Chapter 23

Wen Ming often found himself thinking about the girl who had randomly bought a fish from him about a month ago, especially in the late hours of the night.

He thought about how she tilted her head and happily said that one sentence when he was extremely impatient, and about her clean, and clear eyes.

He stared at the moon, lost in thought, and sometimes couldn’t help but let a tear fall down, despite trying to hold it back.

He came from a wealthy family and had never known hardship. He only sold fish due to some special reasons.

Most of the people who came to buy fish were generous, often taking dozens of fish at once, with casual transactions involving hundreds of spirit stones. He always thought that this was the normal state of affairs in the cultivation world.

Therefore, Wen Ming had never thought that there would be someone who would spend half a year’s worth of hard work just to save enough to buy a single dead Five Spirits Fish after waiting an entire night.

Wen Ming thought it was an isolated case, but after investigating, he found that there were many people who could not afford to buy the Five Spirits Fish.

The price of one spirit fish was enough to sustain an ordinary person’s livelihood for several months. Most people were unwilling to spend such a high price for a fish that only replenished spiritual energy.

He didn’t know when it had happened, but he had become one of those people who could afford it without a second thought.

After that day, Wen Ming became increasingly dispirited. He used to enjoy being part of the excitement, but now he couldn’t summon the energy to participate in anything.

Even the recent heated duel at Qingdeng Peak, which had caused a stir on the Spirit Network, only made him skim through a post, reply to a few messages, and then close it, returning to his daze.

He even tried to find that girl, but he didn’t know her name, and with over ten thousand disciples at Wuchang Sect, finding her was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, he wasn’t even sure if she was from Wuchang Sect.

Wen Ming thought he would never see her again, but to his surprise, she suddenly appeared in front of his fish stall today.

The afternoon sun was still warm, and the air was pleasantly cool, making people feel good.

Yu Tao looked up and felt that the fish stall owner was looking at her strangely. His gaze was filled with complicated emotions, as if there were tears in his eyes, yet he was being cautious.

Had he looked at her like that the last time she came?

Yu Tao couldn’t quite remember, but thinking about her own business, she cleared her throat and politely asked, “Hello, boss, how much do your fishing nets cost? I don’t need a big one, just the smallest size.”

Wen Ming was taken aback. “Ah…ah?”

Fishing net? Isn’t that something used by ordinary fishermen to catch fish? He always uses spells to catch fish, so he doesn’t need something like that.

When Yu Tao saw the confusion on his face, she immediately understood. She nodded and said, “Sorry to bother you, I’ll go look at other places.”

Just as Yu Tao was about to turn and leave, she was suddenly called back.

“Wait, it’s just a fishing net, we have them! They’re behind the house. Wait here, I’ll go get it for you.”

Wen Ming immediately stood up, grabbed the shopkeeper from the neighboring jewelry stall, who had been watching them with strange eyes, and pulled her away to the back of the house.

Yu Tao blinked and looked at the two now empty stalls.

Are all business owners in the cultivation world this casual? They just leave their customers standing in front of their stalls without any hesitation?

Meanwhile, in the back of the house, Zhu Xiu’s eyes flashed with surprise and suspicion as she stood firm, straightening her sleeves that had been pulled askew.

She smirked slightly and asked, “Aren’t you getting the fishing net for the young lady? Why are you pulling me around?”

Wen Ming looked at her, opened his mouth, and after a long pause, lowered his eyes and muttered, “Master.”

Zhu Xiu was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She hadn’t heard that title in years.

This young man, Wen Ming, had always been extremely gifted. Since childhood, the elders of the Wuchang Sect had believed he had the potential to inherit the position of Sect Elder. However, he had one flaw.

He was… rebellious.

When the Sect Elder asked him to learn the sword, he insisted on learning spells and becoming a spell cultivator.

Fine, let him be a spell cultivator.

The Sect Elder had compromised and advised him to diligently cultivate, with the hope that he would inherit the position of Sect Elder one day. But Wen Ming lay down and slacked off, ignoring all discipline.

In the end, the Sect Elder couldn’t do anything, so he sighed and said: “Let him be. If he doesn’t want to cultivate, let him stay peacefully in the sect. Everyone has their own aspirations, I won’t force him.”

The Sect Elder sighed again and said, “As long as he stays here, we’ll make sure he’s taken care of. No one will bully him.”

But, of course, Wen Ming rebelled again. That very night, he packed his things and left the mountain.

For some unknown reason, he didn’t run far. He set up a stall at the foot of the mountain and started selling fish. His business was surprisingly good, proving through action that he wouldn’t starve.

Wen Ming wouldn’t starve, but the Sect Elder was practically dying from worry. His visits to the Miaoshou Peak’s medical clinic became more frequent.

After several attempts to bring him back, Wen Ming still refused to return.

Zhu Xiu still clearly remembered the last time the Grand Elder had come, which was two months ago.

Unlike usual, when he would argue with Wen Ming, his expression was unusually calm. He simply stood next to Wen Ming’s fish stall for half an hour, quietly watching him sell fish, completely oblivious to anyone around him.

In the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.

The Grand Elder didn’t return, but Zhu Xiu couldn’t just ignore him. She decided to set up her own stall next to his, staying there and watching him.

A month ago, she noticed something was off with the young man, but he wouldn’t talk to her about it. No matter how she asked, he wouldn’t say a word.

Wen Ming quietly pleaded, “Master, please help me. You should be good at weaving nets, right?”

This was the second time he asked, and Zhu Xiu almost thought she was dreaming. She felt a little dazed.

She couldn’t help but reply weakly, “Okay, okay, Master will help you.”

With a flick of her sleeve, she extended her hand. Several strands of white silk appeared at her fingertips, which she quickly wove into a white net. She then threaded a few beads into it, which faintly glowed with spiritual light.

“Here.”

“Thank you, Master.” Wen Ming quickly folded the net and hurried out.

Other than when he was a child, this was the first time Zhu Xiu had seen him so obedient. She couldn’t help but smile and followed him out.

She couldn’t help but wonder who this young girl was, for she must have been the one to make this boy act so submissive. It seemed like she was the one who had unsettled him during this time.

Two customers arrived at the stalls.

The young girl in a white dress squatted by the pool, skillfully scooping fish. After packaging them, she looked up and handed them to the customer at the fish stall, smiling softly.

“This one is fifty spirit stones each, and this one is twenty spirit stones each. The total is two hundred and fifty spirit stones. Please check your total, customer.”

The customer paid the spirit stones, and the girl placed them back on the stall. She then hurriedly ran to the jewelry stall and addressed the customer there. “The boss is still away, but she’ll be back soon. You can take a look at something else in the meantime.”

“Hmm, this hairpin is simple and elegant, it suits you very well.”

“Huh? This one on my head? It was a gift from someone, not for sale. Sorry about that.”

Both Zhu Xiu and Wen Ming were a bit stunned as they watched the scene unfold.

They both looked at the girl’s smiling face and each felt a strange, indescribable feeling in their hearts.

Yu Tao noticed them coming out of the stall from the corner of her eye and immediately relaxed. “Perfect, the boss is back. You can talk to her now.”

Zhu Xiu quickly reacted, nodded at her, and passed by, starting to talk to the customer.

Yu Tao let out a breath, lifted her sleeve to wipe off the water droplets that had splashed onto her face, and her brows curved slightly with a smile.

She thought to herself that these two people were quite carefree when it came to business. When she was doing business in Haicheng, she wouldn’t dare leave her stall unattended like that.

Wen Ming’s body was a little stiff as he handed her the white net. “Is this the kind you need?”

Having lived in Haicheng, Yu Tao was experienced and could immediately tell if the fishing net was good or not.

At this moment, she felt a bit puzzled. She wasn’t sure what material this white net was made from. It was very light and beautiful, looking more like a decorative item than a fishing tool.

It certainly looked expensive at first glance.

Was this the fishing net of the cultivation world?

Yu Tao touched her money pouch and started to worry whether the over five hundred spirit stones she had brought would be enough to buy everything she wanted today.

These spirit stones had been given to her by her Shishu Gu Feng as a reward for saving someone. He had credited her five thousand points in the sect, and she exchanged all of them for spirit stones at a 10-to-1 ratio.

Sect points could only be earned through sect tasks and could not be exchanged for spirit stones. This meant that points could only be exchanged for spirit stones in one direction.

When she exchanged them, Shishu Gu Feng had kindly reminded her, “Once exchanged, you can’t transfer them back. If you’re staying in the sect to cultivate, it’s better to use points.”

Yu Tao, who had already been saving spirit stones, nodded without hesitation: “Exchange!”

Her purpose in coming wasn’t just for the fishing net. She hesitated inside, wondering if she could just jump into the lake and catch fish instead…?

In any case, she raised her eyes and asked Wen Ming, “How much for this?”

Wen Ming was taken aback and waved his hand. “This isn’t valuable. It’s just an old fishing net that’s been lying around the house. There are still plenty left, and I didn’t know what to do with them, so I’m giving it to you.”

Zhu Xiu, who had just sent the customer off, glanced at him when she heard this.

You little brat, saying my craft isn’t worth anything.

It didn’t look old, though. Yu Tao touched it again.

But the shop owner didn’t need to lie to a customer. She could only think that maybe people in the cultivation world were more careful with their belongings?

Yu Tao smiled and thanked him. “Thank you, boss. I wish you a prosperous business.”

Wen Ming grunted in response and fell silent again, lost in thought.

Yu Tao tucked the white net away and was about to walk to the jewelry stall next door. She had only taken two steps when Wen Ming called out again.

“Miss!”

Yu Tao turned back in confusion. “Hmm? Is there something else?”

Wen Ming hesitated for a moment, then finally looked up, his face a little flushed but his gaze firm and sincere. “A month ago, you bought fish from my stall…”

Yu Tao remembered this and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stay in front of your stall for so long and disturb your business.”

Wen Ming choked up even more. “…No.”

“Actually, what I wanted to say is…” Wen Ming took a deep breath, swallowed nervously, and for the first time, lowered his head, setting aside his usual pride. His face was serious as he earnestly said, “I want to say… I’m sorry.”

Yu Tao: Huh?

Zhu Xiu was also stunned.

She had never seen this boy lower his head for anyone. He had argued with his master for years without ever softening his tone.

Why was he apologizing all of a sudden?

Just as Yu Tao was about to ask, she noticed the tight grip Wen Ming had on his hands and the anxious trembling of his fingertips.

Yu Tao paused, put aside her curiosity, straightened up, and softly replied, “It’s alright. I forgive you.”

She wasn’t sure if it was just her impression, but it seemed like he wasn’t merely apologizing to her. It felt like he was apologizing to something—or someone—that wasn’t even here.

After Yu Tao finished speaking, Wen Ming visibly relaxed, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. For the first time in a month, he finally showed a look of relief.

He looked up and met the girl’s clear, unclouded eyes. She smiled kindly at him. “Is that okay?”

Wen Ming stared at her, and for some reason, suddenly felt his face grow hot. He hurriedly said, “Y-Yes, it’s fine.”

“Well then, I suddenly have something urgent, so I’ll be leaving now!”

With that, he quickly ran off, flustered, as if some wild beast were chasing him. He didn’t even bother to pack up his stall.

Yu Tao called out, “Hey!” but by the time she tried to stop him, he had already disappeared without a trace.

Yu Tao and the fish stall owner stared at each other in silence.

Yu Tao: “……”

The current boss really has no worries when doing business.

“It’s fine, just leave it here. You don’t need to worry about it. I’ll take care of it for him later,” Zhu Xiu sighed and said.

From the way Wen Ming had pulled her earlier, it seemed like they knew each other. With that in mind, Yu Tao wasn’t concerned anymore and walked straight to Zhu Xiu’s jewelry stall to browse.

Zhu Xiu kept staring at her, feeling like the girl looked somewhat familiar.

After thinking for a moment, she finally remembered.

Yu Tao, the new disciple that Xuan Yuzi had recently taken in. She had seen her once when she entered the sect during the grand ceremony.

At that time, the girl had been left standing alone, her expression calm, showing no signs of dissatisfaction. Zhu Xiu had thought her temperament was quite good and was just about to take her as an apprentice when Xuan Yuzi got to her first.

If it hadn’t been for that, they would’ve been master and disciple now.

With that connection in mind, Zhu Xiu found herself liking Yu Tao more and more. She smiled and asked, “Young lady, how long have you known the fish stall owner?”

“Umm, I wouldn’t say we know each other?”

Yu Tao answered honestly, “About a month ago, I bought some fish from his stall.”

Is that all?

Zhu Xiu was doubtful, though the boy had indeed been acting strangely since a month ago, so the timeline matched.

Noticing that Yu Tao was still looking at the jewelry, Zhu Xiu asked, “Are you looking for something specific?”

Yu Tao looked up and shyly gestured with her hands, “I’m trying to figure out which kind of gemstone would be good for a cat collar.”

The gemstones here were all colorful and beautiful, making it hard for Yu Tao to choose.

“Your spiritual pet?”

Yu Tao nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling, “It’s a very cute one!”

Zhu Xiu was charmed by her enthusiasm and couldn’t help but smile. This girl was quite adorable.

Her eyes shifted slightly, and she smiled, “Since it’s a cat, why not use a cat’s eye stone? It’s lively and beautiful, and it has a good meaning—promoting peace and health.”

Zhu Xiu opened a small box and took out a few pure cat’s eye stones. “Lucky for you, I have some here. Feel free to choose.”

Yu Tao leaned in to take a closer look. On the velvet cushion were three round, smooth cat’s eye stones, one of which was a beautiful light golden color, clean and flawless. Under the sunlight, it reflected the lively, shimmering glow of a cat’s eye.

Yu Tao immediately fell in love with that cat’s eye stone. Although it wasn’t quite as perfect as a real cat’s eye, it was still very beautiful.

Yu Tao was instantly captivated, “I’ll take this one!”

She asked, “How much is it in spirit stones?”

“No spirit stones, it’s a gift for you,” Zhu Xiu said with a cheerful smile.

Yu Tao quickly withdrew her hand, “In that case, never mind, I’ll look at something else.”

Zhu Xiu:?

She didn’t want something given for free? What’s going on in this girl’s head?

Zhu Xiu asked, “Why?”

Yu Tao raised her small face and said seriously, “Free things are the most expensive.”

This gemstone was different from others—it was kept in a box by itself, so it must be very valuable. For such a precious item to be given away for free to a stranger, there must be some other expectation. She would likely be asked to do something in return, and might end up owing a favor.

And favors were easy to owe but hard to repay.

Having lived in Haicheng, Yu Tao understood these things. If she could use money to solve a problem, she would never use a favor.

Zhu Xiu laughed, “Ha, you’re quite straightforward.”

“Well, I’ll be honest with you then. There’s actually something I want you to help with, but don’t worry, it won’t be too difficult. You can listen first and then decide if you want to help.”

Yu Tao was still tempted by the cat’s eye stone. After a moment of thought, she said, “I’m listening, boss.”

Zhu Xiu dragged over a chair from the fish stall, “Let’s sit and talk.”

“It’s like this: the fish stall owner next door is actually a disciple of the Grand Elder of the Wuchang Sect, but…”

Zhu Xiu then told Yu Tao everything about Wen Ming, sighing deeply, “If there was another way, I wouldn’t have thought to ask you.”

The reason Zhu Xiu even considered asking Yu Tao was because today, for the first time in a long while, Wen Ming had called her ‘Master,’ the same rebellious boy who had never bowed to anyone. He had even gone as far as apologizing to someone.

That’s what made Zhu Xiu think of reaching out to Yu Tao.

Yu Tao listened thoughtfully and pointed to herself, “So, you want me to persuade him to return to the sect?”

Zhu Xiu shook her head, “In a few days, it will be his master’s birthday. Given how badly they’ve fallen out, he probably won’t go back to attend the celebration.”

“I was hoping you could persuade him, no matter the reason, just to return and see his master on the day of the birthday.”

Yu Tao looked at Zhu Xiu, who seemed downcast, and after a moment of silence, she said, “Alright, I’ll help you.”

“But I still have one question I want to ask.”

Zhu Xiu looked up, “…Hmm?”

By the time Yu Tao finished her errands and returned to Yunjing Peak, it was already evening.

As soon as she entered the Huaishui Bamboo Pavilion, she spotted the familiar figure in the distance.

The young man was leaning quietly against the bamboo pavilion with his arms crossed, the setting sun casting a warm glow behind him. The fallen flowers swirled in the wind, rising with the birds as they flew above the branches.

It seemed like he sensed movement, and he raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze calm, devoid of any emotion.

Yu Tao suddenly felt a pang of guilt upon seeing him.

The doctor had advised her to stay at home and rest for the next few days, not to wander around. She had noticed he wasn’t home in the afternoon, so she sneaked out.

She thought it would be a quick errand, just buying a few things, and she wouldn’t be noticed. But with Zhu Xiu’s request, she had accidentally lingered until dusk.

The young man spoke in a tone that was neither too cold nor too warm, “If it weren’t for the medicine bowl still being on the table, I would’ve thought that the sister who couldn’t even walk yesterday and needed to be carried was just a figment of my imagination.”

“I didn’t know that Shishu Song’s medicine had such miraculous effects. After just two doses, someone who was half-dead yesterday is now full of energy today.”

“I also think Shishu Song’s medicine is amazing,” Yu Tao nodded, genuinely adding, “But technically, it’s only one dose. I haven’t taken today’s yet.”

The young man: ?