Chapter 30

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Soon, Wang Shouzhe was led by a maid to the backyard of the Lu family’s main residence, where the venerable Mingsheng practiced and lived in seclusion.

This place was near the Yingxiu Lake, and the towering and magnificent pavilion offered a view of half the lake. The lake breeze, the sound of waves, the leaping fish, and the chirping birds all made this building blend into nature.

Standing in front of the pavilion named "Yingxiu Sheng Mingyue," Wang Shouzhe clasped his hands and said, "Wang Shouzhe of the Wang family, seeking an audience with the venerable Mingsheng."

"Come in."

A gentle voice sounded directly in Wang Shouzhe’s ear.

Wang Shouzhe followed the instruction and stepped onto the thick wooden stairs to the upper level of the pavilion. Outside the pavilion window, an old man in a gray robe was sitting in a reclining chair, fishing in the Yingxiu Lake with a long fishing line. His posture was very casual, but from Wang Shouzhe’s perspective, he was completely unfathomable, like a mountain too high to climb or a lake too deep to see the bottom.

Beside him was a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl in a red dress, who was none other than Wang Shouzhe’s cousin, Lu Xiaoxiao. She was glaring at Wang Shouzhe with a puffed-up face, clearly still angry.

"Grandpa, you know how annoying Cousin Shouzhe is," Lu Xiaoxiao pouted, "Why does that Wang family girl have a purple crystal spirit bee hive, but Xiaoxiao doesn’t?"

"Uh..." Wang Shouzhe touched his nose, unable to laugh or cry. This girl, Xiaoxiao, had really come to the venerable ancestor to complain.

"So, what do you think I should do to teach your cousin a lesson? Last time, you said you liked Cousin Shouzhe the most," the old man said with a faint smile, "Now you don’t like him?"

"I do like him, but Mother said the Wang family is in a bad situation now, lacking money everywhere," Lu Xiaoxiao said seriously, tilting her head. "I think Cousin Shouzhe must be very short of money. Why don’t you give him five hundred gold coins, Grandpa, so he can buy a purple crystal spirit bee hive for me? Then Xiaoxiao won’t be angry with Cousin Shouzhe anymore."

"Why five hundred gold coins?" the old man asked in surprise, "Grandpa remembers that a regular purple crystal spirit bee hive costs only two or three hundred gold coins. Has the price really risen so much?"

"Cousin Shouzhe will have to work hard to buy the bee hive."

Pfft!

This made Wang Shouzhe almost spit blood. The logic of this Lu family cousin was really powerful. To get a bee hive, she was even prepared to have the venerable Mingsheng pay for it. He couldn’t bear to listen anymore and coughed twice, saying, "Shouzhe greets the venerable Mingsheng."

Unexpectedly, the venerable Mingsheng completely ignored Wang Shouzhe and continued talking to Lu Xiaoxiao, "If your Cousin Shouzhe buys you a purple crystal spirit bee hive, will you listen to Grandpa well?"

"Yes!" Lu Xiaoxiao nodded firmly.

The venerable Mingsheng nodded slightly, turned around, and smiled at Wang Shouzhe. He casually tossed a few gold notes towards him.

Wang Shouzhe quickly caught them and looked closely. They were five hundred gold coins, and he was immediately stunned. What was happening? Could it be...

"Shouzhe, did you hear that?" The venerable Mingsheng, who looked only about fifty, smiled teasingly, "Go buy a purple crystal spirit bee hive for your cousin Xiaoxiao. The rest can be considered your running fee."

"Venerable, this..." Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat, "This is absolutely not right. If Cousin Xiaoxiao really likes the purple crystal spirit bee hive, I will find a way to buy one for her."

"Enough, do you not know the current state of your Wang family?" the venerable Mingsheng waved his hand impatiently, "Take these gold coins first. Gather more cultivation resources. When you have the means, you can buy the purple crystal spirit bee hive."

Wang Shouzhe felt a warm feeling in his heart and clasped his hands, "Thank you, venerable, for your support." It seemed that the venerable Mingsheng was intentionally supporting his great-grandson. He naturally didn’t act coy and took the money.

"Thank your cousin Xiaoxiao." The venerable Mingsheng smiled, "If it weren’t for her persistence, I wouldn’t have given up these gold coins." For the Lu family, five hundred gold coins was not a small amount. After various large expenses, they might not even save this much in a year.

"Thank you, Cousin Xiaoxiao." Wang Shouzhe also clasped his hands.

"Hmph." Lu Xiaoxiao turned her head away, huffing, as if unwilling to acknowledge him.

"Xiaoxiao, you must strive to be better. Don’t let that spirit insect master girl outdo you," the venerable Mingsheng "incited" her, "If you can successfully learn the art of array formation and become a first-rank array master, I guarantee your Cousin Shouzhe will look at you differently."

"Array master?"

Wang Shouzhe was surprised, "Venerable, does Cousin Xiaoxiao have a talent for array formation?"

"What, only your Wang family can produce a spirit insect master, but our Lu family can’t produce an array master?" the venerable Mingsheng said with a half-smile.

Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat, "Venerable, that’s not what I meant. I’m just a bit surprised. Congratulations, venerable, congratulations, Cousin Xiaoxiao."

In his heart, he marveled at how difficult it was to judge talent. He vaguely remembered that Lu Xiaoxiao’s study of the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" was very poor, yet she could have a talent for array formation...

"Grandpa, from now on, I will work hard and not be lazy anymore," Lu Xiaoxiao said obediently, "When I become a first-rank array master, I will make that spirit insect master girl jealous and definitely won’t let Cousin Shouzhe look down on me."

"Good spirit, that’s what I expect from my great-granddaughter. Come, let’s lay a solid foundation first. Grandpa will take you to find a master later," the venerable Mingsheng said kindly to Lu Xiaoxiao, but waved his hand casually at Wang Shouzhe, "Shouzhe, go about your business."

So, he was being treated as a tool?

Wang Shouzhe was speechless, but being a tool for five hundred gold coins was something he would do any number of times. Moreover, Lu Xiaoxiao having a talent for array formation was a great thing, as she was his double-bloodline cousin, with a very close blood relationship.

However, since it was rare to meet the venerable Mingsheng, Wang Shouzhe didn’t want to waste this opportunity. He immediately clasped his hands and asked, "Venerable, I have a few obscure points in my cultivation that I hope you can guide me on."

"Brat, don’t be greedy," the venerable Mingsheng scolded, "Your ancestor Longyan is knowledgeable. Do you need me to guide you?"

"More perspectives lead to clarity," Wang Shouzhe smiled foolishly, "Having the opportunity to verify from multiple angles is very beneficial for my cultivation. I see that the environment here is excellent, and cultivation will surely progress rapidly..."

He adopted a stubborn stance, implying that he wouldn’t leave until the venerable Mingsheng guided him. As a junior, it was perfectly fine to act a bit naughty with his great-grandfather.

"Fine, fine, fine, ask your questions quickly and leave. Don’t disturb my cultivation," the venerable Mingsheng said helplessly.

Wang Shouzhe hurriedly asked the questions he had prepared.

The venerable Mingsheng was actually just pretending to be annoyed. He couldn’t be careless with Wang Shouzhe’s cultivation questions and answered them thoughtfully. However, as the questions continued, they became increasingly difficult, even requiring the venerable Mingsheng to think carefully before answering.

Before his reincarnation, Wang Shouzhe was a closed-off person, only focusing on his own cultivation, sometimes holding back many questions and not daring to ask the venerable Longyan. But now, influenced by modern Earth thinking, Wang Shouzhe had accumulated many cultivation questions from various perspectives.

This was one of the differences between a family disciple and a solitary cultivator—having family elders to guide and solve doubts.

"Brat, that’s enough. I also need to cultivate," after more than two hours, the venerable Mingsheng was also exhausted. This boy had so many strange and unusual questions. If he continued, the venerable Mingsheng might not be able to answer.

He couldn’t just make things up for what he didn’t know, as it could harm the junior.

He really couldn’t take it anymore!

Lu Xiaoxiao initially pretended to listen, but as the conversation went on, she found it increasingly incomprehensible and boring. She eventually fell asleep on the side.

"Thank you, venerable, for your guidance. Shouzhe is enlightened," Wang Shouzhe knew when to stop, stood up, and clasped his hands, "I wish the venerable to achieve great success in cultivation and ascend to the heavens."

This made the venerable Mingsheng quite happy. Although he was still on the path to the middle stage of the Spirit Platform realm, every cultivator who reached the Spirit Platform realm wanted to advance further.

After all, below the Spirit Platform realm, everyone was mortal, with a lifespan of at most a hundred years. Achieving the Spirit Platform realm extended one’s lifespan by a factor of two, reaching a maximum of two hundred years. This is why those in the Spirit Platform realm were called venerables, as they would live to see their descendants and juniors die before them.

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