I'm quitting!

Chapter 19 I'm here to help you!

Su Lang opened his mouth, as if a thousand words were about to surge into his throat, but when he met the unfathomable hatred in his niece's eyes, he choked on them all.

He finally lowered his head, letting out a long sigh.

Su Qingxue didn't look at him any longer, but instead grabbed Lin Xiaofan's wrist. Her palm was icy cold, but her strength was unyielding.

"Let's go."

Boom!

The palace doors were closed tightly.

Xianyunzi shook his head, stepped forward slowly, and said in a calm tone, "Patriarch Su, you are unavailable today, please return."

Su Lang remained silent for a long time before finally raising his hand and placing the scroll of "The Heart-Cleansing Mantra" into his medicine box.

As he closed the box, he said in a low voice, "I apologize for the inconvenience... I'd appreciate it if you could pass this on to the sect leader." With that, he turned and left.

Looking at that thin figure, Xianyunzi sighed, "Power in this world is most likely to drive people mad..." He shook his head, adopting a compassionate demeanor.

But in the blink of an eye—

"Wow! The quality of this thousand-year-old snow ginseng...it's amazing!"

Xianyunzi lunged to the medicine box, burying his face almost entirely inside, and greedily inhaled a deep breath.

"Dragon's Beard Grass from the Cold Pool! This fragrance...this texture...and the Ice Heart Flower, a rare sight in this world...tsk tsk tsk!"

He rubbed his hands against the edge of the box again and again, just like a hungry cat that had smelled dried fish, and there was no trace of his previous detached and otherworldly demeanor.

"The Su family of Nanguan is indeed well-established. A casual gift from them is equivalent to half a year's expenses for my Qingyun Sect." His eyes darted around, and he rubbed his hands together as he approached the spot where Lin Xiaofan had just stood, smiling obsequiously at the air, "I wonder if Senior could... bestow some upon me? This humble Taoist is willing to exchange talismans and pills!"

The hall was empty, with only his voice echoing between the beams and pillars, sounding particularly comical.

However, the sect leader remained oblivious, still firmly believing that the senior was all-knowing and all-powerful—able to perceive everything even when not physically present.

Outside the palace, the setting sun casts a golden glow.

Su Qingxue pulled Lin Xiaofan along, her steps hurried, her black hair fluttering slightly, her clothes brushing against the steps, as if she wanted to leave all the turmoil in the hall behind.

Lin Xiaofan let her pull him along, the hemp ball on his shoulder was being bounced around, and his little paws clung tightly to his collar.

Passing through the corridor and stepping along the stone path, the bamboo forest on the back mountain unfolds before your eyes.

Su Qingxue finally let go of his hand, stood with her back to Lin Xiaofan, her shoulders tense: "I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing."

Lin Xiaofan didn't reply, but simply patted his shoulder lightly.

Maqiu immediately understood, leaped up, and landed at Su Qingxue's feet. With its little paws, it held a bamboo leaf dyed amber by the setting sun and solemnly handed it over.

"For your older sister! Maqiu's precious baby!"

Su Qingxue froze, her eyelashes trembling slightly, a crack appearing in her icy expression. She slowly crouched down, her fingertips just about to touch the bamboo leaf—

But the little ball suddenly pulled its paw back and brought its little nose close to sniff.

"Sister's cold! Sesame ball's warm!"

After saying that, it rubbed the bamboo leaf against its furry belly again and again, feeling warm and cozy, before handing it over again. Its little round eyes were bright and sparkling, as if they were filled with the entire sunset.

Lin Xiaofan sat down against the green bamboo, the dappled sunlight filtering through the bamboo casting shimmering patterns on his face: "Pretense is for outsiders, but this bamboo forest on the back mountain only recognizes the real you."

Su Qingxue took the warm bamboo leaf, and the chill on her fingertips unconsciously subsided a bit, and her mood also eased slightly.

Lin Xiaofan casually folded a thin bamboo twig and drew a crooked smiley face on the ground.

"There's a saying in my hometown... whether you cry or laugh, it's still just one day." Zhu Zhi paused, the smile on his face disappearing slightly. "I'm not advising you to give up, I just feel that... life itself should have a sweetness."

As dusk deepened, the light in the bamboo grove grew softer. Su Qingxue, holding a bamboo leaf, suddenly asked softly, "If it were you... what would you choose?"

"Me?" Lin Xiaofan tossed the bamboo stick into the air. "I'd probably ask myself first... Was the sun comfortable today? Was the sunset beautiful?" He gestured towards Maqiu beside him. "This guy's biggest concern every day is whether there are sweet potatoes for breakfast and whether he ate enough before bed."

Su Qingxue's gaze fell on Ma Qiu, and the corners of her mouth finally relaxed slightly.

She opened her palm, looked quietly at the bamboo leaf, and fell into deep thought.

"I want to find out the truth of what happened back then... What exactly happened on the day my father disappeared, and why my mother was driven to such a desperate situation?" She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on the person in front of her, lingering there for a long time. "But with my own strength alone... it's difficult to shake the foundation of the Su family."

"How can I help you?"

"The Qingyun Sect has a long-standing relationship with the Su Clan of Nanguan. The sect leader reveres you like a god, and more importantly..."

The setting sun cast a soft blush on Su Qingxue's cheeks. Her throat bobbed slightly, as if she had a thousand words to say, but she only managed to utter one—

"With you here, my cultivation will be even smoother."

Lin Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat.

Is she trying to get me to be her guide?

But I don't have any real skills. The guidance I gave Su Lang just now was nothing more than a bunch of nonsense based on Ma Qiu's talent. If I were to do the same to her...

He looked troubled: "I can do my best to build connections, but as for the path of cultivation..." He gave a wry smile and waved his hand, "I'm just a self-taught practitioner; I might jeopardize your future..."

Before the words were finished, his mind suddenly exploded:

[Task: The useless disciple, having no chance to cross paths with the phoenix chick, fades into obscurity, leaving behind a shadow that condemns him to a lonely old age, earning him the "single dog" badge.]

ha?

Veins bulged on Lin Xiaofan's forehead as he seemed to see a desolate image of himself, white-haired and alone, huddled in the woodshed, gnawing on a cold cornbread.

The next instant, he raised his fist high, his fighting spirit soaring:

"Very well! I'll help you! I'll make the world gasp in astonishment!"

The roar startled the birds roosting in the woods, and Maqiu, terrified, bristled and leaped three feet high.

Su Qingxue stared at the boy's flushed face, first taken aback, then covered her mouth and chuckled.

She curtsied, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Then... I'll have to trouble you, 'Master'."

The address was as light as a mosquito's buzz, yet it rippled with a sweet fragrance in the twilight.

[Rebelliousness Value +9]

The grand pronouncements made in the bamboo forest faded into the distance with each step.

Pushing open the wooden door of the woodshed, Lin Xiaofan collapsed onto the hard bed like a salted fish.

"It's all over..." He buried his face in the pillow, his voice muffled. "What am I supposed to teach this prodigy? I can't just keep making empty promises, can I?"

Just as I was feeling annoyed, a knock on the door sounded.

Knock knock knock.

Lin Xiaofan wiped her face, got up and opened the door, but froze on the spot.

The moonlight was like water, and Xianyunzi and Danxuanzi stood side by side.

One of them twirled his beard and chuckled, while the other hugged the ancient cauldron and grinned foolishly, looking just like two weasels who had stolen a chicken.

"Senior!" Xianyunzi stepped forward, his tone as eager as if he were seeing his own father, "I have delivered all the gifts of gratitude that Patriarch Su entrusted to me before he left!"

He stepped aside, and there were three sandalwood boxes prominently displayed in the courtyard.

Lin Xiaofan glanced at the two people's shining eyes, understood, and smiled slightly: "Take half, take it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the smile on Xianyunzi's face froze instantly, and the bronze cauldron in Danxuanzi's arms crashed to his feet with a loud bang.

"Half...half?!" Dan Xuanzi, ignoring the pain, hurriedly helped up the three-legged cauldron. "This junior is terrified! This 'Azure Sun Cauldron' was obtained during my travels in my early years. Although it is not as important as the sect's treasures, it is full of spiritual energy..." His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, "Could...could we exchange it for one-tenth of the medicinal herbs?"

These two people weren't greedy for cheap deals.

Lin Xiaofan took the small cauldron. It felt warm and smooth to the touch. The cauldron body gleamed with an ancient and ethereal light, and the inner wall of the cauldron's belly was covered with fine, flowing fire patterns.

He suddenly remembered the hardships he had endured these past few days, running to the alchemy room to roast sweet potatoes, and his eyes lit up.

"make a deal."

After the materials were moved and distributed, the woodshed was filled with the aroma of medicine, so strong it was almost intoxicating.

Lin Xiaofan leaned against the door frame, watching the two Nascent Soul stage monsters excitedly run away carrying boxes—Xianyunzi's steps were as light as if he were twenty years younger, and Danxuanzi's foot, which had been hit by the cauldron, no longer hurt. Their speed in the moonlight was even faster than flying on a sword.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Lin Xiaofan looked around, put his hands on his hips, and looked smug:

"Didn't expect that, did you, little woodshed? Following Brother Fan, you too will one day have a place filled with rare treasures that everyone drools over."

With a cheer, Maqiu plunged into the pile of medicine:

"Xiangxiang! Can I eat the sesame balls?"

Don't eat too much at once.

Lin Xiaofan smiled and reminded him, his fingertips tracing the surface of the three-legged cauldron.

"From now on, we won't have to go to the alchemy room anymore."

"We can roast sweet potatoes and fry French fries at home, and who knows, we might even come up with a new 'ice and fire combination' dish..."

At this point, a sudden inspiration struck him, and his eyes lit up with joy:

"Ha! I know what to teach tomorrow!"