The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 241 Lin Xiao
Three days later.

"Qiang!"

The shaman, preening its feathers on the window frame, suddenly let out a short, clear warning chirp, its little head turning warily toward the courtyard gate.

Before Chen Jinshu could react...

The next instant, a faint green light pierced through the simple isolation array she had set up, hovering silently three feet in front of her, rotating softly.

"You've arrived so quickly? Senior Zhou's words were indeed true!"

Chen Jinshu raised his hand and gestured, and the green light fell into his palm, transforming into a jade leaf invitation card as thin as a cicada's wing.

As spiritual energy was injected, a line of small characters suddenly appeared:
"My neighbor Lin Xiao bows a hundred times. Last night, I happened to see Danxia soaring into the sky, with purple mist swirling above the rock, lingering for a long time."

The owl was captivated, knowing that the elixir must have been made by a master craftsman.

I, Xiao, am unworthy, but I am merely a third-rank alchemist. I have only glimpsed the basics of alchemy and I most enjoy exchanging ideas and verifying my understanding with fellow practitioners. Now, I humbly submit this invitation, and earnestly request that you spare some time for a meeting, a cup of tea, and a brief discussion. I will certainly prepare a warm welcome and burn incense.

Though my humble abode is simple, I possess several volumes of ancient battle formations, which may be of study to us. I earnestly hope for your gracious favor and permission to view them!

The flattery in the words was almost overflowing.

Chen Jinshu frowned slightly, his eyes filled with disdain.

Despite the chill, a wisp of bluish-white flame immediately ignited at his fingertips, and the emerald green leaf hissed as it transformed into a wisp of smoke carrying a sweet fragrance.

"A sycophant is bound to harbor ill intentions!"

She shook her head slightly, not thinking much about it, and then her divine sense entered the spiritual plant space to begin tending to the crops in the spiritual field.

She purchased a lot of spiritual plants and seeds in the market, intending to fill up the entire spiritual field.

……

Two days later.

The rough stone door of Panshiju was knocked on slowly and deliberately.

Dude, dunk, dunk.

Three sounds came.

Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged on the stone couch, meditating, his eyelids not raised.

A moment later, a clear and gentle male voice came from outside the door, neither too loud nor too soft, penetrating the soundproofing array and reaching her ears:

"Is the master of Panshi Residence here? Lin Xiao, my neighbor to the west, has come to pay his respects. I apologize if my letter of invitation the other day was too abrupt. I truly admire your attainments in alchemy, and I have been tossing and turning in bed, unable to contain my excitement."

I apologize for my intrusion. May I have the honor of being seen? A cup of tea would be more than enough to satisfy my thirst.

There was no trace of anger in his voice from being ignored for two days.

The Yinshan Sparrow suddenly flew up from Chen Jinshu's shoulder, hovering restlessly in the narrow stone chamber, making sharp "clanging" sounds, full of disdain for the hypocritical visitor outside the door.

Chen Jinshu kept his eyes closed and regulated his breathing. His spiritual power flowed steadily through his meridians. The blue lotus mark on his forehead flickered, refining the evil energy that permeated from outside the rocky dwelling.

There was a moment of silence outside the door, as if the silent rejection from inside was already expected.

However, not long after, that gentle voice rang out again, calm and unhurried.

“Fellow Daoist, your cultivation is of utmost importance. I apologize for my presumption. It is alright, I will wait here quietly. The air here is thick with turbidity, and it is not easy for you to refine pills. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

After the words were spoken, a long silence followed.

The person actually stopped outside the door.

This truly surprised Chen Jinshu.

As the sun rose higher, the sluggish heat rising from the abandoned medicinal dregs field, mixed with the malevolent energy of the mixed herbs, formed a suffocating, foul barrier outside the Rock Dwelling.

Yinshan Sparrow tried several times to rush out and deal with that person, but Chen Jinshu calmed it down with his divine sense.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, she merely glanced coldly through the crack in the stone window.

A man dressed in a moon-white brocade robe stood three zhang outside the courtyard. He was tall and slender, with a handsome face, especially his peach blossom eyes, which naturally carried a hint of affection and amusement as they moved.

At this moment, he stood with his hands behind his back, his posture leisurely and elegant, his gaze warm as he "appreciated" the barren scenery around the Rock Abode, as if he were really waiting for his fellow Daoist to emerge from seclusion and discuss the Dao.

In the following days, Chen Jinshu was particularly worried, which almost delayed his plans for the near future.

On the first day, the man waited outside the door for three whole hours until night fell, when he finally left with a faint sigh and drifted away.

That sigh even contained a hint of loneliness, a sense of "it's hard to find a kindred spirit."

He arrived even earlier the next day.

With a yellowed ancient book in his hand, he stood in the same spot as yesterday, facing the rising sun, and began to "study" it as if no one else was around.

Occasionally, he would deliberately choose his words carefully, hoping to move her.

“Fellow Daoist, I have been pondering the phrase ‘Earth fire follows the meridians, and should be guided by Gui water’s subtle balance of drawing water into fire. Fellow Daoist Danxia Yunshen must be a great expert in harmonizing Yin and Yang. I wonder if you have any insight to enlighten me?”

Chen Jinshu immediately recognized that the ancient book was a fragment of "Supplement to the Art of Alchemy," which could be easily obtained from the marketplace and was utterly worthless.

Inside the stone chamber, Chen Jinshu put the newly purchased auxiliary medicines into the Xuanpin Treasure Furnace, and the fire in the furnace became steady.

She remained indifferent to the man's hypocritical request for advice.

On the third day, they changed their methods.

Lin Xiao stopped "reading" and instead took out a jade box.

As the lid was lifted, a pure and gentle fragrance of herbs and plants instantly wafted out, briefly overpowering the surrounding foul and miasmatic air.

“Fellow Daoist, I was fortunate enough to find two ‘Green Cicadas’ on the edge of the market today! This is the best for nurturing the spirit of the alchemy furnace. I observe that your cinnabar is clear and your furnace fire is pure and green. This may be of some help to your alchemy. I dare not keep it for myself, so I have placed it outside the door for you to take at any time. I take my leave.”

He placed the jade box on the bluestone slab outside the courtyard gate, turned around and left, his steps leisurely and without any lingering attachment.

The green cicada seed is indeed a rare and precious spiritual plant seed, and its value is considerable. This casual gesture of 'thought' is of great importance.

Chen Jinshu scanned the jade box with his divine sense and confirmed that there were no restrictions or traps, but he still did not move.

Or rather, they dare not move.

The green cicada lay quietly in the box, looking like a death warrant.

On the morning of the fourth day, the jade box had disappeared.

The fifth day...

Lin Xiao continued to come patiently, sometimes waiting quietly, sometimes reading, and sometimes discussing a few nonsensical questions about alchemy.

He even tried to attract the Yinshan Sparrow with gentle fluctuations of spiritual energy.

"What a lively bluebird! Its plumage is beautiful and its spirit shines within. Fellow Daoist has raised it with great skill, which is truly admirable. In my early years, I traveled and happened to obtain an ancient book called 'The Art of Preening Feathers of Spirit Birds,' which may be of benefit to this bird."

If she hadn't carefully comforted him, this fellow might have been roasted by the Yinshan Sparrow with its fire.

Many days later, Lin Xiao's gentle and refined smile remained unchanged.

The sixth day arrived in the blink of an eye, and Lin Xiao came as usual. If he had used this patience for cultivation, he would probably have become a powerful figure by now.

Why would they resort to such acts of persecution against women?

After the outside atmosphere finally faded away, Chen Jinshu slowly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with rage.

"The Hundred Herbs Order cannot be delayed any longer."

With a flick of her sleeve, her figure rose like a wisp of smoke. Her hands formed a hand seal, and her bones emitted a faint crackling sound. Her facial features became round and ordinary under the flow of spiritual energy, her skin turned sallow, and her indigo Taoist robe transformed into an inconspicuous gray-brown linen garment.

The pressure from the Golden Core cultivator was completely suppressed, leaving only a faint fluctuation of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, which was no longer noticeable in the market.

"Guard the house for me. I'll be right back," she whispered, lightly touching the forehead of the pheasant with her fingertips.

The mountain sparrow reluctantly nuzzled against her, then watched its master leave.