Li Qingming turned her head and saw that the speaker was a young girl of similar height and age, but with different curves.
Zhang Zhixi, a not-so-small nor-too-big celebrity in Cyan Cloud City, with an ordinary background, and born as an Independent Cultivator, relied on her "smart and capable" and "proactive" abilities, along with remarkable talent, to break the Wind Barrier at twelve and reached the Peak of Wind Rise at fourteen... For some time, even Li Qingming was enthralled by her. Due to their similar ages, they could barely be considered nodding acquaintances, but because they moved in different circles, they had no other interactions, so there was no talk of any grudges.
However, at this moment, Zhang Zhixi was glaring at her with the eyes of someone staring at an enemy who had killed her father.
"Haha, this truly is a heartwarming chicken soup story. A daughter who was not valued by her family, even oppressed, relied on her relentless effort to overcome the obstacles of talent and insight, broke the Wind Barrier at fourteen, and then quickly earned her first bucket of gold using 'her own efforts'. After perfecting herself with these resources, she progressed at a speed far surpassing her peers, finally leaving all commoners behind and standing at the peak of the mountain, only to exclaim that all this was achieved through self-struggle without any family support! Such a beautiful story of struggle!"
With Zhang Zhixi's narrative, many in the hall nodded quietly.
Similar stories are indeed common on the Xiangzhou Continent. The children of noble families naturally enjoy many privileges, viewing everything as a result of personal endeavor, while dismissively attributing the failures of common competitors to a lack of effort or bad luck.
Wang Jiu completed two tasks from the Hundred Families yesterday, and although he left indifferently, the aftermath brewed in the hall for a long time.
His identity was quickly recognized as Li Qingming, a Li Family daughter, aged fourteen, initial stage of Wind Rise, skilled in Swordsmanship, math, peculiar handwriting... Listing so many characteristics, it perfectly matched the task issuer's requirements! To say it was tailor-made wouldn't be an exaggeration!
Naturally, this incited public uproar, and other people were indifferent, but for Zhang Zhixi, who reversed training techniques and suffered a dramatic cultivation decline just to claim the task, it was simply explosive! Insufferable! She was "smart and capable" for so many years, when did she suffer such a great loss!
Although she couldn't interfere with what big families did, she could at least lead public condemnation, attack the self-deception of noble households, and promote positive energy in Immortal Cultivation!
Under her incitement, indeed, many cultivators started feeling indignant and joined the condemnation, so the next day, when Li Qingming reached the association, she was like a rat crossing the street, undergoing the baptism of positive energy!
"This, this is simply absurd!" Li Qingming tried to argue, "I didn't know that was a task intentionally set up by the family..."
"Didn't know? Who are you trying to fool? The task was published in the morning, and by midday you casually came to claim it, completed it perfectly in the afternoon, and got the reward. Are you trying to say this is a coincidence?!"
"I've already refunded that money..."
"Transfer left hand to right hand, still Li Family money! It was too obvious this time, next time use more discreet means to transfer benefits, the result will be the same anyway!"
"I have no relation with the family at all!"
"Practicing Li Family's Cultivation Technique, living in Li Family's house, receiving Li Family's monthly stipend, earning 15,000 Spirit Stones from Li Family's task rewards, yet still claiming no relation with the family?! Li Family's connections are truly difficult to climb!"
Li Qingming felt completely devastated, originally not good at words, she had been reclusive for a long time before meeting Wang Jiu, often not speaking to people for days, how could she argue against the indignant Immortal Cultivation masses, soon she was denounced heavily, fled shamefully, and didn't even have time to claim today's Hundred Families task.
——
Moments later, Wang Jiu saw Li Qingming in a defeated state at home.
For this outcome, Wang Jiu was not surprised at all, given this mount's talent and insight, as well as historical achievements during their time together. If she truly completed things smoothly and successfully, that would be strange.
Of course, as a magnanimous master, dealing with the mount's setbacks should be with tolerance and comfort rather than ridicule and sarcasm. So Wang Jiu remained silent, watching Li Qingming walk into the bedroom and gnash her teeth at the desk.
After a while, Li Qingming looked up: "Aren't you going to say something?"
Wang Jiu realized: "That's right, I should offer comfort and guidance for your failure... Well then, don't mind it, failure is the mother of success, with your talent, reaching this step is already quite good, I'm not disappointed in you, you should pick yourself up..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Li Qingming slammed the table, "Who failed?!"
Wang Jiu wondered: "Didn't you? So how many Spirit Stones did you earn today?"
"..." Li Qingming was speechless, after a moment, she slammed the table again, "You brought me great harm today!"
"I brought you harm?" Wang Jiu asked in confusion, "How? I only extracted one-tenth of your Qi Blood to perfect the Wind Gathering Array, it wouldn't cause any irreversible consequences..."
"You extracted one-tenth of my Qi Blood?! I didn't even feel it!"
"Because practicing the Immovable Tyrant Body enhanced your physique, extracting one-tenth doesn't affect anything."
"Is that so? The effect of the Immovable Tyrant Body really is tyrannical, but wait, that's not the point! The point is today I..."
Afterward, Li Qingming recounted her experiences at the association, and Wang Jiu was greatly impressed.
"That Zhang Zhixi is truly astute, instantly seeing through the big family's self-reliance tricks."
"What are you praising!? What family tricks? I never intended to accept those fifteen thousand spirit stones!"
Wang Jiu approvingly said, "And your refusal this time will make your 'self-reliance' story even more convincing. Qingming, you seem to have gotten a bit smarter."
"I haven't gotten smarter at all! No one is planning any 'self-reliance' story!" Li Qingming emphasized, "So I've said from the beginning, this is all Lu Xin's plot! She foresaw this scene and deliberately issued tasks in such a clumsy manner to make me the focus of public discussion and be criticized! Now I can't even go to the association to claim tasks without being pointed at! Now even unrelated passersby know there's a 'self-reliant' Li Qingming in the association!"
Wang Jiu pondered for a moment and suggested, "Then perhaps you could consider using your popularity for commercial activities, like becoming an idol?"
"Go to hell!"
Wang Jiu suggested again, "In fact, you really don't need to care about what others think. As long as you practice diligently and achieve real results, those criticisms will naturally dissipate. It was the same on the Jiuzhou Continent. As long as someone cultivates to the Heaven Shattering Realm, all previous slanders turn into words of praise."
"..." Li Qingming was stunned by his words.
After a while, she softly said, "You're right, as long as I work hard, there's really no need to care about others' opinions."
The young girl closed her eyes, lost in thought.
Seeing his steed calming down, Wang Jiu didn't pay much more attention and continued to perfect the Wind Gathering Array. Using the energetic Qi blood extracted from the girl in the morning, his array was on the verge of upgrading, with the efficiency of gathering Heaven and Earth Spirit Wind increased by more than fifty percent.
Of course, if Li Qingming hadn't foolishly returned the hundred thousand spirit stones, he could have directly bought a large number of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures from the Dobao Pavilion, enough to create dozens of advanced Wind Gathering Arrays, but... anyway, there's no rush.
When the Sword World is rebuilt to a certain extent, perhaps he can quickly find time to visit Li Tianya, the former patriarch of the Li Family, to inquire about the remnants of the primordial history of the Xiangzhou Continent...
Just as Wang Jiu began to leisurely enjoy the reconstruction work, he suddenly heard his steed, Li Qingming, speak.
"I think I'd better leave the family."
"Hmm?" Wang Jiu felt confused, "Leave the family?"
"Yeah, I've had enough of the scheming and fighting with the family. Before I was fourteen, Lu Xin tortured me in every possible way, and my father always ignored me. But when I broke through the Wind Barrier, they suddenly changed their attitude, offering a hundred thousand spirit stones one moment, and then these tasks the next, causing chaos. Who knows what they're thinking... I just want to cultivate well, why must I always be distracted with this nonsense?"
Li Qingming bitterly shook her head, "You were right before, as long as I strive hard and achieve something, there's no need to care about others' opinions. So now I want to focus on my cultivation and ignore the family's issues. Whether they like me or hate me, it doesn't matter anymore. Besides, someone like me, not fit for sword training, only capable of cultivating the Immovable Tyrant Body, never really needed the Li Family's swordsmanship legacy. Um, Wang Jiu, you'll help me, right?"
Wang Jiu said, "Of course, you're my steed, and I have an obligation to look after you."
Besides, there's the promise to Shen Yue'e.
Receiving Wang Jiu's response, Li Qingming smiled somewhat relieved, "Mm, thank you. Ever since we met, you've always helped me. Sometimes I have a bad temper, but I don't mean to be harsh on you, actually, in my heart..."
"Of course, I know." Wang Jiu felt it was strange, "Whatever you think in your heart, I can always hear it."
"...You're so annoying!"
Wang Jiu clapped his hands, "Yes, like now, although you're saying I'm annoying, you're thinking how this guy doesn't understand girls at all..."
"Enough! Get out of here!"
The next moment, Wang Jiu was thrown out of the room by Li Qingming holding the Divine Sword Body.
"...Just then what you thought and said were highly consistent; both were telling me to get out."
"Go to hell!"