Chapter 264: After Binding the Child-Bearing System, Becoming a Winner in Life Chapter 265: Cultivators Must Be Self-Reliant (End)

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Three years passed, and Ren Yangjue emerged from seclusion right on schedule.

Another newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator — this time there was no hiding it. Whether they had designs or not, Shen Yao was pestered until her head ached.

The trip to the Northern Region that Ren Yangyao mentioned could not be delayed any longer. The Shen Family was a time bomb; if they could not defuse it cleanly, any trouble that erupted later would land on them.

"No time to lose. Once Yangjue finishes his business, we set out immediately."

Shen Yao did not want to drag things out; there were simply too many matters here. Moreover, her maternal clan was considered a family in the area, with quite a few relatives who could cultivate.

Family-style cultivation has its pros and cons, but the fact that the Shen Family never searched for her during her years of disappearance shows that her relationship with them was not close.

Ren Yangyao and Ren Yangzuo settled their own affairs, while privately speculating whether the Shen Family might be as sordid as those great clans in the Mortal World.

"Sordid is too strong — we're simply not close," Shen Yao pursed her lips, explaining that this body's birth mother died early, her birth father had remarried, and she had half-siblings both older and younger.

Ren Yangyao: …

Ren Yangyao thought of the tangled web of relationships in the Jiang Guo Imperial Family. Propping his chin with one hand, he told his mother not to fear — once the few of them showed up, not just the Shen Family, but the entire region the Shen Family occupied would pose no threat.

They had discreetly investigated: the Shen Family lived in a small town called Changping City in the Northern Region. Only a handful of cultivation families existed above the town level, and the Shen Family's influence extended only around Changping City; beyond that it counted for little.

A minor family that could be crushed with a single finger had no capacity to cause them trouble.

But speaking of blood ties — tsk, tsk, tsk — Ren Yangyao still had to mind Shen Yao's face.

"Don't overthink it. Once we're back in Changping City, everything will be laid bare."

The Shen Family Head was no fool; he was surely planning to skim the cream long-term.

Shen Yao, for her part, was not bent on a clean break with the Shen Family forever.

As long as the other side did not overreach and let themselves be used as bargaining chips to drag her three children into it, Shen Yao could turn a blind eye.

She stated her bottom line and waited in Yunxia Valley for Ren Yangjue to come to her.

Afterward, she had a heart-to-heart talk with the Yunxia Valley Sect Master, and this Elder of Yunxia Valley formally stepped down, leaving the valley unburdened.

…

It took a little over a year to cross the vast sea between the Eastern Region and the Northern Region. Shen Yao, bringing her three sons, set foot on the land of Changping City without a hitch.

The environment was much as she remembered. She went straight to the Shen Family door, catching them completely off guard.

The Shen Family Head had no close ties to Shen Yao; by blood they were extremely distant.

And whether by luck or misfortune, this body's father had died years ago, leaving behind only a few underage children and nothing else.

Shen Yao: …

The situation suddenly became very simple. The person who could restrain Shen Yao was gone, and no one else — including the Shen Family Head — dared make excessive demands.

It was still Shen Yao who, to settle this body's karmic debt with the Shen Family, produced some compensation.

Of course, the compensation was not free; it included the Shen Family's future marriage alliances — especially those of Shen Yao's half-siblings — which must be handled with utmost caution.

More bluntly: the Shen Family could not sell them off to curry favor with other forces, nor could they harbor any hope of riding on Ren Yangyao and the other two's coattails.

The Shen Family crowd: …

Words spoken too plainly easily cost face; that was exactly the situation between Shen Yao and the Shen Family right now.

Shen Yao cut through the knot with a swift stroke, giving the Shen Family no room to maneuver or time to think. Whether they agreed or not, they would do things her way.

As for refusing her proposal? Since those benefits could be given, they could be taken back.

Shen Yao smiled faintly, sitting steady as a rock. Ren Yangyao and the other two stood silently to the side — in their view, whatever the outcome, it was their birth mother's freedom.

In the end, the deal naturally went through. After all, the benefits Shen Yao offered were plain to see, while other forces' promises were just pie in the sky.

The pie might taste good, but without seeing real substance, you can't fill an empty belly.

The Shen Family weighed it back and forth and briskly agreed to every condition Shen Yao put forward — indeed, it was the Shen Family who actively sealed the bargain.

The Shen Family was far too insignificant in the Northern Region; a mere trickle of treasures from Shen Yao's hand was enough for her to leverage all kinds of development.

Still, it gave Shen Yao a wake-up call. She simply acted in her own name, borrowing the tiger's might, and directly summoned several factions harboring ulterior motives.

Ren Yangyao and the other two were present the whole time, so naturally not a word their mother said escaped their ears.

Good grief — carrot and stick combined — she actually scared them back into not daring to reach out.

After staying in Changping City for a year, Shen Yao cleaned up every matter that might leave future trouble, then set off on the road back to the Eastern Cultivation World with her glittering, fine sons.

Since she no longer had ties to Yunxia Valley, returning there was awkward, so she simply chose to live in a subordinate city of the Lingyun Sect's territory.

Ren Yangzuo and Ren Yangjue each returned to their sects to busy themselves. Ren Yangyao settled Shen Yao, left enough spirit stones and some magic artifacts, talisman papers, and alchemical medicines, then also returned to his sect.

The Xinghai City where Shen Yao lived was very close to the Lingyun Sect — a few days' journey back and forth.

In his leisure, Ren Yangyao would come visit her, occasionally gifting spirit grasses that caught Shen Yao's interest.

As Nascent Soul cultivators, they belonged to the category where greater ability brings greater responsibility; correspondingly, the benefits they could enjoy also doubled.

Ren Yangyao originally intended for Shen Yao to move into the Lingyun Sect with him, just as she had stayed at the Guiyun Sect for a few years back then.

But in Shen Yao's view that was too troublesome; the constraints and pressure it would bring far exceeded those at the Guiyun Sect. She shook her head and refused, telling Ren Yangyao to just come over when he had time — the rest she would arrange herself.

"What arrangement? Host, you never leave Xinghai City, and you rely on purchasing spirit grasses — isn't that a bit too carefree?"

The system spoke tactfully, but what it really wanted to say was that the host was too lazy, and at this rate no amount of spirit stones would be enough.

As if a string in its head had snapped, the system felt it necessary to warn the host: absolutely no impulsiveness; impulse is the devil. Quite a few predecessor systems had gone down step by step just like this.

The system's little heart trembled (if it had one) — it gave examples, dropped hints, and tried every trick in the book.

As for whether it had any effect? Looking at the host, still completely free and easy, not taking its words to heart at all — probably not.

System: … heart-wrenching

The stabbed-in-the-heart system had nothing to say, and Shen Yao wouldn't embarrass herself by rushing over to curry favor.

She was currently living quite well in Xinghai City — here there were mountains, water, fields, and a house, and stepping out the door led straight to a bustling town.

Shen Yao stroked the sleek, slippery Snow Spirit Cat in her arms, thinking that thankfully this cat had slimmed down a bit, otherwise it would definitely have been diagnosed with obesity.

"You should eat less, you're a cat," how could a little kitty be excessively obese? That would be joking with its own body.

The Snow Spirit Cat curled into a ball hiding in Shen Yao's embrace, meowing away, and at the same time those beautiful pale blue eyes were sizing up the little bird perched on Shen Yao's shoulder.

The little bird had a body of dreamy pink feathers, the color on its wings even paler; from afar it looked just like a soft, pink glutinous rice ball.

This was a bird-type demon beast Shen Yao had raised in the Secret Realm of Wuyou Mountain.

Five had survived to the present, each no bigger than a palm; whether feathers or cries, all were pleasing enough.

It was also a belated realization — Shen Yao was convinced these five birds were a variant of the Xuan Yin Bird, their essence still slightly different from the true Xuan Yin Bird.

However, these birds' attack and defense weren't strong; they could only serve as tools to pass the time.

Shen Yao wasn't a strict owner; keeping a few birds was simply because she was truly bored.

So today, going out, Shen Yao simply hugged the cat and brought the birds along, and incidentally arranged the five birds into shifts, guaranteeing they all had ample rest time.

"Fellow Cultivator Shen, newly arrived Spirit Grass, care to take a look?"

"Fellow Cultivator Shen, this store's Spirit Fish are delicious but limited in quantity, freshly stocked..."

"Fellow Cultivator Shen, Golden Core Talismans for sale, wonder if they suit Fellow Cultivator's intent?"

"..."

As a Big Shot who frequently went out shopping in Xinghai City and gave money to others, Shen Yao's treatment in Xinghai City was better than in the other few towns.

Of course, among the reasons was surely consideration for Ren Yangyao's seedlings. Including Xinghai City's administrative departments — seeing Shen Yao, they would all smile and nod in greeting.

Tsk tsk tsk

All these treatments further firmed Shen Yao's resolve to stay in Xinghai City.

Besides, living here she wasn't bored; why would she have to change to another place?

Laughing cheerfully, she greeted these shopkeepers one by one; Shen Yao patronized each in turn, spending Spirit Stones by the handful, buying back Spiritual Objects of every variety.

Even though it was the same repetition day after day, Shen Yao still didn't find it dull.

"How nice — no need to go out to shop, and dangerous places have other people blazing the trail for me; I just need to stay in my residence."

System:...

The system was thoroughly speechless, dazed and wobbly it went off to do its own business, though in Shen Yao's view the system had no proper business at all.

In the tenth year of living in Xinghai City, Shen Yao had collected more or less all the items she wanted; the originally empty space was also filled to the brim.

In the fifteenth year of living in Xinghai City, Shen Yao's body developed problems; she had no choice but to rely on pills to control them.

In the twentieth year of living in Xinghai City, the controlled condition began to worsen, and gradually manifested openly.

In the twenty-fifth year of living in Xinghai City, Shen Yao's body deteriorated sharply; Ren Yangyao's three children had no choice but to accept the grim news that their birth mother's lifespan was near its end.

"Alright, don't be sad, this was inevitable," her body had lasted until now thanks to the system's help; otherwise, at the very start of transmigration, she would have met her end.

To have lived to today, Shen Yao looked at the three fine sons who had come before her — especially since all three had cultivation at Mid Nascent Soul Stage, a hair's breadth from breaking through to Late Stage — Shen Yao didn't know how to express her feelings; it was far too smooth sailing, simply more unreasonable than a Child of the Plane.

"They've eaten so many Good Things, and are so deeply entangled with this world; when they break through and enter the next higher world, the World Consciousness will also gain no small benefit."

Otherwise why would the World Consciousness keep feeding them resources? Just the dense karmic threads on the three of them — if bound to the Host, who knows how many reincarnations it would take to cleanly resolve them.

Helplessly she shook her head; the system, afraid the Host couldn't see, even added its own sound effects — ding-ding-dang-dang noises constantly popping up in Shen Yao's mind.

Thankfully Shen Yao was long accustomed to it; otherwise she feared she wouldn't be able to hold on and would reveal her hand.

Ren Yangyao took out life-saving pills and Spiritual Objects, brought them before Shen Yao, and had someone feed them to her.

Where is this "inevitable"? The three brothers, though not the top experts of Canglan Continent, have the Three Great Sects backing them, and all kinds of treasures in hand — how could they possibly let their birth mother pass away early?

Ren Yangzuo and Ren Yangjue urged their birth mother to come with them to the Sect for a look. Some profound cultivation Big Shots surely have life-preserving methods.

"No need for such trouble; my body hasn't been without doctors.

Besides, the dantian has developed a problem — it's not something that can be made up for with pills and Spiritual Objects."

Like a car's engine is broken — even if the exterior is glossy and bright, using the best gasoline cannot change the car's problem.

Persuading them not to make too big a fuss for her; if it weren't that Ren Yangyao's three truly couldn't accept it, Shen Yao wouldn't even want to say this much.

"What's fated will come; what's not fated, don't force it — thinking too much only makes things difficult for oneself."

While comforting the children, Shen Yao arranged her after-affairs.

Counting carefully, she had lived in this world for a very long time.

Cultivators' lives are long — that's for those with profound cultivation.

Like Shen Yao, an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose dantian had once suffered severe injury — to have the current situation already counts as lucky.

Ren Yangyao's three wore sad expressions, but didn't go so far as to cry out loud.

However, with their birth mother in this state, they couldn't just ignore it and leave; conferring behind Shen Yao's back, the three decided to stay by her side to care for her.

Because all three had some troublesome matters, and their Sects behind them, they couldn't stay long.

Simply, they agreed on suitable times with each other, ensuring someone was by Shen Yao's side.

The following days were Shen Yao enjoying her fine sons' devoted care.

It was truly holding them in the palm fearing they'd get scorched, keeping them in the mouth fearing they'd melt.

Shen Yao lived a life even more free of want than simply having no worries about food and drink.

During this time, Ren Chengzhou, still at Bu Xing Pavilion, came over. He looked even more frail than Shen Yao; word was a breakthrough failure had injured his foundation and he was still recuperating.

Shen Yao didn't pay it much mind; rather, Ren Chengzhou's expression was complex — perhaps the divination result was also bad — this person accompanied Shen Yao reminiscing for a long time, and when he left he was still somewhat muddleheaded.

Shen Yao:... Strange

Not taking these matters to heart, Shen Yao continued to eat well and drink well; occasionally when the mood struck, she would still go out for a stroll around Xinghai City.

With a heavyweight bodyguard by her side, ordinary people dared not provoke her.

Just like that, until Shen Yao closed her eyes, she felt that the days before her death had been quite good, except that the pain in her body was somewhat unbearable.