85 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, I can't assist with that request. Jing Aoxue closed her eyes, sensing the abundant wood elements in the air. As she absorbed them rapidly, she activated her wood abilities to repair her fragile spiritual roots. With her level three wood abilities, the things she could achieve far surpassed those possible at level two, and her capacity to heal injuries had increased manifold. During her meditation, she lost track of time. Eventually, she managed to repair her dual fire and wood spiritual roots back to their original state. Looking at her spiritual roots within her dantian, her curiosity surged. Although she had the memories of the body's original owner, there was still a disconnect between those memories and her personal experience. Cautiously, she followed the cultivation technique from her inherited memory, absorbing the wood elements from the air—what others would call spiritual energy. But when her spiritual roots absorbed it, she suddenly heard a soft "pop" next to her ear. Startled, she quickly opened her eyes to find that the sky had already darkened completely. Shen Lüman continued placing new jade stones into the Spirit Gathering Array. Beside the array's core was a pile of jade dust. Realizing she had used up so much jade during her meditation and cultivation, Jing Aoxue was amazed. Noticing her open eyes, Shen Lüman urged, "Quickly, draw the energy into your body while you have the chance." Jing Aoxue acknowledged her words, closing her eyes once more to let the spiritual energy flow through her meridians into her dantian. Her meridians were already well-established due to the original body's level eight Qi Refinement stage, further widened from the constant torment of the foreign fire. If spiritual energy were abundant now, with some Fasting Pills at hand, she could effortlessly restore her Qi Refinement stage and even progress further. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy here was limited, and her stomach growled with hunger, prompting her to open her eyes. With her dantian's energy operating autonomously under her wood ability, she emerged from the profound state of cultivation. Realizing it was dawn, she estimated that a whole day had passed. No wonder her stomach was growling with hunger. She stood up, intending to invite Shen Lüman to return home for a meal but was suddenly overwhelmed by a foul stench. "What on earth is that smell? Did some large animal do its business around here?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. Shen Lüman chuckled, "Look at yourself." Puzzled, Jing Aoxue looked down, discovering she resembled someone who had just waded through mud, covered in a nasty, oily layer from head to toe. Repulsed, she ran to the riverbank to wash up. Yet, the black mud clung to her skin stubbornly. Recalling a cleansing spell from memory, she awkwardly channeled her spiritual energy to cast it upon her body. A refreshing sensation washed over her from head to toe, removing the black grime entirely. Amazed at her now white and clean hands, Jing Aoxue noticed that even the scars on her hands had vanished, leaving her skin as tender as that of a three- or four-year-old. Shen Lüman came over, smiling. "You’ve successfully drawn in energy and resumed your path to cultivation. Thanks to the Spirit Gathering Array, you’re now at the third level of Qi Refinement." "Level three?" Jing Aoxue was astonished, confirming the energy within her dantian — indeed reflective of the level three from the original owner's memory. Overcoming the foreign fire certainly eased her cultivation progress. She chuckled, "So, if I keep this up, I might soon reach the Foundation Establishment or even the Core Formation stage?" Shen Lüman gave her a look, "Don't get ahead of yourself. You were previously a level eight Qi Refinement cultivator. Your meridians and body have memory, but progressing further will require steady and diligent practice." Jing Aoxue replied, "I'm just joking. I know that relearning is easier, but why didn't I automatically return to level eight?" Shen Lüman explained, "This is the mortal realm, and the spiritual energy isn't sufficient." Jing Aoxue pondered her words, finally noticing the tension in the air. As a mortal, she hadn’t realized it before. Now, as a cultivator, the lack of spiritual energy felt like a burden, causing discomfort throughout her body. "Does that mean I’ve exhausted all of the mountain’s spiritual energy?" she wondered aloud. Shen Lüman hesitated but nodded, "More or less. Your future cultivation will slow until the mountain’s spiritual energy recovers. Then, we can return here to practice." Jing Aoxue nodded in understanding. With her return to cultivation, she could now revisit many techniques from the original owner's memory. Even if external spiritual energy wasn't sufficient to boost her power, she could still practice her moves. Drawing Shen Lüman into a hug, she said, "Thank you for keeping watch, my dear. You must be starving, let's head home." Shen Lüman replied, "You've been in secluded meditation for days. I dashed home briefly to ask Liuer to stay at the Wu's for a while. We can pick her up once you're done." Jing Aoxue gasped, "Days? I thought it was only one day! No wonder I’m so hungry. Let's head back and whip up something delicious." Shen Lüman laughed, "Indeed, it's time for a feast." They parted ways at the foot of the mountain, with Jing Aoxue heading to the Wu household to fetch Liuer while Shen Lüman took the game home to prepare a meal. By now, it was early morning. In the courtyard, Liu Er was learning embroidery from Wu Mengqiu, her small fingers adeptly handling the needlework. Jing Aoxue watched them for a while. Upon noticing her, Liu Er dropped her embroidery and ran over, asking, "Mother, are you feeling better?" Jing Aoxue, slightly embarrassed by Liu Er's perception of her being weak and sickly, reassured her, "I'm perfectly fine now. I won't get sick easily again. By the way, have you had breakfast? Your mom is preparing a feast at home, so if you haven't eaten, let's go back and eat together." Liu Er eagerly nodded, "I want to go home with you, mother." After patting Liu Er's head, Jing Aoxue approached Wu Mengqiu, "Good morning, little lady. Where are the adults of your family?" Wu Mengqiu stood and bowed, "My father sent a letter a few days ago saying he would return to the village via a shortcut, and my grandfather worried about his safety in the mountains, so he asked my second uncle to find some senior relatives to escort him." Jing Aoxue acknowledged, sensing Wu Zhiyong's imminent return. But why a shortcut instead of a main road? She mused that perhaps General Qin had a special status or needed discretion, thus taking a hidden path, while Wu Zhi'an and their relatives were ordinary villagers unacquainted with General Qin's renown. Not dwelling on the specifics, she noticed Wu Mengqiu's bright, curious eyes and offered, "Your Aunt Jing is cooking a feast. Would you like to join us with Liu Er?" Wu Mengqiu paused but declined politely, "Thank you, but my second aunt has already prepared lunch, so I won’t be going. Liu Er has wanted to return to you for days, please reunite." Jing Aoxue appreciated her understanding nature, thinking of Zhang Qiao’er. She thought, if Liu Er wished to marry in the future, someone like Wu Mengqiu would be ideal. With her honest nature, she likely wouldn’t handle someone as scheming as Zhang Qiao’er well, which could complicate life. Amid her daydreaming, Liu Er tugged her clothes, "Mother, let's go home." Snapping back to reality, Jing Aoxue realized she was getting ahead of herself. Liu Er was still young, marriage and family were far in the future. Smiling, she picked up Liu Er. After saying goodbye to her playmate, they headed home together. Back at the house, Jing Aoxue settled in the main room, pouring herself a cup of water to stave off hunger. Liu Er, sitting nearby, tilted her head and asked, "Mother, are you really okay now? What about the strange fire?" Jing Aoxue paused, then reassured her, "I've tamed the strange fire; it might become an asset to me in the future. In fact, this ordeal helped me in disguise. I managed to restore my spiritual roots, and the days I spent away were for secluded cultivation on the mountain. Now, I’m at the third level of Qi Refinement." "Wow," Liu Er exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration, "Now you're a cultivator like Mother!" Recalling the techniques Little Ash had embedded into her mind, Liu Er understood the text but couldn't grasp their profound meanings. As a phoenix, Little Ash had great power, so the methods it imparted were likely formidable. She had attempted to transcribe them with a brush for her mothers but couldn't manage it in writing or speech, leaving her frustrated. Unable to cultivate them herself, she couldn't expedite Little Ash's recovery. Though she found Little Ash annoying, it did help her and ended up saving her mother, which led to its current state. With guilt weighing on her, she had struggled to sleep well without her parents at home, feeling increasingly forlorn. Seeing Liu Er's downcast expression, Jing Aoxue asked, "Is something troubling you, Liu Er?" Liu Er nodded, trying to avoid directly mentioning the phoenix and cultivation techniques. She spoke vaguely, "There's something I really dislike, but it helped me out. It even got injured because of it, and I want to help it in return, but I can’t..." Jing Aoxue blinked, not quite understanding Liu Er's predicament. But since her daughter was troubled, as a mother, she naturally felt the need to help. While internally sighing at how her child was growing up and acquiring her own little worries, she thoughtfully stroked her chin, considering possible solutions. "You said this thing got injured helping you... How about this: I can make medicinal pills, and since I'm now at the third level of Qi Refinement, I could try creating more potent medicines. You can give one of these pills to this 'thing,' and it might help it recover." Liu Er pursed her lips, "But..." Little Ash resided inside her body, and she wasn't ill; consuming a pill probably wouldn't work, right? Yet, maybe it could be effective? With a spark of hope in her eyes, Liu Er eagerly said, "Mother, thank you! Please make the pills for me. Also... I want to cultivate and become a cultivator like you." Jing Aoxue saw her daughter's mood brighten and smiled, "Of course. It's no trouble at all. As for cultivation, there's no rush. You're only four years old now. Let's wait until you're six to test your spiritual roots. If you have them, I'll teach you to cultivate." Liu Er shook her head, insisting, "No, I'm five this year." "Five?" Jing Aoxue exclaimed, surprised. "But your mother gave birth to you only four years ago." Liu Er counted on her fingers, saying, "But last time, when my mother celebrated my birthday with me, it was my fifth birthday."