Chapter 139: The Bootlicking Immortal Lord Who Wants to Live Off a Woman (Part 5)

Elder Su had some matters to attend to, so after chatting with them for a bit, he left in a hurry.

Once he was gone, Ning Cui couldn’t help but complain, “That Ruan Xi’er is just too much. If I run into her again, I’m not going to let her off so easily!”

Su Mingyue chuckled and gently soothed her, “Alright, alright, don’t get worked up.”

Ning Cui pouted. “I really don’t get what Senior Brother Chu is thinking, always standing up for her.”

Su Mingyue smiled. “Maybe it’s true love?”

“Oh, come on.” Ning Cui rolled her eyes. “I’d believe it if you said Senior Brother Chu liked Ruan Xi’er. But whether Ruan Xi’er likes him? That’s a whole other story. Everyone in the sect knows you used to be close with Senior Brother Chu. I think Ruan Xi’er is just getting close to him on purpose to spite you.”

It sounded like Ning Cui had hit the nail on the head.

Su Mingyue shrugged. “That’s none of our business. It’s not like I like Senior Brother. Sure, he’s gentle, but don’t you think he’s a little too fake?”

“Besides, the only reason I used to hang around him was to ask for cultivation advice. He’s the fastest cultivator in our sect, after all.”

Ning Cui stroked her chin. “That’s true. He’s definitely not your type. Let me think—what kind of guy do you like again…”

“Oh, right! You like soft and cuddly boys, the kind who’ll act all clingy and sweet with you. Am I right or am I right!”

Su Mingyue’s face flushed red. “Enough! Don’t say another word. Let’s get back to cultivating.”

“Okay, okay~”

Listening to the two of them chat, Shen Xiuyan felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster.

Thank heavens his wife didn’t have anyone she liked. Otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee what he might’ve done.

And after hearing their whole conversation, Shen Xiuyan finally had an epiphany—his wife was the foil to the female lead…

He rubbed his chin in thought. If that’s the case, then let this foil role keep playing out.

With that, Shen Xiuyan withdrew his divine sense. In the blink of an eye, he was back atop Heaven-Reaching Peak.

He conjured a water mirror out of thin air and began to study his reflection carefully.

His features were undeniably handsome, but when he wasn’t speaking, there was a certain emptiness to his expression—something that made him seem unapproachable.

Most importantly, he had this nagging feeling that he wasn’t his wife’s type…

Just a few casual comments had completely shattered Shen Xiuyan’s confidence.

With a shift of thought, he waved away the water mirror, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had transformed into a young boy.

The water mirror rose again before him, and this time, Shen Xiuyan nodded in satisfaction at what he saw.

The youth in the mirror bore about fifty percent resemblance to his original form. At first glance, he looked like a dashing, spirited young man.

But when Shen Xiuyan smiled, his whole aura shifted—two tiny tiger teeth peeked out from the corners of his mouth, making him look irresistibly adorable.

Clenching his fist, Shen Xiuyan declared to himself, “Perfect. Time to go see my wife.”

To win her heart, becoming a little puppy dog? Piece of cake.

In the time it took to draw a breath, he had already arrived at the foot of the mountain. But just as he was about to rush off, his excited steps came to a sudden halt…

He’d gotten so caught up in the thrill of the moment that he’d lost his head. He couldn’t just barge into Biluo Peak like this. Right now, to Mingyue, he was nothing more than a stranger.

Shen Xiuyan let out a sigh and changed his plan.

***

The next morning, just as dawn broke, the sounds of activity were already echoing across the Thirty-Two Peaks.

Though it was still early, the outer sect disciples had already begun their daily cultivation routines.

After morning practice, they gathered in small groups to eat in the dining hall. Once breakfast was over, they’d be sent off to various corners of the sect to do odd jobs.

These outer sect disciples were all recruited from the mortal world. They had no backing, no family influence, so all the menial tasks in the sect fell to them.

It was hard work, but they didn’t mind. After all, being chosen by the sect was already the greatest honor of their lives.

At this moment, Shen Xiuyan was mingling among them.

He picked a random table and sat down. But when he looked at the food in front of him, he simply couldn’t bring himself to eat it.

This stuff looked absolutely awful.

Steamed corn buns and wild vegetable soup—he’d eaten better during famine times in some other world.

Luckily, with his cultivation level, he hadn’t needed to eat for hundreds of years. Even if he skipped meals now, he wouldn’t go hungry.

He might not need to eat, but the others weren’t so lucky. There were fewer than a hundred people in all of Thirty-Two Peaks who could survive without food. Even many Inner Sect disciples couldn’t manage that, let alone the outer sect ones.

The burly guy sitting next to Shen Xiuyan noticed he hadn’t touched his food and gave him a nudge.

Shen Xiuyan looked over, puzzled.

The guy asked, “You new here?”

Shen Xiuyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

The man laughed heartily. “I knew it! One look at you and I could tell. Can’t eat this stuff, huh?”

Shen Xiuyan nodded again.

The man clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve gotta eat it anyway, like it or not. As the saying goes, ‘endure the hardest hardships to become the best of men.’ If you can’t even handle this, how are you supposed to achieve anything?”

Shen Xiuyan looked at his pained expression and said dryly, “Be honest.”

The man let out a whimper. “Honestly? Don’t be fooled by the fact that we’re the number one sect in the Cultivation World. Even the landlord’s family isn’t rich these days. There are too many disciples, and all the good stuff gets snatched up by the Inner Sect. By the time it trickles down to us outer sect folks, we’re lucky just to get a full meal. Can’t be picky…”

Shen Xiuyan couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve really had it rough.”

“Not rough—just unlucky,” the man said with a dramatic wave of his hand. “Ah, right, I’m Wang Gang. What’s your name?”

“Shen Xiu.”