Chapter 089: Transformation of the Physique

Shao Kaiyun flung his sleeve in fury and vanished again.

“How is that guy so elusive?” Qingjin asked in confusion. “Every time, he suddenly appears, then suddenly disappears.”

“It has to do with a special movement technique from their lineage. They have a unique footwork art called Void-Severing Step. It is almost like teleportation; once unleashed, it allows one to come and go at will, and very few can catch them. It is said that the cultivation art their line practices is also rather extraordinary, called the Transforming Void Formula. It can conceal a person without a sound and let them lurk right beside an enemy.”

Ning Qi explained to the three Qing siblings.

“With a cultivation art like that paired with footwork like this, it’s perfect for stealing things,” Qingjin said.

“Haha, their founding ancestor actually made his start as a thief. Later, he was recruited by the Divine Court, and over time their line gradually became one branch of the Divine Court. Even now, they still often sneak around taking other people’s things, and people are always shouting for them to be beaten down.” Ning Qi said with a smile, as though Qingjin had indeed guessed right.

Hearing this, Qingjin once again touched the little bird’s nest hanging from his neck.

Inside it, four tiny little ones, full and satisfied, were sound asleep. Even as Qingjin carried them around, they never woke.

“Is Young Master Qingjin going to Wuding City this time to see the Heaven-Pattern Tower as well?” Chai Ning asked, taking the initiative to start a conversation.

“Yes. I plan to take my younger brother and sister to have a look,” Qingjin said. Qingjin was not a gentle sort of person; in fact, he had a touch of cool aloof pride. As long as he was not speaking to his siblings or familiar friends, he appeared rather cold and distant.

But Chai Ning did not mind in the least.

How could someone of such lofty bearing as Shen Qingjin possibly have no temper at all?

“Coincidentally, I also want to take a look at the Heaven-Pattern Tower. Why don’t we travel together then?” Chai Ning asked.

“Very well,” Qingjin replied.

“Qing...”

Ahem.

The middle-aged man behind Chai Ning gave a light cough. Chai Ning immediately turned back and saw the man gently shake his head.

Though somewhat disappointed, Chai Ning was still quite tactful. “This journey by river will take us two months. If you need anything, just tell the servants outside the cabin.”

“All right.”

“Then I shall take my leave for now. Please rest well, everyone. I’ll have the spiritual liquid and purple gold coins sent over shortly.” With that, she left with her people.

Once she returned to her own cabin, Chai Ning could not help asking the middle-aged man behind her, “Uncle He, why did you not let me stay a little longer?”

“Miss, you are a woman. If you are too warm and eager, people will look down on you. At the very least, you are the legitimate daughter of the Chai family. Your father is still the clan head of the Chai family. That young man from the Shen family may look quite remarkable, but we have not yet discovered what background he truly has. He may not necessarily be worthy of you.

“You were born into the Chai family and raised by it. Your marriage cannot be decided by you alone; it must follow the arrangement of the clan head. If that person is not right for you and you invest too much feeling, you will only end up heartbroken.

“It is better to first keep things on the footing of friendship.”

“I actually don’t have any extra thoughts,” Chai Ning said with a wistful air. “I just think he is far too handsome. If I could have a husband with such beauty, I would have no complaints in this life.”

Uncle He could not help smiling at her.

His young lady was truly a member of the beauty-obsessed society.

“Then hurry and have the spiritual liquid and purple gold coins delivered.”

Before long, the Chai family servants brought the spiritual liquid and purple gold coins into Qingjin’s cabin.

Qingjin naturally kept the purple gold coins for himself. If they were left in Qinghu’s hands, he would be even less at ease. As for the spiritual liquid, it was divided up into four portions, one for each of them, even Ning Qi’s share included. After all, it was something sent by the Chai family, not money they had spent themselves.

Before the Chai family sent anything over, Qingjin and the others had been pressing Qinghu about where exactly the Golden Cicada Shell had come from.

Perhaps they could even see whether there was a second Golden Cicada Shell somewhere.

Who would have thought Qinghu would say, “My little fish fished it up from Dragon-Entwined Lake.”

That made things troublesome. Even if they knew the place, who would dare go into the lake?

That was a human forbidden zone.

So Ning Qi shifted the topic to the little Glimmerbirds instead. They had not had time to buy a bird nest, and the nest hanging from Qingjin’s neck was actually something Ning Qi had kindly provided.

Without that little nest, Qingjin’s little birds would still have had to sleep in a basket.

“Are the four little chicks comfortable in their new nest?” Ning Qi asked.

Qingjin immediately laughed. “What could possibly be uncomfortable about it? They haven’t even grown feathers yet. The nest is much softer than a basket.”

“I was just worried they might not sleep well and that it would affect how they grow later. You know, if a little bird gets depressed because its sleeping place is bad, it might even die,” Ning Qi said.

“Depressed? I feed them every half a shi or so, day in and day out. I clean up after them, wash them, wipe them down, and they still get depressed? Then what am I doing all this for? They’d better grow up lively and healthy for me. Ah, right, Qinghu, how big can Glimmerbirds get?”

“That depends on how well you feed them. In any case, once they grow up, carrying you around as they fly should not be a problem,” Qinghu said, estimating the potential growth of the Glimmerbird.

“That can’t be right. I heard the biggest Glimmerbirds only grow to about the size of a chicken?” Ning Qi asked skeptically.

“So small—what can they even do?” Qinghu said indifferently. “Lay eggs? If they only grow as big as chickens, would the eggs they lay be about the same size too?”

“How is a male supposed to lay eggs?” Qingjin said, his face darkening.

“You can always find a hen to do it,” Qinghu replied with a bright smile.

“Nonsense.” Qingjin could not help laughing as well.

Just then, the people delivering the Chai family’s gifts arrived, and the four of them divided up the spiritual liquid once more.

With the spiritual liquid in hand, Qinghu also had the Chai family help purchase some spiritual honey.

The spiritual liquid mixed with honey and fruit was indeed delicious. Poured into a gourd, it was perfect for drinking as water. Qinghu took one sip after another, and before long, more than half of it was already in her stomach.

Burp. She had drunk a little too much spiritual honey water.

Qinghu felt a bit sleepy, so she went back to sleep.

When she woke early the next morning, she had already reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement. Of course, the increase in cultivation was not what Qinghu cared about. What she cared about was that ever since coming to the Eastern Wastes and eating so many delicious things, the steady accumulation had finally brought a small transformation to her body last night.

She had gone from a frail mortal frame to an ordinary mortal body.

The greatest benefit of this improvement was that she had put on a little weight. There was a touch more flesh on her arms, and she had grown a little more than half an inch taller.

At any rate, she happily spun around in her dress, feeling that her figure had become all the more graceful and lovely.

Qingjin was holding a scroll and reading.

Then Qinghu burst the cabin door open with a bang and rushed in, standing before Qingjin and turning around several times. Slowly, too—very slowly indeed.

“Big brother, big brother, do I look even prettier now?”