Chapter 323 - 286: Creation
Chapter 323: Chapter 286: Creation
The items were purchased by Xiao Man, so they were naturally placed in her room as personal effects. The jade carvings were exquisite and truly a rare find. When Xiao Man used the jade for her cultivation, she just had to make sure not to completely drain its spiritual energy. As long as she left a tiny wisp behind, the carvings would continue to be nourished and avoid any damage.
That evening, Xiao Man used the pretense of wanting to see the collection in Grandpa Tang’s secret study to have a long talk with him. She told her grandfather in all seriousness that she was what you would call a cultivator. She was practicing a cultivation method and had already reached the Third Level of Qi Refining, preparing to break through to the Fourth Layer.
Tang Renqian stared at his granddaughter in astonishment. It took him a long while to recover, and only after he fired off several questions in a row did he gradually begin to believe her.
Cultivation methods defy the heavens, seize fate, and point toward the Great Dao. Tang Renqian was not ignorant of these matters. On the contrary, he was very knowledgeable. The Gu and Tang Families had been allies for generations, and the Tang men’s study of martial arts was even influenced by the Gu family. Why did the Gu and Bai Families possess a legacy of Ancient Martial Arts? Because their ancestors had once produced cultivators.
However, Earth’s environment had grown increasingly harsh. The spiritual energy was thin, and there was a scarcity of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, which was said to be detrimental to cultivation. The cultivators had all vanished. The so-called Ancient Martial Arts were, in truth, just cultivation techniques left behind by their ancestors. These techniques were incomplete, making it impossible to attain the Dao. However, they could be used for self-defense. Practicing to a certain level could also extend one’s life and preserve their youthful appearance. For this reason, as long as they had the aptitude, the scions of Ancient Martial Arts families had to diligently practice their ancestral techniques from a young age. Whether or not they achieved any results was entirely up to their own destiny.
Tang Renqian had trained in martial arts with the Gu family since childhood, but his aptitude was no match for Mr. Gu, Gu Yuanhua. To this day, he was only at the Innate First Level. Tang Qingshan had also practiced for a time but was ultimately too busy with worldly affairs to focus, so his power remained shallow. Later, after Xiao Man taught him the Five Animals Qigong, he practiced it diligently for a year. Combined with the strange snacks Xiao Man occasionally sent him, he felt his physical and mental condition was vastly different than before. It was as if he was growing younger with each passing day.
But this wasn’t just a feeling for Tang Renqian; he could clearly see the changes in himself and his wife. After using the nourishing balms Xiao Man prepared for them and eating the ingredients she sent, in just one year, their graying hair had turned glossy black and grown thicker. They had also gained weight, their wrinkled skin had become smooth and supple, and they had a healthy complexion and boundless energy. Now in their sixties, they were often mistaken for forty-year-olds when they went for a walk, with children calling him ’sir’...
Tang Renqian had assumed his granddaughter was merely gifted at finding rare herbs and ingredients. He thought the techniques she knew came from the medical texts Imperial Doctor Sun had given her. During their talks, he always warned her to be discreet and keep a low profile. He never imagined that his granddaughter had actually embarked on the Cultivation Path!
Of course, Tang Renqian understood the benefits of cultivation. As long as you had a cultivation method, supplementary herbs, and remained discreet, things usually wouldn’t go wrong. Regarding the problem of scarce spiritual energy, his granddaughter had come up with the idea of extracting it from jade. Tang Renqian immediately declared he would handle it.
But when Xiao Man mentioned that he couldn’t use Divine Sense to search for jade containing spiritual energy—and that doing so would be a huge drain on his energy and finances with no guarantee of success—Tang Renqian’s face fell. ’It’s true,’ he thought. ’Anyone can recognize jade, but identifying which pieces actually contain spiritual energy? That’s the hard part!’
Xiao Man smiled. "Don’t worry, Grandpa. I can generally find enough spiritual energy for my current needs. It’s more than enough."
Tang Renqian gestured to the dozen or so jade and copper ware items in the room. "See if any of these have spiritual energy. If they do, feel free to use them. It’s not every day our family produces a prodigy. Grandpa will definitely give you his full support!"
"Let’s save these for Grandpa, Dad, and Hao Hao."
Tang Renqian looked at Xiao Man, surprised and skeptical. "Hao Hao, maybe. But your father... isn’t he a bit old? Can he still cultivate?"
"Yes, he can. In fact, the Tang family must have produced cultivators in the past, so their descendants all have Spirit Roots. Hao Hao is like me, with Water and Wood Dual Spirit Roots. You, Dad, and... Uncle have Three Spiritual Roots and Dual Spirit Roots, respectively. All of you can cultivate. It’s never too late to start. As long as you get a Body Refining Technique and practice it diligently, even if you can’t ultimately attain the Dao and ascend, there are still many benefits. You can live free of illness and pain, become strong enough to protect the ones you love, and extend your lifespan. Living to one hundred and fifty, or even two hundred years old, should be possible."
"Then what about your Grandma Tang, your other Grandpa and Grandma, and your mother... er, Wu Xiaowen? Do they not have Spirit Roots?"
"Unfortunately, Grandma Tang, Grandpa and Grandma, and Wu Xiaowen don’t have Spirit Roots," Xiao Man said. "The Gu family’s situation is similar. Besides Granny Gu, who has Three Spiritual Roots, the other women don’t have them. As for the men, I’ve only checked the pulses of Grandpa Gu, Brother Shaojun, Shaozheng, Shaolian, Shao Jin, and Shaoyu. Of them, Grandpa Gu and Brother Shaojun both have Thunder Fire Dual Spirit Roots; Shaozheng and Shaoyu have Gold Wood Dual Spirit Roots; and Shaolian and Shao Jin have Three Spiritual Roots. I’ve already told Brother Shaojun about this, so I assume he’s reported it to Grandpa Gu. If they decide to cultivate, Brother Shaojun will be the one to teach them the method."
Tang Renqian’s gaze flickered for a moment before he sighed. "Alright, I understand. Since you’ve chosen Shaojun, you’ll be a daughter-in-law to the Gu family one day. They won’t be careless and spread this around. As for our family, you can teach a cultivation method to Hao Hao and your father. I, however, won’t cultivate. I once swore an oath to your grandma: We may not have been born on the same day, but we will die on the same day! If I were to break my promise, she’d never let me hear the end of it."
Seeing her grandfather’s expression, a mixture of wistfulness and relief, Xiao Man pressed her lips together to hold back her laughter but failed, letting out a chuckle. "Grandpa, once I learn alchemy, I’ll make elixirs for you two. I’ll help you and Grandma live past one hundred, maybe even two hundred. You can be an immortal couple!"
Tang Renqian roared with laughter. "Excellent! As long as we can stay with our children and grandchildren and watch all of you grow up, your grandma and I would be willing to become old monsters to do it!"
The Gu family insisted on throwing a farewell banquet, so Xiao Man spent half of the next day with the adults at their estate. At the dinner table, she sat with Gu Shaoling and Tian Sisi. The two girls chatted about interesting events from the start of the new semester, pointedly ignoring Xiao Man. From their conversation, however, Xiao Man learned that Tang Yaxuan had enrolled in the Seventh Middle School, the same one Tian Sisi attended, and was even in her class.
’So, it seems Wu Xiaowen is determined to keep supporting Tang Yaxuan. She’s dead set on defying Grandpa and Grandma Tang to the very end.’
A little after two in the afternoon, under the watchful gaze of the Tang elders and the entire Gu family, Xiao Man, along with her Grandpa and Grandma, boarded a helicopter and flew toward the South.
Ping County First Middle School had already started its semester, but that wasn’t a problem. Teacher Fan was helping her register in advance. In any case, Xiao Man was far ahead of her classmates in her studies, so there was nothing to worry about.
’There will probably be a lot to do this semester. I’ll have to help out with the herb garden Grandpa is setting up. In a few months, I have to take the college entrance exams. Even though I feel confident about my schoolwork, I still need to work harder if I want to get into a university in Beijing. Getting in on my own merit is the only way it will feel satisfying.’