"I suppose that completes the assessment. Though… my score probably won't be that high."
Chen Jinshu studied the tiny sprout before her, noticeably smaller than those of normally cultivated Profound Ice Lotus seeds. Still, it had germinated. Based on that alone, she had a rough idea of how she'd performed.
"I wonder… was this damaged spirit seed unique to me, or did everyone receive one like it?"
Doubt bloomed in her mind. After all, Gu Zhēnrén had deliberately mentioned the Root Restoration Method. Chen Jinshu didn't believe in coincidences—especially not here. Perhaps this was the test Gu Zhēnrén had quietly left for each disciple.
"Whether it was or not… I'll find out in a few days."
Two days later, at midday — Steward Hall
"Senior Brother! I've returned your spirit umbrella!" Chen Jinshu approached with an apologetic smile.
"This Waterling Umbrella was a gift from our master. I've grown quite fond of it. Never imagined I'd lose it, and that Junior Sister would be the one to find it. Many thanks for returning it, Jinshu!" Bi Mingxuan bowed deeply, clearly grateful.
"Don't mention it, Senior Brother. Finding it was pure luck."
"I still owe you thanks! Please, accept these twenty spirit stones." Bi Mingxuan took the umbrella and immediately pulled out the stones from his storage pouch.
"I can't accept this!"
"Are you turning down my gratitude?" Bi Mingxuan feigned a look of offense.
"Well… I suppose I'll shamelessly accept it then!"
Chen Jinshu tucked away the spirit stones, her smile fading slightly. It wasn't a large sum, but it would buy her several batches of good spirit herbs. Seeing her accept the gesture, Bi Mingxuan looked pleased. With this, the karmic thread between them was tied off.
"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call on me. Here—this is my spirit imprint."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Only when Bi Mingxuan, ever affable, had left did Chen Jinshu finally exhale in relief. The past few days, her luck had been absolutely outrageous. She'd gone out and stumbled across all sorts of things—first a small pouch of spirit stones, then discarded herbs left tucked in the corner of a wall.
Just yesterday, she'd found a Pearl Filigree Hairpin—an accessory belonging to the top senior sister of the outer sect. The pearls had been pure and radiant, almost enchanting. Even she had been momentarily tempted. But that sort of item? She wouldn't dare keep it. The karma it carried was heavier than she could bear.
And then today, right after leaving the herb garden, she saw a blue spiritual umbrella lying on the ground, shimmering like rippling water.
There was no doubt about it: her luck was cursedly good.
But the things fortune brought her… weren't hers to keep. If she wasn't careful, she'd be accused of theft. That kind of trouble, she didn't need.
"I should just hide out in the courtyard for a few days. Wait for the Shadowpeak Finch's fortune aura to wear off."
With that thought, Chen Jinshu turned toward Ink Plum Courtyard. But a moment later, her peripheral vision caught something — a jade-green fruit lying in the corner up ahead. Unless she was mistaken, that was a Greenjade Fruit.
And not just any fruit — a high-grade, first-tier spiritual fruit, ideal for cleansing the meridians of late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Each one sold for fifty to sixty spirit stones on the market.
"Probably dropped by another careless senior sister…"
"I don't see it. I don't see it!" Chen Jinshu shut her eyes tightly and darted forward, crimson aura trailing in her wake.
"Junior Sister! What a coincidence, meeting again!" The voice belonged to Dai Yuzhu, who seemed to be looking around for something.
"Senior Sister, don't tell me you're still searching for that Luck Fruit?" Chen Jinshu asked, slightly surprised.
"Heavens no! That thing probably doesn't even exist. But I did lose a Greenjade Fruit I just bought. Been retracing my steps ever since. Did you happen to see it?"
Dai Yuzhu sounded dispirited, her voice tinged with frustration.
'Wait… this is the same inner sect senior sister who's supposed to be all decisive and efficient? She's lost something again? That's got to be the third or fourth time already!'
Chen Jinshu couldn't help muttering inwardly.
"I did see a flash of green light earlier… about ten paces ahead, near a pear tree."
Feigning a sudden recollection, she quickly pointed Dai Yuzhu in the right direction. She couldn't keep the fruit, but earning a favor from an inner sect senior wasn't a bad trade. Who knew when she might need a helping hand?
"Really?" Dai Yuzhu's eyes lit up, all traces of gloom gone as she turned to her junior in delight.
"You should hurry, Senior Sister, or someone else might pick it up."
"Thanks, Junior Sister! Next time I'll treat you to one of Medicine Peak's herbal meals!" With that, Dai Yuzhu dashed off.
By the time Chen Jinshu came back to her senses, the senior sister was already a blur in the distance.
A short while later, Chen Jinshu returned to Ink Plum Courtyard. As soon as she entered, she saw the Shadowpeak Finch munching on red berry fruit. The bright white aura it had emitted just days ago had dulled somewhat—but it was still glaringly radiant.
"The fruit's fortune aura hasn't been fully expended yet. Better not leave the courtyard."
Xiao Yin quickly swallowed another berry and gave an exaggerated nod with its beak.
Chen Jinshu didn't dislike having good fortune. But everything it brought her belonged to someone else. If no one saw her, fine. But if she was caught… even the truth wouldn't save her.
"…It's been a while since I had a proper bath. A good soak, then some cultivation sounds perfect."
She realized she'd broken into a cold sweat several times today—first from joy, then panic. Her nerves were frayed. Soon, she arrived at a small hot spring nestled in the back of her courtyard.
Medicine King Peak was riddled with fire veins underground, which caused hot springs to emerge naturally. One such spring happened to be in her own yard.
She used it occasionally for bathing and relaxation.
Activating the surrounding formation, a light mist soon cloaked the entire hot spring. The moment she stepped into the water, a sigh of relief left her lips. She closed her eyes. Before long, three-quarters of an hour had passed, her entire body completely relaxed.
Then… she felt something hard shift beneath her. Her eyes snapped open. She reached into the water. Her fingers brushed something smooth—a wooden box.
"There's something in the hot spring?" Alarmed, she quickly donned her robes and used her Object Manipulation Technique to pull the object out.
Soon, a twenty-inch-long black wooden box appeared before her, soaked and dripping. Strange, faint patterns shimmered across its surface.
"Seriously? Even a hot spring bath comes with a surprise now? Why didn't I ever notice it before?"
Just to be safe—and to avoid disturbing any ancient monsters sealed inside—she set up a golden shield formation around the box.
Only then did she begin to examine it. The moment she opened the box—
A blinding blue light shot out, forcing her to shut her eyes. A clear metallic hum followed—the elegant resonance of a sword being unsheathed. In a flash, an icy sword aura surged within the golden barrier, clanging crisply against its edges.
"So intense… this sword aura isn't ordinary! Good thing I set up the shield—without it, I might've been injured!"
Cautiously, Chen Jinshu opened her eyes again. The golden formation now pulsed with a dazzling azure glow. And lying inside the black box… was a dusty blue-gold sword case.