Jiangyue City, a slightly remote small courtyard.
Under the moonlight, Yuankong pushed open the somewhat worn door.
"You're back?" A slightly cold female voice came from inside the courtyard's house. "You're back early from performing today. Hungry?"
Chu Xingchen looked at Yuankong with a calm expression. The woman inside had no spiritual energy fluctuations—for now, she was just an ordinary person with some martial skills.
Yuankong shrugged, then said with a light laugh:
"Mm, we have a guest. Xiao Qing, come say hello."
"A guest? You actually know people?" A tall figure emerged from the house. "Which temple's monk is it?"
As the words fell, the young woman in the courtyard stood at the doorway.
She wore coarse cloth clothes, with a sharp glint in her eyes—not stunningly beautiful, but definitely the type that grows on you.
Perhaps with different clothes and a bit of makeup on her face, she'd look quite a bit better.
The woman stood at the doorway, her originally warm expression turning guarded the moment she saw Chu Xingchen and Yunxiao.
The reason was simple: these two were dressed far too lavishly, and even though their eyes' sharp light was restrained, it was still too dazzling.
She had already entered the Master Stage, but she didn't have that level of power.
These two were very likely cultivators, and extremely high-ranking ones at that—possibly even Golden Core.
This unlucky monk Yuankong claimed to be a Grandmaster, but in truth he was probably at the legendary Martial Cultivator Stage, capable of trading blows with Foundation Establishment cultivators, which was why he'd barely aged in over twenty years.
But cultivators… were undeniably superior to martial artists.
Yuankong always went on about following fate, never taking a penny for any good deed he thought should be done, and when he ran short on money he'd go perform— a Martial Cultivator Stage martial artist smashing bricks for an audience.
What kind of simpleton like that would actually have lofty cultivator friends?
They were probably just taking advantage of Yuankong being too dumb to refuse.
Yuankong pointed at the woman and said with a smile:
"Qian Qing. Found her on the roadside when she was eight. If you count carefully, it's been over twenty years."
"A Master Stage martial artist in her thirties—that's top-tier talent for a martial artist."
Chu Xingchen gave Qian Qing a slight nod, then teased Yuankong with a grin:
"Sounds like your years of wandering have been quite colorful. I used to think you'd never take on a burden."
"However Senior Brother raised me, I raised her." Yuankong tossed the silver Chu Xingchen had given him toward Qian Qing, then sighed. "She was obedient enough at twelve or thirteen, but once she hit twenty, she started looking down on me."
"By that standard, Bai Qing is better—she never looks down on me." Chu Xingchen's gaze swept over the old, barely-standing house, then he smiled. "Never thought about teaching her some real skills?"
"She doesn't have the aptitude."
"What a shame. But you'd better keep track of time."
Chu Xingchen had no particular objection to Yuankong stalling his cultivation just to raise a daughter. When someone wants to do something in the moment, it's worth it.
Besides, for Yuankong, saving the world was far too distant—but saving the person right in front of him? Why not.
Since this little monk had chosen to stay, he naturally had his reasons for staying.
Cultivating the heart is also cultivation. Nothing to criticize.
Yuankong nodded and replied: "I've got a rough idea in my head…"
"If you're going to call yourselves guests, judging us up and down is pretty rude, don't you think? Do you even deserve the title of 'guest'?" Qian Qing suddenly interrupted Yuankong, her guarded expression completely unhidden.
Keep track of time. Got a rough idea.
This was clearly hinting that Yuankong would choose a time to leave, and this idiot of a monk actually thought the other person was right.
Twenty-plus years didn't pass in the blink of an eye!
Chu Xingchen chuckled and pointed at Yuankong. "Strictly speaking, I'm not a guest—I'm a creditor. I'm here today to collect a debt from this unlucky monk."
Qian Qing flipped her hand and tossed the silver she'd just received back to Chu Xingchen, then said:
"How much does he owe? I'll pay!"
"I'm afraid you can't afford it."
"I know you're a cultivator. Does this idiot owe you spirit stones? I'll pay those too!"
"Spirit stones aren't worth much either." Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. "The most expensive thing in this world is human connection. Just like how you owe this idiot more and more favors, until eventually you'd give your life for him."
"And this idiot owes me favors too."
Yuankong looked at the two of them with a depressed expression:
"Why is everyone calling me an idiot? Back in the day, I was the smartest one in the temple."
Qian Qing's gaze cut sideways at Yuankong, but she noticed the idiot hadn't even tried to refute it—which meant what Chu Xingchen said was probably true.
And this really was Yuankong's Achilles' heel.
Qian Qing said coldly: "He's not leaving with you."
Chu Xingchen shrugged, then produced two bottles of spirit wine from his space ring, gave them a light shake, and asked with a smile:
"Talk about it while we drink?"
Qian Qing neither agreed nor refused.
"Don't worry—this idiot learned eighty percent of his senior brother's ways. He won't leave until you're settled properly. Even if you get drunk, you'll still see him when you wake up."
Chu Xingchen raised his hand slightly, and stone tables and chairs grew from the ground beside the small courtyard. He sat down on his own, then continued:
"I bet this idiot never told you about the stupid things he did back then."
"My name is Chu Xingchen. The one over there looking cold like everyone owes him spirit stones is Yunxiao. In the future, you might just hear my name."
Yunxiao said nothing, merely sitting down in the chair beside Chu Xingchen.
Mortals' lifespans didn't exceed a hundred years—in the blink of an eye, the mist turned to withered graves.
There was no need for deep association, nor much need for extensive ties.
It wasn't that cultivators were heartless—just that such inevitably meaningless bonds were something cultivators tried hard to avoid.
Especially those who felt deeply.
Qian Qing sat down across from Chu Xingchen without hesitation. A martial artist's sharp spirit meant she wouldn't back down even when facing the strong.
Chu Xingchen pushed a bottle of wine toward her, then instructed:
"This is spirit wine. Your inner force can't drive it—take it easy."
Qian Qing took it and took a sip first, then her expression shifted, and she honestly placed it back on the table.
A cultivator's things really couldn't be underestimated.
Just one sip, and she felt it go to her head.
Chu Xingchen saw this and laughed without restraint, his teasing gaze following close behind:
"We have an old saying back home: listen to advice, eat your fill."
Qian Qing endured the heady feeling and replied:
"We have one back home too: stay firm on your own path."
Yuankong shook his head helplessly and sat down to the side.
He'd raised Qian Qing from a scared little girl who'd cling to his pant legs to this cool, decisive person in front of him.
Yuankong clearly remembered that wasn't how he'd raised her—he'd even taught her Buddhist scriptures back then.
How had she ended up turning out like this?
Chu Xingchen saw Yuankong's dejected look and said knowingly:
"That's how it is. Everyone grows into their own shape."
Yuankong shook his head helplessly. "Bai Qing wasn't like this."
Chu Xingchen took a sip of wine and said lightly:
"Bai Qing was exactly like this."
[
Dear Readers,
I need your help. My financial situation is critical, and I can't continue without support.
Despite this, I'm still posting multiple high-quality, human-polished chapters daily because I love what I do—but I can't sustain this alone.
Support Tiers (All tiers receive a guaranteed 150+ chapters/month across all fics!):
• $6/month: 20+ chapters ahead + high-speed daily updates
• $8/month: 40+ chapters ahead + exclusive character images
• $10/month (Best Value): 60+ chapters ahead + character images + Community Chat access
Important: Subscribe through your web browser (not the Apple App) to avoid a 30% fee and payment delays.
Even a small contribution helps immensely. If you can't subscribe, please share my work with someone who might enjoy it.
Thank you for reading and considering support.
Patreon: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]