Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 666: Too Many Suspects

“Your residence is quite spacious, Benefactor Xu.”

Xu An smiled sheepishly. “My parents were cultivators and left behind a considerable fortune before their passing. Unfortunately, my talent is limited, and I have never been able to set foot on the path of cultivation. Please excuse my embarrassment.”

Since he could not cultivate, studying the classics of the sages diligently to earn fame and fortune could also be considered not disgracing his parents’ name. Unfortunately, he had likewise achieved no success in the imperial examinations.

Xu An typically didn’t share these matters with others; Lu Yang and his companions were the exception. He had heard from Zhong Ming that Shi Chan and the two protectors were likely great cultivators at the Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core stage. People with such cultivation won’t covet my paltry wealth.

Pasted on the inner side of the Xu residence’s gate was a yellow talisman, left by a previous cultivator to exorcise ghosts. Although it was pretty much useless, having it there provided some peace of mind.

The four entered the Xu residence and came across a young maiden sweeping the courtyard. Judging by her relatively plain clothing, she was a maidservant.

Upon seeing her master enter with three guests, the maidservant quickly moved aside to avoid offending the guests.

The maidservant was rather pretty, and Meng Jingzhou glanced at her a couple of times.

“This is Little Cui,” Xu An said with a smile. “Last year, while traveling to take the examinations, I rested for a night in a mountain temple, where I happened to meet Little Cui. She told me some villains were chasing her and asked me to help conceal her. Sure enough, a few fierce-looking men burst into the temple later. I followed Little Cui’s instructions and covered for her, saving her. She said she had no way to repay such a great favor and became my maidservant.”

“Greetings, lords,” Little Cui uttered timidly in a soft voice.

Meng Jingzhou nodded. This is a female ghost.

The four passed through the Flower-Dangling Gate[1] and entered the second courtyard. A woman dressed in luxurious clothes emerged from a room. “Hubby, you’ve come just in time. The three-hundred-year-old lingzhi you bought has been simmered... Who are these three?”

Xu An called out to her, “Xiangyu, quickly greet the three masters. Haven’t I been saying that my sleep quality has been poor lately, as if I’m haunted by evil spirits, leaving me dazed all day? Those few cultivators I invited were also not effective. Well, Big Brother Zhong Ming, who often deals with cultivators, recommended these three masters. They are genuine experts with real abilities.

“Let me introduce you to my humble wife, Liu Xiangyu.”

“So it is Benefactress Liu.”

“Three masters.” Liu Xiangyu performed a greeting bow.[2] “As a woman, seeing my husband suffer daily pains my heart, yet I am powerless. I must trouble you three masters.”

“Amitabha. This poor monk will do his best.” Shi Chan dared not speak in absolute terms. This is a snake demon.

“Come, three masters, please come inside,” Xu An warmly invited the three into the main hall for proper hospitality.

“That won’t be necessary, Benefactor. We need to study your residence carefully to make the relevant preparations.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Xu An was overjoyed. Experts are indeed experts—they act swiftly and decisively.

“Little Zhu, come here,” Xu An yelled.

Shortly after, another maidservant put down her work and hurried over.

“Little Zhu, show the three masters around the compound.”

“A-alright.”

Little Zhu had a pleasant appearance with expressive eyes.

Lu Yang saw through Little Zhu’s true form—a fox demon.

Just as Little Zhu was about to lead the three away, Liu Xiangyu brought out a bowl of black soup—the medical decoction simmered from the three-hundred-year-old lingzhi. Given Xu An’s constitution, he couldn’t consume an entire lingzhi at once; only a small portion was used for the soup.

Meng Jingzhou sniffed the air and frowned slightly. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he detected a faint trace of blood in the black soup.

The three toured the Xu Estate carefully and roughly grasped the situation.

The three-courtyard compound housed five people in total, including Xu An, his wife, and three maidservants.

Simply put, only Xu An was human.

The third maidservant was Little Qiu, an artifact spirit.

When it was time for the vegetarian meal in the evening, Xu An looked at the trio expectantly. “Masters, have you found anything?”

Shi Chan chanted, “Amitabha.” “We have found some clues, but the specifics will depend on tonight.”

There were too many suspects; they weren’t sure which one was responsible.

“The three of us will keep watch by your side tonight to protect you, Benefactor Xu.”

“Then I shall thank you in advance, masters!”

The candle was blown out. The three masters sat in meditation by Xu An’s bedside. At ease in his heart, Xu An was soon fast asleep.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted by. The trio’s consciousness grew light, and they fell into slumber.

A graceful figure pushed the door open and looked at the three with a giggle.

“And here I thought my savior had invited some great experts. So it’s just three Golden Core kids.” With her spiritual consciousness, she had detected that all three were at the Golden Core Stage.

“I wonder when I’ll be able to reveal my identity to Savior.” The graceful figure gazed at Xu An’s sleeping visage and licked her lips. She removed her clothes and gently kissed him.

Their lips didn’t actually touch. A wisp of yang energy drifted out from Xu An’s mouth and was absorbed by the graceful figure.

Then, she began groping him all over.

Lu Yang’s trio pretended to be asleep but were secretly observing this scene and communicating through their spiritual consciousness.

“Xu An has quite the luck with women. This female ghost’s cultivation is not low.”

“No wonder he feels his yang energy is deficient. It’d be strange if his yang energy is sufficient.”

“So the one sucking Xu An’s yang energy is the maidservant, Little Cui.”

“She was really committed to the pretense.”

Ghosts couldn’t touch physical objects. During the day, when she appeared to be sweeping the courtyard, she was actually just posing and using her mind to control the actions. The trio had noticed this upon seeing Little Cui.

It was the same now. Little Cui was merely absorbing Xu An’s yang energy while entangling with him intimately in his dreams. This was a method commonly used by alluring ghosts.

Meng Jingzhou was particularly sensitive to ghosts, which was why he had glanced at Little Cui a couple of times.

After the amorous session, Little Cui left the Xu Estate, thoroughly satisfied. The trio immediately followed her to investigate.

~~~

It was now late at night, and many shops had closed.

Little Cui arrived at the door of a closed shop. She scanned her surroundings and confirmed no one was around before lightly knocking on the wooden door.

It seemed the other party was expecting someone. As soon as the knock sounded, the door opened.

Little Cui strode into the shop.

Lu Yang looked up at the sign.

One More Time Barbeque Shop: Chunjiang City Branch

“Branch Leader, welcome to our shop for inspection!” the shop attendant said respectfully.

“How many times must I say it? Our Nine-Netherworlds Creed runs a legitimate business. Call me Shop Owner.”

“Yes, yes.”

The shop attendant retrieved an account book. “This is today’s revenue.”

Little Cui opened the account book and checked it item by item. The barbeque shop was the Nine-Netherworlds Creed’s primary venture; no mistakes could be tolerated.

Seeing that the branch leader was in a good mood, the attendant suddenly asked, “Shop Owner, do you really plan on being that Xu An’s maidservant forever? With your status, why do you need to go this far? If you ask me, just reveal your identity, tie him up, and bring him here. He'll comply with anything then.” He was anxious watching their branch leader. Our branch leader is an almighty Nascent Soul cultivator, yet she’s demeaning herself to be a maidservant in a mortal’s household.

Little Cui flatly refused. “No, Milord Xu saved my life. How could I treat him like that? As for revealing my identity, that’s even more impossible. If he learns of my identity, he will be considered guilty of harboring a diabolic creed disciple. How will he participate in the imperial examinations in the future?”

1. The chuihua-men, directly translating to “flower-dangling gate” is an iconic door in traditional Chinese courtyards. It separates the outer and inner courtyards. Its name originates from how the eaves do not touch the ground and are often decorated with flower patterns. The design of the chuihua-men can also reflect the family’s power and characteristics. This image shows an example of how such a gate may look. ☜

2. To be more specific, this is a wanfu curtsy, common among women. One slightly bends their knees and lower their head while placing their hands in front of their chest. “Wanfu” means to wish fortune and prosperity to the other party and is typically used as a greeting. This video shows how the wanfu curtsy was performed in the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. ☜