Forcing the Aloof Master to Madness - Chapter 26.2

However, Shen Lezhi did not know this. Upon hearing Wang Xi’s words, she genuinely intended to choose a weapon based on her preference.

She had learned the sword and intended to choose an iron sword. As she searched for a pleasing one among the many weapons, she suddenly noticed a celadon-colored watering can-like teapot.

“Oh?” Shen Lezhi couldn’t help but voice her confusion.

When she first arrived at the Mystic Armory Pavilion, she had seen many unusually shaped weapons, but she truly hadn’t expected to find something like this.

Moreover, although there were no top-tier weapons here, none of them were ordinary artifacts. Shen Lezhi reached out and took the watering can in her hand. The body of the pot was icy cold throughout, with a smooth, clear, jade-like feel.

Shen Lezhi held the pot up to Wang Xi, asking out of genuine curiosity: “Is this pot a weapon, too?”

Wang Xi paused, momentarily failing to understand why Shen Lezhi had chosen a watering can as a weapon. But facing Shen Lezhi’s expectant gaze, she still gave an explanation in a deep voice: “This is a Nine Rivers Pot (Jiuchuan Hu). It should be a practice piece left by a senior and cannot be considered a weapon.”

“Can it pour water?” To Wang Xi’s surprise, Shen Lezhi did not seem ready to put it down. She held the watering can up to her eyes and probed it with her spiritual consciousness, discovering that it actually contained ten low-grade Gourd Treasure Silk spaces inside.

Doesn’t that mean she only needs to fill one pot of spirit spring water to water all her fields?

To be honest, with the increased number of fields recently, the gourd Elder Sister Qi gave her could no longer meet her daily watering needs, requiring two round trips. Although this distance was no longer tiring for the current Shen Lezhi, it still consumed quite a bit of time in going back and forth.

Shen Lezhi already had a preference for this artifact in her heart. Even though she knew she was here to choose a weapon for combat, she tightly hugged the watering can to her chest.

She glanced at Wang Xi beside her. “Master, choosing this pot is acceptable, right?”

She asked cautiously. Coming to the Mystic Armory Pavilion to choose a watering can was truly abstract. Wang Xi’s gaze was as cold as usual, but Shen Lezhi felt like the Master was looking at her like she was an idiot.

Idiot is fine. As long as an artifact is useful, it is a good artifact.

She could find another sword later.

Wang Xi was indeed surprised that Shen Lezhi had spent all that time choosing this object. But then, thinking of Shen Lezhi’s recent devotion to planting, she felt it was reasonable amidst the absurdity.

“Then let’s go,” Wang Xi said. After a moment, seeing Shen Lezhi was determined to have the watering can, she simply took her and flew away on her sword.

“Nine Rivers” was not the unique name for this watering can. It referred to all watering cans of this shape because the spout was flattened, and when water poured out, it cascaded down like a waterfall, hence the name Nine Rivers.

Shen Lezhi heard this from True Person Hundred Herbs and also learned that while the Nine Rivers Pot only seemed to have the space of ten gourds, it could infinitely store water if the stored water was spiritual spring water containing spiritual energy.

Shen Lezhi’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She felt she had gotten a huge bargain.

True Person Hundred Herbs had called her to Herb Peak because she wanted her to refine another bottle of the low-grade trauma salve elixir with the golden energy ring. With the experience of the first time, Shen Lezhi refined it without much effort and quickly brought the elixirs to True Person Hundred Herbs to complete the task.

True Person Hundred Herbs was completely different from Wang Xi. She not only cared about Shen Lezhi’s cultivation and condition during elixir refining but also asked about Shen Lezhi’s mood.

“This is what Master took me to the Mystic Armory Pavilion to choose,” Shen Lezhi liked talking with True Person Hundred Herbs. Although the True Person appeared to be only in her thirties, she felt like a kind and gentle elderly person.

Shen Lezhi thought of her grandmother. Of course, she would not treat True Person Hundred Herbs as a substitute for her grandmother. That unreachable, unreturnable hometown was a pure land in her heart, and nothing could replace it.

It was just that True Person Hundred Herbs’ place had a simple thatched hut, fields full of spiritual plants, the air was filled with the fragrance of vegetation, and occasionally, flying birds that Shen Lezhi did not recognize flew across the sky.

True Person Hundred Herbs pulled her to sit at the entrance of the small thatched hut, cordially asking about her daily life.

All this made Shen Lezhi feel relaxed for a rare moment, and she was naturally willing to talk to True Person Hundred Herbs.

However, her words surprised True Person Hundred Herbs slightly. “Did Jiyue not prepare your natal magical artifact for you?”

In True Person Hundred Herbs’ impression, Wang Xi should have already prepared Shen Lezhi’s natal magical artifact. A white flood dragon was not easily obtained. Forging a sword with the white dragon’s demon core as a hilt decoration and its scales for the blade—when such a weapon came into the world, many people already knew about it. Coupled with Wang Xi’s reputation, everyone knew she was crafting it for her disciple.

But the matter of the Master and disciple was none of her business. True Person Hundred Herbs didn’t say much, only looking at the Nine Rivers Pot Shen Lezhi had chosen and couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Jiyue didn’t stop you?” Going to the Mystic Armory Pavilion to pick a watering can—Shen Lezhi was probably the only person in the history of the Jade Profound Sect to ever do this.

“Uh.” Shen Lezhi paused and didn’t reply.

“I truly wish I could see Jiyue’s expression at that time,” True Person Hundred Herbs grew happier the more she thought about it and couldn’t help but tease.

Shen Lezhi was speechless, feeling that this powerful figure had probably never been frozen by Wang Xi.

The Master was truly freezing! Wind and rain combined, she had been frozen for a whole day and night. In the modern era, that would be enough to turn her into a certified idiot.

She sat on the wooden stool, looking up and seeing a blue-winged bird with an orange-red crown fly past. Curious about what kind of bird it was, her gaze followed it.

Shen Lezhi finally saw the bird stop on a spiritual plant. Looking closely, she saw that not only was the feather on the top of its head orange-red, but its beak was also orange-red.

When it fluttered its wings, the orange-red and blue wings moved up and down like breathing, a sight to behold.

“This is a Double Rhombus Bird (Shuangling Niao). It feeds on the fruits of spiritual plants,” True Person Hundred Herbs waved her hand casually. The bird, which had just been perched on the spiritual plant, was instantly in her palm. “Don’t let this bird’s good looks fool you; it’s quite difficult to catch when it’s stealing fruit.”

True Person Hundred Herbs presented the Double Rhombus Bird to Shen Lezhi. The bird, restrained by True Person Hundred Herbs, appeared stressed. Its constantly fluttering wings made Shen Lezhi feel its fear without needing to probe.

Shen Lezhi pursed her lips, took the bird from True Person Hundred Herbs’ hand, lifted it up with both hands into the air, and said softly, “Let it go.”

But Shen Lezhi did not pity it. In the natural world, there is a law of the jungle. The Double Rhombus Bird eats the fruits of spiritual plants, and human cultivators catch it.

It was just a naturally formed rule of survival. No one deserved sympathy.

Shen Lezhi only thought of herself—herself restrained, herself unable to resist.

Is the weak me equally undeserving of sympathy?

Shen Lezhi suddenly felt a bit low. True Person Hundred Herbs looked at her, smiled silently, and suddenly lamented: “Jiyue encountering you is probably fate sent from heaven to put her through a trial.”

Shen Lezhi frowned upon hearing this. Although True Person Hundred Herbs’ words were a bit harsh, making her sound like some kind of karmic debt to Wang Xi, Shen Lezhi agreed in her heart.

Isn’t that the truth? A dignified Immortal Venerable, she lost half her heart for her disciple, lost her cultivation, and finally lost her life, and the disciple turned out to be an ingrate.

That’s why Shen Lezhi always felt Wang Xi was a bit of a love-fool.

“I haven’t tormented Master,” Shen Lezhi claimed, asserting that the Master had tormented her, and the original female protagonist’s actions had nothing to do with her.

True Person Hundred Herbs smiled again, flipped her hand, and pulled out a palm-sized green leaf. A light green glow shone in her palm. Shen Lezhi watched curiously as True Person Hundred Herbs’ lips moved slightly, as if she were speaking, but Shen Lezhi could not hear a word.

Then, True Person Hundred Herbs handed the leaf to Shen Lezhi, smiling as she instructed: “Take this leaf to your Master. It contains what I have to say to her. You must give it to her in person.”

No, can’t you two just use sound transmission?

Shen Lezhi muttered to herself, but she didn’t dare to actually protest, only nodding in confusion.

Curious about what True Person Hundred Herbs had said, she simply made her way up Exquisite Peak while it was still early.

She handed the leaf to Wang Xi. Watching Wang Xi’s pale fingers burn the leaf, True Person Hundred Herbs’ voice suddenly appeared out of thin air:

“Immortal Venerable Jiyue, if you do not prepare a natal magical artifact for Lezhi, this True Person will prepare one for her. After all, Lezhi is now also a registered inheritor of my Herb Peak.”

After True Person Hundred Herbs’ voice faded, Exquisite Peak fell silent, as if even the wind had ceased to blow.

“You want me to prepare a natal magical artifact for you, disciple?” After a long while, Wang Xi’s icy voice slowly sounded.

Shen Lezhi bowed her head low. Without needing to feel it, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop a few degrees again. Wang Xi’s aura was so overbearing that it instantly dominated Shen Lezhi’s senses.

“Your disciple desires one, Master,” she replied softly, keeping her head down.

How dare she say no?

The cold air around her was about to drill into her bones.

True Person Hundred Herbs, thank you so much!