Chapter 15: A Budding Talent and a Purely Monetary Relationship

“Um…” Qin Jinxuan stammered, her fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes. “Do… do I need to take off my clothes…?” Her voice grew fainter with each word, and a blush slowly crept across her snow-white cheeks.

****

*Slap!*

Cheng Lan slapped his own forehead.

“My dear lady!” Cheng Lan exclaimed. “I’m not transferring cultivation to you; do you think we’re cultivating immortals here?!”

“Ah? Oh…”

‘Why do I get the feeling you’re rather disappointed I didn’t ask you to take off your clothes?’

Cheng Lan looked at Qin Jinxuan, a speechless expression on his face.

“Alright, close your eyes and concentrate.”

Qin Jinxuan immediately complied, closing her eyes, clearing her mind of distractions, and focusing her attention.

Soon after, she felt a slightly broad palm gently press against her back.

A wondrous sensation, like a gently flowing stream, slowly emanated from that palm, continuously pouring into her body.

Qin Jinxuan felt her entire body grow warm.

At that very moment, she finally perceived the “fluctuations” Cheng Lan had spoken of—

All around her, numerous faint energies existed, swirling like a gentle breeze or nimble currents of water.

Cheng Lan, at this moment, was like a water pump, continuously drawing the scattered ambient energy into his own body, and then, through their physical contact, slowly transferring this energy into her.

Qin Jinxuan was fully absorbed, constantly trying to make her body remember this wondrous sensation.

As for Cheng Lan, while his right hand pressed against her back, guiding the energy, his left hand pulled out his phone, and he began scrolling, head bowed.

There was no helping it; the process of “cultivation transfer” was incredibly boring.

If he didn’t find something to occupy himself, he feared he might simply doze off.

****

Two hours later.

Cheng Lan slowly withdrew his right hand.

By now, Qin Jinxuan had already learned how to absorb the ambient Etheric Energy.

Even with Cheng Lan’s assistance, learning to absorb Etheric Energy in just two hours meant Qin Jinxuan’s talent for it had far exceeded Cheng Lan’s expectations.

In the eyes of others, such aptitude would be deemed “heaven-defying” or “the makings of an Emperor.”

But he was Cheng Lan, and his only critique would be: ‘That’s it? Still needs more practice!’

Having nothing more to do there, Cheng Lan subtly gestured with his eyes to Lidoa, who stood beside him.

Lidoa immediately understood, nodding faintly.

The two then tiptoed out of Qin Jinxuan’s new home.

****

After another period of time.

Qin Jinxuan slowly opened her eyes.

She distinctly felt her body seemed much sturdier than before, as if brimming with power.

Even more miraculously, she noticed her skin appeared smoother and more supple.

What delighted her even more was that within her previously empty body, a gentle, warm energy now flowed slowly.

‘This must be the Etheric Energy Cheng Lan mentioned.’

“Tha—” Qin Jinxuan excitedly turned her head, only to see silent darkness.

The room was already empty.

“Thanks…”

“Honestly… why did they leave so quickly? Wouldn’t it have been nice to stay a little longer…?” Qin Jinxuan mumbled softly, her gaze dimming slightly.

Seeing Cheng Lan was no longer in the bedroom, she didn’t quite understand why, but she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart.

“Sigh.” The young girl let out a soft sigh, hopped off the bed, and switched on the bedroom light.

“Where’s my phone?”

After searching around the bedroom, she finally located her phone on the bed.

Unlocking the screen, the time displayed: [2:13].

‘It’s already this late.’

After a moment of hesitation, Qin Jinxuan still opened WeChat (TL Note: A popular Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app.), and tapped on Cheng Lan’s profile picture.

[Thanks~]

Having composed the message, her finger gently tapped ‘send’.

After the message was sent, Qin Jinxuan stared at the chat box, unmoving.

She waited for a long time, but Cheng Lan still didn’t reply.

Finally, she gently bit her lip, turned off her phone, and walked towards the bathroom, preparing to wash up and go to sleep.

****

The next day, after school in the afternoon.

Qin Jinxuan once again hurried out of the teaching building, catching up to Cheng Lan who was walking ahead.

“I told you we’d walk back together! Can’t you walk a little slower and wait for me?!” Qin Jinxuan clung tightly to Cheng Lan’s backpack strap, forcibly pulling him back.

“Is there a possibility that your legs are too short?” Cheng Lan turned around, smiling at Qin Jinxuan.

“You!” The young girl gritted her teeth in anger, and lifted her foot to kick his shin.

“Heh heh, the way you kick looks more like you’re pouting.”

‘I’m going to die of anger!!!’

In that moment, Qin Jinxuan seemed to finally understand why their relationship in their previous lives had been that of “mortal enemies.”

‘No! She had to get stronger, and fast!’

‘For no other reason than to beat Cheng Lan to his knees, begging for mercy, and see if he’d dare to be sarcastic with her again!’

Qin Jinxuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down first.

“About last night, thank you…” she murmured softly, her head bowed.

“What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.” Cheng Lan deliberately tilted his head.

“I said—thank you!” Unable to bear it any longer, Qin Jinxuan suddenly leaned close, and shouted loudly into Cheng Lan’s ear.

“It’s nothing,” Cheng Lan said, feigning to clean his ear. “After all, ours is a pure monetary relationship.”

‘Only a monetary relationship, huh…’

The young girl pouted in dissatisfaction, then pulled out her phone, and fiercely tapped the screen a few times.

Soon after, Cheng Lan received a new transfer of 50,000 yuan.

“No! My dear Miss Qin, you’ve only just learned how to absorb Etheric Energy; you should focus on building your foundation first.”

“Mind your own business! If you want this money, then come to my house obediently later!” Qin Jinxuan glared at Cheng Lan.

“Alright, alright, alright, you’re the boss, we’ll do as you say.”

Getting 50,000 yuan for free, Cheng Lan couldn’t be happier.

So for the next three days, after school, Cheng Lan would typically freeload a dinner first, then scroll on his phone, while accompanying Miss Qin in her cultivation.

****

Time advanced to Friday.

Cheng Lan sat on a chair in Qin Jinxuan’s bedroom, idly scrolling through his phone.

“Cheng Lan! Look!”

Qin Jinxuan, who had been cultivating with her eyes closed on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes, and extended her right hand.

A pale blue longsword of ice slowly materialized in her hand.

*Clatter!*

Cheng Lan’s phone clattered to the floor.

‘Holy crap! Heaven-defying!’

‘It’s only been a few days, and she’s already learned to use Etheric Energy on Blue Star, and under the current conditions where Etheric Energy is scarce on Blue Star at that.’

In his previous life, it had taken him a full ten days just to barely use Etheric Energy on Blue Star.

“How is it! How is it?!” Qin Jinxuan blinked at Cheng Lan, her light pink eyes brimming with triumph.

“Ahem.” Cheng Lan cleared his throat lightly, and calmly picked up his phone from the floor.

“That’s it? What’s there to show off about? In my previous life, I only needed a day to figure out how to unleash Etheric Energy on Blue Star right after emerging from the World Rifts. As the saying goes, ‘There’s always someone better, and a higher heaven beyond this one.’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning there’s always someone more skilled or powerful.)”

“Really?” Qin Jinxuan looked at Cheng Lan with a skeptical expression.

“Believe it or not.” He shrugged, an indifferent look on his face.

“Alright.” Qin Jinxuan had thought her talent was quite good, but she hadn’t expected such a vast difference compared to Cheng Lan.

‘She needed to work even harder!’

She secretly encouraged herself.

With that thought, she looked back at Cheng Lan, her eyes alight with fighting spirit. “Oh, right, shouldn’t you teach me how to use Etheric Energy now?”

‘Huh?’

‘Him?’

‘Teaching the future Sword Immortal how to wield a sword?’