novelhk Chapter 160 Parting on bad terms
Chapter 160 Parting on bad terms
If a true Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator were being stared at like this, they probably wouldn't dare to move.
But Cui Ying was different, and beside her was Ta Xue, who had been silently following her.
"Wang Wang Wang"
As Cui Ying stepped across the threshold with her right foot, Ta Xue immediately rushed out to block her way, letting out a low growl at the four demon wolves inside without any fear.
Just as the demon wolf, whose cultivation had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining, was about to attack Ta Xue, a loud shout suddenly rang out:
"Get out of here!"
The wolf demons looked up and saw Cui Ying's beautiful eyes widen, her long hair moving without wind, and her aura as a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator directly overwhelmed them.
In an instant, the demon wolves stopped in their tracks, their legs trembling as they whimpered.
Cui Ying knew that this was the sound of fear from a wolf-like monster.
The reason she was so impolite was that she wanted to find a suitable opportunity to intimidate everyone.
"Qi Refining Stage 7!?"
Sure enough, besides the four demon wolves, Xue Siye and Xie Qing, whose expressions changed drastically and who looked at Cui Ying in disbelief, also dared not make any further moves.
"Really at the seventh level of Qi Refining? Young friend Cui, when did you break through?"
"I broke through thanks to the elixir bestowed upon me by my master some time ago."
Ignoring the expressions of the two people inside, Cui Ying walked gracefully into the hall and sat down in the empty seat opposite Master Xue.
"Fourth Master Xue, are you still going to eat today?"
When asked by the two, Cui Ying smiled and gave an irrelevant answer.
"Haha, I haven't yet congratulated Fellow Daoist Cui on his breakthrough. It seems this meal has come at just the right time!"
After a brief moment of shock, Xie Qing was the first to recover. He chuckled and smoothed things over before calling out to Xue Changye, who had been standing outside the hall:
"Changye, quickly tell Xiuniang to instruct the kitchen to serve the dishes."
"Okay, Dad."
Cui Ying glanced at Xue Changye, whose expression was respectful, and then, recalling the young female cultivator in the purplish-blue dress from earlier, couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Judging from what the village chief is saying, you and Master Xue are related by marriage?"
"Haha, that's right."
Xie Qing glanced at the unmoving Master Xue and readily nodded.
Seeing this, Cui Ying's eyes flickered with a slight smile, but she said nothing. After the three of them were seated, their expressions became somewhat subtle.
They had initially thought Cui Ying was still the same Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator, but now that her cultivation level was on par with theirs, they had no choice but to be cautious.
After the maid, dressed in a light purple silk skirt, brought up the wine and dishes with several trembling servants, Master Xue finally broke the silence. His sharp eyes looked at Taxue, who stood at Cui Ying's feet, and he asked thoughtfully:
"Fellow Daoist Cui, the reason I had Changye invite you to this banquet today is to ask where that demonic dog beside you came from?"
"Found it in Thundercloud City."
"Picked it up?"
After whispering something to Cui Ying, Master Xue finally smiled and said:
"Fellow Daoist Cui, I see you haven't signed a contract with this demonic dog yet. Why don't you sell it to me, Xue?"
Cui Ying frowned slightly, recalling the look in Master Xue's eyes when he looked at Ta Xue that night, and immediately said without any politeness:
"Master Xue, don't even think about taking my Ta Xue, it's not for sale!"
"Not selling?"
Master Xue was not angry; instead, he continued to ask:
"How about I trade with you? I have some resources, so you can choose whatever you like, Fellow Daoist Cui."
"Don't change!"
Without any hesitation, Cui Ying shook her head and refused.
"Ugh"
Still unwilling to give up, Master Xue wanted to say something more, but seeing Cui Ying's narrowed phoenix eyes and expressionless, cold demeanor, he could only purse his lips and say with some disappointment:
"Fellow Daoist Cui, you may have heard that my ancestors were outer disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, and my family has some minor skills in taming beasts. They were also eager to hunt your demonic dog. Since you are unwilling, then just pretend I never said anything."
Hearing this, Cui Ying raised an eyebrow and simply nodded calmly. Just then, Xie Qing, who was beside her, suddenly spoke up and asked:
"Fellow Daoist Cui, if I may be so bold as to ask, was your master also the skill of cultivating spiritual herbs in your family?"
Even without Xie Qing asking, Cui Ying knew the purpose of their invitation to the banquet. They simply wanted to find out about her sect and get information from her about cultivating spiritual herbs.
Cui Ying frowned slightly at first, then smiled and said jokingly:
"Fourth Master Xue, did you invite me to your house for dinner, or what?"
"hehe."
Upon hearing this, even though Xie Qinggui was the village chief, he quickly explained:
“Fellow Daoist Cui, it’s because I’ve seen your cultivation becoming increasingly profound, the new house you’ve built in Fengxi Ridge, and the marriage you’ve formed with the Gu family. Meanwhile, there are still many cultivators in our village who are worried about their families’ land rent every day. So I thought I’d ask if I could teach them how to grow spiritual herbs.”
Upon hearing Xie Qing's words, Cui Ying simply turned her head and looked at him with a half-smile, saying:
"Village chief, are you asking this on behalf of the struggling cultivators in the village, or are you asking it for yourselves?"
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Cui, you jest. You know the situation in our Shuangling Village, don't you want things to get better for our village?"
Xie Qing said with a big smile, as if he genuinely cared about the independent cultivators in the village.
"Humph."
Cui Ying snorted coldly and said directly:
"Village Chief Xie, all the cultivators in the village have witnessed how my cultivation level has gradually increased. If they want to learn from me, they can simply go and become my disciples."
After saying that, Cui Ying glanced at the two people who were looking at each other, and said with considerable disdain:
"I've been to Senior Gu's house several times, but why have they never caught me asking these questions? Or asking me to teach them my planting secrets to others?"
Xie Qing and Fourth Master Xie were speechless upon hearing this. Gu Qinghong is practically your father now, he certainly wouldn't bother asking you about it.
However, seeing that Cui Ying had already brought up the Gu family, whose status was extremely low, Xie Qing could only quickly wave his hand and laugh:
"Never mind, since Fellow Daoist Cui doesn't want to talk about it, let's not bring it up."
"What do you mean, 'let it go'?!"
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Cui Ying abruptly stood up, her face filled with anger, and said:
"If I asked Master Xue to teach me how to hunt monsters and how to control them, would he be willing?"
"Beast taming is a secret passed down only within the Xue family, and you are of the Xue family bloodline, so why should I teach it to you!"
Master Xue, who was standing next to him, immediately glared and said.
"Yeah!"
Cui Ying nodded and said:
"These kinds of secret techniques are always passed down only to the closest blood relatives. Village Chief Xie, aren't you asking me to reveal them for no reason?!"
"If you ask me, village chief, you're very good at making talismans, so why don't you pass on your talisman-making experience to the children in the village?"
"Hahaha~ It's Xie's fault for being so offensive. Let's not talk about it anymore, let's eat."
At this point, Xie Qing finally realized that he wouldn't get anything out of her, so he simply laughed it off and started eating.
I thought that even if Cui Ying had a mysterious master behind her, she was still young. With Master Xue and myself, two experts at the seventh level of Qi Refining, here to keep things under control, we would surely be able to get some useful information out of her.
But the truth is, she was not confused at all, and did not have the composure that a young girl who had just come of age should have. No wonder she was valued by a reclusive master.