336: Chapter 336 Little Money-Grubber

As soon as her voice fell, she remembered the heavy money bag in her arms. Her eyes instantly lit up like they were filled with the stars in the sky. She hurriedly patted her bulging bodice, happily leaned in close to Chu Changsheng, and her voice was filled with excitement:

"Revered Master! We've struck it rich! This gold and silver, along with those glittering Spirit Stone pieces, will last us a long, long time!"

Chu Changsheng did not look at the treasures in her arms; instead, he turned and walked toward the carriage.

He extended his slender fingers and gently lifted the cloud-embroidered curtain. His gaze swept indifferently over the exquisite and luxurious furnishings inside the carriage—the soft couch covered in flowing cloud brocade, the table inlaid with southern pearls, and the scattered mutton-fat jade wine pot and hollowed-out jade pendant, all exuding the air of a spendthrift playboy.

Luo Xiaojiu curiously stood on her tiptoes and leaned in, her little head nearly poking inside the carriage, her eyes darting around: "Revered Master, are there any other treasures in the carriage? Is there some hidden Cultivate Secret Manual or powerful Magic Treasure?"

Chu Changsheng did not speak; he merely bent down and picked up a palm-sized black wooden box from a hidden compartment in the corner of the carriage.

The wooden box felt ice-cold to the touch, as if it had been carved from ten-thousand-year cold jade. The surface was engraved with some blurry, distorted patterns—neither quite talismans nor quite markings—exuding an indescribable, eerie aura.

The lid was tightly closed, yet a faint wisp of cold, sinister Qi seeped out from the cracks, lingering on his fingertips and causing an inexplicable sense of trepidation.

"What is this?" Luo Xiaojiu leaned in even closer, her little nose twitching slightly, but she could only smell a faint scent of rotten wood, so she couldn't help but peer in and ask.

Chu Changsheng did not answer. He merely brushed his fingertips over the patterns on the wooden box, his eyes deepening slightly. As that wisp of cold, sinister Qi touched his fingertips, it instantly dissipated without a trace.

He casually tucked the wooden box into his wide sleeve as if it were merely an insignificant, ordinary object. Only then did he turn to look at Luo Xiaojiu, his tone indifferent: "Let's go."

"Go?" Luo Xiaojiu blinked her large eyes, looking at Chu Changsheng in bewilderment. "Revered Master, where are we going?"

"Back to the city." Chu Changsheng was concise, his voice devoid of any ripples.

"Back to the city?"

Luo Xiaojiu looked as if she had heard something absurd, her eyes instantly widening until they were round, and she blurted out, "Revered Master, are you stupid?"

Before her voice had even faded, she received a not-too-light, not-too-heavy flick to her forehead.

"Ouch!" Luo Xiaojiu grimaced in pain and hurriedly covered her forehead. Her eyes instantly reddened, filling with aggrieved tears, and her voice carried a sob. "Revered Master, why did you hit me! I didn't say anything wrong!"

"You have no respect for your elders." Chu Changsheng withdrew his hand, his fingertips still retaining the soft warmth from touching her forehead. His tone remained indifferent, but there was no blame in his eyes; instead, they held a hint of imperceptible amusement. "Tell me, how am I stupid?"

Luo Xiaojiu rubbed her reddened forehead and muttered in a low voice, full of defiance: "We just 'persuaded' the Young Revered Master of the Black Jiao Gang to retreat and obtained so much wealth and a carriage. Logically, shouldn't we fly far away and lay low? Linyuan City is near the Black Jiao Gang's lair! Who would turn around and walk right into the tiger's mouth? If they bring reinforcements to settle the score, wouldn't we be walking right into a trap?"

Upon hearing this, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Chu Changsheng's mouth. He shook his head, his tone laced with mockery: "Lay low? Xiao Jiu, you really don't have much faith in your Revered Master's strength."

"Hey, Revered Master, this has nothing to do with faith!"

Luo Xiaojiu stomped her feet in anxiety, her little face full of seriousness, her cheeks puffed up. "Revered Master, one look and I can tell you've just come down from the mountain; you don't know the dangers of this world!"

As she spoke, she cleared her throat and assumed the air of a little adult, analyzing the situation with an old-fashioned tone, her little head nodding point by point: "The world is ruled by the strong, that's true! But the rules are often set by the strongest group, and the weak can only obey."

"Furthermore, those experts from big Sects, powerful factions, and wealthy clans are all incredibly protective of their own! You hit the young, the old immediately show up; you hit the old, and who knows, an even older one might pop out, or it might even lead to a whole nest of enemies, causing endless trouble!"

Luo Xiaojiu counted on her chubby fingers, adding with great seriousness, her tone filled with the weariness of an "experienced person": "There are only two of us. Two fists are no match for four hands, and even a hero can't withstand a crowd! If they bring out some mountain-protecting formation, a treasure of the gang, or invite some hermit monster who hasn't appeared in ages... by then, it'll be too late for us to cry!"

Listening to his Disciple's "earnest" advice, the smile at the corners of Chu Changsheng's mouth deepened, and even his eyes were tinged with warmth.

He did not interrupt, simply standing with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting for her to finish. His deep eyes were filled with indulgence and tenderness.

"...So," Luo Xiaojiu concluded, her little chin held high, wearing a smug look that said 'I'm so smart, hurry up and praise me,' and her little chest puffed out. "The safest method is to take the money, and before they can react, run away and find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters to live happily ever after! Back to the city? Isn't that stu... ahem, isn't that poorly thought out!"

She swallowed the word "stupid" just in time, glancing guiltily at Chu Changsheng's hand, her small hands subconsciously protecting her forehead.

"Hmm, your analysis is very logical." Chu Changsheng nodded, his tone carrying a hint of approval, as if he had truly been persuaded by her.

Luo Xiaojiu's eyes lit up, the grievance on her face instantly vanishing. She excitedly grabbed Chu Changsheng's sleeve and shook it vigorously, her voice rising: "Revered Master! You also think what I said makes sense, right? Then let's pack up and run away quickly!"

"Run away?" Chu Changsheng looked at his Disciple—who had just finished lecturing him on grand principles only to be impatient to run away—with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. He shook his head helplessly and gently flicked her forehead with his fingertip. "You girl! Then tell me, where are we going next?"

"Revered Master! I heard that the Prodigy Tournament is being held in the central part of the Eastern Region!"

Luo Xiaojiu's eyes were shockingly bright, as if they hid two little suns, and her voice carried a trembling excitement as she said enthusiastically, "Let's go join in the fun! On the way there, Revered Master, you can just teach me a move or two of immortal techniques. With my peerless Aptitude and your careful guidance, Disciple guarantees that within half a year, I will be invincible in the world! Hahaha!"

As she spoke, she became more and more smug and confident. She couldn't help but put her hands on her hips, puff out her little chest, and tilt her head back slightly. In this posture, she seemed to already be standing at the Peak of the Prodigy Tournament, accepting the admiration of thousands, looking incredibly majestic.

Watching his Disciple's smug and unbridled look, Chu Changsheng couldn't help but laugh, the amusement in his eyes almost overflowing.

He bent his finger, making a gesture as if to flick her forehead again.

Luo Xiaojiu let out an "Aiya," and hurriedly covered her forehead as she shrank back, her little body dodging quickly like a startled little squirrel. Her large, watery eyes darted around, filled with craftiness and expectation, looking at him imploringly, fearing he would really do it.

"Prodigy Tournament? Invincible in the world?" Chu Changsheng withdrew his hand, his tone leisurely and laced with mockery. "You girl, your tone is quite bold. Then tell your Revered Master, what is a Prodigy? What is invincible?"

"A Prodigy..." Luo Xiaojiu lowered her hands from her head, tilted her head, and thought seriously. Her little face was full of certainty, and her large eyes were sparkling. "Naturally, it's the most powerful and dazzling group among the younger generation! Like... like those legends who can break ten thousand laws with a single sword, or shake mountains and rivers with the wave of a hand! As for invincible... hmm..."

She scratched her head, her little face scrunching up, and she was momentarily speechless.

In her simple understanding, invincible probably meant being undefeated throughout the world, with no one able to beat her?

But saying this to her unfathomable Revered Master seemed a bit too childish, making her appear ignorant.

Chu Changsheng saw her tilting her head in deep thought, her little brows furrowed tightly, unable to come up with an answer for a long time. He did not press the issue; instead, he restrained his smile, his gaze becoming gentle and deep, like a cold pool filled with starlight, and asked softly: "Xiao Jiu, do you know what it means to Cultivate?"

Luo Xiaojiu was stunned by this sudden question from her Revered Master.

The excitement on her face instantly froze at the corners of her lips, and then a wave of scalding heat surged from the bottom of her heart to her cheeks, staining even her earlobes bright red.

Cultivate? Of course she wanted to! She dreamed of it!

Otherwise, why would she have pestered this seemingly indifferent yet unfathomable Senior in the marketplace, clinging to his sleeve, refusing to leave even when treated coldly or ignored, and shamelessly sticking to him?

"I want to! Of course I do!"

She nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, her head bobbing quickly, her hair ends swaying along with it. The light in her eyes was even more intense than when she had mentioned the Prodigy Tournament just now, shining as if it were about to ignite into a flame.

"Revered Master, are you finally willing to officially teach me? Do we need to test my Spiritual Root and Aptitude first? Or do we need to hold an apprenticeship ceremony? I heard that big Sects are very particular about accepting Disciples; they have to bathe and burn incense, and swear oaths to the Ancestral Master..."

The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Her little mouth chattered away like firecrackers going off. In her mind, she instantly imagined countless scenes from storybooks—the apprenticeship ceremony under red-lacquered halls, the resplendent Sect Disciple robes, and her own image treading on a sword above the clouds with her sleeves fluttering, all so clear it felt within reach.

Chu Changsheng watched her face flush with excitement, even the tip of her nose steaming with fine heat, yet in her eyes hid a trace of cautious nervousness. A faint warmth flickered in his gaze, and then he spoke calmly, throwing out a question that seemed to have nothing to do with Cultivate: "Xiao Jiu, you said just now that the world is dangerous, the strong are respected, and if you hit the young, the old come, causing endless trouble. Then, if you possessed power and became a 'stronger' in your own words, how would you act?"

"Me?" Luo Xiaojiu was stunned by the question, the smile on her face slowly fading. She scratched her burning cheek, furrowed her petite brows, and began to think earnestly.

This question seemed even harder than "what is a Prodigy, what is invincible."