"Not important." Zhu Pingniang lifted her long hair and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled and said, "But... making sure your student is at ease is indeed something very important. How about this... if you can see Changâanâs relieved smile, and even gain his gratitude, simply by giving away things useless to us, itâs quite a profitable trade, isnât it?"
Zhu Pingniang rolled up her sleeves and tilted her head. "I would never do a losing business."
Li Zhibai rubbed her temples with her fingers.
Not a losing business?
The entire Hehuan Sect was already lost to her.
Li Zhibai truly didnât know what to say. At this moment, she couldnât even tell who the real bad woman was.
Zhu Pingniang, who was constantly looking for reasons to help Xu Changâan, was the bad woman.
Or was it herself, the teacher who focused on âgoing with the flow,â not wanting to interfere with Yun Qianâs initial cultivation rhythm?
Li Zhibai was uncertain.
But in Changâanâs eyes, the so-called âgoing with the flowâ and the initial cultivation rhythm... must be meaningless. He only wanted Miss Yun to have an outstanding cultivation speed.
So, the bad woman wasnât Tong Jun, but herself.
"Your plan to help is to use external items to accelerate Ms. Yunâs cultivation?" Li Zhibaiâs eyes were serious. "This is not appropriate."
Yun Qian wasnât someone like Sikong Jing or Gu Qiancheng, who were immersed in a cultivating environment from a young age. Many heavenly materials and earthly treasures were usable by them because they had enough continuation, which didnât mean they were suitable for Yun Qian.
Do you really think the speed of cultivation represents everything?
Even if Yun Qianâs initial sensing of Spiritual Qi was as slow as Xu Changâanâs, it wouldnât matter. After all, for those who hadnât cultivated before, taking small, gradual steps and slowly understanding the existence of the Heavenly Dao was a very important cultivation process.
"But if Yun Qian slows down, Changâan will worry," Zhu Pingniang said.
"Is that more important than consuming Ms. Yunâs potential?" Li Zhibai glared at her.
Zhu Pingniang pouted.
Calling her Ms. Yun every time, does Ah Bai really not fear making me jealous?
But thatâs what differentiates her from Li Zhibai.
While Zhu Pingniang had secretly taken care of Yun Qian for a long time, she cared more about how Xu Changâan felt.
Although Li Zhibai was Xu Changâanâs teacher, she cared more about Yun Qianâs future, even paying attention to potential consumption of entirely unimportant potential.
But Zhu Pingniang didnât understand.
What was wrong with speeding up Yun Qianâs cultivation? The only possible side effect might be an inability to calm down, becoming impetuous with hidden dangers for cultivation.
"However... with Yun Qianâs temperament, even if you forcefully elevate her to the Taixu Realm now, I believe she wouldnât have a Heart Demon, let alone become impetuous." Zhu Pingniang said.
Li Zhibai was taken aback by her words.
Images flashed in her mind of Yun Qian quietly sitting on a stone bench, watching the Mei Hua in the Sword Hall, with a slight tremble of her Liu Mei.
Exactly.
"Alright, I know you like your Ms. Yun." Zhu Pingniang said while seeing Li Zhibai daydreaming and actually put down her wine glass to sit beside her, wrapping her arms around the waifish waist of the lady next to her.
Li Zhibai didnât move, just turned her head to glance at her.
Zhu Pingniang awkwardly withdrew her hands, but she was already satisfied, so she smiled and adopted a posture of holding Li Zhibaiâs arm, whispering near her ear.
"I had thought of a way to improve Yun Qianâs talent without encouraging premature growth long before, knowing youâd worry about it, Ah Bai."
"Oh?" Li Zhibai asked, "What is it?"
"Enlightenment Tea, you should still have some left, right?" Zhu Pingniang smiled faintly, "Ah Bai, do you think I mentioned Enlightenment Tea earlier for some other purpose?"
Wasnât it for this moment?
As the bad woman, Zhu Pingniang had been thinking of using this heavenly rarity for Yun Qian from the beginning.
"You..."
Li Zhibaiâs eyes opened slightly, then she sighed.
What should she say?
Should she say that Tong Jun had everything planned out?
She had been thinking about her Enlightenment Tea since before the conversation started.
"Whatâs there to treasure? Neither you nor I can use it, nor can the Sect Leader... Even the most precious item will only spoil if left unused."
"It wonât spoil."
"Oh, but the tea in Flower Moon Building might spoil, so Enlightenment Tea... itâs just tea."
Zhu Pingniang curved her lips.
The greatest function of Enlightenment Tea is its enhancement at the Taixu Realm, allowing the drinker to enter the Unity of Heaven and Man, better understanding the Heavenly Dao. Its accompanying benefit of enhancing Spiritual Power quality is merely a side effect.
But using it on Yun Qian is just perfect.
As to whether it seems extravagant...
It is most certainly extravagant.
No legitimate son of a major sect would be given Enlightenment Tea for their early cultivationâitâd never be enough for their personal useâ but Zhu Pingniang is not a normal person, and Li Zhibai is not an average woman.
Seeing Li Zhibaiâs contemplation, Zhu Pingniang pressed her advantage, "Directly giving Yun Qian this to consume isnât suitable, but I can take a bit of Enlightenment Tea, collect its essence, then fuse it into a pendant, like the Glazed Jade the Sect Leader gave to Changâan."
Shaking the jewel in her hand, Zhu Pingniang said, "As long as Yun Qian wears it, it would be like being in a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land at all times, enhancing her cultivation efficiency greatly."
Moreover, if fused into a Magical Treasure, it could confuse a personâs Sea of Consciousness during combat.
"Now, the perfect solution to the problem has appeared; it just depends on whether Ah Bai is willing." Zhu Pingniang said this while turning her head to gaze at Li Zhibaiâs profile.
In fact, she had plenty of other ways to help Yun Qian without resorting to the Enlightenment Teaâthis was truly an inferior plan and a waste of heavenly treasures.
Yet, she said it for a reason.
For example, she wanted to test just how important Yun Qian was in Ah Baiâs heart. Could it match the few Supreme Treasures she had left?
If Li Zhibai was acutely perceptive, then Zhu Pingniang was masterly in her strategies, always using open schemes, not fearing exposure.
Li Zhibai didnât keep Zhu Pingniang waiting too long, casually reaching into the void, retrieving a small white jade bottle in hand.
In the instant the bottle appeared, an array of lights seemed to shine all around, and if one were within the range, they might even hear the cry of a celestial crane.
Clearly, it contained the Enlightenment Tea that allowed one to perceive the Heavenly Dao closely.
"Enlightenment Tea, itâs a good idea... as you wish then." Li Zhibai casually tossed the small bottle to Zhu Pingniang.
"...knew it." Zhu Pingniang took the small bottle and placed it casually beside her wine glass, sighing, "I just knew it."
Li Zhibai didnât even value an Immortal Sword, so a mere Enlightenment Tea wouldnât mean much.
If people in the Cultivation Realm knew such a cherished item was casually given by Li Zhibai to someone who wasnât even cultivating yet, they wouldnât know what expression to make.
Well, Yun Qian has already become more valuable than this sought-after Enlightenment Tea.
"Whatâs wrong?" Li Zhibai looked at her.
Actually, helping Yun Qian was a simple matter; a random Elixir would do.
But she came in a hurry this time, leaving the Elixirs in the Sword Hall. All she had with her was this little bit of tea, and although she could easily concoct a pill, it was better to let Ms. Yun drink some teaâit looked better.
Of course, in Li Zhibaiâs heart, she still hadnât helped Xu Changâan.
She wasnât helping Xu Changâan; she was helping Zhu Pingniang.
As to what these tea leaves would accomplish, be it repaying favors or otherwise, it wasnât her concern... She was merely an irresponsible sister being asked for something by her sister now.
Zhu Pingniang looked at the bottle with the Enlightenment Tea on the table, belatedly realizing.
Had Li Zhibai never been able to bring herself to use the Enlightenment Tea not because it was precious?
"Ah Bai, I want to ask you something."
"What is it." Li Zhibai looked at her.
"This Enlightenment Tea, doesnât it just strike you as... a somewhat flavorful tea?" Zhu Pingniang twisted her fingers together, "Is it only because you werenât willing to drink it that youâve kept it until now."
"Yes." Li Zhibai replied, "Itâs just that."
It was essentially just something to satiate a palate, nothing more to it.
Zhu Pingniangâs face changed color.
Ugh.
Picked the wrong thing to test Yun Qianâs importance.