This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 360 Let go quickly, Senior Sister is coming!
Xiang Yuan stepped into the depths of the spatial restriction and saw the two women pressed together, with his own face pressed against Zi Ping's to the ground. He was speechless for a moment, not knowing who to envy.

No, it's not that I don't know where to begin complaining.

What are you two doing here? Are you performing a ritual to summon Shang Qingmeng?
That's a good idea, but you're not strong enough, Senior Sister. Let go of that Ah Ping, and I'll show you how!

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Xiang Yuan sensed that he couldn't find Shang Qingmeng anywhere. He thought to himself how ridiculous it was that he had actually believed in such a nonsensical summoning mechanism.

Of course, it's possible that the summoning materials were incorrect. If Qin Zhaorong were replaced with him, Shang Qingmeng might actually be summoned.

So, why is that?
Seeing the space swaying and the Liu Clan Grandmaster striding over, Qin Zhaorong realized that her eldest sister had not arrived as promised, and thought to herself that things were probably not going to end well today.

At the same time, it's a bit strange that the senior sister wasn't summoned.

According to Qin Zhaorong's plan, at first glance, this trip was her way of taking Ziping out of the mountain gate to have some fun under the pretext of letting her get some fresh air. In reality, she was providing Shang Qingmeng with an excuse, which allowed the latter to release Ziping.

Then, Shang Qingmeng followed them all the way and jumped out to catch Xiang Yuan and Zi Ping cheating on each other.

That's right, that's how it should be, Senior Sister must be nearby!
Qin Zhaorong was certain that Shang Qingmeng was nearby, so she did not summon her, because she was not Xiang Yuan and could not be disguised.

Another thing that struck her as unbelievable was that Xiang Yuan wasn't even there!

As Qin Zhaorong predicted, once Zi Ping left Jianxinzhai and Shang Qingmeng was no longer there to pressure her, she would definitely secretly contact Xiang Yuan and do some enjoyable things under the moon and flowers.

As a result, Zi Ping dutifully spread the word, but because she hadn't contacted him, Xiang Yuan, who was supposed to appear, didn't show up.

Senior sister, you've become smarter! You guessed that senior sister would follow you, and you're using this opportunity to prove your innocence!

Why are you so smart?
Now look what's happened. Without that guy surnamed Xiang, and with Senior Sister watching coldly, we're both going to be in trouble tonight.

Unlike Qin Zhaorong's self-pity, Ziping felt extremely embarrassed. Breaking free from the oppressive feeling behind her, she stood up and straightened her Taoist robe: "Senior, my junior sister and I..."

"No need for explanation. You tried to deceive me with your beauty by playing around, but you couldn't fool my eyes."

"..." x2
You're overthinking it. We're summoning our senior sister. x2
Xiang Yuan sneered repeatedly: "You two have chosen the right person. I am indeed easily tempted by beauty."

Zi Ping's expression was strange, and she asked incredulously, "What do you mean by that, Senior?"

If the Liu family's Grandmaster were a womanizer, the Tai'an Liu family would not have allowed him to escort Jiang Yingjun all the way, let alone have such a powerful cultivation level.

In Zi Ping's mind, cultivating immortality is not like this.

"As I said before, we must give face to Sword Venerable Su Ran. After all, she is a senior. Even if you two have made huge mistakes, as her disciples, I will be lenient when dealing with you."

Xiang Yuan's sneer deepened: "One person leaves, and the other stays to accompany me. You decide who goes and who stays."

"Are you joking, senior?"

Absolutely!

I disguised myself and put pressure on others, all for the fun of this!
Xiang Yuan eyed the fake sisters with ill intent, hoping they would turn on each other before revealing his true identity.

I didn't mean anything by it; I just listened to my heart, and it felt really interesting.

Zi Ping was completely taken aback. The Liu Clan Grandmaster had a sullen expression, completely lacking the demeanor of a master, and didn't seem to be acting at all. It was hard for her to connect him with the supreme expert who had just slaughtered everyone.

"Senior sister, you stay here, I'll go back to the mountain gate to get reinforcements," Qin Zhaorong transmitted her voice.

"..."

Why didn't you stay?

Zi Ping was even more speechless, and replied with dissatisfaction, "Junior sister, you insisted on coming to the inn to steal the poem. I couldn't refuse you, so I agreed. Since you're here, let's make the best of it. Didn't you secretly practice the method of the Blissful Path of Nourishing Life? Well, now it's coming in handy."

"Senior sister, you've misunderstood. I know that senior sister is nearby and I can find her. You're different; senior sister doesn't want to see you at all."

Qin Zhaorong kept a straight face and said logically, "Don't worry, it won't take long. You deal with that guy for a while, and I, your junior sister, will bring my senior sister to rescue you in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea or burn an incense stick."

After saying that, he added, "It'll only take a short while, no one will die."

Zi Ping rolled her eyes. Although she didn't quite understand, she had heard a lot of wind and rain while she was being punished by standing at the door. If there were a sudden storm, it wouldn't even take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Hurry up, who's staying?"

Xiang Yuan was secretly laughing to death. He urged impatiently, raising his voice, "If you can't come up with a solution, I'll make the decision: you two will both stay here."

Zi Ping's expression changed several times. She sighed and transmitted her voice to Qin Zhaorong: "That's enough. Senior Sister always misunderstands that I am related to that person and will not listen to explanations. You may leave now and tell Senior Sister that Zi Ping is willing to prove her innocence and ask her not to mention this matter again."

Of course, you should go and come back quickly, ideally bringing your senior sister back in one turn.

Qin Zhaorong was amazed by Ziping's loyalty and was deeply moved: "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I will be back soon and I will never let you suffer any injustice."

Could you please not be so decisive? It would be much better if you could be a little more considerate!
Just as Zi Ping was complaining in her heart, Xiang Yuan spoke up again, impatiently saying, "You're driving me crazy! Zi Ping over there, right? I like your type. I'll make the decision, you stay. The one with the big boobs, don't waste my time, hurry up and leave."

She has big breasts but hasn't eaten your rice, and you're still complaining!
Qin Zhaorong was furious. She had always been very confident in her appearance. Because she was an upright person and did not know how to scheme and plot, she had not tasted the great medicine and had become a bystander.

Today, she was disliked by Master Liu again, how could she tolerate this?

Let's go, what's the big deal!
Seeing the spatial restriction dissipate, Qin Zhaorong nodded to Ziping, then teleported away.

It moved extremely fast, turning and running away as if it had made up its mind.

"Hey hey hey..."

After Qin Zhaorong left, Xiang Yuan rubbed his small hands together and stepped forward. With each step he took, Zi Ping took a step back. Her jade-inlaid Taoist robe rippled with divine light, showing a desperate stance.

Xiang Yuan relaxed the spatial restrictions around him, making them less difficult to break than before, thus giving Zi Ping the opportunity to leave.

But he clearly overestimated Zi Ping, who, in her panic, retreated to the wall, completely unaware of the subtle changes in the space.

No, Ping, you're acting so flustered, I can't help but feel your presence!
Xiang Yuan thought to himself, lest Qin Zhaorong really bring reinforcements over, making a big fuss and filling the courtyard with female cultivators from Jianxinzhai, he took a step forward and reached out to grab Ziping's shoulder.

Swift, accurate, and ruthless; once he made a move, he precisely grabbed Zi Ping's shoulder.

Zi Ping raised her arm to block, grabbing Xiang Yuan's wrist on her shoulder. As soon as she made contact, she immediately realized something was wrong.

This familiar rhythm, this familiar force, she felt as if she had experienced it somewhere before.

The world spun before my eyes, and when I came to my senses, I was already pinned against the wall by Xiang Yuan.

Zi Ping: (_)
There's no mistake, it's a unique sense of oppression, completely different from Qin Zhaorong just now.

In an instant, Xiang Yuan changed his expression back to his original appearance, leaned close to Zi Ping's ear, and sneered, "Ah Ping, how dare you! You've become a grandmaster, you've made something of yourself, and now you're scheming against the world, intending to overthrow all living beings!"

Zi Ping struggled twice but couldn't break free. Too tired to resist, she said wearily, "Why are you the Liu Clan's Grandmaster? And how did you..."

We've both just been promoted to Grandmaster, so why is your cultivation level so much stronger?
"What? Ah Ping, you know I'm a Tongyou Grandmaster?" Xiang Yuan asked in shock.

Zi Ping was speechless. Not wanting to listen to Xiang Yuan's self-praise, she suddenly remembered something and said urgently, "Let go quickly, Senior Sister is coming."

"No, I just checked. Your senior sister isn't nearby. It was all a coincidence before. She couldn't possibly be..."

Xiang Yuan glanced to his side, his eyes twitching as he spoke.

The space around the inn remained undisturbed, but further away, the space flickered and shimmered. Shang Qingmeng, with her aloof demeanor, stepped out, carrying Qin Zhaorong in her hand.

Xiang Yuan was speechless for a moment, unsure whether Qin Zhaorong had summoned Shang Qingmeng or whether Shang Qingmeng had been there all along and intercepted Qin Zhaorong halfway.

In short, the summoning mechanism is still effective. At any time and in any place, as long as he pins down Zi Ping, he can refresh Shang Qingmeng.

It's outrageous, as if Shang Qingmeng's refreshing image has grown onto Zi Ping's buttocks.

"How long are you going to keep her under control?"

Nearly half a year has passed since they parted, and Shang Qingmeng is still the same cold-faced fairy who doesn't wear makeup. She has severed all emotions and desires, and is neither elated by external gains nor saddened by personal losses. Her expression is indifferent, and her voice is cold.

Even the way he looked at Ziping was as cold as if he were looking at a dead person.

Zi Ping: (╥﹏╥)
Senior Sister, would you believe me if I said it was a misunderstanding?
Zi Ping felt that her senior sister probably didn't believe it, because she herself didn't believe it.

Xiang Yuan reluctantly released Zi Ping's arm and patted her on the shoulder: "Well, I saw some dust on A Ping's shoulder, so I was just helping her brush it off. What a coincidence!"

You still call her A-Ping!

……

The scene shifts to Xiang Yuan's secluded courtyard at the inn.

The surrounding area is cordoned off; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter.

Outside the inner room, Zi Ping, now back in her familiar position as sect leader, shook her head repeatedly, much to the exasperation of Qin Zhaorong, the goalkeeper beside her.

Inside the room, Shang Qingmeng's voice was very loud, indicating that Xiang Yuan was indeed born with superhuman strength.

Qin Zhaorong's eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Ziping: "What a senior sister! I was wondering when you became so kind to your junior sister, willingly staying to feed the tiger. It turns out you've already contacted your lover. I've been kept in the dark for so long!"

As it turned out, her reasoning was entirely correct; Xiang Yuan was indeed present. However, due to her sudden surge in power, she didn't dare to make the connection and thus failed to recognize him.

With irrefutable evidence, Zi Ping's image as a scheming woman was firmly established in Qin Zhaorong's mind, and she could never clear her name again.

Zi Ping was too lazy to explain. No matter what Qin Zhaorong said, she just said, "Yes, yes, yes, that's the kind of person my senior sister is."

Putting aside the sisterly affection outside, Zi Ping has had bad luck more than once or twice, and she has even given up on treatment.

Inside the room, Shang Qingmeng, soft and delicate, with her temples adorned with rosy cheeks, nestled in Xiang Yuan's arms with her eyes half-closed, and said coldly, "Just as I expected, as long as we release Ziping, we can find you."

Xiang Yuan's fingertips brushed against her fragrant shoulders and beautiful back, the white jade smooth and warm, the charm alluring. She complained, "I know you won't believe me if I tell you, so I won't explain."

"Explain!" Shang Qingmeng glared at Xiang Yuan fiercely. She could choose not to listen, but Xiang Yuan had to speak.

"What's there to explain? The moment I try to explain, you just say, 'I'm not listening, I'm not listening...'"

Xiang Yuan skillfully blocked any further developments, lifted Shang Qingmeng's chin, and cupped her almond-shaped cheeks with his palm, asking in bewilderment, "What just happened? Why did you appear so suddenly? The moment I pressed down on A-Ping, you showed up?"

Xiang Yuan was completely baffled by this problem and hoped that Shang Qingmeng could give him a scientific and reasonable explanation.

Shang Qingmeng squinted and rubbed her eyes against Xiang Yuan's palm. She was sleepy, and her tone was cold as she explained the whole story with dissatisfaction.

Before the Lunar New Year, Xiang Yuan pulled up his pants and left to spend the holiday with Chan'er in southern Xinjiang.

Once he left, it was as if he had disappeared without a trace.

Unable to concentrate on cultivation at Jianxinzhai, Shang Qingmeng, after much thought, resorted to her old method: using Zi Ping as bait, she let her go out to fish far away.

Every time, it's the same; as long as you use Zi Ping (a type of wild herb) to bait the area, you can catch Xiang Yuan on the spot.

Whether it's a coincidence or an accident, this trick always works and has never failed.

This time was no exception. Shang Qingmeng followed Zi Ping and Qin Zhaorong at a distance, arriving at Zhen Dian Prefecture with them, waiting for Xiang Yuan to take the bait.

To be precise, they were waiting for Zi Ping to think she was safe and contact Xiang Yuan, so that she could appear and capture the person.

Shang Qingmeng was unaware that the Liu Clan Grandmaster was Xiang Yuan, so she didn't make a move at first. It wasn't until the spatial restriction weakened and she intercepted Qin Zhaorong that she heard the lewd ghost grandmaster was going to do some fun with Ziping, at which point her expression changed drastically and she realized something was wrong.

You two are quite the actors!

Shang Qingmeng let Ziping go out. To put it bluntly, she hadn't seen her beloved for a long time, and she was so lovesick that she couldn't calm down.

Fairy Shang wouldn't say such things outright, and she has her own logic, so she wouldn't think that way.

Her restless mind wasn't due to longing, but rather a lack of the essential medicine for cultivation. Accustomed to highly efficient cultivation methods, she felt like she was wasting time when her speed suddenly slowed down.

“I knew Ziping was incorrigible, so I used a little trick to test her, and just as I expected, she came looking for you.”

Poor Ah Ping!

Xiang Yuan felt sorry for Zi Ping, who was being targeted by her senior sister at Jianxinzhai and constantly getting into trouble. Since she was cultivating wherever she was, she might as well go to the Yellow Springs with him.

During the Nascent Soul stage, being proficient in everything is equivalent to being proficient in nothing. After reaching the Netherworld stage, Zi Ping's significance is completely different. She becomes a master of alchemy, array formation, divination, and medicine, a true all-rounder. When necessary, she can also provide entertainment. She is a precious treasure that anyone would cherish.

The cowardly Sword Heart Sect is no longer worth staying at. Elbow, come with me to the Yellow Springs!
After thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it won't work.

There is a Zen girl in the Yellow Springs Path. The demoness is ruthless. Zi Ping enters the door that day and doesn't even have to wait until the next day. That very night, she will find an ancient mirror of reincarnation.

Upon looking into the light, his soul was scattered, and his physical body was taken by the demoness to be refined into a puppet.

Seeing that Xiang Yuan remained silent, tacitly acknowledging his affair with Zi Ping, Shang Qingmeng was furious and her tone became even colder: "What's the deal with the Northern Qi princess next door? Why did you escort her all the way?"

Say that you're lusting after her body because she's beautiful!
"She's beautiful, and I'm lusting after her body."

"you're lying!"

"As long as you know."

Xiang Yuan shrugged: "You wrongly accused me of having an affair with A Ping. Although I feel wronged, I won't argue if I try to explain, it will only make things worse. You said that I had an affair with Jiang Dajia. I'm not angry at all, I even want to laugh."

Shang Qingmeng sneered repeatedly, not wanting to hear any of this, and insisted that Xiang Yuan explain himself clearly.

Xiang Yuan had a knack for dealing with Shang Qingmeng; he could easily deflect her attention with a simple trick: "Look at you, you're so cute when you're jealous."

"Hmph, wishful thinking!"

As Xiang Yuan had expected, Shang Qingmeng dismissively said things like "a toad trying to eat swan meat" and "being delusional," followed by words like "cut off desires" and "if you weren't cultivating, what would you be?"

In short, if Xiang Yuan weren't still of any use, she wouldn't even glance at him, even if he knelt down and begged her.

Her words were full of disdain, without a trace of affection or admiration. If it weren't for the fact that her delicate face was being held in Xiang Yuan's palm while she spoke, Xiang Yuan would have truly been rewarded.

"Yes, it was my shameless wishful thinking. There is absolutely no possibility of a fairy falling into the mortal world. Your mindset is very good. I hope you can keep it up."

"As long as you know."

Shang Qingmeng nodded in satisfaction, wrapped her arms around Yuan's neck, and rubbed her cheek against his palm, as obedient as a kitten.

Xiang Yuan was very curious. He rarely used sweet talk on Shang Qingmeng. What would happen if he used the same tricks he used to win over Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er?

I thought about it and decided against it, but she insisted, which is fine.

"The two you just fought were Grandmasters from the Peerless Palace. What brought them here?" Shang Qingmeng asked again.

There are many problems, just like a jealous girlfriend who eats it first regardless of whether there is any possibility.

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "What, does Fairy Shang care about the women around the toad?"

"Of course! Even if I destroy this great medicine of yours, I will not leave it to Wushuang Palace!"

Shang Qingmeng's eyes flashed with coldness. Realizing her slip of the tongue, she softened her tone slightly: "What I meant was that the Wushuang Palace is a place of evil cultivation. If they see through your deception, they will definitely kidnap you to the Wushuang Palace and keep you from ever seeing the light of day again."

"Sounds just like Kenshinsai!"

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and sighed, "I almost didn't make it out back then. Thanks to A Ping, otherwise I would still be locked up in Jianxinzhai!"

"It's Ah Ping again!!" Shang Qingmeng said angrily.

"No, you're focusing on the wrong thing..."

Xiang Yuan wanted to say something more, but constrained by the evidence against him, he could only go along with Shang Qingmeng.

After being deceived several times, Xiang Yuan suddenly remembered that his mother-in-law said she would come over tonight to keep an eye on him for Xiao Lingyue, so that he wouldn't get involved with other women.

He scoffed at the time, but now he realizes that his mother-in-law truly had the ability to foresee the future.

Xiang Yuan put his arm around Shang Qingmeng's shoulder: "You've seen the person and gotten the medicine. It's time to go back to Jianxinzhai and focus on your cultivation."

"I will decide whether to stay or leave; you don't need to worry about it."

Shang Qingmeng glanced at the toad with disdain. Her mind was entirely on Xiang Yuan, so there was no way she would leave. According to her logic, even a toad would dare to boss her around; it was truly overestimating itself.

Xiang Yuan complained of a headache and resorted to his old trick: "If the fairy doesn't leave, I'm leaving. Once I leave, even Ah Ping won't work next time."

Sensing the implication in Xiang Yuan's words that she should leave, Shang Qingmeng's pretty face turned cold, her teeth clenched, and her eyes reddened slightly.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to drive you away. It's just that I have missions for both countries to protect Grandma Jiang. If you stay here, my eyes and heart are filled with Fairy, and I really can't calm down." Xiang Yuan held her soft hand, and his words made Shang Qingmeng's heart flutter with joy.

"Be good, go back to Jianxinzhai first. I'll come find you after I finish my work." Xiang Yuan whispered in his ear, making a series of romantic promises.

Shang Qingmeng sneered as she stood up, delivering another round of self-righteous mockery. Dressed in white with her long, loose hair unkempt, she pushed open the door and led the two goalkeepers away.

"Let's go back to Jianxinzhai."

Shang Qingmeng glanced at Xiang Yuan first, then said to Ziping, "I'll deal with you when we get back to the sect."

"..." x2
The eldest sister's words were childish, making Zi Ping retreat repeatedly, while Qin Zhaorong silently shed tears.

The three of them teleported away and left, clearing the battlefield in the distance. They did not speak of anything that night and did not wait for Cheng Yuling.

“Mother-in-law, this won’t do. If you really keep an eye on me, Lingyue will be green with envy, not just on her head, but on the soles of her feet.”

The next morning, Xiang Yuan was practicing his sword in the courtyard when he met Xiao Feng. Too lazy to explain what had happened the night before, he told Xiao Feng to step aside, or else he would practice sword with him.

Practicing swordsmanship with Xiang Yuan was too risky and would harm his body, so Xiao Feng naturally refused. He muttered to himself, suspecting that Jiang Yingjun had tasted the benefits, and in his dissatisfaction, he went to put pressure on the Prince Zhao's mansion again.

I told you to keep a close eye on it, it's such a trivial matter, why can't you understand?

Soon, Cheng Yuling rushed over, first wandering around the house but finding nothing, then grabbing Xiang Yuan and launching into a soul-searching interrogation.

Why were the sheets in the inner room changed?

"Mother, when you travel, do you use the bed sheets from the inn?"

Xiang Yuan sighed helplessly. He had already thrown away the bed sheet, and the bed sheet that Shang Qingmeng had used when she abused him had also been put away. Don't bother looking for it; there's no evidence.

"But what about the Prince Zhao's residence..."

"Did that guy surnamed Xiao lie to you again?"

"..."

That made sense, and Cheng Yuling was immediately speechless.

"Mother, don't overthink it. I was cultivating all night."

"Really?"

"Otherwise what? Did a female cultivator from Sword Heart Sect come to my door to flirt with me?"

Right!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)