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*GWENT is a strategy card game derived from the card game of the same name featured in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher novels.
Tick tick tick---
Outside the window, the light rain drizzled steadily on the house eaves.
The little parrot stood on the windowsill, looking confusedly into the distance with its wise eyes as if worrying about how to fly back to its owner.
Ye Anping looked at it and massaged his temples, still thinking about the issues between his sister and Si Xuanji.
As things stood, Si Xuanji could show up at the door at any moment.
This was something neither he nor his sister could possibly avoid.
Once they came into contact with Si Xuanji, the probability of hijacking the 'protagonist' position from Feng Yu Die's hands was very high.
But he could also think about it in a different way.
Si Xuanji herself was a legendary character. In the mid-game, there was a card mini-game similar to Gwent*. The "Si Xuanji" in it was an ultra-rare golden card.
It could be said that meeting Si Xuanji meant a great opportunity for Feng Yu Die.
This opportunity was no worse than finding the "Black Moon Routine".
Moreover, unlike those magical weapons and techniques, this opportunity could be exploited repeatedly.
Then, wasn't meeting Si Xuanji equivalent to grabbing a great opportunity for him and his sister?
As for what this great opportunity would bring, Ye Anping couldn't imagine, but he was sure that it would definitely be of great help to him and his sister.
"It's raining! It's raining! Can't go back! Can't go back!!!"
The parrot squawked, then hopped down from the windowsill onto Ye Anping's belly, staring at him as if asking him to help it return to its master.
Ye Anping gently touched the parrot's crest and said, "Who told you to run away? Your master must be worried."
"You are so polite!! You are so polite!!"
The parrot rubbed against his fingers as if expressing joy, although his words and tone still sounded like cursing.
Ye Anping sighed. "What a fine little fellow."
"Thank you for the compliment!! Thank you for the compliment!!"
"..."
"Congratulations on your fortune!! Congratulations on your fortune!!"
"..."
Ye Anping took a long breath, and with nothing else to do, he took some unused leftover ointment from the table, kneaded it into small balls using his spiritual energy, brought it to the parrot's beak, and fed it.
At noon, Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo came to deliver another meal, but before they entered the room, the parrot flew out the window. It seemed that Si Xuanji didn't want Xiao Yunluo to know that she was watching them, so she called the parrot back.
It was not known if Si Xuanji did it on purpose or if it was because he fed the parrot, but as soon as Pei Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo left, it flew back and brought back a dozen spirit stones as "pet raising expenses".
Ye Anping had no choice now but to support the bird since it had already paid the raising pet fee.
Fortunately, it was just a parrot. It didn't stink, and it was easy to care for.
But then again.
Since Si Xuanji was willing to let him raise this parrot, it probably meant she liked him.
But why?
Maybe she thought he was handsome?
Ye Anping thought it was possible.
...
At sunset, Xiao Yunluo arrived at the Sutra Pavilion.
It was a giant pavilion hundreds of stories high, standing like a golden hoop on top of the northernmost mountain of the Black Star Sect. It was also the most heavily guarded place in the sect. Even she, the Young Lady when she came here, couldn't just show her face and enter. She had to present her ID tablet and register.
Previously, when she heard Pei Lianxue talking about those cultivation methods, such as ingesting poison and being beaten black and blue... The more she listened, the more frightened she was, but she also wanted to give it a try.
However, Pei Lianxue only talked about it in general terms and said that her cultivation method was taught to her by her brother.
Thus, Xiao Yunluo had originally wanted to ask Ye Anping about this specific cultivation method and try it out, but Lianxue was way too protective of her brother, so she couldn't find the opportunity to ask anything at that time.
And that was why she came to the Sutra Pavilion to find Mr. Qi and ask him about those cultivation methods.
After registering at the entrance, Xiao Yunluo stepped on the flying sword and flew to a separate room on the top floor of the Sutra Pavilion.
Knock, knock---
"Mr. Qi, I am Xiao Yunluo."
"Please come in."
Entering the room, the sweet smell of ink hit her in the face instantly.
Mr. Qi was writing something with an ink pen.
Xiao Yunluo did not dare to disturb him, so she had to stand aside and wait. Only when Mr. Qi put down the pen did she say, "Mr. Qi, I want to ask you about some matters regarding cultivation."
"About cultivation?" Mr. Qi gave a slight start and looked up at her, saying, "What about it?"
"I heard that... there is a method of cultivation that involves... being beaten all the time, taking poison, and so on... Is it true?"
"Being beaten and taking poison?"
Mr. Qi was baffled by her question, but he suddenly remembered that lately, she seemed to be very close to that girl, Pei Lianxue, and understood what she wanted to ask.
"There was indeed such a method of cultivation. It was used by cultivators thousands of years ago but was later gradually abandoned."
"Then, can I..."
"You can't."
"Why?" Xiao Yunluo raised her eyebrows and asked hurriedly, "Mr. Qi, if you are worried that I won't be able to resist, you can rest assured..."
Qi Baishi shook his head and interrupted her. "Leaving aside whether you can resist, that kind of cultivation method requires a one-to-one master and disciple relationship."
"What do you mean?"
"The master must know everything about the disciple, even better than the disciple himself. The meridians, the constitution, everything must be very clear. Otherwise, it will easily lead to the meridians' destruction and turn the disciple into a useless person."
"Then, could I find someone..."
"Currently, in the Black Star Sect, the only one who knows the way of ascetic cultivation is the sect leader, but..."
Mr. Qi did not say the second part of the sentence: How could the Matriarch have the heart to let her only daughter undergo such harsh training?
Hearing these words, Xiao Yunluo suddenly stopped talking.
She was quite afraid of her mother, and now there was also the matter of losing the sword...
"Mr. Qi, don't you know about it?"
"Well, I know, but I haven't taught anyone in this way, and I can't try it on you, Young Lady." Mr. Qi shrugged and said, "Also, that Pei girl is a very unusual person. Previously, Elder Wang said that it was the Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect who made her practice hard together with the Young Master, but somehow, I don't think that is the case. If you have time, you can get to know that Young Master Ye."
"..."
Mr. Qi stroked his beard and said, "Although I have never met that boy, Elder Wang has always praised him a lot."
"...praised him?"
"Of course he praised him since he gave him hundreds of spirit stones for free." Mr. Qi gave a hearty laugh and said, "This boy is young, but he's not like a child at all. It wouldn't hurt for you to befriend him."
"Alright... I understand."
Xiao Yunluo cupped her hands and left the Sutra Pavilion.