Chapter 138: The Bootlicking Immortal Lord Who Wants to Live Off a Woman.4

His heart skipped a beat—he wanted nothing more than to rush over and find his wife right now. But then, a wave of gloom washed over him.

No good. She didn’t even know who he was yet…

If he just barged in, he’d probably scare her off. He needed to calm down.

What could be worse than finding your wife but not being able to acknowledge her? Only one thing—she didn’t even recognize him at all…

But Shen Xiuyan quickly adjusted his mindset. So what if he had to chase after her all over again? He could do that.

Inside, the conversation continued. Shen Xiuyan listened greedily to that sweet, captivating voice, looking every bit the lovesick fool.

“Senior Sister!” Ning Cui called out cheerfully. “We weren’t sent back! The Ancestral Master told us to clean up every morning and evening, and the rest of the time we can go back and cultivate.”

Su Mingyue couldn’t help but praise, “The Ancestral Master’s actually pretty nice, letting you have time to cultivate too.”

Shen Xiuyan silently received a “nice guy” card from his wife, but he wasn’t happy about it. If you asked him what he feared most in love, it was falling head over heels only to hear, “You’re a good person…”

Just thinking about it made his heart ache.

Ning Cui nodded. “Yeah! He even gave me a welcome gift. Wait here, I’ll go get Master so we can split it together.”

Su Mingyue ruffled Ning Cui’s hair. “No need, Cui Cui. You keep it for yourself.”

Ning Cui shook her head quickly. “No way. What’s mine is yours. You have to take it.”

Normally, a cushy job like this would never have gone to her—she knew full well that her Master had pulled a lot of strings and spent a fortune just to secure this one spot.

And he hadn’t given it to Senior Sister, but to her instead. She couldn’t let that effort go to waste.

She was going to protect the best Master and Senior Sister in the whole world.

Su Mingyue sighed. “Alright.”

“Senior Sister, don’t leave! I’ll go get Master right now!” Ning Cui called as she dashed out the door.

Only after she left did Shen Xiuyan finally have a chance to take a good look at his wife’s face.

He had to admit, the soul really was a powerful thing—Mingyue looked at least eighty percent like she had in the past.

Her round, dark eyebrows curved gently with her smile, and her clear eyes were like pools of jade-green water—just one look was enough to make someone’s heart soften.

She wore a snow-white dress with intricate embroidery, making her look even more delicate and charming.

With that outfit, she looked even more like a fairy.

They’d already lived through two lifetimes together, but Shen Xiuyan still couldn’t get enough of looking at her.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Su Mingyue looked up. “Dad, you’re here.”

Elder Su entered with a smile. “That Cui Cui, she’s something else. Even when she gets something good, she doesn’t forget about us.”

Cui Cui replied righteously, “That’s how it should be. As a disciple, I should honor my Master and Senior Sister.”

“Hahaha, good kid. Your Senior Sister and I were right about you,” Elder Su said, patting his chest in satisfaction.

Ning Cui laid out her spoils on the table. “Master, Senior Sister, these are some fruits the Ancestral Master gave me today.”

Elder Su looked puzzled. Since when did the Ancestral Master get so stingy, handing out nothing but some cheap fruits?

But the moment he got a clear look at what was on the table, the corner of his mouth twitched.

This silly girl… she must’ve made a mistake. These weren’t ordinary fruits—these were rare and priceless spiritual treasures!

As expected of their Ancestral Master—when he gave, he gave generously.

Elder Su let out a long breath and began explaining each item to Ning Cui. “This one—just one bite and a mortal can enter the Qi Refining Stage. This one—eat it and it’ll extend a dying person’s life by a hundred years. And that one…”

He went on and on, listing their effects. By the time he looked up, both his daughter and disciple were staring at him with spiraling eyes, completely dazed.

Elder Su shook his head with a helpless smile. As expected, even after building up his fortune over centuries, he still couldn’t compare to the Ancestral Master. He was already considered wealthy, but he didn’t have a single one of these treasures. No wonder his daughter and disciple didn’t recognize them…

Thinking of this, a strange bitterness welled up in his chest.

Looks like he still had a long way to go.

Su Mingyue trembled as she spoke. “Th-these are way too valuable…”

Ning Cui was equally stunned. “No wonder Ruan Xi’er looked so sour when I didn’t give her any. Turns out she already knew how valuable these were…”

But that was a misunderstanding—Ruan Xi’er didn’t have that kind of insight.

Aside from people like Sect Leader Xia or Elder Su, no one else would’ve recognized these for what they were. Most would’ve reacted just like Su Mingyue and Cui Cui, thinking they were just ordinary fruits.

After all, in the Cultivation World, the more precious a spiritual treasure, the better it could hide its aura. Some had even gained sentience and could suppress their presence to avoid detection.

That’s why you often heard stories of people rising to power overnight—because they happened to pick something up off the side of the road that changed their fate.

In this world, surviving still required a hefty dose of luck.

Su Mingyue, hearing what Ning Cui said, pounced on her and started patting her all over. “She didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”

Ning Cui shook her head. “Nope.”

Su Mingyue stomped her foot. “I don’t even know what I did to offend her. She competes with me over everything, and now she’s taking it out on you too.”

Elder Su frowned. “She’s still like that? Looks like I need to have a word with the Second Elder.”

Su Mingyue tugged on her father’s sleeve. “No need. I just ignore her. She wouldn’t dare do anything to me anyway. You don’t have to offend the Second Elder over this.”

There were thirty-one Elders across the Thirty-Two Peaks. Her father ranked tenth, and that was mostly thanks to his wealth.

In terms of cultivation and status, he couldn’t compare to the Second Elder. Su Mingyue didn’t want her father to lose face.

Elder Su understood his daughter’s intentions and sighed. “Alright then. But if she crosses the line again, tell me. I won’t let you suffer.”

“Got it.” Su Mingyue smiled sweetly.

Ning Cui patted her chest. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll protect Senior Sister.”

“Good girl. I appreciate it. But you don’t need to—if Ruan Xi’er gives either of you trouble, don’t hold back, understand?”

“Got it!” Ning Cui nodded, then pushed the items on the table toward Elder Su. “Master, these are too valuable. You should keep them.”

Now that she knew how precious they were, there was no way she’d hoard them for herself. They belonged in Master’s private stash.

Elder Su shook his head. “They were a gift from the Ancestral Master to you. That’s all the more reason we can’t take them.”

Ning Cui grinned. “No, no. You should keep them. They’re too valuable to leave with me. And if I ever really need one, would you honestly not give it to me?”

Elder Su thought about it and nodded. She had a point—if word got out that Ning Cui was carrying such treasures, it could cost her her life.

“Alright then. I’ll hold onto them for now.”

“Okay, Master. Oh right—Master, you should eat that fruit first. Didn’t you say it could boost your cultivation?”

Elder Su chuckled. “Silly girl, something like this won’t do much for my cultivation anymore. You should eat it instead.”

Ning Cui shook her head. “Give it to Senior Sister.”

Su Mingyue quickly grabbed the bright red fruit and stuffed it into Cui Cui’s mouth. “What are you being polite for? You eat it.”

Ning Cui’s eyes went wide as she was forced to swallow it down.

Senior Sister was so violent—she didn’t even give her a chance to refuse.

Elder Su watched the scene with a smile. These two were such little treasures.

Shen Xiuyan felt a pang in his chest. Just a few little spirit fruits, and they were pushing them back and forth like this. His wife really was living a tough life…

Looks like his father-in-law’s empire wasn’t all that impressive after all—he couldn’t even give his daughter a decent life!

He wished he could hand over all his wealth to her right now and let her spend to her heart’s content.

If Elder Su knew what he was thinking, he’d be utterly speechless.

With the kind of fortune that ranked top three in the entire Cultivation World, and he used to complain about having it rough?

He really learned something new today~~~

Other cultivators: That little girl carries better magical artifacts than all of us combined. If her life still isn’t good enough, then what kind of miserable existence are we living???