CH 171

When Chu Ge focuses on his cultivation, it’s actually simpler for him compared to others.

Despite the many techniques he learnt, such as the Golden Bell Shield, Heavenly Mountain Freezing Hand, maintaining running and body movement exercises, practicing the Heaven and Earth Technique and spatial arts, it may seem complex.

However, these are all auxiliary techniques, and practicing them more or less doesn’t have a significant impact. It’s just about becoming familiar with them. For example, he hasn’t practiced on the electric stance platforms for a long time, but it’s not a big deal. When he practices with Qiu Wuji, his body movement gets exercised, so he doesn’t necessarily need to do use equipment.

His fundamental path lies in writing books.

By simultaneously practicing his cultivation techniques and writing, for the current Chu Ge, it no longer feels like splitting his focus. When the Heaven and Earth Technique and spatial arts are combined, it’s like transforming the imagined scenes in his mind while writing into a cinematic view, frame by frame, retelling it on paper. There is no so-called divided attention; it’s the same train of thought and the same heart.

The more he writes, the more the world is constructed, and the richer the plot becomes. His cultivation becomes more stable, and his mastery of the Heaven and Earth Technique and spatial arts grows stronger.

However, the direction is somewhat skewed. At least in terms of spatial manipulation, it’s impossible for him to be as proficient as his mother, Wu Xiuyun. The Heaven and Earth Technique doesn’t have the ability to control minds and manipulate spirits. Chu Ge only focuses on one aspect of these techniques. But the rest is unimportant; he only wants this aspect.

In the past, due to the thin spiritual energy, progress in his spiritual power was mediocre. With the help of the Pearl, it improved slightly. Now, with the addition of elixirs, he has assistance from both inside and outside, which clearly indicates a period of rapid progress.

So, most of the time, when it appears that Chu Ge is diligently practicing to overpower Qiu Qiu against the wall, he is actually burying himself in front of the computer, typing away, without the appearance of practicing.

Only Qiu Wuji can see the tangible spiritual power and the faint fluctuations in his spiritual sea within his body, growing day by day.

While Chu Ge writes and cultivates, Qiu Wuji is not idle either.

In addition to taking pills and exercising to enhance her physical condition, she uses the formation stones that Chu Ge had retrieved to set up various eccentric formations throughout the entire building. Of course, the property management and cleaning staff can’t trigger them.

And Qiu Wuji was doing something else…

She was refining the pearl into a magical treasure.

In the past, she couldn’t refine it because she lacked the necessary auxiliary materials, but now she had them.

“Uh, what’s this?” Chu Ge looked surprised as Qiu Wuji handed him a jade-made statue of Guanyin. “Did you go to a jade shop? These things can be deceptive.”

“…If it’s good jade, I can identify it at a glance. What’s there to deceive?” Qiu Wuji replied.

Chu Ge thought for a moment and said, “So, does that mean you went to treasure shop? This Guanyin statue does indeed feel somewhat spiritual… Wait, why does this spiritual energy feel familiar…”

Qiu Wuji replied irritably, “This is the pearl after grinding, mixed with the Lingpin jade fragments you dug out from the book, and combined with the juice of Water Jasmine Flower and Three Yang Grass, to refine it into a magical treasure.”

“You actually refined a magical treasure?”

“Of course. The things you can retrieve have average energy at best. Even the Lingpin jade could only be retrieved as broken fragments. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble. But no worries, my Tai Xu Fire may not be as useful for alchemy as Yan Qianli, but it’s excellent for refining tools and making magical treasures!”

Although she was proud and boastful, Chu Ge always felt like she was saying, “Quick, praise me!” Then she would go on to introduce a bunch of uses for the magical treasure…

But he couldn’t help but ask another question out of curiosity, “But… how did you make it into a Guanyin statue? That world had Buddhism, but not Guanyin.” ((“Guanyin” (观音) -“Goddess of Mercy” or “Avalokitesvara”. Guanyin is revered as a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who has chosen to delay their own entry into Nirvana to assist others on their path towards liberation.))

Qiu Wuji snorted, “I asked Mengmeng what kind of jewelry men should wear, and she said men should wear Guanyin, while women should wear Buddha. So, I researched what Guanyin looks like.”

“Has Mengmeng replaced Baidu now?”

Qiu Wuji became angry. “Do you want this jade or not?”

“Yes, yes.” Chu Ge understood. “My Qiuqiu is of course the most amazing. This magical treasure must be very powerful!”

“Of course!” Qiu Wuji responded as expected. “After the refinement, the original pearl’s spiritual energy is even more condensed and potent. It has an additional effect of calming the mind and settling thoughts, preventing you from going overboard with your powers and losing control. When worn, it also aids in the recovery of your magical energy during battles… It’s just that the materials weren’t of the best quality, otherwise…”

“That’s enough,” Chu Ge happily put it on his neck and blinked his eyes. “This seems like a token of commitment.”

Qiu Wuji blushed slightly, evidently having thought of that while making the jade pendant. She stubbornly replied, “In this era, there are so many things to consider. You’ve been going on and on about how Chu Ge wants to pursue Qiu Wuji, and in the end, you give me a pig?”

Hearing this, it sounded like a request for a gift, and Chu Ge laughed, “Hey, how about we go out shopping today and buy some gifts?”

The two of them stayed in their little nest, eating pills together like they were eating chocolates, enjoying themselves while practicing. Five days had passed in the blink of an eye. Chu Ge stayed indoors, immersed in writing and practicing, which had made him feel a bit stagnant. On the other hand, Qiu Wuji often went out to buy groceries and frequently visited Zhu Mengmeng for tea, leading a leisurely life.

Upon hearing Chu Ge’s question, Qiu Wuji leisurely replied, “You took me out that day without realizing it was the Qixi Festival, and now you want to take me out today, but you probably still don’t know that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

“Huh?” Chu Ge was taken aback. “Is it really the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

“Yes,” Qiu Wuji said. “I heard that they have a big holiday, including the celebration of the country’s founding. It’s a long break. Suddenly, I feel like your line of work is quite pitiful. You have no connection to other people’s holidays, to the point where you’re completely oblivious to the time of year.”

Chu Ge was already accustomed to it and didn’t feel anything in particular. He smiled and said, “Then let’s at least give our assistant a day off today and go buy a big stuffed pig.”

Qiu Wuji’s eyes lit up.

She had seen oversized dolls at amusement parks before, almost the size of a person! Unfortunately, she wasn’t interested back then and didn’t get one… But now she really wanted one. Hugging it would definitely be very comfortable, and their home had enough space for it…

The two of them held hands and walked out of the door. Chu Ge was lost in thought as he walked, murmuring to himself, “Mid-Autumn Festival…”

Qiu Wuji said, “Doesn’t it feel like my experience in the mortal world is halfway through… You know, I think I’m a very qualified modern person now? I even know that today is a holiday, and that men wear Guanyin while women wear Buddha!”

To be honest, the Mid-Autumn Festival did indeed spark similar thoughts in Chu Ge. It seemed to represent the deepening of autumn and also symbolized Qiu Wuji’s deepening in this world.

She really seemed like a modern person now, except for the occasional ancient mannerisms that couldn’t be concealed in her speech… But that didn’t matter, even modern people would throw in a few show-off lines.

Chu Ge thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I still feel like something is missing, not quite complete.”

Qiu Wuji was indignant, “Why is it not complete? I know more about today’s holiday than you…”

“But that’s because you heard it while chatting and drinking tea with Mengmeng…” Chu Ge smiled. “For modern people, they’ve long had this expectation, counting down the days and waiting for today’s holiday.”

“Then you’re the ancient one!”

“Haha… I don’t pay much attention to it due to my profession, the circumstances are unique. I can say that I’m working 24/7, or I can say that I have a day off every day, as long as I can save some drafts, I can arrange my own vacation—although having many saved drafts is mostly just a pipe dream. But worst-case scenario, I can just take a break, no one is forcing me. It’s just my sense of responsibility that pushes me.”

“So you chose this profession because of freedom?”

“Also because you’re in the book.”

“Ugh.” Qiu Wuji wasn’t buying it and hummed, “You say I’m not complete just because I didn’t have expectations for the holiday?”

“It feels like there’s something else…” Chu Ge looked up and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Maybe it’s because your life is too simple… It always makes me feel like you’re still a cultivator at heart.”

Qiu Wuji was taken aback. “What do you mean? I see Mengmeng doing nothing all day but drink tea, chat, and do spa treatments. It’s much simpler than what I do. I have to cultivate, set up formations, refine magical treasures, help you cook, manage book reviews, and even write my autobiography.”

“Zhu Mengmeng enjoys doing spa treatments…” Chu Ge turned to look at her. “But have you ever had a hobby or interest that you wanted to pursue, even if it was just listening to music?”