Danwu Refining Spirit

Chapter Fifty-Six: A New Mission

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Once you've taken the benefits, you should do your part for the family. And since they kept me behind, it seems I'm the one they're looking for; I probably can't refuse.

Since that's the case, we might as well be more straightforward and make a better impression. After a moment's thought, Xiao Chong said, "This disciple is willing to share the burden for the clan leader."

"Okay!" Xiao Kai smiled, looking as if to say, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Impressions are naturally important, and the benefits are inevitable.

Xiao Chong then asked, "I have gained some insights from this competition and would like to go into seclusion for a month. I wonder if that's enough time?"

"There's still time. We can set off after autumn." Xiao Kaixin's face beamed like a blooming old chrysanthemum.

Now that you've opened your mouth, stop being coy. Xiao Chong's expression remained unchanged as he continued, "My weapon was destroyed during the hunting competition, wasn't it...?"

"Once you finish your seclusion, you can go to the armory and choose another item. Take whatever suits you. Do you have any other requirements?"

You agreed so readily, you're so understanding!

After thinking for a long time, Xiao Chong asked the last question: "I would like to personally select the accompanying personnel for this pioneering expedition."

The clan chief also knew that his disciple was at odds with many people in the clan. He feared that if his disciple were to be stabbed in the back, his own death would be the least of his worries, but the consequences for the clan chief's grand plan would be jeopardized.

“I understand. You can arrange any disciples you wish to accompany you.” Xiao Kaixin agreed without hesitation. “In addition, to deal with various dangers, I will send another martial arts master to accompany you and be at your command. What do you say?”

With such generous terms, what more can I say? Your name, Xiao Kaixin, should be changed to Xiao Tiexin.

Seeing that Xiao Kaixin had thought things through, Xiao Chong gave him a rare mental thumbs up. After discussing some details with him, he bid farewell to the old clan leader and left.

Days passed by, and Xiao Chong was in seclusion.

Of course, this is just an excuse to avoid being disturbed. It would be too difficult to make him like the group of old men who cultivate in seclusion in the Martial Arts Pavilion, who would often put themselves in solitary confinement and not leave their rooms for years on end.

The secluded training location was chosen in the small courtyard where the field hunting competition was held before the closed training. This was because the courtyard was specially arranged and the concentration of vital energy inside was much higher, making it very suitable for cultivation.

The courtyard was still the same courtyard, but this time there was no torture from criminal law supervisor Xiao Fangzheng, so he lived a carefree life, especially since he could go home every few days, which was particularly satisfying.

Xiao Chong had long since reclaimed the ancestral property left by his father, Xiao Banshi. Apart from some shops and medicinal herb fields, what made Xiao Chong happiest was the ancestral home located in the southern part of the city.

The house has three courtyards, is very large and spacious, and Xiao Kaixin had it renovated beforehand, making it even more magnificent.

In his previous life, with skyrocketing housing prices, he couldn't even afford a doghouse. Now, he finally lives in a mansion! This gave Xiao Chong a great sense of accomplishment.

Forget about villas and detached houses. My current living conditions are like having two courtyard houses within the Second Ring Road of Beijing, one for living in and one for vacancy.

However, the only drawback was that the house seemed to have too few people; besides himself, there was only Qingmeng. He had planned to hire some maids or servants, but Qingmeng refused to agree when she heard that it would cost money, so he had to give up on the idea.

Qingmeng had her reasons. Wasn't she a maid herself? She had worked hard to take care of the young master all these years, and when had she ever asked for wages? But she hadn't considered at all who had Xiao Chong and the fat man's more than five million silver notes.

With such a large house, not to mention anything else, just cleaning all the rooms every day would probably take one person from dawn till dusk. But Qingmeng is a good kid, hardworking and never complains, and never asks others to do his work.

Seeing her drenched in sweat every time she worked up a sweat, Xiao Chong could only sigh inwardly: "If you don't court death, you won't die." It was lamentable, but the little girl's relentless efforts were truly heartbreaking. Xiao Chong began to consider ways to improve the little girl's living conditions indirectly.

Or... find a mistress for Qingmeng to free her from heavy physical labor?

Yes, that's a good idea, very creative. Aside from being overly obsessed with money, Qingmeng is quite obedient in other aspects.

And this way, I can also take care of my special needs. I'm not some legendary yaoi fangirl...

Sigh, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm only sixteen. Being exposed to certain things too early can damage your kidneys. Besides, I'm a traditional young man who pursues grand, romantic love. Flash marriages are too unrealistic.

After suppressing this dangerous idea, Xiao Chong ignored Qing Meng and continued to devote himself to his top priority of secluded cultivation.

It should be said that Xiao Chong gained a lot from this hunting competition. Not to mention the three acupoints he opened up in his body, the combat experience he gained from fighting Tie Changqing alone would be enough for him to digest for a while.

Beating up Huang Tianhua and defeating Xiao Tianhu were nothing compared to what had happened before; those opponents were just kids with rudimentary martial arts skills, posing little danger. Only the bet with Tie Changqing was a true life-or-death struggle.

Although the road was a bit winding and the process was somewhat underhanded—or rather, complicated—it was truly a life-or-death struggle. A slight misstep or a lack of luck could have led to a completely different outcome.

Fortunately, Xiao Chong was not fighting alone. Behind him was Xiao Fangzheng's grueling training, Fatty's strong support, and Dingling's cunning schemes.

Another important gain from this hunting competition was Xiao Chong's breakthrough in his mental cultivation. Strictly speaking, Xiao Chong cannot yet be considered a qualified second-grade mental master. Compared to a true second-grade mental master, he still lags behind in both the accumulation and control of his mental power.

The ability to control objects that he displayed that day was largely due to the power of the cauldron spirit. It must be said that the cauldron spirit truly deserves its reputation as a veteran deity; even if it can only be considered half a deity, its spiritual power is far beyond what a half-baked cultivator like Xiao Chong could match.

If the cauldron spirit hadn't transferred all its spiritual power to Xiao Chong at the last moment, the broken sword would have at most been able to move. As for the miraculous ability to fly into his hand from a distance, that was simply unthinkable.

Of course, in Dingling's realm, spiritual power has a very mysterious name: divine consciousness, which is what Xiao Chong wanted to use to fly through the sky and enter the earth, making him omnipotent.

Xiao Chong was still grateful for Dingling's selflessness and generosity at the time, but he soon understood what the legendary blood-sucking and skinning was all about.