Volume 1, Chapter 363 – Zifu

“Have you heard of Yunlai Immortal Palace?”

As they walked along the street, Shi Lan suddenly remembered the invitation she had received before and asked.

Since Wu Lingkong was from the Central Heaven Domain, she ought to know more about it than Shi Tianlu did.

“Yunlai Immortal Palace? Of course. Why?”

After hearing Shi Lan explain about the invitation, Wu Lingkong could not help feeling puzzled.

“In two months… it’ll happen to be the time of Yunlai Immortal Palace’s annual gathering. They’ll hold the inner disciples’ grand competition and invite a lot of people to attend as guests. But why would they invite you?”

In the past, the people Yunlai Immortal Palace invited were usually figures of standing from the major powers.

Shi Lan shook her head and set the matter aside for the time being. It was only an inner disciples’ competition, and an annual one at that. It presumably was not anything too serious. Going to take a look would do no harm.

The two wandered along the streets. Most of the places Wu Lingkong brought Shi Lan to were teahouses or roadside taverns, while Tianbai’s gaze lingered more often on the snacks being sold by the roadside.

Even for martial artists of profound cultivation, the desire for food and drink was hard to sever, first because they did not want to, and second because there was no need.

For martial artists, the flesh of certain powerful creatures was no less effective than top-grade spirit pills.

Wu Lingkong was obviously very fond of Tianbai. Every time she bought food, there was always a share for him. Over time, even Tianbai’s gaze toward Wu Lingkong softened considerably.

A friend of the Honored One really is a good person too…

“The Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew at this Whale-Swallowing Tower is one of Shenfeng City’s finest. It’s just a bit expensive, but… today is a special case.”

As they passed a bustling restaurant filled with noise and chatter, a sly gleam flashed through Wu Lingkong’s eyes, and she strode right in.

“Shopkeeper Yu, I’m buying out all the Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew for the next few days!”

“So it’s Miss Wu. That’ll cost quite a lot of spirit crystals. This shop does not allow credit.”

A plump old man came forward with a smile, though his expression showed some surprise.

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Wu Lingkong was a regular customer, but normally she bought at most a single jar.

Only ten jars of Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew were sold each day, and the price was steep. With Wu Lingkong’s usual spending money, she could only afford to drink it once in a while.

“We have an honored guest at home. Just bring it all out.”

Wu Lingkong waved a hand, walked to the counter, picked up brush and paper, and with a flourish of the brush wrote the three characters for Wu Lingkong.

Pa.

She set down the brush and slapped the note onto the counter.

“Take this voucher to the City Lord’s Manor and collect the spirit crystals!”

“Please wait a moment, Miss Wu. I’ll go at once.”

Once he heard that the City Lord’s Manor had received an honored guest, the old man said no more. After calling over a waiter and whispering a few instructions, he headed toward the rear courtyard.

Before long, forty jars of Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew had been lined up neatly in front of Wu Lingkong.

After storing them all away in a storage artifact, Wu Lingkong shook the ring on her hand and sighed.

“My father only got me one of these after I entered the Earth Fiend Realm. If I’d had something this convenient earlier, life in the Demon-Suppressing Army wouldn’t have been so miserable.”

“If it weren’t like that, how could it count as training?”

Shi Lan smiled faintly. Storage artifacts were not easy to come by, and materials with spatial properties were not easy to find either. Very few people possessed a storage artifact while still in the Earth Fiend Realm.

When they passed the Nishang Pavilion, Wu Lingkong picked out two long dresses at the level of magic treasures for Shi Lan and forced them into her hands.

“It’s fine. My father has plenty of spirit crystals.”

Wu Lingkong grinned, then turned around and chose a pile of accessories for herself as well.

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“Take this voucher to the City Lord’s Manor and collect the spirit crystals.”

After tossing down another note, Wu Lingkong happily dragged Shi Lan out of the Nishang Pavilion.

…

…

It was not until after dark that Wu Lingkong finally brought Shi Lan back to the residence and went straight into the rear courtyard.

The rear courtyard felt somewhat quiet and lacking in life, with only the occasional maid passing through.

In the middle of the courtyard stood a towering ancient tree with a canopy like a vast parasol. It was now the fifth month, and the tree was covered in deep blue blossoms.

Night had already fallen. Shi Lan looked up and saw a sea of blue flowers reflected in her eyes. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering glimmering patches of light below, dreamlike and unreal.

“This tree is called Zifu. It only flowers and never bears fruit. The flowering period lasts half a month.”

Wu Lingkong walked slowly beneath the tree, lightly stroked the trunk, and said in a low voice,

“My father said my mother planted it. It’s a pity I never met her.”

Shi Lan looked up at the sea of blossoms overhead and asked nothing further.

With a turn of her hand, Wu Lingkong took out the forty jars of Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew and lowered her head to start digging a pit.

“What are you doing?” Shi Lan stepped forward, puzzled.

“You can’t finish all this Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew in one go.”

Wu Lingkong laughed softly.

“They say the Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew only reaches its best flavor after aging for over a hundred years. I’ve never tasted it like that.”

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“If you still want more after we finish these, we’ll just go buy fresh ones. I’m hiding away half of this batch. When I only bought one or two jars before, there wasn’t even enough for me to drink, let alone enough to stash away.”

Once the pit was dug, Wu Lingkong buried twenty jars of spirit brew deep inside it. After filling the earth back in, she turned to Shi Lan and smiled.

“If you still remember a hundred years from now, come to Shenfeng City. Half of these twenty jars of Hundred-Zhi Spirit Brew will be yours.”

Looking at the smile on Wu Lingkong’s face, for one fleeting instant, it felt as if some corner of Shi Lan’s heart had been touched, sending out a faint ripple. But in the next moment, it turned once more into a pool of still, dead water.

“All right.”

…

…

In the study of the City Lord’s Manor, the elderly steward held several notes in hand and bowed as he reported,

“City Lord, today the young lady spent a total of 2.45 million spirit crystals while out.”

Wu Minglie, bent over the desk, paused with his brush, then said softly,

“Take it from the treasury.”

“Yes.”

The old steward answered and slowly withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Tap.

A long while later, Wu Minglie slowly set down the brush in his hand. On the white paper before him was a lifelike portrait of a woman, so vivid it seemed she might move at any moment, her glance full of countless turns of tenderness.

Whoosh.

The window opened on its own without any wind, pushed by an invisible force. Beyond it stood the towering ancient tree in the distant courtyard.

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Lifting his eyes to the Zifu blossoms beneath the moonlight, gleaming with a brilliant, cold radiance, Wu Minglie murmured softly,

“She’s no ordinary creature in a pond…”

Boom…

A hidden door at the side of the study slowly opened. The portrait rose from the table into the air and drifted into the secret chamber.

…

…

Shi Lan lay back along a branch of the Zifu tree, one arm pillowing her head and one hand holding a wine jar, gazing at the bright moon overhead, her heart utterly calm.

If life could remain like this, that would not be bad at all.

Not far away, Wu Lingkong’s face was faintly flushed. Her eyes were half-closed as she sprawled over a branch, murmuring softly without end.

Wine jars lay scattered all over the ground. Of the twenty jars of Hundred-Flower Spirit Brew, well over eighty percent had already been emptied. Tianbai had crawled into one of the jars and was fast asleep.

“Samsara, can entering the mortal world really temper the heart?”

“There is far more than one way. This is only a suggestion.”

“There are less than two months left. Is there enough time?”

“I can choose a minor world for you. Two months in the Lingyang Realm is enough for a hundred years there.”

“Then choose one for me. I trust your judgment.”

Shi Lan slowly rose, scooped Wu Lingkong up in her arms, and carried her into the room.