Chapter 69

Xuankong looked at Wang Qi's sister with a smile that was not quite a smile, and suddenly had an idea. He still had quite a few experimental pills and magical tools on him. Although they were not worth mentioning in the eyes of immortals, they would be more than enough as gifts for ordinary people!

Xuankong smiled broadly at Wang Qi, who felt a jolt in her heart and sensed something was amiss.

Sure enough, the senior brother reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small porcelain bottle.

"Hehe, the Youth-Preserving Pill, it has the miraculous effect of maintaining eternal youth and beauty."

Xuankong opened the bottle, releasing a faint, refreshing aroma, and said with a grin, "Unfortunately, there's only one."

Wang Qi hadn't yet reacted to why her senior brother was looking at her with such a teasing gaze when her usually gentle and dignified sister quickly and carefully took the porcelain bottle from Xuankong's hand.

Women are always most concerned about their appearance, especially those who are somewhat beautiful, who fear the passage of time will take away their youth and beauty.

Wang Qi's sister immediately fell in love with the Youth-Preserving Pill and almost snatched it from Xuankong's hand as if it were a robbery.

Holding it in her arms, she thought about Xuankong's words that there was only one pill, and couldn't help but sigh.

The Wang family was a large clan. Above Wang Qi were her parents, and below her, there were five male and two female members of her generation. In this world, people married very early, and even the third generation already had many children.

Wang Qi's sister was the second eldest, and below her was her sixth sister.

If there were three such pills, it would be perfect. One for her mother, one for her sixth sister, and one for herself, so that all the sisters in the family could remain eternally young.

Unfortunately, there was only one.

She didn't know whether to give it to her mother or to her sixth sister, who always clung to her. Thinking about it, she silently shed tears, which greatly alarmed Xuankong. He quietly pulled Wang Qi aside to ask what was going on.

Wang Qi rolled her eyes but still explained her sister's thoughts to Xuankong, complaining, "Good senior brother, why didn't you mention such a treasure when we were on the mountain? Now that we're at my home, you take it out to please my sister."

Xuankong had assumed that in such a chaotic world, everyone would prioritize their own interests.

He hadn't expected to underestimate the filial piety of ordinary people.

Despite the chaos, there was still a moral底线.

Respect for heaven, earth, ruler, kin, and teacher, in that order.

Xuankong regretted not keeping more of these pills from his experiments on Mount Laoshan, to avoid making Wang Qi's sister sad and conflicted. He couldn't stand to see anyone cry in front of him, regardless of gender, and would leave without a word.

But now, he felt a warmth in his heart. He had seen thieves and bandits fighting and killing each other, and even a noodle shop that used dead bodies as meat. Xuankong's initial enthusiasm for spreading the Dao had waned, but now he felt cheerful again.

He was always generous. Knowing the reason, he comforted Wang Qi's sister, "This... young lady..." He felt the title was inappropriate and finally changed it to, "I am Wang Qi's senior brother on the mountain. If you don't mind, I'll call you Second Sister like he does."

Wang Qi's sister, who had initially thought Xuankong was a bit "dull-witted" and just a companion he had met on the road, now realized he was actually her brother's senior brother from his Daoist studies.

He must be a celestial being, she thought. She walked nervously to Xuankong, bowed, and softly replied, "Uncle's pill is a treasure of the immortals. If it's precious, I dare not accept it."

Xuankong laughed, "This pill isn't as valuable as you think. It's just a byproduct of my experiments with the Elixir of Immortality. It can preserve youth but not extend life. For us cultivators, it's just a useless thing. It's perfect for Second Sister to use."

Wang Qi interjected, "My senior brother's powers are great. Once we bring him home, he can refine a basket of Youth-Preserving Pills. We can keep some for ourselves and sell the rest at the Zhang family's gate for a hundred gold pieces each."

Xuankong playfully hit Wang Qi and scolded, "A basket of Youth-Preserving Pills? Are you selling me as a servant to your family?"

However, he added, "I can't make a basket of pills, but one furnace can produce about twenty to thirty. Once I gather the ingredients, I'll refine a batch for your family." Wang Qi asked, "What ingredients are needed? As long as they are available in Ninghai County, my family can gather them."

Xuankong replied, "I have a few main ingredients left from my experiments with the Elixir of Immortality. The other common auxiliary ingredients should be available in the apothecary shops."

He told Wang Qi the formula, who carefully took off his shirt, bit his fingertip, and wrote it down. Then, he smiled and invited, "Oh, we're already in Ninghai County. Why is Senior Brother still standing here? Please, please, come and stay at my home for a few years!"

He handed the shirt to his sister. Wang Qi's sister was not an ordinary woman and knew the value of it.

She tightly kept the shirt with the formula close to her body, thinking it might become a family heirloom in the future.

Xuankong gave Wang Qi a look, thinking that his junior brother had learned to be cunning after spending so much time with him. He missed the somewhat naive Wang Qi from when they first went to Mount Laoshan.

He also wondered if the path of cultivation could enhance one's intelligence.

What was the reason?

There were many naturally foolish people in the world, especially in this world where the dangers of inbreeding were unknown. Wealthy families often advocated for matches within their own social class, increasing the proportion of such people. If he could find a way to enhance intelligence, it would greatly benefit his disciples on Mount Laoshan.

Xuankong sat in the carriage, eyes closed, deep in thought.

As the Maitreya Zen Master collected the gold and silver and pretended to leave, the county residents dispersed. With Wang Qi, a local, leading the way, the carriage moved quickly. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they had already arrived at the center of Ninghai County.

Sharp-eyed servants recognized their second miss and the long-absent seventh young master and ran to the back to report the good news. The remaining servants quickly parked the carriage in front of the Wang family courtyard.

Without the need for Wang Jun and others to rush, the diligent servants had already taken care of everything.

A commotion was heard from behind, and a large group of servants escorted the old patriarch, Wang Lao Ye, out. Wang Qi, seeing the familiar faces of his family, was already overjoyed and stood there in a daze. Xuankong smiled, got off the carriage, stood next to Wang Qi, patted his shoulder, and gestured for him to go and greet the family.