She shook her right hand, where the storage ring Si Xianling had given Bo Xuenong was. She hadn’t touched the cultivation resources inside.
Shen Yanting’s storage ring mostly contained cultivation resources allocated by Mo Tingshu, plus her thousand years of accumulation in the Cloud Smoke Sect. There were few entry-level resources left, and most had been used on the Imperial Serenity Sect Outer Sect disciples in recent years. The items in her storage ring truly weren’t as suitable for Mistlongevity Village as those in Si Xianling’s storage ring.
Shen Yanting nodded and pulled out some spirit tools to give to Feng Jin. “Your Senior Shishu won’t take them for free.”
A chilling gaze fell on her back, making Feng Jin shiver. She quickly waved her hands. “Elder Shen, no need, no need. These things were originally given by Senior Si to repay the Sect Master for saving her life.”
She wasn’t as afraid of Bo Xuenong now, but she had a clearer sense of Bo Xuenong’s tolerance limit. She had no doubt that if someone took more from Shen Yanting than Bo Xuenong had, Bo Xuenong would despise that person intensely.
Feng Jin was very perceptive; otherwise, she couldn’t be Bo Xuenong’s confidante.
Shen Yanting wanted to persuade her further, but Feng Jin had already packed the resources into her original storage bag and distributed them to Gui Nianqin.
However, her original storage bag didn’t have much storage space.
Feng Jin thought for a moment and extended her hand toward Bo Xuenong. “Eldest Senior Sister, do you have any more storage bags?”
Bo Xuenong naturally didn’t.
Feng Jin knew she didn’t, but she only dared ask Bo Xuenong—Shen Yanting would hear anyway.
Shen Yanting did hear and pulled out two mid-grade storage bags to hand to Feng Jin. “Xuenong doesn’t have any, but I do.”
There was confusion and bewilderment in Shen Yanting’s eyes. She thought Feng Jin should know that most of the Imperial Serenity Sect’s cultivation resources, including these storage spirit tools, came from her.
She didn’t understand why Feng Jin had asked Bo Xuenong for them instead of her.
“Thank you, Senior Shishu.” Feng Jin respectfully accepted the storage bags and kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Shen Yanting’s probing gaze.
She certainly wouldn’t tell Shen Yanting that she was afraid Bo Xuenong would get jealous and hold a grudge.
Bo Xuenong didn’t have a petty heart; a single wrong word or phrase could make her contemplate taking a life.
Feng Jin cherished her life.
Shen Yanting’s confusion went unresolved. After Feng Jin filled all three storage bags and handed them to Gui Nianqin, she had Bo Xuenong take out the Sect Master Seal again. She then took a high-grade spirit stone from her storage ring and placed it beside the Sect Master Seal.
As she formed hand seals, a flash of spiritual light passed, and the spirit stone surprisingly replicated the Sect Master Seal’s aura completely. Even its shape became similar to the Sect Master Seal, though slightly smaller, and the phoenix on the spirit stone’s illusory token was white instead.
Shen Yanting handed the White Phoenix Spirit Seal to Gui Nianqin. “This will be the elder seal from now on. The Imperial Serenity Sect’s first branch hall is yours to manage.”
The people of Mistlongevity Village already listened to Gui Nianqin, so Shen Yanting was merely going with the flow. Still, they were all very grateful.
Gui Nianqin had just caught the White Phoenix Spirit Seal when she instinctively glanced at the newly appointed sect master. She worried that this sect master might fear losing power. But as soon as she looked over, Gui Nianqin realized she had overthought it. Bo Xuenong nodded along to almost every word Shen Yanting said.
It was a miracle her head didn’t fall off.
Fu Aoqing understood the significance of a branch hall elder better than anyone and was the most surprised by Shen Yanting’s arrangement. “Senior Sister Shen, the Imperial Serenity Sect has never set up a branch hall before. Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”
Establishing branch halls and distributing management among different elders was a method only large sects employed. The Imperial Serenity Sect was so small it didn’t even have enough people, so naturally, it had no branch halls. However…
Bo Xuenong couldn’t tolerate anyone questioning Shen Yanting’s arrangements. She instinctively retorted, “Shishu Fu, the Imperial Serenity Sect is very small now, but can it stay small forever? If we have a first branch hall today, there will be a second and third in the future… We might even become a sect larger than the Heavenly Feast Sect someday.”
The people of Mistlongevity Village hadn’t been all that enthusiastic about cultivation before, but upon hearing they could surpass the Heavenly Feast Sect, they perked up instantly and chimed in agreement with Bo Xuenong.
“The sect master is right. We aim to become a sect better than the Heavenly Feast Sect!”
“What’s the Heavenly Feast Sect? Our Imperial Serenity Sect is the strongest!”
“Once I have the skills, if I encounter a disgusting sect like the Heavenly Feast Sect again, I’ll refine them all into human talismans one by one!”
“Aunt Song, didn’t you hear? Only talisman cultivators can refine human talismans. We can only choose the spirit cultivation path.”
“You’re the one without ears. The sect master said we’ll be stronger than the Heavenly Feast Sect in the future. They have talisman cultivators, so why can’t we? Even if we can’t learn it, someone will. We catch the villains, and she refines the talismans. Problem solved!”
“That makes sense!”
“…”
Fu Aoqing sighed with emotion and patted Bo Xuenong’s shoulder. “Who would’ve thought? Xuenong, you’re surprisingly good at boosting morale. You’re born to be a sect master. Handing the Imperial Serenity Sect to you puts my mind at ease, even in death.”
Gui Nian’an’s cold gaze swept over. Fu Aoqing shivered.
She rubbed her arms and leaned close to Bo Xuenong. “Sect Master, I’m feeling a bit cold. Are you cold?”
“Not cold.”
How could Bo Xuenong feel cold? She had already seen the approval in Shen Yanting’s eyes.
Bo Xuenong, who hadn’t been very interested in the sect master position before, suddenly felt motivated to expand the Imperial Serenity Sect.
—
Gui Nianqin and the others had special identities. Discovery would bring endless trouble.
After discussing with Shen Yanting, Bo Xuenong decided to let them stay in the village for now. There were still Cui Huaizhou and others in the Imperial Serenity Sect anyway.
Shen Yanting set up a new spirit array in Mistlongevity Village, mimicking the Heavenly Feast Sect by tampering with it. This ensured no cultivator could easily find the place, while mortals could come and go freely, making the village look like any ordinary one.
After finishing, Shen Yanting took Fu Aoqing into the inner room to abolish her cultivation. Gui Nianqin needed to infuse spiritual power at the moment Fu Aoqing’s cultivation was abolished, so she followed them in.
The others in the village began cleaning up the corpses from yesterday that hadn’t been fully cleared. By the time all the bodies were buried, Fu Aoqing and the others still hadn’t emerged.
Gui Nian’an stood in the courtyard, her gaze fixed intently on the tightly shut door, her irritation plain on her face.
After receiving Shen Yanting’s affirmation, Bo Xuenong quickly adapted to her new role as sect master. She gathered the villagers who had finished their tasks in the courtyard area, sent Feng Jin to explain the key points of the Imperial Serenity Sect’s entry-level cultivation technique, and moved to Gui Nian’an’s side. She patted her shoulder. “Shishu Fu will be fine.”
Gui Nian’an forced a smile. “Sect Master, Fu Aoqing has been afraid of snakes, bugs, and the dark since she was little. She was the useless kid in our village, always clinging to me and crying, making me promise to protect her forever… Later, she was the only one who stayed in the Imperial Serenity Sect to cultivate because she had a spirit root and we didn’t. Fu Aoqing became the most useful among us… Who knew that after over seven hundred years, I’d reach nascent soul while she has to start over from scratch, still as useless as ever.”
Feng Jin leaned in.
Fu Aoqing had always treated her well, so she couldn’t help speaking up for her. “Shishu Fu is very useful.”
Bo Xuenong vaguely sensed that Feng Jin had misunderstood. That wasn’t what Gui Nian’an meant.
Before she could figure it out, Liu Huairou, who was nearby, suddenly said, “You can protect her again now.”
Gui Nian’an pursed her lips slightly. “Mother, I’ll protect everyone in the village.”
Liu Huairou smiled and said no more.
She turned her attention back to the cultivation technique. After surviving such a catastrophe, she yearned even more to grow stronger, to protect herself and those she cared about.
Unfortunately, Liu Huairou’s cultivation path would be slightly more difficult than the others’, mainly because of her face.
Liu Huairou’s face was beautiful—a fragile, broken beauty. Her body matched that face, fragile and broken.
Her beauty came from the Contention Petal Talisman, and beauty gained later in life came at a cost.
The cost for Liu Huairou was that her body would gradually weaken. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would leave her frail, her bones increasingly brittle, her skin softer and paler, her limbs weaker, and she’d emit a strange fragrance. She’d faint for longer periods, and eventually, even when awake, she wouldn’t be able to move.
That was the Heavenly Feast Sect’s true goal.
To force the spirit supplement into becoming an exquisite delicacy. Once the bones were brittle, arms and legs would snap with a gentle twist. Once the skin softened, it would taste even sweeter.
Bo Xuenong hadn’t known so much about the Contention Petal Talisman before. Gui Nian’an had told her while they cleaned up the corpses earlier.
Although Gui Nianqin had stopped using the Contention Petal Talisman on Liu Huairou after their reminder, it had already been the last day of use. Liu Huairou had absorbed most of its power and couldn’t revert. Now, they could only hope her cultivation went smoothly. With cultivation to support her, spirit herbs could forge her body and make it sturdier.
Liu Huairou had overt deficiency, while Feng Yingbo in the room had covert deficiency.
Feng Jin sighed faintly. “She’s a bit better off than Feng Yingbo.”
With no Shen Yanting watching now, Bo Xuenong tapped Feng Jin’s head. “Shishu Feng is a nascent soul cultivator. Not getting injured or bleeding is no different from a normal person. She could take on at least five cultivators at the same realm. She’s much easier to treat than Aunt Gui.”
Feng Jin rubbed her head. “She’s easier to treat than Feng Yingbo.”
That was true.
Bo Xuenong didn’t argue with Feng Jin and silently withdrew her hand.
Feng Jin blinked and suddenly addressed Gui Nian’an. “Did you tell your mother the full side effects of the Contention Petal Talisman?”
“I did.” Gui Nian’an paused, then said slowly, “Mother’s handling it fine, but Grandmother can’t quite accept it.”
That was normal.
After all, Gui Nianqin had personally applied the Contention Petal Talisman to Liu Huairou.
It was understandable for Gui Nianqin to develop a knot in her heart. Once Liu Huairou’s body gradually improved, all issues would resolve themselves.
