This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable-Chapter 393 - 21: The White Swan

Chapter 393: Chapter 21: The White Swan

Ji Chuan seemed to have forgotten the purpose of his visit, fixated solely on Qiu Shiyin.

However, Qiu Shiyin reacted swiftly, coming forward eagerly with a practiced smile of courtesy on her face, “I have seen the two Senior Cultivators. What brings you to this place?”

“Could the two revered ones from the Taoist Sect be here to leverage the Primordial Stone Orchid Mine to pressure a minor cultivator like myself?” Qiu Shiyin’s expression turned wary, yet the trace of cunning in her eyes betrayed her inner calculations.

She preempted them with a retreat, aiming to seal the lips of both men.

Ji Chuan came back to his senses.

Those aimless ‘toads’ had their gazes following Qiu Shiyin, converging upon him.

And in the crowd, there was a child, staring at him fixedly, the blood on his face not yet fully cleaned.

It was the same little beggar from before,

Not wanting Qiu Shiyin to misunderstand, and even more so to avoid alarming these ‘toads,’ Ji Chuan pointed at the little beggar, “I saw him being bullied by other children in town earlier, so I stopped them. But I didn’t expect him to run off in such a hurry without saying a word.

I was worried something might happen to him, so I followed.”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Shiyin’s perfunctory smile immediately softened and became much more genuine. She said to Ji Chuan respectfully, “Thank you, Sir, for lending a hand.”

Ji Chuan felt a complex mix of emotions and muttered, “It was nothing but a small effort, compared to everything you have done… it’s nothing… My name is Ji Chuan.”

Qiu Shiyin was taken aback.

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Previously at the Primordial Stone Orchid Mine, when Qiu Shiyin had introduced herself, Ji Chuan had not responded.

The perceptive Qiu Shiyin understood then that the two cultivators probably didn’t think much of her, hence they did not even consider telling her their names.

But now, Ji Chuan had taken the initiative to give her his name.

The implication was clear without words.

…

“These children, they are all…” Lu Qingshan gestured towards the somewhat dazed looking ‘toads’ and then at the cauldron, uncertain of how to phrase his question appropriately.

“Most of them were abandoned by their parents, and a few were sent here by their parents’ own hands,” Qiu Shiyin said quite freely, “Although compared to the number of abandoned children in the entirety of Burial Ridge, they’re just a drop in the bucket, but helping even one is still helping.”

“Since birth, these children have Netherworld Death Qi growing within their bodies. They need to continuously drink decoctions brewed from yang spiritual medicines to suppress it, or else it would be difficult for them to live long,” Qiu Shiyin glanced at the still fragrant cauldron of medicine and said calmly.

“These spiritual medicines are quite valuable, and what’s more, they need to be provided over the long term…” Lu Qingshan said, somewhat moved, “Miss Qiu is truly kind at heart.”

Purchasing such precious spiritual medicines just for the sake of nurturing these ‘toads’ was unimaginable for a cultivator dedicated to the path.

Wouldn’t it be better to spend these resources on oneself, buying pills or magic artifacts?

For Qiu Shiyin to do this, it certainly wasn’t to show off or to chase after the reputation of being a good person.

After all, what use were these things to a cultivator?

Ultimately, it could only be because Qiu Shiyin was truly a kind person.

“I can only say I empathize with them,” Qiu Shiyin replied without any sense of boasting, casually speaking.

“Empathize?” Ji Chuan, who had been silent for a long time, frowned slightly, a bit perplexed.

“My younger brother is also a ‘toad,'” Qiu Shiyin said slowly.

But when mentioning her brother, her eyes flashed with a brilliance she had never shown before.

It must be something extremely precious and cherished in her life.

Ji Chuan’s heart tightened as he thought of this.

Qiu Shiyin’s brief comment, casually stated yet immensely heavy, seemed to carry behind it many stories and experiences.

And it was precisely these experiences that were the reason Qiu Shiyin was so determined to help these children.

What about Qiu Shiyin’s brother, who was just like another ‘toad’? What does he look like now, and what on earth happened to him?

Although Ji Chuan didn’t understand the specifics, such matters involved personal privacy, even painful points. Seeing that Qiu Shiyin had no intention of delving deep, it wasn’t appropriate for him to ask, nor was there a need.

“Earlier in the Qiu Family, I noticed that the Qiu Family Head didn’t seem very friendly towards Miss Qiu. What’s the reason for that?” Lu Qingshan inquired.

“Although I’m not as powerful as the two Senior Cultivators, I was considered to have some talent for cultivation in the Qiu Family. I reached Foundation Establishment quite quickly and the clan valued me somewhat,” Qiu Shiyin said, revealing a bitter smile as she spoke.

“However, later on, I spent most of my time and resources on these children. The elders in the family naturally didn’t want me to squander my energy on what they saw as meaningless acts, and they were even less willing to see me spending my monthly allowance from the family on these children.

After repeated admonitions went unheeded, their attitude towards me grew harsher, to the point where the monthly allowance I was supposed to have as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was also being deducted variously.”

“No wonder Miss Qiu is so particular about money…” Lu Qingshan remembered how Qiu Shiyin had counted even the smallest amounts of Primordial Stone Orchid Mine earlier when they were dividing the loot, and suddenly understood.

To Lu Qingshan and Ji Chuan, the value of the Primordial Stone Orchid Mine was insignificant.

But for Qiu Shiyin, that was the life of the children.

Ji Chuan didn’t know what to say at the moment.

He had originally thought that Qiu Shiyin was a selfish person who took advantage of trouble to cause chaos and even colluded with outsiders to steal her family’s benefits, but the truth proved to be so heavy.

He suddenly remembered how he had earlier, out of disdain for Qiu Shiyin, reluctantly accepted those Primordial Stone Orchids, which he usually didn’t even value, unwilling to give Qiu Shiyin any advantage.

Only now did he realize how irresponsible and shallow his own thoughts had been.

Ji Chuan thought for a bit, then suddenly took out many Spirit Stones from his Storage Ring and handed them to Qiu Shiyin.

“What is this?” Qiu Shiyin’s gaze fell on the Spirit Stones, and she looked at Ji Chuan with surprise.

“I can’t bear to see those children dying by the roadside just after being born—this is to ask Miss Qiu to take in more children, save more lives… Although this will require a lot more effort from you, I can only entrust this to you…” Ji Chuan said.

Qiu Shiyin smiled bemusedly, “It’s no trouble; I’m willing to do it. I thank the Senior Cultivator on behalf of these children.”

She carefully reached out, received the Spirit Stones and handled them with care and earnestness.

After finishing all this, Qiu Shiyin suddenly raised her head and asked another question:

“Senior Cultivator, can you save every child that is about to be abandoned?”

Ji Chuan looked at Qiu Shiyin’s neck, which appeared long and as pale as ivory because she raised her head, and fell into a heavy silence.

Could this kind of tragedy, brought on by the larger environment, be changed by his efforts alone?

As long as the Human Race exists on this earth, there will be a never-ending birth of ‘toads.’ How can they be saved?

…

After a moment, Qiu Shiyin broke the silence. She bowed slightly to Ji Chuan and chuckling said, “Senior Cultivator doesn’t need to mind; I was just speaking hypothetically.

With so many Spirit Stones given by you, I can help many children. I am very grateful to you already.”

…

Ji Chuan, carrying a heavy heart, said farewell to the ‘toads’ and to the unique ‘white swan.’

Nobody noticed that as Qiu Shiyin watched Ji Chuan and Lu Qingshan’s disappearing figures, her normally calm eyes flickered with complex emotions, and her face revealed a hint of struggle.

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