Stupid Master Yo

When Li Shiyin came out from the research building, she saw Qin Ran holding a hoe, digging the ground by the riverbank, right next to that patch of lush unrecognizable grass.

She walked over and asked from across the river, "Master, what are you planting?"

"Planting some Crane Crown Immortal Grass..." Qin Ran replied briefly, put down the hoe, took out a porcelain bottle from his Universe Bag, shook it and poured out a few milky white seeds with black dots. He spread them out to show Li Shiyin and explained, "These are Crane Crown Immortal Grass seeds. They are expensive. Just this one bottle has less than fifty seeds but costs ten low-grade Spirit Stones."

Li Shiyin knew Spirit Stones were precious. They were basically impossible to find in the mortal world. The fact that just a few seeds cost ten Spirit Stones surprised her. She asked again, "What is this Crane Crown Immortal Grass used for? Is it very valuable?"

"Crane Crown Immortal Grass. When mature, the tips of the grass bend down and turn white, looking like a crane's head, very beautiful," Qin Ran answered. "It is one of the three main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishing Pill, so naturally very precious."

"Foundation Establishing Pill?"

"Some cultivators are not talented and may be unable to build their foundations. Foundation Establishing Pill greatly increases their chances of doing so." Qin Ran patiently explained.

Li Shiyin nodded. She pointed at the lush grass next to Qin Ran and asked, "What immortal grass is this then?"

Qin Ran's expression changed almost imperceptibly as he glanced over. He replied, "This is Awaken Spirit Grass."

"What is Awaken Spirit Grass used for?"

"Awaken Spirit Grass..." Awaken Spirit Grass was used to refine Soul Fusion Pill, but Qin Ran didn't say that. He only said, "Awaken Spirit Grass is very good for one's soul."

"Oh!" Li Shiyin didn't notice Qin Ran's strange behavior. She smiled and said, "So immortal grass is planted like this too. My father plants flowers the same way at home."

"Don't think too highly of immortal grass. For example, Awaken Spirit Grass doesn't have high requirements for the environment and can indeed be planted like this," Qin Ran casually explained. He squatted down, planted a Crane Crown Immortal Grass seed in the hole he just dug, and further explained to Li Shiyin, "This is something I made specially, let's just call it Spirit Water for now. I extracted nutrients that plants need into the water along with Spirit Stones."

After putting away the "Spirit Water", he smiled and said, "I'm just experimenting to see if I can grow immortal grass with just Spirit Water and without Spirit Soil.

Master is so knowledgeable! So amazing! So incredible! Li Shiyin yelled in admiration in her heart once again.

"Right..." Qin Ran stood up, lightly covered the seed with soil using the hoe, and asked Li Shiyin as he did so, "How much have you read of the book I gave you yesterday?"

Li Shiyin's admiration immediately disappeared. She looked away awkwardly.

Seeing her reaction, Qin Ran naturally understood. He didn't pursue the issue further. After covering the seed with soil, he stuck the hoe into the ground nearby and went to the river to wash his hands.

"If you don't understand meridian pathways, acupoint locations, naturally you won't be able to cultivate..." He soaked his hands in the cool river water and said, "I mean you won't be able to cultivate, not that you can't concoct pills. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Can't concoct pills? Can't cultivate?" Li Shiyin didn't understand and shook her head.

Qin Ran sighed inwardly, thinking he had accepted an idiot apprentice. Why did he feel like she was a aloof goddess yesterday? After just one day, her stupidity was making him collapse.

He patiently explained, "If you can't cultivate, perhaps you can sense the qi in your body, the spiritual qi between heaven and earth, but you won't be able to mobilize them! You don't understand any of this?"

"But Master..." Looking at Qin Ran's expression of collapse and speechlessness, Li Shiyin didn't dare speak loudly. She said softly, "I can already mobilize the innate qi in my body."

"Huh?" Qin Ran was surprised, thinking he had misheard. He then felt Li Shiyin was lying to him and really got angry. "Tell me, how do you mobilize the qi between heaven and earth?"

"Just...like the book said, take the Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture, press the tongue to the palate, close the eyes, direct your consciousness from the space between the eyebrows to the body and limbs, imagine you can feel qi flowing, just like that..." Li Shiyin weakly replied. She closed her eyes as if mobilizing the innate qi in her body, "There really is a stream of qi flowing in my body, starting from, Master said, the qi sea, to here..." She pointed at her left ribs, "to Tanzhong acupoint, then to my left hand..."

She pointed out for Qin Ran one by one, entering from the left hand, exiting from the left hand, entering from the right hand, exiting from the right hand, and finally returning to the qi sea, a perfect cycle.

Seeing Li Shiyin's manner, Qin Ran realized she was probably not lying and had indeed started cultivating. He immediately crossed the river to her side and unceremoniously grabbed her wrist to carefully examine. He discovered there really was a flow of qi moving in her body according to the basic cultivation technique's flow path.

He opened his eyes wide in disbelief and asked, "You... Have you cultivated before or..."

"Master, didn't you give me the Basic Cultivation Technique last night?" Looking at her wrist grabbed by Qin Ran, Li Shiyin didn't know what she was thinking. She said, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I practiced following the book. Then I had that qi sensation and guided it to flow in my body, just like the diagrams in the book, very simple. Master, you said I wouldn't be able to cultivate without knowing about meridians and acupoints, so I was a little scared... Did I practice wrongly and would deviate?"

"No...no..." Qin Ran let go of Li Shiyin's hand, starting to doubt life. "You didn't practice wrongly. You did very well. After you open the Ren and Du Channels and sense the spiritual qi between heaven and earth, you can condense qi cyclones and start building your foundation."

Li Shiyin clearly knew nothing about meridians and acupoints. How could she so smoothly gain a qi sensation and mobilize the qi flow so correctly? He didn't really understand. Could it be that this apprentice was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, appearing to be silly but actually very crafty?

"Master..." Just as he was doubting life and doubting Li Shiyin, she suddenly called him again.

He looked over expressionlessly.

Li Shiyin lowered her head and softly asked, "Master, can you concoct pills to prolong life and increase longevity?"

"I haven't concocted any before," Qin Ran truthfully replied. The materials for such longevity pills were generally very expensive. He couldn't afford them.

"Oh!" Li Shiyin sounded a little disappointed.

Seeing her reaction, Qin Ran inexplicably added, "But I have studied them before. If I have a pill formula and materials, I believe I can also concoct them."

"Really?" Li Shiyin instantly became happy again.

"Really."

"Then..." Taking advantage of her courage, Li Shiyin continued asking, "If I practice the sword, do I have to go to Sword Peak?"

Qin Ran's heart stirred upon hearing this. He looked at Li Shiyin and saw her pair of bright eyes staring expectantly at him.

"If..." But he still replied, "If you want to achieve more in the sword, it's best to go to Sword Peak. I cultivate pill dao after all."

"Oh..."