The Courtyard is Completed

“Sigh…”

A lazy sigh echoed abruptly in her sea of consciousness.

Lu Qiancha didn’t need to guess who it was. She curled her lip, “Senior Can Xin, why the long sighs?”

“I’m bored out of my mind!” Can Xin’s voice was thick with resentment, like a sword blade coated in dust. “You live your life like some old ascetic monk! It’s either meditation or flirting and playing around with that demon king and your little junior sister!”

The more she spoke, the more indignant she became. “Pity me, a demonic sword! Ever since I’ve been with you, my blade thirsts for blood, and my sword soul is shamed! I’ve tasted less blood than a chicken killed in the kitchen! What a sin!”

Lu Qiancha’s lip twitched as she suppressed the urge to argue.

Can Xin continued to egg her on, unwilling to give up, “Can’t you just go to that whatever-it’s-called mission hall of yours and pick up any mission that involves bloodshed? I don’t care if it’s righteous or evil! My soul is about to starve to pieces!”

“Senior, our Tianyuan Sect is a righteous and prestigious sect. We don’t engage in murder, robbery, and plunder. Even when accepting missions, at most it’s just finding herbs, apprehending criminals, or vanquishing evil demons.”

Lu Qiancha pursed her lips.

“Killing demons is fine too. I’m not a picky eater.”

Can Xin sighed. She truly hadn’t expected Lu Qiancha’s life to be so leisurely.

“Don’t even think about it, Senior. My master’s heavenly tribulation is not far off. Until my master completes her tribulation, it’s impossible for me to accept any missions.”

Lu Qiancha shook her head.

A heavenly tribulation was a matter of life and death.

With her master in such a crisis, how could she have the heart to go on a demon-slaying spree with Can Xin?

“Fine, fine. I can’t persuade you anyway.”

Can Xin shook her head and lazily settled back down.

It was her own bad luck to be stuck with a master who disliked killing.

In the days of waiting for the furnace, time flowed peacefully.

During the day, Lu Qiancha would meditate and cultivate in her grass hut, surrounded by a haze of spiritual energy.

At night, she became Xun Xue’s exclusive “large plush pillow”—drifting off to sleep, resigned, in that familiar and warmly scented embrace.

Over the past ten-odd days, the disciples from Tiangong Peak had shown astonishing efficiency!

Bricks, tiles, earth, and stone were assembled as if by an invisible giant’s hand.

An exquisite courtyard house had already risen from the ground in the clearing on the back mountain.

The main building was a two-story structure with carved eaves and painted beams, emitting the faint fluctuations of a restrictive spell—clearly, it was designated as the alchemy room.

The remaining east, west, north, and south wing-rooms surrounded the courtyard, perfectly accommodating the four residents of the peak.

The south wing served as the courtyard gate, and a small-scale isolation array operated silently in the center.

Between each room, small soundproofing and spirit-blocking arrays were inscribed to ensure they wouldn’t disturb one another.

Looking at the courtyard before her, with its pavilions taking shape and brimming with spiritual energy, even Lu Qiancha, who had been in this world for over sixty years, couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement, “As expected of the civil engineers of the cultivation world. They really build houses fast.”

With the small courtyard completed, everyone moved into their new homes: Lu Qiancha settled in the south wing, Xun Xue in the east, and a cheerful Gan Tang in the west.

The north wing’s main house, which had the best lighting and overlooked the entire Tianquan Peak, was naturally reserved for their master, Xuan Ya, who was still in seclusion.

A few days after they moved in, a familiar light boat once again broke through the sky.

“Little—Qian—cha—! Your furnace! I’ve got—it—!”

Xuan Mo’s voice arrived before she did, descending from the clouds accompanied by hearty laughter.

With a light flick of her sleeve, a flash of profound light appeared—

Boom!

A colossal object stood majestically in the courtyard!

The furnace was gilded all over, standing nine meters tall.

Its walls were adorned with relief carvings of several blooming pink and white lotuses, shimmering with a precious light.

The most peculiar feature was its three unshakeable legs, each entwined with a small, crimson-gold dragon with wide, staring eyes.

“Thank you, Martial Aunt, for finding this treasure!”

Lu Qiancha bowed respectfully, unable to hide the joy in her eyes.

She then asked, “May I ask the price… of this furnace?”

“Hah! Mentioning money is so impersonal!”

Xuan Mo waved her hand, a cunning glint flashing in her eyes.

She leaned in and whispered, “How about… you let your Martial Aunt properly rua your true form a few times? We’ll call it the payment for the furnace. What do you say?”

As she spoke, Xuan Mo rubbed her hands together, her face full of anticipation.

Lu Qiancha’s body instantly stiffened.

She squeezed out a dry smile, “…Martial Aunt, I think… it’s better to pay with spirit stones.”

“Pfft! Look how scared you are! I was just kidding!”

Xuan Mo couldn’t help but laugh, waving her hand dismissively, though the abacus in her mind was clicking away—she really missed the fluffy feel of Little Qiancha. She had to find an excuse she couldn’t refuse to get a good feel.

Lu Qiancha silently twitched the corner of her lip and brought the conversation back on track, “Martial Aunt, the thirty bottles of Clarity Jade Dew wine ordered by the Raging Waves Sect, this disciple has prepared them.”

She took out a storage pouch and handed it to Xuan Mo.

“So quickly?!”

Xuan Mo took it in surprise.

Her immortal sense probed inside, confirming the number of bottles was correct, and the gleam in her eyes grew brighter.

“Little Qiancha,” she leaned in closer, her voice filled with the excitement of a detective, “Tell me the truth, this treasure… what’s its production capacity really like?”

Hearing Xuan Mo’s question, Lu Qiancha pondered for a moment before speaking, “To brew this wine, the initial preparation of ingredients takes more than ten days. Once the materials are ready, one batch takes about two hours, yielding… ten to twelve bottles of the original essence.”

“Ten bottles in just two hours?!”

Xuan Mo’s eyes went wide.

Thinking about how she had sold it to the Raging Waves Sect for the sky-high price of ten high-grade spirit stones a bottle…

Even she felt a sharp pang somewhere deep inside—her conscience hurt a little.

“Mm, if we want to produce in large quantities, the time can be compressed further, but the success rate can’t be guaranteed.”

Lu Qiancha nodded and added.

Hearing this, Xuan Mo’s eyes darted around several times.

A warm smile suddenly appeared on her face as she took Lu Qiancha’s hand and patted it, “Little Qiancha, your Martial Aunt has an idea…”

“Please speak freely, Martial Aunt.”

Lu Qiancha replied.

“Look, this Clarity Jade Dew wine is good, but one can get tired of even the best things, right? Didn’t you say last time… that you have other secret brews?”

Xuan Mo’s eyes shone with the unique light of a shrewd merchant.

“We have to sell them in rotation! This time, we’ll feature the Jade Dew. Next time, we’ll switch to something new! Rarity creates value! Make a batch, then pause for a bit, keep them hanging!”

Hearing this, Lu Qiancha couldn’t help but give Xuan Mo a second look.

This martial aunt of hers actually understood scarcity marketing.

It was a real waste for her not to be a manager at a merchant guild.

“Then we shall do as Martial Aunt suggests.”

Lu Qiancha agreed, then changed the subject, “However, apart from the Clarity Jade Dew, the other brews are mostly improved versions of mortal wines. At best, their flavors are unique, but they offer little benefit to cultivation. I’m afraid they won’t fetch a high price.”

“I get it, I get it. This time I definitely won’t sell it for so much.”

Xuan Mo nodded in understanding, then prepared to leave on her small boat.

“Martial Aunt, please wait!”

Lu Qiancha suddenly called out to her.

“Oh? Is there something else, Little Qiancha?”

Xuan Mo turned back, her eyes questioning.

Lu Qiancha’s expression grew more solemn, “In one month, this disciple intends to start the furnace to refine a… rather troublesome medicinal pill. I would like to implore Martial Aunt to spare some time to come and stand guard, to protect this disciple during the process.”

“Hah! A small matter! Leave it to your Martial Aunt!” Xuan Mo agreed readily, the moon-white cloud robe rippling with her movement.

“Then…”

A slight smile touched Lu Qiancha’s lips, “If this pill is fortunately successfully refined, then all the proceeds from this round of Clarity Jade Dew wine sold to the Raging Waves Sect… will be offered to Martial Aunt as a token of my gratitude.”

“It’s—a—deal—!!!”

Xuan Mo’s voice instantly jumped an octave!

She excitedly held out her right hand, clenched into a fist, suspended in mid-air.

Lu Qiancha understood, and also clenched her small paw, gently touching it against hers.

“It’s settled then! In one month, your Martial Aunt will be here!” Xuan Mo beamed, and with a light tap of her foot, the flowing cloud boat streaked across the sky and away.

On the wind, only Lu Qiancha’s clear voice remained, “Take care, Martial Aunt!”