I made the entire cultivation world cry

Chapter 232 Seclusion (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Nighttime, in Shen Puning's courtyard.

"Take it. The cultivation techniques, armor, and weapons were all chosen for your two stone lion warriors. There are also some talismans that I personally drew. They're all for you."

Shen Puning tossed a storage bag to Jiang Yi with an air of generosity, her eyes and brows brimming with undisguised joy.

Jiang Yi didn't even look at what was in the storage bag, simply stuffed it into her clothes, and continued to enjoy the food on the table.

Body cultivation is great; you don't need to fast, and you can eat and drink well every day, all of which are spiritual foods.

"Is the problem with your mother resolved?"

Shen Puning put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "Of course, with my intelligence and quick wit, I can solve any problem with ease. My mother has already agreed to let me continue learning painting. Of course, I will not give up physical training either."

"Just thinking about it, in a future magical duel, my opponent thinks I'm a weak painter, but I punch him in the head and blow it off... Hahaha, just thinking about it makes me feel so good!"

Jiang Yi smiled faintly as she watched Shen Puning speak with great enthusiasm; she was truly envious.

I admire Pu Ning's cheerful personality, her fearless and bold spirit, and her courage to fight for what she wants.

Most importantly, she has a family who genuinely love and respect her.

That's why she can be like a little sun, always smiling, using her own light to illuminate others.

"Puning, I will be leaving tomorrow."

"what?"

Shen Puning's laughter stopped abruptly.

"Aren't you also going to participate in the treasure hunt? Why don't you stay at my house and we can go together when the time comes? We can also invite Wushuang to come along."

Jiang Yi shook her head slightly, "No, I originally planned to find a secluded place to seclude myself for a long period of time to consolidate what I've learned recently and continue learning the zither."

"So where are you planning to go? Back to Cangling Sect?" Shen Puning asked.

"Just wander around, whatever I feel like."

Although Shen Puning was disappointed, she knew that Jiang Yi was an independent and opinionated person who would not change her mind once she made a decision. Moreover, not everyone was like her and liked crowds and noise.

"What else do you need? Do you want me to prepare some food for you? I don't have much else, but I have a lot of delicious food."

Jiang Yi smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Miss Shen. You can have a lot of your secret barbecue seasoning."

As she spoke, Jiang Yi picked up the chopsticks in her hand and examined them. They were made of silver with gold inlays on the tips.

"I'm taking these chopsticks."

Shen Puning frowned. "What's so good about these chopsticks?"

"Your single chopstick is enough for an ordinary person to chew on for years. Ordinary people envy immortals, and that's what they envy..."

Jiang Yi shook the silver chopsticks in her hand, then flipped her hand and put them away.

……

Nothing happened all night.

The next morning, Jiang Yi bid farewell to Shen Hongxiu and Mu Yanping, only asking Shen Puning to escort her to the gate of the Shen family mansion.

After returning to Songjiang City, Jiang Yi exchanged all the spirit stones he had for refining materials, spiritual spring water, and other supplies needed for cultivation. He also went to several shops to collect the tools specifically for making the zither.

I also saw some tools commonly used in the cultivation world, such as woodworking, stone carving, and farming, as well as recipes for brewing wine and some spiritual fruit seedlings, so I bought some of them.

To make his home more comfortable in Youxian Ferry, he bought quite a few odds and ends, and in the end, he only had 5,200 low-grade spirit stones left. He planned to return 5,000 to Zhao Cangyun.

After leaving the no-fly formation of Songjiang City, Jiang Yi suddenly had a whimsical idea: could this sword-nurturing gourd be used as a flying magic weapon?

She plucked the gourd and tossed it into the air, using her divine sense to activate it. The gourd actually grew slowly before her eyes, until it was about ten feet long.

Jiang Yi smiled slightly, lightly touched the ground with her toes and leaped onto the gourd, leaning against the rounded indentation at the waist of the gourd.

Let's go!
The gourd carrying Jiang Yi soared into the sky, instantly piercing through the clouds and mist.

The sky was clear and blue, the distant mountains were verdant, and flocks of geese flying north swept across the horizon, transforming the entire city of Songjiang into a delicate landscape the size of a chessboard.

Jiang Yi followed the river downstream, the gourd passing tributaries and mountain passes. The spiritual energy of the cultivation world began to recede like the tide, becoming increasingly thin.

Jiang Yi suddenly felt the surroundings growing quieter; the constant chirping of insects and roaring of beasts, the clamor and extravagance, had all transformed into the most simple and honest sound of the wind in the mortal world. She suspended the gourd thousands of feet in the air and used her divine sense to scan the winding river that flowed through the land.

An old farmer leads a water buffalo to plow the field, a peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole wipes sweat from his brow under the sun on the path, and traveling merchants resting in a roadside teahouse chat and laugh around a rough earthenware bowl.

The sound of suona horns playing grew louder as a wedding procession crossed a stone bridge. Following the direction the procession was heading, Jiang Yi saw a small town nestled in the river bend.

The green-tiled roofs stretched out in a continuous line. At the east end of the town, a group of women squatted on the stone steps, beating clothes. Their chatter was as lively as the sound of the beating mallets.

"That's it."

Jiang Yi smiled slightly, her gaze sweeping over the distant town where smoke curled from chimneys.

She used to love the quiet life in the mountains and always dreamed of living a secluded life, not interacting with others, and enjoying a carefree existence.

But now, she prefers the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life, which is lively and bustling, yet also carries a sense of tranquil peace.

Jiang Yi landed lightly in the bamboo forest outside the town, her fingertips forming a hand seal to conceal the fluctuations of her spiritual power.

Dressed in plain clothes with black hair, and a rattan whip hanging from his waist, he looked like a wandering knight-errant, only his eyes lacked sharpness and had more of a leisurely air about them.

As you stroll slowly along the rammed earth road into the town, an old man selling steamed buns by the roadside lifts the lid of his steamer, and white steam rises up, revealing round buns that look very tempting.

Jiang Yi plucked a silver bean from the silver chopsticks, ordered a few steamed buns, and held them in her hands, piping hot.

Taking a bite, the dough was soft and fluffy, and the meat filling was fresh and delicious. Even the vegetarian filling made her feel more satisfied than the spiritual food in the cultivation world.

As she slowly ate her steamed buns, she pondered finding a brokerage firm to rent a small courtyard.

The blacksmith's shop was filled with the clanging of metal and sparks flying. On the bamboo plaque outside the pharmacy, dried tangerine peel shone golden in the sun. Two young boys squatted outside the dye shop, secretly dipping their fingers in indigo dye and drawing mustaches on each other's faces. Once finished, they giggled and ran off like two playful sparrows.

Children in the cultivation world at their age have no time to play around; some even have blood on their hands.

Around the corner was a teahouse, from which came the sharp crack of a gavel, and the storyteller's booming voice, "Now, let's talk about the sword immortal who came riding on the moon..."

Jiang Yi paused and listened for a moment, a smile appearing in her eyes.

In the stories of mortals, immortals are always ethereal and otherworldly, hating evil as if it were their enemy, slaying demons and monsters everywhere to defend the righteous path of humanity.

But who knows that the true path to immortality is fraught with danger and peril, and may not be as carefree as this mundane world?

As the sun began to set, she finally managed to rent a quiet little courtyard from the brokerage firm.

With its blue bricks and small tiles, a tall locust tree stands gracefully in the corner of the courtyard, its leaves rustling in the wind—a truly lovely sight.

That night, Jiang Yi lay on the bamboo bed, listening to the slight creaking of the bed frame.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper, casting dappled shadows on the roof beams. The distant sound of the night watchman's clapper drifted in, mingled with the cries of a baby.

Such a night, such sounds, made her feel more at ease than staying in the silent, protected cave dwelling of the cultivation world.

When the mind is at ease, laziness arises naturally.

Jiang Yi's understanding of this carefree and lazy way of life is deepening day by day.

The chopsticks in the Pu Ning family's house have pure gold tips, which are very valuable in the mortal world. She rented the courtyard for a year, and Zhu Mingzong's treasure hunt will not begin until the beginning of summer next year.

At that time, there will surely be countless fierce battles.

Moreover, you will encounter many old acquaintances.

She needs to make all the preparations in advance.

Jiang Yi touched the sword-nurturing gourd at her waist. With the Immortal Ferry at her side, she didn't have to worry about the lack of spiritual energy in the mortal realm. Moreover, the mortal realm was more convenient for her to use the Dream of the Yellow Millet to temper her mind.

It is precisely because mortal life is so short that those emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, separation, and reunion are all the more intense.

On the contrary, the deeper a cultivator's practice goes, the more indifferent their mind becomes. Most Qi Refining cultivators' dreams are filled with nothing but longing and greed for immortality.

Throughout history, those who cultivate the Tao refine their minds, and the immortals in myths undergo tribulations, all of which involve going to the mortal world. This is probably the reason why.

"Let's go back to Youxian Ferry and see what good things Pu Ning has prepared for me."

Sitting up in bed, Jiang Yi still hung the Leaf Obscuring the Eyes on the Sword-Nourishing Gourd, took the storage bag given to her by Pu Ning, and entered the Immortal Crossing to officially begin her secluded cultivation.

As Jiang Yicai settled down at Youxian Ferry, he saw Hongli leap up in the center of the spirit field, kick over the green wooden cauldron, and angrily whimper.

(End of this chapter)