Chapter 46: Junior Sister, Don’t Mind

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Junior Sister, Don’t Mind

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +40]

Half an hour later, Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes, frowning at the notification before him.

The medicinal potency of the Purple Bamboo Grass had diminished by twenty percent, yet the final Proficiency he gained hadn’t changed at all. This anomaly left Liu Chen momentarily baffled.

Despite this, Liu Chen didn’t forget the matter at hand. He carefully observed the condition of his two junior sisters.

He saw wisps of purple Spiritual Qi lingering around his two junior sisters, which was normal when refining the Spiritual Power of Purple Bamboo Grass. After confirming there were no issues, Liu Chen’s gaze returned to the Purple Bamboo Grass itself.

Suddenly, Liu Chen remembered something he had been overlooking. Senior Brother Yang was also a Cultivator at Body Tempering Great Success, yet he was willing to trade even more Purple Bamboo Grass for Spiritual Cuisine.

An ominous feeling surfaced in Liu Chen’s mind. To test his theory, he skipped taking the Purple Bamboo Grass and directly began a new round of Body Tempering.

[Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Mastery +40]

Half an hour later, the corner of Liu Chen’s mouth twitched. His ominous feeling had come true. Purple Bamboo Grass was useless after reaching Body Tempering Great Success. It didn’t affect the progress of his Body Tempering whether he used it or not. If there was any effect at all, it would likely only determine whether one achieved the Cyan Bamboo or Purple Bamboo state upon reaching Body Tempering Perfection.

Liu Chen felt no particular reverence for Ancestor Master Purple Bamboo; he was a pragmatist. Since it no longer made a difference whether he used the Purple Bamboo Grass, he naturally chose not to.

If he only considered his two junior sisters’ portions, there was definitely enough Purple Bamboo Grass.

Even if Senior Brother Yang truly couldn’t procure another single stalk of Purple Bamboo Grass, based on Liu Chen’s recent observations, the supply in this bamboo forest was completely self-sustaining.

"COUGH COUGH~"

Just then, Liu Chen heard a series of coughs. He instinctively looked toward the sound and saw Junior Sister Linglong coughing up dark, foul blood.

"Junior Sister, what’s wrong?"

Liu Chen hurried over and carefully observed Ye Linglong’s condition. ’If it were a problem with her Cultivation Technique, it wouldn’t just be a few mouthfuls of foul blood,’ he thought. But he had never encountered a situation like this before.

"I had a serious illness as a child that left me with a chronic condition. Now that I’ve coughed up this foul blood, I actually feel much lighter."

After she recovered, Ye Linglong wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled. "It’s precisely for that reason my original goal was to become a Spirit Chef. Cultivating is rather difficult when you have an underlying health problem."

But ever since her senior brother’s culinary skills had improved, not only did she find Body Tempering easier, but even the chronic condition that used to flare up from time to time no longer had any effect. After thoroughly refining the medicinal potency of the Purple Bamboo Grass this time, she felt as if she had been reborn.

Ye Linglong knew this wasn’t due to the Purple Bamboo Grass’s power. ’Even though the Ye Family is in decline, we can still afford a single stalk of Purple Bamboo Grass,’ she mused. ’This is the effect of Senior Brother’s Spiritual Cuisine; the Purple Bamboo Grass was just the final push. Besides, I just had his Spiritual Cuisine as well. It’s hard to say whether the final push came from the Purple Bamboo Grass or the meal itself.’

"Thank goodness it was just a scare. If something had really happened to you, Junior Sister, I don’t know what I would have done."

Liu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Using the Artifact Manipulation Technique, he summoned a porcelain bowl, filled it with fresh spring water, and handed it to Ye Linglong.

Ye Linglong took it, turned to rinse her mouth several times, and then sent the porcelain bowl directly back to the kitchen.

"I’m afraid I’ve wasted your Purple Bamboo Grass, Senior Brother."

Ye Linglong said sheepishly after sitting back down. The Spiritual Power wasn’t used for her Body Tempering; instead, it erased the root of her illness. She felt a little awkward, figuring her senior brother would have rather seen her Cultivation increase.

’Perhaps this was a task our Master and Mistress gave to Senior Brother,’ she thought. ’He must have formally become a disciple by now. As for me and Ji Suyao... to put it nicely, we’re apprentices. To be blunt, we’re just ordinary students.’

"It’s only a single stalk of Purple Bamboo Grass. Don’t worry about it, Junior Sister."

Liu Chen shook his head. ’If the Purple Bamboo Grass were still useful to me, I might have cared a little,’ he thought. ’But since it’s useless now, it’s no different from a common weed in my eyes.’

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Ye Linglong nodded silently. ’I’m so lucky,’ she thought, reflecting on their time together. ’Based on what I learned before coming to Purple Cloud Valley, some Inner Sect Disciples treat Outer Disciples as little more than servants.’

’Even so, many Outer Disciples still flock to them. Befriending an Inner Sect Disciple is a great boon for any family.’

’Even a small fraction of the resources an Inner Sect Disciple controls is enough to elevate a family to a whole new level.’

’And an Inner Sect Disciple with Senior Brother’s Talent... forget ordinary families, even the so-called Noble Families would likely seek to curry favor with him, to say nothing of his status as a Spirit Chef.’

"Senior Brother, have you ever considered becoming an honorary affiliate of a family?"

Ye Linglong recalled the news from her last letter. ’The Ye Family’s situation is dire. Especially after Father was forced to step down as Patriarch due to pressure from the Nangong Family, our branch’s position has become even more precarious.’

’If the letter hadn’t already reached our Master when those people made their move, I’m afraid I would never have even made it to Purple Cloud Valley, let alone met Senior Brother.’

"What does being an honorary affiliate entail?"

Liu Chen glanced at Ye Linglong. Though he had a rough idea of what she meant, he still wanted to ask. ’Last time, Master and Mistress didn’t intervene directly. It’s clear they want us to solve our own problems.’

"Most disciples of the Three Immortal Sects become honorary affiliates of various major families. Outer Disciples do it to secure a place for themselves in the future. Inner Sect Disciples do it to obtain more cultivation resources. Families accept Outer Disciples to bolster their own ranks, while they choose Inner Sect Disciples to find a powerful backer and make a long-term investment."

Ye Linglong spoke slowly, a flicker of hope in her heart. ’The fact that he’s asking means there’s a chance. If Senior Brother agrees to become our affiliate, the Ye Family’s crisis might not be completely resolved, but it would be ninety percent of the way there.’

’Once Senior Brother is promoted to a True Disciple, the Ye Family would be considered an asset of Purple Bamboo Peak, and by extension, a part of Purple Cloud Valley. This is precisely why Noble Families invest in Inner Sect Disciples.’

"If that’s all it is, you can handle the arrangements as you see fit, Junior Sister."

Liu Chen considered it. ’I don’t really lose anything in this arrangement,’ he thought. ’If it can improve Junior Sister Linglong’s family’s situation, I don’t mind at all.’

"Linglong thanks you, Senior Brother."

Ye Linglong rose to give a formal bow of thanks, but Liu Chen slowly shook his head, stopping her.

"Senior Brother, Linglong, what are you two doing?"

Ji Suyao’s voice cut in abruptly. Liu Chen turned to look at her. ’She seems fine,’ he noted. ’Looks like she completely absorbed the potency of the Purple Bamboo Grass, and her Body Tempering Cultivation has improved. I just wonder when she’ll reach Minor Success.’

"It’s a secret."

Ye Linglong gave Ji Suyao a faint smile. Ji Suyao stared back, stunned. ’This girl hasn’t cracked a joke in years,’ she thought. ’It probably isn’t anything bad, then.’

"Looks like you’re asking for a beating."

Ji Suyao’s expression changed as she lunged playfully at Ye Linglong. The two of them gradually moved off into the distance, laughing and roughhousing.