Chapter 192: Three Veins of Pill Qi

Not beating children was no longer an option. That simple little fox was actually being lazy.

Being lazy was one thing, but she had tried to get away with it.

The stack of scriptures—the ones on top and bottom were newly copied, but the pages in the middle had old stains. Plain as day, she had dug out those copied before leaving the mountain and stuck them in the middle to cheat. Fang Cun got furious. He had to hit her on the hand hard—not just for laziness, but mainly because she was too stupid…

Before leaving the mountain, she had used Blue Luminous Ink to copy, but these days, he had given her Pine Stone Ink. Could they be the same?

She did not even use matching ink when slacking off—so beating her was necessary?

Snap!

After hitting her palm three times, Fang Cun said, “Think hard about how I found out!”

“Yes!”

The Little Fox Girl hung her ears low and her tail low too. She picked up the scriptures from the desk, ready to walk away with a heavy head.

Fang Cun said, “Come back!”

The Little Fox Girl turned around at once and stood stiffly straight.

“No need to be nervous; I only hit once a day at most!”

Fang Cun waved a hand and looked at her. “Back then, did your parents teach you any cultivation skills?”

The Little Fox Girl froze at the question. After a long pause, she shook her head slowly.

Monster creatures in the mountains often breathed in the essences of heaven, earth, sun, and moon. They gained smarts and shed their beast forms. Their cultivation mostly came from instinct. When their bloodlines got strong, skills woke up naturally. It was like an inborn urge deep in their blood. For example, if you raised a tiger and sheep together, even without teaching, the tiger would not grow like the sheep around it…

…Of course, it was possible that in this big world, there might be a few fools!

Beasts were this way, and monsters too, like the Demon Hound Fang Cun had slain earlier. His skills were not taught; he used pill qi to clear his mind, ate people, grew stronger bit by bit, and just… got them!

But the Demon Hound was not quite like a monster second-generation, such as Xiao Qingling.

Parents who were both monsters had started learning divine skills and human ways. When they taught their young, it was less beastly.

Some monster dens passed down for generations had already figured out cultivation tricks. They taught their kids like the grand human sects did!

So Fang Cun felt it was right to ask the Little Fox Girl if she had learned cultivation skills.

Seeing her shake her head, he mostly understood her situation.

This little thing was still young when her parents died. She likely did not have time to learn much.

Plus, her Green Fox Ridge was just a small monster den in a backwater place. It probably had no great legacy to begin with!

After a moment of thought, Fang Cun smiled and said, “So, do you want to cultivate?”

The Little Fox Girl’s eyes brightened a little. But then she peeked at the feathers duster by Fang Cun’s side and thought deeply.

If copying scriptures and writing got her beaten, what about if she started cultivating…

Fang Cun’s face darkened a bit.

The Little Fox Girl snapped to attention right away. She nodded and said, “I’m willing!”

Fang Cun asked, “Truly willing?”

The Little Fox Girl paused slightly, then nodded firmly, clenching her small fists tight.

“I’m training you to cultivate, but you look like I’m sending you to fight!” Fang Cun watched her and felt helpless inside. She did not seem like a keen learner…

She was a mountain monster, yet she acted like a salted fish from the sea!

Of course, this might be his own fault too!

The monster world was bloody and cruel, more direct than humans’. But this little fox girl was different. Born as the daughter of a monster leader, her small den had been bullied yet was enough to care for her. Later, tragedy struck, but before she truly felt the monster world’s darkness, her clever aunt sent her to him. Then Elder Fang and his lady spoiled her like crazy…

In the end, she became a little fox raised in a greenhouse.

How could this be bearable?

Fang Cun glanced at the feathers duster on the desk. He wondered if he should later teach her the world’s harshness.

“Come here first!”

After thinking for a bit, he sighed softly and pulled out a small box carved from white jade.

He opened it. Inside lay a pale pill, thumb-sized, with a fresh scent that filled his chest. When he moved Cultivation Power to his eyes, he could faintly see it glow with three layers of pill light.

This was the Nine Qi Nine Revolutions Great Dao Miraculous Pill!

The Demon Hound was slain, so this pill was naturally taken back.

But since it came from a dog’s belly, Fang Cun would never eat it himself.

Still, he knew it was a precious thing. When made, every herb inside was likely top-grade. Even in Qingjiang Prefecture or Shoushan Sect today—heck, even in a place like the Divine Palace—this pill was a rare find. The Demon Hound got rid of six pill lights, but the rest was plenty good!

In fact, the core part had the best power.

The Demon Hound only burned up the outer six veins; the three innermost ones stayed safe.

Fang Cun turned and saw the girl staring wide-eyed at it. He chuckled, “What do you think of this pill?”

The Little Fox Girl swallowed loudly and said, “It smells so nice…”

“…”

Fang Cun rubbed her head helplessly. “Go bring the cauldron from the pill chamber!”

The Little Fox Girl twitched her ears, baffled. But she obeyed and dashed to the pill chamber. Soon, she trotted back, lugging an Alchemy Cauldron taller than three of her. Fang Cun had bought it to look grand when repairing the pill room on Jade Mirror Peak. Only three to five hundred pounds, not too heavy. Being a monster second-generation, she handled it fine.

Fang Cun placed the box inside the cauldron. He looked at the Little Fox Girl. “From today, you will follow my breath-nurturing method. Just move your qi and blood. Each day, sit here one hour to practice near the cauldron, breathing in and out the pill qi it gives off!” The Little Fox Girl listened dumbly and nodded, “Oh.”

Fang Cun went on, “Daily handwriting is also needed. I got you stone rubbings to copy. From now on, spend at least three hours each day tracing them!” The Little Fox Girl froze entirely. After a long pause, she sighed quietly, sounding downcast. “Ying…” Like something had crushed her spirit!

“Right, first go and copy the missed scriptures thirty times more. Bring them to me!” Fang Cun held back a smile and sent her to write.

No idea why, but seeing the Little Fox Girl troubled gave him a warm little feeling inside…

He already had a plan for her cultivation. Step one: use the Nine Qi Nine Revolutions Great Dao Miraculous Pill to build her foundation. But he would not feed her the pill directly; that felt rough. If something went wrong, he could not fix it. Placed in the cauldron, breathing the pill qi daily would make her base solid and strong.

Early on, he would not teach her any specific cultivation skills. First, let her move her qi and blood.

When her qi and blood got strong enough, her fox talents would slowly wake up. Then, he could set her path later.

With the Little Fox Girl gone, Fang Cun turned to Xiao Qingliu.

The guy was eating, mouth all greasy, with a chicken claw stuck in his lips.

“It is not mealtime yet. Where did that chicken come from?” Fang Cun found it odd but brushed it off. He asked straight, “What is your cultivation level?” Xiao Qingliu blinked blankly. “I do not have one…” Fang Cun thought and shifted. “I meant—what did Master Qin teach you back then?” Xiao Qingliu once helped find an assassin but messed up; he brought Master Qin, who was stubborn. Master Qin taught him some skills—maybe liking his quick wit or how fast he pulled a knife to his neck. Xiao Qingliu kept calling him master, though Master Qin never agreed.

At Fang Cun’s words, Xiao Qingliu lit up. “Young Master, you finally want to learn! I will tell you, his skills are super useful: sneaking into doors, picking locks, eavesdropping at windows, crawling under girls’ beds, slipping through widows’ back doors…” “Stop!” Fang Cun cut in, frowning slight. Forget if those skills were good, he recalled another thing. “Master Qin said not to share them, right?” Xiao Qingliu paused. “He did, and I swore too. But telling Young Master is not sharing!” Fang Cun thought quietly and shook his head slow. “We must keep Master Qin’s rules; it respects him. I brought you here to ask: do you need any special help for your own cultivation path?” “But this is not cultivation stuff! What help would I need?” Xiao Qingliu spoke silly, then his eyes flashed. “Young Master, I am quite keen on Duskblade Sect skills…” Fang Cun smiled lightly. “You wish to learn sword flight?” “No!” Xiao Qingliu said. “I like their burrowing move!” Fang Cun stared, blank. “…Fine.” He felt a little headache for the first time.

With his grasp on the Formless Treasure Body Scripture, Fang Cun could see the secrets in most Qi Refiners’ cultivation ways.

But this closest one at his side—he could not figure it out!

No choice; he could teach Xiao Qingling, but Xiao Qingliu had to be raised wild.

Still, his plan just might work… Shoushan Sect had become a big name for slaying monsters. Step two: roll out some idols! Cultivation world idol training scheme?