The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 62: Chapter 60: What Happened

Pei Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, ”No, that’s not it. Great-Grandfather died twenty years after he left the Sect. He’s been dead for over sixty years now.

In these sixty years, because Great-Grandfather passed away so early, life became harder and harder for each generation of the Pei Family. On top of that, no one had a Spirit Root of more than fifteen points.

They couldn’t practice Cultivation at all, so everything that was passed down was eventually considered a mere legend.

If I hadn’t accidentally found Great-Grandfather’s cultivation manuscript and somehow succeeded in my Cultivation...

...the Pei Family would have ceased to exist long ago, let alone be able to issue a Sect task.”

Zhang Deming said, stunned, ”Sixty years? Why?”

Pei Xiaoxiao began to explain, ”According to the stories about him, Great-Grandfather was unwilling to accept his fate. After leaving the Sect, he married and had my grandfather, but he never took another concubine.

He preserved his Primordial Yang as much as possible and even went into the mountains to hunt Demon Beasts, mingling with Loose Cultivators in an attempt to reach Tai Chi.

In the end, he never achieved Tai Chi. Instead, he was ambushed and killed by Loose Cultivators.

Although he managed to escape, his life force was completely drained. He died not long after returning.

After that, my grandfather had no Talent for Cultivation and was still young, so he and my great-grandmother moved back to Qingshui Town to settle down.

A lot of money was spent while Great-Grandfather was bedridden.

He also hadn’t saved much money, so with each passing generation, things just ended up like this.”

’Heh, he only learned two Techniques in his entire life. With that kind of Talent, he lost his Primordial Yang at fifty-three and still dreamed of reaching Tai Chi?’

’Where did he get that confidence? What an enigma!’

Looking at the sixteen-year-old Pei Xiaoxiao, Zhang Deming suddenly understood a few things.

A sixteen-year-old girl, even at the Mid-Term of Apprenticeship, would have to be a bit headstrong to survive this long without any contact with other Cultivators. It was only natural.

His attitude softened slightly. ”So what’s the deal with the Rain Praying Task?”

”A while ago, I had a breakthrough. I was finally able to open and look through my great-grandfather’s belongings.

Inside, I found a journal and his Identity Card. I used the Identity Card to try and post the task,” Pei Xiaoxiao said.

”A breakthrough? To open his belongings? Are you saying Senior Brother Pei set a cultivation restriction, requiring an Intermediate Apprentice to open them?”

’What kind of twisted logic is that? Did Pei Qingfeng have a hole in his head?’

’His descendants from a single-heir line have no cultivation Talent, yet he sealed his belongings? And he set the Cultivation requirement to open them so high? Could there be some kind of treasure inside?’

’No, with his desperation to reach Tai Chi, if he had any treasure, he would have contacted the Sect to trade for resources long ago, right?’

”I don’t think so. Great-Grandfather’s death was very sudden. He just habitually sealed many of his everyday things, probably because he was afraid of them being stolen.

As for Intermediate Apprentice? I don’t really know about these levels. All I know is that I just broke through!” Pei Xiaoxiao said, sounding puzzled.

Zhang Deming’s expression changed as a thought struck him. He asked, ”How long have you been practicing Cultivation?”

Pei Xiaoxiao thought for a moment. ”A long time, I guess. I found the Cultivation Technique when I was going through their belongings after my parents died.”

’How long is ”a long time”?’

”When did your parents die?” Zhang Deming pressed.

”More than half a year ago!” Pei Xiaoxiao replied in a low voice.

”What?!!! Half a year ago?” Zhang Deming exclaimed in horror.

”Yeah, what’s wrong?” Pei Xiaoxiao looked quizzically at the horrified Zhang Deming.

”Are you saying that in just half a year, you not only reached the Entry Level of Cultivation but also advanced to Intermediate Apprentice?” Zhang Deming asked.

’What kind of Talent is this?’

’How many Spirit Root points?’

’Ninety?’

’Ninety-five?’

’Or the legendary one hundred Spirit Root points?’

’Wait!’

Zhang Deming quickly opened his inventory and saw that his Qi Fortune hadn’t increased at all.

He frowned. Something wasn’t right!

’If she really has this level of Talent, even if she isn’t a person of great destiny, she should at least be a genius with some Qi Fortune, right?’

’In that case, my own Qi Fortune should have increased by now.’

Just a brief acquaintance with Li Shifan, who had a Spirit Root of twenty-something points and maybe some special talent, had earned Zhang Deming two orbs of Qi Fortune.

’If I’ve met such a powerful genius and even accepted a task to help her, how could my Qi Fortune not increase?’

’So, it’s not because of her Talent?’

”It wasn’t half a year. When I first started, my Cultivation just... stopped progressing after I reached the Entry Level,” Pei Xiaoxiao replied.

Hearing this, Zhang Deming’s expression flickered. ”Are you saying you reached Entry Level instantly and became an Intermediate Apprentice right away?”

Pei Xiaoxiao shook her head. ”Not instantly. It took two days and two nights of Cultivation.”

’Two days and two nights to become an Intermediate Apprentice... you really took your sweet time, didn’t you!!!’

’What was that, an epiphany?’

”Can you take me to your cultivation spot to have a look?” Zhang Deming asked.

Pei Xiaoxiao shook her head. ”No.”

Zhang Deming asked, ”What’s wrong? Afraid I’ll steal your territory?”

She shook her head again. ”No, it’s because my territory has already been stolen.”

Zhang Deming looked at her, confused, waiting for her to continue.

Pei Xiaoxiao went on, ”After I reached the Entry Level of Cultivation, I settled down in that Cave Mansion at Qingshui Lake.

But not long after, only about a month later, just as I finished reading Great-Grandfather’s journal, a Shocking Water Snake appeared in Qingshui Lake.

If the journal is correct, that Shocking Water Snake was actually raised by my great-grandfather.

Over eighty years, it evolved from an Ordinary snake with a trace of Demon Beast Bloodline to a creature with a Cultivation level similar to mine.

And since I only know one Technique, the Primordial Spirit Blade Skill, I couldn’t fight it in Qingshui Lake at all, so I was driven out.

Away from Qingshui Lake, its combat power seems to plummet, so it rarely comes out.

I was at a stalemate with it. After observing for a long time, I discovered that it gets most of its food from the Qingshui River.

Because of its enormous size, it was occasionally spotted and came to be regarded as a Dragon Monarch by the local people.

So I set things up with the old witch, held a sacrifice, and swapped out the offering.

I planned to lure the snake out myself. I never expected that just as I had my eyes on it, you would scare it away.

Given how cunning that snake is, there’s no way I can lure it out again.”

The more she spoke, the more dejected Pei Xiaoxiao became.

But Zhang Deming’s eyes grew brighter. The more he heard, the more certain he was that there was something unusual about Qingshui Lake.

’It’s possible Senior Brother Pei discovered some anomaly back then, and that’s what sparked his ambition to advance.’

’Otherwise, Zhang Deming really couldn’t imagine what kind of unwilling heart would drive someone who only knew a Dual Technique and had lost his Primordial Yang to still attempt to reach for Tai Chi.’

’Unfortunately, his fortune was shallow and he couldn’t handle it. Or perhaps he only sensed the anomaly but never found its true source.’

Realizing all this, Zhang Deming had no intention of letting this potential opportunity slip by.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, ”Is your combat strength comparable to the Shocking Water Snake’s?”

Pei Xiaoxiao nodded. ”In Qingshui Lake, yes. Outside of Qingshui Lake, I should be able to kill that beast.”

”Then wait for me to recover, and we’ll go together,” Zhang Deming said.

Hearing this, Pei Xiaoxiao was instantly overjoyed. ”Right! With Grand-Uncle-Master’s help, it will definitely work.”

”Ahem, Grand... Uncle... Master?” Zhang Deming asked, taken aback.

”That’s right. You’re Great-Grandfather’s junior brother from the Sect. It should be fine for me to call you Grand-Uncle-Master, right?” she said.

’Fine?’

’It’s a huge problem! The title ”Grandmaster” is reserved for at least a Duality Great Cultivator!’

”Sect seniority doesn’t work that way. Just call me Senior Brother,” Zhang Deming said.

”But you’re Great-Grandfather’s junior brother. If I call you Senior Brother, wouldn’t that mess up the hierarchy?” Pei Xiaoxiao said, looking conflicted.