Chapter 15: Kunwu Ancestor

When Tang Yue suddenly heard someone speak, she was startled, but she had read enough novels to recognize this might be a "chance encounter with a hidden expert" trope. So, she responded like the characters in those stories: "Junior has trespassed unknowingly. I didn't realize a senior was present. I apologize for the disturbance and beg your pardon."

"Why are you talking so stiff and formal, little girl? Are you Tang Wenhua's kid? He was never such a prissy one," said the elderly voice as its owner walked out from the bamboo grove.

Tang Yue got a good look at the old man's figure, but she still wanted to keep playing her role. After all, this hidden-expert scenario was too fun to end so soon. "Replying to senior, my father is indeed Tang Wenhua. May I ask for your name and relationship, so that I won't be disrespectful should we meet again?"

"Just speak normally. I'm your great-grandfather's junior martial brother—you can call me Ancestor-Master." Ancestor of Kunwu stroked his long beard. He was thinking: Shui Yingrou was always a straightforward woman, how did she end up with such a flowery-speaking daughter? The girl had been so normal during that whole debate earlier.

"Alright then. Ancestor-Master, are you here especially to check on us juniors during our field training? You're such a caring and considerate elder."

She recalled that Kunwu City indeed had such an ancestor in residence. His name was Gongbo Feihong, from the hidden Gongbo clan. He had reached the ninth stage of the Spirit Void Realm—half a step into the Mahayana Realm—a truly formidable cultivation. It was because of him that Kunwu City hadn't been annexed by any of the major sects of Liuzhou.

It was said that this Ancestor didn't bother with mundane matters and focused solely on cultivation. He had followed his senior brother to the Kunwu mining region long ago, helping establish the city and its sects. In gratitude for his senior brother's care, he remained in Kunwu City even after Tang Yue's great-grandfather passed, continuing to serve as the sect protector and elder of the city. Though he had a residence at the City Lord's Mansion, he preferred his cave dwelling in the mountains—though there were tunnels that linked both places for easy travel.

"I'm not so free as to babysit a bunch of Foundation and Qi Refining juniors. I just came to pick some flowers to brew wine. That shovel of yours looks pretty handy. Lend it to me for a bit."

Tang Yue had no reason to refuse and handed over the shovel. Soon, he had dug up nearly a hundred orchid plants—entire stalks that could all be used for winemaking. Every part of the orchid in Lanquan Ravine was useful.

Once he had enough for two jars of wine, the Ancestor stopped, saying, "Thank you. Do you want anything in return?"

Tang Yue knew this was indeed the "reward from an expert" moment. She replied, "It's an honor to be of help, Ancestor-Master. I shouldn't ask for anything—but I also don't want to hurt your kind intentions by refusing."

The old man thought, I'm really not that kindhearted, though.

"Ancestor-Master, I've heard your swordsmanship is peerless. If I could just learn one or two moves from you, it would benefit me greatly for life!"

Ancestor Kunwu felt like the girl was reciting lines from an old play again. "Greatly benefit your whole life? You're exaggerating. Let me see a few of your moves first so I can gauge your skill."

Tang Yue had only learned a few practical sword techniques from her senior brothers and sisters—her real skill was mediocre. But now that she was in full "roleplaying" mode, she had to commit. So, she performed a set of Seven Star Sword moves combined with those she'd picked up from her seniors.

The Ancestor took a deep breath after watching. "Not bad. Keep at it. Here, I've got some Body-Tempering Pills suitable for Qi Refining cultivators. They're mild and will strengthen your physique and bones." He handed her a jade bottle.

Alright then, sword training could come later. The Body-Tempering Pills were more practical for her current level. "Thank you, Ancestor-Master."

"Good, you keep working hard. I'm going to check out the other areas."

"Then I look forward to your next sword lesson, Ancestor-Master!"

Gongbo Feihong didn't refuse, but added, "Practice more. There's a Sword Cavern in the City Lord's Mansion that contains sword formations infused with countless sword techniques. You can go study there."

This was the first time Tang Yue had heard of such a thing—likely because Shui Yingrou hadn't told her yet, thinking she wasn't ready.

"Thank you, Ancestor-Master."

Later, Tang Yue and her team split up to follow different Foundation Establishment seniors. Since their collection efficiency was so high, acting separately allowed them to avoid overlap and improve overall output.

As Tang Yue gathered materials, she gradually wandered farther out. Suddenly, she felt a jolt in her gut—the scent of blood hit her. She instantly dodged sideways, just as a striped saber-toothed tiger lunged past her, narrowly missing.

The tiger turned and attacked again. Tang Yue didn't hesitate. She drew her short sword and stabbed into the left side of the tiger's neck, rolling with the momentum to its right. The tiger, enraged but not yet weakened, roared and pounced again.

This short reprieve gave her time to pull out an offensive talisman. She threw it at the tiger, and it exploded with stored spiritual energy. The beast had no time to dodge—it was killed instantly, its corpse thrown by the blast.

Tang Yue walked over and pulled her sword from the body.

Good thing she'd brought a mid-grade magic weapon and talismans. If she hadn't, she would've died here today. Lanquan Ravine was supposed to contain only low-level monsters, with power equivalent to Foundation Establishment cultivators. But this tiger was at the Core Formation stage—clearly an assassination attempt.

She didn't bother guessing who sent it. It had to be those from Zixiao Palace. She had already chosen to stand against them. The only difference was—they used backhanded tricks, while she struck openly.

From his hiding spot, Meng Yangxing was heartbroken. That Earth-grade talisman he'd used—wasted. Tang Yue had casually countered it with an even higher-grade weapon. Getting revenge on her would be no easy feat. These "privileged noble cultivators" were too hateful, flaunting all the gear their parents gave them.

He conveniently forgot how often he himself relied on family resources to crush others.

Two days later, the Qi Refining observation activity came to an end. The whole event lasted three days and two nights—any longer and it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

While other teams barely filled a single storage pouch, Tang Yue's team collected over ten full bags of materials. While monster parts only made up a small portion, the rest were all spiritual stones, grasses, and flowers with even a trace of energy.

The supervising Core Formation cultivators were a bit concerned—had Tang Yue's team picked the entire ravine clean of even the trash materials? Still, they also brought in the most beast parts, especially since Tang Yue herself had killed a few small ones, including that Core Formation tiger.

She hadn't overdone it—except for the tiger incident, she used only Yellow-grade tools. She just wanted to win first place, not completely wipe the place out.

During the material tally, Tang Wan came over. "Sister, your team collected far more than any other. Why don't you share some with the other teams, so everyone can benefit? Wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

Tang Yue frowned, about to respond, but this time, it was Shang Fangling who spoke up first. "Tang Wan, the rankings exist so that cultivators can compete and prove their strength. How could we just divide the rewards?"

"Besides, when cultivators go on missions, rewards are always split by contribution. If everyone got equal rewards regardless of effort, who would bother to work hard next time?"

Tang Wan looked a bit aggrieved, especially with Shang Fangling—normally serious and respected among peers—now opposing her. "I just thought it'd make everyone happy…"

Even Chu Tianshu didn't support her this time. "No. Cultivators are meant to fight against the heavens, to compete with each other. If we can't even handle this little contest, how will we survive in the greater world?"

Tang Wan said no more. What she cared about most was Chu Tianshu's opinion of her.

Tang Yue thought to herself that next time she went out, she really needed to check the almanac. Being on the same outing as the heroine was exhausting. If they would just openly target her, fine—but they always had to be performative about it, constantly dragging her into their drama. It was beyond annoying.

When the material tally concluded, her team indeed ranked first. Each member received a trial token for the Kunwu Minor Secret Realm. Once they reached Foundation Establishment, they could use it to enter the realm and cultivate.

Within teams, individual members also ranked based on contribution. Although only the top team earned secret realm tokens, every participant could choose rewards based on how much they had contributed.

The more you collected, the earlier you got to pick. Tang Yue was first in her team, since she not only gathered materials but also killed beasts—including that Core Formation tiger, which counted heavily toward her score.

Before she made her selection, Yue Yanling approached, "Tang-shimei, Shang-shijie, could I ask for that golden orchid? I need it to make Foundation Establishment pills, and you two probably don't need such rare herbs..."

Tang Yue replied, "I won't choose the golden orchid. Shang-shijie?"

Shang Fangling, who was next to pick, smiled. "I don't need it either. Go ahead, Yue-shimei."

Yue Yanling breathed a sigh of relief. She was only two steps from Foundation Establishment and had been considering risking Lanquan Ravine to get that golden orchid for her pills. Now she had what she needed—she could afford the rest.

Tang Yue picked the tiger pelt and its demon core—easily the best items of the batch. She planned to make a coat for Shui Yingrou with the pelt, and the demon core could be refined into a pill to boost cultivation.

Shang Fangling chose some high-grade herbs to take back for alchemy. Little Shidi picked up some pretty spiritual grasses and a multicolored low-grade spirit crystal—probably left behind by a spiritual creature. He just liked how it looked and kept it as a souvenir. He didn't really need any of the useful stuff.