The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Manager Cui took the sandalwood box from the assistant and placed it on the flat table.

He slowly pulled back the fine silk, revealing the sandalwood box. The box had a hollow carved design, etched with landscapes, insects, and beasts, making it both ancient and elegant.

Cang Ran’s eyes couldn’t help but light up. A box for storing things is so well-made, the item inside shouldn’t be too bad either, right?

With a click, the mechanism of the sandalwood box was opened.

Inside the sandalwood box was a plain, jet-black long sword, about three feet and five inches long, one inch wide at the blade, with a thin spine. The edge had a few small nicks, and the hilt showed some signs of age.

Cang Ran immediately lost interest. She reasonably suspected that this old sword was picked up by the manager somewhere, cleaned, and put in a beautiful box to fool people.

She shouldn’t have opened the blind box. No matter how good the packaging was, it couldn’t change the fact that it contained a broken sword.

Manager Cui had just taken the sword out. Seeing Cang Ran’s lack of interest, he also knew this item was indeed a bit presentable.

Manager Cui had always been thick-skinned. He smiled awkwardly. “Great Demon King, don’t let the ordinary appearance of this sword fool you. I had someone authenticate it. This sword was originally a spiritual sword, but the sword spirit inside has been dormant and hasn’t awakened.”

Cang Ran looked at him coldly. I think Manager Cui is the one who’s been asleep for all these years and hasn’t woken up.

If he’s so good at spinning tales, why is he an apothecary manager? He should just write novels.

Seeing Cang Ran not respond, Manager Cui pressed on with his shameless face. “Try it. Although it’s strenuous for ordinary mortals like us to lift, you are the Great Demon King! You have innate divine strength. I think it’s simply a match made in heaven for you, a sword that rightly belongs to you. If it really doesn’t work, using it as a fire poker is also fine.”

No, a fire poker? You actually said that? Who uses a sword as a fire poker for no reason?

Cang Ran was too lazy to listen to his nonsense. She stepped forward, picked up the long sword, and held it in her hand.

Perhaps because she was already a Great Demon in the Transformation stage and the demon race naturally possessed strong physical strength, it was not as heavy as she imagined. The sword felt just right in her hand, so she briefly swung it twice.

The blade cut through the air, making a sharp, clean sound. When the sword was sheathed, it sounded like a vast snowfall in the northern region.

Even Cang Ran, who knew nothing about swords, thought it seemed quite decent. She suddenly felt a little cool.

But the sword did not suit her. She had never studied swordsmanship and didn’t know any sword techniques. Holding it, she could only use it to listen to the sound when bored.

Moreover, compared to using a sword, her diligent and sharp beast claws were far more formidable. One claw strike could overturn a small monster; it was fast, accurate, and vicious.

This Manager Cui was too cunning. He wanted to fool her with an old sword. Did he really think she was an easily deceived fox?

Cang Ran was about to return the item when she suddenly heard Tan Qingxuan speak up beside her. “Take it, Cang Ran.”

Cang Ran was stunned. She turned her head blankly to look at Tan Qingxuan. “Huh?”

Manager Cui also hadn’t expected this mortal beauty, who looked quite cultured, to be someone who didn’t recognize value either.

He had specially asked a sword cultivator to look at this sword, and they all said, “what you see is what you get.”

Finally getting rid of this dust-covered sword, Manager Cui felt relieved and immediately smiled broadly. “The young lady has excellent discernment! This treasure sword paired with a beauty is a perfect match!”

It was just an add-on anyway. Since Tan Qingxuan liked it, it was worth it to please the beauty.

Cang Ran let out a light breath and said to Manager Cui, “Alright, I’ll take this. Deal.”

The anxious stone in Manager Cui’s heart finally settled down. He also let out a sigh of relief. “Good, good, good. Then Great Demon King, please give me the spirit herbs now, and I will fetch the spirit stone notes from the accountant.”

Cang Ran agreed. She handed the spirit herbs to Manager Cui and received eight blue spirit stone notes and one hundred and twenty green spirit stone notes.

In the cultivation world, due to the inconvenience of large spirit stone transactions, the five major immortal sects united to form the Dao Alliance, which established an “Silver Bank” where spirit stones could be withdrawn at any time. The notes issued were all in denominations of one hundred spirit stones, made from four colors of special talismans: gold, purple, blue, and green, corresponding to supreme, high-grade, mid-grade, and low-grade spirit stones, for the convenience of cultivators.

Luofeng City, a hundred li outside the demon realm where Cang Ran was located, was established in the demon realm. However, with the promotion of spirit stone notes, an Silver Bank also appeared in Luofeng City, and currency exchange was not difficult.

Cang Ran and Tan Qingxuan left Qiuhe Hall together, already feeling hungry. They found a roadside wonton stall and sat down, each ordering a bowl of fragrant small wontons.

The prices in Luofeng City were not too expensive. The two bowls of small wontons only cost them six low-grade spirit stones.

The thinly-skinned wontons lay in the porcelain bowl like small ingots. The skin was as thin as paper, and there was plenty of meat filling, topped with green scallions. They emitted steaming white heat in the cold early spring, providing plenty of warmth.

Cang Ran took a bite of a small wonton. It was filled with shepherd’s purse and fresh meat, using wild shepherd’s purse that only grew in spring. It was fragrant on her lips and teeth. After taking a sip of the hot wonton soup, the warmth reached all the way into her stomach.

Cang Ran was so hungry she felt faint, her eyes green with hunger. She didn’t bother to speak. Gulp, gulp. She ate the large bowl of wontons very quickly.

Seeing Cang Ran eat so heartily, Tan Qingxuan also took a few sips of the soup to taste. The flavor was not as good as the food Cang Ran made. She only ate one small wonton before putting down her chopsticks.

She looked down. The little fox ate incredibly fast and wasn’t afraid of the heat.

When burying her head to eat, her fox ears seemed to be working hard, too, the fur on the tips trembling. It seemed they reacted the same way when she was angry or impatient.

Cang Ran ate too quickly and didn’t notice Tan Qingxuan’s gaze. She lifted the bowl with both hands and drank the wonton soup down completely.

Gulp~ Gulp~

Why is she still hungry after finishing? Her appetite is increasing day by day since becoming a demon.

Cang Ran rubbed her flat stomach and looked at the wonton stall, where a long queue had formed again. Her face fell.

The next second, a bowl of fragrant wontons was pushed in front of her.

The pale, slender hand was exceptionally beautiful. It personally placed a new set of utensils beside the bowl. “Eat.”

Cang Ran looked at the wontons in front of her, then at the picturesque face of Tan Qingxuan. Her cheeks flushed. “Why aren’t you eating? You’re giving it all to me?”

Tan Qingxuan’s eyes were gentle, and she said softly, “I’m not very hungry. Eat more if you like it.”

She felt like she was stealing Tan Qingxuan’s food, but knowing that Tan Qingxuan was genuinely paying attention to her made her happy.

Cang Ran picked up the spoon, scooped up a wonton, and brought it to Tan Qingxuan’s lips. “Then you eat one more wonton.”

Tan Qingxuan gently refused. “No need. I can watch you eat.”

“Mmm, alright.” Cang Ran tightened her grip on the spoon and ate the small wonton in one bite.

In her heart, it felt like a small stove boiling, bubbling with irrepressible excitement.

It was fun to tease Tan Qingxuan casually before, but Tan Qingxuan’s sudden thoughtfulness made her feel inexplicably nervous.

How strange. It was like she suddenly couldn’t speak. She was a little nervous, and she wasn’t someone who was usually tongue-tied. She should at least say thank you or something.

Cang Ran ate the wontons absentmindedly, her thoughts in disarray. Her eyes glanced at the long sword placed beside her and she asked, “Is there anything special about this sword?”

Tan Qingxuan focused her gaze on the sword on the table. Her jade-like fingers stroked the blade, and she said to Cang Ran, “There’s nothing special, but the material of the sword’s core is good, above Heavenly Grade. It can be melted down to make a handy weapon, or it can be used to temper unique fire. Either way is worth a try.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the sword suddenly emitted an extremely subtle buzzing sound.

The jujube wood square table rattled slightly, causing Cang Ran’s wonton bowl to tremble.

Tan Qingxuan flicked the blade with her finger. The black, heavy blade let out a clear, resounding clang, and then fell silent again.

Cang Ran was shocked. It was the first time she had seen a sword move by itself. Remembering the apothecary manager’s words, she asked curiously, “Does this sword really have a sword spirit?”

Tan Qingxuan said calmly, “It is only a residual spirit. Since ancient times, spiritual swords are often proud, only recognizing the strongest person. A loyal, master-protecting sword is rare. Some spiritual swords even attempt to influence the will of the sword’s master. A difficult-to-tame sword spirit will only turn on its master.”

Cang Ran frowned, conflicted. “Should I not take it then?”

If the spiritual sword is difficult to tame, I can secretly tame it for the little fox.

Since I met the little fox, taming the sword spirit for her is just a farewell gift.

Tan Qingxuan collected her thoughts and said, “Keep it for now. You can look for a more suitable one later. This one can serve as a protector in your hands for now.”

A wave of warmth rushed into Cang Ran’s eyes. Her heart felt warm, too. Qingqing is actively concerned about me again!

Moved by this, she quickly said, “Why don’t I give this sword to you, Qingqing? I don’t use swords anyway, and this sword suits you perfectly.”

Tan Qingxuan rarely teased her. “Are you sure you want to give this sword to me?”

Cang Ran quickly said, “Yes. Later, I’ll go to the artifact refining shop to process it, polish it beautifully, and then make a beautiful sword tassel to give you.”

Tan Qingxuan was a little surprised. She already knew this little fox was skilled in needlework, but she didn’t expect her to have taught herself weaving.

Why doesn’t this little fox spend more time diligently cultivating the Dao instead of indulging in such trivial crafts? Whom was that pillow for? She held it in her hand after daily cultivation, making it perfectly refined. And today, she promises to give a sword tassel to me. She truly spreads her affection around.

Cang Ran thought Tan Qingxuan would be very moved. After all, she had only roughly made a few satisfactory pieces of furniture out of jade stone since she arrived here.

But every gift she prepared for Tan Qingxuan was sincere. She liked her and wanted the other person to feel cherished.

Tan Qingxuan said nonchalantly, “Don’t always spend your thoughts on such external objects. This sword is destined for you; you should keep it.”

Cang Ran said confidently, “Making this won’t delay my cultivation. I’m very skilled at it.”

Can’t this little demon just focus on the right path?

Tan Qingxuan’s eyes darkened. “Those with extraordinary talent are as numerous as the fish crossing the river. How can you be sure you won’t be surpassed by those who come after you? You still need to cultivate diligently and assiduously.”

Cang Ran didn’t understand her meaning. She reached out and hugged Tan Qingxuan’s arm, saying happily, “Qingqing, I know. You’re so good. How would I live without you?”

The soft body pressed intimately close, carrying a sweet, pleasant fragrance. The little fox’s head rested on her arm, her fluffy fox ears rubbing against it several times.

Tan Qingxuan froze for a moment, looking at Cang Ran intently.

Cang Ran’s porcelain-white face was clear, charming, and gorgeous. At this moment, she was completely reliant on her.

The three large fox tails wagged happily. The little fox in front of her was always this unguarded.

Tan Qingxuan’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed. A feeling of concern arose in her heart. If she leaves, will this carefree little demon truly die?

A cultivator of the Dao should not be burdened by external things. She had done her best to repay this karmic debt. There should be no entanglement in her heart.

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