Chapter 70

According to Xu Yan's original intention, if Zhu Youxiang wanted to sell the gold, he really wanted to find the "Qin Family Gold Shop" where they had previously transacted—after all, they had done business once, and Xu Yan felt that the old man surnamed Qin was quite reliable. Unfortunately, when he brought Zhu Youxiang back to the Qin Family Gold Shop on Chang'an Road, he found the shop's door tightly closed, and the gold shop had already closed down.

"Qin Family Gold Shop is actually not open?" This was an unexpected blow, and Xu Yan was stunned.

Zhu Youxiang, however, took it quite calmly. She said, "It doesn't matter, after all, we can sell it at any shop. Young Master, let's just find another one."

Clearly, Zhu Youxiang was right—shiny gold was always welcome wherever it went. Soon, Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang sold the gold at another gold shop for 250 yuan per gram.

Leaving the gold shop, Xu Yan carried a bag with several hundred thousand yuan in cash, and he felt that everyone on the street looked like pickpockets and robbers. According to his old habits, he immediately wanted to take Zhu Youxiang to the bank to deposit the money, but Zhu Youxiang gently waved her hand, "Young Master, there's no need to go through such trouble."

She took the money bag from Xu Yan's hand and led him to a secluded street corner. With a flick of her hand, right in front of Xu Yan's eyes, the black money bag containing several hundred thousand yuan disappeared.

Xu Yan stared with wide eyes, and it took him a while to react—Zhu Youxiang had indeed pulled things out of thin air before, or made existing things disappear with a flick of her sleeve, but back then, she was wearing ancient robes, and the wide sleeves could hide things. Xu Yan could still deceive himself by thinking she had hidden the things in her sleeves. But today, Zhu Youxiang was wearing modern clothes, a pair of casual pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, everything was clearly visible to Xu Yan. The large black money bag could not possibly be hidden in her shirt sleeves.

Xu Yan stared at Zhu Youxiang again and again, "Xuan Yun, what's going on? Where did you put the money?"

Zhu Youxiang raised her small right hand and waved it in front of Xu Yan. Only then did he notice that on her right hand, she was wearing a delicate bracelet, similar to a watch, neither too big nor too small, perfectly fitting her fair wrist.

"Xu Young Master, this is a storage bracelet. I put the money inside it."

Xu Yan stared at the bracelet again and again, but he couldn't figure out how such a small bracelet could hold the money. Seeing Xu Yan's curiosity, Zhu Youxiang took off the bracelet and handed it to him, "Young Master, feel free to examine it, there's no harm."

Xu Yan carefully took the bracelet and examined it repeatedly—the color and weight suggested it was made of silver. The texture was very fine, with intricate patterns and symbols densely covering it.

He tentatively asked Zhu Youxiang, "Is this one of your cultivation treasures from the Ming Dynasty?"

"Xu Young Master, you're exaggerating. This isn't really a cultivation treasure, just a common personal item. It's used to carry some items when traveling for convenience."

"Then, how do you use it?"

Zhu Youxiang shook her head apologetically and took back the bracelet, "Xu Young Master, I didn't explain clearly earlier—this storage bracelet, although not a cultivation tool, still requires a bit of spiritual energy to activate. Since you don't have any spiritual energy, you won't be able to use it."

Xu Yan sighed in disappointment. Zhu Youxiang's mention of spiritual energy reminded him of something, "Xuan Yun, the two books you asked me to memorize, 'The White Deer Academy Training Manual' and 'The White Deer Academy Annals,' I have already memorized them. When can you test me?"

Zhu Youxiang glanced at Xu Yan and smiled faintly, "It seems you're eager to learn cultivation?"

Xu Yan smiled sheepishly and admitted, "Yes, that's why I'm eager to be tested."

Zhu Youxiang smiled faintly—actually, the so-called test was entirely fabricated by her, just a formality.

In cultivation sects, it was always emphasized that the Dao should not be easily passed on. When Zhu Youxiang was formally accepted as a disciple by her master and began her cultivation path, she also went through various trials and tests. At the time, she didn't understand and even thought her master was biased against her, deliberately making things difficult for her. But now, after five years, she gradually understood her master's deeper intentions: the path of cultivation is a great opportunity, completely overturning one's previous life. Once a mortal steps onto this path, it means they will soon possess immense power, surpassing ordinary people. This often leads to a distortion of character, making it difficult to maintain balance and moderation.

Therefore, cultivation sects are very cautious about taking on disciples, prioritizing their character and conduct. Otherwise, if a wicked disciple causes trouble in the world, it would be the master's fault, and they would bear the consequences.

Zhu Youxiang was willing to teach Xu Yan cultivation for two reasons: first, to repay his kindness for saving her; second, and more importantly, through their interactions, she could sense that Xu Yan had a gentle and upright nature, and in critical moments, he also showed the courage to fight against evil forces. Such a kind and courageous disciple met the requirements of her sect, so she was willing to risk breaking the rules to teach him cultivation.

However, human nature is such that things easily obtained are not cherished. If she easily passed on the Dao, Xu Yan might feel that the path of cultivation was easy and take it lightly. Therefore, Zhu Youxiang added the requirement of memorizing the 'White Deer Academy Training Manual' to make Xu Yan understand that the path of cultivation is not easy—compared to the arduous journey she endured, memorizing two books was much easier.

Since Xu Yan said he had memorized the content of the two books, Zhu Youxiang didn't intend to make things difficult for him. She smiled softly, "Xu Young Master, you're very confident. Shall I test you now?"

"Hehe, Xuan Yun, just go ahead!"

"Xu Young Master, who was the fifth head of the White Deer Academy?"

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, counted on his fingers, and answered confidently, "It was Mr. Mingguang. He served as a teacher, tutor, mentor, and deputy chief of the White Deer Academy, and finally became the head."

Zhu Youxiang nodded but didn't comment, "Xu Young Master, what were Mr. Mingguang's notable achievements?"

"Mr. Mingguang was both a scholar and a warrior. He wrote 'Mingguang's Travels,' 'The Collection of Elegant Thoughts,' and 'Poems from the Foot of Anli Mountain.' He held important positions such as the Right Censor of Shaanxi in the Ming Dynasty, the Left Governor, the Left Minister of War, the Minister of War, and the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. He performed excellently in the battle against the Nine Border Insect Plague and was known as a capable minister and a renowned general—uh, that's about it."

"If a White Deer Academy disciple encounters a passerby drowning on the road, and the person might drown, what should the disciple do?"

"Seeing someone in danger, one should help them."

"What if the person is not a good person, always doing evil, and this drowning is a form of divine punishment, what should be done then?"

"Helping someone is an act of kindness. If the person is wicked, they should be handed over to the local authorities for punishment."

...

Zhu Youxiang then asked Xu Yan several more questions from the 'White Deer Academy Training Manual,' and Xu Yan answered fluently—by modern standards, these questions were relatively simple. Nowadays, the internet is full of tricky questions like "If your girlfriend and your mother both fall into the water and you can only save one, who would you save?" Such questions are rampant, and Xu Yan, who grew up with such tricky questions, had no problem answering Zhu Youxiang's questions. Even for some seemingly difficult choices, like "saving five people or one person," Xu Yan hesitated a bit but answered according to his conscience, "Of course, save the five people." After answering, he felt a bit uneasy, but Zhu Youxiang's expression didn't reveal any disapproval, as if there was nothing wrong.

After answering the questions, Xu Yan felt a bit anxious. He looked at Zhu Youxiang and asked, "Xuan Yun, did I answer these questions correctly?"

After listening to Xu Yan's answers, Zhu Youxiang was deep in thought. Hearing Xu Yan's question, she laughed, "Xu Young Master, you're overthinking it. These questions are just to examine your character, there's no right or wrong."

She lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then nodded and sighed, "Your character is very pure and good."

Xu Yan was a bit confused, "Then... is my character good or bad?"

"Purity and goodness come from the heart, and you were born this way—like birds are born with wings to fly and fish are born with fins to swim. It's a natural trait, with no right or wrong, good or bad." Zhu Youxiang comforted Xu Yan, seeing his anxious expression, she smiled, "Of course, although it's a natural trait, the cultivation method also needs to be suitable for your nature. In my view, your nature is very suitable for our sect."

Xu Yan let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Then, when can I start learning cultivation?"

Zhu Youxiang frowned in thought for a moment, then nodded, "You've passed the test, but before I can guide you, I need to adjust your current physical condition and do some preparations, which will take a few days—uh, don't laugh, to be honest, I've never had a disciple before, so I must be cautious."

Xu Yan's face fell—earlier, when Zhu Youxiang confidently said she would teach him cultivation, he thought it would be a simple matter for her, but now he realized it was her first time. For a moment, Xu Yan felt like a nervous rabbit.

He thought of the cultivation novels he had read, and the difficulties of cultivation, like losing control, meridians going wrong, and the dantian collapsing. Xu Yan felt a cold sweat on his back, soaking through his clothes.

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That day, Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang spent the afternoon shopping, buying a lot of miscellaneous items—clothes, jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, handbags, watches, mobile phones, sofas, tables, chairs, furniture, appliances, and snacks. Since Zhu Youxiang had money, she bought whatever she liked without haggling, making the shopkeepers happy and Xu Yan speechless—he had never seen someone treat money so casually.

Today, Zhu Youxiang had earned several hundred thousand yuan from selling gold, and Xu Yan thought it would support her for a few years, but unexpectedly, she spent almost all of it in just one afternoon.

Finally, Xu Yan couldn't bear to watch anymore. He quietly reminded Zhu Youxiang to be more restrained, and she woke up as if from a dream, a bit embarrassed, and said to Xu Yan, "Sorry, I forgot, I thought we were still in the Ming Dynasty—however, Young Master, you have so many good things here! Delicious food, fun toys, beautiful comic books, and so many interesting appliances, I couldn't resist—however, so many good things, your money is really not enough. Several hundred thousand yuan, and it's all gone in a flash."

Xu Yan smiled bitterly, "Not having enough money—this has been a long-standing problem for us."

Seeing Xu Yan's worried expression, Zhu Youxiang comforted him, "Young Master, don't worry. I still have a lot of gold. If necessary, I can exchange it again."

Since Zhu Youxiang had made up her mind, and the money was hers, Xu Yan couldn't persuade her further and could only watch her spend recklessly. Fortunately, shopping with Zhu Youxiang had one benefit—although she bought countless items and clothes, she had a storage bracelet, so whatever she bought, she could disappear it in a secluded corner, "whoosh," and Xu Yan, despite being exhausted, was spared the pain of being a human clothes hanger and bag carrier.

After shopping for the afternoon, Zhu Youxiang was still not satisfied. On the way home, she suddenly became interested in the cars on the road. She pointed to a car and asked, "Xu Young Master, how much does this car cost? Where can I buy it?"

Xu Yan, exhausted, didn't pay much attention at first and answered casually, "A car, a basic sedan, costs about ten thousand yuan, and you can buy it at a car dealership—wait, wait, Xuan Yun, you're talking about a bus! I don't know where to buy it, but it probably costs over a million yuan."

"Oh!" Zhu Youxiang looked at the bus driving away and praised, "This car is magnificent and very dignified, it suits me well. Young Master, in the future, when my uncle... uh, an elder in my clan has a birthday, I will give this car as a gift, and I'm sure the elder will be delighted!"

Xu Yan rolled his eyes. Growing up, he had never heard anyone praise a bus for its beauty; as for Zhu Youxiang's idea of buying a bus as a gift, Xu Yan was speechless, too tired to even comment, and could only sigh, "Xuan Yun, your taste is... uh, unique!"

Zhu Youxiang smiled brightly, "Thank you for your praise, I'm really not worthy of it!"

"I'm not praising you—"

"Huh, what do you mean, Young Master?"

Seeing Zhu Youxiang's surprised look, Xu Yan waved his hand weakly, "Forget it, just pretend I'm praising you."

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Dear readers, with your support, the story of the Ming Dynasty Princess and Old Pig has finally reached this point—yes, Children's Day, which is tomorrow, and the book is about to be published.

Thank you for your encouragement and support all along. Please continue to support me.

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