After the Spiritual Jade flowerpot was carved, Wen Qiao moved to a new home—her home changed from being made of White Jade to Spiritual Jade carvings.
The demon beast carriage sped along the road. Unlike the drowsy journey on the way here, Wen Qiao was now brimming with energy. As a small seedling, she felt that she didn’t seem to need sleep. Every day, she remained spirited, shaking her leaves, once again a fine seedling.
Wen Qiao thought this might have something to do with the spiritual medicinal liquid Ning Yuzhou fed her three times a day. She was eating too well—resting or not seemed to make no difference.
As she was thinking this, she saw her husband once again begin his daily routine of nurturing and watering the seedling. Three meals a day were an absolute must, just like when she was in human form, and he would feed her three meals a day back then as well.
After drinking the spiritual medicinal liquid, Wen Qiao shook her leaves and brushed against Ning Yuzhou’s hand, wanting to chat with him.
Ning Yuzhou, ever patient, indulgently asked, “What do you want to talk about?”
The little seedling’s leaves furiously rubbed against his fingers a few times.
His lips, beautifully shaped, curved into a slight smile. Ning Yuzhou said with a laugh, “You want to talk about me?”
The little seedling’s leaves swayed up and down, nodding like a human. Ever since she overheard Emperor Chenghao mention it offhandedly, Wen Qiao had been particularly curious about her husband’s past. Though a little shy, she was still happy to learn more about him.
Holding the Spiritual Jade flowerpot, Ning Yuzhou casually tossed a spiritual pill to the demon rabbit that had come rubbing up to him, then flicked it away with a sweep of his long sleeve.
What was this rabbit doing coming over when the husband and wife were chatting?
Ning Yuzhou was just that petty.
The demon rabbit didn’t mind. Having a spiritual pill to eat was good enough; it obediently curled up in a corner, occasionally glancing at the little seedling.
“…Although I cannot cultivate, I have always been quite interested in auxiliary techniques such as alchemy, talismans, artifacts, and arrays. Furthermore, the bloodline inheritance I awakened included a relatively complete legacy. I dabbled in all aspects of alchemy, talismans, artifacts, and arrays, organized some of it, and handed it over to the Ning family for them to manage. Later, my father and the others discovered that I had a talent for these auxiliary techniques. Though I cannot perform them myself, I possess an innate understanding. They then had me guide the family’s alchemists and array masters…”
Not being able to cultivate didn’t mean he didn’t understand cultivation. On the contrary, he had been extremely intelligent since childhood, with exceptional comprehension, and the bloodline inheritance he carried. Even without personal experience, guiding alchemists and array masters was a breeze for him.
Over the years, all the Ning family’s alchemists and talisman masters had received his guidance in their cultivation.
Wen Qiao thought back to their training in Lintai Hunter Valley, where the Qianlin Guards threw talismans as if they were worthless, and there was an endless supply of spiritual pills. Everything had been prepared thoroughly. She finally understood.
Back then, she thought the Ning family was simply wealthy enough to afford such extravagance. Who knew these were things he had instructed people to refine? With his contributions, they had an endless supply of such items, so naturally, they didn’t think twice about using them.
With this, Wen Qiao also understood why the Ning family valued him so highly.
How could they not? Ning Yuzhou, with a complete bloodline inheritance, was irreplaceable even with countless other talented disciples. No wonder the Ning family protected him so carefully, even assigning a team of Qianlin Guards to guard him at all times. No matter how much Ning Yaozhu envied him, it was in vain.
Poor outsiders who didn’t know the truth all thought Emperor Chenghao was foolish to protect a “waste.”
The truth of an extraordinary bloodline was a grave matter. Very few in the Ning family knew the truth—only Emperor Chenghao and a few Ning elders were aware. Everyone else was kept completely in the dark.
Until Ning Yuzhou became so strong that no one could covet his bloodline power, the role he played within the Ning family would remain a secret.
Wen Qiao then asked about her father, wanting to know why Emperor Chenghao said he had kept her at the Wen family to protect her.
Ning Yuzhou stroked her leaves, paused for a moment, and then said, “Actually, the deaths of Wen Boqing and his wife were not due to a demon beast uprising. There’s more to it. The fire poison in your body also originated from that time. If not for the fire poison, the mastermind behind the scenes probably wouldn’t have let you live. Your father was afraid that the person who orchestrated the deaths of Wen Boqing and his wife wouldn’t let you go, so he dared not openly shelter you and could only leave you with the Wen family…”
Wen Qiao’s leaves bristled with shock.
This was the first time she had heard about this.
She had always believed that her parents died in a demon beast uprising. It was said that her mother encountered a fire-element demon beast at the time, which not only caused her premature birth but also injured her right after she was born. This left fire poison in her body, causing her to be sickly from a young age, destined for an early death.
Now, Ning Yuzhou was telling her that her parents’ deaths had hidden secrets and that the fire poison in her body had been deliberately inflicted.
The person who harmed her likely believed that she, afflicted by fire poison, wouldn’t live past twenty and thus allowed her to survive in pain.
Ning Yuzhou quickly smoothed her bristling little leaves and said gently, “Ah Chuo, don’t get upset. Now that we are married, your parents are my parents. The enemies of my father-in-law and mother-in-law are my enemies, and I will avenge them in the future. You can rest assured.”
Wen Qiao’s entire seedling form still looked somewhat withered.
Seeing this, Ning Yuzhou couldn’t help but sigh and said, “I hadn’t wanted you to know the truth so early. Our current strength is too weak, and even if we uncover the truth about the past, we wouldn’t be able to seek revenge right now.”
Wen Qiao knew he was right. If it weren’t for Emperor Chenghao accidentally letting it slip, thinking she wasn’t there, she didn’t know when she would have learned the truth.
Ning Yuzhou decided to change the subject; he really didn’t want to see the little seedling looking so dispirited. “When you were born, I saw you. It was also I who suggested setting up the marriage agreement with you.”
Wen Qiao was stunned for a moment, her leaves tilting toward him hesitantly.
When she was born, how old had he been? And he had already decided on his lifelong partner? Wasn’t that a bit hasty?
It was as if Ning Yuzhou knew what she was thinking, and he smiled. “I’ve been able to remember things since I was born, maturing earlier than most children. At four years old, I already understood right and wrong and knew what I wanted. Wen Boqing and his wife saved my life, and you were quite adorable when you were born. Moreover, when I saw you, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. Naturally, I wanted to secure you for myself, lest I regret it later.”
In doing so, he also offered some comfort to Wen Boqing and his wife, assuring them they wouldn’t need to worry about their only daughter.
Wen Qiao… Wen Qiao’s entire seedling was turning red again.
“I didn’t understand before why I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to you, but now I do.” As he spoke, Ning Yuzhou placed his hand over his heart, where a drop of her essence blood resided, as though he were holding her entire being close to his heart.
Logically, a person’s essence blood shouldn’t enter another person’s body without cause, unless it was forcibly taken and a blood contract was formed. However, back then, her drop of essence blood had entered his body effortlessly, breaking through the seals within him and giving him strength, as if they were naturally attuned to each other.
This was the reason Ning Yuzhou had felt so close to Wen Qiao.
Both of them possessed extraordinary bloodlines, though one had awakened while the other remained dormant. Yet even in this state, their bloodlines could create a sense of affinity between them. Although Ning Yuzhou still didn’t know what kind of extraordinary bloodline Wen Qiao had inherited, he could sense that their bloodlines were highly compatible, which was why they had been drawn to each other in this vast world, as if guided by fate.
Wen Qiao listened, utterly bewildered.
While she was still dazed, the demon rabbit, having finished its spiritual pill and noticing Ning Yuzhou wasn’t paying attention, leaped up and licked Wen Qiao.
Wen Qiao froze. The little rabbit had licked her again.
When Ning Yuzhou turned back and saw this, his warm gaze turned cold. Without hesitation, he tossed the demon rabbit out of the beast carriage.
Wen Qiao: “…”
Ning Yuzhou said, “Don’t worry, it won’t get lost.”
Sure enough, half an hour later, the little rabbit pushed open the window and climbed back in, calmly seeking another spiritual pill from Ning Yuzhou. When denied, it turned to licking the little seedling to satisfy its cravings.
It was fortunate that Ning Yuzhou didn’t know how many times the demon rabbit had licked Wen Qiao while guarding her in Lintai Hunter Valley. Otherwise, he would never have brought it out of the valley.
—
Five days later, they returned to the imperial capital of the Dongling Kingdom.
The demon beast carriage made its way through the streets of the capital and entered the Seventh Prince’s Mansion.
The servants of the mansion, having received news of their master’s return, came out to welcome them. Lian Yue, nestled among the maids of the Seventh Prince’s Mansion, craned her neck eagerly, hoping to catch the first glimpse of her young lady.
The first to step down was the Seventh Prince, Ning Yuzhou, holding a Spiritual Jade flowerpot.
Next came the little rabbit.
Lian Yue craned her neck hard to look into the demon beast carriage, but no matter how much she looked, apart from the Seventh Prince and the little rabbit, she didn’t see a second person.
Lian Yue nearly cried, an ominous feeling welling up in her heart.
Wen Qiao was quite happy to see her thoughtful little maid, but seeing Lian Yue’s eyes instantly redden, her effort to hold back tears evident, Wen Qiao couldn’t help feeling distressed. She quickly shook her leaves to remind Ning Yuzhou.
Ning Yuzhou gently stroked her leaves and said to Lian Yue in the crowd, “This is Ah Chuo’s rabbit. Bring it along.”
Lian Yue held back her tears, secretly wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, picked up the cute little rabbit on the ground, and followed behind him.
The demon rabbit looked utterly well-behaved and adorable, calmly nesting on Lian Yue’s underdeveloped chest. (TL: Was the ‘underdeveloped’ really necessary? 😭)
Upon arriving at the resting room, Ning Yuzhou dismissed the servants, leaving only Lian Yue.
He first placed the Spiritual Jade flowerpot on a side table, then moved the pot of Zhuyan Flower from the window and placed it next to the Spiritual Jade flowerpot.
Without Wen Qiao using her spiritual energy to catalyze its growth, the Zhuyan Flower had grown very slowly over the past month. Due to the sparse spiritual energy in the surroundings, it didn’t look particularly healthy either.
When Wen Qiao saw the Zhuyan Flower, her spirits lifted.
“Your Highness, where is my young lady?” Lian Yue timidly asked, her face full of fear as if she was terrified of hearing bad news.
Ning Yuzhou said, “Ah Chuo is not in Dongling at the moment. After some time, I will go and find her.”
Lian Yue froze, hesitating before asking, “Then… then where is my young lady now?”
“No need to worry, Ah Chuo is fine. From now on, you will live in the mansion. If you need anything, just ask the steward; there’s no need to be reserved,” Ning Yuzhou said gently. “When Ah Chuo recovers, she will come back to see you herself.”
Lian Yue stared at him blankly, nodded blankly, and then walked away blankly.
After she left, Ning Yuzhou said to Wen Qiao, “Your little maid is loyal, but she’s just a mortal. The less she knows about your situation, the better.”
Wen Qiao understood his reasoning. She agreed with his decision; the less Lian Yue knew, the safer she would be.
Although Lian Yue was a mortal unable to cultivate, she cared for Wen Qiao more than anyone else, as much as family. Wen Qiao resolved to ensure that Lian Yue would live a peaceful and worry-free life.
After returning to the mansion, Ning Yuzhou didn’t rest. Instead, he activated the defensive array and the Spirit Gathering Array in his courtyard.
“Ah Chuo, the mansion is very safe. Try to cultivate now,” Ning Yuzhou said.
Previously, while outside, they had held back from cultivating due to the many prying eyes around them. Now that they were back in his domain, Ning Yuzhou made thorough preparations and let Wen Qiao cultivate using her unique method.
The cultivation methods of plant spirits were different from those of humans or demon beasts.
Wen Qiao shook her leaves and, brimming with energy, expanded her senses and began cultivating.
In her perception, there were many spiritual plants within a one-mile radius. Among them, the Zhuyan Flower in the room contained the densest wood essence and was of the highest grade.
Wen Qiao attempted to communicate with the spiritual plants. After receiving a response, she immediately let loose and began catalyzing their growth.
Ning Yuzhou didn’t cultivate. Instead, he sat to the side, staring intently at the little seedling on the table without blinking.
Then, he saw the Zhuyan Flower beside her grow at a speed visible to the naked eye. It rapidly developed until it reached the state of a ten-year-old plant, at which point its growth slowed down.
Next, an incomparably pure energy began to surge from all directions. Unlike the Yuan Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, this energy was invigorating, making one feel refreshed. The pure energy surged madly toward the Spiritual Jade flowerpot.
Not only the Zhuyan Flower but also the spiritual flowers and exotic grasses in the courtyard, which were planted for ornamental purposes, began to grow rapidly.
However, they were different from the Zhuyan Flower. Although the Zhuyan Flower also grew, its speed wasn’t as fast as the spiritual plants in the courtyard, which frantically blossomed and bore fruit, then withered, their seeds falling to the ground, quickly taking root and sprouting again, growing at an astonishing pace.
In a short time, these plants went through several cycles of seasons, experiencing the rise and fall of life.
—
Wen Qiao’s cultivation lasted for three days.
When she woke from her cultivation state, she found that the Zhuyan Flower had grown into the state of a fifty-year-old plant and looked exceptionally vibrant.
Wen Qiao was stunned, unable to believe that she was the one who caused this.
In just three days, she had pushed a Zhuyan Flower to grow into a fifty-year-old state.
“It was indeed your doing.”
Wen Qiao turned her leaves and looked at Ning Yuzhou, who was sitting nearby. She was a bit dazed—had he been sitting there watching her for all three days of her cultivation?
As if knowing what she was thinking, Ning Yuzhou confirmed her guess. With a gentle expression, he said, “It’s fine. I wanted to see whether you could cultivate by drawing on the power of the surrounding plants. Now it seems that when you cultivate in your Yao body, your influence on spiritual plants is even greater.”
With his explanation, Wen Qiao came to understand the difference between cultivating in her human form and her demon form.
In her human form, her influence on the surrounding spiritual plants was limited, and the rate of catalysis was slow. But in her demon form, it was as if she was a natural-born cultivation saint for spiritual plants—the plants grew madly, and the wood essence they fed back to her was extremely abundant.
Wen Qiao could feel the abundant power within her. She had a vague sense that if she could continue absorbing wood essence, she might reach a critical point where she could take on her human form.
This discovery made Wen Qiao very happy. She eagerly rubbed against Ning Yuzhou, wanting to share the joy of this breakthrough with him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t speak.
But Ning Yuzhou was so clever that he could tell from her reaction that her cultivation results this time were excellent.
He smiled and said, “It seems that the wood essence from these spiritual plants is of great benefit to you.” He paused to think before asking, “Ah Chuo, is it true that the higher the grade of the spiritual plants, the purer and richer the wood essence they feed back to you?”
Wen Qiao shook her leaves, confirming his guess.
Among the plants here, the Zhuyan Flower was the highest grade, and it was indeed the Zhuyan Flower that provided her with the purest and most refined wood essence.
Ning Yuzhou pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, “Ah Chuo, shall I take you to a place to cultivate?”
Wen Qiao looked at him in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
Ning Yuzhou smiled at her and said warmly, “You’ll understand when we get there.”
With that, he picked up the Spiritual Jade flowerpot.
Underdeveloped is crazyyyyyy 😭😭