embarrassing," and rolled over on the bed.
Wu Shaogan turned around and immediately closed the door tightly before sitting down on the bed to keep him company.
"I advise you to save your energy; the more you move, the more it will hurt."
Zhong Cai rolled around in sweat, still shouting, "I'm just trying to distract myself!"
Wu Shaogan had no choice but to pull him back and pin his hands down.
However, Zhong Cai's hands were immobile, but that didn't stop him from kicking outwards with his legs. As he kicked, he fell off the bed.
Wu Shaogan said helplessly, "If you keep kicking, I won't be able to hold you down."
Zhong Cai immediately said, "Then you should use both your hands and feet too, it hurts so much!"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
With a sigh, Wu Shaogan pressed himself down on Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai screamed, "I can't breathe!!"
Wu Shaogan's lips twitched slightly. He turned over and simply locked the man in his arms, pinning him down with his limbs.
After struggling for a while and being unable to move, Zhong Cai calmed down. And being so close together, it was actually a little more comfortable.
Zhong Cai could sense that something was gathering at the core of the three souls and seven spirits that were intertwined. The intense pain started the moment it appeared, surging out and washing over like a torrent... However, after about half an hour, the thing became clearer and clearer, and the pain gradually became like being pricked by needles.
As he endured the ordeal, Zhong Cai's lips turned pale, his body trembled slightly, and he was drenched in sweat, soaking a large patch of the bedding. He still had little strength, but he began to mutter to himself again.
"When we cultivate, we have various precious medicines to alleviate the pain at different stages, but not when it comes to opening the secrets of the soul. We have to endure it ourselves, and that's bad enough, but I'm the one who suffers the most pain..."
Wu Shaogan gently massaged the trembling area, trying to soothe it.
Indeed, the later one unlocks the secrets of the soul, the more painful it is. Zhong Cai was the last one to do so, so naturally she suffered the most.
But there really is no other way but to get through it.
·
Another half hour passed before Zhong Cai finally relaxed.
Then, a ball of light floated out from between his eyebrows and hovered in front of him.
Wu Shaogan loosened his limbs, preparing to get out of bed.
Zhong Cai leaned against him and said, "I'm still very tired, let me lend you my strength for a while."
Wu Shaogan gently nudged him and said, "Now that you want to examine your companion treasure, I have to leave."
Zhong Cai said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? You have more experience. Even if you avoid it, I would still ask you anyway. It saves me trouble now."
Wu Shao agreed to a meal, something Zhong Cai was capable of doing, so he stopped refusing.
Zhong Cai was satisfied and lightly touched the ball of light with her finger.
With a "whoosh," the ball of light instantly grew larger, transforming into a dark red building that looked like it was made of stone. However, it was quite small, merely filling the empty space of the main room completely. If Zhong Cai had simply been too lazy to get out of bed before and had dragged his buddy along to mess with the companion treasure, then now the two of them were stuck on the bed by this thing.
Zhong Cai looked at it from left to right, his lips twitching slightly: "Old Wu, look at that thing, doesn't it look like an altar?"
Wu Shaogan: "I'm afraid it is the altar."
·
The altar has a rounded base, surrounded by a towering stone wall resembling flames, enclosing most of the altar and guarding the wide stone platform in the center. Three sets of steps connect the platform to the base on each side. In the center of the platform is a recessed pit filled with flame patterns, exuding an ancient and profound charm.
·
Zhong Cai's feelings at this moment were somewhat indescribable.
Although he knew his aptitude was poor, he couldn't say he had no expectations for summoning things. He guessed and guessed that he might be able to summon a weapon or something, the kind that would allow him to practice martial arts quickly; or maybe he would summon pots, pans, hoes, bottles, or other things like pots, pans, hoes, and bottles, just like some people with low-grade aptitude—that could add a little bit of energy to the dishes he made or a little bit of growth speed to the plants he grew. There was nothing wrong with that, little by little, it would add up.
But to his utter surprise, an altar appeared.
How do I use this thing?
Wu Shaogan, however, was quite optimistic, saying, "The altar always requires offerings before obtaining the items; there must be some mystery involved. It can't be just a low-grade item." He gently nudged Zhong Cai and urged, "Go on, see how to use it."
Zhong Cai thought it made sense, so she became happy and got out of bed.
Now that his soul was no longer in pain, and the painful parts of his body had been soothed by Wu Shaogan's massage, he moved nimbly and quickly stood on the base of the altar.
In an instant, a burst of light flashed on the altar, enveloping Zhong Cai completely.
A large amount of information flooded into Zhong Cai's consciousness, telling him all about the altar...
Wu Shaogan watched as Zhong Cai's expression suddenly went blank, and her face slowly lost its color. On the altar, in front of Zhong Cai, one after another, phantom images resembling books appeared. With each additional book, Zhong Cai's face grew paler.
He knew that this was most likely Zhong Cai receiving the inheritance, but he still couldn't help feeling anxious. However, since it involved the accompanying treasure, no matter how worried he was, he didn't dare to disturb the other party rashly.
Gradually, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed.
Zhong Cai suddenly opened her eyes, which were bright and piercing.
Wu Shaogan breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved.
Zhong Cai immediately said, "Old Wu, let me choose a category of inheritance for this thing first."
Wu Shaogan: "?"
Zhong Cai chuckled and pointed to each item in the illusory book with her finger, introducing them one by one.
"Starting from here, the categories are Alchemy, Weaponry, Talismans, Arrays, Chariot Driving, Puppetry, Music... The altar requires me to choose one, and then I need to learn the techniques of that category to create a finished product. Each finished product will emit some spiritual energy. The altar automatically collects this spiritual energy, and once I have collected a certain amount, I can put the spiritual energy into the altar to exchange for some usable or unusable items. However, what I exchange for is all based on luck; I have no say in it."
Wu Shaogan had never heard of this type of companion treasure before and was somewhat surprised, but the key now was to choose a successor.
"Ah Cai, what are your plans?"
Zhong Cai answered without hesitation: "Of course I'll choose the Alchemy Department and learn the Dao of Alchemy!"
This is a problem that doesn't need to be considered at all!
Cultivators all want pills, so pills sell very well. As long as he learns this skill, spiritual energy and money will come rolling in!
Wu Shaogan also felt that alchemy held the highest status, but still reminded him, "You have to choose the one you like best, otherwise it will be difficult to learn and won't do you any good."
Zhong Cai waved his hand dismissively and said, "I haven't studied anything, how would I know which one I like? Anyway, I'm most interested in alchemy, so I'll go with that!"
Seeing that he had thought things through, Wu Shaogan was naturally relieved.
Without further hesitation, Zhong Cai reached out and grabbed directly at the "book" in the Dan Department.
In an instant, all the other books disappeared, while the one belonging to the Dan Department turned into a white light and entered Zhong Cai's brow.
Zhong Cai closed his eyes, continuously absorbing the vast sea of inheritance. He was so dizzy that he didn't notice that the entire altar was also shrouded in a layer of white light, and the details were changing rapidly.
Wu Shaogan saw it all clearly.
The flame-shaped stone wall on the platform, directly opposite the pit, suddenly rose higher, bulging rapidly in front to form a wide stone seat large enough for someone to lie down on. At the same time, white flames erupted from the pit, filling the entire cavity, the flames dancing wildly as if it were burning fiercely.
It's amazing.
Wu Shaogan was happy for Zhong Cai, but also slightly saddened.
With this treasure, Zhong Cai should be able to reach a higher realm; he can probably only accompany Zhong Cai for a short distance.
However, these emotions were fleeting. When Zhong Cai finished receiving the inheritance and looked over with bright eyes, Wu Shaogan's gloomy thoughts quickly dissipated.
"Old Wu, come here quickly!"
"They're here."
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