Chapter 25: Don't Bother Me Unless It's Important

Jiang Heng listened to Shen Yanchu’s explanation, her expression as calm as ever.

Shen Yanchu took her hand, his tone sincere: "From now on, your Senior Brother will no longer try to balance things out; I will stand only on your side. You were my first Junior Sister, and we have spent more time together than I have with An’an. I should have been partial to you all along."

Jiang Heng could not help but chuckle: "Do you believe your own words, Senior Brother?"

Shen Yanchu tightened his grip on her hand: "I swear by my inner demon: from this day forward, I will strive to understand your feelings and stand firmly by your side. I genuinely want to make amends and improve things. Please, just trust me one more time, will you?"

Swearing by one’s inner demon was the most solemn and serious oath a cultivator could take. Unlike a casual vow to be struck by lightning, this was a curse that imprinted itself upon the consciousness, shadowing the soul. Once a lie was told, the first person it would deceive was oneself.

If this were the Jiang Heng of the past, she would surely have been moved, her eyes reddening as she embraced Shen Yanchu, weeping in his arms just as she did when she was a child. But the current Jiang Heng only looked at him with indifferent eyes, her heart remaining completely unstirred. She could no longer bring herself to trust any of them.

However, there was no need to burn bridges with Shen Yanchu for the time being. After all, she still needed his protection as her Senior Brother to reduce the harassment and attacks from others.

Jiang Heng lowered her gaze: "If you truly wish to make amends, Senior Brother, keep a close eye on the Second Senior Brother. Do not let him come here to act like a madman again. Furthermore, I intend to focus on my cultivation in solitude from now on. Please do not disturb me unless it is necessary. Can you do that?"

Hearing this, Shen Yanchu knew that his Junior Sister still had not forgiven him, nor did she believe him. But he could understand. After suffering so much, few could easily set aside their thorns and defenses. It did not matter; he would show her his heart little by little until things were as they once were.

Shen Yanchu agreed: "Then get some rest. If you ever need anything, come find me."

Jiang Heng gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

As Shen Yanchu left her cave dwelling, he looked back at the tightly shut door and the dim surroundings, feeling a sense of disorientation. Once upon a time, this place had been bright, warm, and filled with joy. Everyone used to gather happily, as if they would never be apart.

In just a few short years, things had changed to such a degree. A strange, twisted thought suddenly occurred to Shen Yanchu: if only Xu Ning’an had not been taken as a personal disciple by the Master due to that accident back then. Then, they would still be close and loving, without any gaps or resentment between them.

Shen Yanchu was quickly startled by his own thought; his expression shifted, and his heart hammered against his ribs. How could he have such a thought! An’an was so innocent and wonderful; how could he bear to harbor such a cruel idea?

Shen Yanchu steadied his breathing, forcibly suppressing the stray thoughts, and flew away on his sword.

Once Jiang Heng was certain Shen Yanchu had gone, she poured out all the medicinal herbs from her storage bag, eating some herself and feeding the rest to Zhuzhu. Being an egg, Zhuzhu’s way of consuming herbs was quite unique: it would hop onto the herbs and roll around for a while until the herbs gradually dissolved and vanished. Its eggshell would then glow for a time before returning to normal.

With this advancement and the formation of her golden core in the E Luo Dao, Jiang Heng had consumed most of the herbs she brought back from the Small Heavenly Realm. Now at the first level of the E Luo Dao, her appetite had grown significantly; sometimes, her consumption of herbs was more intense than the herbivorous spirit beasts of the Wanling Sect. With Zhuzhu also requiring herbs, it was time to restock.

Jiang Heng went to the Medicine Hall to assist Uncle Ji, taking the opportunity to ask about the pricing for bulk purchases of medicinal herbs by sect disciples.

Uncle Ji was surprised: "Why the sudden thought of buying herbs? Are the ones you brought back from the Small Heavenly Realm not enough for you?"

Jiang Heng had already prepared an excuse: "I have been learning alchemy lately, and I’ve wasted most of them."

Uncle Ji felt a pang of pity: "Silly child, those are precious herbs. If you want to practice alchemy, start with low-level pills and use cheaper materials; the effect on honing your technique is the same."

Jiang Heng replied: "Thank you for the advice, Uncle Ji. I will remember that next time."

Uncle Ji pondered for a moment before answering her previous question: "Our Wanling Sect doesn't grow many medicinal herbs ourselves; the Medicine Hall is barely sufficient, so we often have to procure them from outside or collect them through missions. If you want to buy a large quantity of common herbs for practice, you’d be better off going to Qingyan Town and finding the merchants there. They have fixed partnerships with various families or small sects. Take my Medicine Hall’s token, and you can negotiate the price."

Jiang Heng thanked him. After helping to organize and categorize the herbs, she saw that it was still early and decided to head to Qingyan Town.

Uncle Ji called her back: "You are a golden core cultivator of standing now; it doesn't look right to keep flying on the wind. Buy a flight artifact; it will save you quite a bit of spiritual power."

Jiang Heng hesitated, then nodded: "I will take a look while I am in Qingyan Town."

Flying on the wind consumed spiritual power, and one would eventually have to consume herbs or spirit stones to replenish it. In the long run, using an artifact was indeed more economical.

Jiang Heng flew to the outskirts of Qingyan Town, found a suitable spot to land, and proceeded into the town on foot. Although it was a place where immortals and mortals mingled, mortals made up less than a tenth of the population; most of the crowd consisted of cultivators.

For reasons unknown, few cultivators showed off their supernatural abilities here, mostly moving and acting just like ordinary mortals. They put away their flight artifacts, and even their massive spirit pets would shrink their forms, following their masters around like common cats, dogs, or birds, looking about with curiosity.

Perhaps it was because the town’s shops and houses were filled with the atmosphere of the mundane world, and the mortals working hard to solicit business stirred memories of the lives they led before stepping onto the path of immortality. That was why they tacitly maintained this atmosphere, temporarily returning to the dreams of their past.

Jiang Heng, however, had no such interest. She had been picked up by Immortal Jun Yunyin and brought to the Wanling Sect when she was very young; the few memories she had of her village were far from pleasant. As an orphaned girl without parents, she had always been a target for bullying, and merely surviving until she was found was an achievement in itself.

After wandering the town for a while, Jiang Heng found a place that looked like a pharmacy and went inside. A clerk greeted her enthusiastically: "What can I get for you, Immortal Lady?"

In Qingyan Town, regardless of cultivation level, women were addressed as "Immortal Lady" and men as "Immortal Lord." Flattery was rarely a mistake; over-praising was better than misjudging someone and offending them by addressing them too lowly.

Jiang Heng took out the token Uncle Ji had given her and showed it to the clerk: "I am from the Medicine Hall of the Wanling Sect and need to procure a batch of medicinal herbs. How are your prices set? If they are more favorable than elsewhere, I will only buy from your shop in the future."

The clerk’s eyes lit up at these words—this was a major client! The Wanling Sect was a prestigious and renowned sect, and being nearby in Qingyan Town, they were well-acquainted with its reputation. Doing business with them was both stable and prestigious!

He hurriedly invited Jiang Heng to sit in the back room, ordering someone to serve tea while he went to fetch the manager. The manager arrived quickly, bowing respectfully to Jiang Heng, and asked with rubbing hands: "May I ask which medicinal herbs the sect requires, and in what quantities?"