"I offended the clan head today—will Mother be affected?" Chen Jinshu clutched the green jade token in her hand, her expression full of concern.
Madam Chen Wu smiled faintly, patting her daughter's hand reassuringly.
"My cultivation is already at the late stage of Qi Refining. At the very least, I can protect myself. I still hold some standing in the family—the clan head wouldn't dare mistreat me."
She gently brushed a strand of hair from her daughter's face, her eyes filled with warmth.
It seems this incident has made her more mature.
She had initially worried whether her daughter could take care of herself at Vulture Peak, but seeing her growth now eased her mind.
"Don't worry, Shu'er! Your Second Uncle is about to break through to Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Who in the family would dare mistreat your mother?" Chen Wentan added, his voice full of reassurance.
"Jinshu thanks Second Uncle." Relieved, she bowed slightly.
"No need for formalities—we're family!"
At dawn the next day, a light snow drifted over Ningyu Mountain.
A figure in a pale green robe emerged from the estate and swiftly made her way uphill.
Chen Jinshu had learned much about Vulture Peak from her mother yesterday. Now, she planned to visit the family library to exchange for cultivation techniques and purchase spirit seeds from the affairs hall.
News of her public rejection of the marriage alliance had already spread through the clan. Among every five passing cultivators, at least three were gossiping about it. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she had set out at the crack of dawn.
The three spirit fields at Vulture Peak were the family's compensation for her late father. In addition, she received 100 family contribution points and 200 spirit stones—a generous settlement, typically reserved for Qi Refining late-stage clansmen.
After her father's death, the family had acted swiftly to offer these reparations, ensuring morale remained stable.
Madam Chen Wu, fearing her daughter might squander the resources, had held onto them until now. Yesterday, she had given Jinshu 50 contribution points and 100 spirit stones, reserving the rest for her elder sister.
The original Chen Jinshu had saved up over the years, but most of her savings had been spent on the Beauty Awakening Pill. She had only 20 spirit stones left, and after experimenting with the lotus birthmark, even that dwindled. Now, with her mother's gift, she had just 110-odd stones in total.
Vulture Peak was located near the edge of the family's territory, roughly 2,000 li away. Thanks to a passing spirit vein and a stretch of plains, the Chen family had cultivated it into spirit fields. For a Qi Refining cultivator, the journey would take three days—even with a flying artifact. A Foundation Establishment expert would need a full day.
Fortunately, there was a marketplace about 300 li from Vulture Peak—Sunset Market, jointly established by several families for trade. The three fields had been left untended since her mother received them, so Chen Jinshu would have to manage them herself. She needed to prepare thoroughly before setting out.
Soon, she stopped before a grand hall.
The sky was still dim, dusted with light snow, and only a handful of people were moving about the affairs hall.
After confirming her location, she adjusted her veiled hat and stepped inside.
"Uncle, I'd like to purchase some first-grade spirit seeds." She approached the counter, addressing a middle-aged clansman.
"Show me your family token."
She handed it over.
"Ah, it's Jinshu! I heard you were gravely ill—have you recovered?"
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I'm much better now." She studied him through the veil, recognizing him after a moment—Chen Huaiyuan, her second uncle, responsible for the affairs hall and a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
"You're heading to Vulture Peak to take over your father's fields, right? The mountain's high altitude makes it ideal for heat-resistant spirit herbs. Would you like my recommendations?"
He was from the same branch of the family three generations back, though they had since diverged. Still, he couldn't help but pity this distant niece—once a promising girl, now reduced to this state by the family's marital schemes.
But what choice did the weak Chen family have? Only these methods bought them temporary peace.
When she nodded, he continued:
"Jade Orchids are a primary ingredient for the Qi Refining pill, Lingyuan dan. They mature in half a year and can be planted twice a year—early spring and early autumn. One field can hold 300 plants. A pack of seeds costs 5 spirit stones and contains 100 seeds..."
After careful consideration, she chose Golden Vine Flowers, Jade Orchids, and a type of Wood Spirit Rice, purchasing three packs of each.
She also bought spirit hoes and other farming tools.
"How much for a bottle of Lingyuan dan?"
After storing her purchases, she thought of her lotus birthmark. Using raw spirit stones for cultivation was too extravagant—pills would be more efficient.
"2 spirit stones per pill, 10 pills per bottle."
She did the math and reluctantly bought one bottle, leaving her with just 50-odd stones.
"One trip to the affairs hall, and half my savings are gone!"
"Spirit stones really don't last!"
Next, she adjusted her veil and braved the snow toward the family's tallest structure—the library tower.
After fifteen minutes, she arrived. At this hour, the library was empty except for the elderly attendant. The tower had three floors:
—First floor: Techniques
—Second floor: Cultivation methods
—Third floor: Restricted to Foundation Establishment elders
Since she already had a cultivation method, she focused on the first floor.
Managing spirit fields required several techniques:
—Golden Needle Technique (for pest control)
—Spirit Rain Technique (irrigation)
—Nourishing Spirit Technique (healing and nurturing plant roots)
—Wood Spirit Technique (accelerating plant growth over time)
These low-tier techniques cost 5 contribution points each. She found them quickly. But she also needed offensive techniques for self-defense. After browsing, she settled on:
—Spring Thunder Technique (condenses a small thunderball for explosive attacks)
—Spirit Vine Technique (manipulates vines for binding or striking)
These were more advanced, costing 10 points each. Finally, she exchanged 5 points for a Compendium of Spirit Beasts and Plants, to better understand cultivation. Since she was leaving the family soon, she might as well spend all her points.
The original Chen Jinshu, not yet eighteen, hadn't met the family's requirement for Qi Refining mid-stage mission eligibility, so she only received 10 contribution points yearly. By now, she had 50.
With 55 points left, she decided to exchange for a cultivation side skill—something to supplement her income.
Waiting half a year or more for crops to mature wasn't feasible.
Two years until Xuanming Sect's recruitment. Breaking through two layers in that time was a monumental task for most—for her, it was a sheer cliff.
"Without resources, the lotus petal is just decoration."