Stay Here

Yuzhou City.

By the deep pool that hadn't been visited in a long time.

Chu Xingchen smiled warmly as he praised the visibly nervous Ning Qianqian:

"Apologies for the delay in my trip to the Central Continent. I’ve inspected both the inner and outer affairs of the sect—you’ve worked hard during this time."

Ning Qianqian quickly shook her head. "It was just my duty. I don’t deserve such praise from the sect leader."

Chu Xingchen chuckled. "Completing one’s tasks flawlessly is already quite impressive."

Ning Qianqian seemed about to say something but glanced at the stone table and chairs by the pool before falling silent.

Beside the pool, Chen Baiqing sat with candied fruits and books laid out on the table. On the other side, the Green Snake was staring wide-eyed at the text before it, as though trying to carve every character into its mind.

Bizarre! Absolutely bizarre!

How could someone so adorable be so ruthless?!

This girl was the embodiment of nightmares, the incarnation of terror!

If it forgot a single character, the girl would manipulate its body in incomprehensible ways, contorting it into the shape of that very character.

That haunting phrase still echoed in its mind: If your brain can’t remember, then let your body learn instead.

And if it failed to grasp the meaning of a word, sudden hallucinations would descend, forcing the Green Snake to experience the term firsthand until it was seared into memory.

Of course, these hallucinations were far from a gentle tutor’s review session.

At the very least, the Green Snake now had an indelible understanding of words like wind, water, fire, and thunder.

It knew all too well what it meant to be unable to open its mouth, to gasp for air, to burn in agony, or to writhe in paralyzing numbness.

At first, it had assumed that spine-chilling aura came from Chu Xingchen—after all, the man’s cultivation was unfathomably profound.

But to its shock, the true source was none other than the seemingly sweet and docile Chen Baiqing.

Was this really about teaching a snake to read?

Or was it just an elaborate way to acquaint it with the Encyclopedia of Torture?

As for thoughts of rebellion… the moment the Green Snake caught sight of Chen Baiqing’s gentle smile, all resistance evaporated.

This person… probably had zero sympathy for anything that wasn’t human.

With no other choice, the most comfortable option was to study like its life depended on it. Read furiously! Read until its eyes bled!

Because if it didn’t, it would get to experience the thrilling alternative—learning through near-death enlightenment.

"I’ll test you on what I just taught in a moment," Chen Baiqing said, lifting her gaze to the Green Snake. "If you fail, don’t worry. I’ll just teach you again—more carefully."

The Green Snake said nothing, its tail flicking anxiously as it buried itself in the book.

It still didn’t understand why a snake needed to read in the first place.

Ning Qianqian watched the once-proud Green Snake now desperately cramming like a scholar on the eve of imperial exams and could only sigh in silence.

Chu Xingchen’s eyes shifted toward them, his tone calm as he remarked, "No need to rush so much."

The Green Snake’s eyes lit up with hope—and disbelief.

Chu Xingchen continued, "You can continue the lessons properly once we reach the Central Continent."

Chen Baiqing nodded obediently. "Understood, Master."

The Green Snake’s expression twisted into a mix of joy and despair.

Good news: it had a temporary reprieve.

Bad news: the nightmare would resume eventually.

Chu Xingchen turned his attention back to the spirit fish frolicking in the pool.

This return trip had yielded an unexpected boon.

Having been in this world for so long, he knew true immortal cultivation talent was vanishingly rare. Most prodigies were either already snapped up by major sects or had long since become renowned experts.

After scouring far and wide, only four individuals had ever earned his system’s recognition.

This time, however, the system had surprisingly granted him an additional slot—one it acknowledged.

The Green Snake’s role was clear: a guardian spirit beast in training.

Since the snake had pledged loyalty rather than sought discipleship, it made sense to invest effort in its growth—even if it wouldn’t be counted among his formal disciples.

As for the system’s other reward, the Mountain-Sea Ark… unsurprisingly, it was just a blueprint.

A single glance at the intricate schematics told Chu Xingchen this wasn’t a one-man project.

So far, the system had only ever given two tangible rewards: that egg and Wanban.

Thus, he’d already braced himself for the ark being a design draft. Disappointment wasn’t really part of the equation.

What can you do? The system’s always been stingy.

This time, Chu Xingchen had only brought Chen Baiqing back to Yuzhou City. It wasn’t that others hadn’t wanted to return—Cui Hao had also hoped to visit home. But how could a mere fifth junior brother defy the authority of the third senior sister?

A single glance from her had crushed his resolve.

Left behind, he could only focus on preparing for the establishment of a branch sect in Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge.

The purpose of this return was simple: pack up and prepare to relocate.

Since the move to the Central Continent was decided, reliable personnel had to be reassigned. Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun, after all, had experience in sect construction—especially Ning Kun, whose expertise as a foreman made him invaluable.

Such talent had to be mobilized to Ten Thousand Flowers Ridge to contribute to the new branch.

Everything of value would be taken along—including the precious spirit jade from this very pool.

The spirit plants that could be taken on the long journey, along with the books Lin Luoyu wished to bring back, the stone table and chairs Chen Baiqing favored, and the little secrets hidden under Cui Hao’s bed—these were all packed away.

Naturally, there were things that couldn’t be taken—the grand hall built here, the deep pool where they once roasted fish, two at a time.

The game area Li Yingling had personally designed, every corner brimming with memories.

Though there was some reluctance, Chu Xingchen wasn’t overly distressed.

After all, memories would keep moving forward, not remain stagnant in one place.

Better stories and deeper bonds would eventually overshadow this fleeting sorrow—looking back, this reluctance would likely seem trivial in the future.

Chu Xingchen accepted everything before him with ease, knowing that all was progressing toward something greater.

"Take what you wish to bring, and let’s prepare for the journey to the Central Continent," Chu Xingchen said with a smile to Ning Qianqian. "This time, I’ll have to trouble you all again."

Ning Qianqian quickly shook her head, then hesitated before asking,

"And this place… who will the sect leader entrust it to?"

In her heart, she was reluctant. She had nurtured spirit plants here for years, grown familiar with every detail, and come to regard it as a true home.

Every little thing here was hard to part with.

Yet when duty called, Ning Qianqian would set aside these attachments.

She understood that the sect was her real home, not this place.

Still, she wanted to know who would take over.

"Let it remain as it is for now."

Chu Xingchen had already considered potential candidates before arriving, but none stood out as particularly suitable.

Rather than filling the role haphazardly, it was better to leave it unattended for the time being.

In Yuzhou City, Chu Xingchen’s sect held a reputable standing, so he wasn’t concerned about anyone daring to cause trouble.

Moreover, the Xuanwu Kingdom’s Demon Suppression Bureau could occasionally patrol the perimeter, and the mountain-protecting formation remained in place.

All that was needed was to redirect the spirit-gathering formation to sustain the mountain-protecting formation’s operation and set up an alert in case of any attacks.

"How about… letting me stay here?"

Green Snake ventured the suggestion.

At this point, even wandering the wilds seemed preferable to enduring Chen Baiqing’s relentless studies.

If staying here was an option…

Chu Xingchen said nothing, merely casting a glance toward Chen Baiqing.

Understanding the unspoken command, Chen Baiqing nodded and reached out, her small hand clamping onto Green Snake’s head.