I let out a breath of turbot qi, hurriedly absorbing the mass amounts of spiritual energy condensing around me throughout my meridians before directing it into my dantian. After a few breaths, the chaotic spiritual energy calmed down, settling into the bloated dantian, the walls expanding. The next moment, I felt something breakthrough and my cultivation officially broke through to the seventh layer of foundation establishment.
I opened my eyes, standing up to stretch, feeling comfortable all over. I held out my hand, I circulated my spiritual energy, condensing it into a golden flame that radiated yang energy. I smiled in satisfaction, feeling the divine heat of the fire in my palm, an effect of the Basking Dawn technique.
The yang energy in my qi has become denser after my breakthrough. It shouldn't be long before I have to ask Shizun for the next level of the technique. At the thought of that, my smile grew wider.
It's been a while since I've last seen Shizun. I hope he's doing well.
After, I sat myself back on the meditation mat, crossing my legs in lotus position, and started to consolidate my realm. But the next moment, I heard a knock on the cave entrance.
I opened my eyes, looking up to the closed entrance of the cave before standing up. Taking out my disciple token, I pressed it against the carving on the wall, opening the cave.
Before the threshold, Dongque shijie stood there in the dark blue robes of True disciples, her black hair messily done in a long braid, and a spear slinged over her shoulder. She stepped inside, leaning against the threshold of the cave.
When I saw her, a knot in my heart released, making my smile grow brighter as I greeted in a martial bow.
"Junior Wang Aiyu greets Dongque shijie."
I looked up, seeing her carefree smile as she waved.
"Senior disciple greets Junior Aiyu. How are you? I heard from Sect leader that you were heavily injured, and now I find you here recklessly cultivating," she scolded with exasperation, walking over to pinch my cheek.
I failed to dodge as the side of my cheek was mercilessly pulled with her two fingers, a stinging pain spread throughout my cheek. I yelped, unable to pry her hands off my face before she got a hold on my other cheek, ruthlessly yanking it.
"Shijie let go!" I yelped, gripping her hands in an attempt to pull them off.
Her stern face turned into a relaxed smile, letting go of my cheeks only to cup my face in her hands and squish it together! I felt my skull being compressed by her golden core strength as I frantically tried to pull my face away from this demoness before she could do more damage.
"Shijie!"
She gave a laugh, finally letting go of me with obvious reluctance in her eyes. I quickly drew some distance between us, rubbing both sides of my face that were probably red and swollen now. I threw a glare at her, which she returned with a raised brow as if she was innocent in all this. I stuck my tongue out, turning away as I circulated qi through my face, the pain and swollenness easily subsiding in a few breaths.
I turned back, still frowning as I asked, "What does Li Dongque Shijie need from me?"
"Aye? What happened to Dongque shijie? Has this senior fallen out of favor with you?" she laughed, crossing her arms in mock annoyance.
I rolled my eyes, "Just tell me why you're here. Did grandfather send you? If he did, I'm not going with you in a thousand reincarnations!"
She waved her hands, shooting back, "Eh, do you really think I'm such a person? Might as well call me a demonic cultivator then."
She sat herself on my meditation mat, digging through her storage bag before tossing me a silver hairpin with a crescent moon. I caught it, realizing that it was the same hairpin I sent to junior brother, being much more pristine and a denser spiritual presence, equivalent to a low yellow grade treasure.
"He'er told me to send this back to you on his behalf," Dongque shijie explained
"I see," I nodded, sending a wisp of qi through the hairpin before asking, "Did he sense any demonic energy when appraising it?"
She shook her head.
"He said after refining, it appeared to be just a mere yellow grade protective treasure, not even able to withstand an attack from cultivators at the peak of the third layer of qi refining."
"So weak," I muttered, indeed feeling the extremely thin layer of protective qi around my body as I held it in my palm.
Compared to the True disciple robes of the sect, their difference is like the difference between heaven and earth.
"Compared to what Shizun gifts us, this small artifact is indeed weak, but it should fetch a good price at auction with loose cultivators," Shijie suggested, getting up to poke at the protective qi layer.
"Really? Wouldn't they want to buy something more useful?"
Dongque Shijie let out a laugh, wrapping her arm around my shoulder as she sighed, "It may not be useful to you, but to loose cultivators, this treasure is truly a good. With how focused Young master Wang is on his cultivation, it's understandable if his knowledge outside of the sect is like a frog in a well."
My frown deepened, looking away from her smug face.
"Hmph, my heart is simply committed to the dao, what else would I focus on if not cultivation?" I scoffed, shooting a glare as I tossed the silver hairpin into my storage bag.
I turned back to her, brushing her arm off my shoulder before taking a few steps away.
"So are you just here to cause trouble or do you want something?" I questioned, a new set of black lines appearing on my face.
Raising her hands in mock surrender, her expression morphing into one of feigned hurt as she adopted a haughty tone akin to an arrogant senior.
"Aiyah, what calamity did I bring to have such a heartless junior like you? This senior just wants to spend time with her junior. If I don't take you out sometimes, what's stopping you from turning into a cultivation manual?"
I rolled my eyes again, taking my meditation mat before stuffing it into my storage bag.
What nonsense. Turning into a cultivation manual, my heart is just committed to the dao unlike a certain demoness. I've only been in seclusion for a few months, to cultivators that's the equivalent to the blink of an eye. Others spend years in seclusion. If I didn't also want to temper myself, I wouldn't leave seclusion either.
"If you wanted to go out, you could've contacted me through a message talisman," I grumbled.
I looked through my storage bag, counting the amount of spirit stones and bank notes I had on hand. Knowing Shijie, I'll be a few thousand spirit stones poorer by the time we return.
"Is this senior not allowed to tease her junior a little?"
I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose as I sent a message to the Qianyunshu pavilion to withdraw a few thousand mid grade spirit stones.
"If you want a new spear from the auction, just tell me plainly."
"And a new robe too," she added, dropping the haughty tone.
My brow twitched, holding myself back from beating her right there before sending another message to Qianyunshu pavilion to withdraw another thousand spirit stones with a deep sigh. After cleaning everything up, I fixed the collar of my robe before walking out, Shijie following beside me.
------------------
"Hm, so? Tell your Shijie how beautiful she is."
I stared at Dongque Shijie, now wearing a light purple silk robe, the wide sleeves fading into a deeper purple with white embroidery at the ends, paired with a gold belt and jewelry. Her hair was half down, the rest being braided into two twin buns fastened by small gold hairpins inlaid with sparkling iridescent gems.
"It looks nice."
"Just looks nice? Aiyah, Shidi, if you can't even compliment your Shijie correctly, how will you ever get a dao partner?" she humphed, motioning over to the staff nearby to try on another outfit.
Another one? Isn't that the third robe she's tried today?
I sighed, leaning against the wall as staff swarmed around her, each holding a different robe in various colors.
After another round of outfits, she settled on a flowing robe in light blue and peach with simple gold accessories, and an iridescent head piece that decorated her tied up hair.
She stood before me, a proud smile on her face as she raised a brow, "So?"
I gave her a thumbs up, no longer having the energy to answer.
"Hmph, good enough," she shrugged, calling over a nearby staff.
They came over, their smile bright like every other worker when we shop here.
"Is there anything this beautiful immortal needs?"
"Yes, we'd like to buy this robe as well," Shijie said, her smile softening as she met their eyes.
Paired with her current robes, if you didn't know her personally, any person would have thought her to be a beautiful young noble woman with a gentle and kind temperament. Truly a great actor. If I didn't know better, I would've fallen for the act with all those other young masters vying for this demoness's attention. In fact, when I was first taken in by Shizun, I was mesmerized by her spear arts and her amiable temperament. But it didn't take long for this demoness to show her true face, and she's been tormenting me ever since. Even now, I can still feel the stinging pain in my cheeks.
The staff's grin grew even brighter, cheerfully nodding as they named a price of three hundred and fifty low grade spirit stones. Dongque Shijie glanced at me, nudging my elbow with a smirk. Rolling my eyes, I took out bank notes worth three hundred and fifty spirit stones before handing them to the clerk. The staff quickly took the bank notes, giving a ninety degree bow in thanks before escorting us out.
She waved the clerk farewell, her amicable smile disappearing as she turned to drag me away. By the time we left the market, the sun had already set, dyeing the sky in an inky black. Paper lanterns lit the street, the roads sparse with people either returning home or cultivators on night patrol.
I turned to Shijie beside me, curiosity turning into unease. What is this demoness up to?
"Shijie, where are we going so late?"
She smiled, before sinking into that arrogant tone, "Hmph, well since this senior was so kindhearted to have this junior to accompany me, it's expected that I must bring our junior as well."
I raised a brow, "So we'll be meeting with Shidi."
"Yes," she nodded, further explaining, "While you were in seclusion, he mentioned that there will be many valuable treasures in tonight's auction at Xingyun Tu. With your cultivation speed, I thought that after you break into golden core, you'd need a new treasure sword."
"What's wrong with the sword I have now?" I frowned, placing a hand on the hilt at my belt.
"Nothing's wrong with it, it's just that once you break through, it won't be able to keep up in combat," she huffed, lightly elbowing my shoulder, leaving stinging pain.
Glaring at her, I rubbed my shoulder before turning away with a hmph.
We continued strolling through the streets, making conversation about events during my seclusion. Thankfully, I didn't miss much. After I went into seclusion, the sect had started rebuilding the city and strengthening security. Even though mortals are still afraid to show themselves at night, with the higher security and the clearing of death qi permeating the city, their safety should increased.
After stopping by a jewelry shop, we finally arrived at Xingyun Tu auction. Dongque Shijie took out a black mask out of her storage bag, handing it over before dawning a white mask with golden engravings that covered the upper half of her face, matching her simple jewelry and light colored robes. I held the mask in one hand. It was a blank black mask that covered the entire face, with the eye holes outlined with silver that matched the jade hair crown that tied my hair. I put it on, feeling a thin layer of qi blanket me, concealing my aura almost completely.
I turned to Shijie, stunned for a moment.
Did this demoness actually buy these with her own money?
She avoided my gaze, scratching the back of her neck.
Nevermind.
I looked away, spotting a cultivator coming our way.
From their stature, they should be a young male cultivator with a robust physique. He was wearing black pants and dark blue robes with golden willow branches stitched on the cuffs, paired with a golden hair crown that tied into a half down half up bun with a matching black mask with golden willow branches carved along the jawline. He stopped in front of us, giving a martial salute as he lifted the mask to reveal a familiar face.
"Junior disciple An Qianhe greets Aiyu Shixiong and Dongque Shijie."
I saluted back, sensing the familiar aura, though faint, "Senior disciple greets Qianhe Shidi."
"Hi He'er," Shijie chimed in, a bright smile on her face.
Qianhe Shidi smiled back, equally bright as he put his mask back on, "Hello Shijie."
The two turned to me. Feeling their gazes on me, I felt a shiver run down my spine with a sense of dread, my instincts screaming at me to run away before it's too late. But I knew, my opportunity to run was already forfeit. They took a step towards me, I took a step back, and before I could run, they took both my arms, lifting me up as I struggled.
"Now Shixiong, you should know that struggling is useless," Shidi said, joy clearly in his voice.
Shijie nodded in agreement, switching to that annoying haughty tone, "This Senior agrees. Besides, as the youngest, us wiser Seniors must treat you with care."
I opened my mouth to argue before giving up. No matter what I say, these demons would just make more excuses to torment me further. I sighed, no longer struggling as I was dragged away into the auction house.
A/N
Heyo, another chapter. Also, I have a treat for the readers in the comments! ;>