In the finest suite of the inn.
The room was divided by a curtain.
On the other side of the curtain, Liao Leizhong gritted his teeth against the pain, but couldn't completely suppress a few groans that escaped his throat.
Ji Min wept silently as she attended to him.
Long Ruzhen, wiping away her own tears, cleaned the necrotic flesh from Liao Leizhong's wound.
On this side of the curtain, Du Youqian was taking stock of his spoils.
The Transparent Scimitar was of high quality. It seemed to be a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, yet it was verging on the quality of an Upper Grade one.
It could even be said that it was once an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact, but had been damaged in battle, its Grade forcibly lowered.
Still, its materials and forging method laid the foundation of an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact. A skilled Artifact Refiner could restore it to the Upper Grade level.
However, the style of this Spiritual Artifact was not a good fit for Du Youqian.
Du Youqian played with it for a while before stowing it away.
The Vine Shield was a Middle Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact.
Its strengths and weaknesses were equally apparent: it had good resistance to Metal and Water, but was extremely weak against Fire and Lightning.
It could, however, serve as a useful supplement for Du Youqian.
With Du Youqian's current Trivial Magical Power, it was actually very difficult to wield an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact; he could only use one for the span of a few breaths.
Although the Turtle Shell Shield was powerful, it couldn't be used as one of his regular techniques.
Besides, he would definitely have to return it to Elder Tao after he went back.
Additionally, there were a few Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts, which Du Youqian didn't think much of, planning only to find a chance to get rid of them at a Marketplace.
Although Elder Tao had never taken Du Youqian to a Marketplace, the last time he took him to the Chongzhen Sect to "register," he had shared some common knowledge of the Cultivation Realm. This included the locations of several large and medium-sized Marketplaces nearby and how to enter them.
That was all for the Spiritual Artifacts.
In addition, the wicked man had a number of Talismans, several hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones, one Middle Grade Spirit Stone, and various Elixirs.
There was also half a Jade Scroll, which seemed to have been sliced in two by a sharp blade.
A low-quality Storage Pouch was also included.
His net worth had been quite substantial.
Upon a quick calculation, Du Youqian realized his assets had swelled by more than fiftyfold from this one battle (excluding the Turtle Shell Shield).
His entire previous net worth wouldn't have been enough to buy even a scrap of that low-quality Storage Pouch.
This left Du Youqian a little astonished. 'Are Tribulation Cultivators really this wealthy nowadays?' He was almost tempted to become one himself.
Unfortunately, despite searching through all the spoils, he found nothing to identify the man.
Even now, Du Youqian still didn't know that wicked man's name or which sect he belonged to.
After stowing all the spoils away, Du Youqian stood up and pulled back the curtain.
Long Ruzhen was still focused on treating Liao Leizhong's wound. Du Youqian stood there, watching quietly. Only after she finished did he help lay Liao Leizhong down flat.
Physically and mentally exhausted, Liao Leizhong almost immediately began to snore evenly.
Du Youqian gestured for Long Ruzhen and Ji Min to join him at the other end of the room.
Long Ruzhen kept glancing back at her son, wiping her tears. "Brother Ying, is there really nothing that can be done about Lei'er's arm?"
"My Cultivation is still shallow, and I have no way to obtain the kind of Miracle Elixirs or Treasures of Heaven and Earth that can regenerate severed limbs. So, there's truly nothing I can do," Du Youqian said calmly. "But you don't need to worry. I will use the best medicine and personally clear his meridians to help him reach the Postnatal Peak as quickly as possible. As for whether he can break through to the Innate realm, that will depend on his own opportunities."
Long Ruzhen habitually hugged Du Youqian's arm, leaning weakly against him. "Brother Ying, you finally met an Immortal Master? Thank the heavens, your wish has been granted. If you hadn't also learned the methods of the Immortal Families, the three of us might have met our end in the Yellow Springs today."
Du Youqian briefly summarized his experience cultivating under Elder Tao, then asked, "After I spend some time nursing Lei'er back to health, I plan to return to my master's side and continue my Cultivation. What about you? Are you coming with me this time, or...?"
Long Ruzhen's voice was tinged with apology. "I should have gone to be with you. But with Lei'er in this state... I just can't bring myself to leave him."
Du Youqian smiled. "That's fine. You can continue taking care of Lei'er. You can come find me later."
Long Ruzhen hesitated for a moment. "Lei'er... does he have the potential for cultivation?"
"No," Du Youqian shook his head without hesitation. "Unfortunately, he doesn't have a Spirit Root. Neither do you."
"I don't mind for myself, but... sigh," Long Ruzhen said with a regretful expression. "Brother Ying, could you delay your return to the mountain? For Lei'er... I want to arrange his wedding."
Beside them, Ji Min immediately blushed and lowered her head.
Du Youqian studied the scene for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
Mundane matters could no longer easily stir Du Youqian's heart.
In the following days, Du Youqian went out once to take the head of the fugitive Fortress Lord of Cyan Bamboo Castle.
Then, he quietly stayed by Long Ruzhen's and Liao Leizhong's side, but never interfered in any worldly affairs.
Aside from clearing Liao Leizhong's meridians and conditioning his body, he would make small talk with Long Ruzhen.
Beyond that, all his time was spent in seated meditation, breathing exercises, and practicing Magic.
Liao Leizhong's wedding was a simple, even somewhat quiet affair.
They did not invite a wide array of guests, only some of Ji Min's close friends and family, as well as friends Liao Leizhong had made over the past two years.
As soon as the wedding was over, Du Youqian set off with Long Ruzhen for Soul-shaking Mountain.
Long Ruzhen's trip was just to learn the way and pay her respects to Elder Tao, so as not to be rude.
When she first arrived at Soul-shaking Mountain, Long Ruzhen felt a slight sense of novelty.
After a few days, she just found it boring.
Coupled with missing her son, she soon bid farewell to her husband and Elder Tao, rushing back to her son's side like an arrow shot for home.
Du Youqian, however, didn't mind.
It wasn't that he was devoid of emotion. Rather, after all these years of cultivation, he had become increasingly adept at managing his feelings.
As the saying goes: "A Saint is like other men in that he has the five emotions; he is different from them in his divine clarity."
Saints also have emotions and desires. Although their power far exceeds that of mortals—one could say they have evolved or cultivated beyond mortal limits—they are not inhuman beings.
The only difference from mortals is that a Saint can always avoid being trapped by emotions or muddled by desires, and is able to perceive their own true heart.
This is what is meant by "A Saint has emotions, but is not burdened by them."
Of course, Du Youqian was currently far from reaching the level of a "Saint."
But that didn't stop him from slowly starting to possess a portion of a Saint's state of mind.
When Long Ruzhen came to accompany him, he felt joy. He could recognize where this joy came from, and yet not be swayed by it. When Long Ruzhen left, he felt a sense of loss. He could recognize the cause of this feeling and was able to process it without letting it affect him.
After returning to the mountain, Du Youqian told Elder Tao about his encounter with the Tribulation Cultivator.
He also took out the spoils for Elder Tao to inspect.
However, Elder Tao was also unable to identify the man.
After listening to Du Youqian's description of the battle, Elder Tao ventured a guess. "It seems like a Cultivation Technique from the Shengxuan Sect."