Chapter 28: Even If Senior Brother Can’t Help Much

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Even If Senior Brother Can’t Help Much

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +30]

In the Bamboo Garden, Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes. Amidst the silvery-white phantom bamboo leaves, the faint purple hue had grown richer.

’The efficiency of absorbing Purple Bamboo Grass has improved. I can finish in just one hour. If Senior Brother Yang comes through, I’ll be able to use Purple Bamboo Grass for all five of my daily Body Tempering sessions.’

Exhaling a breath of foul air, Liu Chen felt quite satisfied. To be blunt, he had only agreed to help Senior Brother Yang because of his own needs. If Purple Bamboo Grass was useless to him, he wouldn’t have agreed even for ten stalks of it.

Everything was peaceful that afternoon. Liu Chen methodically went through his cultivation routine.

As night fell, Liu Chen was boiling water and noticed that the flame from his Lamp Burning Technique had become slightly stronger, and its duration had also increased.

[Lamp Burning Technique: Beginner, 0/500]

Liu Chen glanced at the proficiency notification, then stood up. He used the Artifact Manipulation Technique to pour the boiled water into a wooden bucket, then lifted the bucket with the same technique and carried it to his junior sisters.

This was something he could only do after reaching the Beginner level of the Artifact Manipulation Technique. It saved him a lot of effort and was also a better way to gain proficiency.

But what was a simple labor-saving convenience in Liu Chen’s eyes made Ye Linglong and Ji Suyao, who were already waiting in the Bamboo Garden, stare with wide eyes.

In just a few short days, their own cultivation hadn’t progressed at all, but their senior brother’s improvement was practically visible to the naked eye. It was truly startling.

’Compared to their senior brother, they were completely useless.’

"Senior Brother is so amazing."

After Liu Chen had walked away, Ji Suyao couldn’t help but speak. Beside her, Ye Linglong watched her friend’s gleaming eyes and shook her head helplessly.

’After meeting a senior brother like him, if she couldn’t stay on Purple Bamboo Peak, no one else would ever catch her eye. But if she really couldn’t stay, would her family allow that? Ji Suyao’s family might let her be, but even if my family agreed, they’re probably powerless to do anything about it.’

"Let’s bathe. If the water gets cold, wouldn’t we be letting our senior brother’s kindness go to waste?"

Ye Linglong pushed the still-dazed Ji Suyao into the bathing room. Soaking in the perfectly temperate water, the condescending attitude of those people from before surfaced in her mind. If it were only them, that would be one thing. But most of her so-called relatives in the family kept emphasizing that the other party was a hundred times more powerful than the Ye Family and someone they could not afford to offend.

Her only path to survival had been to apprentice herself to a Spirit Chef and enter Purple Cloud Valley. Unfortunately, that Spirit Chef had failed in his breakthrough, so she could only become an apprentice to an obscure Steward.

’The only good news now is that Senior Brother is a Spirit Chef. Once he’s promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple, it might be possible for him to protect her. The only question is, what will he choose to do?’

’And how could she convince him to protect her, and by extension, the entire Ye Family?’

"The water’s gone completely cold! Hurry up and get out."

Ji Suyao’s voice snapped the dazed Ye Linglong back to reality. The once-warm water had turned cold. Ye Linglong slowly stood up, a faint chill spreading over her skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill in her heart.

’She had ten years of peace within Purple Cloud Valley. After ten years, she would either break free from her shackles or, just as they had said, suffer a fate worse than death.’

"What are you thinking about?"

Seeing that Ye Linglong still seemed out of it, Ji Suyao couldn’t help but ask. She knew that Ye Linglong wasn’t treated well in her family, but this was the first time she had seen her friend in such a state.

’Besides, this is Purple Bamboo Peak. Her family shouldn’t be able to influence things here.’

"Senior Brother is so exceptional that he’s certain to stay on Purple Bamboo Peak. But the same can’t be said for us."

Ye Linglong changed the subject. She didn’t want to tell Ji Suyao about the humiliation the Ye Family had suffered. It was a taboo topic within the family. If word of what happened that day spread, the Ye Family’s position in the Great Xia Dynasty would become even more awkward.

"What are you worried about? We still have ten years. We just have to work hard."

Ji Suyao pouted. She felt that Ye Linglong wasn’t telling the truth. But since her friend didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t try to force it out of her; that wouldn’t solve anything.

’Still, she could glean some information from her friend’s words. If Ye Linglong could stay on Purple Bamboo Peak, she probably wouldn’t have to worry about all that messy business anymore.’

’And the best way to stay on Purple Bamboo Peak was to focus on cultivation. Of course, if Ye Linglong could become a Spirit Chef, she should be able to stay as well.’

"It’s getting late. Let’s sleep. Didn’t you say you wanted to help Senior Brother prepare breakfast?"

"You’re the one who’s always holding us back."

Ji Suyao’s voice trailed off, and a moment later, she began muttering in her sleep. In this situation, Ye Linglong found it even harder to fall asleep.

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

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +10]

「Early the next morning」 After completing a Body Tempering session, Liu Chen got up and went to the bamboo forest to pick some Bamboo Shoots.

For some reason, his two junior sisters, who usually only appeared near the kitchen after breakfast was ready, were already busy there today.

Liu Chen put down the freshly picked Bamboo Shoots and looked the two of them over. Ji Suyao was clearly not fully awake; she still looked a bit groggy.

As for Ye Linglong, although she looked normal, she wasn’t in a good state. ’It’s not that she’s already woken up,’ Liu Chen thought, ’it’s that she didn’t sleep at all.’

Without much conversation, the three of them got busy with their own tasks. Liu Chen prepared breakfast, while Ye Linglong seemed even more anxious than usual. She appeared desperate to discern some detail she had previously overlooked in Liu Chen’s technique, hoping it would help her become a Spirit Chef.

As for Ji Suyao, she was currently slumped over the table, catching up on sleep.

Breakfast was soon ready. Liu Chen looked at Ye Linglong, who was sitting there looking somewhat dazed, and couldn’t help but advise her, "Haste makes waste. Linglong, your mind is in turmoil."

’Although he didn’t know what kind of trouble his junior sister was in, their master’s identity was clearly not simple. Since she had already been accepted as his apprentice, her problems should have been completely resolved.’

’If even their master couldn’t solve the troubles plaguing Ye Linglong, then there was nothing meaningful he could do, even if he wanted to.’

"You’re right, Senior Brother, but I have no other choice. I don’t want to live at the mercy of others, to become a concubine for someone’s amusement."

Ye Linglong let out a deep sigh, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Perhaps realizing she had lost her composure, she slumped onto the table and began to sob quietly.

"Linglong, why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Even if I can’t help much, we can still ask our master for help."

’Liu Chen was a little baffled at the moment, but the information he gleaned from Ye Linglong’s words didn’t seem to exceed his own estimations. Her desire to become a Spirit Chef was likely a bid to use Purple Cloud Valley’s influence to escape some ridiculous marriage arrangement.’

’But being a Spirit Chef alone wouldn’t be enough to get the Sect Leader of Purple Cloud Valley involved. Therefore, she was probably hoping to rely on a reasonably powerful Elder or Steward to step in and resolve the issue.’

’Their current master should have the ability to solve this problem.’

"Senior Brother, can you promise me one thing?"