Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 79 - First Team Building (2)

In the end, everyone from the Taiyan Sect went.

After all, leaving Meng Ying alone in the inn would make it seem like they were isolating her. Meng Ying was just like Gu Baiying in the Taiyan Sect, very particular about her food, clothing, and cultivation. She would not usually touch these mortal foods. Coming out tonight was considered giving them a lot of face.

Of course, it was all for Gu Baiying’s sake.

During the day in the country of Li’er, the sun was scorching and the clouds were steaming, so cultivators were reluctant to go out and hid in their rooms with ice blocks to cool down. At night, the sea breeze was cool and the moon was bright, so the beach became lively.

On each tree in the mangrove forest, there were palm-sized lanterns hanging. The lantern paper was indigo blue, and from a distance, it looked like a cascade of deep blue light. The moonlight spilled over the sand, the white sand was like snow, and in the distance, the tide surged, blending with the waves, connecting the night with the long sea.

There were many hawkers by the beach, some selling iced syrup like those at the gambling house entrance during the day, some selling fruits and vegetables, and some setting up cauldrons on small boats moored near the sea. Some people were fishing on the spot, and the fish they caught were roasted to a fragrant aroma. It was said that cultivators could also go on the boats to fish and cook themselves for fifty spirit stones an hour, which was similar to self-service in the wild.

If you didn’t want to do it yourself, there were many special snack stalls by the beach. Li’er was famous for its oysters and flower crabs, which didn’t need to be cooked complicatedly, just steamed and they were delicious. The sea breeze blew the fragrance into people’s noses, making them drool. Mimi walked to a stall selling grilled oysters and couldn’t move any further, rubbing against the stall owner’s leg coquettishly.

The stall owner looked down and looked around in confusion, “Whose pig ran out?”

Zanxing: “…”

She walked over and picked Mimi up, asking the others, “Why don’t we eat here?”

“Good!” Tian Fangfang looked at the distance, “I wonder how it tastes?”

“Don’t worry, fellow immortals,” the stall owner said cheerfully, “I’m not bragging, but the oysters and flower crabs in our Li’er country are simply the best. You will definitely regret it if you don’t try them. There are tables and chairs in front, please wait a moment.”

Since Gu Baiying was paying, there was no reason to save money. Tian Fangfang ordered with gusto, picking oysters, flower crabs, and some fish and shrimp. Not far from the stall, there were sheds set up, and after the secret realm trials were over, all the sheds on the beach would be dismantled. These were the busiest days of the year.

Zanxing and the others sat down at the tables and chairs, and a small plate of honeydew melons was served on the table. It looked just like a seafood restaurant.

This was a team building event, right? The first team building event was at a seafood restaurant, so how could there not be beer?

Zanxing suggested, “Is there anywhere nearby that sells alcohol? Why don’t we buy some and drink it?”

“Good!” Tian Fangfang was the first to agree, “I said I felt like something was missing. You’re still the one who knows, Junior Sister.”

“No,” Gu Baiying glared at Zanxing, “The sect has a rule that drinking alcohol while traveling is detrimental to business.”

“This isn’t okay either?” Zanxing said, “The sect really controls everything.”

“Of course,” Men Dong said, seeing the situation, “Our sect is a proper sect, and the sect rules are strict. Not only can’t we drink alcohol when we’re out, but we can’t gamble either. We can’t go to casinos like the Liuli and Chihua Sects.”

Zanxing asked with interest, “What else?”

Men Dong thought for a while and suddenly said, “Dual cultivation is also not allowed!”

As soon as he said this, everyone else fell silent. Zanxing laughed, “Junior Brother, you’re not fooling anyone. Your nose will grow long.”

“I’m not fooling you!” Men Dong looked at her seriously, “What I said is true.”

Zanxing didn’t take it seriously. If dual cultivation was really not allowed in the sect, where did Mu Cengxiao’s eight wives come from? Seeing that Zanxing still didn’t believe him, Men Dong got anxious and pulled on Gu Baiying’s sleeve, “If you don’t believe me, ask Senior Uncle, Senior Uncle, isn’t that right?”

Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying, and Gu Baiying cleared his throat and said, “That’s right, the sect rules do not allow dual cultivation. So, Yang Zanxing,” he stared at Zanxing, warning her in a meaningful way, “You should put all your thoughts into improving your cultivation, and don’t think about things you shouldn’t be thinking about!”

Zanxing: “?” How could she be thinking about things she shouldn’t think about? And what’s going on with Taiyan Sect? Dual cultivation was part of the personal life of the disciples, wasn’t this like saying ‘Say no to drugs and gambling’?

On the other side, Meng Ying gave Gu Baiying a thoughtful glance.

Before long, the grilled oysters were served on a silver platter, looking exceptionally tender and exuding a delicious aroma. Being young and with a voracious appetite, Men Dong immediately reached out with his chopsticks to grab one for his bowl. Suddenly, he remembered something and, sneaking a peek at Gu Baiying, solemnly said, “Raw oyster meat treats deficiency and dissipates heat after drinking, and softens the skin. Oyster shells dissolve phlegm, clear heat, remove dampness, relieve heart and spleen pain, and are beneficial for cultivation. We’re about to enter the secret realm, so everyone should eat more oysters to benefit their cultivation.”

The vendor serving the dish smiled upon hearing this and said, “Young Immortal, you’re truly knowledgeable. Indeed, these oysters paired with rock sugar syrup are also excellent. You can buy some rock sugar syrup from the small boat ahead, and it will taste even better.”

After the vendor left, Tian Fangfang urged everyone to eat the oysters while they were hot, without mentioning the rock sugar syrup. After all, the syrup was quite expensive, and no one wanted to spend their own spirit stones on it.

Yang Zanxing took a bite of the oyster, which had a special sauce that made it very fresh, with a slight sweetness unique to seafood. After eating two bites, she suddenly remembered something and took out an item from her chest, handing it to Gu Baiying. “By the way, Martial Uncle, this is yours.”

It was a small green bell, exquisite and translucent, appearing very delicate. Gu Baiying was taken aback and instinctively touched his waist, as if only now realizing he had lost something. Meanwhile, Men Dong, with his mouth full, mumbled, “Why is the Jie Xin Bell in your hand?”

“Jie Xin Bell?” Yang Zanxing was puzzled. “Today at the gambling house, Huang Fan from the Chihua Sect ambushed me. Martial Uncle dropped it when he saved me. I picked it up intending to return it to him but forgot.”

Seeing Gu Baiying take the green bell, she asked, “Is this really a bell? Why doesn’t it make any sound?”

She had even shaken it a bit after picking it up, but the bell made no sound at all.

“The Jie Xin Bell doesn’t usually make any sound,” Meng Ying answered her. “No one has ever heard the Jie Xin Bell ring.”

Tian Fangfang looked up. “Why is that?”

At that moment, Gu Baiying suddenly stood up, startling everyone. Seeing a hint of displeasure in his expression, Mu Cengxiao asked, “Martial Uncle, what’s wrong?”

“Aren’t we supposed to have iced syrup?” he said, standing up. “I’ll go get some.” With that, he left the table and walked towards the small boat on the beach.

“Is Martial Uncle a bit unhappy?” Tian Fangfang asked. “What’s wrong with him?”

Meng Ying sighed and didn’t speak.

Zanxing looked at her and asked, “Senior Sister, you just said that no one has ever heard the Jie Xin Bell ring. What does that mean? And what do you mean by ‘usually’? Does it mean that it rings at unusual times?”

“Of course it rings,” said Men Dong, wiping oil from his face while Tian Fangfang wiped his with a handkerchief. “It’s just that we can’t hear it.”

Meng Ying lowered her eyes and said, “The Jie Xin Bell was originally the bell of the Qinghua Fairy.”

The Qinghua Fairy of Taiyan Sect, as a personal disciple of Sage Yushan and a junior sister of Shaoyang Zhenren, was a great contributor to the victory in the battle between gods and demons 20 years ago. She was already full of legendary colors, not to mention that she was also a goddess with exquisite and unparalleled beauty.

Back when the Demon King had yet to wreak havoc on the world, the fame of the Qinghua Fairy spread throughout the cultivation world, thanks to her beauty and cultivation prowess. Everyone said that while Meng Ying was considered a once-in-a-millennium rare beauty in today’s cultivation world, she still couldn’t capture even a tenth of the Qinghua Fairy’s charm.

Such an outstanding woman naturally had countless suitors vying to become her Daoist companion. Back then, the eligible young talents from various sects in the cultivation world nearly wore out the threshold of the Taiyan Sect in their pursuit. However, the beauty had no interest in romance, focusing solely on her cultivation and aiming for early ascension.

Among the various sects, some overly confident disciples believed that the beauty’s indifference towards them was merely a pretense. One such disciple, repeatedly rejected, angrily gifted the Qinghua Fairy a green bell known as the Jie Xin Bell.

The Jie Xin Bell was a top-tier spiritual artifact. Once a contract was formed with it, the owner became its master. The bell usually made no sound, only ringing when its owner encountered someone they were genuinely interested in and felt their heart stir.

“What?” Yang Zanxing was stunned. “A heartthrob detector? That’s a bit too sophisticated.”

Meng Ying shook her head. “That fellow cultivator believed that the Qinghua Fairy couldn’t possibly be indifferent to him and wanted her to confront her true feelings in front of everyone. The result…”

Well, everyone knew the result — no luck.

However, after that incident, the Jie Xin Bell became a tool to test the fairy’s true feelings. Countless talented young men professed their love with passionate words, making solemn vows, but the Qinghua Fairy remained cold-faced, and the bell at her waist stayed silent.

Every attempt failed.

“The Jie Xin Bell only rings when one feels moved,” Mu Cengxiao said, puzzled. “So, the Qinghua Fairy’s bell should have rung when she faced the Seventh Martial Uncle’s father.”

“Possibly,” Meng Ying said softly. “But aside from the Qinghua Fairy herself, no one knows who the Seventh Martial Uncle’s father is. So, to this day, no one has ever heard the Jie Xin Bell ring.”

“Before the Qinghua Fairy disappeared, she left the Jie Xin Bell and erased the contract on it. It was likely meant for Seventh Martial Uncle. The sect master later gave the bell to him and had him form a new contract. If the Seventh Martial Uncle ever finds someone he loves, we might hear the bell ring at the moment his heart is moved,” Meng Ying explained.

Men Dong wiped his mouth. “Come on, my martial uncle is so exceptional that it would take a fairy to make him fall in love. I bet, just like with the Qinghua Fairy, we might never hear the sound of the Jie Xin Bell in our lifetimes.”