Chapter 48

Meng Junliang looked at Qin Manyun, his eyes calm and unshaken, with a wisdom that seemed to see through everything.

He said calmly, "Look at those mortals, they toil from dawn till dusk, living a hard life for a hundred years in the mortal world. Cultivators, on the other hand, can live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years! They must wonder why they cannot cultivate. Would you go and tell them?"

Qin Manyun's body trembled as if struck by a sudden blow, and she stood there in a daze.

She already had the answer in her heart.

It was... qualifications!

Some answers can only be known by those who have the qualifications.

Just like these mortals, if they seek the Dao, those with superior aptitude can join a sect, but those with inferior aptitude are often dismissed with a simple 'no affinity.'

They would surely ask, 'Why do I have no affinity?' But no one would tell them the answer.

Qin Manyun admitted to herself that she wouldn't bother with such a trivial question from a mortal.

She gritted her teeth, bowed deeply to the scholar again, and said, "I beg the senior to tell me the answer!"

The scholar remained silent for a moment before saying, "The operation of the world follows its own rules, and I can only glimpse a small part of them. The specific reasons are probably only known to those who set the rules."

He raised his head, his gaze fixed on the sky, his eyes still calm, but it was unclear where he was looking.

"Those who set the rules?"

Qin Manyun's pupils suddenly contracted, her blood rushed to her head, and a chill shot up to her scalp, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

Combining the story he had told, the so-called rule-makers must be the Heavenly Palace!

Her mind went blank, and she dared not think further.

Meng Junliang said, "If you want to know the reason, you might as well listen to more stories from 'Journey to the West.' If you have enough insight, you should be able to understand."

"I am enlightened." Qin Manyun bowed deeply, not daring to disturb him further, and took her leave.

At this moment, the quadrangle courtyard under the night sky seemed particularly quiet.

Only one room in the entire courtyard had a light on.

Li Nianfan was drawing and writing on a piece of white paper, his expression focused, as if designing something.

On the table in front of him were neatly arranged a carving knife, a bamboo branch, a pair of ox horns, and several ox tendons.

He was preparing to make a bow and arrow!

This idea came to him when he saw the ox that Luo Huang and the others had brought.

This ox, of unknown breed, was much stronger than an ordinary ox, with large horns and very resilient tendons, making it a rare and valuable material. Li Nianfan, feeling a sudden urge, had the idea to make a bow from ox horns.

The bamboo branch he used was cut from the largest bamboo in the backyard, also a rare and valuable material.

The ox horn bow was the pinnacle of bow-making in Li Nianfan's previous life, made from ox horns, bamboo and wood, ox tendons, and animal glue, through a hundred or more processes, requiring extremely high technical skills.

However, the difficulty was not a problem for Li Nianfan.

"In the past, when I hunted, I had to rely on Big Black, and sometimes on luck, only having a chance in close combat. Why did I only think of making a bow and arrow now? I must be pretty stupid." Li Nianfan couldn't help but shake his head and think to himself.

With a bow and arrow in the future, getting wild game would be much easier.

Li Nianfan put down his pen, looked at his design, and nodded in satisfaction.

The design was done, so he would stop for today and start making it tomorrow!

He said to the sword flaw jade in the center of the room, "Light bulb, turn off."

Immediately, the holy light surrounding the sword flaw jade quickly faded, and the room fell into darkness.

"The world of cultivation is great. This jade can not only serve as a light bulb but can also be voice-controlled, very convenient." Li Nianfan stretched and lay down on the bed.

On a large tree not far from the quadrangle courtyard, a six-tailed spirit fox nimbly climbed to the top of the tree, its eyes lively as it looked at the quadrangle courtyard, occasionally making "squeak" sounds.

It jumped up and down, looking anxious and cute.

Its white fur shimmered in the moonlight.

"Creak."

The gate of the quadrangle courtyard slowly opened, and Daji cautiously poked her head out, then quietly stepped out.

"Sister."

The six-tailed spirit fox saw Daji, its face beaming with joy, and its little bottom wiggling as it ran to Daji.

"Sister, did that human bully you?" she asked impatiently, her eyes full of ferocity, ready to eliminate the human if Daji had been mistreated.

Daji held the six-tailed spirit fox in her arms and rubbed it, "Master treats me very well. You must not have any bad thoughts about him; it's very dangerous."

Li Gongzi's cultivation was extraordinary, and the six-tailed spirit fox's level was like that of an infant in front of him.

"Master?"

The six-tailed spirit fox's eyes widened, its small eyes full of disbelief, "Sister, you actually call him master?!"

Her sister was proud and noble, a celestial fox, yet she recognized a mortal as her master?

Wasn't she supposed to repay a debt? Even if she married him, it would be better than recognizing him as a master?

It was too undignified!

Daji nodded seriously, her face full of happiness, "Master Li is a celestial being who has done me a great favor. Recognizing him as my master is the greatest fortune of my life."

"Sister, you, you, you..." The six-tailed spirit fox's mind went blank, filled with questions.

It hugged its head with its little paws, unable to understand why.

"Look, sister has brought you something good." Daji secretly took out an apple from her arms.

The six-tailed spirit fox was initially excited, but when it saw the apple, it was completely stunned.

Just an apple?

Is this considered a good thing?

It sniffed the apple with its nose; it did smell good, but no matter how good it smelled, it was still just an apple.

What's wrong with her sister, treating an apple like a treasure?

It couldn't understand these actions at all. Did she become foolish after taking human form?

Was the injury from the heavenly lightning affecting her intelligence?

Tears welled up in the six-tailed spirit fox's eyes, and it choked, "Sister, I also brought you something good. Eat it quickly."

White demonic energy surged from its body, and three different spiritual herbs appeared before it.

"Pop!"

Daji saw through the six-tailed spirit fox's thoughts and flicked its forehead, "Don't overthink it. Try this apple, and you'll know."

The six-tailed spirit fox pitifully rubbed its head, suspiciously eyeing the apple in front of it.

It was bright red, seemingly glowing, with a perfect round shape and a good appearance.

Could there be something special about this thing?

It opened its mouth and tentatively took a bite.

"Crunch!"

The crisp sound was particularly noticeable in the night.

The juice of the apple shot out, most of it flowing into the six-tailed spirit fox's mouth.

Hmm?

The six-tailed spirit fox was initially stunned, then its little mouth slightly puffed up, and it quickly began to chew.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch—"