Chapter Eighty-One: Stellar Refining Treasure Manual

  "Uh, it's actually quite... lively."

  Chaoyang Town, Courtyard Thick Street, Ningfeng Head Top Scorching Sun, Various Crowds Flowing in the Middle, Opposite is Langyafudi.

  Inside the shop with the four golden characters "Langya Blissful Land" hanging high, there are often people dressed in shabby clothes, either ordinary people or low-ranking cultivators.

  They entered one by one with a tense expression, occasionally lingering in front of the door for a long time. Once inside, they would stay for half a day as if reluctant to come out. When they finally emerged, each one looked satisfied and hurried away, as if they had made some great gain.

  "Looks like you've done a good job."

  Ning Feng couldn't help but smile, recalling the initial intention Ning Cai Chen had shared with him about starting this business. His whole body felt warm and cozy, unable to distinguish whether it was from basking in the sunlight or the warmth in his heart.

  Across from him, Ning Caichen saw that he was holding a teapot in one hand and occasionally taking a sip, while holding a bamboo slip in the other, looking delighted.

  As for entertaining guests, collecting spirit pearls, and making introductions, there were several partners who ran around busily taking care of these things, not bothering the old man with such matters.

  When he saw the wonderful part, Ning Cai Chen slapped his thigh and shouted "wonderful", his voice was so loud that Ning Feng could hear it from across half a street.

  Yes, I can hear the sound of a palm slapping against a thigh, so crisp and clear.

  The commotion was so great that even Ning Caichen himself was startled, spilling the teapot in his hand, frantically jumping around, unable to distinguish whether it was painful or scalding.

  Ning Feng shook his head and lost his smile, just wanting to go forward and ask for peace, and also give the old man a surprise, but saw Ning Cai Chen hastily coming out of Langyafudi, as if he was in a hurry to change clothes.

  He didn't make a sound immediately, but followed Ning Caichen back to his own courtyard.

  With a "bang" sound. Ning Caichen entered the house, closed the door, and did it in one breath.

  If it were a little earlier, Ning Feng might still have had to take out the key to open the door, and there would be no surprise.

  Now is different from the past, although he has only made small achievements in practicing Qi and hasn't cultivated any magic skills yet, a short wall wouldn't be able to stop him.

  With a leap, Ning Feng played another trick of jumping over the wall and entering his own courtyard again.

  He walked lightly and familiarly to the door of Ning Cai Chen's house. He was just about to push open the door and give his old father a surprise, when a voice suddenly came from inside:

  "Son, you're back?"

  "Huh?"

  Ning Feng was taken aback, and with a surge of strength, he pushed open the door that his hand had been resting on.

  "Dad, how did you know I was back?"

  Ning Feng asked in surprise.

  He thought he hadn't shown any unusual expression, and Ning Cai Chen was even more focused on the road ahead, not lifting his head at all. How could they have noticed?

  Ning Feng was still in a daze, while Ning Cai Chen seemed to have been startled. He suddenly turned around, exclaiming in surprise: "Son, you're really back!"

  Look at his expression, there's no hint of pretence, a perfectly standard surprise.

  What was going on just now?

  Ning Feng asked again, Ning Cai Chen scratched his head and said with a very embarrassed tone: "Your father wasn't idle, just casually calling out, who knew you'd really come back."

  "Is the road smooth?"

  "Are you hurt?"

  "What did Tianyunzi say about Mount Shu?"

  "Tell your father about it and see how he reacts."

  Ning Cai Chen's face was filled with joy, and he pulled Ning Feng, who was still in a daze, by the sleeve to sit down at the stone table outside. He then busied himself pouring hot water for Ning Feng before sitting down across from him, gazing over at him eagerly.

  Ning Feng regained his composure and felt a slight blockage in his chest, which was hard to describe.

  Knowing that her son has not returned yet, she stands alone in the empty house, listlessly calling out "My son is back", what kind of mood is this?

  Perhaps Ning Feng won't understand until he becomes a father himself and his children leave home without a word, only then will he be able to feel it a little.

  Rubbing his sore nose, Ning Feng poured a cup of hot tea for his father and thought about the sequence of questions Ning Cai Chen had just asked, feeling moved in his heart.

  "Poor parents all over the world, always thinking about whether their own children are doing well or not, safe or not, and only then about achievements and glory."

  Ning Feng took a deep breath and calmed down, picking up where he could continue speaking, and talked about his experiences during this period of time.

  Throughout the process, Ning Caichen was startled and nervous at times, sometimes tense, sometimes proud, and sometimes so absorbed that he didn't even notice his tea had gone cold as he gulped it down.

  "It's really good."

  "My son, you have finally achieved your dream."

  Ning Caichen felt a mix of emotions, as if the hardships and sacrifices he had made in the past, including risking his family's fortune and traveling thousands of miles, had all been worthwhile.

  Ning Feng smiled and patted his old father's hand, saying: "Father, this is just the first step, there is still a very long and wonderful road ahead, with many beautiful scenery, wait for me to tell you slowly."

  It's almost said, Ning Feng felt a bit tired, and he also thought that it had been a long time since he cooked for his father. He didn't know what the old man had eaten during this period. Just as he was about to head towards the kitchen, he stood up, and his sleeve was pulled by Ning Cai Chen.

  "What's up, son? What are you going to do?"

  Ning Caichen's expression was somewhat strange.

  "Cooking..."

  Ning Feng raised an eyebrow and asked in puzzlement: "What's wrong?"

  "No, nothing." Ning Caichen's eyes flickered and he pulled Ning Feng out while saying continuously: "It's not easy to come back this time, what's the point of cooking, let's go to a restaurant, Dad has money."

  "Besides, we've recently received many good things at Langya Temple. You go and pick some out, see if there's anything you can learn from."

  "Of course, it can't be compared with the divine palace's magic, but this is our own thing, doesn't consume spiritual jade and doesn't require contribution, no need to look at it."

  Towards the end, Ning Caichen was clearly pleased with his own business and wanted his son to take a look at what he had achieved. The expression on his face that seemed to say "Come and praise me" was unmistakable.

  Ning Feng was dragged away helplessly, but his mind kept replaying Ning Cai Chen's evasive gaze.

  "What's going on here?"

  Before he could think of a reason, the two returned to Luoyang again.

  As the boss, Ning Caichen swaggered out of the crowd and into the inner hall, shouting at his apprentices to bring out all the best goods that Langya Fudi had recently collected.

  Ning Feng was so frustrated by Lao Ye Zi that he couldn't help but cry and laugh at the same time, and had no choice but to sit obediently, looking at the pile of jade slips in front of him with a bitter expression.

  Those jade slips are of different materials, some old, some worn out, some damaged or incomplete. In short, none of them look like they can be associated with the word "precious".

  "Let's see..."

  Ning Feng turned his head and saw the old man's eager expression, feeling that if he didn't look at it, or even choose a skill to learn from inside, he would be letting the old man down, as if committing a great fault.

  Pinching his nose, Ning Feng began to stick a jade slip onto his forehead, calming his mind and extending his thoughts inward.

  He has observed the Temple of the Sun God, and his nine deaths and hardships have far surpassed those of his peers in terms of refining his spiritual awareness and mental focus, so it's not difficult for him to wield these jade slips.

  It's just a short time, and the jade slips that have been placed on top of each other are gradually piling up, but there are still some that haven't been used yet.

  Ning Feng's expression also gradually became more serious, from being nonchalant and perfunctory to becoming truly sincere.

  Half a time later, Ning Feng let out a long breath, put down the jade slip in his hand and rubbed his eyebrows.

  He glanced over and saw that there was only one unopened jade slip left, which looked dull in color and didn't resemble jade at all, but rather a piece of gray cow bone.

  "These jade slips are mostly incomplete fragments, unsystematic and rooted in the lower levels, with a small scope, but they have their own cleverness, and can be inferred from one another, so it's not entirely useless."

  It's not as bitter as I thought it would be by now.

  The exquisite skills selected from this side of Langya Blissful Land can't be considered as anything good, and they are even more different from those in Jingxiang Pavilion like clouds and mud. However, the ideas behind them, where changes lead to thorough understanding, are worth savoring.

  This kind of thing is precisely what high-ranking cultivators from great sects would not deign to cast their eyes upon.

  Although the wind had just arrived with enthusiasm, he didn't feel tired and stretched out his hand to pick up the last jade slip.

  This jade slip feels heavy in hand, because it has been passed through so many hands before, and even the slightest change in weight can be felt by Ning Feng, let alone such a big difference.

  "This jade tablet is strange!"

  The wind spirit was shaken, not just because of the weight, but also because the texture of this jade slip felt different from those five-colored jades. This point would likely be unknown to even the most skilled monks responsible for appraising and collecting jade slips.

  Ordinary monks may spend their entire lives without knowing what the tactile sensation of a five-colored jade is.

  Although a thought stirred in his heart, it did not affect his movements. He slowly stuck the cow-bone-colored jade slip on his forehead.

  "Boom!"

  A passage of writing, surging into the lake of heart.

  At the top were five big characters: "Starry Sky Refining Treasure Manual"! (....)