Volume Three: The Tribulation of the Five Elements, Chapter Seventy-Eight: Persuasion
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Xiao Wenbing suddenly remembered something. His divine sense followed Wang Hongchen's footsteps, and a surge of spiritual power carrying his voice chased after him: "Mr. Wang, please help us prepare offerings. I want to pay tribute to the ancestors of our sect."
"yes……"
Zhang Yaqi asked curiously, "Wenbing, are you going to perform ancestral rites?"
"Yes, the reason your injuries were healed this time is entirely thanks to the life-saving golden talisman of the White Crane Ancestor. We should thank him profusely." Xiao Wenbing said solemnly, but there was still something he didn't say. He thought he might as well ask the old man to bestow a few more golden talismans when he worshipped his ancestors.
"Hmm." Zhang Yaqi nodded silently. She was deeply grateful to the White Crane Ancestor, who had not only saved her life but also helped her form her inner core and embark on the path of cultivation. She raised her eyes and suddenly asked, "Wenbing, what did you think I was supposed to work hard for just now?"
Xiao Wenbing laughed twice and said, "It's nothing."
Looking at him suspiciously, Zhang Yaqi asked again, "What exactly is it?"
"Well, it's nothing really." Xiao Wenbing stood up and said, "I'll go see if Mr. Wang is ready."
“Wenbing…”
"Alright, I told you, I thought you were trying to help me have a baby." Xiao Wenbing slammed the door shut and disappeared in an instant.
Inside, Zhang Yaqi gently bit her lower lip, a deep smile playing on her lips, her cheeks slightly flushed, making her incredibly charming.
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In Wang Hongchen's villa in the suburbs, the largest area is the main hall, which is a full 300 square meters.
At this moment, all the furnishings in the hall were moved away, leaving only an extremely large incense table standing empty in the center.
On the altar lay a golden talisman, as if carefully held by an unseen hand, suspended in mid-air, emitting a soft light.
Zhang Jie and Xiao Wenbing knelt solemnly on the ground, expressing their gratitude to the ancestral master for his blessings.
This was the ancestral worship ceremony of the Secret Talisman Sect. After Feng Baiyi and Zhang Yaqi came up to pay their respects, they both kept their distance.
After three days and nights, Xiao Wenbing stood up with a regretful expression. He stared silently at the incense table for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh. He put the life-saving golden talisman into his Heavenly Void Ring, ordered Wang Hongchen to pack up, and the four of them boarded a plane bound for the Heavenly Dao Sect.
On the plane, the four of them sat in two rows, one in front of the other, with Xiao Wenbing naturally sitting next to Zhang Jie.
Along the way, Zhang Jie noticed that he was looking gloomy and couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother, what's wrong?"
"Sigh... Senior brother, do you think our ancestors were rather stingy people?"
"What?" Zhang Jie was startled, and his eyes showed a mixture of reproach and doubt as he looked at Xiao Wenbing.
Xiao Wenbing's voice was not deliberately suppressed, so it did not escape the notice of Feng Baiyi and Zhang Yaqi in the front row. The two of them listened intently at the same time.
Xiao Wenbing shook his head and sighed, "Think about it, we spent three days and three nights worshipping our ancestors, expending so much effort, but our ancestral master didn't show any sign of respect."
Zhang Jie was speechless for a long time before smiling bitterly and saying, "Junior brother, our ancestor is in the Immortal Realm, how could he possibly respond every time?"
"Actually, my request isn't high. I just want the Ancestral Master to bestow a few more life-saving talismans." Xiao Wenbing raised his head, looked out the window at the churning clouds in the sky, his eyes filled with endless longing, and muttered to himself, "If I had hundreds or thousands of life-saving talismans, wouldn't I be able to roam the cultivation world and be invincible?"
"Huh?" Zhang Jie shook his head, wondering if he had misheard.
“By the way…” Xiao Wenbing clapped his hands, his expression firm, his eyes shining with an indomitable light, and said, “When we return to the mountain gate, we will hold a memorial service every day and beg him for a thousand or eight hundred thousand of them.”
"…………"
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Inside the Heavenly Dao Sect, Wang Hongxia breathed a long sigh of relief upon seeing Xiao Wenbing and the others return safely.
"Elder Xiao, your disciple has finally waited for your return."
"What, has someone asked about us?"
“That’s right. Senior Zhang comes to inquire every day, and I’m already at my wit’s end. If you don’t come back soon, I will have no choice but to risk being punished and tell you the truth,” Wang Hongxia said with a wry smile.
"Master Zhang?"
"Godfather?"
Xiao Wenbing laughed and said, "Yaqi, you have quite a few people who are good to you."
Zhang Yaqi nodded silently, a look of deep emotion flashing in her eyes. It was indeed extremely rare for a cultivator to care so much about and cherish outer disciples.
Xiao Wenbing used the life-saving talisman to save Zhang Yaqi, and Zhang Jie tried his best to dissuade him. But if it were Zhang Daoren, he would probably have agreed wholeheartedly.
"Yaqi, if you have time, go and see Senior Zhang. He really misses you," Wang Hongxia said kindly.
"Yes, Master."
The two walked side by side towards the door when Wang Hongxia suddenly called out, "Yaqi..."
Zhang Yaqi turned around and saw Wang Hongxia looking at Xiao Wenbing as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. She smiled slightly, nudged Xiao Wenbing, who shrugged and left helplessly.
"Master, is there anything you need me to do?"
"Sigh..." Wang Hongxia sighed and asked, "Yaqi, what was your relationship with Elder Xiao before?"
Zhang Yaqi's face immediately flushed red, and she said coquettishly, "Master..."
"Yaqi, there is something I know that I may not like to hear, but as someone who has been through it, I have to say it."
"Please give me your guidance, Master."
"Yaqi, you should keep a certain distance from Elder Xiao in the future."
The blush on Zhang Yaqi's face vanished instantly, and she asked in surprise, "Master, why?"
Wang Hongxia's eyes were full of helplessness. She sighed, "My aptitude is not very good, but I was able to be accepted into the outer sect by the grace of my master. More than thirty years later, I was even promoted to the chief disciple of the outer sect. Do you know why?"
"This disciple does not know."
"Because I have connections in the imperial court."
"Someone in the court?" Zhang Yaqi asked in astonishment.
"Indeed, Chen Shanji, the senior disciple of the Taoist sect, is my elder in the secular family."
Zhang Yaqi's eyes lit up, and she asked, "Master, do you mean that Senior Chen led you into the mountain gate?"
"Indeed, if it weren't for my ancestor, how could I have earned the position of the chief disciple of the outer sect?"
Zhang Yaqi's expression turned slightly strange. It turned out that the cultivation world, just like the secular world, had all sorts of intricate interpersonal relationships.
Volume 3, Chapter 79: Legends of Monsters
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"Yaqi, do you know how old my grandfather is this year?"
“My ancestor? Ah… I don’t know.” Zhang Yaqi was taken aback before realizing that she was referring to Chen Shanji.
“My ancestor is already 198 years old this year,” Wang Hongxia sighed.
"One hundred? Ninety-eight?" Zhang Yaqi's tone became increasingly strange. She had naturally met Chen Shanji several times. He looked so young, appearing to be only in his thirties. She never imagined he would be so old.
"That's right, how old do you think I am?"
“Master, you?” Zhang Yaqi looked closely. She was already very familiar with her master’s kind face. Judging from his appearance alone, he was around fifty years old. However, she said softly, “This disciple does not know.”
“You’re not unaware, you just don’t want to say it,” Wang Hongxia sighed. “We outer disciples who can’t comprehend the Qi mechanism are destined to be without the art of preserving youth. I am only sixty-eight years old this year.”
"yes."
"Now you should understand why I stopped you from associating with him."
Zhang Yaqi lowered her head, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Wang Hongxia shook her head again and said, "As long as you haven't grasped the essence of Qi and cultivated spiritual power, not only will your appearance age easily, but your lifespan will also be no more than a hundred years. But Xiao Wenbing is different. He has already reached the Core Formation stage at a young age. Reaching the Core Formation stage in one year is unprecedented and unmatched. Even if he doesn't mind you today, what about ten, twenty, or even a hundred years from now? So I advise you to cut off all contact with him before you grasp the essence of Qi and cultivate spiritual power."
Wang Hongxia, with her keen eye, could tell from the way Xiao Wenbing and Zhang Yaqi were behaving today that their relationship had taken a significant turn. However, such a relationship between inner and outer disciples was a major taboo in the Taoist sect, so she had no choice but to tell Zhang Yaqi frankly that she hoped she could wisely sever her ties and end things as soon as possible.
Zhang Yaqi's expression shifted unpredictably, as if she had been stirred up by something, and she remained silent.
“Sigh… I know these words are hurtful, but they are the truth, and no one can change them. Child, you are still young…” Wang Hongxia said again, opened the door and left. She had fulfilled her duty by saying these words. As for the real decision, it was still in Zhang Yaqi’s hands. This was her first time to persuade him, but it was also the last time.
Zhang Yaqi watched her master leave, remaining silent for a long time.
"Yaqi..." Before she knew it, Xiao Wenbing was already standing behind her, gently embracing her, and asked, "Why didn't you tell her that you have already reached the Core Formation stage, and are now a cultivator who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me?"
Zhang Yaqi shuddered, looked up at him, and buried her head deeply in Xiao Wenbing's arms.
Yes, at this moment, they are all cultivators at the Core Formation stage.
But what about the future? With Xiao Wenbing's cultivation speed, who else can rival him?
Even Feng Baiyi, that once-in-a-millennium white-clad fairy, is not as good as her, let alone a little woman who has risen to the top in one step and whose foundation is not stable.
If one day Xiao Wenbing successfully overcomes his tribulation and ascends to the Immortal Realm, what about her? Will she still be stuck in the same place? Her fate has already been sealed; she will always be gazing at that steadfast figure from afar, always striving to catch up with that goal that may never be attainable.
However… Zhang Yaqi raised her head, meeting Xiao Wenbing’s worried gaze, her eyes remaining as firm as ever.
I firmly believe that I will be able to catch up with you and will not become a burden to you...
Behind them, a figure of exceptional elegance stood silently in the shadows, quietly watching them...
The hut was loosely furnished, and the furnishings inside were simple and straightforward. A meditation cushion, a cushion for people to sit on, was the only visible item in this hut.
"Caterpillar?"
Xiao Wenbing pointed at the caterpillar circling around the futon and started shouting.
"Godfather, you?" Zhang Yaqi also looked surprised.
Even in dire poverty, even while striving to maintain the lofty image of a virtuous and accomplished person, a caterpillar...