Chapter 64: Helping Her Bathe, Finding a Hidden Treasure
'Could it be… because I'm currently possessing Zhu Zhuqing, who exists in the same timeline as me, that I have to control two bodies at once?'
Unfortunately, the system did not answer.
Qi Tian was still struggling to adapt to the difficulty of dual control when Zhu Zhuqing's cool, crisp voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Thank you."
Qi Tian perked up slightly. "No need to thank me. Just show me the way — let's leave this forest and head home."
"Can we… stay here for the night and go back tomorrow instead?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
"Hm? Why?"
She hesitated for a moment before replying softly, "I'm filthy. I'd rather clean up a bit before going back."
Qi Tian froze for a moment, not expecting that to be the reason she wanted to delay their return.
He glanced down at himself — sure enough, his clothes were a mess.
They were stained with the stench of dirty water, splattered with his own blood, and the sleeves were torn from when that soul beast clawed at him earlier.
So Zhu Zhuqing was like a cat — she couldn't stand being unclean.
"That's easy," Qi Tian said. "I'll just help you wash up."
He remembered spotting a hidden little pool deep in the forest last night — a perfect spot for washing. Without hesitation, he started heading that way. It wasn't far.
"W-wait! No!" Zhu Zhuqing's voice rose sharply in protest.
Just the thought of a soul possessing her body, helping her bathe, was unbearable.
Even if the soul was female, she wouldn't be able to accept it, let alone when she still didn't know Qi Tian's gender.
"If you don't want to, then fine," Qi Tian replied calmly. "Just guide me back to the city instead."
He didn't want to linger in the soul beast forest any longer. Controlling two bodies at once was already straining his mind like an overworked CPU. If they were attacked by another soul beast, he'd have to halt his cultivation entirely — a huge loss.
But when Zhu Zhuqing thought about returning to the city covered in grime and blood, she hesitated again. The idea of walking through the streets like this all day made her feel uneasy.
Before long, Qi Tian had already found the small pool.
After checking to make sure it was safe, he didn't hesitate. He leapt into the water, letting the cool liquid envelop him completely, then began undressing and cleaning himself.
Zhu Zhuqing's body was still young but already astonishingly well-developed.
Her figure was elegant and curvaceous — even girls of seventeen or eighteen might not compare.
The pool's water was crystal clear. Everything beneath the surface was visible — the snow-white curves, the delicate lines, and the pair of slender, graceful legs that shimmered under the ripples like fine jade. At the tips of her feet were small, pearly toes — beautiful and almost unreal.
Qi Tian was experiencing the strange sensation of dual perception — on one hand, it was like looking at his own body, so there was no emotional reaction. But on the other hand, the connection to his main body caused his blood to stir slightly, an indescribably strange feeling.
As he continued washing, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt an odd tingling inside her soul. Though she was technically washing herself, it felt as though a stranger's hands were gliding over her skin. It was like the difference between scratching an itch yourself and having someone else do it — the sensations were completely different.
Qi Tian's movements made her soul tremble slightly.
"This feeling… could it be that the soul possessing me is actually a man?"
Shame crept up her heart, and her face flushed crimson — but she couldn't stop it.
All she could do was silently endure and wait for him to leave tomorrow.
After a long while, Qi Tian finally climbed ashore. He took out a clean set of clothes from his soul guide and changed, looking completely refreshed.
Zhu Zhuqing breathed a sigh of relief before finally directing Qi Tian toward the city.
---
Star Luo City wasn't surrounded by wilderness as one might expect.
Outside its massive walls was a bustling settlement — almost like a smaller city of its own. There were inns, restaurants, pharmacies — everything one could need for daily life. In fact, it felt even livelier than many small towns.
As Qi Tian passed by a small general store, something suddenly caught his eye.
"Hm? Is that… whale rubber?"
He couldn't help but grin. "As expected of the imperial capital — you can even find treasures like this in a simple roadside shop!"
However, the piece of whale rubber had clearly been weathered — it looked pitch black and dull. If Qi Tian hadn't recognized its distinctive scent, he might have missed it entirely.
It was placed right beside some ordinary fish glue, sold as just another dried food ingredient.
"Boss, how much for this piece of fish glue?" Qi Tian asked, holding up the black lump.
The shopkeeper gave Qi Tian a quick once-over, gauging his appearance before lifting a hand and spreading five fingers.
"This much."
Qi Tian blinked innocently. "Five gold soul coins? That's a bit steep, isn't it?"
The shopkeeper snorted. "Girl, I said five hundred gold soul coins."
"Five hundred? For this black chunk of who-knows-what? You've got to be kidding." Qi Tian pretended to frown and made a show of putting it down.
At the same time, he quietly exhaled in relief — it was clear the shopkeeper had no idea what he was actually selling.
If the man knew this was whale rubber — something capable of greatly replenishing vitality — he'd be asking at least a thousand gold soul coins, even for a low-quality piece. And if he knew it was ten-thousand-year whale rubber, he'd probably price it at three or four thousand easily.
Even though prices in this era were lower, that would still be a fortune.
"Wait, wait! Don't go, miss!" the shopkeeper called after him. "This isn't ordinary fish glue — it's from a soul beast! Much more nourishing than the common kind."
He rubbed his hands together with a smile. "Tell you what, I'll give you a deal. Three hundred… no, two hundred gold soul coins!"
Qi Tian was already tempted, but he kept up the act. "At most, fifty gold soul coins!"
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up instantly. "Deal!"
To him, this was a great bargain — even if it really came from a soul beast, it looked terrible. Getting fifty gold soul coins for it was pure profit.
Qi Tian paid without hesitation, delighted, and tucked the "fish glue" safely away.
Both he and the shopkeeper were pleased — but Zhu Zhuqing definitely wasn't.
Ever since the bathing incident, she hadn't said much, but now she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Why'd you waste so much money on that useless thing?" she snapped.
"Huh? Expensive? You're using a storage soul tool worth tens of thousands of gold soul coins, and you're worried about this?" Qi Tian said teasingly.
"That's different," Zhu Zhuqing muttered softly.
"The soul tool was a gift from my family. But those gold coins are my personal savings — the pocket money I saved as a child. Every bit I spend is gone for good."
She had been betrothed to the royal prince, so she used to get a monthly allowance. But after the prince ran off with her dowry, she'd been forced to live on her own means.
Thinking that Qi Tian had just spent nearly five months' worth of her soul master stipend on what looked like junk made her heart ache.
What she didn't know was that Dai Mubai — the very prince who'd abandoned her — was currently spending her "lost fortune" indulging himself in the red-light district, "generously supporting" a pair of twin girls in need.
If she ever found out, she might actually faint from anger.
Qi Tian chuckled softly. "This isn't useless at all."
Zhu Zhuqing, who already trusted him more than before, asked curiously, "Then what is it?"
"This," Qi Tian said with a grin, "is whale rubber — taken from the brain of a ten-thousand-year whale-type soul beast."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked. "Whale Rubber? What's it used for?"
Relieved that it wasn't complete trash, she thought to herself that anything from a ten-thousand-year soul beast had to be valuable.
"It strengthens vitality and the body," Qi Tian explained. "A single piece like this could sell for several thousand gold soul coins. You're from the Zhu family of Star Luo Empire— don't tell me you've never heard of it?"
When she finally understood its "vitality-boosting" effect, Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed bright red. No one had ever taught her such… adult knowledge before, especially not after Dai Mubai's disappearance.
Still, realizing how valuable it was made her feel a bit better.
"Then when are we going to sell it?" she asked tentatively.
Qi Tian sighed. "Sell it? I bought it for you to eat!"
"Huh?"
"This thing doesn't just restore vitality — it strengthens the body. It'll toughen your physique, allowing you to handle stronger soul ring energy in the future. The sturdier your body, the higher the age of the rings you'll be able to absorb!"
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent, her thoughts swirling. She'd never heard anyone explain cultivation in such a way before.
For the first time, she realized how little she truly knew — and how different Qi Tian was from the people she'd known all her life.
—
End of Chapter