Chapter 53: Chapter 53

In the front courtyard, next to a stone table, there was a vegetable patch enclosed by pebbles.

Under the moonlight, the not-yet-fully-matured spirit vegetables swayed in the breeze, casting shimmering reflections of the moonlight on the ground.

Fang Quan crouched beside them, shook his head, and sighed, "What a pity."

He turned to his two confused disciples and instructed, "Go ahead and harvest these spirit vegetables now."

Shen Jizhi frowned slightly, his eyes showing disapproval.

Jian Huan was also surprised. "Master, they’re not fully grown yet!"

Harvesting spirit vegetables before they matured was like wasting a ruined talisman—it felt wasteful.

Fang Quan pulled out a packet of spirit seeds. "Originally, they were supposed to come next month, but they had to move it up a month due to some issues. I had expected these vegetables to mature next month, but now that’s not possible." He handed the seeds to Shen Jizhi. "Harvest these and plant these instead."

These spirit seeds would mature in just a month, and by the time they arrived next month, the spirit grass would be ready. Fang Quan thought it over.

Shen Jizhi asked, "What are these?"

"Spirit grass that spirit beasts love to eat," Fang Quan replied with a smile, stroking his beard. "Alright, get to planting."

Jian Huan looked at the thriving spirit vegetables, reluctant to harvest them. "Master, does the spirit grass have to be planted in the courtyard? Can’t we plant it outside?"

Fang Quan shook his head with a chuckle. "No, this plot was prepared specifically for my friend’s spirit beast."

With that, Fang Quan hummed a nameless tune, hands clasped behind his back, and returned to his room, radiating joy.

Jian Huan crouched by the vegetable patch, watching the figure inside the room who was moving books around, seemingly tidying up. She thought for a moment, then instinctively tugged at Shen Jizhi’s sleeve and asked, "Can other people appear in Master’s inheritance realm?"

Shen Jizhi pulled up a spirit vegetable by its roots, glanced at the hand on his sleeve, and replied softly, "They’re likely people from Master’s memories."

"I see," Jian Huan nodded, releasing his sleeve. She also pulled up a spirit vegetable and tossed it onto the pile at Shen Jizhi’s feet. Looking at the packet of spirit seeds, she smiled. "Now I understand why Yang Ye’s spirit pig refused to leave that room."

Behind the mural in that room was Fang Quan’s true dwelling, where fully matured spirit grass grew. For a spirit pig with a keen sense of smell and a love for food, it was an irresistible temptation.

She wondered what would happen to Yang Ye’s pig after it ate the spirit grass.

They’d have to wait until she and Shen Jizhi left the realm and reunited with the others to find out.

But they had only just started learning talisman swordsmanship a few days ago, and it would take several more months to fully master it.

However, by their calculations, they had entered the realm fifteen days after the secret realm opened, and the exit would appear in another fifteen days. That meant they could stay in the realm for fifteen months.

With so much time on their hands, Jian Huan wasn’t in a hurry.

As the saying goes, "An inch of time is an inch of gold." She felt like she was getting a great deal by gaining so much extra time here.

The spirit seeds Fang Quan had given them grew rapidly, changing almost daily. A month later, the patch was densely packed with mature plants.

On a spring night, the breeze carried a slight chill, and the shadows of the trees in the courtyard danced under the moonlight. A faint aroma of wine lingered in the air.

Laughter and conversation drifted from Fang Quan’s room, creating a lively atmosphere.

Earlier that day, Fang Quan had demonstrated the thirty-first move of talisman swordsmanship to Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi, instructing them to practice on their own before leaving.

This was nothing out of the ordinary, so Jian Huan didn’t notice anything unusual.

It wasn’t until she returned after dark that she realized guests had arrived.

Jian Huan’s eyes lit up. She shushed Shen Jizhi and tiptoed forward.

Shen Jizhi shook his head lightly but didn’t stop her. He picked up a vegetable basket and headed to the fields outside the courtyard to gather ingredients for the next day’s meals.

Jian Huan turned back and whispered, "Aren’t you going to listen? Aren’t you curious about Master’s past?"

Shen Jizhi shook his head. "You can just tell me the important parts later."

Seeing the basket in his hand, Jian Huan nodded. "Alright."

Fang Quan’s paper window had a small hole that had never been patched. Jian Huan crouched down and peeked through it.

Inside the room were three men, one woman, and a marten.

Fang Quan sat with his back to Jian Huan. Across from him was a man holding the marten, to his left was a bald Buddhist monk, and to his right was a woman dressed in white.

The white robes were all too familiar to Jian Huan—they were the unchanged disciple robes of the Jade Clarity Sect, identical in style but vastly different in quality.

A thousand years ago, the robes were made of moon-white fabric as soft as gauze, elegant and refined. A thousand years later, they were made of plain white cloth.

Several small dishes on the table were half-empty, and a few wine bottles lay scattered to the side. The four had been drinking for quite some time.

Fang Quan opened a new bottle of wine and first offered it to the woman on his right. "Lotus Heart?"

Lotus Heart smiled softly. "Go ahead, Fang Brother. I can still drink."

Fang Quan nodded, gently holding his sleeve as he poured a small bowl of wine for Lotus Heart, then filled the bowls of the other two.

He set the wine bottle down, took a sip, and continued the conversation. "Hua Dihai?"

If Lotus Heart weren’t the renowned swordmaster, Jian Huan would have mistaken her for a noblewoman. Her brow was furrowed with a faint worry. "Yes, it was only recently discovered that he’s the one who united the demon race."

The bald man across from her, who had a somewhat fierce appearance, sneered. "The demons call him the Demon God. My master’s mysterious death was his doing!"

At this, the man’s teeth were practically grinding with anger.

Fang Quan reached out and patted his friend’s shoulder. "Wu Yin, my condolences. I’ve been living in seclusion here and didn’t know about your master’s passing."

Wu Yin’s eyes were slightly red. He shook his head. "Forget it. We agreed not to bring sad topics here. Let’s talk about something happier. We’ll leave the outside world outside Fang Brother’s home."

The mention of Hua Dihai seemed to have been a passing topic, and soon the group moved on to other matters.

Fang Quan chuckled. "I recently read a storybook—it was truly fascinating! You all should read it."

Lotus Heart asked curiously, "What storybook?"

Fang Quan replied, "It’s about a poor scholar who meets a noblewoman on his way to the imperial exams. As they travel together, he discovers she’s actually a demon in disguise…"

Wu Yin laughed mockingly. "Fang Brother, you’re almost three hundred years old, and you’re still reading this?"

Fang Quan glanced at the wine cup in front of Wu Yin and tapped it lightly with his chopsticks, retorting with a smile, "You’re a Buddhist monk, and yet you drink wine and eat meat?"

Wu Yin downed the wine in one gulp. "Here, I’m not a Buddhist monk. I’m just Wu Yin. What’s wrong with a little drink?"

Lotus Heart shook her head gently, her soft smile momentarily overshadowing the worry in her eyes.

She took a sip of wine and waited for the two to finish their banter before speaking. "My Lotus Heart Sword Manual is almost complete. I’d like you all to take a look at it when it’s done."

At this, Fang Quan suddenly pointed toward Jian Huan, who was still peeking through the window.

Jian Huan, who had been trying to figure out who the other two men were, was startled by the gesture.

Fang Quan said, "Speaking of which, I have some good news to share. I’ve found disciples to inherit my legacy…"

Now that her master had introduced her to the group, Jian Huan felt it would be impolite to keep eavesdropping.

She was about to stand up and enter the room to greet everyone when she noticed something strange. After Fang Quan’s announcement, Wu Yin and Lotus Heart showed no reaction—they hadn’t heard his words at all and continued discussing the Lotus Heart Sword Manual.

Jian Huan raised an eyebrow, quickly realizing the truth.

These people were merely figments of her master’s memories.

But at that moment, the man across from Fang Quan, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly looked up and met Jian Huan’s gaze. He gave her a slight nod.

Jian Huan froze, a chill running down her spine.

Outside the bamboo grove, a stream flowed, and beyond it lay Fang Quan’s vast fields.

The area was rich in spiritual energy, and spirit grass and vegetables thrived.

Shen Jizhi bent over, harvesting the vegetables with precision, selecting only the most valuable ones without hesitation.

Suddenly, he frowned, straightened up, and looked into the distance.

The night was beautiful, the sound of the stream hitting the rocks echoing softly. Jian Huan came flying on her sword, the bamboo leaves around her swaying violently from her speed.

She stopped abruptly, nearly tumbling forward.

Shen Jizhi reacted quickly, steadying her before immediately letting go and stepping back. "What’s wrong?"

"I noticed something strange," Jian Huan said, gesturing for him to follow without further explanation. "Come and see for yourself."

As the two of them flew back on their swords, Jian Huan briefly recounted what she had just seen and heard. Still puzzled, she furrowed her brows and said, "The other two didn’t react to my presence, which means they were just illusions from Master’s memories. But why did that one person seem to sense me and even nod in acknowledgment?"

Shen Jizhi was equally perplexed.

He had felt confident enough to go pick vegetables because he was certain that neither he nor Jian Huan would be in any danger within this inheritance illusion.

But now, things had taken a completely unexpected turn.

The vegetable patch wasn’t far from the courtyard, and within a few words, they arrived.

They didn’t enter but stood at the gate, cautiously observing the man in the yard.

The man was draped in an extravagant cloak, his head bowed as he gazed at the patch of spiritual herbs, lost in thought.

These herbs had been specially cultivated by Fang Quan for his spirit beast.

A thousand years ago, every year when he and his two closest friends visited, they would see this lush patch of greenery.

The man’s white jade hairpin gleamed softly under the moonlight, a clear sign of its extraordinary quality.

Jian Huan had noticed this earlier while peeking. She leaned closer to Shen Jizhi and whispered, "This guy looks really wealthy. Do you recognize him?"

Shen Jizhi quietly observed the man, then turned his head slightly and replied softly by her ear, "Yes, I know him."

Jian Huan felt a slight tickle in her ear and instinctively tilted her head away, her eyebrows raised. "Who is he?"

Shen Jizhi didn’t answer directly but instead described him: "The grandfather of one of my creditors."

Jian Huan looked confused. "Huh? Which creditor?"

He had so many creditors—how was she supposed to know which one?

"..." Shen Jizhi paused, then said, "The ancestor of the Gong family."

Jian Huan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Gong Feihong’s ancestor? The grandmaster from the Beast Taming Sect?"

Shen Jizhi nodded. "Yes, that’s him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gong Qi, the ancestor of the Gong family, seemed to snap out of his reverie. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over them.

The strikingly handsome young man and woman at the gate stood close together, their clear eyes reflecting the innocence of youth, like two kittens huddling for warmth.

Gong Qi sighed softly. "It’s been a thousand years. Finally, someone has come to this place."

Shen Jizhi straightened up and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior Gong."

Jian Huan followed suit. "Hello, Senior Gong."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Gong Qi looked at Shen Jizhi and thought for a moment. "I believe I’ve seen you before."

Having lived through such a long span of time and met countless people, he couldn’t immediately recall where he had encountered this familiar young man.

Shen Jizhi clarified his identity. "This junior is Shen Jizhi, a disciple of Master Gu Shan."

"Ah, it’s you. I remember now." Gong Qi nodded. "You already have a master outside. Does Elder Fang know about this?"

Shen Jizhi replied, "I informed Master before entering the illusion to pay my respects. He didn’t mind."

Elder Fang wasn’t the type to care about such things, so Gong Qi chuckled lightly. Then he suddenly asked, "Has your master paid back the debt he owes to my grandson?"

After a pause, Gong Qi added, "I’m referring to your master outside."

"..." Shen Jizhi hesitated, then said, "Not yet, but it’s almost done."

Gong Qi nodded. "No rush. Take your time."

He then turned to Jian Huan, his expression much kinder. "I don’t believe I’ve met you. Who are you?"

Jian Huan smiled. "Reporting to Senior Gong, this junior is Jian Huan." After a moment of thought, she added, "Gong Feihong is my classmate. He once borrowed 3,000 spirit stones from me in an emergency, but I’ve already paid it back!"

Gong Qi’s eyes showed approval. "Good, you’re a fine young one."