"Ah?"
Qing Jun, being easily fooled, panicked the moment she heard she might become ugly,
"No, no! Qing Jun doesn’t want an iron tail! Master, please keep rubbing it for me!"
Thus.
Under Chen Ye’s coaxing, the little girl not only stopped resisting but also actively offered her tail to Chen Ye, even giving instructions: "Master, a bit higher... yes, yes, right there, it just felt a bit tight there... ah! The tail is so itchy!"
Hmm...
Looks like, under the master’s persuasion, this little dragon girl will obediently offer her tail in the future!
...
Over the past few months, Mao Qingzhu has been coming to Cangli Courtyard every few days to inquire about Qing Jun’s situation.
That concern was truly genuine.
Moreover, Qing Jun had a special relationship with her.
Now that Qing Jun had awakened, it was right to inform her.
Chen Ye gathered a bit of spiritual power at his fingertips.
A streak of flowing light shot up to the sky, heading towards the direction of Lanyue Pavilion.
Just as the message talisman was sent, it didn’t take half a cup of tea time.
A streak of azure escape light sliced through the sky like a startled swan, landing directly outside Cangli Courtyard.
"Brother Ye!"
The courtyard door was gently pushed open, and Mao Qingzhu, dressed in a green robe, graceful and enchanting, walked in briskly.
Her hair slightly disheveled, clearly having rushed over:
"I just received the message, is it true that Qing Jun has come out of seclusion?"
"Aunt Mao!"
Qing Jun’s eyes lit up, she remembered Aunt Mao was quite wealthy!
Moreover, she just consumed many treasures from her master...
No way!
She also needed to earn Spirit Stones! Otherwise, the master might dislike her!
Qing Jun’s eyes twinkled, opening her little hands and pouncing over.
"Hmm??"
Mao Qingzhu was pleasantly surprised, a delightful expression spreading across her face as she caught the little bundle pouncing at her.
But just as she caught her, Mao Qingzhu’s expression changed.
"This..."
So heavy!
Is this the weight of a girl?
Moreover, she could clearly feel the powerful flow of qi and blood within Qing Jun, like a rushing river.
This powerful qi and blood even surpassed that of an average Foundation Establishment body cultivator!
Mao Qingzhu looked at Chen Ye in astonishment:
"Brother Ye, after months of seclusion, how has Qing Jun’s body become so robust?"
Chen Ye had already thought out his response, calmly picked up his teacup, and stated without any change in expression:
"This girl is blessed. This seclusion not only allowed her cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment but also awakened an extremely special physique—the Ancient Barbarian Bull Body. This physique comes with innate divine power, a body as tough as gold and iron, but requires a large appetite."
Ancient... Barbarian Bull Body?
Mao Qingzhu was momentarily taken aback.
Coming from a prestigious family and well-read, she had never heard of such a physique.
And Qing Jun’s fair and tender face, delicately crafted, didn’t match the concept of a barbarian bull.
"I see..."
Although Mao Qingzhu had doubts, the vastness of the Cultivation Realm was full of wonders. Moreover, Chen Ye was unparalleled in medicine and alchemy, perhaps employing a special herbal bath for tempering.
She didn’t delve into it, tenderly pinching Qing Jun’s soft little face:
"No matter the physique, as long as she’s healthy, that’s all that matters. Seems like this seclusion was quite the ordeal for Qing Jun?"
"Mm... Bitter! Especially bitter!"
Qing Jun’s big eyes rolled, her laughing face suddenly dropping.
She released Mao Qingzhu’s neck, hanging her little head down, and cutely poked her index fingers together in front of her, speaking in a soft, syrupy voice,
"Aunt Mao doesn’t know... um... it was so dark and cold in that closed space... Qing Jun slept inside, and in her dreams, she didn’t even have drumsticks to eat, her stomach was growling... When she woke up, she felt like she could swallow a bull..."
Saying this, she theatrically sniffled, lifting those misty big eyes, looking pitifully at Mao Qingzhu,
"Auntie, has Qing Jun become ugly? Master just said Qing Jun eats too much, he wants to sell Qing Jun for Spirit Stones..."
Chen Ye, in the middle of drinking tea: "Pfft—!!"
This cheeky girl!
She was just saying she’d earn to support her master, and now she’s turning around to sell her master?
Wait a minute...
Chen Ye realized, this girl was trying to play the pity card to earn Spirit Stones from Sister Qingzhu!
Mao Qingzhu, upon hearing this,
cast a reproachful glance at Chen Ye:
"Brother Ye! How could you joke like that with Qing Jun? Qing Jun is growing, what’s wrong with eating a little more? We can afford it!"
Chen Ye sighed helplessly, "Sister Qingzhu, don’t listen to Qing Jun’s nonsense..."
Besides.
We really can’t afford it.
Qing Jun’s stomach is a bottomless pit; no matter how much food there is, she’ll eat it all.
It’s not just him, even the Lingyin Sect probably couldn’t afford it.
Only a flourishing Cultivation Realm like the Ruins Country could barely support Qing Jun—and in the original storyline, it was indeed when Qing Jun arrived at the Ruins Country that she started to stand out.
Mao Qingzhu sighed slightly.
Of course, she believed Brother Ye, but she also knew that Qing Jun just wanted some Spirit Stones!
Mao Qingzhu was more than willing to give Qing Jun Spirit Stones:
"Don’t listen to your master’s nonsense. Qing Jun, you’re not ugly at all, in fact, you’re becoming prettier. Here, Auntie came in a hurry today and didn’t bring any food. Here’s some Spirit Stones—it’s your pocket money for this month. Buy whatever you want to eat, don’t go hungry."
With that,
Mao Qingzhu untied a delicate embroidered pouch from her waist and handed it to Qing Jun.
Qing Jun weighed it with her small hand.
Wow!
It’s a storage magical treasure!
It contained over a thousand Spirit Stones!
The little girl had never owned so many Spirit Stones by herself before and she grinned from ear to ear.
She quickly tucked the embroidered pouch away and then hugged Mao Qingzhu sweetly, saying:
"Hehe, Auntie smells nice and is much more generous than Master!"
"You little rascal..."
Mao Qingzhu was so amused that she covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving happily.
Ungrateful little girl!
Her master had just given her a treasure worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, yet now he’s not generous?
Chen Ye really wanted to grab Qing Jun by her little tail and give her a good spanking!
With that matter settled,
Mao Qingzhu turned around, her expression becoming serious as she looked at Chen Ye:
"Brother Ye, I heard that Zhiwei is planning to attend the upcoming Luoxiao Grotto Heaven in a month? Are you really going to let her go?"
"Of course."
Chen Ye nodded, glancing at Qing Jun,
"Actually, I even want Qing Jun and Jin’er to have a go at Luoxiao Grotto Heaven as well."
"But... Luoxiao Grotto Heaven is not the same as Songyang Cave Heaven."
Mao Qingzhu looked worried,
"Luoxiao Grotto Heaven is located in the central part of the Yan Kingdom where five major powers converge, all participating in Luoxiao Grotto Heaven, making it exceptionally dangerous. Over the past century, no fewer than five True Disciples from our sect have fallen in Luoxiao Grotto Heaven. Zhiwei and the others, inexperienced as they are, going directly to Luoxiao Grotto Heaven, might be too dangerous."
Inexperienced?
These three girls are each more clever than the last.
Besides,
Zhiwei and Qing Jun had been through thick and thin with him in the Market for several years, and Zhiwei had even gone with him to Songyang Cave Heaven.
Not to mention, they had experienced many other trials over the years, hardly inexperienced.
Admittedly,
in the past, Chen Ye preferred stable growth.
But the recent appearance of the Li Family in the Ruins Country had been a wake-up call for Chen Ye... this is one of Qing Jun’s major enemies in the early period.
In the original storyline, by now Zhiwei and Qing Jun had already faced countless dangers, their minds and skills becoming increasingly sophisticated.
But now, although Zhiwei and Qing Jun had gone through some trials, most were under their master’s protection, and their skills and abilities had not substantively improved.
If they continue to grow like this and later encounter enemies of Ling and Xu’s level, I’m afraid they won’t be able to handle it.
"A tree cannot grow tall in a greenhouse."
Chen Ye’s gaze passed through the pear tree in the courtyard, looking towards the direction of the Ruins Country,
"Qingzhu, I know you care for them. But if they always stay as chicks under my wings, what will they do once I can no longer protect them? Besides, these three girls are each more extraordinary than the last... now that they’ve reached Foundation Establishment, it’s time for them to make their own moves."
"It seems... I’ve been thinking too simply."
Mao Qingzhu smiled wryly, taking a gentle sip of tea,
"I trust Brother Ye. If Brother Ye has made up his mind, then let all three of them go to Luoxiao Grotto Heaven. It’s just that this Grotto Heaven... is indeed dangerous. The reason our sect made enemies with the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect stems from Luoxiao Grotto Heaven."
Chen Ye was surprised, he hadn’t known the history of the Lingyin and Myriad Puppets’ sect’s enmity, so he asked curiously, "It was because of Luoxiao Grotto Heaven? Sister Qingzhu, please tell me about it."
Mao Qingzhu nodded, beginning to narrate.
It turns out,
Back in the day within Luoxiao Grotto Heaven, Bai Li had killed three True Disciples of the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect.
The most crucial part was, one of them was an unparalleled prodigy, once rivaling even Bai Li in fame.
"Luoxiao Grotto Heaven is reputed to be a place where life and death are predestined, not to be contested, but to believe that blindly would be too naive."
Mao Qingzhu sighed longingly.