Chapter 17: This Is My Precious Daughter

Originally, they had planned to stay for three days before departing.

However, since Xie Shen had obtained an inheritance, he needed to immediately seclude himself to digest it. The family unanimously decided to extend their stay for a few more days.

Xie Shen went into a room to begin his secluded meditation.

He had just recently broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm, so it was the perfect time to convert his cultivation base. Initially, he thought converting his cultivation would be a bit difficult, but it went so smoothly that it was unbelievable.

When he thought of it further, it made sense.

If Xie Shen himself wasn’t suitable, the inheritance wouldn’t have chosen him. One had to know that in Xie Jiuniang’s previous life, Lin Wangchen had obtained the Buddha statue for over a hundred years but was never deemed worthy of the inheritance. In the end, it was even destroyed in a battle with a ghost cultivator.

Meanwhile, Mo Lan noticed that her daughter had reverted to her previous state and no longer wandered outside. She spent the whole day in her room, either wholeheartedly cultivating or earnestly crafting talismans.

Curiously, all the talismans she produced were of the highest first-grade quality with a 100% success rate.

This unexpected discovery greatly delighted Mo Lan. “Daughter, I’ve raised you for eleven years, but only today do I realize you’re a peerless genius!”

Xie Jiuniang, “…”

No! I’m not!

But although being called a ‘peerless genius’ felt a bit awkward and embarrassing, it still made her happy deep inside.

Mo Lan beamed with gratification.

Finally, she no longer had to worry about her daughter going hungry in the future.

Seeing her mother’s reaction, Xie Jiuniang felt a rare twinge of guilt.

If her mother knew she didn’t just understand talisman crafting but also pill refining, tool forging, and formations, would she be even more delighted?

No, probably more shocked instead.

Xie Jiuniang immediately decided to keep her little secrets under wraps for the time being. Once she joined the sect, she would reveal everything to her parents over time.

After all, as heaven’s favored child, being an all-rounder wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

Seven days later, Xie Shen emerged from his secluded meditation.

They promptly checked out of their lodgings and set off once more.

This time, Xie Jiuniang didn’t request any detours. However, whenever they passed through a town or city, she would first inquire about any local specialties. If she encountered unique spiritual herbs or ores, she would purchase substantial quantities.

Rather than discouraging her, her parents indulged her wholeheartedly.

If her spirit stones ran short, they could simply cover the expenses themselves.

Xie Shen collected a pile of newly purchased jet-black spirit ores for his daughter. “Daughter, you bought so much. Do you plan to sell them at the sect’s markets? Do you know the prices there?”

“I’m not sure, but it will definitely be more expensive than the place of origin,” Xie Jiuniang replied, unable to explain in detail.

After all, she had never traveled far, so how could she know the prices at Tianxu Sect? Although she was well aware that these spirit ores could fetch double the price when sold at the sect’s markets.

Xie Jiuniang then said, “Father, Mother, don’t worry. We won’t lose money. If the ore can’t be sold at a high price, it can still be refined into black iron to sell. The profit margin for that is even higher.”

Everyone knew that black iron spirit ore was cheap while black iron was expensive. However, those unfamiliar with the refining process could only look on helplessly.

Fortunately, she knew the method!

She then said with a tinge of regret, “It’s a pity we can only buy twenty tons. It’s not good to buy too much.”

Purchasing too much would attract attention. These twenty tons were purchased in batches to avoid drawing scrutiny. She aimed to make some pocket money, not court trouble.

Hearing her rationale, her parents felt reassured.

Observing their daughter’s prudent and methodical approach, they realized she was far more mature than her peers.

Though they didn’t show it, they felt immense pride. This was their precious daughter, their own flesh and blood!

Little did Xie Jiuniang know, her assumption that such a modest purchase wouldn’t attract the attention of powerful experts was mistaken.

After all, there were big and small fish among the bandit crowds.^[1]Bandit crowds: Groups of lawless individuals, often cultivators, who prey on others for personal gain.

Not long after leaving the city, they encountered an ambush—clearly a group of hardened criminals stained with the reek of bloodshed.

The bandit leader was at the Foundation Establishment stage, while the rest were Qi Refinement cultivators, mostly in the middle stages.

Just by sheer numbers, over twenty armed bandits blocking their path made the family of three seem like lambs amid a wolf pack.

Xie Jiuniang stuffed a handful of explosive talismans into Xie Shen’s hand and generously said, “Father, take these and blow them to hell. They actually dare to rob this old mother…”

“Cough, cough, cough…” Mo Lan was taken aback by her daughter’s brazen choice of words.

Xie Shen received the talisman with an awkward chuckle. “Daughter, the words ‘old mother’ don’t suit you. Say something else next time. Look at how you scared your mother…”

“Cough, cough, cough!” Mo Lan’s coughing intensified.

Xie Jiuniang’s expression was indescribable.

So this is what kind of father you are!

Of course, with her parents protecting her, life had become comfortable, so she couldn’t help but start to let herself go.

The bandits, “…”

Hey! Were they treating them as if they didn’t exist?

Using a handful of spirit talismans right off the bat, they were indeed a big fat sheep.

Xie Jiuniang’s brash declaration failed to intimidate the bandits. Instead, it made them lick their greedy lips with vicious glints in their eyes.

This group of people was doomed to be unlucky!

The talismans Xie Jiuniang tossed weren’t ordinary explosive talismans but second-grade ones.^[2]Second-grade talismans: Powerful talismans with a higher grade and greater spiritual potency than ordinary talismans.

Throwing out a handful of talismans, even if it couldn’t kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could easily kill a bunch of little Qi Refining cultivators.

Xie Shen’s move was equally brazen. Just as the bandit leader was about to issue a menacing threat, Xie Shen gave his daughter a signal and struck first, simultaneously unleashing ten explosive talismans infused with his spiritual power.

Detonation!

Boom!

A mushroom cloud rose into the air.

A bunch were instantly killed. Those who were lucky enough to escape one round of bombing couldn’t escape the next.

After Xie Shen unleashed his talismans, Xie Jiuniang followed suit with her own barrage.

One threw them openly, the other threw them covertly. With a double explosion, who could withstand it?

Mo Lan wielded a saber and roamed the periphery of the explosions, sending the remaining three or two Qi Refining bandits who wanted to escape with their lives to hell.

As for the bandit leader, though his defenses withstood the two initial blasts, he sustained severe injuries from Xie Shen’s sneak attack before he could catch his breath.

The bandit leader was filled with regret!

He thought the family of three was a soft persimmon^[3]Soft persimmon: A metaphor referring to an easy target or prey., but who would have thought they would be three vicious wolves?!

But it was too late for regrets!

In the end, Xie Shen slew him with a single sword strike.

“Amitabha, my Buddha is merciful,” Xie Jiuniang’s crisp, childlike voice coupled with her feigned profound demeanor amused her parents.

Xie Shen laughed heartily. “Little monk, it is your father who practices Zen Buddhism, not you.”

“Oh, Boundless Heavenly Honored One.”^[4]Boundless Heavenly Honored One: A playful or humorous way of referring to an enlightened or highly revered being in Buddhist.

Xie Jiuniang scurried off to collect the spoils of battle, nonchalantly stepping amid the bloody dismembered remains without flinching.

She pocketed a tidy sum of ill-gotten gains.

After disposing of the corpses and erasing all traces, they swiftly departed the scene.

However, the family unanimously quickened their pace, keen to put more distance between themselves and this incident.

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