This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 373 You're still protecting her!
"You came."

"..."

"You shouldn't have come."

Zi Ping slowly opened her eyes, her expression cold and stern, her gaze lowered, showing neither sorrow nor joy, like two bottomless ancient wells.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Xiang Yuan saw a detached indifference in her, and seriously suspected that she had recently practiced a method to sever the seven emotions and six desires.

My temperament has improved dramatically!

What decent person doesn't fight with the world? Zi Ping was clearly wronged and couldn't fight back, so she hugged herself and cried for a while, and then she started to lie down.

This is outrageous! Who dares to let my fun be wronged?
Xiang Yuan was delighted. He kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the couch, squeezing his buttocks next to Zi Ping. He skillfully put his arm around her shoulder and put on a righteous face, saying, "Ah Ping, who wronged you? Tell me, and I'll teach her a lesson."

Tell me quickly, who is it? Otherwise, I won't be able to guess.

Also, tell me all the little shoes you've been wearing lately, so I can have a laugh.

Zi Ping glanced sideways at the hand on her shoulder, then at Xiang Yuan, who was beaming with excitement. After a moment of silence, she said, "Is it possible that you and Senior Sister have been in contact all along, and you're deliberately putting me in the middle to make fun of me?"

"how do I say this?"

Xiang Yuan grinned. Today, Zi Ping was not as resentful as usual. She seemed to have suddenly realized something, and her whole person exuded a calmness of 'seeing through the world'. It felt like a new person. The more he looked at her, the happier he became.

Only Xiang Yuan found it amusing, but Zi Ping, who was just having fun, didn't think so. She slowly said, "You promised Senior Sister you would come to see her, but you were late, which greatly displeased her. She used the same old trick and found a baseless excuse to kick me out of the mountain..."

"Hmm, hmm, and then?"

Xiang Yuan nodded repeatedly. It was old wine in new bottles, just a change of form but not substance, but it was always interesting.

Kenshinzhai is so much fun!
In comparison, Wushuang Palace is really boring. Apart from Xiao Lingyue and Cheng Yuling, Xiang Yuan can't find any other advantages.

"I understand what Senior Sister means: wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, and you'll find me."

Zi Ping sighed, "Where can I find you? I've come to Biyue County for a short stay, just to prove my innocence and dispel my senior sister's doubts."

"And then I came."

Xiang Yuan's eyes shone brightly: "Ah Ping, even a tragic fate is still fate. Listen to me, you can't clear your name of this injustice. The eldest sister of Jianxinzhai is stubborn and refuses to listen to advice, causing trouble by acting recklessly. If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will. You are a grandmaster, you are a treasure wherever you go. Come with me, and from now on, as long as I have food to eat, you will have a plate to wash."

As she spoke, she rubbed her hands together and then grabbed Ziping's arm, pressing her down onto the couch.

Shang Qingmeng Summoning Technique!

It may seem outrageous, but Xiang Yuan has tried it repeatedly and found it to work, so he is now completely convinced of its effectiveness.

Zi Ping swayed her shoulders and snapped free from Xiang Yuan's hold. After breaking free, she grabbed his arm and snapped it back on.

Xiang Yuan was stunned, not understanding what Zi Ping meant by this. She was supposed to summon her senior sister to catch them in the act of adultery, so why was she not going to suffer this injustice?
Ah Ping, you've changed!

Zi Ping sat cross-legged opposite Xiang Yuan, her brows furrowing slightly, and said, "On the fifteenth of next month, Jianxinzhai and Wushuang Palace will have a sword competition. Our sect lost last year's competition, so this year we can only win and not lose. As one of the two grandmasters participating in the competition, I am quite different from the grandmasters of Wushuang Palace."

Last year, Jianxinzhai suffered a crushing defeat. Menfeng Sword Master couldn't bear to see two consecutive losses and prepared to send Shang Qingmeng to get revenge.

Another master who accompanied them was Zi Ping.

Whether she wins or loses is not important. Anyway, Shang Qingmeng is there to protect her. Going out to gain experience and broaden her horizons is definitely better than staying behind closed doors.

Who wants to lose when they can win?
Zi Ping definitely didn't want to lose.

However, after a brief exchange with Yinshuang and Daoxue in Zhen Dian Prefecture, she realized that she was only at the initial stage of the Grandmaster realm and that she could only catch her opponents off guard by relying on her many magical treasures.

Zi Ping's routines and moves have been figured out by Yin Shuang and Dao Xue. She has not yet discovered Yin Shuang and Dao Xue's weaknesses. If she makes a second move, she will not have a chance to catch them off guard.

Zi Ping explained her current predicament: she didn't want to lose to Wushuang Palace, so she asked Xiang Yuan for help to improve her cultivation level.

Double cultivation!

Xiangyuan: (一`一)
"Ah Ping, you've fallen!"

"Give me a word, is it okay or not?"

"Okay, that's fine, we're all brothers. Anyway, we've already done dual cultivation once, so doing it a few more times won't hurt. The key is your changed attitude, which has greatly disappointed me."

Xiang Yuan cried out in despair, as Le Zi lay down and gave up struggling. It was like a bolt from the blue. He pleaded with her, "A Ping, stand up! In this world, we must be upright and not give up. Let's try again. In this materialistic world of cultivation, how can I live without you!"

"hehe."

Zi Ping gave a forced smile, ignoring Xiang Yuan's exaggerated acting, not even bothering to lift her eyelids: "There's no need for that. Anyway, Senior Sister doesn't even look at me anymore. My explanation is useless. Let's be realistic, solidify the charges and exchange them for some benefits."

That makes sense, but it also makes the pointless!
Xiang Yuan scratched his head. Zi Ping had been a source of amusement for so long; she had worked hard, if not meritfully. It was hard for him to refuse her request, so he agreed to lend her a hand.

Xiang Yuan pressed down on Zi Ping's shoulders, turned her around halfway, placed one hand on her back, and before his primordial spirit surged in, he asked curiously, "The first time we cultivated together, you could use breaking through to the Grandmaster realm to fool Senior Sister. What excuse are you going to use this time? You don't want the sect to lose to Wushuang Palace in the sword competition?"

Before Ziping could answer, he kindly reminded her, "In my opinion, your senior sister is not a reasonable person. This kind of excuse won't fool her. If you dare to say it, she will dare to draw her sword."

Ah Ping, you know how jealous Shang Xianzi is. You taking the initiative to seek out me for dual cultivation is already courting death!
Zi Ping replied calmly, "You often ignore Senior Sister. If she wants to find you, she can only do so through me... Anyway, in Senior Sister's opinion, if I die, she might not be able to find you anymore."

In the minds of Xiang Yuan, Zi Ping, and Qin Zhaorong, as long as Xiang Yuan holds Zi Ping down, it will trigger Shang Qingmeng's summoning mechanism, and Shang Qingmeng will inevitably appear at any time and in any place.

However, in Shang Qingmeng's understanding, the situation is exactly the opposite: Zi Ping came first, then Xiang Yuan; Zi Ping is the summoning mechanism for Xiang Yuan.

Neither of these summoning mechanisms makes any sense or logic. But as it turns out, the more outrageous something is, the more likely it is to be true. People can't come up with something so outrageous that you have to believe it even if you don't want to.

Xiang Yuan had unwavering faith in the mechanism by which he summoned Shang Qingmeng, and Shang Qingmeng also had unwavering faith in the mechanism by which Xiang Yuan summoned her. Therefore, Zi Ping felt at ease. Without her, there would be no Xiang Yuan. At most, her senior sister would give her a hard time and bully her a little bit on a daily basis, but she would never actually draw her sword and slit her throat.

For a moment, I didn't know who was superior to whom.

Xiang Yuan was deeply ashamed. His primordial spirit surged into Zi Ping's body, setting up his own supermarket of the laws of heaven and earth, letting Zi Ping shop for herself.

Take whatever you like. You've had a tough time too, this is what you deserve.

As for whether Shang Qingmeng would suddenly appear when he was halfway through his cultivation, Xiang Yuan was not worried at all. Since Zi Ping was not overwhelmed and the summoning mechanism was not triggered, Shang Qingmeng would not appear.

Silent all night.

The next morning, both Xiang Yuan and Zi Ping were full of energy.

Zi Ping, in particular, felt incredibly strong now. With just one punch, even her senior sister would be crouching on the ground, whimpering.

She knew perfectly well that this was an illusion caused by the sudden increase in power. If she dared to throw a punch, she would be the one lying on the ground whimpering.

"You... have become stronger again."

Zi Ping turned around and looked at the grinning young man, her heart churning with turmoil.

In just two months, Xiang Yuan's cultivation level had gone from being unfathomable to something she couldn't understand to becoming even more unpredictable. In particular, the sheer quantity and quality of the principles of heaven and earth that he had mastered left her speechless.

I feel like I shouldn't bother with cultivation anymore; it's a waste of time. I should just focus on cultivation in the distant realms—it's faster, more stable, and risk-free.

Zi Ping's aptitude is indeed undeniable, but compared to Xiao Lingyue, the difference is too obvious. After copying all night, there are still many principles of heaven and earth that she has not yet had time to study.

By the way, among the fellow disciples of Jianxinzhai and Ziping, Shang Qingmeng and Qin Zhaorong have the best cultivation aptitude.

The former severed all seven emotions and six desires, living up to everyone's expectations; the latter was lazy and carefree, a pure pleasure-seeker, unable to endure the hardships of cultivation, and always thinking about the heavenly medicine that would help her cultivate.

If possible, this guy is young and handsome, witty and humorous, and shares her interests, making him a fun person as well.

Ideally, they should be athletes!

Sure enough, Qin Zhaorong actually dreamt about it. A huge medicine fell from the sky and landed in her hands. She acted decisively, but was brutally suppressed by Shang Qingmeng and Ziping. She couldn't even pick up the medicine that had fallen on the ground, let alone the fresh one.

What you didn't want, you got; what you longed for day and night, you watched others get.

Really miserable!

After a night of dual cultivation, Zi Ping was still somewhat unsatisfied. Knowing that she couldn't bite off more than she could chew, she decided to first stabilize her cultivation level and then ask Xiang Yuan for help later.

Xiang Yuan took the Qiankun bag from the hidden compartment, weighed it in his hand, and found that the harvest was mediocre, far less than the money the grandmasters had to buy their lives.

"Ah Ping, I've already reached the Grandmaster level, so I don't need the Other Shore Pill anymore. Do you know how to refine other pills?" Xiang Yuan briefly described the pills that could allow cultivators to reach the Integration Stage in a short time.

This touched on Zi Ping's blind spot. Ever since Yan Xuanhe severed the heavens with his sword, the overall level of Qianyuan Realm has declined significantly.

Without a great opportunity, the Tongyou stage is the end of a cultivator's life. The upper three realms are something that most first-class forces can only dream about.

Zi Ping couldn't provide Xiang Yuan with pills that would allow him to fight against opponents in the Integration Stage, but she did have pills that could temporarily boost the combat power of the Profound Realm Stage. However, these pills had too many side effects, and Xiang Yuan started yawning repeatedly after only mentioning two.

This one is no good, that one won't do either, let's not even mention it!

"Well, it's time to find your senior sister..."

Xiang Yuan rubbed her hands together and moved closer to Zi Ping. The latter was not to be outdone. She skillfully stretched out a hand, first grabbing Xiang Yuan's wrist, and then, being restrained, she was forced into a familiar position, sticking her buttocks up and lying face down on the couch.

It was honed through countless trials, flowing smoothly like clouds and water, and even the lines were incredibly familiar.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Let go! It's going to break!" Zi Ping complained. Why not just act it out? Why use so much force? It's as if Senior Sister can't get out without using force.

Squeak!

As the door opened, Shang Qingmeng, her clothes fluttering, danced with a sharp, swift wind, like a celestial maiden descending to earth, standing proudly alone in this world.

Beside her was Qin Zhaorong, peeking out curiously.

"Although, it's still too outrageous," Xiang Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

Because of the angle, Shang Qingmeng and Qin Zhaorong saw that Xiang Yuan was lying on his back behind Zi Ping. Perhaps to prevent slipping, or perhaps to add some fun, he had one of Zi Ping's hands behind her back, pressing her upper body against the couch.

Instantly, Shang Qingmeng was filled with murderous intent, and Qin Zhaorong's eyes were also blazing with fire.

He was both angry and amused, secretly thinking that there would be a good show to watch today.

Xiang Yuan let go of her hand, put on her shoes, and jumped off the couch. Zi Ping got up, tidied her stray hairs, then lowered her head and walked past Shang Qingmeng to stand guard outside the door.

She was very familiar with the process; it was no challenge for her at all!

Shang Qingmeng coldly stared at Zi Ping's profile standing outside the door, glared at her fiercely, left Qin Zhaorong to act as the gatekeeper, and walked into the house herself.

Qin Zhaorong: "..."

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here?

Oh, I remember now, I came here today to watch the excitement.

As if in a show of defiance, Shang Xianzi left the door open and began to undress, intending to humiliate Xiang Yuan in front of Zi Ping.

She abandoned all sense of shame, consumed by jealousy, and shouted loudly without any fear.

Xiang Yuan couldn't go on. Under Qin Zhaorong's regretful gaze, he waved his sleeve, creating a gust of wind, and slammed the two doors shut with a click.

"Senior sister, what a coincidence, I've caught you cheating again. You really never learn."

Qin Zhaorong said sarcastically and sarcastically, "Let your junior sister guess what words you have for today. Is it because he just arrived, everyone misunderstood, or you accidentally fell down?"

Hearing Qin Zhaorong's blunt mockery, Ziping turned to look at her and smiled slightly: "No, he came last night. It's not a misunderstanding. I took the initiative."

"..."

Are these your words? You just blurt them out!

Qin Zhaorong was dumbfounded, seriously suspecting that Ziping had been tormented all night and her mind was a complete mess.

Zi Ping's smile widened. She stepped forward and whispered in Qin Zhaorong's ear, "Junior sister, you're right. This great medicine is indeed very effective. I only used it for one night, and my cultivation has greatly improved."

"..."

Who are you? Give me back my bullied senior sister!

"By the way, last night it was my turn to cultivate, now it's the turn of the eldest sister. There's someone who was clearly present but didn't do anything. Can you guess who she is?" Zi Ping pretended to be surprised and said some of the bullying tactics of the Sword Heart Sect.

"..."

This is outrageous! Isn't this bullying honest people?

Enraged, Qin Zhaorong lunged forward, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws. Today, she would use her Nascent Soul cultivation to fight the Tongyou Grandmaster and splatter his blood all over him.

boom!
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Let go! It's going to break!"

Qin Zhaorong: (╥﹏╥)
Zi Ping raised her hand to suppress Qin Zhaorong, enjoying the pleasure of Xiang Yuan bullying her, and took the opportunity to consolidate the pyramid structure and strengthen the clearly defined food chain hierarchy.

Xiang Yuan, Shang Qingmeng > Zi Ping > Qin Zhaorong

If I can't deal with those two scoundrels, I can certainly deal with you!
……

Outside, Qin Zhaorong, having failed to find amusement, found her new source of amusement in replacing Ziping.

Inside the room, after closing the door, Fairy Shang stopped undressing and stood coldly in front of Xiang Yuan, gritting her teeth as she said, "You're still protecting her!"

"It's not that I'm protecting her, it's that I'm protecting my own sense of shame. People can't, and shouldn't, try it..."

Xiang Yuan complained repeatedly: "Besides, I'm doing this for your own good. Look at how you've made A-Ping so irritable. She's become desensitized. If you keep doing this, she might really have a moment of despair and try to kill herself."

Although they had just started dual cultivation, Xiang Yuan had no guilty conscience. They were brothers, and he had no other intention than to help Zi Ping. There was absolutely no possibility that they would have a child to maintain their brotherly relationship.

Seeing that Xiang Yuan not only refused to apologize but also argued righteously, Shang Qingmeng was so angry that her eyes turned red.

He didn't say anything, just stared at Xiang Yuan.

"I just can't do anything with you. You promised to stay emotional and focus purely on cultivation, but you've broken your promise completely..."

Xiang Yuan muttered to himself, then put his arm around Shang Qingmeng's shoulder, intending to say some sweet words. But Shang Qingmeng was unusually angry today and refused three times before he finally managed to pull her into his arms.

"Just asking, I arrived last night and spent the night alone with A-Ping. What's going on with you? Why are you only arriving now?"

Xiang Yuan, not understanding, asked a question, voicing his doubts. Shang Qingmeng had thrown Zi Ping out of Jianxinzhai to fish, and should have been keeping a close eye on the float at all times. It was really unreasonable that she only lifted the rod after a whole night.

At the very least, Qin Zhaorong should be thrown out as well and placed under temporary supervision.

That's exactly how Shang Qingmeng initially operated.

With the Sword Master at the Door Crack not taking charge, the Sword Heart Pavilion has always been managed by the eldest sister, Shang Qingmeng. What good is it for her to run it? Just like the Sword Master at the Door Crack, she's a hands-off manager who doesn't care about anything.

The daily tasks of Jianxinzhai naturally fell into the hands of Ziping and Qin Zhaorong. The former was very responsible, while the latter was afraid of trouble and often missed work.

After Zi Ping and Qin Zhaorong were thrown out of the mountain gate, Shang Qingmeng waited for several days without any fish biting the hook. There were many miscellaneous matters piling up at the mountain gate, so she temporarily dragged Qin Zhaorong back to the mountain gate and kept her busy all night.

I thought last night would be as peaceful as before, but Xiang Yuan just happened to arrive at this critical moment.

Just like fishing, when you're staring at the float, the fish don't move at all, but as soon as you glance down at your phone for a message, the fishing rod is pulled into the river.

This is infuriating!!!

That's why Zi Ping's first words upon meeting him were, "You shouldn't have come." It's too coincidental; it's really hard to explain.

If Xiang Yuan had arrived a moment earlier or a moment later, Zi Ping would have seen that there was still a chance to save her and would not have given up on herself and taken the initiative to cultivate dual cultivation.

The more I try to explain, the worse it gets. Let's just leave it at that.

Believe it or not, the moment the word "bai" came to mind, I felt a sense of vastness and clarity. Not only did my thoughts become clearer, but my cultivation level also increased rapidly.

Getting back to the point, Shang Qingmeng refused to answer Xiang Yuan's question, regretting that her momentary carelessness had given the adulterous couple an opportunity. She summarized the lessons learned from the failure and secretly vowed never to make the same mistake again.

The camera pans to Xiang Yuan, who is standing with his head held high and his chin clenched. Shang Qingmeng has obtained an upgraded version of the medicine, and it takes him a while to react.

The potion that Bai Wuyan loved so much must have been incredibly potent. She couldn't refine it on her own, and Xiang Yuan had to help her to relieve the burning heat in her internal organs.

Even so, the effects of the medicine still took hold, making her dizzy and lightheaded, as if she were drunk, nestled in Xiang Yuan's arms.

Xiang Yuan put one arm around Bai Yu's fragrant shoulder and stroked her delicate face with the other, as if he had found a treasure, and rubbed her face with his palm: "I promised to come and see you some time ago, but unexpectedly, one accident after another happened, and I was two months late. It was my fault."

"What accident?"

I practiced dual cultivation with your master's mortal enemy for two months.

These are things that cannot be said, Xiang Yuan said, glossing over it with a simple "closed-door cultivation," and then continued, "I am a man of my word. I promised you before, and I will keep my word. What are some good places to visit in Qingzhou?"

"What, now that you know you've done something wrong, you're trying to please me?" Shang Qingmeng said lazily, her eyes half-closed.

The medication was too strong; I haven't recovered yet.

"Just tell me if you're going or not!"

Xiang Yuan pursed his lips. Being late was his fault. He lifted Shang Qingmeng's chin and said in a warm voice, "I, Xiang, have overestimated myself and wish to invite Fairy Shang to travel with me. I would like to try to bring the high and mighty fairy down to earth. I wonder if the fairy would give me a chance?"

"Truly overestimating himself!"

Shang Qingmeng squinted and cupped her hands in Xiang Yuan's hands. Although she was in a good mood, she still had her own set of reasons: "I should have refused you directly without giving you any face. But considering that your blood medicine has improved and is of great benefit to my cultivation, I will satisfy your lowly self-esteem so that you will not leave without saying goodbye after being rejected and delay my cultivation."

She kept telling herself that it was always possible.

Xiang Yuan didn't expose her, because it was useless. He spent a few moments cuddling with Shang Qingmeng, then dressed her and prepared to set off.

"..." x4
Wait a minute, why are there four people?
What kind of respectable fairy would bring two third wheels on a date?

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.

Thank you to reader 'BookFriend20210301106583332' for the generous donation. The username is too long to include in the title.

(End of this chapter)