Extra Story Four

At the first light of dawn, the medicinal fields at the foot of the mountain were already bustling with activity.

Sister Zhang cast a Rain-Moistening Spell while stealing glances at her neighbor in the adjacent field. Her neighbor had not been seen for half a month; usually, it was her eldest daughter who tended these few acres. Today, however, the woman had appeared, and to everyone’s surprise, her cultivation had advanced to the third level of Qi Refining. Hadn’t she just given birth? And she only possessed a five-element spiritual root...

The neighbor finished her work, set up a protective barrier, nodded shyly at Sister Zhang, and drifted away with an air of ease.

Sister Zhang couldn't help but curl her lip, a gesture caught by Sister Li, who was also tending her own plot. Unable to contain her curiosity, Sister Li leaned in, whispering gossipy, "Hey, Sister Zhang, hasn't the Liang woman been away for half a month? How did she manage to advance a level so quietly?"

Sister Zhang, already bursting with the desire to gossip, found Sister Li's question perfectly in tune with her own thoughts. She lowered her voice, speaking in a mysterious tone, "I know, right? She only had her second child three years ago, and in just a few years, she’s advanced two levels. Who knows what kind of good fortune she’s stumbled upon."

Lady Tian, who had recently purchased this plot of land, looked on in confusion and couldn't help but ask, "Who is that woman who just left?"

Sister Zhang glanced at the newcomer and spoke with a touch of condescension. "We all live at the foot of the Yaohua Sect. My husband's surname is Zhang, hers is Li, and that woman who just left, her husband’s surname is Liang. In the Liang family, all three of them possess spiritual roots. It’s just that the grandmother and the wife are both five-element spiritual roots, barely capable of cultivation, and the husband has a four-element root."

Sister Li chimed in, "I heard that the Liang ancestors once produced a few Core Formation cultivators, but since they lacked descendants with outstanding spiritual roots, the family gradually declined. Now, all they have left are these few acres of fields under the mountain."

Ignoring the interruption, Sister Zhang continued, "The three of them are just barely scraping by, guarding these fields under the Yaohua Sect. It’s enough to keep them fed, but nowhere near enough to support their cultivation. Still, the family is kind-hearted and content, and they live quite harmoniously. If that were all, they’d be no different from the rest of us failures. But who told them to be so blessed with children?"

"Ten years ago, the Liang woman was only at the first level of Qi Refining when she became pregnant with their eldest daughter. The three of them were overjoyed—the child was truly gifted, possessing both wood and fire spiritual roots. With such a root, even if she were sent to the Yaohua Sect, she could at least become an inner sect disciple. She would receive sect stipends, which would not only help her own path but also support her family."

"So, the grandmother stopped her own cultivation to teach the child, using the saved spirit stones to buy medicinal pills to build the girl's foundation. The child was truly diligent; she reached the first level of Qi Refining at six. But when the Yaohua Sect came to recruit disciples when she was seven, she refused to go, saying she wanted to stay home and keep her grandmother company. Isn't that strange? What use is staying at home? She should have gone to the sect and brought pills back for her grandmother; wouldn't that have been better?"

The two women sighed, as if the missed opportunity were their own. Lady Tian couldn't help but ask, "But didn't you say the Liang woman just gave birth..."

"Oh, I haven't finished. Who would have guessed that right after she refused to join the sect, the Liang woman discovered she was pregnant and soon gave birth to a second daughter. The eldest daughter stayed home to care for the family. I hear she is especially doting on the little one."

Sister Zhang sighed repeatedly. Sister Li added, "And it’s as if the eldest girl not joining the sect had no effect at all. Three years have passed, and she’s already at the third level of Qi Refining. Whether it’s farm work or chores, she handles everything flawlessly. I’ve even heard rumors that she knows how to refine pills..."

"Ah, if that’s the case, perhaps she refined some pills for her mother. I saw her coming out of seclusion, her face glowing, full of spirit. To have advanced a stage—could she have taken a Secret Luo Pill?"

"Oh, the Secret Luo Pill is a rare treasure. If she can refine it, I should go and ask her for a batch."

"Exactly! I wonder what price she would charge."

While the women chattered away, the Liang family kept their doors closed, living their quiet, simple life. The eldest daughter they spoke of was, at that very moment, indeed preparing to refine pills.

Ever since she began refining, the family’s finances had improved significantly. Furthermore, consuming her own pills reduced costs, so everyone in the family had been in seclusion lately. Though her mother only had a five-element spiritual root, she possessed an unusually strong earth element, which allowed her to be the first to reach the third level of Qi Refining. Because her daughter needed to refine pills, the mother had rushed to finish the field work so she could watch over the younger daughter, ensuring no one disturbed the eldest.

With the grandmother and father also in seclusion, the small courtyard was exceptionally peaceful. As the eldest daughter handled the spiritual herbs, she occasionally looked up to see her little sister stumbling about in the yard, and she couldn't help but recall her previous life...

That day in the undersea palace, she had thought she was doomed. But then she had asked, "Do you feel anything wrong with your body?"

Hearing those words, tears had nearly welled up in her eyes. Concentrating all her energy on suppressing the spiritual entity that had resided within her for so long, she struggled to say, "I have been possessed..."

Struggling against the spirit's fierce resistance, she managed to explain the situation before losing consciousness under the entity's frantic attack. When she awoke, she was in a strange place. She had been placed inside a puppet shell inscribed with a formation to suppress souls; she could clearly feel the spirit within her growing weak, no longer as lively as before.

The moment she woke, she saw her.

"You're awake, Junior Sister Lu."

"Senior Sister Jiang, where am I...?"

"You possess a portable medicinal garden—can you not tell?"

"This... this is your portable space?!" she exclaimed. She had thought her own space was high-end, but seeing this, she felt a profound sense of shame for her own arrogance.

"Although there is something unusual within you, you did kill disciples of the sect. I will not hold you accountable for helping Zi Huan-Shan ambush me, but I must hand you over to the sect to face judgment. Do you accept this?"

"I..."

"I will fulfill your request and personally ensure the soul is reincarnated. But you must promise me one thing. This is a secret technique that can help you separate from that spirit and control it. I need you to master it; I will have use for this spirit in the future. Do you have any objections?"

"I... this disciple has no objections. But..." Lu Tanxian had meant to argue, to use her silver tongue to find a chance at survival. But once sent to the sect, considering her past crimes and the loss of her backers, what fate awaited her but torture? Yet, thinking of Old Granny Hua, her heart softened. *So be it.* Let it end this way. Let her follow Old Granny Hua, gain a new life, and forget the past. She had made so many mistakes in this life; if a simple death could bring release, that was fine.

Those she loved had drifted away, and those who loved her had been driven to such agony that they only wished to be reborn. What was the point of struggling on alone?

"I can help you, but I wish for a quick death. I beg you, Senior Sister Jiang, once everything is settled, to personally send me to reincarnation, and seven years later, help me send Old Granny Hua to be reborn into a family. In this life, I want to be older than her. I want to take care of her."

"Very well." Perhaps because it was rare to see someone who was, in a strict sense, a "villain" show such sentimentality, and because the request wasn't difficult, she agreed.

The process of separating the soul was not easy. Only later did she learn from Jiang Hansu the shocking speculation: the entity that had resided in her body and arrogantly interfered with her thoughts was actually the spirit of an immortal artifact. Fortunately, the artifact spirit had been away from its host for too long and had grown weak, and the puppet shell’s suppression allowed her to succeed.

Later, she witnessed Hansu speaking calmly before an Earth Immortal, turning the tide in a crisis. Only then did she realize how much she lacked; what use were mere petty tricks and small clevernesses?

Being reborn into the Liang family was her own wish. When she had been at her lowest, the woman who was now the Liang grandmother had been just a young girl who had once extended a helping hand to her. In this new life, she wanted to start over, to correct her increasingly twisted nature bit by bit and become a person of true kindness. She wanted to care for those who had once loved her. In this life, she would be a good person.

"Daughter, come here, don't bother your sister. She’s refining pills and working hard. Play with her when she’s finished," a gentle voice called from outside. It seemed the little one was eager to find her. Lu Tanxian couldn't help but smile warmly. The little one was the reincarnation of Old Granny Hua. Though she didn't have memories of her past life, she loved her just the same.

Sorting the spiritual herbs, she cleared her mind and focused on refining. When Hansu had sent her to be reborn, she hadn't taken the jade pendant, so she still possessed the portable medicinal garden. Even her spirit beasts, having broken their contracts before her death, remained safely inside to keep her company. She had not been a good master, yet they held such pure trust and kindness for her. In this life, she would never fail them again.

The one refining for her was her former spirit beast, Liu Huo, a bird-like creature suspected to be a descendant of the Bi Fang. She sat cross-legged. The reddish pill furnace she used to use was too advanced for her current cultivation, so she used a low-grade one her father had bought with all their family savings. Liu Huo opened its beak, releasing a ball of fire that lifted the crude furnace into the air.

She began adding the sorted herbs into the furnace one by one. In the past, she had relied on wasting vast quantities of herbs to stack her success, appearing highly skilled when it was merely the result of those resources. Now, however, she lacked that utilitarian drive. Cultivation was important, but living a happy, harmonious life with her family was better than anything else.

Perhaps because her mindset had shifted, her pill refining was even better than before. Even with ordinary herbs and a low-grade furnace, the pills she produced were of a higher quality. Her movements were steady, possessing a natural rhythm, and as she formed various hand seals, an alluring fragrance began to drift from the furnace.

"Pills are formed!" A childish cheer rang out from outside the window. "Shh, you'll disturb your sister, and the pills will be ruined," her mother whispered, soothingly. Even without looking, she knew the little one had covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide, staring longingly at the door.

The success of the pills brought her joy not because they could be traded for money, but because, finally, she could see her sister.

Storing the pills, Lu Tanxian smiled with contentment and hurried to open the door. The little one was indeed waiting, and she pounced on her the moment the door opened, calling out "Sister, Sister!" over and over. She hugged the small, delicate body and exchanged a smile with her mother.

At that moment, two other doors opened. "I've broken through!"

Watching her family progress step by step, tears flowed freely down Lu Tanxian’s cheeks. In her heart, she thanked her silently again and again—thanked her for the gift of this precious life.