Chapter 47: Fiancée, I want, Shen Qingli

Heaven Star Sect.

"Ahem."

Ji Wanxing looked at their sect's shabby mountain gate and felt a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry about these superficial things."

Ji Wanxing smiled at Shen Qingli and Shen Kuo, and both nodded.

They really didn't mind; even before coming, they knew Heaven Star Sect was poor.

But the mountain gate was so shabby, just a thatched shed, which still exceeded their expectations.

"The Sect Leader is back!"

As they approached the gate, a sudden shout from inside startled Shen Qingli, making her jump.

After landing, she saw a group of people of varying ages with a fierce aura, looking like they'd come to rob.

"What are you doing? New disciples have arrived; pay attention."

"New disciples?" The middle-aged scholar with the loudest voice really made Shen Qingli side-eye.

Aside from Liu Meng, this was the second person who gave her a strong sense of contrast.

He didn't speak, and she could hardly believe his voice was so rough.

The middle-aged scholar also sized up Shen Qingli, his eyes strange, "How did you trick your way in?"

"Don't spout nonsense!" Ji Wanxing hurriedly interrupted, "Xiao Qingli, come, recognize him—this is the Fourth Elder, Feng Yuxiang."

"Greetings, Fourth Elder." Shen Qingli bowed respectfully.

"This is the Seventh Elder, Shen Kuo." Ji Wanxing then introduced Shen Kuo.

"Jade-Faced Gentleman, Shen Qilang." Feng Yuxiang immediately pointed out Shen Kuo's identity.

Shen Kuo: "... Your Excellency?"

"Call me Fourth Brother." Feng Yuxiang chuckled, "I never expected to become the Fourth Brother of the Jade-Faced Gentleman."

Shen Kuo's eyelid twitched. "You sure?" He actually does have an older fourth brother, and his talent is heaven-defying.

"Sure, sure, of course!" Feng Yuxiang stroked his beard and laughed, "Let's go, let's head back and sit down to talk."

After observing, Shen Qingli found that Heaven Star Sect differed greatly from what she had imagined.

Apart from being poor, nothing else matched.

For example, this Fourth Elder before her had not a trace of mystic power fluctuation.

This was also the only person she couldn't sense any mystic power from……

There are only two possibilities: first, the Fourth Elder is not a cultivator;

second, the Fourth Elder is extraordinarily strong, the strongest person she has ever seen.

Either way, it was beyond Shen Qingli's expectations.

"The Fifth and Sixth Elders are in closed-door cultivation." Ji Wanxing explained the absence of the Fifth and Sixth Elders.

Afterward, he introduced the identities of the others: "This one is Master Huayuan, who will teach you to read and write."

"Master Huayuan?" Shen Kuo's eye twitched; he was already certain that Heaven Star Sect hid dragons and crouched tigers.

"That's me." Master Huayuan had a kind, benevolent look, the appearance of a wealthy gentleman.

But when Liu Meng saw him, she wanted to hide, "Junior Sister, don't be fooled by his kind appearance—he's the strictest!"

Recalling the nightmares of learning to write, Liu Meng wanted to back out, "Sect Leader, I don't want to go to school anymore, okay?"

"It's fine; you'll just have less trouble with your junior sister from now on, since you're on different paths." Ji Wanxing didn't insist.

"How can that be!" Liu Meng shouted, "I want to study! Isn't it okay if I study?"

"Sect Leader?" Master Huayuan's eyes were strange, "These three little brats, these are—"

"With their junior sister looking after them, their physiques have all been tempered with Primordial Purple Qi."

"Indeed." Master Huayuan looked at the three little ones—no, four little ones—his eyes sharp, "Sect Leader, did you bring back enough resources this time?"

"Should be enough, right?" Ji Wanxing wasn't entirely sure either, but he handed over the storage ring given by the Xuan Envoy to Master Huayuan.

Shen Qingli understood—this person not only teaches literacy but also handles finances.

"Just this much?" Master Huayuan looked disgusted.

Shen Qingli: "?" If I remember correctly, the Xuan Envoy was quite generous, giving a lot.

"Ah..." Ji Wanxing felt a bit embarrassed, "We took the most we could."

"Mysterious Mountain is really stingy, but fine—I'll make do with what I have." Master Huayuan examined it carefully and now knew the amount.

"You must be hungry after all that travel—let's go eat first." The old man beside them spoke.

Ji Wanxing had just introduced him; this is Master Tao, who oversees the cafeteria.

"Yes, yes, yes, let's eat first." Ji Wanxing waved her hand, "Besides, after these days out, what I miss most is Old Tao's cooking."

"Master Tao's cooking is delicious and great for health!" Liu Meng told Shen Qingli, "Sometimes he even prepares a special side dish for us, which is even better."

Shen Qingli didn't care; she wasn't a glutton—as long as it filled her stomach, taste didn't matter, and she had basically given up grains, so she could go a long time without eating.

But after the first mouthful of rice, she realized things weren't that simple.

This isn't even rice!

She immediately looked at Shen Kuo!

Shen Kuo gave a slight nod, confirming her suspicion.

No wonder Liu Meng said it was delicious—it really is incredibly tasty!

Shen Qingli could clearly feel a warm current flowing into her dantian as the rice entered her stomach.

Just one mouthful equals the effect of a second-rank mystic power pill.

Before her was a big bowl of rice! That's worth over a hundred mystic power pills, equivalent to a year's basic cultivation resources for an elite disciple of the Azure Jade Sect.

She took another bite of vegetables, and immediately felt numb.

No wonder the sect leader longs for it; this isn't a meal, it's all cultivation!

"Delicious, right? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Liu Meng, his mouth full of oil, asked proudly.

Shen Qingli silently nodded, her mind solely on eating, wishing she could grow a few more mouths.

Shen Kuo also understood the fundamental reason for Liu Meng's poor table manners; with such good food, even he would find it hard to develop such good eating habits from a young age.

This Heaven Star Sect, no wonder it's poor; they must have eaten themselves into poverty.

After the meal, Shen Kuo asked, "A Li, are there only the four of them in this generation?"

"Yes." Ji Wanxing nodded, "Good disciples are hard to find, and besides, our Heaven Star Sect is so poor that even those with talent don't like to come here."

Shen Kuo fell silent; this poverty was a bit of a slap in the face.

"Rest first; these are the lodgings prepared for you."

Ji Wanxing pointed to the three thatched huts ahead, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry, the sect is too poor to have funds for building lodgings, but the inside has been cleaned up nicely."

"Don't be modest, Sect Leader." Shen Kuo then realized the Heaven Star Sect's poverty stemmed from stuffing money into their mouths.

But he quickly realized he was wrong; the Heaven Star Sect not only flaunted wealth in their mouths, but also in their bedding! Pillows, quilts, even the stone beds were anything but ordinary.

The chick almost ate the bed planks!

"No pecking!"

After Shen Qingli scolded the chick, her eyes were also in disarray.

This bed, ten-thousand-year flame stone?

"Father, what do you think?"

Shen Qingli felt her knowledge was truly lacking! In her previous life she died too early.

"There's something, Father forgot to tell you."

"What?"

Shen Qingli now felt that even if Shen Kuo told her the Heaven Star Sect belonged to the Longwater Shen Clan, she wouldn't be surprised.

But Shen Kuo said, "The Heaven Star Sect might be a branch of the Primordial Origin Sect."

"Primordial Origin Sect?"

Shen Qingli fell silent; this was another blind spot in her knowledge.

By then, someone had already investigated the Heaven Star Sect's background.

"Primordial Origin Sect, right?"

"Yes, Young Master."

"Are we and the Primordial Origin Sect bound by generations of marriage alliances?"

"Yes, Young Master, your fiancée has been decided—she is the current generation's top female disciple of the Primordial Origin Sect."

"No need, let Father help me change it; I want Shen Qingli."