NOVPUBOne Million Spirit Stones
When light appeared before her eyes once more, Xu Shulou found herself standing in the resplendent golden chamber of the Taixu Realm, surrounded by a dense crowd of people.
Men and women, young and old—each wore the same bewildered expression.
The fierce beast guarding the entrance, upon seeing so many people emerge from the painting, was struck dumb with astonishment.
The steward, having received word, rushed to the scene along with Bai Roushuang and others. "Senior Sister! You’re back!"
"How long was I inside?"
"A few hours. Make way, please." Bai Roushuang squeezed through the crowd and threw her arms around Xu Shulou in delight. "I knew you could do it!"
The steward’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, he flipped through his ledger for a long moment before finally looking up at Xu Shulou. "Miss Xu, you—you brought them all out?"
"It seems I even exceeded expectations?" Xu Shulou counted the crowd and confirmed there were more people than the number of portraits listed in the ledger. Apparently, some had wandered into the painting even before the Taixu Realm acquired it.
"This—this is nothing short of a miracle! Miss Xu, I must report this to the master at once. Your righteous deed today will forever be remembered—"
The steward was so overcome he could barely speak, but his words were interrupted by a middle-aged man. "Excuse me, could someone explain what’s happening? I was just about to enter the painting—how did I suddenly end up here with all these people?"
"Daoist Zhou, it has been five years since you entered the painting. The current year is the twelfth of the Zhangshuo era," the steward replied solemnly, clearly recognizing the man. "All of you were lost within the painting for varying lengths of time. It was Miss Xu here who ventured inside and brought you out."
The room erupted in murmurs.
"Five years?" The man faltered. For a cultivator, five years wasn’t an especially long time, so he didn’t feel panic—only profound confusion. He pressed Xu Shulou urgently, "May I ask, what was the world inside the painting like? Why don’t I remember anything? What trapped me for five years? Where did you find me, and what was I doing?"
This was the question on everyone’s mind. Suppressing their agitation, the crowd turned their attention to Xu Shulou.
She shook her head gravely. "I’m not entirely sure what the world inside the painting was like. When I entered, all I saw was darkness. All of you were lying unconscious within it, surrounded by terrifying monsters patrolling the area. It took me quite some time to fight them off before I could bring everyone out."
The man blinked. "That’s it? I expected the painting to hold far greater dangers. Could you elaborate, Miss?"
"Very well," Xu Shulou sighed dramatically. "In truth, it was far from as simple as I made it sound. The moment I stepped inside, a horrifying monster lunged at me with its maw gaping wide, its blood-red eyes locking onto me..."
The crowd listened intently.
Xu Shulou began gesturing animatedly. "In the blink of an eye, I raised my sword to block while delivering a swift kick to the monster’s head—only to find its forehead harder than steel! The blow only enraged it further, and it shrieked as it charged at me!"
The audience tensed.
"Only then did I get a proper look at the creature. Its size rivaled that of the legendary Kunpeng; its hide was as tough as forged iron; its claws were as sharp as honed blades..."
The listeners were spellbound.
Carried away by her own tale, Xu Shulou slammed a hand on the table. "...And at that very moment, I roared at the beast: 'We cultivators walk the righteous path! You shall never bend me to your will!'"
"Bravo!" someone shouted.
"...In short," Xu Shulou concluded, "I fought the monster until the heavens darkened, sustaining grievous wounds and nearly dying beneath its claws. But at the critical moment, I discovered its weakness—right beneath the base of its tail—and that’s how I defeated it and saved you all."
A few applauded appreciatively.
With her silver tongue, Xu Shulou had spun the whole ordeal into a riveting storytelling performance.
"That’s how it happened," she said with a modest smile. "Getting out safely might’ve just been luck. Before I entered, the steward mentioned that this painting shows special favor to those of pure and unblemished heart."
The fierce beast at the door glanced at her, then at the steward’s awestruck expression, and finally at the moved crowd. Its entire worldview felt challenged.
A scholarly-robed man stepped forward and bowed courteously to Xu Shulou. "Thank you for your noble deed, Miss. I am Duan Wenxuan of the Moonlit Pavilion. Should you ever have need of me, I shall repay this debt without hesitation!"
Xu Shulou recognized him as the gluttonous giant she had seen inside the painting—now a strikingly handsome man in reality. She returned the gesture with a sincere smile, as if she had truly done nothing more than rescue him from unconsciousness. "It was a small matter, Daoist Duan. You honor me too much."
The others also stepped forward one after another to express their gratitude, and Xu Shulou returned their courtesies in turn, exchanging a few words with each of them. She noticed that none of them showed any signs of impaired mental faculties.
After this delay, the somewhat enigmatic master of the Tai Xu Realm finally arrived in haste. He appeared to be a refined young man, and as one of the wealthiest figures in the cultivation world, his attire was unremarkable aside from the high-quality spiritual silk fabric—except for one detail that caught Xu Shulou’s admiration: a folding fan tucked at his waist, a taste she shared.
"A hundred years..."
He closed his eyes briefly, hesitating at the doorway as if overwhelmed by the emotions of returning home. After taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, his face barely concealing a flicker of suppressed excitement as he scanned the crowd, as though afraid he might not find the person he sought.
His gaze soon settled on a young man among the gathered people, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears as he called out in a trembling voice, "Cang He?"
The man pushed through the crowd, and the two embraced, weeping. Around them, the others gradually shook off their lingering bewilderment, beginning to greet one another and inquire about the years they had spent trapped within the painting. Some cultivators, eager to reunite with loved ones, hurriedly departed.
Xu Shulou noticed Li Qu among those rushing away—of course, he still had living family waiting for him.
Bai Roushuang watched the scene before her, thinking of the many friends, relatives, disciples, and sectmates who would be reunited today. She couldn’t help but smile at these rediscovered bonds. And the one who had made it all possible—her senior sister... Wait, where was her senior sister?
She glanced around and spotted Xu Shulou, who had somehow slipped away from the crowd. The woman was now crouched mischievously in front of the painting, clutching a brush and cackling under her breath.
"..."
Later that evening, Xu Shulou and her companions sat in the most luxurious private room of the finest restaurant in Fan Capital City, feasting on delicacies worth a fortune.
The master of the Tai Xu Realm smiled as he presented a storage pouch filled with a million top-grade spirit stones. "A small token of my gratitude—please don’t refuse."
Remembering her agreement with the voice from the painting, Xu Shulou reluctantly averted her gaze. "Rather than spirit stones, I’d prefer to take the painting with me."
"The painting is yours, of course," the man replied warmly. "But please accept the spirit stones as well."
"This is far too generous."
"It’s nothing," he said with a shake of his head. "Cang He is my closest friend—we grew up together. His disappearance all these years nearly became my inner demon. By saving him, you’ve not only rescued him but also preserved my Dao heart. A million spirit stones and a painting are a small price."
Cang He, whom Xu Shulou had freed from the painting, chimed in, "The Tai Xu Realm is the most extravagant establishment in Fan Capital City. Please, don’t stand on ceremony with him."
Xu Shulou finally relented. "Then I’ll accept with gratitude."
Seeing her take the gifts, the two men visibly relaxed.
"By the way, you needn’t worry about the Soaring Eagle Sect anymore," the Tai Xu Realm master added casually, eliciting envious glances from Jiang Yan and the others.
Xu Shulou, who had recently been pursued by the sect, sighed and clasped her hands in thanks. "I appreciate it."
"No need for formalities," he replied. Then, with a smile, he asked, "Is there anything else you desire? If it’s within my power, I’ll see it done."
Xu Shulou considered for a moment. "There’s nothing I particularly want... but perhaps you could raise my third junior brother’s wages?"
Feng Yi, who had been stuffing his face alongside Jiang Yan, looked up with tears in his eyes. "Raise my wages? Senior Sister, what about buying my freedom like you promised?"
The Tai Xu Realm master chuckled and clapped his hands. A subordinate entered, bearing a tray. "I had planned to offer small gifts to your junior brothers and sisters as well."
Feng Yi lifted the red cloth covering the tray and whistled. "Small gifts?"
Cang He added with a smile, "Miss Xu, the earlier reward was his way of thanking you. Now, allow me to express my gratitude. I own several properties in Fan Capital City—you may choose whichever you like."
Xu Shulou shook her head. "That’s truly unnecessary. I’m not suited for managing businesses."
The Tai Xu Realm master interjected, "I’ve been overseeing his properties for the past century. If they’re transferred to your name, I’ll continue managing them on your behalf. You’ll only need to collect the annual dividends."
Xu Shulou declined again. "Really, there’s no need. A million spirit stones are more than enough for me to live lavishly until the day I ascend."
Cang He pondered for a moment. "Then... is there anything else you desire? Magical treasures, elixirs—if it exists in the cultivation world, we can procure it for you."
Seeing their earnest desire to repay her, Xu Shulou finally said, "At the Soaring Eagle Sect’s auction, my junior sister took a liking to the four dresses from Linglong Pavilion—the ones named Wind, Cloud, Fire, and Water. But we couldn’t afford them at the time."
Bai Roushuang’s eyes widened. "Senior Sister, you remembered?"
"That’s easily arranged," the Tai Xu Realm master said, whispering instructions to his subordinate before turning back to Bai Roushuang with a smile. "After the meal, we can go retrieve those dresses for you."
After the meal, the group went together to retrieve the dresses, passing by a business owned by the Soaring Eagle Sect along the way. Xu Shulou arrogantly floated past them, earning an exaggerated eye-roll in response, though no further threats or hostility followed.
When they arrived at their destination, Xu Shulou finally understood why the two had insisted they come in person.
"So Linglong Pavilion is also your property."
Before her eyes lay a dazzling array of finery—the largest clothing emporium in Fandu City, spanning ten floors, now completely emptied of customers. Cang He and his companion had cleared out the entire establishment just for them.
"Since Miss Xu refuses our other offers, please accept every dress in this emporium as our gift," said Cang He.
Xu Shulou shook her head. "What would I do with so many clothes? Even if I wore a new one every day, it would take me a decade to go through them all."
"Please accept them," urged the master of Taixu Realm. "Every garment here is embroidered with a small spiritual array. No matter the wearer’s height or weight, the clothing will adjust to fit a cultivator’s form perfectly. If you ever grow tired of a style, you may also have it altered at any of Linglong Pavilion’s affiliated tailors."
"Truthfully, our insistence is somewhat selfish," Cang He admitted candidly. "For the wealthy in the cultivation world, there’s nothing worse than owing a favor. If a debt can be repaid with spirit stones, we’d rather do so to avoid future complications. Miss Xu, others may believe your story, but I know that painting held more secrets than you let on. This was a life-saving grace. A few thousand dresses are nothing—please, take them."
Xu Shulou could only nod. "Very well, I accept. Consider this matter settled between us."
The master of Taixu Realm smiled again. "But surely we can still be friends?"
———
As they left Fandu City, Xu Shulou glanced back, emotions swirling within her. "I thought my freedom would be restricted again, that I’d never set foot in this city from now on."
Jiang Yan and the others were equally moved. Traveling with their senior sister this time, they had somehow avoided being blacklisted by Fandu City—a rare and miraculous outcome.
Bai Roushuang smiled at Xu Shulou. "Where shall we go next?"
"First, we’ll escort the little fox home," Xu Shulou mused. "Then I must return to my sect for a period of secluded cultivation. I can feel a breakthrough in my realm approaching." 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"..."
The group fell into silence. This woman had gone out for a casual jaunt, caused an uproar at an auction, rescued two foxes, acquired a fortune in spirit stones, and now she was about to advance her cultivation? If the hardworking cultivators who toiled day and night without rest heard of this, they’d surely cry out against the injustice of the heavens.
