Chapter 18 of 100

Chapter 18

17 min read4,143 words

North Chenzi had always been uncomfortable with East Chenzi, and East Chenzi, for the sake of being a fellow disciple, had never confronted her. However, today's events had indeed damaged East Chenzi's dignity, especially in front of so many disciples.

If East Chenzi did not confront North Chenzi today, and if this matter were to spread, East Chenzi would not be able to stand his ground in the Daochen Mountains. Although the East Chen Manor was not thriving, East Chenzi was still the master of a manor.

Therefore, when North Chenzi, South Chenzi, and West Chenzi left, East Chenzi's expression never relaxed.

However, it must be said that East Chenzi's performance today indeed gave North Chenzi a warning. In her heart, East Chenzi was just a drunkard, and she never expected East Chenzi to be so powerful, even if it was just for a moment. In that instant, she truly felt that she was no match for East Chenzi. So, when she stood in the sky as a long rainbow, her heart was still trembling.

South Chenzi usually did not pay much attention to the matters between his fellow disciples, so he did not take today's conflict between East Chenzi and North Chenzi to heart. Instead, he felt like watching a show.

But for West Chenzi, this matter was a cause for concern. As the eldest disciple, he understood North Chenzi's personality well. Although North Chenzi was a woman, her character was more fierce than that of an ordinary man. Sometimes, she even had an air of arrogance. Especially towards East Chenzi.

What worried him even more was East Chenzi. He knew that East Chenzi was usually very low-key. He would always return more respect than he received, and his usual hobby was drinking, living a life of seclusion. He was very tolerant of North Chenzi. The reason for today's outburst was that North Chenzi had crossed a line. Given East Chenzi's character, once he exploded, there would be no going back to the way things were. This would make it awkward for West Chenzi, as the eldest disciple, in their future interactions.

What puzzled him even more was that Bai Shi, after being brought to the East Chen Manor, seemed like a different person. Not only had his strength unexpectedly increased, but East Chenzi had also quarreled with North Chenzi for his sake. Although he wanted to express his doubts today at the East Chen Manor, he did not do so in front of South Chenzi and North Chenzi. Only he knew that a few days ago, Bai Shi was still a boy who could not practice swordsmanship!

After much deliberation, West Chenzi decided to find out more from East Chenzi another day.

Although West Chenzi was worried about Bai Shi a year from now, upon careful reflection, he was even more concerned about Cai Heng. So, on the way back to the West Chen Manor, West Chenzi's frown never relaxed.

After North Chenzi and the others left, East Chenzi's iron-gray face gradually relaxed. He stood up from the wooden chair, showing his usual kindness, patted the motionless Bai Shi, and said with a smile, "Why are you standing there... You promised a duel a year from now. Shouldn't you be practicing hard right now?"

Bai Shi clenched his fists, feeling guilty. Although East Chenzi was not humiliated by North Chenzi today, North Chenzi's actions had greatly disgraced the East Chen Manor.

So, Bai Shi raised his head, and in the moment his gaze met East Chenzi's, he remained silent.

In East Chenzi's eyes, Bai Shi saw no sadness, no anger, and no blame. Instead, he saw trust. Because of this, Bai Shi's clear eyes showed a determination he had never shown before. But he still did not speak, only nodded and walked out of the hall with a heavy step.

Time passed quietly over the next few days.

The snow on the branches had completely melted, and new buds appeared, welcoming the arrival of spring. The sound of melting snow in the mountains was no longer a gentle trickle but a thunderous roar, echoing through the Daochen Mountains as if trying to destroy them. The pear trees in the East Chen Manor's courtyard were in full bloom with white flowers, like the lingering snow of winter.

But the faint fragrance they emitted added a touch of vitality to the usually lifeless East Chen Manor.

A thin layer of white mist began to drift through the mountains. Some of this mist transformed into spiritual energy, swirling around the East Chen Manor, appearing and disappearing, like a paradise or a fairyland.

In the back mountain of the East Chen Manor, in an underground wine cellar, a young man sat cross-legged. His eyes were closed, his palms resting on his knees, and a thin layer of white mist surrounded his body. He was enveloped by a purple sword, motionless like a statue left by a sage, or a masterpiece of purple crystal. Upon closer inspection, one could see faint energy waves emanating from the white mist around him, emitting a subtle hum. This was the power condensed from spiritual energy.

This young man was Bai Shi!

Beside Bai Shi sat East Chenzi, holding a wine jar and gazing at Bai Shi as if waiting for something. At one moment, he took a sip of wine, nodded in satisfaction, and looked at the wine jar, seemingly admiring the pleasure it brought him.

On the other side of Bai Shi, a roaring fire burned, making a "puchi" sound. Beside the fire, a fat man fanned the flames and occasionally added wood to the fire. This man was Su Xuan.

On the fire, a ceramic boiler was placed, its lid closed, but a faint aroma of wine still seeped out. Clearly, over the past few days, Su Xuan had become skilled in brewing under their guidance. Despite the sweat on his forehead, he showed no desire to stop. Although he had no interest in cultivation, he found some meaning in life through brewing, and he was deeply engrossed in it.

Bai Shi had maintained this posture for several days, and during this time, there were only subtle changes. This was clear not only to East Chenzi, who observed him constantly, but also to Bai Shi himself.

At one moment, when Su Xuan stopped fanning and wiped the sweat from his forehead, Bai Shi's tightly closed eyes finally slowly opened.

Due to the long period of sitting cross-legged, Bai Shi's feet moved slowly when he brought them together, as if adapting to the numbness caused by poor blood circulation. He took a long breath, and his brows, which had not relaxed, remained furrowed, as if summarizing his recent cultivation experience.

He did not speak immediately but walked a few steps in the wine cellar before looking at East Chenzi, seemingly puzzled, and said, "Uncle East Chenzi, these past few days, I have been meditating, and I can only feel a faint flow of spiritual energy entering my body. There are no other significant changes. And the amount of spiritual energy entering is negligible..."

Hearing this, East Chenzi walked to Bai Shi, patted his shoulder, and looked up at the cave wall, as if recalling something. "The flow of spiritual energy is closely related to the improvement of strength. Your strength is still at the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, so the amount of spiritual energy you can absorb is naturally limited. However, the amount of spiritual energy entering your body these past few days is already quite good. But to improve your strength, you need not only the flow of spiritual energy but also the assistance of medicinal herbs..."

East Chenzi then looked at Bai Shi and continued with a smile, "Brother West Chen said that you were very familiar with the medicinal herbs needed for strength improvement when you were at the West Chen Manor. I don't think I need to tell you which herbs are needed for your current stage."

Bai Shi smiled and said, "So, according to Uncle East Chenzi, I can go into the mountains to gather herbs now?"

Nodding, East Chenzi took a sip of wine and said, "Not everyone in the mountains is a powerful cultivator. There are still some people who go into the mountains to hunt and make a living. They rely on their wisdom... and courage."

Nodding in understanding, Bai Shi's furrowed brows finally relaxed. He looked at East Chenzi, a faint smile on his lips, and said, "Then I will go into the mountains to gather herbs today."

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