Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 101 - 85: I Should Just Die

Early the next morning, as the morning sunlight streamed in, Lu Xin slowly opened his heavy eyes, guessing that his dark circles must have gotten worse.

Ever since Li Fengyun suddenly had a whim in the middle of the night to go to Biyun Mountain for an adventure, Lu Xin could no longer sleep soundly... Although married for so many years, Li Fengyun has always been obedient and rarely defies Lu Xin’s orders, but his lively and out-of-the-box thinking really makes one afraid to recklessly assess the limits of his actions.

So basically, it’s a sleepless night.

Turning his head, Lu Xin was about to greet her husband with a good morning, only to see him breathing evenly, sleeping peacefully and sweetly.

You culprit who caused me to be awake all night, actually dare...

In an instant, a mixture of intense emotions surged within her. Lu Xin gritted her teeth hard, using her family’s cultivation technique to breathe and absorb, circulate True Essence, and stabilize Divine Sense, ultimately suppressing the complex impulses.

Eventually, her love for her husband prevailed, considering he had been seriously injured not long ago, Lu Xin, of course, chose to forgive him.

After freshening up, while performing her morning training, Lu Xin also contemplated the matter of the Original Sword Essence. The currently agreed-upon plan with Zhao Yan was to break the ice via the Zhao Family in Golden Jade City and see if they could persuade that proud City Lord to change his mind.

Honestly, it was very difficult, even more challenging than dealing with the estranged Shen Family. The young and exceptionally talented City Lord of Golden Jade City truly sees himself above all others, putting no one else in his eyes. Apart from a few respects towards the Saint Sect, his attitude towards the Three Academies and Seven Great Noble Families was extremely arrogant. Although the Li Family and Zhao Family were both among the Seven Great Noble Families, the Li Family had indeed been on a decline for nearly a hundred years and didn’t have the leverage to make Zhao Family show face.

Thinking it over, the only breakthrough Lu Xin could think of was the relations of the previous generation – Li Tianya once shared a camaraderie with the former Patriarch of the Zhao Family, Zhao Hongwen. They ventured and trained together in the frontier Chaos Area, with Li Tianya often protecting and supporting Zhao Hongwen many times since he was much older and had deeper cultivation, leaving Zhao Hongwen greatly indebted.

Over the subsequent decades, they frequently exchanged letters discussing the Dao, maintaining a very close relationship until Li Tianya injured his Primordial Spirit, then his mind became chaotic, and the exchanges gradually lessened. Yet despite that, Zhao Hongwen still sent many Heavenly and Earthly Treasures every year for nursing the Primordial Spirit—though the Li Family didn’t lack these, they were merely gestures of goodwill.

Lu Xin pondered that if she could harness her father-in-law’s influence and seek Zhao Hongwen’s assistance... she wondered if she could persuade the current City Lord. Of course, this chance was indeed small, because the City Lord’s reputation for being emotionally disconnected was initially established by suppressing his own family... but regardless, it’s a path, it should be walked at least once.

Having made up her mind, Lu Xin carefully groomed herself — especially masking her dark circles — and encouraged herself, venturing to the Cloud Sea Bamboo Forest where Li Tianya resided in seclusion.

At the familiar bamboo fence, Lu Xin inhaled deeply, about to speak, when she heard someone behind her slightly yelp and say, "Lu Xin? You came to see me?"

The sudden voice startled Lu Xin, nearly exploding that breath in her chest, turning awkwardly only to see Li Tianya’s gentle, kind smile.

For a moment, Lu Xin was somewhat at a loss: "Um, Dad, I..."

Li Tianya realized: "Oh, right, pocket money, huh? Yes, yes, it’s time for the annual tradition of giving pocket money to my gentle and virtuous daughter-in-law, ten thousand Spirit Stones, right, hold on, let me find it."

Lu Xin couldn’t help but laugh and cry: "Dad, no need to look, I don’t need pocket money, and you’ve already given me some before..."

Li Tianya was puzzled: "Already given? Why don’t I remember?" He said while frowning in thought, appearing utterly perplexed.

Lu Xin feared he might end up like Li Jinglun with evaporated brains, quickly interjected: "Dad, were you just out for your morning exercise?"

Li Tianya waved his hand: "No exercise, no exercise, at my age, half body in the grave, what’s left to practice? Moreover, my Divine Skill is invincible, practicing further is meaningless."

"... "

Li Tianya finished speaking and laughed: "I went to walk the dog."

"Walk the dog?!" Lu Xin was stunned. Though Li Tianya lived solitary in Cloud Sea Bamboo Forest, he had never kept any pets like cats or dogs. Where did he get a dog?!

Li Tianya snickered proudly then reached out to lift a rope like a dog leash: "Look, this is my newly raised Big Yellow."

Lu Xin was dumbfounded, followed the rope to see only a crystalline spherical object, the size of a fist, inside which a vague humanoid figure performed inexplicable and intricate sword techniques...

"What the heck!" Lu Xin couldn’t help but exclaimed, "Original Sword Essence?!"

Li Tianya looked baffled: "What stone?"

Lu Xin, trembling in her arms, pointed to the ground sphere: "Dad, this is, this is the dog you’re walking?!"

Li Tianya’s brows furrowed tighter: "Hmm? You don’t like Big Yellow?"

Lu Xin exclaimed: "It’s not about like or dislike! This is simply not Big Yellow; it’s the Original Sword Essence?!"

Li Tianya pondered: "You’re saying ’Big Yellow’ is not a good name, and should be called Original Sword Essence? Oh, you young ones always prefer this literary style... previously, I went to the Drunken Immortal Tower to eat, a perfectly good wooden barrel stew had to be named Conquer the World, and then Gathering of Heroes..."

He didn’t finish before being interrupted anxiously by Lu Xin: "Dad, can, can you give me this Big Yellow?"

Li Tianya immediately widened his eyes: "What are you up to!?"

While enquiring, he raised the rope and embraced the sphere.

"This is a dog I painstakingly flipped out from the storeroom."

"Whose dog is flipped out from the storeroom!" Lu Xin was on the brink of collapse, "Dad, if you want to keep a dog, I’ll get you a better one later, whatever kind you want. This, can this one be given to me first, I really need it urgently."

Li Tianya looked at Lu Xin with suspicion on his face: "Urgent need? How do you plan to use it? Wait a minute, I see your Qi and blood are empty, obviously you haven’t eaten anything... don’t tell me you want to eat Da Huang?!"

As he spoke, Li Tianya had already retreated cautiously.

Lu Xin was truly at a loss, almost crying: "I never eat pets, I rarely even eat meat!"

Only then did Li Tianya’s expression soften, nodding as he said, "Hmm, I was wondering... that’s why you never grow taller."

"This has nothing to do with height!" Lu Xin stamped her feet, "Dad, really, I have an urgent use for Da Huang!"

Li Tianya raised his eyebrows again: "I have an urgent need too! I’m old, living in seclusion in this bamboo forest, all alone..."

Lu Xin said urgently: "If you want to find a partner, I can help you find a match!"

"No, no, I’ve remained faithful to Lin Yu for so long, I won’t give up halfway."

"Then what do you want? At least give me a clue!"

Li Tianya hesitated to speak.

"Dad, just tell me directly, as the head mistress of the Li Family Mansion, there aren’t many things I can’t get!"

Li Tianya scratched his head and conveniently put down Da Huang in his arms.

"Actually, I’ve been thinking of walking a dog, not just on a whim, but because I recently saw... then I thought, living alone in the Cloud Sea Bamboo Forest, why not have a pet to dispel loneliness, and so I went to the warehouse and brought out Da Huang."

Lu Xin said: "Everything sounds reasonable except for the last step. But what did you see that made you think of getting a pet?"

Li Tianya hesitated several times, stammered for a long time, and finally, with a slightly embarrassed blush, covertly took out a beautifully printed picture from his sleeve, showed it in front of Lu Xin for a brief moment, then quickly put it away.

Lu Xin’s eyes, tempered by the Golden Crow Flame, had astonishing vision, and even in that brief glimpse, she clearly saw the content of the picture...

It was a petite, exquisite young girl, with sweet and shy looks, a warm and charming smile, and kitty ears on her head, a cat tail behind her waist, and two cat paws curled up on her chest...

"..." Lu Xin opened her mouth and breathed hard, but couldn’t speak a word.

Li Tianya said: "This is something I saw when walking in the courtyard, some juniors said it’s called a Spirit Cat, and it’s quite popular in QingCyan Cloud yun City lately... I have never raised cats or dogs in my life, but after Lin Yu left, I realized that pets can be quite adorable."

No, no, the cuteness here really has nothing to do with pets!

However, according to Li Tianya’s words...

Lu Xin cautiously verified, "You want to have a Spirit Cat?"

Li Tianya shook his head: "I can’t raise one, though my divine skill is unmatched in the world, I’m a complete novice when it comes to raising cats or dogs. Even Da Huang is barely surviving under my care, how dare I trouble such a cute little creature?"

"Then?"

Li Tianya said: "If you can bring that Spirit Cat for me to see, I’ll be satisfied. You may have Da Huang if you urgently need it. After all, you’re my most treasured and beloved daughter-in-law."

Hearing this, Lu Xin felt a mix of emotions in her heart. Although the development of this matter was absurd and disjointed, it finally had a way out. Next... all she needs to do is find the original Spirit Cat to show Li Tianya, and then she’ll have the Original Sword Essence. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Alas, who knows where this elder got the Original Sword Essence, such a rare heavenly and earthly treasure, yet previously there wasn’t even a whisper about it.

Lu Xin guessed that perhaps Li Tianya came upon it by chance in his youth, intending to keep it to break through the bottleneck of the Inch and Mile Sword or to give to his children, but before he could handle it, he accidentally injured his Primordial Spirit and conveniently forgot about it... Anyway, now that he’s brought it out again, it won’t go to waste.

As she thought, Lu Xin was walking towards the edge of the bamboo forest, but when she was halfway there, she suddenly remembered something and broke into a cold sweat.

The problem with Li Tianya now is that his memory is jumbled, and he’s inconsistent.

Currently, he’s mistaken the Original Sword Essence for Da Huang, and as long as Lu Xin brings him the Spirit Cat, she can have the Sword Essence. But what if by the time she actually finds Qingming to perform the Spirit Cat Swordsmanship, the old man has forgotten everything?!

This wouldn’t be the first time such a thing happened!

No, there’s no time to wait, she must get the Original Sword Essence from him before his mental state changes!

But in such a rush, where could she find a Spirit Cat?

In her urgency, a flash of black inspiration suddenly crossed Lu Xin’s mind.

After all, you and Qingming are not that different in stature...