Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Qin Yi rested his hands casually on his knees, a few strands of grass caught between his fingers.

”Senior Brother Qin Yi!”

Liu Cheng stopped three zhang away and raised his voice to call. He didn’t dare come closer, afraid of disturbing the sensitive cubs.

”Formation Peak’s true disciple Su has arrived!”

Qin Yi’s eyelids twitched.

He turned his head, his gaze passing over Liu Cheng before finally landing on Su Ming.

Qin Yi froze.

He blinked, the confusion in his eyes dissipating, and the corner of his mouth pulled into a slightly stiff smile.

”Junior Brother Su? What brings you here?”

Su Ming stepped forward without releasing a trace of spiritual energy. The cubs, attracted by the pure water spiritual aura on him, didn’t shy away. Instead, a few bold ones approached and sniffed around the hem of his robe.”Master sent me to check on you.”

Seeing this, Liu Cheng immediately cupped his fists.

”You two brothers chat. I have chores ahead, I’ll get going first.”

With that, he grabbed Xiao Liu and hurriedly retreated.

Qin Yi rose to his feet.

He brushed the grass and dirt from his hands, his movements a little slow.

”Master does like to worry.”

Qin Yi’s voice was low, carrying a hoarseness from disuse.

”I’m fine. It’s just...”

He lowered his head and looked at the cubs gathered at his feet.

”Spending time with them sometimes makes me not want to talk to people.”

Qin Yi raised a hand, pointing at a little fox that was gnawing at a corner of Su Ming’s robe.

”Look at them, they’re so simple. Hungry and they cry, full and they sleep. Happy and they roll on the ground, unhappy and they bite. Much simpler than people.”

Su Ming looked down.

The little fox, finding it couldn’t tear the fabric, was angrily scraping at the ground with its front paws.

”That’s true.”

Su Ming nodded in agreement. After witnessing the scheming of human hearts at Iron Wall Pass, he felt Qin Yi had hit the nail on the head.

Qin Yi smiled. This time the smile came much more naturally.

”Come in and sit. Don’t stand outside in the wind.”

He turned and walked toward the cave dwelling. The little fox immediately trotted after him on short legs, keeping close to his heels.

Qin Yi’s cave dwelling was far cleaner than Su Ming had expected.

There was none of the imagined musky smell of spirit beasts. A few wind-type spirit stones were embedded in the rock walls, keeping the air circulating. In one corner, dozens of large wooden crates were neatly stacked, each labeled differently.

Three huge topographic maps of the Beast Peak hung on the walls, various symbols marked in cinnabar in different colors.

Qin Yi went to a stone table.

He took a storage pouch from his waist and with a flick of his wrist the table was soon piled high.

”These are snow-fuzz fruits, a specialty of Beast Peak. They only grow in the cold, shaded cliffs. One fruit is worth three fasting pills, and they’re good for stabilizing the realm of Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

Qin Yi picked up a fist-sized fruit covered in white fuzz and pressed it into Su Ming’s hand.

The fruit felt icy to the touch.

”This is the Hundred-Flower Spirit Honey I had someone fetch from the southern border recently.”

He picked up a sealed earthen jar.

”Since you just reached Foundation Establishment, your divine sense can be unstable. Before bed, dissolve a spoonful in warm water and drink it to calm your spirit.”

Even before Qin Yi opened the jar, Su Ming smelled a refreshing sweetness.

Qin Yi didn’t stop his preparations.

Finally he brought out a black urn half a person tall and set it down by Su Ming’s feet. It was heavy, landing with a dull thud.

”This is for that black egg.”

Qin Yi patted the urn’s side.

”I don’t know what species is inside, but it’s full of life. This urn contains Beast Peak’s secret bone powder, mixed with essence blood from three high-grade spirit beasts. Once it hatches, feeding it this first will give it a solid foundation.”

Qin Yi looked at Su Ming.

”From now on, for the cubs’ rations, come pick them up from the Beast Peak warehouse. I’ll notify the guard; take what you need.”

Su Ming looked at the pile of items in front of him.

Anything like this, if released, would cause a scramble among the inner disciples.

”Second Senior Brother,” Su Ming said, ”this is far too much.”

”Not at all, not at all.”

Qin Yi waved his hand.

”There aren’t many of us on Formation Peak. You know Master’s temper—he doesn’t care about mundane matters. Eldest Senior Sister trains with her sword all day, Luo Feng blows things up all the time.”

Qin Yi paused.

He put away the earlier awkward expression and his gaze grew unusually focused.

”There are few of us on Formation Peak, but we’re united.”

Qin Yi looked Su Ming squarely in the eyes.

”You’re our little junior brother. Call me Senior Brother and we’ll protect you. Whether it’s Heavenly Sword Peak or Punishment Peak, anyone who dares to touch you will have to get past us first.”

Su Ming’s heartbeat skipped.

He looked into Qin Yi’s clear eyes and felt something extremely rare in the cultivation world.

Purity, untouched by gain.

In Su Ming’s Consciousness Sea, Lin Yu exhaled a long sigh.

”My disciple. Take back what I said earlier. This Second Senior Brother isn’t a shut-in, he’s an invisible rich man and a great benefactor. This pile is worth at least five hundred mid-grade spirit stones. What a catch.”

Su Ming ignored Lin Yu’s joking.

He clasped his fists and performed a deep bow toward Qin Yi.

”Thank you, Senior Brother.”

When they left Qin Yi’s cave dwelling, the sun had already begun to lean west.

Xiao Liu hadn’t wandered far; he waited at the cliff entrance the whole time.

At the sight of Su Ming emerging, the boy hurried forward, his eyes shining like they held stars.

”Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

Xiao Liu lowered his voice, his tone overflowing with barely contained excitement.

”Did Senior Uncle Qin talk to you?”

Su Ming halted and glanced at the youth.

”Yes. He said a few things.”

”You’re amazing!”

Xiao Liu clenched his fists, his face full of admiration.

”Senior Uncle Qin usually ignores people! Last month an elder from Medicine Peak came wanting advice on spirit beast breeding. He sat under a pine tree all day and didn’t say a single word!”

Su Ming shook his head.

”He’s just not fond of talking, not that he ignores people.”

Su Ming recalled the conversation in the cave.

”He’s thoughtful.”

Xiao Liu scratched the back of his head, thoughtful.

”Also... Senior Uncle Qin treats those spirit beasts so well. If a cub gets sick at midnight, he can stay by the nest for days and nights without sleeping.”

They walked back the way they came toward the mountain gate.

Xiao Liu chattered like a leaking bamboo tube, talking the whole way about which spirit ape in Beast Peak had won a fight, which crane had lost a feather.

Su Ming didn’t interrupt, only occasionally nodding in response.

They stopped only when they reached the two rune-carved stone pillars at the mountain gate, and Xiao Liu adjusted his clothes, then offered Su Ming a sincere salute.

”Senior Brother Su, come visit more often when you have time!”

Xiao Liu pointed to the mountain behind him.

”Beast Peak might smell a bit, but the scenery on the back mountain is really beautiful! When autumn comes and the maple leaves turn red, the spirit deer dance in the woods!”

Su Ming looked at the boy’s earnest face.

He reached out and patted Xiao Liu’s shoulder.

”Alright.”