Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 515: Trust the Everlasting Immortal Fairy to Know Best
“Perfect, one bowl for each of us.” Lu Yang cheerfully pushed the third freshly cooked bowl of wonton to Lan Ting.
Lan Ting cast an inadvertent glance at Tao Yaoye before sitting down quietly with the grace of a noble young lady and picking up a wonton with her chopsticks.
Since Senior Brother Lu Yang chose this stall, it must have its unique charm... It tastes awful.
Lan Ting stared at the bowl in shock. These are the worst wontons I’ve ever eaten.
Objectively, this bowl of wontons was only below average, not the absolute worst. But Lan Ting was born into an ancestral clan, where she was accustomed to gourmet cuisines. After joining the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace, though the dishes had become plainer, the flavors remained supreme in the cultivation world. These wontons were already considered below average in the mortal world, so it was only natural that she found them hard to stomach.
The owner grinned inwardly when Lu Yang ordered another bowl. Everyone in Yuanhe County knows my wontons taste terrible. It’s only outsiders who get tricked.
I’ve sold wontons for almost thirty years, and my customers are all outsiders.
Lu Yang was lucky he had plenty of vinegar in his bowl to mask the taste of the wontons. Regardless, he had to finish what he ordered, and the trio forced down all three bowls.
Wiping his mouth, Lu Yang remembered he hadn’t touched on the important matters yet. “By the way, Junior Sister Lan Ting, what brings you here? A mission as well?”
“Mmm. Someone called Squire Song sought help from our Moon Laurel Immortal Palace. He said his family owns a strange painting—it can’t be burned, discarded, or torn. In the middle of the night, it even emits eerie sounds. It’s very dangerous.”
Tao Yaoye chimed in. “Senior Brother Lu and I are on the same mission. He was worried I couldn’t complete it alone, so he accompanied me.”
Lu Yang couldn’t quite make sense of it. What Junior Sister Tao said isn’t exactly wrong, but I can’t help but feel strange.
“It appears that this Squire Song sought aid from both our sects,” he observed.
This was commonplace. Those seeking help were uncertain which immortal sect was reliable, so to play it safe, they would issue the same request to several immortal sects. This was why disciples of the Five Great Immortal Sects frequently crossed paths on missions.
For instance, the Taciturn Daoist Priest and Luo Hongxia had run into each other on the same mission in their youth. Lan Ting had heard the story from her master.
The two were tasked with dispelling a ghost and stayed at an inn for three days, but they simply couldn’t find where the ghost was. In the end, they discovered it under the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s bed. The ghost had been watching the Taciturn Daoist Priest through the floorboards while he slept.
Afterward, the Taciturn Daoist Priest insisted that the ghost split the lodging costs with him.
The ghost cited Great Xia’s laws, arguing that it wasn’t classified as a living being and thus exempted from paying accommodation fees.
The Taciturn Daoist Priest also cited Great Xia’s laws, stating that ghosts held no rights, so cultivators were free to kill them as they pleased.
Then, the ghost obediently paid its share of the lodging fees and was apprehended.
“Senior Brother Lu, Junior Sister Tao, have you investigated Squire Song’s case?”
Tao Yaoye summarized their findings. “This is what Senior Brother Lu Yang and I have uncovered together.”
“Senior Brother Lu Yang is impressive! You’ve only just arrived in Yuanhe County, yet you’ve already uncovered so much. I’m sure Junior Sister Tao has also contributed considerably. I arrived three days earlier, but I’ve only learned a little more than you have.
“Unfortunately, I’m just one person. If Senior Brother Lu Yang helps, I’m sure we could uncover much more.”
Tao Yaoye pretended she didn’t hear the undertone in Lan Ting’s words and asked calmly, “What have you discovered from your investigation, Junior Sister Lan Ting?”
“Squire Song’s fortune took a turning point twenty years ago. At the time, his family had fallen on hard times and barely had any silver left. In a desperate move, he staked everything on his business ventures, only to fail and lose it all. Some saw him walking into the mountains, looking like he intended to end his life. However, half a day later, he emerged from the mountain, no longer dazed and clutching a painting in his arms.
“You all know the rest of the story. Squire Song suddenly gained a shrewd business acumen. Wealth poured in endlessly, and his family lived blissfully.” Lan Ting shot Tao Yaoye a smug glance. Well, what do you think? You two haven’t found this crucial piece of information yet.
After listening to Lan Ting’s account, Tao Yaoye affectionately grasped her hand. “Junior Lan Ting, you’re so amazing! You uncovered so much by yourself. Looks like you’re doing just fine on your own.”
Lan Ting’s face was wreathed in smiles as she linked arms with Tao Yaoye. “What are you saying? As the old saying goes, ‘Many hands make light work.’ It’s a pity Senior Brother Lu Yang came with you. Had he joined me, we would have completed the mission by now.”
Tao Yaoye questioned, “Are you implying you’re better than me, Junior Sister Lan?”
Lan Ting refuted, “Don’t twist my words, Junior Sister Tao. After all, I arrived three days earlier. If Senior Brother Lu Yang had also arrived at the same time I did, given his abilities, wouldn’t he have completed the mission?”
Tao Yaoye admitted, “True. With Senior Brother Lu Yang’s skills, he alone could complete the mission.”
Arm in arm, the two girls wore smiles of reunion, behaving as close as sisters.
Lu Yang didn’t pay attention to their subsequent conversation. He had been mulling over Lan Ting’s findings. “As I thought, the problem lies with the painting.
“Come on, let’s visit Squire Song.”
~~~
On their way to Squire Song’s residence, Lan Ting repeatedly glanced at Lu Yang.
“Junior Sister Lan Ting, is there something on my face?”
Lan Ting smiled. “Nothing at all. I just find you incredible, Senior Brother. You’ve become the sect’s successor at such a young age, even presiding over the sect’s celebration. As far as I know, this is unprecedented in history! I pale so much in comparison.”
“You flatter me. I became acting sect leader purely because of luck.” I’m not being modest. I became the acting sect leader entirely because of my bad luck in resurrecting the Everlasting Immortal Fairy.
Noticing Lan Ting’s dejection, Lu Yang comforted her, “You’re already remarkable, Junior Sister Lan Ting. I saw your match with Old Meng. You were simply too nervous; that wasn’t a true display of your abilities.”
Hearing Lu Yang’s encouragement reignited her smile. “You’re right. I should be more confident. After all, I represent our immortal palace’s Golden Core cultivators.
“Junior Sister Tao and I bonded instantly, and I originally thought we could meet on the arena stage, but alas, things didn’t turn out as I’d hoped, and we never got a chance to spar.”
Tao Yaoye softly muttered, “You’re this fond of combat, Junior Sister Lan? From how gentle you usually act, I thought you were the young lady of a noble family.”
Lu Yang couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off and consulted the Everlasting Immortal Fairy. “Immortal Fairy, don’t you think there’s something odd about how Junior Sister Tao and Junior Sister Lan are acting?”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy had also been observing them from the mental space for a while now. These two lasses’ mannerisms and tones are indeed unusual. “I can’t help but find this scene familiar... I remember now! The dragon and phoenix prodigies once behaved like this, flattering each other and appearing united. At the time, their goal was to make me take them in as disciples.”
Lu Yang prompted her to continue. “So Junior Sister Tao and Junior Sister Lan are acting like this because...”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy declared with conviction, “It’s definitely also because they want you to take them in as disciples! After all, you put on a spectacular display of combat prowess at the celebration!”
“Makes sense.”
