Chapter 146 - Gossip

“It’s so exhausting,” Duo Rengjie said, throwing himself on the grass.

“It’s not that bad. Only a few hours a day,” Xi Teng answered, wiping some sweat away from his forehead.

The daily practice wasn’t until a bit later, but most students tried to at least warm up before then.

If they still had energy later in the evening, they would have another private training session. No time could be wasted. Just like spiritual cultivation, body cultivation was slow progress.

“Do you come from a cultivation family?” Duo Rengjie raised his head from the ground and asked.

“Yeah. Sort of. My father is from a Mortal Kingdom, though,” Xi Teng answered. His father had come to Jingli Immortal City in his youth, after discovering he had spirit roots.

Through odd jobs here and there, he eventually managed to advance to the 4th stage of Qi Refining. After that, he started heading out of the city with a group of other people, hunting for beasts and spiritual plants in the outskirts of the Heaven Reaching Forest.

It was a dangerous job, but his father always managed to come back alive. Eventually, he married one of the girls in his group, and they started a family together.

Xi Teng was the second son, and unlike his older brother, he didn’t have spirit roots, destined to be sent away from the cultivation world once he grew up.

The day had come sooner than he had thought, though. Last year, just when he had turned 15 years old, his parents had decided it was time for him to head to the Mortal Kingdoms. His father would go with him, promising him a big house and a good position within his home kingdom.

But Xi Teng was reluctant. Both his parents were cultivators, his older brother was a cultivator, and when he turned ten, he got a younger sister who also had spirit roots.

Only he was completely useless.

He didn’t want to accept it.

Luckily, he had heard about the Shu Sword Hall. A place where you could apparently practice body cultivation, with no need for any spirit roots.

There were even experts there to teach sword intent!

Xi Teng had begged his father to let him give it a try. His father had been reluctant at first; it wasn’t a small amount of spirit stones for their family. But after pleading for days, and his mother taking his side, his father had eventually relented and paid for the first month's tuition.

Xi Teng had been ecstatic, and when he entered the Shu Sword Hall, and saw for himself what their teachers could do, what the strength of a body cultivator could accomplish, he had been thoroughly convinced this was his path.

When he learned the Shu Sword Art, and finally started feeling what it was like to gain power, he had been so happy he almost cried. It wasn’t hopeless for him; there was a way for someone like him to gain strength. The Shu Ancestor was a Foundation stage body cultivator, and so was Senior Shen. The example of what was possible was right in front of him.

Not to mention that he might be able to comprehend sword intent. None of the students had succeeded so far, but Xi Teng believed he could do it.

Unfortunately, body cultivation required time, and he couldn’t get anywhere in just a single month.

Xi Teng had returned home and begged his father to pay for another month, swearing he could advance just as far as his brother if he was allowed to continue with body cultivation.

But his father refused. His mother no longer supported him. His older brother said it was a waste of resources. Since Xi Teng had been away for a month and had nothing to show for it, what good could another month do?

The only one who didn’t want him to leave was his younger sister. She cried and begged for their parents to give him spirit stones so he could stay with them.

‘At least I have someone.’

‘I won’t disappoint you, Tingting.’

“If you have a cultivator in the family, you should have seen them practice, right? They just sit there, being washed by the spiritual qi in the air, growing stronger by the minute. How can body cultivation be so different?” Duo Rengjie complained.

Xi Teng shook his head.

‘Pathetic.’

Duo Rengjie came from a Golden Clan. A Golden Clan!

He was just part of some distant branch, sure, but he was still in a much better position than Xi Teng. His family paid his tuition every month, no questions asked. He even had spirit stones left to spend on other things.

And yet he didn’t value it at all, complaining every day.

‘Even with this opportunity from heaven, giving him a way to escape from his shackles, he doesn’t appreciate it. He’ll never get anywhere.’

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“How long did it take your cousin to reach the 2nd grade?” Xi Teng asked. While Duo Rengjie himself was useless, he had some talented family members who were students there.

“I don’t know. Which one? I think Yiman was the fastest, in four years or so,” Duo Rengjie answered.

‘I advanced to the 3rd grade in just a few months. I’ll definitely advance again in less than 3 years.’

“I guess Mingyi has done better. Maybe. She married into the Shu Family, though. The resources she gets have to be a lot better,” Duo Rengjie said.

Xi Teng turned to look at him. “Married into the Shu Family? Do they treat in-laws well?”

“Very well,” Duo Renjie said, nodding. “Haven’t you heard? Everyone was talking about it a while back.”

“I haven’t heard anything,” Xi Teng said.

“They get half the stipend of their partner every month. If you marry an Innate warrior, that’s 25 spirit stones a month. A Master is double that.”

“Doesn’t seem that high,” Xi Teng said, a bit disappointed. Still, he asked Duo Rengjie a few more questions; the information was very valuable in either case.

Once he found out you actually got a courtyard to live in, in the Inner City, Xi Teng’s jaw dropped.

‘You can live on a 2nd stage spiritual vein? As an in-law? To any Shu girl?’

Xi Teng could just imagine the face on his brother if he told him that he lived in the Inner City; he would surely go mad with jealousy.

‘Such a high density of spiritual qi should be useful even to me, right?’

“I didn’t realize you were so well-connected. Any other news?” Xi Teng asked.

“You heard about the Shu Ancestor comprehending fist intent, right?” Duo Rengjie asked after a while.

“Fist intent? What’s that?” Xi Teng asked.

“Have you been living under a rock?” Duo Rengjie asked.

“Just tell me,” Xi Teng said, clenching his fists nervously. He had been focused entirely on his body cultivation. If he wasn’t practicing, he was either eating or resting. Since when did he have time to go around listening to gossip?

Unfortunately, listening to gossip was exactly what he was supposed to do. He just thought he would inevitably hear about anything big occurring, not needing to actively go around asking people.

Duo Rengjie explained what he had heard, and the more Xi Teng listened, the paler he got.

‘Damn it! This is surely widely known by now. Me not mentioning it until now will look incompetent.’

He didn’t have a choice, though. Better late than never.

“I have to go. I’ll see you for practice later,” Xi Teng said. He then ran to his room, grabbed pen and paper, and wrote down everything he had learned.

Then, he left the Shu Sword Hall, walking up the street on hurried feet.

After about 30 minutes, he reached the familiar tea house. He entered, ordered a cup of tea, and tapped his fingers nervously on the table.

When the tea arrived, Xi Teng drank it all straight away. He didn’t have time to sit around for nothing; he would miss practice if he was gone for too long.

He then placed the note he had written beneath the cup and exited the tea shop.

‘I hope I’m not dismissed. I really don’t know how I could make money otherwise.’

‘Do I really need to charm a Shu girl? I don’t want to get married yet.’

Xi Teng shook his head, not thinking about it anymore. Hopefully, he would find a pouch of spirit stones under his pillow in a few days, and everything would be fine.

‘It doesn’t make any sense.’

Hanzhu looked out over the sprawling Bian Immortal City, his thoughts once again drifting to Shu Yang.

‘Nothing out of the ordinary for so long, and now fist intent?’

Fist intent was certainly out of the ordinary, but it wasn’t extraordinary.

‘Just what is he doing? Is it all an act? Is just some of it an act? Or have I been mistaken from the beginning?’

It was really a tough spot. Hanzhu had investigated Shu Yang thoroughly ever since he felt the presence of that great power during the final stage of True Person Jiami’s trial.

The result was that Shu Yang was indeed special, even a bit incomprehensible.

Especially once the report from south of the Desolate Mountains reached him, and he received an account of Shu Yang’s rise to power.

His progress didn’t really make much sense. It was like he was speeding up in his progress as he advanced. His talent constantly changing.

But then…nothing. He was still at the low Foundation stage. No noticeable progress.

Hanzhu scratched his head, irritated.

‘He’s strange, but not that strange. I’ve seen and heard of far more inexplicable rises to power.’

‘But that sensation back then was something else entirely! A Nascent Soul expert couldn’t even begin to compare.’

‘So why is he just living his life like an ordinary Foundation cultivator?’

Hanzhu really started to wonder if he had just imagined things. Perhaps Shu Yang wasn’t the source after all.

But unfortunately, Shu Yang was just strange enough for Hanzhu to be unable to let go of his suspicion.

‘What should I do?’

It was time for Hanzhu to return home and try to form his core. It really wasn’t something he should postpone. Especially now that Kong Hua had been sent over to escort him. He couldn’t waste too much time.

‘I guess I could just come back here if I really can’t let go.’

‘But this curiosity…What if it affects me during my tribulation? I can't afford that.’

“Young Master.”

Hetan stepped inside and passed him a note.

Hanzhu read it, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

‘He’s coming here to visit his grandkids again?’

The note turned to dust in his hands, and he looked out the window.

‘I can’t rush into anything. I need to plan things thoroughly.’

‘Let’s see if there is a way I can safely satisfy my curiosity.’