I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 228 Hongli Apologizes (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

While Shen Puning was listening to the 'teachings of love' in the hall, Jiang Yi ran into Puning's third sister, Shen Jingshuang, and Puning's father, Mu Yanping, whom she had not seen before.

Mu Yanping was a very refined middle-aged man with a mustache. Judging from his appearance, he was emotionally stable and had a gentle personality. When he saw Jiang Yi, he exchanged a few casual pleasantries and then made an excuse to leave first, leaving Shen Jingshuang and Jiang Yi waiting outside the main hall.

Shen Jingshuang is at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. She is tall and slender, and although she is not exceptionally beautiful, she exudes a scorching fighting spirit.

He looked as if he had just returned from the battlefield, wearing black iron scale armor, his hair hastily tied up with an iron hairpin.

"Was Pu Ning particularly happy when she was in the Cangling Sect?" Shen Jingshuang asked Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi nodded, "Yes, at least every time I see her, she's always smiling. As long as she's full, she's carefree."

Shen Jingshuang lowered her eyes and sighed, "Actually, we still don't quite understand why she insisted on running away from home and joining the Cangling Sect. My eldest sister even sent people to protect her secretly. We know she likes to paint, and from childhood to adulthood, no one in the family has ever really stopped her from learning to paint."

“I remember when she was six years old, she first said she wanted to be a painting master. My mother smiled and patted her head, saying, ‘Good, good, as long as our Ning’er is happy painting.’ My eldest and second eldest sisters and I were the same. We never expected her to do anything for the family. As long as she was happy, that was enough.”

"She can play as long as she wants, and we'll cover for her no matter what trouble she gets into. As long as she remembers this family and knows to come home in the end, that's all that matters. It's just that my mother might be a bit strict. I hope she won't waste her talent and can inherit the Shen family's skills."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi finally couldn't hold back, "You spoil her and indulge her because you always treat her like a child who needs protection. You don't believe she can achieve anything in the art of painting."

Shen Jingshuang turned her head in surprise, and under Jiang Yi's piercing gaze, her knuckles tightened little by little.

Jiang Yi maintained a polite smile throughout. "My family's seemingly tolerant attitude was actually another form of contempt for me. Their condescending tolerance was more suffocating than direct opposition, leaving me with an indelible sense of guilt every time I painted."

"She just wanted to prove to you that 'she can do it.' Joining the Cangling Sect and becoming a Nascent Soul disciple was what she proved to you. Even if she doesn't have the Dao of Painting now, she will prove something else."

The door to the main hall opened from the inside, and Shen Puning walked out dejectedly.

Jiang Yi bowed and apologized, "I have overstepped my bounds today, and I hope Fellow Daoist Shen will forgive me."

"Third Sister? You're back from the arena?"

Shen Puning walked over, forcing a smile.

Shen Jingshuang's smile suddenly became somewhat stiff. "You guys have fun. Third Sister has some things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Watching Shen Jingshuang's departing figure, Shen Puning frowned, "What happened to my third sister?"

Jiang Yi shrugged and shook her head.

Shen Puning smiled and ignored her. "Come on, let's go back to the courtyard. You play the zither for me, and I'll cook you something delicious."

Even though she had just been scolded and was feeling heavy-hearted, Shen Puning was still like a little sun, laughing carefree.

In Shen Puning's courtyard.

"Ayi, I've decided to do something big, and you have to help me."

"Huh?" Jiang Yi had just picked up a skewer of grilled meat, but put it down again upon hearing this. "Then I won't eat it."

Shen Puning pouted, "Ayi! If you don't help me, no one else will!"

With a helpless sigh, Jiang Yi picked up the roasted meat again and ate it. The seasoning was Shen Puning's secret recipe, and with the addition of the top-grade demon beasts hunted by the Shen family, it was not only delicious, but eating it could also increase one's cultivation.

Hongli needs this skill!
Shen Puning moved a stool and squeezed closer to Jiang Yi, saying mysteriously, "My teammate will have diarrhea on the day of the Demon Fighting Ceremony, so you'll have to go on stage with me."

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow, "Diarrhea?"

"Oh! I won't let you participate for nothing. Our Shen family also controls demon spirits, but we prefer strong martial arts-type demon spirits. So the rewards for the Demon Fighting Tournament will be some very precious martial arts-type demon species and Spirit Inheritance Pills, as well as barbarian martial arts techniques and weapons. Aren't they perfect for your two stone lion warriors? Help me out, and I'll give you all the rewards!"

“You are my fellow disciple and also a disciple of True Monarch Danxi. If I ask you to help me, my mother won’t refuse. Now, because of my status as a disciple of the Cangling Sect, the elders in my clan are still very willing to befriend the Cangling Sect. So we can do this…” Shen Puning whispered in Jiang Yi’s ear. Jiang Yi frowned as she listened, but since she was ‘living under someone else’s roof,’ she could only comply.

……

That night, Jiang Yi declined Shen Puning's request to sleep together and instead slept in another empty room in her courtyard.

After arranging everything, as usual, Jiang Yi hung the "Leaf Obscuring the View" on the sword-nurturing gourd and entered the Immortal Crossing.

When Jiang Yi first entered, she thought she had gone to the wrong place.

The 500 mu of spiritual fields were cleared of weeds and divided into neat squares by crisscrossing field ridges. The newly turned soil gleamed moistly under the starlight. Paths were even paved with pebbles from the lakeside, leading to various places on Youxian Ferry.

The bamboo fence courtyard has been completely transformed. The originally crooked fence has been straightened, and morning glory vines twine around it, blooming with beautiful purple flowers.

The peach trees at the entrance of the courtyard are in full bloom, and a brand-new set of bluestone table and stools is placed under the trees.

The drafty wooden door was replaced with a carved door made of pine wood, and a string of wind chimes hung on the lintel, making a pleasant sound when the wind blew.

At this moment, Hua Gu was leading a group of 'Xuan Hui', huffing and puffing as they moved leftover wood and stone materials to the side of the courtyard. They neatly arranged them under the courtyard wall, and a rain shelter was erected on top of them.

A night breeze swept by, and peach petals fluttered down onto the newly paved cobblestone path, a beautiful sight.

Jiang Yi couldn't help but sigh, "It really only feels like a home when it's Hua Gu's place. What I used to live in was just a doghouse!"

The clanging of iron came from the sword-tempering platform, as Zhenshan and Duanjin had begun forging the refining materials they had bought that day.

Jiang Yi pushed open the courtyard gate. The ground inside the courtyard was paved with new bluestone slabs, the same material used for the stone table outside, all of which were carved from the mountain near the Hall of Inheritance.

A piece of paper on a small wooden table under the window on the first floor caught Jiang Yi's attention. When she went over to take a look, she found three words written crookedly on it.

I'm wrong.

Jiang Yi chuckled, not even looking up, and said, "Come out. You've already admitted your mistake. If I don't forgive you, wouldn't I be too petty?"

嘤~
The little red fox poked half its head out from the roof, observed suspiciously for a while, and only after confirming that Jiang Yi's smile wasn't fake and that she would trick it down and give it a beating did it happily jump directly down from the roof and into Jiang Yi's arms.

Jiang Yi caught it and gave it a good rub, making Hongli whimper comfortably.

"Now that you know you were wrong, don't be so stubborn in the future. I will do everything I promised you. As long as I have food to eat, you won't go hungry. Alright, I will talk to Zhenshan and Duanjin. If you want to learn weapon crafting, you can learn it together."

嘤~
Hongli squinted her fox eyes happily, thinking to herself, "Sooner or later I'll let those two stupid stones see my intelligence. When my weapon-refining ability is strong, those two stupid stones will definitely be disliked. Humph!"
"Go and call Aunt Hua over for me."

Hum!
Hongli is exceptionally obedient now, skipping and hopping to find Huagu, even jumping up to catch peach petals along the way.

Before long, Hua Gu bumped into Jiang Yi's arms.

Jiang Yi took out several spirit bags from her body. "These are a pair of leaf-eared rabbits and a nest of green ribbon bees. They are all little pets I bought for you. They can also help you with the work in the spirit fields. My flower maiden is working so hard. It breaks my heart to see her like this."

(／ω＼) Hua Gu blushed and turned pink.

"The feeding instructions are all in the jade slip. Take a look yourself, find them a place to stay, and plant these spiritual herb seeds when you have time. I've also placed the Yin-Yang Pendant here. During this time, you can rest and cultivate here in peace. You must absorb that Lan Shui Yan demon seed well."

"When you have time, you can do some farming. You can also take Hongli, Zhenshan, and Duanjin to challenge the Sword Qi Cloud Sea to hone your combat skills. After I accompany Pu Ning to the Demon Fighting Ceremony, we'll find a place to go into seclusion. I'll stay in Youxian Ferry with you every day then, okay?"

(ω) Hoohoo!

(End of this chapter)