The night was deep and all was still. The Xiongbao clan members, who had been busy the entire day, greeted the most peaceful moment between Heaven and Earth.
Lin Suqing's head drooped as she dragged her weary body back to her own tent. Having rarely slept since she began abstaining from food, she suddenly felt like collapsing into sleep.
This Young Master is really! Too exhausting.
All night, he had her answering endless questions. He even made her stand before a stone slab with a small wooden stick, painstakingly hand-drawing a map of the Human Domain's borders!
And that guy reclined on a soft couch covered with the hides of rare beasts, feasting on fruit followed by roast meat, and after the meat, soup!
What irritated her most was when the Young Master asked if she wanted to eat. She politely declined, stating she was already abstaining from food, but he actually had someone collect a bowl of dew for her!
"SIGH—"
Lin Suqing sighed, her head down. Listless, she collapsed onto the bed, not even wanting to turn over. So from now on, I'll be cultivating in the Northern Wilderness?
Six years wasn't too long. For truly powerful Cultivators, it was merely the time it took for one or two sessions of secluded meditation.
Removing a Jade Tag from the Jade Bracelet on her wrist, Lin Suqing gently swiped her fingertip over it, entering characters into the tag one by one.
The soft glow of the Jade Tag illuminated her delicate face, which occasionally revealed deep thought. After writing for a while, her thin sleeve slid slightly down her wrist. Her jade-like arm propped up her cheek as she became lost in thought.
Long days of cultivation and the difficulty of breakthroughs inevitably brought her some frustration. Gradually, she had formed the habit of writing her thoughts into a Jade Talisman for record-keeping.
As she wrote, several images unwittingly surfaced before Lin Suqing's eyes:
Under an azure sky with clouds rolling leisurely by, she rode on the back of a giant wolf, racing with the wind.
At a dusk banquet, Xiongbao clan maidens, their faces beaming with enthusiasm, pulled her into their dance and joyful gathering.
TSK, there were also a few handsome guards beside the Young Master who hadn't been knocked out yet.
Then, the scene shifted to the familiar bamboo groves at the Sect gate, where her Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters nestled closely together...
Actually, this North Wilderness isn't too bad.
The dew on the grasslands is quite sweet.
Lin Suqing's lips curled into a small smile. Satisfied with the several hundred new words she wrote in the Jade Talisman, she put it back into the Jade Bracelet and was about to drift off to sleep in this hazy state.
Using meditation in place of sleep was considered a basic professional practice for Cultivators.
But today, Lin Suqing suddenly felt like taking a little break.
Floating ethereally as if in a mysterious Dream Realm, carefree and at ease in a rare, unrestrained haze.
Suddenly...
"Miss Lin, Miss Lin?"
Lin Suqing was awakened by someone calling her. The instant she opened her eyes, the faces of three burly, helmeted men filled her vision, genuinely startling her.
Clutching her collar, flipping over, and gripping her Longsword, her movements were like flowing water, though her long hair was somewhat disheveled.
"What do you want!"
The three guards hastily stepped back half a step to show they had no ill intentions.
"Miss Lin, the Young Master requests that you come immediately; there's an urgent matter to discuss."
Lin Suqing immediately came to her senses, sheathed her Longsword, and promptly followed the three men to the adjacent tent, cursing herself for her carelessness. How could I sleep in such circumstances?
When she arrived at Wu Wang's grand tent and was led to a corner, she was astounded to discover a hidden door there, leading to another, slightly smaller tent.
This was naturally Wu Wang's bedroom.
The place was quite lavishly furnished, but Lin Suqing was in no mood to look around. Noticing Wu Wang lying weakly on the large bed, she quickly asked, "Young Master, what's wrong?"
Huh, how am I already a bit concerned about this guy?
"Come quickly."
Wu Wang raised his right hand as if asking her for support.
Lin Suqing rushed to the side of the bed. Just as she was about to steady Wu Wang's palm, she couldn't help but pause.
The Young Master's illness.
Seeing the Young Master looking tired, could it be because he's researching how to overcome this illness?
Alas, to be afflicted with this at such a young age! He's almost entirely cut off from the pleasures of women. Though I, Lin Suqing, am a Cultivator and should have few desires, I still feel that this young man before me is quite pitiable.
What use is power and authority?
What does having great strength amount to?
He will always have regrets; life cannot be perfect.
"Young Master, what should I do?" Lin Suqing asked softly. A mischievous moonbeam shone on the tips of her hair, lending her an indescribable charm.
"Touch me, isn't that obvious?"
Wu Wang turned his head to glance at Lin Suqing, muttering dejectedly, "I have a bit of insomnia, and I happen to need to borrow you for a bit. Remember to wake me up at noon tomorrow; I'm growing and need plenty of sleep."
PAH! Wouldn't it be better if I just strangled you to death!
"What are you dazed about?"
"Ah, okay, Young Master. You have a good rest. See you tomorrow."
Lin Suqing put on a sweet, fake smile and poked Wu Wang's arm forcefully. He instantly tilted his head and fell into a deep sleep.
Several guards flashed to her side, keeping Lin Suqing out.
They did not show the slightest slack.
「Another day passed.」
In the main tent that afternoon, only two figures remained: a lone man and a single woman.
"Suqing, is it okay?"
"If the Young Master needs it, there are no issues on my part."
"Can we really do this?"
"Why are you being more hesitant than a woman like me? I don't even care about these things."
"Then, let's begin."
Wu Wang watched Lin Suqing intently. "Don't be troubled; I just need the basic Cultivation Methods to see if I can cultivate myself."
Lin Suqing responded with a hint of resignation, explaining, "The Foundation Building Technique our Clear Wind and Moon Sect provides to its Disciples isn't unique to our Sect. It's one of several basic Cultivation Techniques circulated in the Human Domain.
"Only large Sects have their own unique Foundation Building Techniques. These allow their Disciples, after reaching a higher level of cultivation, to directly transition to even more profound Cultivation Methods.
"So, Young Master, you don't have to worry. As long as I don't divulge the Moon Watching Heart Clearing Technique, I will not violate the Sect rules."
"I see," Wu Wang stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. "Then let's begin; I am ready."
"Okay."
Lin Suqing nodded solemnly, took out a meditation cushion from her Bracelet, and placed it beneath her. As her skirt fluttered, she was already sitting cross-legged in a standard posture.
Truth be told, the sitting posture of female Cultivators in the Human Domain was indeed quite elegant.
Wu Wang followed suit and had someone bring over a meditation cushion made from ordinary thousand-year warm jade combined with a ten-thousand-year profound ice core. He then sat opposite Lin Suqing.
Lin Suqing's eyes widened in astonishment, and she asked in a low voice, "Young Master, does our clan produce a lot of precious stones?"
"Ah," Wu Wang responded casually. "All sorts of mineral resources within a three-thousand-mile radius of Big Snow Mountain belong to our clan. This area is also considered our clan's territory.
"My mother lives on that Big Snow Mountain. I'll take you to meet her when we have a chance; who knows, she might even give you something good."
Lin Suqing couldn't help but tilt her head and asked, "The territory of the Xiongbao clan is that large?"
"Did you think that with just this handful of people here, we could become the second-largest Large Family Clan in the Northern Wilderness?
"This place is the Royal Court, which is where my father deals with clan affairs and holds various sacrificial ceremonies.
"My father is the Clan Leader, the head of the clan. He has to tour our territories with his trusted aides and only returns to the Royal Court once every two or three years."
Wu Wang rubbed his brow with a somewhat melancholy look and sighed. "You should now understand the enormous pressure my strange illness brings.
"A single misstep could lead to clan unrest. If my strange illness can't be cured, we can only find a way for my parents to have another brother or sister for me."
Lin Suqing asked softly, "Can a sister also inherit the position of Clan Leader?"
"The same," Wu Wang smiled. "Often, the status of women here is a tad higher than that of men.
"On the surface, the Clan Leader has the final say within the clan.
"In reality, the Clan Leader must fully consider the opinions of the Priests, and the Priests who can truly influence the Clan Leader's decisions are mostly women.
"My grandmother is the highest-ranking Priest in the clan, and my mother is the most powerful Priest. They are both famous throughout the Northern Wilderness.
"And the chosen wives of new Clan Leaders are usually female Priests, nurtured from a young age. They are well-versed in the Praying Star Technique, selected for their exceptional beauty, and possess vast knowledge..."
Wu Wang paused, glanced towards the snow-capped mountain through an opening in the tent, and his lips curled slightly.
It had been a long time since he had seen his mother.
Lin Suqing didn't notice Wu Wang's subtle expression. With eyes shining, she eagerly asked, "Does the Young Master also have such a future companion? Is she cute? Have you met her yet?"
How can this old auntie be... so gossipy?
Wu Wang replied indifferently, "There should be one. However, because of my strange illness, neither my mother nor my grandmother has mentioned it to me. Are you going to teach or not?"
"Ah, yes. Listen closely. I will first explain to you what cultivation is. This is what the Sect Leader told us when we were initiated."
Lin Suqing cleared her throat, sat up straighter, and looking earnestly at Wu Wang, she began in a serious tone:
"Before one cultivates, one should know the past of the Human race.
"Since ancient times in the Great Wilderness, countless strong beings and powerful clans have existed everywhere, yet our Human race itself was weak. How could we survive?
"Innate Deities were born wielding the Dao rules of heaven and earth. Various fierce beasts were born with robust physical forms. If our Human race was to survive in this world, how could we rely on strong Gods?
"Are Deities and fierce beasts inherently superior by birth?!
"The Fire Emperor Suiren demonstrated the Dao of Fire, battled fierce beasts, and carved out the Human Domain!
"The Heavenly God Fu Xi used the Eight Trigrams to deduce tens of thousands of cultivation methods, protecting the peace of the Human Domain for a hundred thousand years!
"The Cultivation Methods we practice today are the culmination of our ancestors' blood and sweat, all for the strengthening of our Human race and the thriving prosperity of the Human Domain!
"Born human, one must understand self-reliance.
"The path of cultivation itself is the unceasing flame of the Human Dao!"
Wu Wang nodded solemnly, a flicker of fire lit up in his eyes.
Lin Suqing struggled to recall her own initiation, musing for a long while before finally speaking, "Before we start formal cultivation, we first need to understand what qi is, what essence is, and what spirit is..."
Accompanied by her clear and melodious voice, Wu Wang quickly entered the meditative state.
Wu Wang had previously studied the cultivation methods of the Human Domain. Although he hadn't delved deeply into them, he did have some foundation.
Soon, following Lin Suqing's instructions, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He began to breathe in and out, gathering the Spiritual Energy floating in the air to condense his very first strand of 'qi'.
He's quite young, but he's rather attractive when he's serious.
Lin Suqing propped her chin as she sized up the young man before her, noting his somewhat immature face that made him overly delicate-looking, yet his brows held an indescribable bearing.
Too bad he has a mouth.
And he's destined to be the exalted leader of these vast grasslands, so different from a minor Cultivator like me. We'll only interact for six years.
Why have I so quickly changed my opinion of him?
Lin Suqing was somewhat astonished, and then thought about it carefully.
His strange illness must be a part of it, making me feel surprisingly at ease here.
HMM?
Lin Suqing was slightly shocked, her eyes widening as she stared at the young man.
Wisps of wind began to swirl around him, mingled with faint glimmers of green and blue light, all converging toward his mouth, nose, palms, and the soles of his feet.
Spirit Gathering?
He's starting Spirit Gathering on his first attempt at meditation?
This!
What followed left Lin Suqing in shock, one thing after another. Her lips parted slightly, unable to close for a moment.
Weak starlight appeared around Wu Wang, converging like streams, winding around his body in circles, making his face appear as radiant as that of a god.
Lin Suqing carefully released her Spiritual Sense and immediately sensed that there was a flow of qi within Wu Wang's body.
And the path this qi was taking... It was exactly the Small Heavenly Circuit path of the Human Domain's fourth basic cultivation method, the Thousand Absorbing Tactic, that she had just taught Wu Wang!
Lin Suqing couldn't help but lower her head and sigh.
Is this really Wu Wang's first time meditating? His first time encountering the Thousand Absorbing Tactic?
HEH, HEHE.
It turns out there really are people with exceptional talent. Unlike an ordinary Cultivator like me, who took half a year to complete her first Small Heavenly Circuit. I'm truly lacking.
No wonder Junior Brother chose Junior Sister and even ran off, carrying that boat...
"HMM?"
Wu Wang suddenly furrowed his brows. The starlight around him flashed, and the nearly formed mass of qi inside his body suddenly dispersed.
He grunted, and his complexion suddenly turned extremely pale, a trickle of fresh blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Suqing was also startled. She shot up, intending to help Wu Wang stabilize his qi, but her outstretched hand froze just behind his back as she remembered his strange illness.
"Someone come!" Lin Suqing turned her head to shout. "Quick, someone come!"
"I'm fine, COUGH, COUGH COUGH," Wu Wang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "My qi just went astray... Are you sure this Cultivation Technique you taught is authentic?"
"HMM?" Lin Suqing couldn't help but tilt her head.
"Circulate your qi as you described earlier," Wu Wang stood up. "Sit over here; the Spiritual Energy will be more abundant."
Lin Suqing agreed, though with a hint of hesitation, and did as he said.
Wu Wang, however, furrowed his brow deeply. He watched Lin Suqing's figure, which could generously be called graceful, while analyzing in his mind what could have gone wrong.
It seems the Praying Star Technique and the Human Domain's cultivation methods... are incompatible.