Chapter 24: What Kind of Neighbors Are These?

"Master, why did that person come here?" The annoying creature was agitated about having their leisure time with its master interrupted.

"Perhaps they were just curious about the new neighbor," Wen Yue replied. But was there really anyone in the cultivation world with so much idle time?

"Forget him. He's gone now, anyway. I'm going to cultivate." The little Golden Silk Monkey said, flying up into the trees.

Within a few agile leaps, the little creature reached the highest branch, claiming it as its own. Through their mental bond, Wen Yue could feel it humming with contentment; it seemed they had chosen the right place to stay.

Wen Yue looked up to see that the moon had risen. This moonlight was the little monkey's favorite. Since the creature had begun its cultivation, the post-meal walk was over, and it was time for Wen Yue to return to work.

Back inside, Wen Yue did something rare: she didn't cultivate. Having just moved in, she had accumulated quite a few belongings, all of which she had tossed into her spatial storage without any organization.

This spatial dimension, which had followed her from her previous life, was unique. Even after arriving in the cultivation world, she had never heard of anything like it. By her current estimation, the space was infinitely vast. It was comprised of countless stars, yet it lacked air, could not hold living things, and even she herself could not enter it. It was practically useless, save for its sheer size. If not for the fear of exposure, it would be perfect for storing anything.

As for her other assets, they were pitifully meager. She had received one hundred spirit stones from the Task Hall; twenty were spent on spirit rice, ten went to Steward Feng, leaving her with seventy. Then there were the purchased grains, flour, and basic pots and pans. Finally, there were the seeds. It seemed the old man hadn't swindled her; the collection was complete.

She had been clever today, otherwise, those seventy spirit stones might not have been safe. There was no help for it—the Heavenly Demon Sect was not a place where reason prevailed. Everything had to be overcome by one's own efforts; if you couldn't, you were simply out of luck.

So, enough thinking. Cultivation was the priority. Once she reached a certain realm, she could do as she pleased. Take the Sect Leader, Zong Zheng, for instance. As the master of a demon sect, he somehow managed to remain untainted by the world. He was one of the only two people Wen Yue had seen in the Heavenly Demon Sect who possessed merit. That was true power.

The next day, Wen Yue woke up, completed two cycles of cultivation, ate two steamed buns, and set off to work. Today’s task was weeding. The weeds in the spirit field absorbed a great deal of spirit energy, making them incredibly tough; if you didn't use a spirit tool to cut them, they wouldn't even budge. It was truly manual labor. Had she not been a cultivator, she wouldn't have been able to cut through them, even as an adult, let alone in this small child's body.

It wasn't smooth going at first, but she eventually discovered a method: channeling spirit energy into the edge of her sickle, which made the work twice as efficient.

After weeding for a while, she felt exhausted. Despite being a cultivator, she was still in a child's body and couldn't push herself too hard, so she alternated between working and resting. Just as she was about to take a break, a sound came from outside the protective formation. Someone was knocking. Honestly, Wen Yue didn't want to go out. Wasn't farming in peace enough? Why did people have to come and stir up trouble?

Wen Yue sent a mental message to the little monkey: "Little Gold, see who is out there? Is it that person from yesterday?" The creature was still in the treetops; she hadn't called for it to help with the chores today.

"Master, it's not the person from yesterday. It's a woman."

"A woman?" Whether man or woman, Wen Yue didn't want to see them. But the visitor was patient, continuing to knock. There was no choice; she might as well see who it was. She had nothing to hide.

Stepping out of the formation, she saw a woman who reeked of a worldly, seductive air.

"Hello! Is there something you need?" If not, go away and stop interrupting my work. Wen Yue didn't step out completely, just asking from the edge of the formation.

"Nothing much. I heard from the others that a little sister had moved in, and it's true—you really are a little sister." The woman giggled, her presence so redolent of a brothel that Wen Yue almost thought she had wandered into one.

"If there's nothing else, I'm going back," Wen Yue said, hoping the strange woman would leave.

"Don't be in such a rush! My name is Hu Yue. I live just behind your field. Come play with big sister when you're free. You're still young now, but when you grow up, I'll teach you the joys of being a woman. Oh, what am I saying? You're too young to understand, but you'll know when you're older." Hu Yue giggled again.

"If that's all, I'm going back. I still have to weed. Six acres of grass that's taller than me. If you have nothing else to do, could you help me?" Wen Yue asked innocently.

"I have things to do. I'm here to see Young Master Cui. I just passed by and thought I'd take a look. Alright, you go back to your work! I'm leaving. Come find me when you're done, and I'll introduce you to some other sisters." Hu Yue offered another invitation.

"Alright, I will when I'm done!" Which would probably be never. After farming, she had to cultivate, and after cultivating, she had to farm again. Where would she find the time to play?

Hu Yue swayed away in the direction of Cui Shiping's field.

"Little Gold, keep an eye on where she goes. Is she heading to Cui Shiping's?" The little monkey's high vantage point gave it a clear view of that area.

"Got it."

"I'll leave it to you, then."

"No problem."

After giving the instructions, Wen Yue returned to the formation to continue weeding. She had barely cut two stalks before a mental message arrived.

"What is it, Little Gold?"

"That woman really did go to the person from yesterday. But two other women, just like her, went too. Then, some men came out, and they all started embracing... oh! The man from yesterday came out too." The little monkey provided a live broadcast.

"What are you talking about? You're jumping all over the place," Wen Yue said, confused.

"If you don't believe me, look for yourself! That's what I see. I'm not wrong!" The little monkey sounded aggrieved.

"How am I supposed to look?"

"You're so silly. We can share vision!"

"Oh! Right. Why didn't I think of that? Wait, let me see what's going on." It was simple enough; through their bond, she could view what the little monkey saw.

The monkey's vision was sharper than a human's. Wen Yue took one glance and immediately regretted it. You know what she saw? A live, unfiltered display of debauchery.

One of the men said, "Young Master Cui's suggestion was the best. Doing it outside, where anyone could show up at any time—it's so thrilling."

"I agree! It's much faster to get to the main event this way," another man chimed in.

"I say it's all about Young Master Cui's location. It's open, and there aren't too many people around." The group of men and women began to frolic.

After just one look, Wen Yue hurriedly cut the visual link. No wonder Cui Shiping had dismissed her for being too young yesterday. What kind of neighbors were these?