Chapter 17: The Mysterious Ring

Those two were taken away by the Disciplinary Hall, bound tightly with the Immortal-Binding Rope. Nie Xingyuan turned and walked toward the Earthwave Beast.

The Earthwave Beast stood there obediently.

Standing by its side, Nie Xingyuan reached out his hand to Ji Jiuxuan. “Ready to come down?”

Seeing his outstretched arms, prepared to lift her down, Ji Jiuxuan finally submitted with gentle compliance. “Thank you, Uncle-Master.”

Once Ji Jiuxuan was set on the ground, Nie Xingyuan nodded to Feng Chen. “Peak Master Feng, I’ll take my leave now, lest my master grows concerned.”

Feng Chen replied with a warm smile, “Of course, of course.”

He then crouched down to Ji Jiuxuan’s level. “Seems today’s playtime is cut short. Another day, do come visit Wancheng Peak. Xiaoxiao will be glad to play host.”

Ji Jiuxuan’s smile bloomed. “Rest assured, Peak Master. When I have time, I’ll surely come find Xiaoxiao again.”

She waved to Feng Hanxiao. “Xiaoxiao, I’m off. Let’s meet again soon.”

After their farewells, Ji Jiuxuan sat upon Nie Xingyuan’s flying sword and headed straight for the main peak.

As they passed the river teeming with fish, Ji Jiuxuan glanced wistfully at the water, lamenting inwardly that she’d have to wait for another chance to taste them.

But unexpectedly, Nie Xingyuan asked, “Would you like some?”

Having her thoughts laid bare, Ji Jiuxuan nodded shyly. “I would.”

With a wave, a stream of spiritual energy swept up a string of lively fish from the river below, still thrashing about. A wooden bucket materialized in midair, and the fish were deposited inside, then floated before Ji Jiuxuan. “Put them in your storage. I’ll have someone cook them for you when we return.”

Delighted, Ji Jiuxuan quickly stowed the bucket away. “Uncle-Master, you know someone who can cook this kind of fish?”

Feng Hanxiao had mentioned before that the fish was quite sour, and most failed to prepare it well.

“My Second Senior Brother runs a restaurant; he has plenty of chefs. We’ll let them experiment.” Nie Xingyuan replied lightly, though inwardly he was thinking his little junior niece was far too vulnerable. He ought to craft a few magical tools for her protection—she couldn’t be left so defenseless. If she were to encounter such trouble again and get hurt, what then?

“Are the chefs at Second Uncle-Master’s place any good? Is his restaurant far from the sect?” Ji Jiuxuan asked, curious, never having guessed that Min Chengjun’s business ventures included a restaurant.

“Not far. There’s one in the town at the foot of the mountain.”

Once she’d put the fish away, Nie Xingyuan continued on his sword toward the main peak, soon arriving.

“If we ask the chef to make something delicious, will he? I have a menu and recipes.” Ji Jiuxuan’s appetite grew with the thought of good food.

“What menu and recipes?” came a different voice. Ji Jiuxuan realized something was off—Wen Ying now stood before them, and her grandfather, Qi Shuoyuan, was there as well.

As soon as she landed, Qi Shuoyuan hurried over to examine her, only relaxing once he was sure she was unharmed.

“Ah Jiu, next time you go out, remember to mention your grandfather’s name,” he said, producing a delicate jade pendant fashioned into a necklace. He fastened it around Ji Jiuxuan’s neck. “Wear this well—it will protect you. If it isn’t enough, your grandfather will appear before you.”

Ji Jiuxuan inspected the jade and saw the intricate patterns of an array carved into its surface. It was clearly no ordinary item. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

Wen Ying also approached, slipping a ring—ancient in style yet remarkably beautiful—onto Ji Jiuxuan’s ring finger. Spiritual energy surged; a drop of Ji Jiuxuan’s blood leapt from her finger, falling onto the ring. Instantly, the once large ring shrank to fit her perfectly, binding itself to her.

“Wear this—it will protect you.”

Both Qi Shuoyuan and Nie Xingyuan were a little displeased at Wen Ying’s taking blood for a contract without the girl’s consent, but upon sensing the extraordinary power within the ring, they said nothing further.

The ancient formation within the ring was so profound that even Qi Shuoyuan, with all his cultivation, could not fully fathom it.

“Aunt Ying, can this really block an enemy’s attacks?” After donning the ring, Ji Jiuxuan felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if she’d seen it before, perhaps even worn it in the past.

But it was merely a fleeting feeling, and Ji Jiuxuan didn’t dwell on it.

“It can. You’ll understand its abilities in time,” Wen Ying replied, offering no further explanation. Seeing Ji Jiuxuan wear the ring, she felt a weight lift from her heart, as though she’d completed an important task.

“That’s enough now. You’ll need to attend the Learning Hall soon—don’t be late,” Wen Ying reminded her.

Qi Shuoyuan immediately volunteered, “I’ll take her.”

Ah Jiu had yet to be introduced before the others. It was time for everyone to know her, so there would be no more unintentional offenses.

Just as Qi Shuoyuan was about to take Ji Jiuxuan to the Learning Hall, she called out, “Wait!”

She turned expectantly to Nie Xingyuan. “Uncle-Master, you still haven’t answered my question!”

Nie Xingyuan paused, then recalled her earlier inquiry. He laughed, “Of course, whatever you wish to eat, the chef can make whenever you like. But isn’t our Ah Jiu a fire-element cultivator? Why not learn a bit of cooking yourself? It would help you master your fire element even better.”

Both Qi Shuoyuan and Wen Ying agreed with the suggestion. Preparing spiritual cuisine required precise control over both heat and ingredients—a perfect way to train.

But as far as Qi Shuoyuan was concerned, apart from wanting Ji Jiuxuan to perfect her swordsmanship and become a true sword cultivator, he wished even more for her to learn alchemy.

In this world, a skilled alchemist was highly sought after and respected, and few dared provoke them lightly. Powerful alchemists always had ties to the strongest cultivators—most people feared the day they might need such a master’s help, and so would not offend them easily.

It was undoubtedly the best path.

“Ah Jiu, begin by learning alchemy from the elders at the Learning Hall. Once you’ve mastered fire control, you can pick up cooking as well—it’ll only make your dishes more delicious, won’t it?”

Nie Xingyuan’s suggestion that she learn to cook was also a hint for Ji Jiuxuan to take up alchemy. Qi Shuoyuan’s proposal to prioritize alchemy while learning to cook was rooted in the same realization: the little girl was deeply interested in good food.

Strike where the interest lies. If you want a child to take joy in learning, starting from her passion is always the easiest way.

Ji Jiuxuan agreed without hesitation. In this world, the best spiritual cuisine was always prepared with spiritual fire. So she was willing to learn. Besides, alchemy was certainly a lucrative skill.

But then, recalling the system’s protection protocols for her healthy development, Ji Jiuxuan asked, “System, alchemy counts as an extracurricular hobby, right? It shouldn’t fall under the restricted activities?”

“Alchemy is an extracurricular hobby?” The system seemed momentarily confused, repeating her words.

“Of course! Look, I’m a sword cultivator—my principal training is swordsmanship. Learning alchemy is just something I want to do so I can cook delicious food, like an after-school club. It doesn’t interfere with regular lessons at all.”

Recently, the system’s time restrictions had reminded her of school schedules in her past life. She decided to try this rationale, waiting anxiously for the system’s answer.