Chapter 6 | You Said You Only Wanted to Die

"Little Junior Sister, you have to understand. For us cultivators, money is just a worldly possession. So, you know, haha..."

"You can just say you're broke."

Li Nanzhu looked at Duan Xianxing, who was awkwardly scratching his head, and let out a sigh, taking back her previous thought.

So much for being the 'rich man's foolish son.' She could just drop the 'rich man' part. The only one with any money was the Eldest Senior Brother; it certainly wasn't the sword cultivators.

Duan Xianxing could only silently prop back up the doorframe he had broken. It was then that Li Nanzhu noticed her courtyard was almost completely overrun by vines and various weeds. However, these vines were surprisingly polite, knowing to wrap around the windows instead of covering them.

She hadn't stepped out at all this past month and hadn't noticed any of this. No wonder her seventh senior brother had such a strong reaction when he first arrived.

The current state of the courtyard was likely because when she practiced Wood Vitality, her spiritual power had converted too much life force, which then leaked out into the yard. Fortunately, with Duan Xianxing's help in tidying up, they actually found a few carrots and potatoes among the mess.

To make it up to Li Nanzhu, Duan Xianxing volunteered to peel them after fixing the door. Although cultivators didn't usually focus on their appetite, plants grown in an environment rich in qi would become spirit food, which was actually beneficial for a cultivator to eat.

Watching Duan Xianxing seriously peeling potatoes for her, a mischievous idea popped into Li Nanzhu's head. With a grave expression, she posed a question to him.

"Seventh Senior Brother, did you know?"

"Know what?"

Duan Xianxing's curiosity was piqued, but his hands didn't stop moving.

"Actually, potatoes scream when they're being peeled. We just can't hear it normally. If you use your spiritual power, you'll be able to hear it."

"Really?!"

Duan Xianxing immediately held a half-peeled potato to his ear and channeled spiritual power into it. He failed to notice Li Nanzhu had quietly crept up behind him until she suddenly let out a loud shout.

"AH!"

"AAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

Duan Xianxing let out a blood-curdling scream, and the potato in his hand was hurled right out of the courtyard.

Li Nanzhu couldn't stop laughing. She finally understood the joy of pranking people. Duan Xianxing, meanwhile, looked at her with a face full of resentment.

Before she could finish her laugh, she saw Mu Wenyan walking in, holding a very familiar object in his hand.

Wasn't that the potato Duan Xianxing had just thrown?

Before he could react, Li Nanzhu quickly kicked a potato to Duan Xianxing's feet and ran to the Eldest Senior Brother's side.

"Eldest Senior Brother, why are you here?"

"The plants in the disciple quarters have been a bit unusual lately, so I came to take a look. What's the deal with this potato?"

"Seventh Senior Brother threw it!"

Li Nanzhu sold out Duan Xianxing without a moment's hesitation. Weren't senior brothers meant to be the fall guys? Besides, he really was the one who threw it. She had only startled him; she wasn't lying.

Yep! That was exactly how it was!

Mu Wenyan had been investigating the neighboring yard when his head was suddenly struck by a flying potato, followed immediately by his little junior sister's laughter. He had come straight over, and seeing Duan Xianxing there, he immediately concluded it was his doing.

What a joke. His little junior sister was so well-behaved; how could it be her? As soon as Duan Xianxing returned, he got hit, and the evidence was right at the guy's feet. He must be leading the little junior sister astray.

Before Duan Xianxing could even answer, Mu Wenyan had already figured out what happened in his head.

"Leading your little junior sister astray the moment you get back... Has your cultivation broken through? Has your swordplay improved? Since you're so free, come with me to the martial arts arena."

"No? It wasn't? Little Junior Sister, explain! I didn't do it on purpose!" Duan Xianxing wanted to cry but had no tears.

"There's no point in making excuses. Even if it wasn't you, you still need to train now that you're back." Having said that, Mu Wenyan turned and left, leaving no room for negotiation.

Looking at Duan Xianxing's practically petrified face, Li Nanzhu patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"It's just training, right? You can do it, Seventh Senior Brother."

Duan Xianxing opened his mouth but said nothing. His little junior sister was just a newborn calf who didn't fear the tiger. When the Eldest Senior Brother trained someone, it was terrifying. He'd end up black and blue every time. Boohoo, his handsome face!

Now he could only bite the bullet and go. Who told him to hit the Eldest Senior Brother with a potato?

...

At the martial arts arena.

Mu Wenyan was already waiting there, practicing his sword alone. A leaf happened to fall and blow toward the side of his blade. Mu Wenyan shifted his sword stance, gently supporting the gust of wind. In the transition between moves, the falling leaf drifted slowly to the ground, its trajectory not altered in the slightest.

Li Nanzhu watched, marveling internally. This didn't just require minute control over spiritual power; it required a deep understanding of sword forms. It was something that couldn't be achieved without over a decade of practice.

Recalling Duan Xianxing's words, she thought that someone like the Eldest Senior Brother, who wouldn't even disturb a falling leaf, must be incredibly gentle. How could he possibly beat Duan Xianxing black and blue?

Meanwhile, Duan Xianxing sluggishly shuffled in front of Mu Wenyan. After hesitating for a long time, he finally shouted, "Eldest Senior Brother, not the face!"

Mu Wenyan smiled without a word and attacked immediately.

Li Nanzhu's cultivation was too low to see their moves clearly, so she simply went back to studying Wood Vitality.

Two hours later, Li Nanzhu stretched her arms. A figure suddenly collapsed in front of her with a thud, reaching out to grab the hem of her clothes.

"Little... Junior Sister..."

"Seventh Senior Brother, are you okay?"

Hearing this, Duan Xianxing looked up. Li Nanzhu saw a creature that looked like a pig's head and blinked. She immediately reached out and shoved his head back into the dirt.

Luckily she pushed fast, otherwise her seventh senior brother really would have turned into a pig's head!

"Little Junior Sister, you're murdering your own senior brother!!!"

...

After taking some medicinal pills, Duan Xianxing's face finally returned to normal. Li Nanzhu brought out the previous potatoes, and Duan Xianxing pulled out some low-level demonic beast meat he had killed earlier. They sat around a fire, preparing to roast and eat.

"Senior brothers, were you both using your life-bound swords just now?"

"Yes. You can ask Master for one after you reach foundation establishment. She will forge one for you,"

Mu Wenyan said, sprinkling a handful of seasoning onto the roasting meat.

"However, you can also look for your own opportunities. My sword was obtained from a secret realm."

Duan Xianxing happily wiped his sword, hugging it tightly in his arms. A sword was a sword cultivator's wife; of course he had to take good care of his wife.

"Do they have names?"

"Eldest Senior Brother's is called Bichen. Mine doesn't have a name yet because I honestly can't think of a name grand enough to match it! This is my wife! Little Junior Sister, do you want to help me think of a name?"

Li Nanzhu did have a name in mind, but she felt it was a bit too mean and hesitated. However, she couldn't withstand Duan Xianxing's enthusiasm, so she had to confirm with him repeatedly.