Chapter Nine: The Divine Consort

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Today, Song Liyao donned her finest gear with the intention of visiting the recently talked-about little secret realm bustling with activity at the nearby market. It was said that the predecessors had already explored it, and the danger was minimal. She hoped to see if she could find any opportunities—though grand fortunes surely weren’t meant for a lowly cultivator like herself. If nothing else, gathering some precious immortal herbs or hunting rare spirit beasts would be worthwhile.

Not to mention the horrific wounds on Big Brother, even Second Sister’s foot looked painfully swollen, yet they all acted as if nothing was wrong. They definitely needed more nourishment.

Jiang Yunyun watched her mother pick up the spirit sword, knowing she was about to sneak off on another hunt. “Mother, I want to go with you.”

Without even looking up, Song Liyao refused flatly, “No. You stay home and take care of your little sister.”

But the little girl was far from obedient, her dissatisfaction clear as she glared at her mother. “If you don’t take me, I’ll tell Father tonight!”

Song Liyao didn’t get angry; she only regarded Jiang Yunyun with a calm, steady gaze. Feeling intimidated, Jiang Yunyun shrank her head like an ostrich—her mother’s eyes were truly frightening.

While their mother was out adventuring, Second Sister kept busy, finishing the household chores before carrying the little sister’s night fragrance to the spirit tree they had planted yesterday.

Hehe, isn’t this the perfect fertilizer? Although it didn’t nourish spiritual energy as well as the pure mountain spring water cultivators drank, it was practical and convenient! Quite a clever little rascal.

Jiang Haohao felt somewhat embarrassed watching her Second Sister; after staring at the dung for so long, hadn’t she had enough? Yet she saw Second Sister pouring it onto the spirit tree and felt a strange thought arise. Since she had drunk immortal water, would the spirit tree mutate from this?

She also watched as her Second Sister busily picked up a hard material, using it as a sole mold for shoes and began sewing. She had to admit, Second Sister was truly versatile—she could do all kinds of handiwork. Mainly, their family was too poor to buy magical shoes, so they had to spend time making their own.

Second Sister’s stitching was exquisite. Though Jiang Haohao couldn’t understand embroidery techniques, watching her Second Sister’s movements was like watching a graceful dance—beautiful and fluid. The hard soles transformed under those skillful hands, becoming sturdy and comfortable, as if those small hands bore the weight of countless miles, carrying family members separated by distance back home to reunion.

After a while, Jiang Haohao grew hungry and began her usual wailing.

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Without milk from Second Sister, she had no choice but to drink the same milk porridge as last time. The supply seemed low; despite digging around for a while, Second Sister found only a little and had to let her drink what there was.

For Jiang Haohao, this was just right. This milk porridge, unlike processed fresh milk from the 21st century, had a certain gamey smell she resisted. Halfway through, her tiny hands pushed the bowl away, but Second Sister took advantage of her distraction and stuffed a large mouthful into her mouth.

Jiang Haohao frowned—bitter and unpleasant.

Jiang Yunyun sighed watching her reluctant little sister. Why was she so picky? This delicious nourishment was a dream for her; she dared not eat too much.

“Haohao, you must eat more to grow plump and strong. Don’t be picky. You’ve worked so hard to become chubby and healthy—don’t let it go to waste! This mountain goat’s milk cost several spirit stones. I heard Jiang Mo grew so beautiful because of it, so you must drink more and grow even better than her!”

Jiang Haohao softened, enduring the discomfort as she opened her tight lips. Jiang Yunyun, fearing regret, quickly stuffed another big mouthful into her.

Finally, the bowl was clean. But today’s milk porridge was so scarce that Second Sister didn’t even bother drinking water—she fed it straight into her mouth.

Halfway through, Jiang Haohao couldn’t continue and deliberately hiccupped, confusing Second Sister.

Hearing the hiccup, Jiang Yunyun stopped feeding her. Mother said a hiccup meant you were full.

Seeing half a bowl of pale milky liquid left, Jiang Yunyun, determined not to waste, gulped it all down and then meticulously licked the bowl until it shone, needing no washing.

Meanwhile, within the little secret realm, Song Liyao was already searching for spiritual plants.

She flew by sword, hunting prey and gathering several precious spirit plants, storing them in her mustard seed pouch.

Previously, she couldn’t even control the sword flight, but lately her spiritual energy had grown immense; now she could manage short flights with ease.

The little secret realm was quiet. Many cultivators had already explored it, and she was among the latecomers, but still kept alert for unknown dangers lurking in the realm.

Flying over the forest, birds and beasts scattered.

After half an hour, Song Liyao was carrying a second-grade adult spirit black-brown bear over her shoulder.

Stretching her body, she was puzzled by the situation. Since childhood, she often heard her mother tell the glorious tales of her father—a cultivator from the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, renowned for his combat prowess, able to overcome even class restrictions.

Her mother regretted not leaving behind his bloodline, so his ultimate martial arts would not be lost.

So now, was it because her father’s bloodline had awakened that she could kill this second-grade black-brown bear with a single reckless slash? She hardly believed she was so formidable...

But how else could she explain how fragile that clumsy bear was?

She cleaned the bear, cutting the meat into small pieces and washing the blood from the fur before storing it in the mustard seed pouch.

It looked much better this way, and the children wouldn’t be afraid to see it.

Humming an unknown tune, she purified herself with a cleansing technique before happily exiting the little secret realm.

“The mountain air is lovely at dusk; the birds fly together home.”

Jiang Yunyun smiled watching her drowsy little sister sleep.

Compared to before, the little sister was much more beautiful—fair and tender, no longer dark and skinny like a wild child.

She was increasingly resembling their father’s peerless face.

Jiang Yunyun felt happy, confident that her sister’s beauty would one day rival Jiang Mo’s.

Speaking of Jiang Mo, she felt furious. It seemed their family always suffered misfortune when encountering the Jiang family head’s household.

Last time, when she went to the Jiang family to seek help for their father, Jiang Mo fainted inexplicably upon seeing her, and in the end, she was driven away.

Now Jiang Mo had come to their home to apologize and bring gifts, yet nearly cost Big Brother his life...

Better to keep away from that terrifying woman. If you can’t beat her, can you at least avoid her?

Besides, Jiang Mo had told her not to go to Wuxingshan City last time...

Well, she would definitely go!

If she forbade her, she would defy her will!

Even if it meant becoming a maid someday—though it required hard work, respect to everyone, and no retaliation to beatings—at least she could earn spirit stones to send to their parents...

If she grew up and saved enough spirit stones...

Hehe...

Just as she was thinking, a memory suddenly flashed in Jiang Yunyun’s mind.

She sat in a magnificent, ornate chamber, surrounded by a long line of concubines and maidservants. A first-grade spirit treasure bracelet woven with gold thread adorned her wrist, and she wore an immortal robe woven from thousand-year-cold-ice silkworm silk, brilliantly embroidered like a divine consort.