Chapter 343: A Thief in the House?

Right now, all A Wu knew was the ordinary mental method he had previously cultivated, along with a few mantras.

Considering A Wu’s current cultivation progress, it wouldn’t be too late for him to get a good mental method even after he reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Song Jiulai knew A Wu was definitely anxious about his cultivation, but there was truly nothing she could do about it.

She patted A Wu’s head and chatted with him for a while before he returned to the schoolhouse.

Song Jiulai sighed. ’This rapid progress over the last few months made me arrogant. I completely forgot how difficult cultivation is for the native cultivators.’

For a disciple like A Wu, the Foundation Establishment Stage was a distant dream.

A Wu only had an ordinary White Spirit Root.

But Song Jiulai had no intention of shortchanging her own people. She knew that some Major Sects had secret Elixir Recipes for Elixir Pills that could boost cultivation, and she had to find a way to get some.

A Wu was, after all, the first companion she met in this world. She saw him as a younger brother, and he was the Longevity Sect’s only orthodox scion.

The System said, "Don’t worry. Once Chen Miaomiao cultivates the Spirit Grass Field on a large scale, the Spiritual Energy in this area will change, and these cultivators will also benefit. I couldn’t say for sure before, but in the future, A Wu will definitely reach Foundation Establishment faster than other Sect Disciples. Once we truly become a Major Sect, he’ll probably even have a shot at Golden Core and Nascent Soul."

"That’s true." Song Jiulai was optimistic as well.

After seeing A Wu, she went to the tavern.

Han Daozi and Zhai Xiaotian would go there to drink whenever they had nothing to do.

However, Han Daozi wasn’t there today. He now sometimes followed Chen Miaomiao to study the Spirit Grass Field. Chen Miaomiao was currently refining Elixir Pills, so Han Daozi went to observe on his own.

Although the modern techniques of grafting were easy to understand, many things required an accumulation of modern scientific knowledge. Han Daozi could now grasp some of it and understand the intention, but he couldn’t use this knowledge to comprehend more on his own.

After all, it was the culmination of several thousand years of knowledge evolution from another world!

Zhai Xiaotian sensed Song Jiulai’s aura and said, "Almost recovered?"

Song Jiulai’s steps were light. "Senior, what a coincidence."

Zhai Xiaotian chuckled. "Is there a day I’m not here?"

Song Jiulai sat down, and before she could even speak, Zhai Xiaotian said directly, "The gourd will take another two days. I’ve added a few things to it. If you run into an emergency, at least the next time you encounter a Golden Core Stage cultivator, you won’t be in such a sorry state. But remember, you only have three uses. If you run into someone at the Nascent Soul Stage, then you’re out of luck. My abilities only go so far."

Song Jiulai’s eyes lit up. Understanding his hidden meaning, she was so excited she didn’t know what to say. She felt like jumping up and giving Zhai Xiaotian a deep bow. "Oh, Senior! I really don’t know how to thank you! Senior, you’re a truly good person! May you have a lifetime of peace!"

Zhai Xiaotian: "..."

He was now discovering that it wasn’t just Song Jiulai who loved to say this. Many Longevity Sect Disciples also thanked people with the phrase, "You’re a truly good person! May you have a lifetime of peace!"

’A cultivator’s life is so long; how could it possibly be peaceful all the time!’

Zhai Xiaotian said helplessly, "You came looking for me just for the gourd, didn’t you?"

"How could that be? Senior, what kind of person do you take me for?" Song Jiulai said, her expression serious yet shameless. "Actually, there is something else."

"..."

"Actually, I’ve been curious about your identity, Senior. You have such a Magic Treasure, and you can even modify and unseal it. It seems you’re quite skilled in Artifact Refining, yet you were also able to give Miao Miao the Elixir Recipe for the Heart Firming Pill. Coincidentally, I also happened to see a book of insights on Artifact Refining."

Song Jiulai decided to be direct and not beat around the bush. "I know you might have your reasons, Senior. I’m just curious and wanted to ask: have you ever heard of a book of insights called ’The Wan Die Sect - Xiaotian’s Method of Artifact Refining for the Qi Refinement Realm’?"

The smile on Zhai Xiaotian’s face froze.

Seeing his reaction, Song Jiulai knew she had probably guessed right this time.

Zhai Xiaotian didn’t seem surprised that his identity had been discovered. He was just a little shocked. "You entered the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect?"

"...No way!" Song Jiulai chuckled, brushing her face in embarrassment. "How could I have that kind of ability?"

’So it seems it’s true!’

Zhai Xiaotian said, "Compared to your Sect, I’m actually not that surprised you could get into the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect."

Song Jiulai immediately said with a serious face, "I saw it on the street outside."

Zhai Xiaotian shot her a glance. "That book of my Qi Refinement insights is only in the Inner Hall of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect. Not even the Wan Die Sect would have it. I was a disciple expelled from the Wan Die Sect. They would never keep my notes."

"..." Song Jiulai was truly stunned this time. Her casual question had uncovered such a huge secret. "Huh? You... you really are..."

"It all happened a long time ago." The current Zhai Xiaotian spoke of these matters with a calm expression, not seeming to mind. "Just act as if you don’t know. I was once a member of the Wan Die Sect. I spent many years traveling afterwards and happened to come here. Originally, I thought it impossible for anyone in this remote small sect to discover my identity."

After all, powerful cultivators don’t usually come here. He had hidden his cultivation and identity, even changed his face.

Who would remember him?

It was just a name.

Zhai Xiaotian poured himself a cup of wine. "I just never expected to encounter the biggest surprise of my life here."

Song Jiulai pinched her chin. "So you’re saying you can do Beast Taming, have Elixir Recipes, and also practice Artifact Refining?"

’Isn’t he a total polymath?’

Zhai Xiaotian shook his head and said self-deprecatingly, "Dabbling in everything just proves I’m not good at any of it. As for those Artifact Refining notes, they’re only for the Qi Refinement Realm. Plus, they correspond to the Wan Die Sect’s mental method, so they’re useless to your Sect."

Song Jiulai nodded in sudden understanding, curious about just one thing. "Then what about the Taixue Sect..."

"I have some connections with the Taixue Sect, which is why I sent people there." Zhai Xiaotian only said, "Although many years have passed and the Wan Die Sect might not even care about a disciple like me anymore, it’s best if no one finds out. Otherwise, it might attract trouble."

Zhai Xiaotian hadn’t said anything for so many years, so Song Jiulai naturally wouldn’t either.

Just as she finished talking with Zhai Xiaotian, the System suddenly said, "It looks like something’s about to happen at one of the player’s homes."

Song Jiulai’s heart skipped a beat. "What’s going on?"

The System said, "I see a burglar breaking into her house."

Although the System could see some information from the real world, its abilities were limited to just observing things outside the game pods.

The moment it noticed something wrong at the player’s home, it immediately notified the player.

And that player was Tang Qiuxiang.

She was one of the first-batch players and the Longevity Sect’s number one designer.

She was also a designer in real life, but she had quit her job a while ago for the sake of the game.

WHOOSH—Tang Qiuxiang scrambled out of the game pod, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Because the System had just said it looked like a burglar had broken into her house.

But after she climbed out, she realized something was wrong.

’It doesn’t seem to be just a burglar.’

Because she had been playing the game, her bedroom door wasn’t fully closed, allowing her to see some movement in the living room.

The lights were off, but she heard a loud THUD as something was knocked over and fell to the floor.

At the same time, her sense of smell, which had become exceptionally sharp recently, picked up the thick stench of alcohol.

’A drunk broke into my house?’

In the past, as a single woman living alone, Tang Qiuxiang would have definitely panicked.

But this was Tang Qiuxiang, who had spent the last few months killing demon beasts in the game without batting an eye. After a moment’s thought, she immediately picked up her stainless-steel stool from next to the game pod.

Relying on her vision, which was now excellent even in the dark, she narrowed her eyes and crept out quietly.