Chapter 12

“…Ten thousand and five hundred seventy-two.”

After counting the Spirit Stones Peng Peng had swindled from the gullible young immortals, Ji Shu didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

He dangled Peng Peng’s Mustard Seed Pouch from his finger, the red string swaying around his slender digits.

“So not only did we win their Spirit Demon, but we also made an extra five hundred seventy-two?”

Peng Peng, who had been plucked from her chair by Yue Wujiu, stood obediently in the corner with A Xue licking her paws beside her.

The little girl didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with what she’d done, eagerly waiting for someone to praise her.

Under such expectant eyes, Ji Shu could only sigh and rub his temples.

“Master, you handle this.”

Yue Wujiu maintained his usual expressionless demeanor as he locked eyes with Peng Peng for five seconds.

Peng Peng blinked:

“I earned five hundred seventy-two today, hehehe! Master doesn’t need to praise me, I was just doing my duty! I’ll earn even more money in the future to build big houses for Master and Shijie!”

Yue Wujiu: “…”

No good.

He couldn’t bring himself to scold her.

Who could bear to reprimand someone after hearing that?

With a sigh, he crouched down and asked:

“Did you have fun?”

Peng Peng nodded vigorously: “So much fun! What about Master? Were you hurt? Did you beat that old man?”

Yue Wujiu poked her forehead with a finger.

“Be polite. He’s not ‘that old man,’ he’s Shui Jing Daoren.”

Peng Peng gave a perfunctory “Mhm mhm” before eagerly awaiting Yue Wujiu’s next words.

“…I won.”

The little girl immediately cheered and threw herself at A Xue.

But Yue Wujiu himself wasn’t happy about it.

For him, defeating one person was child’s play.

But dealing with the chain of events that would follow after defeating the Second Elder of Kunlun Ruins wouldn’t be so simple.

For example—

“This is impossible!”

Zhu Xianfei, who had been eavesdropping from the corner, jumped out in protest:

“My master is a mighty expert at the first level of Tribulation Transcendence! Among Kunlun Ruins’ five elders, his cultivation is top-tier! How could he lose to some elder from a bottom-tier sect of the Nine Sects?”

Before Yue Wujiu could respond, Peng Peng was the first to retort:

“What do you mean ‘bottom-tier’? Stop barking!”

Zhu Xianfei: “Who’s barking? I’m telling the truth! My master would never lose to yours!”

Peng Peng planted her hands on her hips: “You’re already my lackey, what’s wrong with your master being my master’s lackey too?”

“Th-that’s completely different!”

…So you actually became her lackey?

Zhu Xianfei didn’t want to.

But no matter how many Spirit Demons he bought from Demon Tamers, he couldn’t buy their genuine submission. So he had to endure humiliation and swallow his pride… But he was one thing—his master was another! No one could look down on his master!

Meanwhile, having heard about the commotion at the Soul Restraining Garden, the Fourth Elder arrived with a group of disciples.

“Are you certain you heard correctly?”

“Elder, I’m positive. That man called himself Yue Wujiu, said he came to spar with Elder Shui Jing, then smashed the gate as soon as he arrived!”

“Who cares about that? I mean, did he really come to Kunlun Ruins of his own accord?”

“Absolutely. Elder Shui Jing initially refused to see him and made him wait outside for over an hour.”

Fourth Elder Qing Yang sucked in a sharp breath and quickened his pace.

Sect Leader Yan Guihong had been in seclusion for a century, leaving all sect affairs to his disciples and the elders.

Too much time had passed, and even the elders had likely forgotten the instructions left by the sect leader before his seclusion. Among the many directives, one stood out—  

In the Soaring Void Realm, there was a man named Yue Wujiu, one of the great powers who had co-founded the Kunlun Ruins with him back in the day.  

If encountered, treat him with reverence, and above all, do not provoke him.  

The matter had been buried too deep in the past, and no one paid it much mind anymore. Some weren’t even sure which “Yue” or “Wujiu” the name referred to.  

After all, the sect leader had simply warned them not to antagonize a great power—how hard could that be? They weren’t fools. If they ever encountered a formidable cultivator with an immortal aura, they would naturally show respect without needing to be told.  

Who could have imagined that when they finally met the Yue Wujiu the sect leader had spoken of, while his appearance indeed matched the description of an immortal sage, his actual behavior was no different from that of a lazy bum!  

How could anyone recognize him like this?  

Fortunately, Fourth Elder Qing Yang had a decent memory.  

Even with the prefix “Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect” attached to Yue Wujiu’s name, it still instantly reminded him of the legendary figure who, five hundred years ago, had joined forces with Guang Ji Daojun Yan Guihong to break the monopoly of cultivation families, pioneering the establishment of immortal sects and opening their doors to nameless rogue cultivators across the land.  

The thought of soon meeting this founding master of immortal sects made Elder Qing Yang slightly nervous.  

The Soul Restraining Garden was now in sight. The group had just landed from their swords when they heard the voices of two children—  

“My master, Shui Jing Daoren, reached the Tribulation Transcending Stage at just 457 years old! His cultivation is super awesome, and he can forge artifacts too—can your master do that?”  

“My master is Yue Wujiu! I don’t know how old he is, but his cultivation is the most invincibly awesome in the world! And he knows how to play Pai Gow—can your master do that?”  

“M-my master can’t… but he can learn!”  

“My master sleeps seven hours a day! And hasn’t cleaned his room in three hundred years! Can your master learn that too?”  

“!? Who in the Kunlun Ruins sleeps seven hours a day! And not cleaning for three hundred years—that’s just laziness!”  

“Ha! Your master can’t do it! Your master loses!”  

“What do you mean he can’t? He can learn! It’s not hard! My master can do anything!”  

“Hmph, anything? Then can your master even eat sh—”  

“Wh-what… damn it… Yes! If your master can, then mine can too!”  

Qing Yang: …You two are truly your masters’ most filial disciples.  

Qing Yang never expected that before even getting a clear look at the legendary great power’s face, he would first hear his disciple spilling a trove of scandalous gossip.  

“Ah, greetings, Elder Qing Yang.” Zhu Xianfei snapped out of the argument and hurriedly bowed.  

Qing Yang nodded with a faint smile before cupping his hands toward Yue Wujiu beside him.  

“Immortal Yue, your esteemed presence graces us. Forgive the Kunlun Ruins for our inadequate hospitality.”  

Before Yue Wujiu could respond, Peng Peng spoke up first: “No, no, you’ve been plenty hospitable! Everyone in the Kunlun Ruins is so talented, so eloquent, and so generous with money—I love it here!”  

Peng Peng happily patted her bulging Mustard Seed Pouch.  

Qing Yang: …Why does that sound like she’s sarcastically calling them gullible and loaded?  

Yue Wujiu had originally planned to maintain his usual indifferent, lazy demeanor and brush things off before leaving.  

But then he remembered that his disciple had not only swiped a Spirit Demon during her visit but also emptied the pockets of a whole group of disciples. His confidence couldn’t help but waver slightly.

He stepped forward and spoke in a voice only he and Elder Qing Yang could hear:

“This disciple is mischievous. The so-called charging to pet the Spirit Demon was just a joke. We will definitely return the money.”

If it were anyone else, Elder Qing Yang wouldn’t have refused. Although their disciples voluntarily handed over the money, it would be somewhat disgraceful for a master to truly accept money from children.

But since it was Yue Wujiu speaking, Elder Qing Yang immediately declined repeatedly.

“Just ten thousand Spirit Stones. Immortal Yue is being too polite. Let’s just have more interactions between Kunlun Ruins and Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect in the future.”

Yue Wujiu narrowed his eyes: “Does Elder Qing Yang think our Ninefold Mountain Moon Sect can’t afford it?”

Qing Yang was startled and was about to exclaim “Absolutely not” when he heard Yue Wujiu calmly say:

“Actually, we really can’t afford it.”

“So I’ve decided to write an IOU. Will the Elder accept it?”

Qing Yang: “…”

Then everyone saw Yue Wujiu take out paper and brush from his Mustard Seed Pouch with the imposing manner of bestowing calligraphy—

and wrote an IOU stating: “Yue Wujiu owes Elder Qing Yang of Kunlun Ruins ten thousand five hundred and seventy-two Spirit Stones, to be paid in installments within one year.”

Holding this precious autograph from his idol, Qing Yang felt a complex mix of emotions.

To think they had reached the point where even ten thousand Spirit Stones needed to be paid in installments—how could he bear to accept this IOU?

Qing Yang shifted his gaze to Peng Peng.

He needed to find a way for her to reasonably keep those Spirit Stones.

Qing Yang: “This little fellow must be the one Third Elder mentioned—the young girl with Beast Taming talent seen at the Pingchuan Ascension Conference?”

Peng Peng puffed out her chest and raised her head, smiling confidently:

“That would be me!”

Qing Yang examined her for a moment before continuing: “Coincidentally, I also have a Spirit Beast Crane that I’ve raised for over two hundred years. It’s perfect in every way except for one thing—it loves biting my hair. I still don’t know why. Could this little fellow enlighten me?”

Peng Peng watched as Qing Yang summoned his Spirit Beast Crane.

This crane was clearly different from the mounts ordinary cultivators rode—it flew extremely fast and was quite aggressive—

The moment it landed, it went straight for Elder Qing Yang’s hair.

And Qing Yang dodged the crane’s attack with a heartbreakingly practiced ease, smiling:

“Little fellow, you see this situation—is there any cure for it?”

Beast Taming techniques were closely guarded secrets among practitioners, rarely witnessed by outsiders. As Peng Peng approached the crane, everyone couldn’t help but wonder what she would do next.

Then they saw Peng Peng take just three steps forward when the crane, which had been intently pulling hair, instantly slid into a kneeling position and spread its wings to embrace Peng Peng fully.

Qing Yang, who spent his days getting pecked until his head was covered in bumps: ?

Zhu Xianfei, realizing something: Run! If you don’t run now, your Spirit Beast will be gone for good!

But this time, Peng Peng patted the crane’s head and sensed that while it liked her, it didn’t have the same urgent desire to follow her as A Xue did.

[It’s already been brainwashed by that stinky Taoist and sees him as family]

Ye Qi’s voice sounded in her mind, making Peng Peng pause.

She asked: [Then why does it still peck him?]

Ye Qi snorted lightly: [Well…]

Qing Yang finally recalled Zhu Xianfei’s painful experience and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly:

Too rash.

In his hundreds of years of life, he’d never seen a Beast Tamer like this.

Thinking of the Spirit Beast that had accompanied him for decades, pampered with good food and drink, about to leave with someone else, the elderly Elder Qing Yang felt tears welling up in his eyes.

“It really likes you.”

Peng Peng suddenly spoke up.  

Qing Yang looked at her in surprise.  

“It says it already considers you family, so it won’t be leaving with me. You can rest easy.”  

The crane had only cultivated for a hundred years and couldn’t speak. Qing Yang had never known what it was thinking. One day, it had suddenly started attacking him, leaving Qing Yang disheartened for a long time, thinking it had come to dislike him.  

But who would have guessed this was how it truly saw him?  

Qing Yang: “Then why does it still…”  

“Oh,” Peng Peng pointed at Elder Qing Yang’s head, “it says it’s because the smell of the hair growth tonic you put on your head is irritating it…”  

Qing Yang immediately covered Peng Peng’s mouth.  

That’s enough.  

Truly enough.  

If she kept talking, he might not only refuse to pay her but also demand compensation for emotional distress.