Chapter 81: Clearing the Clouds to See the Sun, Returning to the Origin and Clarity

"Forcibly occupying a house? And you want to drive people out?" Long Qi widened his eyes and shouted, "Isn't that what a bandit would do!?"

Xin Yi, however, seemed completely indifferent: "According to you, should we just let others be? In matters of love, even if it is done like a bandit, what of it?"

Letting others be is naturally out of the question, but if one were to force someone, this... this seems a bit improper; after all, a melon is best when it is sweet.

Long Qi looked at Xin Yi and suddenly felt that he was incredibly dull; this person was just a bachelor himself, what good advice could he possibly give?

Xin Yi glanced at Long Qi, who was scratching his head in deep thought, and laughed softly—he really was just a greenhorn.

……

"How could this be!? How could someone capable of setting up such a marvelous array have the aptitude of a Five Elements False Spiritual Root?" Rendong looked incredulous.

"Hahahaha!" Zhuzhang Laoren stroked his beard and laughed, "Why not?"

A single counter-question left Rendong speechless. Seeing him like this, Zhuzhang Laoren continued:

"There are thousands of wonders in this world, and there will always be things you cannot imagine. Take me, for instance; I once cultivated together with your Yuanqing Sect's founding ancestor, Wuwei. Now, hundreds of years have passed, and although I am only at the Loose Immortal level, I have achieved longevity. What is the purpose of cultivation if not for this?"

Rendong was even more astonished upon hearing this. Someone with a Five Elements False Spiritual Root could actually cultivate to the Loose Immortal realm?!

"Not to mention the distant past, let's just talk about the girl Lingxiang. Have you ever wondered why she has the lowest cultivation among the Yuanqing Nine Sons? Even her disciple Shoucheng has a higher cultivation than her. Could it really be because she is young? That little girl was already at the Foundation Establishment stage at seven years old. Looking throughout the world, only the ancient Nezha ever had such aptitude!"

Rendong did not know how to answer for a moment. After entering the Yuanqing Sect, although he had heard some things about Fucang Elder, he had never understood much. Could it be that she also had a Five Elements False Spiritual Root?

"You must surely think Lingxiang also has a Five Elements False Spiritual Root. It is true, she can perform a bit of every kind of Witchcraft, so it does look a bit like it." Zhuzhang Laoren said, turning his back.

"C-could it not be?"

"For her, if she really were a False Spiritual Root, that would be fine, but it is a pity..."

A pity? A pity for what?

"It is just a pity that she has a Residual Spirit Root." Zhuzhang Laoren turned around, his face full of pity.

"Residual Spirit Root? What kind of Spirit Root is a Residual Spirit Root?" This was the first time Rendong had heard of such a Spirit Root.

"Speaking of which, you should have already undergone the Spirit Root test with the Dust-Peering Mirror, right?"

Rendong nodded upon hearing this, and Zhuzhang Laoren sighed when he saw him do so.

"That little girl, even the Dust-Peering Mirror cannot test her Spirit Root."

"Even the Dust-Peering Mirror cannot test it? How can that be? Isn't the Dust-Peering Mirror an ancient Spirit Treasure?"

Zhuzhang Laoren sighed again upon hearing this and sat back down on the stone stool.

"Residual means incomplete. Since it is not a complete Spirit Root, how could the Dust-Peering Mirror detect it?"

Once these words were spoken, Rendong was stunned. Incomplete? Even an ordinary person in this world has a complete Spirit Root, so how could there be such a thing as incomplete?

……

Lingxiang was a bit strange. She did not know what the Bamboo Staff Old Man and Rendong had talked about, but she just sat alone in the courtyard, and did not react even when called to eat.

"Hey! You bunch of little brats, you just love to split hairs. I, this old fellow, just gave a little guidance, and now you don't know what you're obsessing over!" Zhuzhang Laoren said as he picked up a piece of tender bamboo shoot. Although he had long been able to practice Bigu, he had to admit that the bamboo shoots Lingxiang made were truly delicious.

And Lingxiang, hearing what the Bamboo Staff Old Man said, felt a bit uneasy.

"I brought him here for you to guide, not for you to lead him astray. If he gets led into a dead end, wouldn't it have been a wasted trip?"

Lingxiang was about to stand up as she spoke, but was held back by the Bamboo Staff Old Man.

"Look, look, I said you definitely didn't come out of a sincere desire to see me. What kind of dead end could that little greenhorn possibly get into? What harm is there in letting him be? To be so protective already, it truly breaks my heart!" Saying this, the Bamboo Staff Old Man clutched his chest, his face full of sorrow.

Lingxiang rolled her eyes: "That old heart of yours is tougher than bamboo strips; it certainly won't hurt." Although she said this, she still sat back down according to the Bamboo Staff Old Man's wishes.

The three of them stayed in the Ancient Bamboo Forest for two days and picked a full ten pounds of Heavenly Fennel Bamboo flowers. The Bamboo Staff Old Man's heart ached so much that he shouted that even his bamboo strips had broken before he finally stopped.

Looking at the mess, the Bamboo Staff Old Man felt that this Lingxiang was truly his little nemesis; he really couldn't hit her or scold her.

He wondered why he had to go out of his way to tell this little bandit that the Heavenly Fennel Bamboo had bloomed. After this thorough looting, there wouldn't even be a seed left in the patches, and he didn't know how many years it would take to fill such a large gap.

While the Bamboo Staff Old Man was full of grief, Lingxiang was full of joy. She smiled, stepped forward, and patted the shoulder of the Bamboo Staff Old Man, who was kneeling on the ground in heartbreak, saying that she had made him spend money again.

The old man trembled at Lingxiang's words, then, without even raising his head, he just leaned on his staff and pointed at the courtyard gate, unable to say a single word.

Lingxiang just said something about coming to bother him again if it wasn't enough, then hopped and skipped away, ordering Rendong and Yuancheng to carry the fresh bamboo shoots and Heavenly Fennel Bamboo flowers to head home.

Just as she reached the gate of the temple, she was called back by the Bamboo Staff Old Man.

"Everyone says bamboo flowers are ominous, but who knows that when bamboo flowers fall, there are bamboo seeds? Though the bamboo dies, the bamboo seeds remain; falling into the soil, they can then nurture new Zhusun."

Lingxiang did not look back upon hearing this, but stood in place for a long time, then led Rendong and Shoucheng into the strange array of the Ancient Bamboo Forest.

Rendong did not know why Lingxiang had been silent the whole way, not as noisy as when they came. He only felt that the Bamboo Staff Old Man's words seemed to have a great impact on her, while he himself was unable to fathom the deep meaning behind them.

Stepping out of the Ancient Bamboo Forest and returning the bamboo lamp to the earth spirit, he suddenly heard Lingxiang say:

"Nurturing new Zhusun, huh!"

It sounded like a sigh, and also like a whisper. She stood in front of the entrance to the Ancient Bamboo Forest for a long time, not knowing what she was thinking.

Rendong recalled the words the Bamboo Staff Old Man had said to him, feeling that he seemed to understand a little of what she was thinking, yet also as if he did not.

He looked at Shoucheng, but Shoucheng was only looking at Lingxiang, as if waiting for her.

Rendong, helpless, stepped forward and asked:

"Master, when shall we set off?"

Lingxiang had been lost in thought, and hearing Rendong call her, she asked as if she hadn't heard clearly:

"What did you just call me?"

Rendong looked calm and said to Lingxiang: "Master, didn't you tell the Sect Leader Uncle on Wuji Hall that day that you wanted to take me to Qingwei Peak as your disciple? Could it be that you were just joking?"

"Naturally not," Lingxiang suddenly felt that this trip had truly not been in vain, "When your Great-Aunt speaks, it naturally counts! Remember to act a bit more boldly in the sect from now on; don't lose face for your Great-Aunt!"

Shoucheng smiled upon hearing this. This was the first time Rendong had seen him smile in these two days. He only heard him say:

"It is Master, not Great-Aunt."