Chapter 109

Setting aside the sudden accident, Ruan Xing had not forgotten her purpose. Following the guidance of a kind cultivator, she arrived at a waterfall on the other side of the mountain, where several female cultivators were focused on using the water's force to guide their Spiritual Power and refine their Dharma Artifacts.

Ruan Xing did not rashly interrupt, but instead walked over and stood to the side, watching quietly.

After a moment, one of the female cultivators seemed to reach a stopping point and paused. A female cultivator beside her immediately smiled and said, "Senior Sister, you're almost finished, right? You used so much Silver Dragon Silk this time; I think the luster of that Soft Smoke Gauze is almost on par with a High-grade Magical Tool."

"I hope your words come true; I certainly wish it were a High-grade one," the female cultivator replied with a natural, unpretentious smile. "This Soft Smoke Gauze still needs to soak in the cold spring for a few days, so I'll be heading off now."

A second-tier Artifact Refiner could only refine mid-to-low-grade Dharma Artifacts; even with high-tier materials, the chance of refining a high-grade one was one in ten thousand—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it would require one's ancestral grave to emit blue smoke. Therefore, the female cultivator didn't harbor such hopes and took it as a complimentary joke.

She collected her white-ribbon-like Dharma Artifact from the waterfall and was just about to leave when Ruan Xing hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Senior Sister, please stay a moment. May I ask which one is Senior Sister Meng from Yaoguang Peak?"

The female cultivator asked curiously, "I am Meng Hui. Are you looking for me?"

"I am a newly admitted Registered Disciple of Yaoguang Peak, and I would like to ask you a few questions," Ruan Xing said with an embarrassed, bashful smile.

She had always been this bold in her simulations, asking straight to the point without wasting time. Even if it caused dissatisfaction, it didn't matter; she could just try a different approach in the next simulation.

"Ah, Junior Sister Ruan Xing, I know of you," Meng Hui said with a sudden realization. "What would you like to ask?"

Hm? Ruan Xing was a bit confused. Her grievances with the Xu Family were not public, and her presence in Nanzhou had not been particularly notable. Furthermore, the Central Province cultivators who went to Nanzhou for the Golden Terrace Secret Realm had not yet returned, so she shouldn't be famous enough for Meng Hui to have heard of her. "How did you come to know of me?" Ruan Xing asked, puzzled.

Meng Hui said leisurely, "Two days ago, my Master ordered me to keep a close eye on the Sect Affairs Hall. If any Nanzhou cultivators who hadn't been assigned were reported, I was to bring them to Yaoguang Peak, or notify her immediately if I couldn't get them. It's strange, actually—yesterday, when I found out you had arrived, I immediately requested the Sect Affairs Hall to assign you to Yaoguang Peak. I didn't expect them to be so difficult about it, so I quickly notified my Master. My Master arrived in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea and managed to secure you. My Master went to such great lengths, yet only made you a Registered Disciple; I thought we were about to have a second personal disciple at Yaoguang Peak."

So, the reason she was assigned to Yaoguang Peak was entirely due to this Senior Sister keeping a constant watch on the Sect Affairs Hall.

"Then, I have truly troubled you, Senior Sister. You are on the verge of forming your Golden Core, yet you delayed two days for me; I feel truly uneasy," Ruan Xing said softly.

"Indeed, according to the plan, I only needed to wait for you for one day, but you took two. What did you do during that extra day?" Meng Hui winked at her meaningfully.

Ruan Xing was stunned; she couldn't exactly say she went to create a 'little boy' and fence stolen goods.

But Meng Hui didn't require an answer, continuing, "Don't worry, neither my Master nor I have any intention of prying into your private affairs; I was just asking casually. However, I don't understand what is so special about you that both my Master, who has always been indifferent to worldly affairs, and Qingyuan Daojun, who has never taken a Registered Disciple, would fight over you?"

What!?

Ruan Xing was dumbfounded. When she heard Meng Hui earlier, she assumed it was the Xu Family trying to hold her back, preventing the Sect Affairs Hall from assigning her. She never expected it was Qingyuan Daojun who wanted her.

But why? Fu Qinghong, currently in her Storage Bag, suddenly gave her the illusion of being a hot potato.

"I don't know what is so special about me..." Ruan Xing stammered. Compared to other cultivators, perhaps she had just started her path earlier, was a bit younger, and cultivated a bit faster.

But neither of those big shots could have taken a fancy to her because of her potential, because... they both only wanted her as a Registered Disciple... *sob*, how miserable.

"Look at me, you were the one who wanted to ask questions, how did it turn into me asking you?" Meng Hui tapped her forehead in annoyance. "Junior Sister, don't mind me. Tell me what you wanted to ask. Your cultivation level is similar to mine, so it shouldn't be a problem with your cultivation; it's probably about Yaoguang Peak. I am my Master's first disciple, so I know almost everything about Yaoguang Peak. Come, let's talk as we walk."

Ruan Xing followed her steps, feeling dazed. "Where are we going, Senior Sister?"

"To Tianyan Peak to borrow their cold spring to soak my Soft Smoke Gauze," Meng Hui said, raising an eyebrow and waving the white ribbon in her hand.

"Oh, I see." Ruan Xing also stepped onto her Flying Sword. "Senior Sister, I wanted to ask about Senior Brother Qintai He. Did he grow up at Yaoguang Peak since he was a child?"

"More or less," Meng Hui said. "He came to Yaoguang Peak when he was seven. My Master once asked me to look after him, but he had a rather solitary personality when he was young and wouldn't get close to anyone except that white wolf. The most I could do was bring him meals a few times and help him buy a few sets of clothes; he did everything else himself. After he reached Spirit Refining at thirteen, he only ate Bigu Pills and refused to eat regular food. Although I watched him grow up, I wouldn't say we were very close."

Ruan Xing nodded thoughtfully. Qintai He reached Spirit Refining at the Xuanbing Sect, so he most likely cultivated the Tongxuan Scripture.

"Then, Senior Sister, do you know what Senior Brother Qintai He likes?"

Meng Hui chuckled. "I've never seen him like anything. Why, are you trying to curry favor with him? Is there something you want to get from him?"

"I want to know the Golden Core Stage cultivation method of the Tongxuan Scripture," Ruan Xing answered very honestly.

"This? Can't you ask me?" Meng Hui looked back at her.

Ask you—eh?

That's right, although Meng Hui hadn't reached the Golden Core Stage yet, she must have the cultivation method to be preparing for it.

Ruan Xing was overjoyed and asked with a face full of anticipation, "Will you tell me, Senior Sister?"

"Of course not." Seeing Ruan Xing's visible disappointment, Meng Hui let out a hearty laugh. "Of course, such things require my Master's consent. Qintai He won't give it to you either, so give up on that. However, my Master isn't the type to hinder your cultivation. Just wait; in a while, my Master will surely bring it up with you."

Ruan Xing replied with a listless "Okay."

They soon arrived at Tianyan Peak.

The two jumped off their Flying Swords. Meng Hui looked at the sword Ruan Xing put away and stroked her chin. "Junior Sister, your sword has a notch in it."

Ruan Xing subconsciously looked at the Low-grade Magical Sword in her hand and fell silent for a moment.

That was when she was attacked by Elder Xu; she had instinctively raised her sword to block. Although she hadn't managed to lift it in time, the sword had still been damaged, leaving a crack and a notch on the blade.

Because she hadn't relied on Sword Technique in her recent fights, she had almost forgotten about it.

Ruan Xing smiled and said, "Yes, it was damaged by accident. I'll change it when I have the chance."

In any case, this sword wasn't worth much; it was the most ordinary Low-grade Magical Sword, without even a single inscribed talisman for a special effect.

She did have a few Mid-grade Magical Swords among her stolen goods, but she didn't dare use them and had sold them all. After the simulation ended, she could go to Xianyuan City to buy a sword to tide her over.

"Senior Sister is an Artifact Refiner; how about I refine one for you?" Meng Hui patted her shoulder. "You can prepare the materials first, and I'll refine it for you after I form my Golden Core. Don't worry, with my level, I definitely won't waste your materials!"

Ruan Xing's heart stirred, and she remembered the Snow Marrow still in the eye socket of the Sword-Coming. What if she learned artifact refining and refined a Spirit Tool for herself in the future? "That would be great, Senior Sister. But could you teach me while you refine? I also want to learn the method of artifact refining."

"Teaching you is no problem," Meng Hui said, looking somewhat surprised. "But you must think carefully. In the art of artifact refining, water quenching exhausts three generations, and fire refining ruins a lifetime; once you're hooked, you can't get out."

"What do you mean by that?" Ruan Xing humbly asked for guidance.

Meng Hui explained, "I don't know if you learned about this in Nanzhou, but there are very few Artifact Refiners outside, while Talisman Makers and Alchemists are everywhere. The reason is that Talisman Makers and Alchemists only lose money when they are learning and practicing in the early stages, and they can make money later on. But artifact refining, tsk tsk, from beginner to master, you are always losing money!"

She shook her head as she spoke. After Meng Hui's introduction, Ruan Xing finally understood the key point.

The first is the difference between water quenching and fire refining. The water quenching method requires a high level of Divine Sense, and the materials for Dharma Artifacts that can be refined using this method are very expensive. The fire refining method is relatively cheaper in cost, but it affects the body. Those who refine too much become big, burly men. Unless they reach the Nascent Soul stage to reshape their physical body, they must maintain the image of a foolish giant. Since every cultivator seeks an immortal and graceful appearance, this naturally becomes an unsatisfactory drawback.

The second is that for an Artifact Refiner to advance, they inevitably need a large amount of practice and polishing. Pills are something every cultivator consumes at least several bottles of every month, but Dharma Artifacts are things that ordinary cultivators hold at most one or two of, which is enough for several major realms. Unless they are fighting someone with a cultivation level far higher than their own, there is basically no such thing as a Dharma Artifact being destroyed. Of course, once a Dharma Artifact is destroyed, the person is likely gone too, so there is no need to replace it. A more likely scenario is that the person dies while the Dharma Artifact remains, becoming stolen goods that circulate back into the market.

So, what should an Artifact Refiner do with the hundreds or thousands of ordinary Low-grade Magical Artifacts produced from the first to the second tier?

They are all sold off cheaply for a few dozen Spirit Stones, sometimes not even covering the cost of the materials, and the extra success rate and wear and tear are pure losses.

Therefore, there are very few Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners; they simply cannot support themselves. The Artifact Refiners cultivated by Sects and families have already saturated the market.

Most importantly, alchemy has pill formulas, but artifact refining does not. There are only a hundred or so standard types of Dharma Artifacts in the world. Artifact refining only requires refining them into suitable Dharma Artifacts based on the properties and characteristics of the materials. This also leads to some high-tier Artifact Refiners, in order to come into contact with more high-tier materials to refine and pursue higher realms, usually not charging labor fees when refining for others, and sometimes even losing money if the refining fails.

Meng Hui wanting to refine a new sword for her wasn't purely to take care of her Junior Sister, but also because she wanted to refine more Dharma Artifacts to improve her success rate with Mid-grade Magical Artifacts.

"No wonder," Ruan Xing whispered to herself.

"Do you still want to learn?" Meng Hui asked.

Ruan Xing nodded firmly, "I'll learn!"

With the Simulator, she didn't have to worry about losing money at all.

After finishing this topic, the two stepped into the main gate of Tianyan Peak.

Meng Hui greeted every disciple she saw on Tianyan Peak as if she were returning home, and took the opportunity to introduce Ruan Xing.

"Hello, Junior Sister."

"Senior Sister is here."

"Hey, Junior Sister, when do you plan to form your Golden Core? I'll go guard the array for you!"

Meng Hui smiled and responded to each one, "Soon, soon. I'll definitely look for you when the time comes."

"Who is she? Whoa, a Foundation Establishment Perfection at such a young age?"

"This is our new Junior Sister from Yaoguang Peak. I'm here to borrow the Cold Spring and brought her along to get familiar with the place," Meng Hui said, pointing at Ruan Xing.

"Then hurry along, the Cold Spring is empty today."

Even at Yaoguang Peak, Ruan Xing had never seen such thick camaraderie, and she couldn't help but ask, "Is Senior Sister on good terms with all of them?"

"Well, come to think of it, I've spent more time at Tianyan Peak than at Yaoguang Peak," Meng Hui recalled the scenes of the past. "My Master and Qingmeng Daojun are good friends. When Master first moved to Yaoguang Peak, she didn't like staying there every day and often brought me to Tianyan Peak. Qingmeng Daojun's disciples became familiar with me, and several senior brothers and sisters took good care of me. Sometimes when I didn't dare to disturb Master, I would go to them for guidance. But come to think of it, it's me who has embarrassed Master; it's been so long and I still haven't formed my Golden Core."

It had been less than forty years since Meng Hui reached Foundation Establishment. For an ordinary cultivator with average aptitude, let alone forty years, it was normal to take fifty or sixty years to form a Golden Core. But she truly couldn't help but feel anxious in her heart; after all, she was Master's first disciple, and Qintai He, who had started Cultivation more than ten years after her, was already at the Golden Core stage.

Although she couldn't compare to a Personal Disciple, she couldn't be surpassed by other Registered Disciples either. Yaoguang Peak already had several junior brothers and sisters at Foundation Establishment Perfection; she had to hurry.

Thinking of this, Meng Hui frowned slightly.

"Don't worry, isn't Senior Sister already close to forming the Golden Core?" Ruan Xing smiled sweetly, "I'm waiting for Senior Sister to help me refine a Dharma Artifact after you form your Golden Core."

"Hmm, once the Dharma Artifact is finished, I will set about forming my Golden Core." Meng Hui touched the Soft Smoke Gauze in her hand, threw it into the Cold Spring, and said wistfully, "A mid-grade one should be no problem. I hope luck favors me this time; it would be even better if it turns out to be a high-grade one."

On Tianyan Peak.

Qingmeng Daojun stood beside Qinghong Zhenjun. Qinghong Zhenjun suddenly asked, "I see nothing special about her. Did you calculate wrong?"

"The Great Dao is forty-nine, and Tianyan is the one. What I can calculate is merely what is most likely to happen," Qingmeng Daojun said leisurely. "Although I cannot see clearly what the future holds, isn't avoiding the path one least wishes to foresee the correct choice?"

"You're talking nonsense. I'm annoyed; I'm going back to Yaoguang Peak," Qinghong Zhenjun said, then turned to leave.

"Junior Sister is like this again; you want to leave as soon as I say something you don't like to hear," Qingmeng Daojun shook his head and smiled helplessly. "Regardless, I must say that my calculation is not wrong. She cannot become anyone's disciple—"

Qinghong Zhenjun looked toward the direction of the Cold Spring with a calm gaze, "Understood. She has a rebellious bone at the back of her head and is prone to betraying her master and destroying her sect."

Please don't police our precious Xing anymore QAQ. She was never meant to be a true, kind, and beautiful character; she is just a very, very bad little girl, so it is normal for her to kill anyone. She has already died hundreds of times in the Simulation, so just let her be.

And the voting results are as follows!

10 "Others Cultivate, I Simulate; I Won't Reason with You" 27 votes

Original title "Who Would Still Be a Vicious Supporting Female Character If They Could Cultivate" 15 votes

Other titles with fewer than 10 votes will not be counted. I will wait for the editor to come to work on Monday and send them to her to decide~(End of chapter)