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"Stop the carriage ahead!"

The escorts suddenly pulled on the reins and looked back in alarm.

A streak of blue light shot across the sky and landed in front of the carriage in the blink of an eye.

Once she saw that it was Su Ning and his two companions, Madam Yan in the carriage breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest, saying, "Immortal Master, you scared this old woman to death."

Then Mo Caihuan poked her head out of the carriage, her small face looking haggard from days of travel.

Upon seeing Su Ning, her eyes lit up: "Brother Su!"

The flying boat slowly descended, and Han Li jumped down to check the condition of the carriage. He frowned and said, "It's only traveled less than a hundred miles in three days? This is too dangerous."

"There's nothing we can do," Mo Caihuan said with a wry smile, pointing to the blistered hands of the bodyguards. "The bodyguards take turns driving the carriages, and the horses can't keep up either."

Dong Xuan'er pursed her lips, flicked a pink light from her fingertip, and the blood blisters on the bodyguards' hands immediately healed.

The little girl opened her eyes wide in surprise and quickly thanked her.

"Let's get on the flying boat." Su Ning put away the flying artifact. "At this speed, it will take at least half a month to reach Tainan Valley."

Madam Yan hesitated, "But what about the carriage and luggage..."

"No, I don't need it anymore." Han Li said decisively, "Go to Tainan Valley and have Zhang Tie procure it again."

Upon hearing Su Ning and Han Li's arrangements, the Yan mother and daughter exchanged a glance, their expressions complex.

But forced by circumstances, they quickly packed their belongings and boarded the flying boat.

Su Ning then gave the bodyguards some gold and silver for ordinary people to use, and then sent them away.

The flying boat took off, and Mo Caihuan clung tightly to the gunwale, looking down at the rapidly shrinking scenery with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

At this moment, her young mind was deeply shaken, and she began to understand her father's pursuit of immortality.

Yan asked with concern, "Master, is Zhang Tie... really willing to take us in?"

Suning did not give a direct answer: "It should be possible! Zhang Tie is doing well now."

It's really good.

When the flying boat landed on the outskirts of Tainan Valley Market, even Han Li's eyes widened slightly.

The small market I remember has expanded more than three times, and on the most conspicuous three-story building, the golden signboard of "Tiexinxuan" is prominently displayed.

"Senior brother, is that Zhang Tie's property?" Han Li rarely showed a surprised expression.

Su Ning nodded: "The letter said that the main business is the sale of medicinal herbs and ritual implements."

As soon as I entered the market, I heard a commotion.

A crowd had formed a circle in front of them, and in the middle stood a burly man, as tall as an iron tower, holding a bronze cauldron in one hand and shouting, "A century-old cold iron alchemy furnace, only 800 spirit stones! Don't miss this opportunity!"

The burly man was nearly two meters tall, with his bare upper body muscles as clearly defined as rocks, and his skin gleaming with a faint metallic sheen.

If it weren't for the somewhat familiar facial features, Su Ning would hardly recognize that this was the honest and simple Zhang Tie from back then.

"Junior Brother Zhang," Han Li called softly.

The burly man froze, then slowly turned around.

Upon recognizing the person who had arrived, the bronze cauldron crashed to the ground, creating a shallow crater.

"Senior Brother Su! Senior Brother Han!" Zhang Tie's voice trembled as he rushed forward, about to kneel down and pay his respects.

Han Li quickly steadied him, but was pulled back half a step by the force of the impact, and couldn't help but be surprised by Zhang Tie's strength.

"Great! Great! You're getting stronger and stronger."

"Haha, I obtained a copy of the Body Refining Technique by chance."

"Oh?" Su Ning and Han Li were both surprised.

"And these two are..." Zhang Tie's gaze turned to the Yan mother and daughter, and his warm smile suddenly froze.

"Dr. Mo's wife and daughter, Madam Yan, and Mo Caihuan."

His nostrils flared as if he were identifying some kind of scent, and his face gradually turned ashen.

"Women of the Mohist school?" Zhang Tie's voice suddenly turned gloomy, his muscles tensed, and the blue bricks beneath his feet cracked with spiderweb-like fissures. "You dare to come to Tainan Valley?!"

Yan was so frightened that she kept backing away, but Mo Caihuan stood up to block her mother. Despite her trembling legs, she stubbornly looked up and stared at Zhang Tie.

The market fell silent instantly, and many stall owners quietly reached for their weapons.

Zhang Tie was very popular in Tainan Valley. If he were to make a move, these rogue cultivators would definitely swarm him.

"Junior Brother Zhang." Su Ning stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Zhang Tie's shoulder.

The seemingly casual movement caused the giant to slump. "Let's find a quiet place to talk."

Zhang Tie's forehead veins bulged, but he finally nodded and turned to lead the way.

Each step he took left shallow footprints on the stone slabs, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

In the living room of Tiexinxuan's backyard, Zhang Tie smashed a mahogany table with his fist: "That old thief kept me as a medicine slave. If it weren't for Senior Brother Su saving me, I would have..."

“We know,” Han Li said calmly, “but we shouldn’t let our wives and daughters suffer. Besides, Doctor Mo is, after all, our master.”

Mo Caihuan suddenly knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times: "Brother Zhang, I apologize to you on behalf of my father!"

When he looked up, blood was already seeping from his forehead. "I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you!"

Yan, trembling, took out a brocade box: "This is the Mo family's ancestral 'Medicine King's Canon,' which records many rare elixirs and prescriptions. I wish to use this to atone for my sins..."

Zhang Tie's chest heaved violently, his eyes a mixture of anger and struggle.

Su Ning spoke up at the opportune moment: "Junior Brother Zhang, what level have you reached in the Body Refining Technique?"

The topic shift was abrupt, but effective.

Zhang Tie took a deep breath and barely calmed himself down: "The third level of mastery is equivalent to the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

He then showed his forearm, his skin gleaming with a bronze sheen, saying, "Ordinary magical artifacts can hardly harm me."

“Not bad.” Su Ning nodded approvingly, then casually took out a bottle of pills. “This is a ‘Bone Forging Pill,’ which is helpful for body cultivators.”

"Thank you, senior brother."

The atmosphere gradually eased.

Dong Xuan'er cleverly changed the subject, asking about the business situation of Tiexinxuan.

Zhang Tie then smiled and said that he had made a lot of money over the years by reselling medicinal herbs and magical artifacts, and recently he had been trying out a "body tempering ointment" specifically for body-refining cultivators.

……

That night, the group first stayed at Tiexinxuan.

When the moon was high in the sky, Su Ning found Zhang Tie sitting alone in the courtyard, lost in thought.

"Still can't let go?" Su Ning sat down beside him.

Zhang Tie shook his head: "No... I just didn't expect that old thief's wife and daughter to be like this." He stroked the cover of "The Medicine King's Canon", "The way that girl kowtowed was just as stubborn as her father."

"What are your plans next? Will you continue to stay in Tainan Valley?"

Zhang Tie hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said, "Senior brother, I want to go to Yellow Maple Valley with you."

Seeing Su Ning's surprise, he explained, "The fourth level of the Body Refining Technique requires 'Earth Fire Tempering,' and I've heard that there's an Earth Fire Chamber in Yellow Maple Valley..."

"Sure, sure!" Su Ning readily agreed. "But what about Tie Xinxuan?"

Although the great war between good and evil will follow, and Huangfeng Valley will be at the center of the storm, the entire cultivation world will be unable to avoid it.

Therefore, it would be better to help Zhang Tie quickly improve his strength. With me here, I should be able to protect Zhang Tie from any danger to his life.

Zhang Tie grinned: "Let the Mo family mother and daughter manage it. That girl is clever, and Madam Yan knows about medicinal herbs, so they are a perfect match."

This arrangement was unexpected, yet perfectly logical.

Su Ning gave Zhang Tie a deep look, realizing that this honest man had ultimately softened his heart. ...

The moonlight, like a ribbon, shone through the window lattice, spreading a layer of silver frost across the bluestone ground.

Su Ning was meditating on the couch, his divine sense, cultivated from the Great Evolution Technique, spreading like a spider web throughout every corner of the room.

Suddenly, his brow twitched slightly...

Very light footsteps came from the porch outside the door, but stopped in front of the door without knocking.

"Who goes there?" Su Ning opened his eyes, his voice not loud but loud enough to penetrate the door.

There was a noticeable pause in breathing outside the door, followed by the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together.

The wooden door was gently pushed open a crack, and moonlight streamed in, outlining a slender figure.

"Miss Mo?" Su Ning activated his true energy, and the oil lamp on the table lit up on its own.

In the warm yellow light, Mo Caihuan wore only a plain white inner garment, with her outer robe loosely draped over her arm, and stood barefoot on the cold stone slab.

Her neatly combed hair, which had been styled during the day, was now loose and hanging down, making her small face appear even paler.

"Brother Su..." Her voice trembled, and she suddenly knelt down, "Please take Caihuan in!"

Su Ning did not immediately help her up, his gaze sweeping over the curves vaguely revealed under her thin clothes and the red marks on her bare ankles from being pressed against the stone slabs.

With his Foundation Establishment cultivator's keen senses, he could even hear the rapid heartbeat within that young body.

"Get up first." Su Ning flicked her finger, and a gentle force lifted the girl up. "What happened?"

Mo Caihuan bit her lower lip and suddenly took off her outer robe completely.

The neckline of her inner garment was already loose, and with this movement, half of her snow-white shoulder was exposed.

She trembled as she untied the sash around her waist: "Caihuan is willing to be a slave... as long as she can be by the Immortal Master's side..."

"Stop." Su Ning's voice carried a hint of thunderous power, causing the girl to stiffen.

He stood up, picked up his outer robe from the ground, and wrapped it around her shoulders, his tone softening: "Your father and I have a past relationship, there's no need for this."

"But I don't have spiritual roots!" Mo Caihuan suddenly became agitated, tears welling up in her eyes. "Brother Zhang said you gave him a chance at immortality... I also want to... even if it's just to serve tea and water..."

She gripped Su Ning's sleeve tightly, her nails almost piercing the fabric. "I don't ask for immortality, I only ask to see more of the wonders of this world..."

Suning remained silent.

How could he not understand this longing?

In his previous life as an Immortal Emperor, he had seen far too many mortals kneeling and begging.

His divine sense quietly swept over the girl's entire body...

Indeed, with stagnant meridians and a stone-like dantian, one is a completely mortal being.

“Zhang Tie is a body cultivator, not an immortal cultivator! Moreover, immortal cultivation requires spiritual roots, which is a rule of heaven.” Su Ning sighed, “Even if I take you as my maid, you will still be a handful of dust a hundred years from now.”

Mo Caihuan swayed, but stubbornly raised her face: "Then... what if it's the immortal's child?"

These words struck the room like a bolt of lightning.

Su Ning's pupils contracted slightly as he finally took a serious look at the girl in front of him.

On her tear-streaked face, a chilling obsession burned in her almond-shaped eyes.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

“I know.” Mo Caihuan suddenly calmed down, her voice soft but firm. “I’ve heard that a union between a mortal and an immortal can also produce offspring with spiritual roots. If I’m lucky enough to have one… that child will have my blood flowing through them… and can take me to experience the magnificent landscapes of this world.”

Su Ning stared at her for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly: "You are indeed much smarter than your father."

He raised his hand to wipe away the girl's tears; his fingertips touched the cool, delicate skin. "At least you know how to exchange."

The oil lamp popped and emitted a spark.

Mo Caihuan trembled all over, yet she pressed herself against him, her hair, scented with herbs, brushing against Su Ning's chin: "Please... give Caihuan a chance..."

The moonlight shifted its angle, casting the two figures onto the wall, gradually merging them into one.

As her clothes slipped to the ground, Su Ning heard the girl whisper in her ear, "I will be a good mother..."

At dawn, the satisfied Ink Ring quietly departed.

Su Ning leaned against the edge of the couch, looking at the glaring red stain on the bed sheet with a complicated expression.

This affair had nothing to do with romance; it was more like a transaction where both parties got what they wanted…

She sought the possibility of immortality through the continuation of her bloodline, while he...

Perhaps it was out of a sense of karmic retribution for Mo Juren, or perhaps it was simply because he was moved by that obsession.

The first chirping of birds came from outside the window.

Su Ning suddenly sensed something and scanned the courtyard wall with his divine sense...

Mo Caihuan did not go straight back to her room, but stood in the corner of the courtyard, her hands gently pressed on her lower abdomen, the moonlight giving her a silvery edge.

That posture seemed to be guarding a hope that did not yet exist.

"Interesting." Su Ning withdrew his divine sense, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This girl's temperament does indeed have some of the tenacity of a cultivator.

If one were born into a family of cultivators, perhaps one could truly achieve great things.

He got up, dressed neatly, and opened the window.

The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, and a new day was about to begin.

In the distant future, perhaps a child with his bloodline will inherit this desire for immortality.

The oil lamp burned out its last drop of oil and quietly went out.

Next, Su Ning will use elixirs to improve Mo Caihuan's body. Although it won't grant her immortality, it will certainly allow her to live to be a hundred years old.

……

In the early morning, when Zhang Tie announced his decision, Mo Caihuan's eyes welled up with tears again.

But she also knew that this was entirely due to Su Ning's help, and she couldn't help but feel fortunate for having offered herself to him.

Yan solemnly promised to manage Tiexinxuan well and that it would be twice the size when they returned.

Before leaving, Zhang Tie secretly slipped Han Li a storage bag: "Senior brother, this is the spirit stones and medicinal herbs I've saved up over the years. I heard you offended the Ghost Spirit Sect, so you'll definitely need them."

Han Li scanned the contents with his divine sense and found more than three thousand spirit stones and dozens of precious spiritual herbs.

He silently accepted it and patted Zhang Tie on the shoulder.

The airship took off again, this time accompanied by a man as tall as an iron tower.

Standing at the stern, Zhang Tie gazed at the ever-shrinking Tainan Valley and suddenly shouted, "Girl! Polish my cauldron! If you find any rust on it when we get back, you'll be sorry!"

On the ground, Mo Caihuan jumped up and down, waving her hands, her voice trembling with tears: "I know! Take care, Brother Zhang!"

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and mist, speeding towards Yellow Maple Valley.

At the bow of the boat, Dong Xuan'er whispered to Han Li, "Senior Brother Han, last night I saw Mo Caihuan enter Senior Brother Su's room. Could it be that Senior Brother Su and that Mo family girl...?"

Han Li gazed at the distant sea of ​​clouds, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips: "Who knows?"

Perhaps this is a rare glimmer of warmth in the cultivation world.

Thinking this to himself, Su Ning urged the flying boat to accelerate once more.

What awaits them ahead is an even more brutal battle between good and evil...

...(End of chapter)