Chapter Nine: The Visitor
“Baa—baa baa—”
A pure white, fluffy mountain goat came running up from the foot of the mountain, trampling back and forth across the land she had yet to cultivate.
“Sorry, Senior Sister Qu, it’s my—it’s my first time taking care of a spirit beast!” A male disciple in a gray servant’s robe chased after the goat, breathless as he finally managed to scoop it up in his arms.
Qu Yiqiu looked at the uneven hoof prints left on the ground and smiled gently. “It’s fine. I haven’t started planting yet. Which peak are you from?”
The young man scratched his head sheepishly. “I haven’t been assigned to a peak yet. I’m temporarily housed in the common servants’ quarters.”
Looking at his sun-darkened face, honest and rustic as a farmer’s, Qu Yiqiu couldn’t help but feel a sense of fondness.
“How much do you get paid each month for looking after spirit beasts?”
He paused, then answered honestly, “Eight low-grade spirit stones and three contribution points a month.”
Qu Yiqiu stroked her chin, considering that she could easily afford eight spirit stones, and that tending to a spiritual field took up quite a bit of time. She smiled. “Would you be interested in joining our Xiaoping Peak?”
The young man was briefly stunned. His grip loosened, and the goat seized the opportunity to slip away. He hurriedly called out and chased after it.
Qu Yiqiu cast a Vine Spell, binding the goat and bringing it back.
“If you join Xiaoping Peak and help me tend to the spiritual fields, I’ll pay you fifteen low-grade spirit stones a month.”
He stared in a daze for a moment, then said awkwardly, “I’m only at the second level of Qi Refining—I don’t deserve that many spirit stones.”
She laughed. “If you do well, I’ll give you even more. Are you willing to join us on Xiaoping Peak?” Qu Yiqiu was quite satisfied with his attitude.
His clear, honest eyes told her he was a straightforward man.
Blushing through his dark complexion, he nodded eagerly. “Of course I’m willing!”
“Good. What’s your name?”
“Zhou Chen.”
“All right, Zhou Chen, return this goat to where it belongs. I’ll have the Steward of the Servants’ Hall assign you here.” Qu Yiqiu’s eyes sparkled with delight.
“Okay!” Zhou Chen’s cheeks flushed even redder. He hastily gathered the goat in his arms, hefted it over his shoulder, and huffed his way down the mountain.
Qu Yiqiu watched him in surprise. “Could he be a body cultivator?”
Most cultivators, once they’d started practicing spiritual techniques, no longer relied on brute strength to carry things—unless they specialized in body cultivation.
“Never mind if he’s a body cultivator or not. What matters now is setting up a formation for Xiaoping Peak, to keep out any spirit beasts or disciples who might wander in!”
Qu Yiqiu shook her head. Over the past ten years, she’d neglected so many things for Mo Qingli’s pills.
A flash of spiritual light in her left hand, and she tossed out a novice spirit hoe, breaking ground on her plot and dividing it into three spiritual fields.
With a wave, she scattered three bags of seeds, one in each field.
“First-grade spiritual rice is the most basic crop—easy to grow. But these second-grade seeds are another matter. I’ll try them out on the other two plots.”
Talking to herself, she sowed the fields, nearly exhausting her spiritual energy.
Afterward, she returned to her cave dwelling and immersed herself in cultivation.
Days passed. Zhou Chen moved to the foot of Xiaoping Peak and diligently tended the fields.
Then, on an unremarkable day, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Qu Yiqiu sat face to face with him. “Senior Brother Chi, what brings you to Xiaoping Peak?”
Chi Yushu sat upright and formally replied, “It’s about Junior Brother Mu. Last time, I didn’t have the chance to ask you properly.”
“Why are you so interested in Junior Brother Mu?” She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, for him to seek her out directly, it was strange.
Chi Yushu seemed to sense her doubts and explained gently, “Don’t misunderstand me, Junior Sister. I only want to know if you’re planning to participate in this year’s sect tournament.”
Qu Yiqiu was even more puzzled.
“I don’t intend to compete this year. Is there a problem with that?”
Chi Yushu smiled. “No problem at all. If you’re not competing, you’ll have some free time, won’t you?”
“What do you mean? Is there something you want me to do?” she guessed.
He nodded. “I’d like to invite you to form a team with me and go to the mortal realm to complete a mission to eliminate a malevolent spirit.”
She blinked in confusion. “Why choose me, Senior Brother? My cultivation is only at the fifth level of Qi Refining!”
Chi Yushu was only twenty and already at the Foundation Establishment stage. Someone of his caliber could find any teammate he wished—why her?
He didn’t answer directly but asked instead, “Do you know what the reward for this mission is?”
Qu Yiqiu’s eyes flickered. Could the reward be especially generous?
“I don’t know. Is there some great benefit for me?”
Chi Yushu looked mildly surprised—he hadn’t expected her to truly not know. But he quickly regained his composure. “This mission is quite special. We’re competing with disciples from the Xuan Yi Sect. If our team completes it first, you’ll receive a five-hundred-year-old Vitality Grass, a Foundation Establishment Pill, and five hundred sect contribution points.”
Qu Yiqiu raised her brows. That was indeed a rich reward.
“But I still don’t understand—why pick me? With a teammate only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, can you really win first place?”
He regarded her with a meaningful look. “Cultivation level isn’t the key. Since the mission was issued, a dozen teams have tried and all failed.”
“Even the Xuan Yi Sect?” Qu Yiqiu asked in surprise.
Chi Yushu nodded ambiguously. “Exactly. The mortal realm where the mission takes place was once occupied by ancient demonic cultivators. There’s a damaged ancient demonic array there, and the malevolent spirit hides within. No one has been able to lure it out, until a beautiful young woman was almost abducted.”
As he spoke, his gaze subtly swept over her.
Her ink-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, soft as silk, her ethereal eyes glittered like the stars, thick lashes curled delicately, her cherry lips vivid and unadorned—a beauty so transcendent she seemed a vision.
At last, Qu Yiqiu understood.
“You want me to lure out the malevolent spirit?”
Chi Yushu smiled softly. “No one but you could accomplish this, Junior Sister.”
Qu Yiqiu’s mouth twitched. So it was a lecherous spirit—no wonder he approached her.
Still, the reward was tempting. If she completed this mission, even reaching Foundation Establishment would raise no eyebrows.
“Since Senior Brother thinks so highly of me, I’d be glad to join your team!”
“Excellent. If you’re ready, we can set out this afternoon!” Chi Yushu rose, a smile playing at his lips.
“We’ll meet at the main gate of Tianyan Sect at the appointed hour,” Qu Yiqiu agreed, setting the location at the sect’s entrance.
Chi Yushu, knowing she would not go to Nine Swords Peak, accepted without protest.
After he left, Qu Yiqiu broke into a broad grin.
“Anyway, Junior Brother’s almost recovered, and Master is about to come out of seclusion. They can look after Xiaoping Peak while I’m away.”
There wasn’t much to pack in her bare cave dwelling. She simply left, straightforward as ever, informed Mu Yunjin of her plans—sternly forbidding him from making a fuss—and departed without a backward glance.