Chapter 039 Senior Brother – “Is this what they call love at first sight?” (04/19)
Shi Jingge became so engrossed in alchemy that he holed up in the spirit vein and never emerged again.
His disappearance was no small matter. Jiang Lingqing was growing restless.
Jiang Lingqing made daily trips to Shuixing Peak for five consecutive days, yet saw no sign of Shi Jingge. Recalling the somewhat peculiar expressions among Shuixing Peak disciples during his first visit, he suddenly grasped the situation.
He suspected a conflict had erupted between Shuixing Peak disciples and Shi Jingge, likely involving those Xue Ling Fruits.
It made sense. Even he had been puzzled by Shi Jingge taking the fruits. Shi Jingge wasn’t one to talk—he never explained his actions. Only after Jiang Lingqing pressed him relentlessly, threatening to sever ties, did Shi Jingge finally reveal the truth.
If it took him that much effort to uncover the truth, how could Shuixing Peak disciples possibly know?
Of course they couldn’t!
Thus, misunderstandings and rifts were bound to arise.
But as a loyal and principled older brother, could he just stand by and watch his junior brother and fellow disciples become so estranged?
Of course not!
So that day, Jiang Lingqing specifically sought out someone to trade for some Xue Ling Fruits. He had no idea what he was in for—he was shocked to discover the market price for these fruits was so exorbitant!
With a heavy heart, he traded for a single branch. Each branch held only five fruits, but they were exquisitely translucent and of excellent quality.
He stowed them away in a storage pouch, determined to make Shi Jingge splurge on him someday.
“Has fellow Senior Brother Shi not returned yet?” Jiang Lingqing inquired, frowning.
Having visited daily these past few days, the disciples of Shuixing Peak were already accustomed to his presence. They simply replied, “No.”
“This is troubling…” Jiang Lingqing murmured, turning his head. His gaze immediately brightened upon spotting Ji Qiuhua. “Junior Sister Ji!”
Ji Qiuhua was a bit bewildered but approached obediently, bowing respectfully. “Senior Brother Jiang.”
“Have you seen Senior Shi these past two days?” Jiang Lingqing inquired kindly.
Ji Qiuhua shook her head. “No.”
“Where on earth has he gone? He asked me to handle something for him. I finally managed to get it done, and now he’s vanished? How unreliable can he be?”
Jiang Lingqing feigned a proper complaint before turning back to Ji Qiuhua, his eyes brightening. “Never mind. I don’t feel like running up to Shuixing Peak every day anyway. Since this item was meant for Junior Sister Ji in the end, why don’t I just give it to you first? You can then contact Senior Shi. It’ll save me the hassle of running back and forth and getting all flustered.”
Ji Qiu Lan pointed at herself in surprise. “Me?”
“Exactly,” Jiang Lingqing retrieved the Xue Ling Fruits from his storage pouch. “When we left the Disciplinary Hall that day, I asked him why he took Junior Sister Ji’s Xue Ling Fruit. What use is it to him, with his Thunder Spirit Root?”
“Brother Shi said that since Junior Sister Ji has already reached the fifth layer of Qi Cultivation, the Xue Ling Fruits by themselves wouldn’t be very effective. He suggested Xue Ling Pills instead.
“Over these past three years, he’s dedicated himself to study alchemy, wanting to use those Xue Ling Fruits to make Xue Ling Pills for Junior Sister for an even better efficacy.
“But Brother Shi worried he might not succeed in making the Xue Ling Pills himself. So he asked me to find some more Xue Ling Fruits. If he couldn’t refine the pills, he planned to seek help from an alchemist in the alchemy room.
“I happened to have a Xue Ling Fruit on hand at the time, so I sold it to Brother Shi. He thought one might not be enough and asked me to find more. After all, Junior Sister will need these pills until she reaches Foundation Establishment, so there’s no harm in gathering extra.”
Jiang Lingqing spoke without a flicker of guilt, pushing the Xue Ling Fruits in his hand toward Ji Qiulan and shrugging. “I’ve been searching for these for days. Finally found one, rushed it over, and now I can’t even find Brother Shi! How many days has this been going on? I can’t come looking for him every single day! What about my cultivation? Junior Sister, just do your senior brother Jiang a favor. I thank you in advance.”
Ji Qiulian hadn’t even processed it all when Jiang Lingqing shoved the Xue Ling Fruits into her hands. She was still reeling from the bombshells Jiang Lingqing had just dropped!
Forget Ji Qiulian—every single disciple of Shuixing Peak present was stunned speechless by Jiang Lingqing’s words.
W—Was Jiang Lingqing really talking about their own Senior Brother, Shi Jingge?
Senior Brother taking those Xue Ling Fruits wasn’t about grabbing them or being greedy; it was to make Xue Ling Pills for Ji Qiulan!
Because Ji Qiulan could use Xue Ling Pills all the way through Foundation Establishment, Senior Brother had specifically asked Jiang Lingqing to help find Xue Ling Fruits to provide Ji Qiulan with more Xue Ling Pills! This… This…
The disciples of Shuixing Peak stared wide-eyed, speechless from disbelief.
Ji Qiulan asked hoarsely, “Senior Brother Jiang… sold Xue Ling Fruits to Senior Brother Shi ?”
“You bet!” Jiang Lingqing grinned and scuffed his foot, pulling out a high-grade spirit stone from his storage pouch. “This is what Brother Shi paid me. He asked me to find Xue Ling Fruits for him and gave me a deposit upfront to be settled later.”
The appearance of this high-grade spirit stone sealed the deal. Such stones were incredibly rare—who would joke about something like this?
Most Shuixing Peak disciples were deeply shaken, Ji Qiulan and He Yongming most of all.
Their senior brother had been so considerate of them, yet they… they had been so… so thoughtless!
How heartbroken and despondent must he have felt, overhearing their words outside the door back then?
No wonder his figure had seemed so lonely and forlorn when they saw him that day.
So that was it—so that was it!
Ji Qiulan felt a lump in her throat and nearly shed tears.
Jiang Lingqing paused, then delivered another heavy blow. “Sigh, I really didn’t want to help him find the Xue Ling Fruits. It’s such a hassle. Why couldn’t he just go find it himself? He couldn’t give a proper explanation either, just kept begging me for help.
“Finally, after I pressed him hard”—Jiang Lingqing rubbed his nose sheepishly—“I spoke rather harshly, and only then did he tell me the truth. These past three years, he’s been studying artifact forging and alchemy, and his cultivation has fallen far behind. Seeing everyone’s disappointed looks, he felt too ashamed. He wants to make up for lost time and train hard, so he won’t let anyone down.
“That’s why I helped him out. But I have my own cultivation to attend to. Time is precious. I’ll take my leave now.”
As Jiang Lingqing bid farewell to the Shuixing Peak disciples, no one had fully processed his words. He didn’t seem to mind, strolling leisurely down the mountain with a cheerful expression, humming a tune that barely passed for a melody.
But Jiang Lingqing’s bombshells had absolutely blown the Shuixing Peak disciples away!
Ji Qiulan was so shaken she nearly toppled over.
So—So that was it!
Even Senior Brother Jiang knew how crucial cultivation was, yet he had deliberately spent time learning artifact forging and alchemy for their sake, neglecting his own cultivation!
If not for them, then for whom else could their Senior Brother have done this?
He possessed the exact same talent as Immortal Master Gu Yun. What Immortal Master Gu Yun could achieve, he could certainly achieve too. If focused solely on himself, he would have seized every moment for cultivation. Only for his fellow disciples would their Senior Brother pause his cultivation to study artifact forging and pill refinement.
But… But they had all misunderstood their Senior Brother!
Recalling their grievances against him, then reflecting on the sacrifices he privately made for them, Ji Qiulan felt her face burn with shame.
They had truly judged a noble heart with petty minds.
Perhaps noticing Ji Qiulan’s distress, a disciple from Shuixing Peak approached to console her. “Junior Sister, don’t listen to him. Anyone can talk, right? What about his actions? We’ve never received anything from Senior Brother, yet he’s taken quite a lot from us.”
“Senior Brother.” Ji Qiulan lowered her head, her smile bitter. “Do you think he lacks those low-grade spirit stones and Pei Yuan Pills we gave him?”
“Of course not!” the disciple declared emphatically.
“Exactly.” Ji Qiulan turned to him and murmured softly, “If he doesn’t need them, if they’re useless to him, why did he take them?”
“Take the Xue Ling Fruits, for instance. To Senior Brother, it’s like the red fruit commoners eat, utterly worthless. Yet he took them. We all find it baffling and infuriating. It’s like we might buy a couple of mortal red fruits, but would you go out of your way to steal them? I wouldn’t. Neither would you.
“Then would Senior Brother? Theoretically, Senior Brother wouldn’t either. But Senior Brother did. So why?”
After a pause, Ji Qiulan glanced around. Seeing everyone deep in thought, she softly added, “The reason he took the Xue Ling Fruit is now clear to all of you. But the reason he took those other things? I believe we’ll all come to understand it sooner or later. Senior Brother, while not one for many words, truly cares for us. Remember when he confronted Lingyue Peak at the Disciplinary Hall? When he sent Senior Brother He away, wasn’t his tone and demeanor utterly cold?
“But at that moment, Senior Brother He was being glared at by Lingyue Peak disciples—I believe everyone saw that. After sending Senior Brother He away, Senior Brother stood his ground. When Lingyue Peak disciples glared at him, he stared right back. Is that really indifference toward us? No. He just doesn’t say it. Perhaps we should seek answers, even if only to resolve the doubts in our hearts.”
The disciples of Shuixing Peak responded in unison. In that moment, their hearts burned with fervor.
It was the first time in all the days since Shi Jingge had left Shuixing Peak that they had felt such a burning desire to find him.
Except for a few. They stubbornly refused to believe these spoken words. They judged only by actions. They absolutely refused to believe Shi Jingge was anything good.
But they too wanted to find him.
To expose Shi Jingge’s true colors, to prevent their fellow disciples from being deceived any longer!
Their fellow disciples were simply too kind-hearted. Even towards a villain like Shi Jingge, they held such goodwill.
Meanwhile, the Shi Jingge everyone was so preoccupied with was still deep within the Spirit Vein cave, diligently pursuing his alchemy endeavors.
After days of sleepless devotion to alchemy, today he was finally ready to attempt the Xue Ling Pill. A flicker of joy stirred within Shi Jingge.
Thankfully, it was only a Xue Ling Pill. If he’d mentioned any other cultivation pill that day, wouldn’t he have been stuck here for a year or two?
The Xue Ling Pill was only suitable for disciples at the Qi Cultivation stage with water-type spiritual roots, comparable in grade to the Nurturing Essence Pill. However, Shi Jingge had very few Xue Ling Fruits, so he only began refining the pill once he was confident in his preparation.
Shi Jingge sliced the Xue Ling Fruit into pieces, then added the required ingredients one by one into the alchemy furnace. The moment the flames ignited, Shi Jingge entered a focused state.
A sweet fragrance gradually wafted through the air.
The three-tailed cat had been drawn to this scent long ago. It had grown quite familiar with Shi Jingge over recent days, devouring most of the pills he’d refined and earning the full wrath of System 111.
Now, the three-tailed cat stared at the alchemy furnace, not blinking once. It only occasionally licked its paw, its eyes screaming, “I’m hungry!”
System 111 felt it had never seen such an annoying cat.
Finally, Shi Jingge opened his eyes, a hint of amusement flickering within.
“Meow meow meow!” The three-tailed cat swished its tail as it approached, rubbing against Shi Jingge’s hand.
Shi Jingge pulled out a bottle of Pei Yuan Pills and shook his head. “Not this one.”
“Meow!” the three-tailed cat protested vehemently.
Shi Jingge shook his head again, refusing.
Faced with rejection for the first time, the three-tailed cat glared with wide, accusatory eyes. Shi Jingge produced another bottle of Pei Yuan Pills. Furious, the cat swiped a tail across his wrist before turning to bolt.
Mid-stride, it veered back, snatched both bottles of Pei Yuan Pills, and flashed Shi Jingge a menacing grimace.
Shi Jingge nearly burst out laughing.
System 111 seized the moment to speak, indignantly: 【That cat is so annoying! Not only does it come here every day to snatch our pills, but it actually attacks you! It’s truly ungrateful and heartless!】
Shi Jingge remained calm and composed: 【It’s a pretty cute little kitty.】
System 111: 【……】
System 111: 【???】
System 111 retreated into itself.
Shi Jingge curved his lips, finding today’s weather particularly pleasant.
The three-tailed cat returned to the cave dwelling with two bottles of Pei Yuan Pills, looking thoroughly disgruntled.
“What’s wrong?” The man glanced at it and asked.
The three-tailed cat leaped up, launching into a tirade of grievances against the man, looking as wronged as could be.
A flicker of amusement crossed the man’s eyes. “If he’s that mean, then don’t go to him anymore.”
Three-Tailed Cat: “?”
The feline’s aura instantly deflated. It meowed profusely, showering Shi Jingge with compliments.
The man suppressed a smile and said sternly, “That simply won’t do. Rest assured, I will avenge this injustice for you.”
The three-tailed cat’s fur stood on end. It blocked the man’s path, meowing loudly and showering Shi Jingge with praise. Seeing the man still wearing a cold expression, it even declared its affection for Shi Jingge.
The man couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud. The three-tailed cat was furious. Its tail grew longer and lashed out at the man.
The swipes lacked force, and the man didn’t care at all. He just chuckled. “So fond of him?”
The three-tailed cat turned away in a huff, refusing to acknowledge him.
“I’d like to meet him too.”
The man stroked the cat’s head and chuckled softly. “Be my eyes. Lead me to him.”
The cat nodded and darted outside. Everything it saw now appeared clearly before the man.
The cat arrived at the entrance of a cave dwelling and leaped inside.
Hearing the disturbance, the youth within the cave turned his head. His expression was cool, tinged with seriousness, yet his almond-shaped eyes were crystal clear, radiating a softness.
In that instant, the man felt as if his heart had been struck by something. He instinctively took two steps forward, gazing at the youth almost greedily.
In that moment, he heard his own heartbeat for the first time with such clarity.
It felt as though his heart was beating solely for this youth.
Was this… love at first sight?
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Author’s Note: System 111: Why are you doing this to me QAAAAQ
—Seems our dear System has forgotten what it did in the beginning 🙂
Minor edits made 07Mar26
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
