My Apprentice Is Too Diligent

Chapter 8 [008] Delivered to the Door

"The timing is right, and good luck comes?"

"Is this Son of Fortune?"

"No!"

"Son of Fortune is when treasures fall from the sky right at your doorstep."

"Opportune Luck, timing is the most important. Without the right timing, nothing will happen."

Even so, such talent is enough to make people envious.

This is no longer just talent, but delving into the elusive realm of luck.

"I didn't expect the youngest girl to have the greatest potential."

Chen Wuji sighed.

"Nie Xiaoxiao, Nie Shuangshuang, this girl knows her own name and surname."

"I wonder which one is the older sister?"

Chen Wuji recalled the first time he saw the little girl.

It was four years ago in autumn. The original body saw a beggar-dressed little girl on the street, being teased and bullied by adult beggars.

The reason was that the little girl's grandfather, an old beggar, was beaten half to death by these adult beggars.

Of course, the old beggar eventually died.

However, before he died, the original body stepped forward to help the little girl and offered to take her as a disciple.

So, the old beggar left with a smile.

In the eyes of the original body, the little girl was so young, yet incredibly clever, able to outwit several adult beggars. She was a disciple worth cultivating.

Who would have thought that after bringing the little girl back, she turned out to be extremely timid and rarely left the small courtyard where she lived.

Because she was young and couldn't cultivate martial arts, only the techniques were passed down to her.

Only when the little girl fell ill would she become bold and run around the Chen Family's estate.

Because of this, the original body was disappointed once again and did not take on any more disciples.

It wasn't until last year when the little girl begged to learn martial arts that the original body taught her the "Winding Snake Steps," and the little girl learned it quickly.

As for when she would reach mastery, the original body didn't know.

If it weren't for Goldfinger, Chen Wuji wouldn't have known that the "Winding Snake Steps" suited the little girl so well.

No one knew the true state of the little girl.

Timid Nie Xiaoxiao, bold Nie Shuangshuang, they could be considered as two different people.

Two souls in one body.

It was because of these two souls residing in one body that the body had a short lifespan.

Only 19 years of life.

The little girl is currently 10 years old, which means she only has nine good years left.

If it were any other illness, Chen Wuji could think of a solution.

But when it involves the soul, he is completely helpless.

"Perhaps breaking through to a higher realm of Martial Dao might have a solution?"

Chen Wuji murmured.

For now, there is no solution, only suppression.

Thinking about the little girl's talent, being saved by the old beggar, being saved by the original body, it is no surprise that "Opportune Luck" is at play.

"When the timing is right, maybe the little girl can solve the problem of her short lifespan on her own."

Chen Wuji contemplated.

For now, the most important thing for him is to break through to the Eighth Layer of Body Refining.

Accumulate strength, with the essence of powerful blood and physique, impact the divine, and continuously grow stronger.

The complete operation of the nine-layered technique is growing every moment.

...

Xiong Gang.

Standing over eight feet tall, with bulging muscles, Xiong Zengtong, resembling a bear, sat in a chair, flipping through a ledger and casually asked, "What has the second son been busy with these days?"

Silence filled the hall.

"Hmm?"

Xiong Zengtong, who didn't hear a response, looked up at his two subordinates with a puzzled expression, "What's going on? Did Second Brother bribe you? Don't you want to report his situation to me?"

"No, no," one of the square-faced men hesitated and replied, "Reporting to the gang leader, the deputy gang leader hasn't been seen for three days. No one, including the deputy gang leader's men, has seen him."

"What do you mean?" Xiong Zengtong frowned.

"It means that the deputy gang leader may have disappeared," another horse-faced man cautiously said.

"Disappeared?" Xiong Zengtong chuckled lightly, "How could Second Brother, such a big person, suddenly disappear?"

"Well..." the horse-faced man lowered his head, "If it's not a disappearance, then it's an accident."

"Reporting to the gang leader, if the deputy gang leader suddenly disappeared, he might have gone out of town," the square-faced man followed, "But before leaving, he didn't tell anyone, which is also suspicious."

"Out of town? Accident?" Xiong Zengtong put down the account book, stood up, and furrowed his brow, "Investigate! Have the people below me investigate! If someone hasn't been seen for three days, most likely something has happened! Whether it's going out or an accident, we must find the person! If there's no one, find the body!"

Upon hearing this, the horse-faced man and the square-faced man trembled and exchanged glances, responding in unison.

"We understand!"

...

Chen Family courtyard.

Chen Wuji stood on the roof, bathed in the setting sun, practicing his techniques, silently accumulating energy and blood to its peak, impacting and strengthening his spirit.

People outside couldn't see the changes happening inside Chen Wuji at this moment.

Breaking through to the Eighth Layer of Body Refining mostly relies on perseverance. Chen Wuji relied on his complete technique to forcefully break through, which provided a lot of stimulation to his brain and spirit.

He had been drinking medicine that nourished his essence and spirit these past few days. The effect was there, but it didn't help much.

This kind of breakthrough, accumulating little by little to the critical point and then forcefully breaking through, ultimately relied on oneself.

"Master, it's time to eat!"

In the courtyard, a little girl looked up at Chen Wuji on the roof and called out in a crisp voice, "If you don't come down, I'll eat everything!"

"Nie Xiaoxiao! I told you to eat first, why are you bothering Master? Come back here!" Han Ying's impatient voice sounded.

"Hmph~"

The little girl pouted, "I said I'm not Nie Xiaoxiao, I'm Nie Shuangshuang."

"Alright, alright, Little Shuangshuang, come and eat, don't bother Master, is that okay now?" Han Ying persuaded helplessly.

"I'm coming!"

The little girl giggled and ran towards Han Ying.

On the roof, Chen Wuji maintained his gaze on the distant sky, gradually calming his mind.

The last ray of sunset sank into the horizon along with the evening glow.

Nightfall followed, quickly enveloping the earth.

Sounds of people came from the streets outside the Chen Family courtyard.

Lanterns hung under the eaves, illuminating the darkness.

Whoo~

The night wind blew, and the temperature began to drop.

As curfew approached, time entered midnight.

Inside and outside the Chen Family courtyard, the streets nearby and even the entire county town fell into silence.

Occasionally, there were barking dogs and meowing cats.

The night grew thicker, and the temperature dropped further.

The moon in the sky moved little by little.

Finally, a faint light reappeared on the dark horizon in the distance.

A new day had arrived.

Chen Wuji had accumulated spiritual power for several days, and at this moment, it seemed as if he had broken through a thin film, suddenly growing stronger and entering a new realm.

Whoosh!

His spirit surged, and his blood boiled.

Invisible but powerful energy enveloped his whole body, constantly growing.

The physical stimulation of the previous moment now nourished his spirit.

From the skin, to the flesh and bones, to the five organs and six viscera, and finally to the depths of the brain.

From the inside to the outside, the whole person has completed a leap.

From this moment on, Chen Wuji officially stepped into the Eighth Layer of the Body Refining Realm, Nurturing Spirit!

...

Xiong Gang.

"What news do we have?"

In the spacious hall, Xiong Zengtong had an expressionless face as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the gang leader, the last time the deputy gang leader was seen before disappearing was five days ago in the evening."

The man with a horse face respectfully replied, "According to the people in the deputy gang leader's mansion, on that night, someone broke into the deputy gang leader's yard and, with the help of a few servants, found out where the deputy gang leader lived. In the end, they lured the deputy gang leader out of his home and his whereabouts are unknown."

"Leaving in the middle of the night and then disappearing, what do you think is the probability that the second-in-command is still alive?" Xiong Zengtong asked with an expressionless face, his voice deep.

A moment of silence.

The others in the room all lowered their heads and remained silent.

Five days of disappearance without a trace.

Although no one spoke, everyone knew that the deputy gang leader, Xiong Zengming, was most likely dead!

The problem was that even though he was dead, his body had not been found.

If there was a body, they could examine the cause of death through the wounds, even dissect the body to trace back to what fatal injury he suffered. They could deduce under which martial technique Xiong Zengming died. They could even deduce the strength of the opponent.

A skilled coroner could even deduce the experiences of the deceased before and after death.

However, there was no body, and they had no leads to follow.

"Continue the investigation!"

In the silence, Xiong Zengtong spoke, suppressing his anger, "Find out who had conflicts with the second-in-command recently!"

"Yes, gang leader!"

The group of people stood up and respectfully responded.

...

Chen Family's courtyard.

[Name: Chen Wuji (Hidden Dragon Gate Sect Master)]

[Lifespan: 30/85]

[Cultivation: Eighth Layer of the Body Refining Realm]

[Cultivation Technique: "Fish Swallowing Technique" Ninth Layer Perfection (1000/1000)]

[Martial Techniques: "Earth Dragon Fist" (Perfection 1000/1000), "Cloud Piercing Saber Technique" (Perfection 1000/1000), "Winding Snake Steps" (Perfection 1000/1000)]

[Talent: Sudden Inspiration]

[Disciples: Seven (expandable)]

...

Perfected cultivation technique, perfected martial techniques.

With the assistance of his disciples, Chen Wuji had achieved perfection in everything he had learned.

The "Fish Swallowing Technique" was a cultivation technique of the Body Refining Realm, naturally involving the Nurturing Spirit aspect.

As long as he kept cultivating the "Fish Swallowing Technique" and stimulated the surging of his qi and blood, nourishing his essence and nurturing his spirit day and night, he could gradually strengthen his soul.

This was also a step that needed to be completed in the Eighth Layer of the Body Refining Realm.

Nurturing Spirit, Nurturing Spirit.

Naturally, there were corresponding medicines, Nurturing Spirit Pills.

But these things were too expensive and scarce. There were no such pills sold in the county's pharmacies.

He had to find the prescription himself, find the herbs according to the prescription, and prepare and take them.

Perhaps they could be found in the black market.

But the things in the black market couldn't guarantee their quality.

Other external items were fine; if he was deceived, he was deceived. But for something that would be consumed and ingested, Chen Wuji thought it was better to be cautious and had no intention of trying.

The Nurturing Spirit stage was also a process of enduring time.

Endure slowly, grind slowly, and eventually accumulate enough to make a breakthrough.

However, many people fell at this step and couldn't advance even half a step further.

The older they got, the less they accumulated, and the more hopeless their breakthrough became.

Chen Wuji is thirty years old, which is still considered young.

At this time, he can start nurturing his spirit and break through to the ninth layer of body refining, with a good chance of success.

The only problem is the timing, which is difficult to grasp.

"Master, master, look at what I found!"

While pondering, the excited voice of the old housekeeper suddenly came from outside the door.

The next moment, the study door opened and the old housekeeper walked in, holding a few radishes, his face full of excitement.

"What's wrong, Uncle Ge?" Chen Wuji asked in confusion.

"Look at this radish, young master, look at this radish." The old housekeeper placed a white radish on the table, which was as thick as a baby's arm and had only a few roots, and asked Chen Wuji to look carefully.

"What's special about this radish?" Chen Wuji approached and said, "It doesn't seem to stand out... wait a minute!"

Suddenly, Chen Wuji's gaze focused, he picked up the radish and peeled off the skin.

After peeling off the skin, the inside of the radish was initially no different from an ordinary radish.

It just had a slightly translucent white texture.

But as it went deeper, the color began to darken until it looked completely like silver, shimmering with a moist luster in the sunlight.

A fragrance that penetrated the heart and spleen was released from the peeled radish, filling the study.

Chen Wuji, who was closest to it, felt energized and clear-minded with just one breath.

"This is... White Jade Silver Ginseng?" Chen Wuji took another deep breath, enjoying it, and looked up at the excited old housekeeper in astonishment, saying, "This thing, Uncle Ge, where did you get it?"

"It wasn't me who got it, it was Xiao Ba who picked it up on the street."

While the old housekeeper was excited, he also felt somewhat helpless. "Young master, didn't you say we were allowed to go out? Xiao Ba happened to fall ill in the morning and was bored staying in the mansion, so he followed me out to buy groceries. As a result, when we came back, he found these radishes that had just been thrown away at the corner of the market."

"At first, I didn't pay much attention, thinking that Xiao Ba was just picking them up to play. But when we returned to the mansion and saw Xiao Ba peeling these radishes, preparing to cut them into pieces to play a game, I discovered that there was something extraordinary inside the radishes."

"The silver-colored radish flesh reminded me of a book I had read before, a comprehensive guide to medicinal herbs or something like that, which recorded many precious medicinal herbs."

"Among them, one of the medicines was White Jade Silver Ginseng. Comparing it to the radish, I was shocked to find that this radish is actually a precious medicine that nourishes the five viscera and strengthens the spirit, White Jade Silver Ginseng!"

"If I remember correctly, White Jade Silver Ginseng is the main ingredient used in the majority of Nurturing Spirit soups!"

The old housekeeper took a deep breath and said excitedly, "It's fate, young master! You have just started nurturing your spirit, and such a precious medicinal herb has been delivered to us!"

The old housekeeper couldn't help but be excited.

Previously, when Chen Wuji asked him how much money was left in the mansion, out of concern, the old housekeeper asked what Chen Wuji wanted to buy.

As a result, Chen Wuji informed him that he had broken through to the eighth layer of body refining and needed to take Nurturing Spirit medicine.

Although Nurturing Spirit medicine was not available on the market, there were still some ordinary herbs that could calm and soothe the mind.

These herbs had limited effects on Nurturing Spirit, but they were still helpful.

Little by little, they could still make a difference.

However, there wasn't much money left in the mansion, so they could only buy a small amount.

The old housekeeper was worried about this.

Unexpectedly, during a trip to buy groceries, Nie Xiaoxiao, that girl, actually found the precious medicine White Jade Silver Ginseng!

But Chen Wuji knew that this was not fate.

It was Nie Xiaoxiao...

No, it was Nie Shuangshuang who boldly went out.

This was Nie Shuangshuang's talent for luck, and it was working.

Opportune Luck!

The timing was right, and good luck came.

White Jade Silver Ginseng looked no different from ordinary radishes on the surface.

Even if you peeled off the skin, most people wouldn't be able to tell.

Being sold as a radish was the best proof.

Of course, there were probably a few twists and turns in this.

White Jade Silver Ginseng doesn't grow in vegetable gardens, but in the mountains.

People who go into the mountains to collect herbs would be suspicious if they dug up a radish.

But when they bring it home and it is taken as an ordinary radish by ignorant children and wives, it becomes a different story.

Without any surprises, this white Jade Silver Ginseng was probably mixed in with other radishes by chance and ended up in the market.

Then, it didn't sell and was thrown away in a corner.

Finally, it was picked up by Nie Shuangshuang!

(End of this chapter)