Chapter 7  : Even The Rubbish Is Precious

Li Nianfan looked at Luo Hao who had just swallowed his words mid-sentence. He asked curiously, “What did you say?”

Luo Hao smiled apologetically. “Nothing! I’m just saying how the air is so fresh in here! This explains why.”

Li Nianfan smiled. “Please, have a seat.”

The three of them sat obediently. “The tea leaves I planted are not ready to be picked yet, so I’m afraid I can only serve you with ordinary water,” Li Nianfan said.

Bai Luoshuang replied politely, “You’re being too polite, Mr. Li. We don’t mind at all!”

Li Nianfan smiled as he poured three glasses of water from the water purifier.

“Thank you, Mr. Li.” Bai Luoshuang accepted the water politely before she accidentally glanced at the purifier. With wide eyes, she said, “M-may I ask, what’s this?”

“Oh, it’s just a water purifier. It’s nothing,” Li Nianfan casually replied.

Another precious item!

The three of them almost went numb with shock. The water in their glasses was no ordinary water—it was Spiritual Water! One glass of this water was equivalent to the most basic elixir!

This water purifier was a top-notch Immortal Machine! It could turn ordinary water into Spiritual Water! Unbelievable!

Li Nianfan did not seem to care about the strange and mysterious expressions on their faces. He said calmly, “I’m going to the backyard. Please, help yourselves to more water.” With that said, he carried the krill and tortoise to the backyard while he ordered, “Xiao Bai, prepare the leopard meat for lunch.”

The living room was left with three wide-eyed cultivators sitting restlessly. Although they were tempted by the air humidifier and water purifier, they did not dare to display even a hint of greed.

Luo Hao gulped and stuttered, “I-I think…we’ve come across an extraordinary expert!”

Bai Luoshuang nodded. She agreed with a serious tone, “This expert’s way beyond all the experts we’ve ever come across!” She suggested, “So far, this expert seems to be a nice person. However, we cannot afford to offend him, not even in the slightest! If we could become friends with him, it’d be the biggest blessing in our lives!”

Qin Zhu agreed. “Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.”

Meanwhile, Luo Hao glanced at the bin by his feet. He seemed startled. Inside the bin was a scroll which seemed to be of a drawing.

“Luo Hao, what’re you doing? Don’t you touch the expert’s stuff without permission!” Bai Luoshuang warned hastily.

“This seems to be rubbish!” Luo Hao said as he carefully took out the scroll and gently unrolled it. He was curious. What could it be that the expert disposed of?

On the paper, a figure slowly appeared. It was the silhouette of a man wearing a Mino and an Asian conical hat. He stood alone on a canoe with a longsword in his hand. The drawing simply sketched. It was obviously just a draft.

However, the moment Luo Hao laid eyes on the drawing, he let out a loud cry! He almost jumped up in shock. “It’s the Sword Intent! This drawing contains a Sword Intent!”

Instantly, Bai Luoshuang and Qin Zhu turned their gaze toward the drawing. With just one look, they were instantly captivated by it. Feelings of loneliness, arrogance, fearlessness, and desperation surfaced from within them. They almost suffocated from the overwhelming flood of emotions!

It was as if they had been pulled into the same world as this swordsman. An oppressive Sword Intent whirled from the man in Mino toward the sky, making it hard for them to breathe.

An ordinary man would not have felt so deeply about the drawing, but the three of them were the disciples of the Wanjian Immortal Sect. They practiced swordsmanship which made them sensitive to the Sword Intent shown in the drawing.

They vaguely understood the meaning of this drawing. The swordsman in Mino was on his way to a duel with another man who was on the other side of the river.

“Phew…”

Luo Hao rolled up the drawing hastily. Only then, did the three of them snap back to reality. By then, they were already covered in sweat.

“Who’s the swordsman in this drawing? Even his silhouette contains so much Sword Intent. In fact, his Sword Intent exceeds that of our Sect Master. This is terrifying!” Qin Zhu exclaimed in fear.

Bai Luoshuang was unable to describe her feelings. “This isn’t the point,” she mumbled shakily. “The point is, how could someone capture this in a drawing…and then toss it into the bin as if it was rubbish?”

“This drawing is a priceless drawing to swordsmen like us!”

Meanwhile, Li Nianfan came back from his backyard while Xiao Bai carried the body of the leopard to the kitchen, ready to prepare their lunch.

Looking at the strange demeanor of the three cultivators, Li Nianfan could not help but ask, “What’s the matter?”

Bai Luoshuang, who was still holding the scroll in her hand, said awkwardly, “I’m sorry to have looked through your stuff.”

“Don’t be. This is just a simple sketch that I’ve discarded.” Li Nianfan smiled, seemingly unbothered.

With these words, Li Nianfan’s position had been infinitely elevated in the hearts of the trio.

A mere ‘simple sketch’ contained so much Sword Intent? How skilled was he? Could he be the legendary Immortal?

Qin Zhu looked at Li Nianfan in anticipation. He asked anxiously, “Mr. Li, please, forgive me for asking but could we keep this drawing of yours?”

Luo Hao and Bai Luoshuang simultaneously held their breaths. They clenched their fists nervously as if they were two students who were waiting for their results, anxiously waiting for Li Nianfan’s response.

Li Nianfan could not help but smile as he watched the anxious looks on their faces. He did not expect cultivators to appreciate the arts, too. He waved his hand and said, “Isn’t this just a draft? Take it!”

“Thank you, Mr. Li!” the trio exclaimed excitedly as they jumped up in unison.

They had to bring this drawing back to the Sect. They knew how important this was and dared not to waste another second.

Bai Luoshuang bowed at Li Nianfan and said, “Mr. Li, thank you for the drawing. We have to return to our Sect right away. Please, forgive us.”

“Why the rush? You’re not staying for lunch?”

“Mr. Li, it’s an urgent matter. We’d like to host Mr. Li next time to show our apology,” Bai Luoshuang said.

Li Nianfan nodded. “Alright, then. See you next time.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Li!”

The trio kept the drawing carefully before rushing down the mountain. Watching their silhouettes disappearing, Li Nianfan shook his head. The leopard feast was almost ready, yet, the trio had no such luck to taste the feast tonight.

…

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain…

Two beautiful women were climbing up the mountain. They walked through the forest like two beautiful elves. One of them was Luo Shiyu, and the one accompanying her was a woman in a violet dress with a particularly thin waist. Her green silky hair was combed into an elegant bun, adorned with a hairpin made from seven-treasure coral. She exuded an air of elegance and prestige, looking like a noble queen.

Compared to Luo Shiyu, this woman was like a ripened peach, dripping in juices. Throughout their journey to the mountain, the woman listened to Luo Shiyu as she spoke enthusiastically. She finally asked, “Shiyu, are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”

Mysterious Spiritual Robot, watermelon with Insights, and a hidden expert? This sounded more like a dream than a reality!

Luo Shiyu pulled on the woman’s arm, “Mum, I’m sure it wasn’t a dream! Look at me. I even had a breakthrough! How’s this made up?”

The woman remained suspicious. “If what you say is true, this person is indeed a hidden expert.”

“Mum, hurry up! I promise you, you’ll be impressed!” Luo Shiyu said excitedly.

The woman let out a small sigh. She knew what her daughter was thinking. She had been trying to rid herself of her arranged marriage. Now that she saw an opportunity, she could not easily let go of it.

Of course, as the mother of Luo Shiyu, she would not want to see her daughter being trapped in an unhappy marriage. However, when one was born into a political dynasty, one had very little freedom. She genuinely hoped that this hidden expert could help her daughter out.