Chapter 29

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Chapter 29

If the Supreme Elder of Tianyuan Sect were here, he would surely agree madly. Xie Fuzhi really did go to rob; in these years, his private possessions had been greatly plundered under the pretense of receiving new disciples as offerings.

The nearby merperson nodded with tears in their eyes: this person not only robbed but also forcibly took away the innocent and beautiful male merperson. The deep sea was cold; if he were not a merperson, he might freeze to death in this icy Cold Pool.

But as a newcomer, not understanding the situation, he didn’t dare to speak carelessly. What if this phoenix burned him to ashes? In legends about the phoenix, the Phoenix True Fire cannot be easily extinguished by water, and what’s more terrifying is that it can burn the soul.

Being engulfed in flames means not only the body would vanish but the soul would also perish in pain, completely losing the chance to be reborn. The merperson’s soul returns to a resting place in the deep sea, and he didn’t want to die in the fire of the Phoenix True Fire.

A huge merperson was floating in the Cold Pool. Yun Chuyou could not possibly miss seeing it if her eyes weren’t blind. Delicate, milk-like white fingers pointed at the merperson, "Master, what is this thing?"

She had been to the Cold Pool before, and there was definitely not a half-naked man in the water at that time.

Yes, merpeople do not wear much when they are in the sea. Who has ever seen a fish swim in clothes? Female merpeople wear a light veil for modesty, but males do not care.

Merpeople are considered a type of magical creature. The demon race does not have the same sense of decency as humans. They do not wear crowns or tie their hair back like people on land. Instead, their long, thick hair flows like seaweed, covering their bodies.

Xie Fuzhi followed Yun Chuyou’s puzzled gaze and realized in his hurry to see his precious student, he had forgotten that the merperson was still half-naked.

The deep-sea merperson had long, dark blue hair, thick like seaweed, falling over his snowy white shoulders. The merperson was extremely beautiful, with deep blue eyes that drew people in like a vortex of the deep sea.

Swimming can reshape one’s body. The face of the skilled swimmer merperson looked alluring and delicate, but his body was strong, with defined abdominal muscles and a smooth waistline. The water from the Cold Pool flowed down his throat to his beautifully shaped but not exaggerated chest muscles, continuing down to two lonely red flowers on his snowy skin, with crystal-clear drops of water reflecting colorful lights.

The deep-sea merperson indeed possessed a beauty that could captivate anyone’s heart.

Xie Fuzhi reacted quickly and hurried to cover Yun Chuyou’s eyes, "Chuyou, don’t look! It’s a dirty thing!"

The merperson soaking in the Cold Pool wished for a pair of hands to cover their ears and gently tell them, "Don’t listen; it’s bad criticism!"

Xie Fuzhi was very frustrated; he didn’t expect to make a mistake over such details. In his rush, he caught a useless merperson, and his pure-hearted apprentice was tainted by the shameless merperson!

Inside the Cold Pool, spiritual power could not be used, but it could be used outside. The deep-sea merperson, who had his upper body out to warm up, was suddenly hit by a giant wave that rose like a tsunami, plunging him into the cold, biting depths of the pool.

The merperson grumbled and blew a few bubbles in the thousand-year-old Cold Pool, "What Immortal Lord? He is truly not human!"

No, the other party wasn’t human; it was a phoenix. He changed his words and quietly cursed in the water, fearing the phoenix would hear him, and only dared to mouth the words in passionate insult, "What a bird-man!"

Yun Chuyou felt darkness in front of her, and a slightly warm hand covered her eyes. Time seemed to slow down, and she could hear the sound of waves hitting the blue stones.

She stood still, patiently waiting for a while, before asking, "Master, is it done yet?"

"Oh, oh, it’s done."

Xie Fuzhi tossed a waterproof garment into the Cold Pool, signaling for the other to hurry and put it on, then lifted his hand that had covered Yun Chuyou’s eyes, "Chuyou, she is the weaver I hired to make you some clothes."

The Alchemy Master has many branches. Although robes are considered one of the magical tools, there is still a big difference between clothing robes and weapons. To turn raw materials into beautiful robes, one must have a certain level of design skill and excellent taste.

The Qingxu Sect now has spirit farmers responsible for planting, and they hire Food Cultivators to prepare spirit food. They really just need someone to make clothes.

Yun Chuyou repeated uncertainly, "Weaver?"

In this world, everyone has long hair. Only monks who have just returned to the lay life and male prisoners released from jail might have short hair. The man soaking in the Cold Pool had big chest muscles, but they were flat, and his Adam’s apple was very prominent. No matter how you look at him, he is a man.

"Not a weaver, but a weaver boy," Xie Fuzhi corrected his small mistake. He was afraid his apprentice would be enchanted by the merperson’s beautiful face and have inappropriate thoughts. He quickly revealed the latter’s identity, saying, "He is a deep-sea merperson, with a fish tail and a strong fishy smell."

What is good about a smelly fish from the sea? Fish scales are slippery and have a disgusting stench, unlike him, who has warm, gorgeous feathers. Xie Fuzhi firmly supports the status of birds; those with feathers are the most beautiful beings in this world.

"So this is where you went, Master? Is this merperson your catch from sea fishing?"

Xie Fuzhi’s only hobby that matched that of an elder is fishing. In Yun Chuyou’s memory, most fishing enthusiasts around her were older middle-aged men or elderly men. After all, these people have money and time, and they don’t want to stay home to take care of children.

Fishermen indeed like sea fishing. Her master spends every day fishing in the deep pool, surely because he is worried about leaving the Qingxu Sect alone, which must be hard for him.

Yun Chuyou’s eyes held a touch of warmth, "When the time comes, I will go out to train, and during that time, Master can just go fishing by the sea."

Sea fishing? This merperson wasn’t caught by Xie Fuzhi, but was directly captured from the shallow sea. They just surfaced and hadn’t had time to reach the shore, and Xie Fuzhi simply and roughly dragged them to the land.

However, seeing the gentle look in his disciple’s eyes, Xie Fuzhi’s ears turned slightly red, and he mumbled, "I suppose so."

Using a net to catch fish and using a spear to stab fish are also ways of fishing; catching fish bare-handed is just another form of fishing.

However, when Yun Chuyou mentioned training outside again, Xie Fuzhi pointed to the piles of treasures, "You shouldn’t go out for training in the short term. First, use these things to raise your cultivation. If you need to develop a sense of killing, there’s no rush."

"Master hasn’t told me where these things came from."

Killing and stealing treasures shouldn’t be the case. Yun Chuyou knew her master was only a nascent soul cultivator. So many treasures couldn’t possibly belong to a simple nascent soul cultivator. Not to mention a nascent soul cultivator, even a powerful Soul Changing Stage cultivator might not have such riches.

There is still the Astral Projection Stage between the Nascent Soul Stage and the Soul Changing Stage. Even if her master is strong, it’s unlikely they could defeat hundreds or thousands of Astral Projection Stage cultivators at once.

Mainly, if she herself has only been in the Mortal World for about seven days, where could so many powerful beings come from to be robbed by her master?

Xie Fuzhi coughed softly and said, "What you’re saying is that these are treasures that the early leaders of the Qingxu Sect gathered over generations. Have you forgotten that our Qingxu Sect was once a top sect?"

"If the Qingxu Sect has such a strong legacy, then why didn’t Master use these things to keep the disciples at the beginning?"

Yun Chuyou’s gaze suddenly turned dangerous. If that were true, why did she have to suffer so much when she first came to the Qingxu Sect? At the beginning, they were truly poor, and the sect had nothing. They had to split a lower-grade spirit stone in half to use it.

She wasn’t Xie Fuzhi’s daughter. Was there a trend in the cultivation world to practice poverty education to toughen up the disciples’ minds?

That shouldn’t be the case. The most important things in cultivation are wealth, partners, laws, and land; external conditions are very important. Applying a harsh education while having resources is a sign of a misunderstanding.

Some inheritances are rich but unaware of it, thinking they are poor, yet they use top-quality items. Almost everything she has now was earned by herself, so that doesn’t apply to her.

More importantly, Xie Fuzhi is not someone who enjoys hardship. He never refuses to eat or drink well when it’s time.

Xie Fuzhi fell silent for a moment. He couldn’t just say it was on purpose; if he said that, the disciple would surely be angry.

He chose to speak delicately, being honest but only halfway, "I forgot. A few days ago, Chuyou wanted to train, which made me remember I had these hidden treasures. I’m not really sure what’s inside."

He really could not remember clearly because it had been too long since he buried anything, and he had forgotten everything.

After so many years together, Yun Chuyou could still tell if Xie Fuzhi was lying. She looked at the sparkling precious gems and quickly activated the protective array to prevent any cultivators flying above from seeing these treasures, "Master, hurry and put all these away, displaying them like this is not right."

"It’s not that I have too many things; I just wanted to take them out and organize them to see if there’s anything you can use, Chuyou."

Xie Fuzhi remembered that his disciple’s level was too low, and there were many things inside that Yun Chuyou could not yet use due to her cultivation.

He didn’t go to look for them before, partly because he didn’t want to see those so-called old friends, and partly because he thought Yun Chuyou was still too young.

"Before, I was always by Chuyou’s side, so I didn’t need these worldly items." With him around, Yun Chuyou was absolutely safe, but now things were different.

He suddenly realized that his disciple had grown up; she was no longer the little tail that clung to him every day, nor was she as fragile as at the beginning, when she could be poked to death with just a light touch.

The other party had grown strong; she was the Elder Martial Sister who could take good care of her younger martial siblings and was ready to leave the nest like a grown bird.

On the day Yun Chuyou left, Xie Fuzhi was alone at the top of the snowy mountain. He did not know why he recalled five years ago, when Yun Chuyou faced danger during her Golden Core Stage trial.

He thought that if his precious apprentice had enough life-saving magical items, even if he wasn’t around due to some unforeseen circumstances, Yun Chuyou would still be safe.

To prevent such things from happening again, he took this time to retrieve his old belongings.

Xie Fuzhi lowered his thick, curly eyelashes, giving off an air of sadness and fragility. He resembled a big mushroom growing on a rainy day—dark and damp—yet like a beautiful, delicate bubble made of soap. "Chuyou, are you blaming your master for not giving you good conditions?"

Oh no, the beautiful master is upset.

Yun Chuyou quickly reassured him sincerely, "Of course not, I know my master cares for me deeply. It was my master who saved my life, and without them, there would be no me now."

She looked at those treasures, "I just don’t want anyone to deceive me. Master knows that I dislike those petty calculations."

Although Yun Chuyou made a lot of money, it was essentially from producing and selling things, following market prices for her goods. Later on, as she made more potions and magical items, she signed contracts with stores, and it wasn’t her who was responsible for selling.

After she leveled up, she occasionally took on some high-level custom orders, earning her the title of a master craftsman rather than a greedy merchant.

She preferred to stay in Qingxu Sect because the organization had a simple structure. Her position as the top disciple meant she didn’t have to scheme to win over others.

"The training is very hard. The disciple does not want to waste energy trying to understand people’s hearts."

Xie Fuzhi said, "This is the reason I went to find treasures for Chuyou."

He looked very worried, "In the past, when you were in the Qingxu Sect, you didn’t have to deal with outsiders. Now, you have to face a dangerous world and tricky people. I’m worried you might get hurt."

What if the disciple is tricked and suffers? We need to build strong defenses to make sure no one can harm Yun Chuyou.

Yun Chuyou smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Master. I’m careful about whom I trust. I actually don’t like dealing with people much."

Although in her past life she was a very successful food blogger, she wasn’t the kind of person who was very outgoing. Yun Chuyou had a small circle of close friends and only a few people she spent time with.

In this life, she has her own junior and doesn’t lack people to talk to, so she won’t get fooled by outsiders. Yun Chuyou is not clueless; if she senses someone she dislikes, she will definitely stay away.

By the way, if all these things are treasures left by the past leaders of Qingxu Sect, then they belong to the sect.

"With so many spirit stones and magical tools, do they all have to be confiscated?"

Although being rich is a good thing, suddenly becoming very wealthy can bring its own troubles. There is so much wealth that even just keeping track of it is a huge task.

Yun Chuyou felt a little tempted herself; she really didn’t dare to give the counting work to anyone else.

Xie Fuzhi suddenly remembered something very important when he heard about the sect’s assets. The current Qingxu Sect doesn’t only have Yun Chuyou as a disciple; all of this belongs to him personally, and it cannot all be taken away.

Personal property can be given to anyone, but public accounts cannot; that belongs to the public property in Qingxu Sect and must be distributed to the disciples according to the rules. If Yun Chuyou wants something, it will also be recorded in the accounts, leaving a trace of its use.

Although these tasks are troublesome, when problems arise later, it will be clear and understandable. She is also thinking about expanding the sect; naturally, the rules must be established from the beginning.

What happens at the top influences those below; if the higher-ups are crooked, the lower levels will be in chaos. Yun Chuyou is thinking about the bright future of Qingxu Sect, so she sets a good example.

Although Xie Fuzhi does not manage affairs, he sees everything. He knows that Yun Chuyou, the current leader, is very dedicated. Public matters are handled separately from personal matters, and every account is recorded clearly. She is a good leader who follows rules but also has warmth.

However, it would not be right for him to change his mind now and claim it is all personal property. Chuyou would definitely think he is deceiving her, and an angry disciple is hard to calm down.

Xie Fuzhi stretched out his tone, "Um… actually, not all of this belongs to the previous leaders of the sect. Only these spirit stones do; the rest is personal property that I forgot in other places."

Yun Chuyou’s clear eyes looked at him, and Xie Fuzhi felt no guilt at all, "I’m telling the truth. Think about it; Master has lived for so many years, it’s normal to forget some things. I only remembered after thinking for a long time."

He waved his sleeve, and the other two mountains were immediately stored away.

Xie Fuzhi gave himself a thumbs up in his heart: spirit stones are all the same type and have clear value, making accounting so easy. He greatly saved Yun Chuyou’s time and effort.

"Whatever Master says is true," Yun Chuyou unconditionally chose to believe Xie Fuzhi, since this money seemed to come from nowhere; even if Xie Fuzhi said it was all his personal belongings, it wouldn’t have much impact on the current Qingxu Sect.

However, now there is an impact. If this many Premium Spirit Stones are added to Qingxu Sect’s accounts, the income for this year will soar. She had worked hard to earn money for five years after receiving the system, and now she generously shared so much profit with the sect; what she saved is only a small portion of this huge wealth.

Holding the account book and seeing the suddenly increased long line of zeros, Yun Chuyou felt a bit dazed. She thought, thank goodness in the cultivation world, cultivators don’t need to pay personal income tax; otherwise, giving away 20% of this unexpected fortune would really hurt her feelings.

The sect now has money, and the disciples’ shares can increase again. She generously increased the expenses for the sect’s great formation, expanding its activation range to cover the entire Congyun Mountains.

No, no, getting rich suddenly is a mindset that’s not necessary; let’s only expand half of it first. There are quite a few demon beasts in the mountains, and if they don’t go out to train, they should first clear out the wild monsters from the mountains, and once that’s done, then activate the entire great formation.

As for spirit stones, for now, she will only distribute middle-grade spirit stones and lower-grade spirit stones, since they are the most commonly circulated currency.

Premium Spirit Stones are a type of treasure. It is not really necessary to use them as money because there are many precious materials that cannot be bought with just spirit stones. Yun Chuyou decided not to withdraw this wealth for now.

After rewriting the sect rules for half a day, Yun Chuyou remembered the reason she returned suddenly. She had asked Zhong Wei for advice beforehand and organized her thoughts to inform her master about the Zhong family matters.

Hearing these secrets made Yun Chuyou feel very angry, but Xie Fuzhi looked at her with a smile as she spoke, and his expression did not change until she finished.

Yun Chuyou suddenly felt she could not see Xie Fuzhi clearly, "Master?"

Xie Fuzhi’s tone remained familiar and gentle, "I’m listening. What’s wrong?"

Yun Chuyou said, "Zhong Wei is your youngest disciple, the one you accepted personally."

Even though Xie Fuzhi brought her back, he seemed not to care much about Zhong Wei. In the original story, Xie Fuzhi should not be like this; he had darkened for his disciple and even destroyed the spiritual world.

Why would such a caring master remain indifferent when hearing about the tragic treatment of his youngest disciple?

Is it because of who brought whom close? Zhong Wei indeed joined the sect under the care of her Elder Martial Sister, but being a senior martial sister doesn’t mean the master does not have the duty to guide his disciples.

Even a stranger would feel angry upon hearing such things. Xie Fuzhi’s reaction was very strange.

Is this really my master, or have I fallen into a dream? Everything in front of me seems false, after all, the arrival of great wealth sounds like a fantasy.

Yun Chuyou suddenly took a step forward and grabbed Xie Fuzhi’s face. He did not pull away, and his pale face quickly turned red, "Chuyou?! Be gentle."

The touch of her fingers felt very real, warm, soft, and delicate. Yun Chuyou released her grip, "I just feel that everything happening today is a bit like a dream."

Xie Fuzhi realized that she must think she has been too indifferent about Zhong Wei’s situation.

"Chuyou, this is her karma, and hasn’t she already changed her fate?"

The young man with stunning looks said softly, "You are young and impulsive, but I am older and cannot always be like those youthful youngsters, forever young and always full of tears. I’ve seen much of this, so I don’t care as much."

Yun Chuyou fell silent. Is it really like that?

"This is her karma; she should understand it herself. Chuyou, you are not following the path of kindness, so there is no need to take on others’ issues as if they are yours."

"But what if the disciple encounters such a thing?"

Yun Chuyou felt a subtle discomfort in her heart; she still thought Xie Fuzhi was too indifferent.

What happened to the deep bond between master and disciple? She thought that if she faced trouble, Xie Fuzhi would surely want to take revenge for her, but now she was having doubts.

Xie Fuzhi confidently interrupted her, "That won’t happen. Since you were six, I have brought you back from the battlefield. I will not let such a thing happen to you!"

Xie Fuzhi was indeed indifferent to Zhong Wei’s past; having heard about it countless times, how could he be moved?

He made excuses for his previous behavior, "I am not ignoring her. The past is the past. Didn’t she already take revenge on the Zhong family? As for that Danchenzi, if she needs it, I will help her get rid of him."

He instinctively touched his face, where there were still traces of his disciple’s pinch; the girl practiced swordsmanship diligently, and her fingertips were covered with a thin layer of callus.

Yun Chuyou had indeed played around with him before, but Xie Fuzhi felt today was different. The warmth left by her fingertips felt like it was electrified, tingling and strange.

Zhong Wei, Yu Jiu, Meng He, and others were all part of fate’s design, but Yun Chuyou was an unexpected twist of fate; she was different.

Yun Chuyou suddenly felt that the atmosphere around Xie Fuzhi tonight was very different. He was no longer the relaxed and playful teacher she knew; instead, there seemed to be a huge dark shadow behind him, like a fierce and terrifying beast, making her instinctively feel danger.

Xie Fuzhi suddenly stopped smiling and repeated words similar to those he had said five years ago, "Chuyou, you are different from them. You are the teacher’s only true disciple, the most important student. No one in the Qingxu Sect is as important as you. Promise me one thing, please don’t take risks for others easily."

If Zhong Wei put Yun Chuyou in danger for those trivial matters, he would personally kill her. After all, he had dealt with such situations hundreds of times before and wouldn’t mind doing it again.