Chapter 21: Daily Life in Xian City

That day, Xie Jiuniang secluded herself in cultivation. 

She had not practiced much on the journey, but her cultivation base had solidified to the sixth level of Qi Refining, a slight improvement from three months prior.

This time, she did not use Spirit Gathering Pills for her cultivation. Instead, she consumed a mouthful of spiritual liquid that she had taken from Song Bao’er.

Spiritual liquid forms when spiritual energy becomes highly concentrated to the point of coalescing into a water-like state. It’s unclear exactly how it forms, but using spiritual liquid to improve cultivation won’t have side effects, unlike medicinal pills that leave behind pill toxins.

Spiritual liquid is rarely sold on the market. Whenever any appears, it is quickly snatched up, with even a small vial costing tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Xie Jiuniang thought about her current family wealth. Oh, it was not much.

There was a vast wealth disparity in the cultivation world. Those at the bottom had to meticulously calculate to save every spirit stone, while others could frivolously spend thousands.

The higher a cultivator’s level, the more expensive the resources they need. Take the well-known Foundation Establishment Pill for example—at an auction it could fetch anywhere from two hundred thousand to five hundred thousand spirit stones. As for the Pill of Gathering Gold needed to break through to the Golden Core realm? The starting bid was one million, not to mention the prices of Nascent Soul Pills and Deity Transformation Pills.

She was just a pauper. She still needed to work hard to earn more spirit stones…

Outside her room, Song Bao’er was ranting furiously that she wanted to settle the score with Xie Jiuniang.

Before she could make too much noise, Mo Lan came out and suggested taking Song Bao’er to procure some daily necessities, reasoning that she couldn’t keep wearing Mo Lan’s clothes indefinitely. Song Bao’er thought it made sense.

Before departing, Mo Lan told her to remove her makeup first. The Song family’s makeup products were quite potent; even after yesterday’s ordeal there wasn’t even a single smudge or fading.

Song Bao’er pouted, “My spatial ring was stolen, so I don’t have any makeup remover left.”

Mo Lan realized, “Ah, so you were using a disguise potion as makeup. No wonder it doesn’t easily come off.”

Normal makeup could simply be washed off with water. Mo Lan took out a bottle of cleansing solution from her storage bag and handed it to Song Bao’er to remove her makeup.

Song Bao’er accepted it in a daze, vaguely sensing that there was something about Mo Lan’s words that she didn’t quite understand.

Using potions as makeup? Isn’t makeup made from medicinal herbs anyway? Her makeup was all gifted by her sister…

Stop! She couldn’t doubt her sister. Her sister was very good to her. This time, she was able to sneak onto the flying boat with her sister’s great help. Maybe her sister was being punished by their parents right now.

After adding some water to the bottle, Song Bao’er stirred it and began using cupped handfuls to wash her face directly.

Once her makeup was cleansed off, those almond-shaped eyes looked even more beautiful! Her slightly chubby, fair face had a rosy glow that was a much more attractive, natural flush compared to the deliberately rouged “peach blush” when she wore makeup.

Satisfied, Mo Lan took Song Bao’er out with her. Along the way through casual conversation, Mo Lan perceived that the “mentally ill” Song Bao’er that her daughter mentioned wasn’t actually foolish. Rather, she had been improperly guided, leading the young girl to mistakenly believe that crooked logic was correct.

Every family has their own difficulties to grapple with. Didn’t the Xie family also have a bunch of troublesome matters, alas…

They arrived at the nearest clothing shop, and Mo Lan first asked Song Bao’er about her personal preferences.

Song Bao’er was about to speak up but then, recalling her empty pockets, she shyly asked Mo Lan to pick for her instead.

Remembering Song Bao’er’s unsightly attire when they first met, Mo Lan selected a light pink flowing daoist dress for her to try on, along with simple hair accessories and earrings, dressing her up in a lovely, youthful style.

Mo Lan was satisfied. “Little girls don’t need to wear makeup.”

“But I don’t look good without makeup…” Song Bao’er fidgeted shyly. “My sister says for a woman to be beautiful, she must learn how to dress up.”

“Mm, your sister isn’t wrong.” Mo Lan nodded, lightly dabbing some lip color on Song Bao’er’s lips before affixing a flower huadian at her brow. She then used her techniques to conjure a water mirror. “You’re all made up now, how is it?”

“Ah?! Who is that in the mirror?!” Song Bao’er exclaimed in shock. Mo Lan was so startled she almost lost control of the water mirror, causing it to ripple several times.

Next, Song Bao’er fussed over it excessively, “Is that me? Oh oh oh, I look so pretty! Even prettier than when I put on makeup before. Aaahh, Auntie Lan, your skills are amazing! Teach me, you must teach me…”

Mo Lan looked at the young girl with pity. Imagining the amusing future interactions between her and her own daughter, Mo Lan decided to help correct Song Bao’er’s warped perspectives, despite not knowing what had caused the rift between the two girls.

This decision had its pros and cons. The downside was that it would make her daughter’s rival more beautiful. But the upside was that one day, when the foolish girl came to her senses and turned against her own older sister, she might not dwell so much on the previous incident where she was robbed.

At the same time, it could also boost the little girl’s favor. If one day her daughter’s actions in the forest were exposed, maybe there would still be some room to maneuver…

So half a month later, when Xie Jiuniang emerged from her room, she saw an adorably pretty young lady fawning over her mother, calling out “Auntie Lan, Auntie Lan” in such a saccharine way.

Xie Jiuniang asked, “Mother, who is this sister?” 

Mo Lan smiled faintly, “Why don’t you guess?”

Song Bao’er lightly lifted her chin, giving Xie Jiuniang a smug sidelong glance.

The curiosity in Xie Jiuniang’s eyes vanished instantly as she replied dismissively, “Oh, it’s Fool Bao’er.”

In an instant, Song Bao’er’s face darkened as her almond eyes shot wide open, glaring at Xie Jiuniang. “Xie Jiuniang, dare to call me Fool Bao’er again?”

“Oh, it really is Fool Bao’er.” Xie Jiuniang’s eyes widened in mock surprise, as if just realizing Song Bao’er’s new appearance, immediately infuriating her to the point of fumes coming out of her ears.

Song Bao’er angrily pointed at Xie Jiuniang, sputtering “You, you, you…” over and over without a complete sentence.

Xie Jiuniang ignored her and asked Mo Lan. “Mother, where is Father?”

“He’s meditating in the room.” For Zen cultivators, meditation is equivalent to cultivation.

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