Chapter 136: Three Treasures Complete, Altering One’s Fate
Fang Shu fell silent. He looked at the clauses on the contract, hesitating in his heart whether to take only the spiritual root cultivation method and not the tribulation spiritual materials, to reduce Senior Sister Fang Lu’s risk.
Senior Sister Fang Lu seemed to see through his thoughts and sent a gentle transmission:
“Choose boldly! Planting a spiritual root involves the theory of three treasures: cultivation method, materials, and location. Although that place of mine works, it’s too chaotic with many visitors and not quiet enough for you to enter seclusion.
You’ve already missed one of your three treasures, and afterward you’ll only be able to undergo tribulation in a menial laborer’s quiet room. You can’t miss the remaining two.
Otherwise, if you’re lacking spiritual materials for nourishment and haphazardly use ordinary items to plant your spiritual root, you’ll just be wasting potential. The resulting spiritual root, even if it allows refining qi, would be mediocre at best, without any marvels, let alone comparable to a true spiritual root.”
Hearing this advice, Fang Shu immediately let go of the idea of “saving.” Since she was willing to provide such financial support, he would accept it.
Moreover, as she said, for immortal cultivators, refining qi and undergoing tribulation is a crucial pass even more important than entering the Dao. If he could prepare perfectly, he should!
Being stingy at this moment would just be petty.
“I’ll listen to Senior Sister.” Fang Shu nodded to Fang Lu, but he then turned to the Treasure Hall attendant and spoke:
“Besides the spiritual root cultivation method and spiritual materials, does your hall have superior spiritual lands or quiet rooms to assist with tribulation?”
The Treasure Hall attendant smiled: “Of course we do, but that would require rewriting the contract, and the two of you would need to agree to some additional terms.”
Fang Lu, watching from the side, showed no surprise and instead gave Fang Shu an extra glance, thinking to herself: “Since this child has such ambition, and I’ve already brought him here, I might as well see it through.”
But the next moment, Fang Shu spoke to the attendant:
“No need for such trouble. As for the spiritual materials, I don’t need your hall to provide spiritual root materials—just some auxiliary materials will do.
For the spiritual land, at most I’ll use it for three months. And for a quiet room that suits me, no matter how good it is, it probably can’t compare to the other two treasures, right?”
“Only three months…” The attendant pondered for a moment, gave Fang Shu an extra glance, and slowly nodded.
Then, the three negotiated further, and Fang Shu and Senior Sister Fang Lu both signed and sealed.
After the seals were completed successfully, the corresponding cultivation method, materials, and spirit chamber weren’t immediately ready—they still needed approval from the Jin Family manager of Treasure Hall. But with Senior Sister Fang Lu’s guarantee, it was no issue; in fact, the Jin Family welcomed it.
Thus, both sides directly agreed that Fang Shu would return the next day to select the cultivation method and immediately enter seclusion.
With everything settled, the sister and brother left Treasure Hall, mounted the spirit deer again, and leisurely headed back to Senior Sister Fang Lu’s hermitage.
On the way, Senior Sister Fang Lu took the initiative to say:
“Come find me tomorrow. Although the Jin Family has always been reputable, it’s still best for sister to review the spiritual root cultivation method and materials to avoid any mistakes.”
This was prudent advice, and Fang Shu immediately nodded in agreement: “I’ll listen to Elder Sister.”
Hearing the words “Elder Sister,” a smile appeared on Fang Lu’s face.
She turned her head to size up Fang Shu and finally couldn’t hold back her curiosity: “Little Junior Brother, you don’t want spiritual root materials—have you already prepared them yourself?”
Fang Shu no longer hid it and nodded as she said.
Just as he was wondering whether to reveal that the spiritual root materials he planned to use were dragon seeking gold worms, Senior Sister Fang Lu timely changed the topic and didn’t ask further.
She said: “Nailing down three months was a smart move—much smarter than I was back then.
For planting a spiritual root, remember not to rush. Comprehending the cultivation method also takes time.
Even if your hundred-day deadline is down to half a day, if you hide in that spirit chamber, no one can drag you out. Any punishment would come after seclusion ends, and if you succeed in refining qi, there’ll be no problem at all.”
Seeing that Senior Sister Fang Lu understood his little scheme from just one sentence, a smile appeared on Fang Shu’s face too.
As they chatted idly, Senior Sister Fang Lu recalled some experiences from when she planted her spiritual root and began sharing her insights.
Fang Shu listened to his senior sister’s chatter all the way while holding her, riding the deer back to the hermitage.
The spirit deer used its antlers to push open the door, carrying the two to the bed and seat before setting them down.
Senior Sister Fang Lu hopped down. She looked around her hermitage and suddenly said:
“Shu-ge, why don’t you come here first to polish your cultivation for the next ten days or half a month before going into seclusion for tribulation? The more days you can polish, the better.
Although my place here is noisy and not suitable for seclusion, this hermitage was something I took out a loan for. Not only is the location excellent and convenient for travel, but the spiritual energy is also abundant.
This place even has many formations for calming the mind and nourishment, and plenty of regular customers come often because of them to patronize me.”
Fang Shu listened and couldn’t help but reexamine this ethereal hermitage.
He suddenly realized: no wonder the setup here was so exquisite—it even had formations, an important means for Senior Sister Fang to attract customers.
But he hadn’t expected that Senior Sister Fang was not only an in-the-room immortal cultivator selling herself as a cauldron but also a mortgage slave.
After pondering, Fang Shu politely declined his senior sister’s suggestion:
“Thank you for your kind intentions, sister. For polishing, little brother is already prepared. For planting the spiritual root and undergoing tribulation, the key is to do it in one go—it’s best if I enter seclusion quickly.”
Hearing this, Fang Lu didn’t interject further.
After more small talk, night had fallen.
Fang Shu thought it was time for him to leave. He gave Fang Lu a deep bow again and said seriously:
“Today’s kindness, Shu will remember in his heart!”
Senior Sister Fang Lu smiled at him and said:
“You’re quite like me back then, kid. When I received Senior Brother’s help, I was just as flustered and timid as you, afraid he’d look down on me.
But you’re more promising than I was, and luckier too. I had no skills, so I relied on Senior Brother’s protection, scraping by among the menial laborers for two years before preparing for refining qi.”
“Senior Brother?” Fang Shu’s heart stirred upon hearing this.
This was the second time he’d heard the term “Senior Brother” from someone else—the first was at Du Gu Guan.
Senior Sister Fang Lu didn’t elaborate, just saying: “Remember to come find me tomorrow.” Then she saw Fang Shu out.
Once Fang Shu left and his figure disappeared, the woman paced back into her painstakingly managed hermitage.
Looking at the empty room and no longer hearing her cheap little junior brother’s voice, she suddenly felt a bit lonely.
Her gaze flickered as she muttered to herself:
“It’s rare for the hall to produce another gu technique prodigy like Senior Brother—good character too, and he knows to repay kindness… I wonder if Old Woman’s actions this time can earn some opportunity for the future and change my fate.”
It turned out her willingness to bet so heavily wasn’t just because of sect ties, but because she saw the qualities of an old acquaintance in Fang Shu, as well as an opportunity.
But then Fang Lu smiled bitterly, shaking her head in self-mockery: “Forget it. I just hope this child doesn’t turn out as useless as me, disappointing Senior Brother’s heart. In the future… as long as we can support each other.”
A sigh rose in the hermitage:
“In this world, in this temple, it’s truly hard to get by alone.”
After a brief lament, Fang Lu composed herself, removed her daoist robe, and took off her fish tail golden crown.
Bare and graceful, she walked from the hall to the room, took out light gauze seductive clothes, changed into them skillfully, and went out to remove the “no guests” sign.
Though something unexpected came up today, business couldn’t be delayed—in her line of work, idle hands meant no income, and any shortfall had to be made up quickly.
Besides, nighttime was prime time for business.
On the other side.
Fang Shu quietly returned to his stone house.
Back at Toad Mudflat, the spiritual energy that once amazed him now seemed mediocre compared to Senior Sister Fang Lu’s hermitage.
This made him even more anticipatory of the spirit chamber in the Jin Family’s Treasure Hall.
Now, with the three treasures of wealth, method, and location all settled, planting the spiritual root and undergoing tribulation was imminent. Even with his composure, his heart raced.
But Fang Shu didn’t show it outwardly or gloat. He quietly tidied up in the stone house, entered his small stone house, and silently waited for dawn.
The next day at dawn, he moved the stone slab, crawled out of the small stone house, and finally could enter seclusion to attempt tribulation!
