Chapter 3

With a hundred low-grade spirit stones, a Spirit-Gathering Array, and a medicinal pill personally fed to him by Ling Wuji, Chun Chou finally managed to advance from the third level of Qi Refining to the fourth.

Opening his eyes, Chun Chou immediately asked Ling Wuji, who had been guarding him at his side, “What kind of pill was that? It worked pretty well, though the taste was kind of strange.”

Ling Wuji replied expressionlessly, “An ungraded Spirit-Congealing Pill from the Cultivation World. It has been kept in storage for two hundred years.”

So if it tasted a little odd, that was only natural.

Chun Chou: “……”

There was really no helping it.

The Cultivation World and the Mortal Borderlands had long been cut off from each other. Many of the most common items in the Cultivation World simply did not circulate in the Mortal Realm. The reason Chun Chou had been able to eat even this expired, ungraded Spirit-Congealing Pill was thanks to the fact that he now possessed five unconditional entry quotas from the Mortal Realm into the Cultivation World. The other party had only sent the pills in exchange for the remaining two spots.

Seeing the indescribable look on Chun Chou’s face, a faint smile finally appeared on Ling Wuji’s handsome features as he comforted him, “The town mayor from the neighboring town sent them. There are five pills in total. Once we reach the Cultivation World, our spirit stones likely won’t be enough to immediately purchase local pills. Of the remaining four, two each for us—how about it?”

Chun Chou automatically translated Ling Wuji’s words in his mind: Don’t be scared. What’s one expired pill? There are still two more waiting for you! Your good buddy will even eat them with you. Hap-py or not?

Chun Chou: “……”

Baby is not happy at all. QAQ

Happy or not, at least the cultivation that had been stagnant for so long had finally advanced by one level.

After reviewing the other two families’ chosen companions and the items they had sent along, a genuine smile finally appeared on Chun Chou’s face.

The mayor of Red Leaf Town ultimately chose between his elder daughter, who had a single spiritual root, and his nine-year-old son, who possessed dual spiritual roots. In the end, he decided to send the younger son to the Cultivation World.

In addition to a storage pouch, two hundred low-grade spirit stones, and copied jade slips containing information about the Cultivation World, he also sent three hundred-year spirit herbs, a wood-attribute whip, and three thousand spirit pearls.

The mayor of the neighboring town had only one son, who possessed three spiritual roots, and did not hesitate in deciding to send him to the Cultivation World.

To secure the quota for his son, he presented Chun Chou with a storage pouch, four hundred low-grade spirit stones, five expired ungraded Spirit-Congealing Pills, and five thousand spirit pearls.

There was also a girl from Red Leaf Town—the niece from the town mayor’s wife’s maiden family.

Her family lived in a village and was not wealthy, yet she still brought out a bottle of expired beast-advancement pills and a spirit beast pouch.

Ling Wuji still remembered how Chun Chou had climbed through his window that night, clutching his family’s little donkey in his arms, insisting that he would go to the Cultivation World together with Ling Wuji—and with the little donkey.

It was clear how important the little donkey was to Chun Chou.

Ling Wuji liked Chun Chou’s nostalgic and loyal nature, and he understood Chun Chou’s choice. Thus, while Chun Chou was in seclusion advancing his cultivation, Ling Wuji had chosen this bottle of spirit beast pills and the beast pouch for him.

Now the little donkey had already eaten one pill and fallen into a deep sleep.

The little donkey was, in truth, the most ordinary kind of spirit beast, with no special bloodline whatsoever, and even a lifespan of less than a hundred years. But it had accompanied Chun Chou since he was four years old—there was no way he would abandon it.

Now that he knew the little donkey also had a chance to advance—though at best it might only run a bit faster, carry heavier loads, and live longer by his side—that was already enough for Chun Chou.

With the three candidates decided, the families gathered for a meal together and agreed that on the first day of next month, they would depart together for the Cultivation World.

That night, Chun Chou drank a little spirit wine. Sleeping beside Ling Wuji, he became somewhat restless, muttering to himself for a long while, unable to fall asleep.

Ling Wuji did not mind. Sitting properly at the bedside, he took out a red brocade box from his robes. From within it, he removed a red cord threaded with a pearl no larger than a red bean.

Ling Wuji glanced at Chun Chou beside him. Only then did a trace of darkness surface in his eyes.

He held the red cord in his hand and remained silent for a long while. It wasn’t until Chun Chou had finished his restless muttering and was about to drift off in a daze that Ling Wuji patted him lightly.

“Don’t sleep yet. Sit up. I have something to give you.”

Chun Chou rubbed his eyes and sat up groggily. “Another thing? Why do you always have something to give me?”

Even as he spoke, he unceremoniously held out his hand.

Ling Wuji said, “It’s not worn on the hand. Chun Chou, this one is worn on the ankle.”

Chun Chou blinked, waking up a little more. He climbed up and, in the glow of the night-luminescent pearl, looked at the pearl in Ling Wuji’s hand. It was small, but its color was beautiful.

“A white pearl? Hm? Wait—hold it up to the moon.”

Ling Wuji obediently lifted the pearl toward the moonlight for him to examine.

Chun Chou narrowed his eyes. “There’s a faint trace of blue inside. Like the color of the sea.”

Ling Wuji paused briefly, murmured an “Mm,” then lowered his gaze toward Chun Chou’s feet.

Chun Chou automatically shifted to sit sideways facing Ling Wuji. After thinking a moment, he stretched out his right foot toward him—then reconsidered, withdrew it, and instead extended his left foot, placing it atop the quilt covering Ling Wuji’s legs.

With Chun Chou, Ling Wuji was always helpless.

He grasped Chun Chou’s left ankle with one hand to prevent him from getting playful again. With the other hand, he carefully tied the red cord bearing the pearl around his ankle.

Propping himself up with both palms on the bed, Chun Chou tilted his head to watch. “So what kind of treasure is this? Why did you suddenly decide to give it to me?”

After fastening the cord, Ling Wuji gently lifted Chun Chou’s foot off the quilt, refusing to look at it again. He coughed lightly and said, “It’s called the Priceless Pearl. It’s not anything extraordinary. But if you wear it, your speed of absorbing spiritual energy will double.”

Chun Chou’s spiritual roots were too mixed; even at double speed, and even in the spiritually abundant Cultivation World, it wouldn’t make him exceptional. But compared to before, it would certainly be much better.

“And,” Ling Wuji added, “the pearl will automatically absorb and store spiritual energy equivalent to your cultivation level. During battle, if your spiritual energy is depleted, it will replenish you on its own.”

Finally, he said quietly, “It wasn’t sudden. I’ve long wanted to give it to you. I was just afraid of frightening you.”

“Why?” Chun Chou asked naturally.

“Because,” Ling Wuji answered just as naturally, “this is a betrothal gift.”

Chun Chou: “……”

His face flushed red. He stopped sitting sideways and leaned back against the headboard, pulling his feet beneath the quilt.

“How is it a betrothal gift? It could just as well be a dowry. I’ll save up the betrothal gift for you.”

Ling Wuji lowered his voice too. “If you call me ‘Wuji-gege’ from now on, I’ll admit it’s a dowry.”

Chun Chou: “……”

He wasn’t Minmin Temür, nor was he Zhou Zhiruo!¹

He absolutely could not say it. Truly could not.

Since Chun Chou couldn’t bring himself to say it, Ling Wuji didn’t get angry. Calmly, he declared, “Then it’s a betrothal gift.”

Chun Chou: “……”

He only hated that he still retained memories of his previous life—there was no way he could utter that “Wuji-gege”!

Rolling his eyes, he lay back down in mild frustration. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly remembered something.

“Wait—such a precious treasure… shouldn’t it require a blood-binding ritual? Does it really work just by wearing it on the ankle?”

Ling Wuji was still leaning against the headboard, not lying down. The night-luminescent pearl had already been put away.

The darkness concealed his expression perfectly.

In an exceptionally calm voice, Ling Wuji said, “This morning, before you woke, I intended to give you this pearl together with another small item and have you bind both with blood. So I took a drop of blood from your fingertip. Later I thought you might not like the other item, so for now I only bound this pearl to you.”

Chun Chou thought about it. Nothing seemed wrong.

“Oh,” he said, yawning—and promptly fell asleep.

Ling Wuji, however, sat alone in the darkness the entire night.

There would be no sleep tonight. In truth, he hadn’t slept the previous night either.

Last night, his elder sister had personally come to see him.

Ten years ago, he handed over the clan leader’s token. Ten years later, he exiled himself from the family. That was more than enough to exchange for the three items he wanted most.

Though he had never spoken aloud what he desired, his sister clearly knew.

“The Priceless Pearl, the Pure Water Gourd, and the Love Gu—they’re all here.”

The beauty in a flowing azure gown descended into Ling Wuji’s courtyard, her posture graceful and swaying. With a light toss of her hand, three boxes flew through the air as though they had eyes, landing neatly in the lap of the young man seated in a wheelchair in the courtyard.

Ling Wuji opened each box one by one, inspected them, and only then said expressionlessly, “In that case, elder sister and I owe each other nothing.”

The beauty in blue smiled charmingly. “Why be so heartless, little brother? I came not only to thank you for not contending with me for the position of clan head. Even if you had, you wouldn’t have won—but you did spare your elder sister a great deal of trouble.

“You only wanted these three of Mother’s belongings. The family affairs are complicated, the clan members scheming. It’s better you don’t return—better we siblings don’t turn against each other.

“Your birth father also left you some things. There seems to be a letter addressed specifically to you, in the ceremonial tomb his family erected for him. If you want it, go take it yourself.”

Ling Wuji responded with a simple “Mm.”

He understood.

And he was dismissing her.

He did not want Chun Chou to meet this elder sister of his.

The woman in blue seemed to understand as well. She gave a soft laugh, her long skirt sweeping as she turned to leave. Yet before departing, she looked back and left one final sentence—light as air, yet heavy as stone.

“If I were you, I would never use the Love Gu. If you don’t use it, you might regret it. If you do, you certainly will.”

Originally, Ling Wuji had thought: he and Chun Chou were childhood sweethearts, mutually devoted. In that case, using the Love Gu to make their hearts ever more attuned, to live and die together—wouldn’t that only make things better?

Though his sister’s warning lingered in his mind, Ling Wuji had believed he would never regret using it.

But if Chun Chou were to find out… would he blame him?

Ling Wuji pondered until dawn.

In the end, he only bound the Priceless Pearl to Chun Chou with blood.

The Love Gu, he hid on himself.

For now, there was no need to use it.

He would trust Chun Chou.

Even if the direct bloodline of his mother’s clan, no matter how they prepared in advance, would ultimately encounter someone they loved obsessively for a lifetime—someone for whom they would give up status, wealth, dignity, even their lives, so long as they could keep that person by their side. And even if the ones they loved might once have loved them in return, only to betray and abandon them in the end.

But perhaps—just perhaps—he and Chun Chou would be the exception.

Footnotes

1 – For those who might not know, these are the two female leads from Jin Yong’s The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre who both love the protagonist, Zhang Wuji.

​The Joke: Chun Chou has “transmigration memories” (previous life), so he knows that calling a guy named Wuji “Wuji-gege” makes him sound like a heroine of a romance novel

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