Chapter Twenty-Three: The An Family’s Farmland

After a while, Wen Yue spotted another purple-leafed seedling similar to the last and said to Little Golden Silk, "Little Golden Silk, there’s another purple-leafed plant here. Do you want to help?"

Little Golden Silk looked at the delicate sprout, hesitating. "What if it breaks again?"

"You won't know until you try."

"I'd rather not. What if it breaks?"

"Give it a try! You need to learn how to gauge your strength. Knowing how much force to apply at any given moment is something you have to practice and figure out for yourself." In a place as dangerous as the Heavenly Demon Sect, one could never afford to be careless.

"I understand. I'll be gentle." Little Golden Silk extended a vine, wrapped it around the base of the purple-leafed plant, and applied force slowly. After a minute or two of effort, the plant was finally pulled up.

Little Golden Silk was so happy it began to spin in circles. "I pulled it out! I pulled it out, and it didn't break! Master, am I amazing?"

"You are incredible! Our Little Golden Silk is truly impressive. Look, even your master had to use tools, but you did it all by yourself."

"Master, I can help you now! Aren't I great?" Little Golden Silk was brimming with excitement.

After that, Wen Yue didn't need to do any work at all. Whenever she pointed out where the seedlings were, the little creature would reach out with a vine, give a quick tug, and out they would come.

Truthfully, pulling seedlings this way wasn't ideal, but it didn't matter. Once they were replanted, a little bit of wood-attribute spiritual energy for each would suffice, and besides, Little Golden Silk was having a wonderful time.

By the time they finished clearing all the seedlings, dusk was falling. They hadn't checked the living quarters yet, which was also important—and likely not in great shape either.

"Let’s go check out the house. We need to sleep somewhere tonight!" Wen Yue called to the play-exhausted Little Golden Silk.

"You need to sleep. I'll be perfectly fine with that big tree over there!"

"But I’ll be scared at night!" Wen Yue teased. With the mental age of an older woman, how could she really be afraid of sleeping alone?

Honestly, this cultivation world was truly bizarre. In this lifetime, she was less than eight years old, yet she had been assigned a task involving six acres of land. No one seemed to care that she was still just a child, incapable of completing such a task. From start to finish, nobody treated her like a child; in fact, when it came to scheming, they acted as if she wasn't small or naive enough.

Whenever she thought about this, Wen Yue wanted to shout at the heavens: "Where is my childhood?"

Perhaps only in the harmonious society of the modern world did children truly get to have a childhood.

"Then I'll keep you company for a little while! But I still prefer wrapping myself around the treetops; basking in the moonlight or sunlight is so comfortable," Little Golden Silk said.

Little Golden Silk had discovered that as long as it coiled around the treetops, both sunlight and moonlight felt wonderful and were beneficial to its cultivation—likely because it was a plant.

"Will that hinder your cultivation?"

"I'll only keep you company for a little while," Little Golden Silk said solemnly.

"Alright, then."

The house was made of a white stone and looked quite decent. The two of them pushed the door open and stepped inside. To their surprise, the house was remarkably well-preserved, as if someone had just lived there. It was likely the work of the protective formation.

Wen Yue was pleased; it saved her a lot of trouble, though it still needed a cleaning.

What was the advantage of being a cultivator? It was the ability to use spells. Many things didn't need to be done by hand; a single spell, and everything was sparkling clean.

Looking at the refreshed room, Wen Yue invited Little Golden Silk to take a look. "Come on, Little Golden Silk, let's see how the inside looks."

The house was simple: an entrance hall leading to two rooms, plus a smaller chamber.

Cultivation was convenient; with a storage pouch, one could carry everything along. Within moments, she had her daily necessities set up.

Wen Yue didn't feel like cooking that night. She ate a few steamed buns she had bought from the cafeteria. They were made with spiritual flour, fragrant and sweet even without any accompaniments. She had bought a large bag of them before leaving.

After sharing a few buns with Little Golden Silk, she was full. Although cultivators didn't need to digest food, she suddenly felt like exploring the surrounding environment.

"Let's go, Little Golden Silk, let's go see your future nest," Wen Yue said, walking toward the door.

"Coming!" Little Golden Silk loved being close to Wen Yue. Knowing they were going out for a stroll, it happily hopped onto her sleeve.

"Can't you walk yourself?"

"With my master here, why would I need to exert myself?" Little Golden Silk said, as if it were only natural.

"Sigh! My life as a master is so bitter! Other people's spirit pets carry their masters around, but in our house, it’s the opposite—I have to carry you," Wen Yue sighed dramatically.

"Oh, Master, you're the best!" Little Golden Silk now knew many words and showered her with endless flattery. "Master, you are the most beautiful, the kindest, the most loving, the most..."

Wen Yue chatted with Little Golden Silk as they strolled leisurely toward the edge of the formation. As soon as they stepped out, Wen Yue sensed someone else’s presence.

"Don't speak," Wen Yue transmitted to Little Golden Silk.

"What is it?" Little Golden Silk transmitted back.

"It seems like someone is here. Let’s take a quiet look first." Not knowing the situation, Wen Yue decided to figure out what was going on.

Indeed, there was someone. A man was pacing back and forth under the large tree, looking as if he were waiting for someone—and that someone was most likely her.

Wen Yue didn't walk toward the tree but kept to the edge of the formation. If there were danger, she could retreat inside immediately; she wasn't about to expose herself to risk.

Perhaps seeing that she wasn't coming over, the man walked toward her. Wen Yue was truly curious: what was he here for?

How to describe him? He wasn't particularly handsome, just decent-looking, with regular features. However, he was dressed quite dashingly in a lake-blue silk robe with a matching headband, looking like a nobleman from the secular world. Wen Yue could even smell the scent of cosmetics on him.

"Hey! Are you the new one who arrived today?" the man asked, looking Wen Yue up and down as he approached.

Wen Yue felt an immediate dislike for him, especially the way his gaze swept over her as if she were a piece of merchandise.

"That's right," Wen Yue replied calmly.

"How old are you?" the man asked with a hint of disdain.

"Eight!" This wasn't something she could hide, so she answered truthfully.

"If there’s anything you don't understand, you can come ask me. I’m just on the other side of the tree. My surname is Cui, and my name is Cui Shiping." Cui Shiping pointed to the opposite side of the tree.

It appeared to be directly across from Wen Yue's residence.

"Thank you, Brother Cui, I understand." Regardless of his intentions, he had approached under the guise of kindness, so Wen Yue thanked him politely.

"Very well then, I’ll be off."

With that, Wen Yue watched as Cui Shiping leisurely walked away.

She was left completely baffled. What was that all about?

Wen Yue had some guesses, but since the other party hadn't said anything explicit, it wasn't her place to speculate wildly.