By the time Jun Mubai had composed himself and stepped out of the room, it was already the second watch of the night.
Meanwhile, Lin Xi, who was sitting alone in the courtyard looking at the stars, suddenly had an untimely thought pop into her head: tonight's meal had practically been a treat for nothing, and she had completely missed her chance at that room. What a total loss!
After nightfall, a cool breeze drifted gently across her face, gradually calming Lin Xi's mind.
She thought to herself that the early summer starry night was truly beautiful, with the stars shining with exceptional brilliance. She wondered what the night sky of the Cultivation World looked like above.
Lin Xi guessed that since it was the Cultivation World, there ought to be true immortals dwelling up there in the firmament. If so, could the deities actually hear the prayers of ordinary mortals like them?
"Sister." A childish, tender voice interrupted Lin Xi's wild musings; Jun Mubai had entered the courtyard at some unknown point.
"Little Mubai, the deceased are gone, don't be too heartbroken." Feeling that she wasn't very good at comforting people, Lin Xi simply reached out and gently stroked his little head.
Jun Mubai took a deep breath, as if pulling his emotions together. "Um, I know. Sister, could you lend me some spirit stones? I want to buy a nice coffin for Mother and hold her funeral."
"Good child, shall Sister go with you tomorrow? It's already very late now, so go get some sleep first. Oh, and remember to use this bottle of healing medicine before you go to bed, it works wonders." Lin Xi produced a bottle of healing salve and patted his bruised face again, her heart aching for him.
"Um, thank you, Sister. If you don't mind, Sister, you can sleep in my room, and I'll just make a bed on the floor." Lin Xi shook her head and refused him. "I am a cultivator, a place to sit in meditation is quite enough."
"Why is this child so sensible? It's simply heartbreaking," she couldn't help sighing to herself once more.
Before settling into meditation, Lin Xi had a lingering feeling that she had forgotten something. What was it? She racked her brains, but couldn't remember. (The immobilized delinquent youths: Father! Mother! Come save us!)
Dawn came quickly. When Lin Xi finished her meditation, little Mubai was already up. Perhaps because he had obediently used the medicine last night, the bruises on his face had mostly faded, revealing his original features.
"So this kid is actually this good-looking," Lin Xi praised inwardly. Because he had looked such a wretched sight last night, she hadn't even managed to see what he really looked like.
Looking at him closely today, he was truly exquisite—with a small, palm-sized face that was immensely delicate, red lips, white teeth, and a pair of dark, clear eyes as deep as limpid pools. He was an ultra-cute little cutie who inspired instant affection in anyone who saw him!
Lin Xi felt a strong urge right then to pinch his little cheek, but for the sake of maintaining her fairy-like image in his heart, she managed to hold back.
"Why did you get up so early? We'll likely be busy all day today, how can you have the energy to help Mother Jin with her funeral arrangements if you don't rest properly?" Lin Xi knew that under the circumstances, little Mubai naturally couldn't sleep well, but after all, he was only a seven-year-old child who had been beaten just yesterday, and she was genuinely afraid he wouldn't hold out.
Jun Mubai merely shook his head stubbornly, leaving nothing in Lin Xi's heart but tender pity.
Afterwards, the two of them busied themselves all morning and finally finished Mother Jin's funeral.
Lin Xi had originally wanted to make Mother Jin's funeral grander, but Jun Mubai insisted that keeping everything simple was best.
Young as he was, Jun Mubai was actually a person with extremely strong opinions of his own.
Once Mother Jin was safely buried, Lin Xi intended to find a kind, wealthy family to adopt Jun Mubai, while she herself would provide some spirit stones for his upbringing expenses so he could live in peace hereafter.
However, Jun Mubai refused.
"Sister, I want to cultivate too, and grow up to be as powerful as you." Jun Mubai looked at Lin Xi with bright eyes, saying with firm resolve.
That was true; in fact, if Jun Mubai had talent, entering a sect and becoming a cultivator would also be an excellent path for him.
Only, because he and Mother Jin had always lived in extreme poverty, no one had ever tested his spiritual root, let alone taught him how to draw *qi* into his body.
People at the very bottom of Tianqi City had simply no cultivation resources, and their spiritual roots were mostly impure, mixed roots, making most of them resemble ordinary mortals. Yet, across the Xianling Continent, it was like this everywhere.
(Supplementary note: Ordinary mortals without spiritual roots reside in the mortal realm, where there is no spiritual *qi*, and they normally cannot come into contact with cultivators. Occasionally, powerful masters from sects venture into the mortal realm to gain experience, and if they discover promising youths with spiritual roots, they will bring them back to the Cultivation World.)
"However, Sister is going to a very distant place right now and cannot take you along to cultivate just yet. Will you wait here for Sister to come back?" Lin Xi felt that since she had started this good deed, she ought to see it through to the end.
The light in little Mubai's eyes dimmed. "Sister, where are you going? Can't you take me with you?" His tone was unspeakably aggrieved.
"No, it's just that the journey involves crossing mountains and rivers, and there might even be dangers. You are still young, and Sister is afraid she won't be able to take good care of you. I'll come back to find you in about three months. Be a good boy on your own; I'll speak with your neighbor Auntie Wang so she can look after you for these three months, alright?" Lin Xi coaxed him, her tone carrying an indescribable gentleness.
"When the time comes, Sister will take you to cultivate at the Qingxu Sect, the number one sect on the Xianling Continent. I'm sure our little Mubai will quickly become a powerful cultivator!"
"Alright, then let's pinky-promise. You must come back to find me." "Mhm! Let's pinky-promise!" The two of them made their pact right there.