Chapter 103: Time with Family
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“Tell me, that elder you mentioned—is he not a good man?”
Around the dining table, after hearing Jiang Min’s account, everyone was astonished.
The Jiang family even broke out in cold sweat, and instinctively asked back, “Hmm?”
“I have properly dealt with it, so please don’t worry,” Jiang Min nodded earnestly.
However, she did not reveal a single word about the elder’s identity or other details, only mentioning that the elder’s intentions were malicious and his words untrue.
The people at the table, having come to Jiangning City with Jiang Yuanyi and gained some insight, naturally understood that when she said “dealt with it,” it was far more complicated than a simple phrase could express.
Jiang Shangliu soon exclaimed indignantly, “I knew it! How could someone just come knocking for no reason, wanting to take Er’Ya as an apprentice? Clearly, there’s some scheme behind it.”
“But the man’s cultivation is profound. We mere mortals dare not defy him,” he sighed.
Having lived in Jiangning City for years, he was well aware of the insurmountable gap between mortals and cultivators.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Jiang He quickly smiled with relief, “Fortunately, we have our second sister here, so there’s no need to worry about any trouble.”
“Yes, yes!”
Madam Jiang smiled again, picked up her chopsticks, pointed at the dishes on the table, and urged, “Hurry and eat before the food gets cold.”
“Ya-ya, try the braised pork knuckle your mother just learned to make.”
Madam Jiang picked a piece of tender pork knuckle, marbled with fat and lean meat, and placed it in Jiang Min’s bowl. Jiang Min, feeling honored, held the bowl with both hands and quickly picked up the meat with her chopsticks, putting it into her mouth.
It was not the dish she remembered,
but it was the familiar taste of home.
Seeing her eat, Madam Jiang asked cautiously, with a hint of expectation and nervousness, “How does it taste?”
She did not know about Jiang Min’s cultivation and the path of cultivation, only worrying that after cultivating, Jiang Min might no longer be accustomed to these earthly dishes.
Jiang Min nodded repeatedly as she ate, looking toward Madam Jiang with eyes full of happiness, “Mmm! Mmm! It’s delicious. Mother, your cooking has improved again!”
Seeing Jiang Min eating heartily, Madam Jiang’s heart suddenly tightened, but she forced a comforting smile, “If it’s good, eat more.”
Soon after, eldest sister Jiang He also served Jiang Min dishes, introducing her signature specialties and letting her taste the fine wine brewed by the Gu family winery.
At the dining table,
amid clinking cups and laughter,
family smiles, the aroma of food, and bright candlelight wove a trivial yet warm earthly scene. Such warmth, Jiang Min knew, would be difficult to touch again in the future, but she still tried to beam brightly, not wanting this brief reunion to leave any regrets.
After dinner—
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The sun was setting in the west.
The family gathered in the courtyard pavilion.
Jiang Min used her spiritual power to tend to each family member’s body.
Grandmother’s aged face gained a little rosy glow; the wrinkles on Mother’s face seemed somewhat smoothed; even younger brother Jiang Shi, who had been suffering headaches from studying recently, felt refreshed and free of dizziness after Jiang Min helped nurture his body.
Footsteps came from outside the courtyard.
Jiang Yuanyi returned with the setting sun, carrying his armor. Seeing the lively scene in the courtyard, he apologized, “Sorry, I was busy with official matters until now.”
Then he glanced at Jiang Min, scrutinizing her for a moment. Her face gradually matched the little girl in his memory.
“Second sister, I hope you have been well.”
“All is well,” Jiang Min smiled and nodded, then looked at the others. “It’s getting dark. Grandmother, Mother, Father, Sister-in-law, you should all go to your rooms and rest.”
They understood that Jiang Min had something to discuss with Jiang Yuanyi, so they dispersed and returned to their rooms. Only then did Jiang Min say to Jiang Yuanyi, “Brother, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Jiang Yuanyi nodded and gestured to the stone bench opposite him, “Please sit.”
The two took their seats in the pavilion.
Jiang Min lifted her delicate hands, formed hand seals, and released spiritual power, erecting an illusory boundary that blocked sound and spiritual senses. Then the barrier disappeared, as if it had never existed.
This move
once again stunned Jiang Yuanyi.
He found himself unable to discern Jiang Min’s cultivation level and formed an unbelievable guess in his heart.
“Second sister, your cultivation is...”
“Recently, I was fortunate enough to reach Foundation Establishment,” Jiang Min said modestly.
Her guess was confirmed, leaving Jiang Yuanyi deeply shocked.
He knew very well how difficult it was to attain Foundation Establishment with five spiritual roots.
How difficult?
In Jinyun Kingdom, the Eastern Spirit Sect strictly controlled the secular government. To easily manipulate the royal family and officials, only those with five spiritual roots were allowed to serve in government!
After all, even in the Eastern Spirit Sect’s spiritually rich territories, it was hard for five-rooted cultivators to reach Foundation Establishment, let alone in the spiritually barren mundane world.
Of course,
if someone in government had miraculously attained Foundation Establishment, they were still forbidden from participating in politics.
Moreover, whether in the capital or in various prefectures, the Immortal Envoy Office stationed powerful cultivators on rotation, both to supervise government affairs and officials and to maintain regional safety, preventing powerful evil cultivators or beasts from emerging and wreaking havoc among mortals.
Seeing Jiang Yuanyi bring up cultivation, Jiang Min asked timely, “Brother, I noticed you have reached Qi Refinement Level Three, but your realm is unstable. Why is that?”
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Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuanyi chuckled bitterly, “To be honest, my cultivation was built up by consuming pills.”
“I don’t know if Father and Mother told you, but after I joined the army, I was favored by Commander Feng of Qingjiang Prefecture and married his adopted daughter, Mo Yu. To help me improve quickly, Feng gave me many precious pills that aid cultivation. Even so, I have yet to reach the threshold of Qi Refinement Level Four.”
Among those who entered government service, many chose to consume pills to raise their cultivation. Although taking pills inevitably harms the body, for five-rooted cultivators with no hope of Foundation Establishment or immortality in this lifetime, it’s better to use fast methods to advance cultivation early.
Jiang Min did not believe that the pills circulating in the mundane court were of equal quality to those she had received at the Qingyun Assembly; they were likely quite toxic.
Jiang Yuanyi’s repeated pill consumption might improve his cultivation in the short term,
but it was detrimental to long-term cultivation.
“Brother, the accumulation of toxic pills in your body harms your cultivation. Let me help you purge the toxins,” Jiang Min smiled gently, radiating reassuring warmth.
“This—”
Jiang Yuanyi felt a bit embarrassed but truly needed Jiang Min’s help and could not refuse. He gratefully said, “Thank you, second sister, for your trouble.”
Jiang Min chided, “How can you call it trouble? When I wasn’t around, you held this family up. If you’re well, the whole family will be better.”
After she moved,
the one who could protect this family was Jiang Yuanyi.
Since Jiang Yuanyi had chosen the path into government, she needed to raise his cultivation as much as possible, so he could not only protect himself but also safeguard the entire family.
She raised her fingers, and spiritual power transformed into several threads that entered Jiang Yuanyi’s body. Among them was a devouring force that consumed the toxic pill residues one by one.
After a while,
Jiang Min lifted her finger. Jiang Yuanyi involuntarily opened his mouth, and a dark, foul-smelling substance floated out—these were the accumulated toxins in his body.
Spitting out the toxins,
he immediately felt lighter.
His internal organs, limbs, and bones all felt extremely comfortable, free from any stagnation or blockage. His spiritual power flowed more smoothly than ever.
What a powerful technique!
Jiang Yuanyi was once again amazed at Jiang Min’s formidable skill and hurriedly said, “Thank you, second sister.”
Jiang Min moved her mind, flames rose, reducing the toxins to ashes. Then she smiled at Jiang Yuanyi, “The toxins are cleared. Now your cultivation needs a boost.”
She flipped her palm.
In her palm appeared a jade vial filled with crimson liquid and a simple lotus petal.