Lady Cultivator

A muffled noise came from inside the pill furnace. Mo Tiange stopped her Dantian Fire and opened the furnace.

The fragrance of medicine had already morphed into a burnt smell. The spiritual plants had also turned into a pile of dregs.

She shook her head, poured the dregs out and washed the furnace with water she scooped from a stone basin before she once again placed the appropriate amount of materials into the furnace and continued concocting.

Although her Immortal’s Cave was small, it had everything she needed. Clear spring water was abundant in Clear Spring Peak. Some of the water was also rerouted so it flowed into the concocting room, thus making the pill-concocting process a lot more convenient. This good environment and abundance of spiritual aura made Mo Tiange perceive pill-concocting to be less stressful. Being able to see the changes during the concocting process as well as mastering the tiny steps was also very enjoyable.

It had been almost one month since she came to Xuanqing School. She now felt a lot more relaxed. Here, she had her own Immortal’s Cave and guidance from a Core Formation cultivator. She also didn’t need to be burdened by her identity. Furthermore, she was an elite disciple and she received quite a few medicinal pills and spirit stones each month. When Master Daoist Xuanyin distributed the disciples’ rations, she also received her share, so she no longer needed to worry about running errands and could focus solely on cultivating.

When she first arrived, Martial Uncle Xuanyin examined the state of her cultivation then told her to transform all of her spiritual aura into Yin spiritual aura before she built her foundation. These days, she had been following Martial Uncle Xuanyin’s instructions and slowly condensed her spiritual aura. In her free time, she slowly tried to learn more about pills-concocting.

She didn’t know whether it was because she was in a good mood or because of the abundance in spiritual aura, but her success rate in concocting had increased a lot. Nowadays, her success rate in concocting basic medicinal pills had reached 40%.

Achieving this success rate, which was standard of ordinary Concoction Masters, made her self-confidence increase…  In fact, my skills in pill-concocting aren’t that bad.

Regarding the medicinal field behind her cave, she asked Luo Fengxue for some seeds and planted them there. However, these medicinal plants would take at least ten years before they could be of any use.

Apart from these matters, she also met several other martial sisters.

There weren’t many female disciples under Martial Uncle Xuanyin. Even including Luo Fengxue, there were only three female disciples in total; the other two disciples already reached the Foundation Building realm.

The eldest martial sister, Han Qingyu, had a steady disposition and treated others kindly. According to Luo Fengxue, this eldest martial sister was very popular among their fellow disciples. Other martial sisters also got along with her. Luo Fengxue also said that if Mo Tiange ran into any problems in the future, asking this eldest martial sister would definitely be a good decision.

The second martial sister, Wei Jiasi, had a rather proud temperament. When Mo Tiange met her, Wei Jiasi directly said she just wanted to cultivate and returned to her cave. According to Luo Fengxue, this second martial sister had always perceived herself to be more talented than others, so she was probably envious that Mo Tiange was accepted by grandmaster as a registered disciple, thus giving off a negative impression when they met. Nonetheless, proud people usually had a straightforward temper. Wei Jiasi wouldn’t take the initiative to bully others, so Mo Tiange just needed to avoid provoking her.

Mo Tiange simply dismissed all these trifles with a laugh. Back in Yunwu Sect, the principle she lived by when she interacted with fellow disciples was that “people who smile wouldn’t get hit.” She forced herself to greet everyone with a smile and avoided incurring any hatred. Her situation now was ten times better than in Yunwu Sect, so why would she worry about something trivial like Wei Jiasi’s cold expression?

As for Qin Xi, ever since he brought her here, the two of them hadn’t even exchanged greetings let alone met up. Mo Tiange had asked Luo Fengxue about Qin Xi’s situation. Luo Fengxue answered that her martial uncle was fine and had entered Closed Door Meditation after he came back that day, but she seemed unwilling to tell Mo Tiange anything further.

This made Mo Tiange feel a little bit aggrieved. She naturally knew Xuanqing School was his real school and that he was closer to the people here than he was to her, but…

On the other hand, this situation also made her feel relieved. Even though she had been accepted by Grandmaster Jinghe as a registered disciple, there was still a vast difference between her status and Qin Xi’s. If they didn’t meet in the future, then she could easily manage her fluctuating emotions toward him and avoid the possibility of her emotions becoming her Inner Demon in the future.

In fact, because she had never experienced this before, she also wondered whether this was really a feeling typically felt between a man and a woman. She only thought Qin Xi was a bit more special to her than others because she felt very happy when she saw him and was rather reluctant when they had to separate. But on second thought, she didn’t think that not seeing Qin Xi was that unbearable. When she realized this, she was in complete bewilderment about her feelings.

Perhaps her worries were simply unfounded. Maybe she was just feeling grateful because Qin Xi came to her rescue when she was in a desperate situation. Besides, when she lost Second Uncle, it was Qin Xi who kept her company. Maybe she was just shifting the affection she had for Second Uncle to him.

Inside the concocting room, the medicinal fragrance gradually became stronger. Sensing that the medicinal pills inside the furnace had taken shape, Mo Tiange stopped daydreaming and began to make some calculations. The second she felt she had good control, she opened the pill furnace.

Several light-colored medicinal pills lay on the bottom of the furnace. Each was clear and transparent. Mo Tiange picked them up and fiddled with them for a moment before she put them into a small jade bottle with satisfaction.

The materials she bought from Tiandao Sect had been completely exhausted, and her pill-concocting skills were also progressing rapidly. Even these basic medicinal pills were no longer a problem for her. Now she could try to concoct medicinal pills of a slightly higher grade.

Although she had finished concocting these medicinal pills, she remained inside the concocting room to adjust her breath for a moment, planning to go on a trip outside after she finished.

Aside from the small town at the foot of the mountain, Xuanqing School also had a small market square inside the school grounds, which was designed specifically for the disciples. All the shops there were run by the school. Patrons of the market square were also disciples who wanted to either put their things up for sale or buy good things at cheap prices. The most important thing was that performing business transactions here was extremely safe.

She hadn’t finished adjusting her breath when she sensed a movement from the formation outside her cave. A Sound-Transmitting Talisman suddenly flew into the cave.

Right after she took it, the talisman spontaneously combusted, echoing a familiar voice in her ears: “Junior Martial Brother Ye, I’m outside.”

There was a slight quiver in her heart, but instead of smiling, a frown appeared on her face. Alas, she really didn’t want to see Qin Xi right now…

However, he was already on her doorstep, so would it be possible for her not to see him? She could only sigh, get up, straighten her robe, and try to muster up a normal smile. It was only after she was sure her emotions were stable that she walked towards the cave’s entrance.

Once she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of a man in a wide-sleeved robe standing with his hands behind his back. His posture was tall and straight. She could see nothing but his back, yet she could already feel his oppressive aura.

The man was gazing into the distance. It was unclear what he was really staring at. He turned around when he heard the noise of the door being opened.

Once he turned around, Mo Tiange was completely stunned.

The man in front of her had a face she knew well, yet the vibe he gave off was completely unfamiliar. As she stared at him, she really couldn’t help but feel puzzled. The black robes of Yunwu Sect’s ordinary disciples were simple but weren’t at all ugly, so why was this Senior Martial Brother Qin so unnoticeable back then? He merely changed his clothes, but he now seemed to have a magnificent, noble demeanor.

Mo Tiange hadn’t met Lord Daoist Jinghe, but if she met him, she would undoubtedly find that Qin Xi’s appearance now shared some similarities with Lord Daoist Jinghe.

While Mo Tiange examined Qin Xi’s appearance, Qin Xi was also sizing her up. Astonishment flashed across his eyes. He had never expected that “Junior Martial Brother Ye,” who had never once seemed feminine, could actually look so exquisite and elegant after she put on women’s clothing… In fact, he had already seen her wearing women’s clothing several months ago; it was just that she was in a miserable state and changed back to men’s clothing shortly thereafter, so he couldn’t remember how she looked like.

His astonishment only lasted for a brief second. After that, with a very natural attitude, he smiled and said, “Junior Martial Brother Ye, compared to before, you look far better dressing like this.”

Qin Xi’s sincere praise made Mo Tiange feel somewhat embarrassed for the thoughts she had been harboring in her mind. Whether it was his attitude or the way he interacted with her, Qin Xi was still treating her as “Junior Martial Brother Ye.”

Feeling that she wasn’t sincere enough, she cleared her mind and teased him with a smile like she did in the past. “Senior Martial Brother Qin looks really different today. I feel strange, Senior Martial Brother. Why did you dress like an inn’s waiter when you were in Yunwu Sect?”

Qin Xi was dumbfounded for a second before he burst into laughter.  An inn’s waiter… This analogy is pretty good . After he stopped laughing, he shook his head and said, “Junior Martial Brother Ye, I’m relieved. You’re still as smart-mouthed as before…”

Mo Tiange was startled by this remark. A warm feeling slowly bubbled up in her heart… She could sense the generosity of Qin Xi’s thoughts. His comment had nothing to do with the feeling between men and women – it was a kind of unpremeditated concern, so it made Mo Tiange feel even warmer.

She couldn’t help but wonder if this kind of feeling was better than the feeling between men and women that had been pestering her mind.

“Junior Martial Brother Ye?”

Upon hearing his voice, Mo Tiange finally realized that the two of them had been standing in her doorstep and hastily moved aside to make way for Qin Xi. She said, “Sorry, Senior Martial Brother Qin. Please come and sit inside.”

“No need.” Qin Xi shifted his gaze around then said meaningfully, “I came to give you a few things.”

There were several martial sisters living close to her. Understanding that Qin Xi wanted to avoid arousing their suspicion, Mo Tiange didn’t insist and just said with a smile, “Does Senior Martial Brother Qin have some kind of treasure for me?”

From his Qiankun Bag, Qin Xi took out a small, half square foot case that was decorated with gold and other precious stones. He gave it to her and said, “I went into Closed Door Meditation to stabilize my realm after I came back and didn’t think about this, but after I came out today, I realized that your identity is different now and you probably need these.”

His expression seemed very strange and his gaze was also shifting around… He seemed like… he was embarrassed!

Feeling utterly baffled, Mo Tiange doubtfully accepted the case. However, she went from being baffled to stunned when she opened the case.

Qin Xi coughed and said, “These aren’t treasures – they’re just a gift sent by the Qin Clan in the secular world. For us male cultivators, silver, gold or jewelry are simply useless and always ended up being thrown away. However, they’re presumably things you female cultivators still need.”

Mo Tiange picked up a hairpin from inside the case. It was made of a light-green-colored warm jade and had a bright luster. Although it wasn’t overly decorative and looked simple, it was still exquisite and elegant. Never had it crossed her mind that after she reinstated her identity as a woman, someone would actually gift her women’s jewelry and accessories.

Even though her feelings were surging, she simply took a deep breath and closed the case. She then raised her head and said with a smile, “Thank you, I’ve never worn such precious things before.”

Upon seeing her calm response, Qin Xi finally sighed with relief. He then smiled and said, “Precious? They’re just a few trinkets from the secular world. It’s good if you think they’re useful.”

“How are they not precious? This is the first time I’ve received jewelry…” When she got to this part, Mo Tiange suddenly stopped speaking. She felt her words were… a bit ambiguous? It was really annoying! Hadn’t she just planned to interact with him with an open mind? How could things be going wrong again?

Qin Xi, who seemed to sense nothing was wrong, said, “I guessed so too. Junior Martial Brother Ye…” He paused for a moment and shook his head before continuing, “This won’t do. With your appearance now, calling you Junior Martial Brother Ye is inappropriate. En… Junior Martial Sister Mo?”

Mo Tiange was dumbfounded and said, “This… sounds a bit strange.”

“Agreed…” Qin Xi said. He then raised his head and pondered for a moment. “Or how about I directly call your name? Xiaotian—No, Tiange?”

“Huh?” This …

Qin Xi couldn’t hold back a chuckle when he saw her expression. “It’s just a joke. However, I really don’t know how I should address you in the future.”

This was indeed a problem. In the future, he couldn’t always call her “Junior Martial Brother Ye.” Others would feel very weird if they heard it.

“En… Actually, I don’t mind if you directly call me by my name.” Anyway, he also called Fengxue by her name, so even if he addressed Mo Tiange by her name, other people wouldn’t think it was weird.

“You don’t? In that case, I can…” He stopped speaking and shifted his gaze to her side.

At this moment, someone had come out from one of the Immortal’s Cave by the side. Sensing that there were some people there, that person curiously took a look at the two of them.

It was the second martial sister, Wei Jiasi.

Qin Xi calmly shifted his gaze back, smiled and said, “I’ll head back first. Next time, if you need anything, you can just send me a Sound-Transmitting Talisman.”

With a spectator from the sidelines, Mo Tiange naturally wouldn’t force Qin Xi to stay. She politely said, “Thank you for today. Until we meet again…”

Qin Xi nodded and left without saying anything more.

When he had walked far away, Mo Tiange finally turned around and greeted with a smile: “Senior Martial Sister Wei.”

Wei Jiasi’s expression looked rather strange. She seemed shocked, baffled and unhappy. In the end, she only cast Mo Tiange an indifferent glance then returned to her cave.