Chapter Sixteen: A Good Deed a Day
She truly wasn’t lacking effort in her cultivation; it was her mixed spiritual roots that limited her ability to absorb spiritual power. After cycling through a few rounds of her cultivation technique, she simply couldn’t continue. The surplus spiritual energy nourished her meridians, but they were temporarily saturated and needed time to digest. So, out of boredom, she could only resort to the art of quick escape.
Master Nanchen, seeing her like this, knew she was still just a child and let her go.
“Make sure you come back soon; opportunities like this are rare.”
Jiang Wan dashed outside, but the idea of returning was out of the question—she hadn’t even roasted the fish she caught yesterday!
She wondered if this person might observe her with his divine sense. Surely he wouldn’t be that perverse, right?
Swift as a streak, she ran out, intending to return to her own courtyard. But halfway through, she realized she was lost and had no idea where she had gone.
Voices came from the woods.
“You’re just a menial disciple with worthless mixed spiritual roots. What good are nourishing pills to you? You’re destined to be a lowly servant for life.”
“For a menial disciple like you to take nourishing pills is a waste. Give them here!”
Jiang Wan, still too small to be noticed, hid in the grass. At that moment, the system’s voice sounded in her ear.
[Reputation-cleansing progress needs improvement. Please perform one good deed daily by assisting cultivators.
Daily limit: 3/3
Task difficulty: Normal
Task reward: Depends on the cultivation level of the person aided.]
Jiang Wan thought to herself: isn’t this just encouraging me to be chivalrous?
But helping cultivators—well, if she helped demonic cultivators, what’s the point of cleansing her reputation? That would be hopeless.
Clenching her small fists, she charged into the woods.
“Let go of that young man! I’ll teach you a lesson! Hey, where is everyone?”
She looked around; the two disciples who had snatched the nourishing pills were gone. The young man in gray menial disciple robes lay on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, proving they had beaten him after stealing his pills.
“Big brother, are you alright? Who were those people to dare snatch your nourishing pills? Tell me, and I’ll help you beat them up.”
Lu Li wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at the little girl before him, shaking his head with a self-mocking smile.
“You’re still too young to understand. Forget it, they’re right—I’m a useless mixed-root cultivator. Taking nourishing pills is just a waste.”
Jiang Wan thought: Thanks, feels like a personal jab.
“What’s wrong with mixed spiritual roots?
Mixed roots consume their family’s rice, and Heaven and Earth are indifferent, treating all things as straw dogs. That means, before Heaven and Earth, we are all straw dogs—equal.
Mixed spiritual roots are still spiritual roots. Think about it: those with a single spiritual root have only one path to the Dao, but you have five roots, each capable of connecting to the Dao.
As long as you’re willing to work hard, the level you reach in cultivation is up to you.
I also have mixed spiritual roots, and I’m already at Qi Refining Stage Two.”
She babbled on, even making a “peace” sign with her fingers in front of Lu Li—two!
“Don’t be discouraged, big brother. You have to work hard quietly, then astonish everyone!”
“Here, I have nourishing pills for you. Take them.”
As she spoke, she genuinely produced a bottle of high-grade nourishing pills. Lu Li stared in stunned silence.
Something even a three-year-old child understood, yet he didn’t—it was a grave mistake to give up on himself.
Taking the nourishing pills she offered, Lu Li looked earnestly at the little girl in her purple and white dress and thanked her.
“Thank you. My name is Lu Li. What’s yours?”
“I’m Jiang Wan. From now on, we’re friends. I also have peaches for you. They’re good for cultivation. I picked a lot last time.”
Jiang Wan began pulling out peaches, each as valuable as ten high-grade nourishing pills. She produced so many that it nearly buried him in fruit.
Lu Li said, “Enough, enough, you’re giving too much. I’m glad to have you as a friend.”
Jiang Wan listened happily as the system rewarded her.
[Good deed of the day: 1/3.
Even though this cultivator is only at Qi Refining Stage Three, you still lowered yourself to help him, showing your strong resolve to cleanse your reputation.
Task reward: Ninefold Immortal Herb.]
Curious, Jiang Wan looked in her system’s inventory at the Ninefold Immortal Herb, wondering what kind of herb required ninefold refinement.
Lu Li gathered the immortal peaches carefully, not wanting anyone to see them.
He looked at the little girl in front of him with a complex expression.
“Jiang Wan, don’t casually give away so many good things in the future. It’s easy to attract envy and cause unnecessary trouble.”
Jiang Wan heeded his advice and nodded immediately.
At that moment, Zi Xiang came over and sighed with relief when she saw Jiang Wan was unharmed.
“You little junior sister, why did you run so far? Master Nanchen is still waiting for you.”
Jiang Wan sighed and resigned herself to being carried back.
Once back in her elder brother’s courtyard, she saw his door open. Her elder brother, Chu Zhou, truly lived up to his reputation as a prodigy of the younger generation—he had successfully formed his Golden Core!
Seeing her brother’s joyful face, she ran over.
“Little sister, this time I succeeded in forming the Golden Core thanks to you. After I survive the tribulation, I’ll tell you everything. For now, I’m going to face the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation.”
Jiang Wan watched as he flew towards the back mountain, surely where the tribulation grounds were located.
Suddenly, Master Nanchen swept her up into his arms.
“Want to watch your brother’s tribulation? Come, I’ll take you.”
The white-haired elder was so kind, carrying her as they flew up to the distant back mountain, where they watched Chu Zhou face the lightning tribulation.
Thinking of her own thunder spiritual root, she wondered if a strike might increase her cultivation. Then again, maybe she should wait until she was stronger before being struck.
She still had two good deeds to complete today. Who to help? No elderly lady needed crossing the road; she could help someone cross ten times if she wanted.
The seven thunderbolts of the tribulation passed quickly.
Snow Cloud Fairy arrived, having already dealt with True Immortals Tong Hua and Nangong Shuyin at the main hall.
Previously, she had begged them to fulfill a marriage pact early, but they had raised their demands. Now that her son’s cultivation had advanced, it was a blessing in disguise. She no longer needed to plead with them, and she could easily dismiss their conditions with disdain.
“My son is wonderful. You’ve successfully advanced to the Golden Core stage.”
Chu Zhou smiled as he tried to take Jiang Wan from Nanchen’s arms, reaching under her armpits.
But Nanchen showed no intention of letting go.
Jiang Wan was thus trapped.
Master Nanchen said, “I’ll hold her.”
Chu Zhou gave him a strange look and tentatively tried to pull his sister out of Nanchen’s embrace.
Jiang Wan said, “Why don’t you just put me down!”
Master Nanchen smiled and carried Jiang Wan back.
“Chu Zhou, you just advanced to the Golden Core stage. You must have much to discuss with Snow Cloud Fairy. Why don’t you talk first?”
Chu Zhou sighed, speechless that someone was competing for his sister.
Still, he decided to speak privately with Snow Cloud Fairy.
“Mother, I have something to tell you. Let’s go to my place.”
Snow Cloud Fairy nodded, and the mother and son spoke alone. Chu Zhou, having overheard Snow Cloud Fairy scold Jiang Wan earlier, was puzzled and asked her.
“Mother, a few days ago when my fire poison flared up, it was little sister who saved me with the Chaos Pearl. After I saw her out, I overheard what happened outside. Why do I feel you’re not very kind to little sister?”
Snow Cloud Fairy shook her head.
“A lot has happened while you were away. Jiang Yao is also your sister. She had some strange encounters and said...”