32. Silent

The courtyard fell into silence for a moment.

After a short while, Consort Qi spoke again, “Young Master Li, right now three experts who have reached the Origin Return stage are in the Sun residence, discussing how to distribute the Sun family’s resources. If nothing unexpected happens, there will likely be a martial tournament to determine the ranking. After that, the division will be based on the strength of each faction...”

As she spoke, her expression grew noticeably awkward, hesitant to continue.

Li Miao sensed there was more to her words, so he said, “If you need anything, just say so. Your uncle helped me greatly this time. If you have any requests, I won’t stand by idly.”

Consort Qi smiled brightly, joy lighting up her face. “Thank you, Young Master Li. It’s like this: our Lesser Yin Sect has fallen on hard times and we barely have any cultivation resources left—our survival depends entirely on the Emerald Pavilion. Now that we've encountered such a rare opportunity, we want to fight for a bit of glory in the tournament and win one month's mining rights to the spirit stone lode!”

“But I’ve only just entered the True Condensation stage, and relying solely on my uncle probably won’t be enough to hold our own, so…”

Li Miao nodded, “That’s no trouble. I’ll help you.”

A tournament was a fair one-on-one contest, playing perfectly to his strengths. With no interference, even if his opponent was at the late True Condensation stage, he was confident he could defeat them and secure a decent ranking.

Once this was settled, he’d have repaid Liu Xuanfeng’s favor and could leave this place without regrets.

Consort Qi had only mentioned her request on a whim, never expecting him to agree so readily, and was a little surprised.

Li Miao said, “Go find your uncle. He might have good news for you.”

He referred to the share of the Sun residence inheritance he had given Liu Xuanfeng.

For the declining Lesser Yin Sect, that was a fortune beyond imagining.

Consort Qi was puzzled, but with questions in her heart, she headed toward the room where Liu Xuanfeng was recuperating.

At that moment, Li Miao remembered something else and said to her, “He Tianxiang died on Mount Qianyuan. Did you know?”

Consort Qi paused, clearly shocked, her expression dimming. After a long moment, she murmured, “He... ah, what a pity.”

Li Miao had thought she might grieve, but she simply said it was a pity. Though there was sadness, it was of the ordinary sort, like hearing that a neighbor had died of illness—not personal, just a sorrowful sigh at the news.

It seemed her relationship with He Tianxiang was not as deep as he’d imagined.

Consort Qi said no more, and after her sigh, knocked and entered the room.

Liu Xuanfeng was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, absorbing the power of medicinal pills to heal his wounds. Hearing someone enter, he finished his practice and opened his eyes.

Li Miao glanced at him, seeing his complexion much improved, then left the two to their conversation and took Guo’er out of the courtyard.

“What would you like for lunch, Guo’er?” he asked.

Guo’er pursed her lips, unwilling to speak, and simply followed quietly behind him with her head down.

Li Miao began recommending places to eat.

“How about that little tavern on the next street?”

“……”

“Not keen? Maybe dumplings then?”

“……”

“Or the fish restaurant across the street?”

“……”

Guo’er kept silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Li Miao sighed in frustration, “Just tell me what you want to eat. No matter how far or expensive, I’ll take you.”

Guo’er bit her lip, stopped walking, tugged at his hand, and pointed to a small shop at the nearest street corner.

The shop was barely three meters square, small and shabby, with only two tables inside. The owner was a plump matron in her fifties, no staff to help, no customers—just her busying about.

Zhang’s Beef Noodles.

Li Miao looked up at the peeling signboard and nodded, “Alright, let’s eat here.”

He entered and sat at the left table, Guo’er following closely, sitting at his left.

“Auntie, two bowls of beef noodles, extra beef, extra noodles.”

“Alright! Please wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon.” The plump auntie was energetic, responding at once and bustling about, making soup, boiling noodles, and slicing meat in one seamless motion, as if she’d done it thousands of times.

While they waited, Guo’er sat in a daze, her eyes empty, staring out at the street, lost in thought.

Li Miao followed her gaze and saw crowds passing by—ordinary citizens and cultivators armed with swords and weapons, none lingering on the street, all in a hurry.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

---

People were busy because of the Sun residence, cultivators scrambling for resources, ordinary folk hoping to profit from the chaos—it was nothing unusual.

But it had nothing to do with Guo’er.

She did not reply, only turned her gaze to Li Miao, clenching her small fists tightly.

Her meaning was clear: she wanted to grow stronger, so she would no longer be bullied.

Li Miao understood her intent, but deliberately teased, “Your fists are so tight—are you angry with me? Want to hit me?”

Guo’er quickly shook her head, frowning slightly, then clenched both fists and pressed them to her chest, indicating her desire for strength.

Li Miao feigned sudden realization, pursed his lips, “Oh, I see—one hand isn’t enough to hit me, you need both.”

“Mm…”

Guo’er immediately saw through his act, glared at him with playful annoyance, and turned her head away, pouting.

“Your noodles are here~”

Just then, the plump auntie finished her work and brought over two large bowls, generously portioned.

The steaming broth carried the aroma of beef, a tempting delight for midday hunger.

Guo’er, after a morning of practice, was ravenous. She immediately picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

Li Miao watched as she slurped the smooth noodles and ate the beef slices with great appetite, feeling a touch of relief.

He didn’t need to force Guo’er to speak.

No matter how her mindset changed, at least she did not reject life; she ate, slept, and practiced diligently.

Silence was fine, as long as she remained optimistic and lively—one day, she would recover.

Lunch passed with the sound of slurping noodles from the big and small pair.

No other customers arrived, so the plump auntie sat idly nearby, watching them enjoy their meal.

Guo’er seemed to have grown taller these past days, almost like a ten-year-old now. Yet when the auntie saw her finish the large bowl of beef noodles, extra meat and noodles included, her face showed pure shock.

She’d thought the extra portion was for Li Miao, since he was tall and strong, and a big appetite would be normal.

But, surprisingly, Li Miao didn’t take a single noodle from Guo’er’s bowl—instead, he even gave her more beef slices.

When they finished and went to pay, the auntie finally snapped out of her amazement, looking oddly at Guo’er’s slightly rounded belly and muttering, “So little and eats so much—who’d dare marry her in the future…”

Her voice was soft, but in the quiet noodle shop, it was perfectly clear.

Guo’er’s cheeks reddened, and she shyly lowered her head.

Li Miao laughed, “Eating well means she’ll grow fast. She’s determined to be tall and strong like me.” He encouraged her, patting her small shoulder.

“Ah…” The auntie shook her head and sighed, “Then no one will dare want her.”

Li Miao burst out laughing, taking Guo’er by the hand and leading her out, saying casually, “No worries. If she really can’t marry, she still has me.”

The auntie stared, then sighed deeply, “Heavens, what a sinful world—how could there be such a beastly father…”

Li Miao acted as though he hadn’t heard, leading Guo’er away from the street corner.

Guo’er walked beside him, head down, cheeks flushed.

They didn’t return directly to Liu Xuanfeng’s residence, but instead headed toward the center of the small city, strolling and admiring the sights along the way.

Liu Xuanfeng and Consort Qi likely had much to discuss; he didn’t wish to disturb them.

Now that Dragon Ridge was in turmoil, and having promised Consort Qi, he should do his part and learn about the backgrounds of the various cultivators to avoid any unexpected mishaps.

They walked from the northern district to the south, crossing two main streets and hearing many rumors.

“The tournament starts in seven days, divided into two groups: under thirty and over thirty.”

“Origin Return experts won’t participate directly. Any faction with an Origin Return expert gets fifteen percent of the Sun residence inheritance, without having to compete.”

“The Fire Refining Hall’s Master Lu Yan has the highest cultivation, late True Condensation stage—likely to win first place and claim ten percent of the Sun family’s resources.”

“The Emerald Pavilion ladies have arrived too—not sure if they’re seeking dual cultivation partners or recruiting wanderers.”

Such news was everywhere.

These were no secrets; most cultivators already knew. After a while, Li Miao had a good grasp of the situation.

---

After about an hour of wandering, Li Miao thought to head back.

Just then, he passed a luxurious shop filled with exquisite ornaments and hairpins, dazzling to the eye.

Looking up, he saw the sign: “Treasure Pavilion.”

He recalled how Guo Yunyi had wanted to give Guo’er a bracelet, which Guo’er had refused. Inspired, he took the little girl inside.

Xu Yun was stunned.

“Sir, what did you say?”

A mid-grade spirit stone was worth ten times a low-grade one; twenty mid-grade stones equaled two hundred low-grade, which in total made twelve hundred—just enough for a Golden Scale Breaker.

But mid-grade stones were rare, and their real value exceeded their set price. Li Miao’s offer was perfectly reasonable, perhaps only slightly discounted.

Xu Yun hadn’t expected such generosity—a sum many Origin Return cultivators couldn’t muster.

She was frozen for a moment, then recovered and exclaimed with delight, “Honored guest, how magnanimous! Since you are so forthright, I’ll decide to sell you both items at your stated price.”

With that, he was upgraded from “sir” to “honored guest.”

Li Miao was always decisive; he immediately placed a pile of one thousand low-grade spirit stones and twenty mid-grade ones on the table.

“Please count them.”

Xu Yun looked at the heap of green stones and the small handful of crystal ones, her mouth watering. She counted while saying, “Honored guest, please wait while I remove the restriction and fetch your treasures.”

After counting, she was overjoyed. She cast two small spells, dispelling the protective array over the Golden Scale Breaker and the Flowing Heart, and carefully handed both items to Li Miao.

Li Miao stored the Golden Scale Breaker in Sun He’s jade ring, and directly placed the Flowing Heart necklace around Guo’er’s neck.

Guo’er was still small, and the Flowing Heart was made for adults, so it hung down to her belly.

The yellow jade necklace was not particularly ornate, but its luster and clarity made it far more attractive than ordinary jewelry.

Li Miao smiled gently, “Girl, this will protect you. Wear it well and don’t take it off. The jade ring is yours too—I’ll keep it for now, but when you start cultivating, you’ll be able to take out the gauntlets and other things yourself.”

Guo’er held the yellow jade pendant in her palm, her bright eyes meeting his, and nodded.

Xu Yun listened in a daze, forgetting to put away the spirit stones.

To spend so many spirit stones on treasures, only to give them to a ten-year-old child—how extravagant!

Even before the Sun family’s downfall, no one had been so lavish, not even the infamous scoundrel Sun Hong.

Li Miao ignored Xu Yun’s reaction and took Guo’er’s hand, leaving the inner hall.

Outside, the bustling market was unchanged, unaffected by his extravagant purchase.

The two left the Treasure Pavilion, preparing to return.

Just then, two others were about to enter, and they met on the steps at the entrance.

The newcomers were a middle-aged man in a crimson embroidered robe, with a beard and tiger-like eyes, exuding the powerful aura of late True Condensation stage.

The other was a girl about Guo’er’s age, just over ten, dressed in a luxurious flowered dress, her face showing a hint of petulant pride.

The girl pulled her father toward the Treasure Pavilion, whining, “I don’t care, Daddy, I want that necklace! If you don’t buy it for me, I’ll complain to Mom!”

The middle-aged man looked helpless but indulgent, replying, “Alright, alright, as long as Shuang’er likes it, Daddy will buy it for you.”

The girl beamed at her father’s promise.

But when her gaze fell on the Flowing Heart hanging from Guo’er’s neck, her expression immediately soured.

Her brows furrowed, and she pointed at Guo’er, shouting, “Stop! That’s my necklace!” She let go of her father’s hand and spread her arms to block Li Miao and Guo’er’s path.

With their way blocked, Li Miao had to stop.

The girl shouted, “You can’t take my things! It’s mine—give it back!” She rushed forward, trying to snatch the Flowing Heart from Guo’er.

Both the middle-aged man and Li Miao frowned.

Li Miao pulled Guo’er behind him and said to the man, “Friend, please keep your child under control.”

The girl, having missed her grab, grew even angrier, chasing after Guo’er behind Li Miao, her eyes fixed only on the necklace, as if nothing else existed.