Chapter 95: Chapter 78: The Bustle of Daily Life in the Big Mixed Courtyard, Love Is No Match for Cultivation

The Big Mixed Courtyard grew lively again.

Widow Qin bustled about, lighting the stove. Old Li’s wife rummaged through her room and pulled out dried mushrooms and cured meat she had stored for half the winter. He the Venerable even deftly procured a bag of Spirit Rice from the Ice and Fire Cave.

The kitchen was filled with billowing steam and the clanging of spatulas, the long-missed warmth of a bustling kitchen dispelling the recent desolation.

While chopping winter bamboo shoots, Widow Qin discreetly sized up the young man drawing water by the well and whispered:

“Brother Yi seems a little different since he’s come back.”

She couldn’t quite put her finger on how he’d changed, only that he vaguely exuded an air of maturity.

He the Venerable squatted before the stove, feeding it firewood. He gestured with his hands from time to time, saying:

“You should have seen how imposing those Upper Cultivators were! When they spoke, it was like thunder—BOOM! RUMBLE!”

Jiang Yi listened with a faint smile.

In truth, He the Venerable hadn’t actually seen the fight between Xuan Chanzi and the people from the Taifu Sect. It was just that in the following days, during the neighbors’ idle after-dinner chats, everyone claimed to have been present, each spinning their own wildly embellished tales of the intense Magical Combat.

“This little cat is so small, like a ball of fluff. It’s really quite cute.”

Widow Qin’s eyes shifted, her gaze landing on the calico cat squatting at Jiang Yi’s doorway. She asked with curiosity:

“Did you buy it at the foot of the mountain, Brother Yi? It couldn’t be a ’Spirit Pet,’ could it?”

The Cat Master hated nothing more than being regarded as a common house pet.

Sure enough, True Master Xuanmiao’s ears perked up instantly, its amber eyes filling with an air of imposing dignity.

Jiang Yi quickly explained:

“This cat isn’t a Spirit Pet. He’s my little master.

Whenever I encounter difficulties in my Cultivation and my mind grows restless, I just hold the Cat Master. All my distracting thoughts immediately vanish, and I can calm down. A true teacher indeed!”

Widow Qin marveled, never having heard such an explanation before.

“No wonder you won’t let anyone else touch the little cat, Brother Yi. It’s because he’s a master you’ve sworn yourself to, haha!”

He the Venerable joked,

“Seeing you carry it around all day, never letting it out of your sight, I thought you’d gotten yourself a child bride!”

Jiang Yi shook his head in resignation. ’They’re getting more and more outrageous.’ After drawing the water and wiping his hands, he quickly covered the Cat Master’s ears and carried him back into the room.

“Meow.”

True Master Xuanmiao sat on the bed, surveying the cramped room.

The rough earthen walls let in a draft. It was cramped, stuffy, and small as a cage.

A trace of pity flashed in its round eyes.

’Xiao Jiang’s life was this difficult before!’

’To remain so determined to seek the Dao in such trying circumstances… he is truly worthy of being my head Disciple!’

“Mrow mrow.”

True Master Xuanmiao raised a forepaw. Jiang Yi immediately understood and reached out to gently touch it.

The Cat Master was always reluctant to speak aloud when they were outside, but Jiang Yi could generally understand its meaning. It was some comforting sentiment along the lines of, ’As your master, I will never let you suffer like this again.’

“Rest assured, Cat Master. Please put up with this for a few days. I will definitely find a spacious and bright place for you to live.”

Jiang Yi made his promise. Though he didn’t know True Master Xuanmiao’s exact origins, the cat was, at the very least, a “Foundation Establishment Upper Cultivator.” It really shouldn’t have to endure such hardship with him.

Besides, now that he had reached the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, he might not be considered an “expert” in the wider world, but among the Outer Sect Four Peaks, he was practically peerless.

There was no need to suffer unnecessarily!

“Mrow!”

True Master Xuanmiao was full of praise. ’Xiao Jiang is indeed a devoted Disciple!’

Jiang Yi fed the last of the Spirit Bird Jerky to the Cat Master before stepping out of the room.

In the courtyard, everyone had busily set up tables and chairs. A steaming pot of *yan du xian* was placed on the table.

Cured meat from the winter, simmered with celtuce, pork belly, and bean curd knots until the broth was a creamy white. The fragrant aroma was utterly mouth-watering.

This was Old Li’s wife’s signature dish, a specialty said to be popular throughout the southern part of the Zhao Country.

“It’s a shame it isn’t spring yet,” Old Li’s wife said with a touch of regret. “If we could’ve added some fresh bamboo shoots, it would be so savory your eyebrows would fall right off!”

“When’s Old Li coming back? Been a while since we had a drink together. Kinda miss him.”

He the Venerable buried his face in his bowl, drinking the soup, but he didn’t touch a single piece of the cured meat, picking only at the vegetables.

Seeing this, Widow Qin said in surprise,

“Old He, aren’t you usually unhappy without meat? What happened on your trip down the mountain, did you decide to become a monk?”

In the Nanzhan Continent, a world ruled by the Demon Dao, there was little sectarian prejudice.

The Sword Dao, with its handful of scattered practitioners, had put down roots here. So too had many hidden Witch Priests, Evil Spirits, and even Dharma Lineages expelled by the Immortal Dao—all could find a place for themselves.

Among the hundred-odd vassal states under its domain, some revered the Dao while others worshipped the Buddha. Such things were commonplace and not at all surprising.

Seeing He the Venerable’s awkward expression, at a loss for how to explain himself, Jiang Yi quickly jumped in to save him.

“Brother He made a great vow to eat only vegetarian food for a year.”

Old Li’s wife grew even more curious.

“Have you really turned over a new leaf, Old He? You used to refuse to even sit at the table if there wasn’t good food and wine!”

Jiang Yi explained, suppressing a laugh,

“Over in the Sanhe District, there’s a place called Zhizhen Garden with a Gambling Pool. Brother He joked that if he won the prize, he’d go vegetarian for a year. Who would’ve thought he’d actually win.”

He the Venerable shot Jiang Yi a grateful look and quickly nodded in agreement.

“That’s right! A man’s gotta have his pride, and my word is my bond! What’s said is said, can’t take it back, no sir!”

The truth was, he felt terribly guilty for having mistakenly drunk the Hundred Infant Red and eaten the Spirit and Body.

That was why, for the first time in his life, he wanted to eat vegetarian food to soothe his conscience.

Hearing this, Widow Qin and Old Li’s wife couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up in praise.

After eating just enough to line his stomach, Jiang Yi distributed the New Year’s gifts he had purchased down the mountain to everyone in the Big Mixed Courtyard.

They weren’t expensive items, just common holiday goods like gift boxes, dried fruits, and medicinal wine.

When it was Widow Qin’s turn, Jiang Yi took a few heavy packages from his satchel, handed them to her, and said with a smile,

“Sister Qin, that old shop you like has more than just the Red Crispy Sugar. They also make these fragrant, crispy sugar cakes. I grabbed a few for you to try.”

Widow Qin accepted with a beaming smile and they exchanged a few more pleasantries. Back in her room, she opened the oil-paper package. Inside, besides the Red Crispy Sugar and sugar cakes, was a neatly rolled stack of red talisman money.

It was the exact sum she had given to Jiang Yi before he left, untouched down to the last coin.

“Oh, that Brother Yi…”

Widow Qin shook her head and chuckled. She broke off a piece of a sugar cake and tasted it. Crispy, fragrant, and sweet—it was a rare and wonderful treat.

After putting the money away, she couldn’t help but think of the message Luo Qian’er had asked her to deliver, and her brow gradually furrowed.

’What exactly are Brother Yi’s feelings for that Miss Luo? This message… should I tell him or not.’

…

…

’Cultivation is still more interesting.’

Jiang Yi had gotten used to the cozy warmth of his upper room in the Dai Pavilion, heated by a Fire Basin Dragon. Returning to his shack in the Big Mixed Courtyard was a difficult adjustment.

’I should rent a private courtyard for a while,’ he mused, ’and live the comfortable life of the Village Clan Direct Lineage for a few days.’

[I beg the Celestial Book, show me the progress of my current Cultivation.]

[Deduction results are as follows:]

[Celestial Book Bearer: Jiang Yi]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer (92% Complete)]

[Cultivation Techniques: “True Meridian Qi Flowing Technique” (Ungraded), “Mixed Refining and Forging Yuan Fire Control Technique” (Seventh Grade)]

’As I thought. The astounding Dao Inheritance imparted by the Cat Master has completely absorbed the “Little Refining Yuan Fire Control Technique”—the one that was originally Ninth Grade, then promoted to Eighth Grade.

Not only was the word ’Little’ removed, but the words ’Mixed Refining’ have been added.’

Jiang Yi wasn’t surprised. He had sensed it when he refined that wisp of Mingtang Qi—a fundamental change in the True Qi Essence throughout his entire body.

’What’s even more surprising is that the Cultivation Technique rose another grade, becoming a ’Seventh-Grade Technique’.

Could it be that the true mystery of that eight-character principle lies not only in its ability to absorb and refine all kinds of Spiritual Energy…

…but also in its extraordinary effect of merging and continuously upgrading Techniques?’

At this thought, Jiang Yi’s heart surged with excitement.

Then, his unanswered question surfaced once more.

All Cultivators under heaven revere the Five Elements. Among them, Fire Element Techniques are divided into “Yang-Attribute Bing Fire” and “Yin-Attribute Ding Fire.”

’If ’Mixed Refining Origin’ can devour Ding Fire… can it also absorb Bing Fire?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep