Has the Spirit Stone Been Resolved

To thrive in the world of cultivation, a silver tongue is indispensable.

When one's cultivation level falls short, emotional intelligence must bridge the gap.

Chu Xingchen's face bore a smile as warm as a spring breeze:

"You're too modest. After speaking with you, I can see that your demeanor and speech exude the grace of a noble."

Just as the young lady was about to engage further, Chu Xingchen suddenly turned his gaze toward Li Xingtian, who was approaching him.

Chu Xingchen stood up abruptly. His disciple was known for being utterly absorbed in cultivation.

If he ventured out, it was surely for a reason.

Li Xingtian took two steps forward, glanced at the courtesan, and whispered to his master:

"Senior Sister mentioned that a cold but strikingly beautiful woman came to the door asking if you lived here. I wonder if she's your enemy."

A cold woman?

Chu Xingchen's eyes lit up instantly—it had to be Yaoqin.

He hadn’t expected her to come in person; he thought she would send her maid, Ling, to fetch him.

Chu Xingchen sighed in relief. "It's fine. She's an acquaintance. Let's head back together."

The courtesan, seeing Chu Xingchen about to leave without a second thought, grew anxious. It wasn’t often she encountered such a celestial-like man.

Her fondness compelled her to speak up: "Young master, my name is Wan Yun. May I know yours?"

Chu Xingchen paused mid-step, glanced back, and with a hint of reluctance, sighed:

"We are both wanderers under the same sky; there’s no need to know each other’s names upon meeting."

With that, he turned and left without hesitation.

For Chu Xingchen, this encounter was merely an exercise in the art of persuasion, a skill he hadn’t used in a while.

It seemed he hadn’t lost his touch.

Don’t linger over me; I’m just a legend now.

Wan Yun was left standing there, clutching her pipa, murmuring softly:

"Meeting… without… knowing each other."

Unnoticed by either of them, a young man in white robes had overheard the entire exchange.

In fact, he had listened intently from start to finish.

But it was the final line that caught his attention. His eyes gleamed as he watched Chu Xingchen and Li Xingtian walk away.

A wide, unrestrained smile spread across his face as he muttered to himself, "Good, good, good…"

Chu Xingchen and Li Xingtian quickly returned to their rented courtyard.

As they approached the gate, they heard Li Yingling’s slightly ingratiating tone from inside:

"Sister, why would I lie to you?"

Yaoqin’s skeptical voice followed:

"I’ve had my doubts since you met me at the door."

Stepping inside, Chu Xingchen saw Yaoqin seated on a stone bench in the courtyard, while his senior disciple, Li Yingling, poured her tea with a smile.

Their footsteps were audible, and both Li Yingling and Yaoqin turned their gazes toward them.

Li Yingling breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her master return.

At least the visitor wasn’t here for revenge.

Yaoqin, on the other hand, shot to her feet the moment she saw Chu Xingchen. In a flash, she appeared before him and grabbed his wrist.

Her spiritual sense surged into Chu Xingchen’s body.

Chu Xingchen looked at her, puzzled, as his golden core instinctively resisted the intrusion.

"What are you doing?"

Yaoqin’s expression was icy as she replied bluntly, "Let me check!"

"...Isn’t this a bit inappropriate? There are people around."

"Then consider our agreement over!"

Under the pressure, Chu Xingchen relented, allowing Yaoqin’s spiritual sense to enter his body.

Li Yingling stared at the scene in confusion. What was going on?

Li Xingtian observed quietly, concluding it was just some trivial romantic drama.

His master was admirable, but it was a pity he hadn’t transcended such mundane matters.

Once Chu Xingchen lowered his golden core’s defenses, Yaoqin’s spiritual sense flowed in unimpeded.

Then she froze.

The spiritual energy circulating within him was pure, of the highest quality, and radiated a serene, balanced aura.

The speed at which his spiritual energy flowed and the rapid intervals at which his golden core absorbed and released energy were unmistakable signs of a top-tier golden core.

Moreover, his spiritual energy level was at least at the late-stage golden core realm.

Still, Yaoqin scrutinized carefully, ensuring there were no traces of blood energy from talismans or spirit stones. Satisfied, she released his wrist.

At least Chu Xingchen hadn’t turned to demonic cultivation. That was a fundamental issue.

Chu Xingchen asked, perplexed, "Why are you acting so strange today?"

Yaoqin handed him a talisman given to her by Zhao Wanqing. "Look at this. The blood energy in it matches the blood spirit stones you gave me."

Taking the talisman, Chu Xingchen activated it slightly, and a surge of blood energy erupted. However, this blood energy…

"Did the Demon Suppression Bureau give this to you?"

"How did you know?" Yaoqin eyed him suspiciously.

"The person they’re investigating is someone I fished out of the Yuzhou River outside the city. I saved his life."

Chu Xingchen couldn’t help but feel that no matter the world, it always felt like a chaotic mess.

How could someone he fished out of the river end up circling back to him?

"You fished him out?!" Yaoqin was incredulous.

Chu Xingchen sighed and briefly explained how he had rescued the young man from the brink of death.

Yaoqin remained silent, but Li Yingling, who had been listening intently, chimed in:

"Master, next time you go fishing, take me with you."

Li Yingling had assumed her master’s fishing was a simple, uneventful pastime.

She hadn’t expected such a story behind it.

She had thought fishing was just sitting with a rod, waiting for a bite.

But this kind of adventure sounded far more exciting than wandering the streets.

Chu Xingchen shot his senior disciple an exasperated look.

Li Yingling responded with a sheepish grin.

"Master? These two are your disciples?" Yaoqin frowned slightly.

Chu Xingchen shrugged helplessly. "Yes… two leaky cotton jackets."

"Master!" Li Yingling pouted in protest.

It was fine to call Li Xingtian a leaky jacket—he was always taciturn and seemed indifferent to his master.

But she was different. She was mostly obedient and often helped her master with tasks.

How could she be called a leaky jacket? She was more like a luxurious, 18-layer down coat!

Chu Xingchen reached out and ruffled Li Yingling’s hair as a gesture of comfort, then turned to Yaoqin:

"You didn’t come just to suspect me, did you? Did you resolve the issue with the blood spirit stones?"

Yaoqin hesitated, her icy demeanor faltering as her gaze drifted away.

Chu Xingchen understood just by looking at her expression.

So, it really hadn’t been resolved.