Chapter 12: Helping Wang Wan Begin Cultivation

Early the next morning, the rain had cleared and the whole courtyard came alive with chirping insects and singing birds. The path stayed damp, raindrops still clinging to the treetops, hanging on the edge of falling.

A beam of sunlight shone into Liu Ruyan’s bedroom.

Liu Ruyan opened her eyes, still half-asleep. She had the strange feeling of being watched and quickly turned her head.

She locked eyes with Nangong Lin, whose bright, watery eyes met hers.

“Lin, you’re up so early! Did you not sleep well?” Liu Ruyan sounded surprised as she looked at Nangong Lin.

“Sister Ruyan, Wang Granny isn’t getting any younger. Let’s help her start cultivating so she can begin her journey.” Nangong Lin turned to Liu Ruyan, her little face full of hope. “If Wang Wan Granny can cultivate, she’ll live much longer!”

Liu Ruyan hesitated, worry flickering across her face. “Lin, you do know Wang Auntie’s age will make it hard for her to even reach the starting point, right? Her body isn’t what it used to be, either. Even if we help, her talent is limited—she might only reach the Sword Qi Realm at most.”

“Sister Ruyan, even making it to the Sword Qi Realm would be amazing for her! That means she could live four hundred years.” As soon as Nangong Lin heard there was a chance, she gazed at Liu Ruyan with sincere determination.

Liu Ruyan saw nothing but resolve in Nangong Lin’s eyes. Sighing, she gave in. “Alright, let’s tidy up and go look for Wang Wan Granny in a bit.”

“But first, I want to ask Big Brother Gu about this. He’s got far more experience—if he helps us, we’ll get twice the result for half the effort!” Nangong Lin cheered up instantly when Liu Ruyan agreed.

……………….

Gu Qingyi’s bedroom.

“It’s strange. Even after all this time, Master still hasn’t woken up. Did he burn through too much soul force? Is that why he hasn’t recovered yet?” Gu Qingyi sat cross-legged, eyes closed in cultivation, his spiritual sense probing the sword within him.

“Forget it. I’ll wait a few more days and check again.” He let it go and settled back into meditation.

Knock, knock, knock—the door rattled.

From outside, Nangong Lin called out, “Big Brother Gu, are you awake?”

Gu Qingyi, still resting, opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He stood, stretching before heading to the door.

The moment he opened it, he was met with Nangong Lin’s pure, blushing face.

“This little troublemaker probably needs something,” Gu Qingyi muttered to himself.

Putting aside his usual aloofness, Gu Qingyi’s tone softened. “What’s happened, Miss Nangong? It’s early for a visit.”

“Big Brother Gu, the thing is… Wang Granny is getting old, and she doesn’t have much time left. I hate the thought of her just slipping away.” Nangong Lin fidgeted, glancing down shyly, unable to meet Gu Qingyi’s eyes. “I want to help her start cultivating so she lives longer. After thinking about it, you’re the strongest among us. With your help, we could actually pull this off!”

“So please!” Nangong Lin pressed her hands together, bowing her head as if in prayer, all sincerity.

“I thought it was something difficult. No problem! It’s a small matter—let me get ready, and then we’ll go see Wang Granny.” Gu Qingyi answered with a calm smile.

“Alright! I’ll go get Sister Ruyan, then we’ll meet at Wang Granny’s place!” Nangong Lin beamed and hurried off.

………………

Wang Wan’s place. The elderly woman lying on the bed had no idea her ordinary life was about to get uprooted by Nangong Lin. She’d thought she’d live and die like any other commoner, but fate was about to spin in an unexpected direction.

“Sister Ruyan, this is great! Big Brother Gu agreed!” Nangong Lin burst into Liu Ruyan’s room, practically diving onto her. “Let’s get going!”

Liu Ruyan sighed, gently stroking Nangong Lin’s hair. “You’re really not a child anymore, so why are you always so reckless?”

“Come on, Sister Ruyan, let’s hurry or Big Brother Gu will be waiting!” said Nangong Lin, grabbing Liu Ruyan’s hand and pulling her out the door.

Outside Wang Wan’s place, Gu Qingyi had already tidied up. He appeared at the doorway in a flash, waiting in silence for Nangong Lin and the others.

Meanwhile, Nangong Lin dragged Liu Ruyan over, both of them gasping from the rush.

A moment later, Gu Qingyi saw two graceful figures sprinting over, and for a split second, he lost himself in the sight.

Of course, it was Liu Ruyan and Nangong Lin.

“Big Brother Gu, how did you get here so fast? Hey, Big Brother Gu!” Nangong Lin waved her tiny hand in front of Gu Qingyi’s face.

“Looks like we’re all here, so let’s begin.” Gu Qingyi snapped out of it, feeling a little awkward.

“Let me knock! Granny, are you awake?” Nangong Lin ran forward and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Inside, Wang Wan slowly sat up on the bed at the sound.

With a creak, the door swung open.

Seeing the three standing at her door, Wang Wan greeted them with a warm, grandmotherly smile. “Up bright and early, aren’t you all? What brings you here to see an old lady like me?”

Nangong Lin leaned in and whispered in Wang Wan’s ear, quietly explaining everything. She finished after quite a while.

“Oh no, this isn’t right. I’m more than content just making it this far—how could I dare hope for more?” Shocked, Wang Wan waved her hands in protest at Nangong Lin’s offer.

Liu Ruyan stepped in gently. “Aunt Wang, it’s all Lin’s kindness. Please, accept it. Besides, if you really set foot on the path of cultivation, you’ll not only live longer but become someone ordinary people admire.”

“If I keep refusing, it would be rude.” Wang Wan glanced at Nangong Lin, who, hands pressed under her chin, gazed at her with watery, hopeful eyes.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Big Brother Gu.” Wang Wan relented at last, echoed by the two other women.

Gu Qingyi kept his expression mild and composed. “Of course. Let’s all head inside.” They filed into the room.

Gu Qingyi used his spiritual sense to examine Wang Wan’s body. After some time, he opened his eyes and said quietly, “Wang Wan Granny, due to age, you’ve missed the best time to cultivate and your meridians have closed. But, thankfully, your body isn’t hopeless.”

“I’ll use my cultivation to cleanse your meridians. Hopefully we can get you to break through to the Sword Practitioner Realm in one go.” Gu Qingyi glanced at Wang Wan, a bit hesitant. “However, the process will be painful. Please bear with it, Granny.”

“I’m not afraid, I can handle it. Please, go ahead.” Wang Wan nodded firmly.

“Let’s get started then.” Gu Qingyi nodded back. He channeled a stream of true energy straight into Wang Wan’s body, reshaping her meridians.

Wang Wan could feel her body changing. The pain only got worse, her face twisting with the effort to endure. She bit her lip hard, refusing to make a sound.

“Hang in there, Granny! You can do it!” Both women cheered her on from the side.

After about the time it takes an incense to burn, Gu Qingyi withdrew his energy and caught his breath. “It’s done!” he said quietly.

……………..

Incredibly, Wang Wan’s entire appearance changed. Her once white hair turned jet black; her sagging skin grew plump and taut, her body flushed out old filth, her figure becoming shapely, her face smooth and delicate, soft as water.

“Is this really Wang Granny? She’s gorgeous!” The transformation left both women utterly speechless. Nangong Lin’s mouth fell wide open.

Wang Wan slowly opened her eyes, staring at her own renewed body in disbelief. She looked as young as twenty. Overwhelmed, she dropped to her knees and bowed. “I can’t thank you enough, Young Master and ladies. I have nothing to repay such kindness.”

“We shouldn’t call you Granny anymore—we should call you Sister!” Nangong Lin blurted out before Liu Ruyan grabbed her hand and shot her a look. “Let’s congratulate Sister Wang Wan on officially starting her cultivation!”

Nangong Lin suddenly realized, “Oh, that’s right. Here—this is the Nangong family’s basic technique, the Sword Qi Manual. It’ll really help you.” She took a manual from the ring on her hand and handed it to Wang Wan.

“And this here is the Liu family’s support method, the Guiyuan Manual. It will stabilize your spiritual sense and soul.” Liu Ruyan, thoughtful, pulled another book from her ring.

“Here’s our Gu family’s technique for stabilizing your realm, and these spirit stones—these are what you need most right now.” Gu Qingyi saw how generous the girls were and couldn’t fall behind. He retrieved a manual, Qi Gathering, and over a dozen low-grade spirit stones from his own storage ring. “You’ve just reached the first stage of Sword Practitioner Realm; these will help you a lot.”

“Sister Wang Wan, you probably don’t know much about Sword Qi Continent’s level system yet. Let me explain.” Nangong Lin volunteered, grinning playfully. “With your new realm, you now have three hundred years of life ahead of you! How does that sound? I’m only in the Sword Qi Realm, so you’ll catch up to me in no time!”

“Sister Wang, you keep cultivating and solidifying your progress. Tonight let’s go for a stroll together!” Nangong Lin shot Wang Wan a meaningful glance. “Take a bath and change first.”

“That sounds good.” Wang Wan nodded quietly.

A little while later, Wang Wan followed the instructions, cultivating both the Guiyuan Manual and Qi Gathering—and before she knew it, she’d broken through to the third stage of the Sword Practitioner Realm.

……………………

Meanwhile, over in White Deer Town, at the heart of the Wang family.

Seated at the center was a man built like an ox, muscles bulging, and with a face as fierce as a demon—the father of Wang Qiang, Wang Aotian.

“Any news of my son Wang Qiang? It’s been days since he vanished—I’m starting to fear the worst,” he growled.

Several servants knelt trembling before him, faces pale with nerves. “Reporting to the Patriarch, we fear the young master may have met disaster.”

Wang Aotian’s rage exploded. “What? Bastards! Go find out who did this—who dares provoke the Wang family in White Deer Town? There’s only ever been one bully in this town, and that’s us! No one else gets to slap us around!” He flung his teapot to the floor. “Damn it all!”

Moments later, another servant dashed in, panic written on his face. “Patriarch, we’ve figured out both the cause of the young master’s death and the culprits.”

“Tell me everything you know,” Wang Aotian’s voice went icy cold, his stare terrifying.

The servant, still kneeling, stammered, “A while ago, the young master got fixated on Liu Ruyan of the Liu family. He’d sneak over every couple of days.”

“The last time, locals say he tried to force himself on her—planned to get what he wanted—when a man and woman showed up along the road and killed him without mercy.” The servant could already feel Wang Aotian’s fury, his words tumbling out. “His body was just dumped outside by a wall.”

“Liu Yuan, the Liu family, Liu Ruyan… Well done!” Wang Aotian’s roar shook the room.

“Where is my son Wang Qiang’s body now?” Wang Aotian could barely hold back his grief, forcing himself to stay calm.

The servant trembled as he answered, “Sir, the young master’s body has been placed at the Wang family burial grounds.”

“Alright, leave me.” With that, Wang Aotian squeezed his eyes shut in pain, then snapped them open, eyes bloodshot, fists clenched so tight his nails dug into his palms.

Wang Aotian’s gaze turned deadly, his voice echoing through the room. “Don’t worry, son. I swear I’ll make everyone who hurt you pay—I’ll send them all to the grave with you!”

[Sword Qi Continent Realm Hierarchy: Ordinary Person, Sword Practitioner Realm, Sword Qi Realm, Sword Sea Realm, Sword King Realm, Sword Emperor Realm, Sword Saint Realm, (Demi-God Realm), Sword God Realm]

[The Demi-God Realm has never appeared in the world, so people have forgotten about it. Also known as the False God Realm, it’s recorded in ancient scrolls.]

[Lifespans by realm: Ordinary Person 100 years, Sword Practitioner Realm 300 years, Sword Qi Realm 600 years, Sword Sea Realm 900 years, Sword King Realm 1500 years, Sword Emperor Realm 3000 years, Sword Saint Realm 9000 years, Demi-God Realm and Sword God Realm: infinite.]