Chapter 140
The atmosphere in the harmonious Inner Hall changed.
The gazes of her parents and uncle focused on her at once.
The words Secluded Cultivation must have been quite unexpected, as everyone was just blinking his or her eyes.
Mother was the first to come to her senses.
“Secluded Cultivation… Cheong-A, you just returned home. And you are starting tomorrow, at that.”
Mother’s face was already full of worry.
Uncle also stopped tilting his liquor cup and chimed in.
“That kid didn’t rest for a moment at the Biun Sect either. Between the Martial Arts Competition and the Secret Realm, she caused a Stir wherever her feet touched.”
Father silently set down his teacup.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“Cheong-A.”
“Yes, father.”
“There is no need to be so impatient.”
It was a low but weighty voice.
“Cultivation fundamentally requires steadily solidifying the Dantian and Qi meridians through natural Qi Absorption. Only with such a solidified foundation can you harbor profound internal energy when you ascend to the Foundation Establishment stage in the future.”
Father had formed his Golden Core after solidifying the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment Stage to its absolute limits, and thanks to that, he possessed a momentum that surpassed any ordinary Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator even right after ascending to the Golden Core.
“Did you perhaps pick up a feeling of being chased while outside?”
His expression clearly showed his worry that she might suffer a mishap from chasing after cultivation realms urgently.
“It is not like that, father.”
At this, Baek-Cheong shook her head.
“I want to enter seclusion because I want to focus entirely on my Training. I saw and heard so much during this trip outside. I need time to calmly focus on my Training and organize everything one by one.”
As she revealed her reason with a firm demeanor, father’s complexion noticeably relaxed.
“I see. If you intend to solidify your foundation first, your father has nothing more to add.”
“Yes! I will steadily solidify my Dantian and Qi meridians just as father said.”
Only then did a sense of relief spread across the room.
Mother swept a hand over her chest, and uncle let out a small laugh.
“You, kid, are making the adults' hearts drop.”
Of course, Baek-Cheong had another ulterior motive.
Her words about wanting to focus on Training were sincere.
But she had another motive as well.
“I just want to stay stuck in the corner of my room now.”
The trip outside that spanned several months was enjoyable, but it was also exhausting.
Everywhere she went was a banquet, and everyone she met required pleasantries.
Wandering through unfamiliar Guest Quarters and flawlessly maintaining the pretense of being modest was fine for a day or two, but she was slowly reaching her limit.
Now she wanted to hole up in the corner of her familiar room and roll around without running into anyone.
Therefore, there was no better excuse than Secluded Cultivation.
After all, there would be no one would call a Cultivator who had entered seclusion out to a banquet.
She would be completely liberated from banquets, receiving guests, and all sorts of external events.
She could take care of her Training at the same time and enjoy browsing the forum to her heart’s content in her spare time.
Coincidentally, the Righteous-Demonic Debate was still blazing fiercely in the Nameless Forum.
She just had to sit in seclusion and leisurely enjoy watching the fire.
If she got tired of Training, she would lurk, and if she got tired of lurking, she would train.
“This is what true seclusion is.”
Unaware that she was happily calculating things in her head, each of her Family members looked at her proudly.
Uncle lifted his liquor cup and marveled.
“Elder brother, she requested seclusion on her own at that age. Is her Dao heart not truly upright?”
“Indeed it is. It is a commendable thing.”
Mother also withdrew her worries and reached out to stroke her head.
“Our Cheong-Yi has grown up.”
Suddenly having become a Cultivator with an upright Dao heart, Baek-Cheong smiled innocently.
Soon, as if he had finished his calculations, father nodded and spoke.
“Since you have made up your mind, I should build the Eastern Region for Cheong-Yi.”
“An Eastern Region?”
Baek-Cheong’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.
An Eastern Region was a Residence where a Cultivator devoted themselves solely to Training.
Even if it seemed like nothing special, it had a Spiritual Vein for personal use, so it could not be compared to a Training Room.
To think he would build such a Residence with just a single word.
But her surprise was brief as something suddenly came to mind.
“Father, can it be built on a mountain high enough to be covered in clouds, by any chance?”
“Not somewhere close to your Abode?”
Father asked back, seemingly puzzled.
Mother also widened her eyes as if it was unexpected.
It was understandable, as they naturally expected her to want a cozy Eastern Region next to her Abode, but she was suddenly looking for a high Mountain Peak.
At this, Baek-Cheong feigned ignorance and answered.
“Maybe it’s because I went to the Biun Sect, but I found that having clouds around is quite atmospheric and nice.”
“Our Cheong-Yi has already awakened to elegance.”
Uncle found it amusing and smiled while holding his liquor cup.
Of course, her talk about atmosphere was nothing more than an excuse.
Her true intention was the Cloud Spirit Pearl quietly sleeping inside her Storage Platform.
The Cloud Spirit Pearl was a spiritual pearl that grew by devouring clouds.
She had fed it to her heart’s content in the Cloud Sea Secret Realm where clouds were everywhere, but she had been starving it ever since leaving the Secret Realm.
Since it was a genuine fortuitous encounter that had rolled in after a long time, she intended to raise it by feeding it clouds for a long time to come.
If it was a high mountain where clouds gathered, she could feed the Cloud Spirit Pearl even while stuck in her Eastern Region Training.
It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
But it was a secret she couldn’t tell anyone.
A spiritual pearl wasn’t some pebble rolling around on the street.
It would be difficult to answer the immediate question of where she got it.
“My unspeakable circumstances keep increasing.”
Fortunately, father did not pry into the reason.
“Hmm, there is no reason it cannot be done.”
After calculating for a moment, father nodded.
“There is a Peak with a fairly high mountain terrain not far from the Family Head’s Hall. We can call a Rogue Cultivator skilled in the Vein Shifting Art to transplant a Spiritual Vein and build the Eastern Region on top of it.”
Baek-Cheong inwardly clicked her tongue in amazement.
A Spiritual Vein was an underground stem where the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth flowed.
To transplant an entire Spiritual Vein to a single Peak and lay it down for her - calling it an Eastern Region was an understatement; it was at a level that would make any decent Minor Sect’s Training Sacred Ground envious.
“Being privileged is the best after all.”
“However, it will take quite some time for the Spiritual Vein to take root in the new land. Do not be impatient during that time, and relieve your travel fatigue first.”
“Yes!”
It was a refreshing answer that overshadowed her previous eagerness to enter seclusion scheduled to start tomorrow.
After all, she just had to roll around in her Abode until the Eastern Region was built.
Mother also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the mention that the Eastern Region’s location was next to the Family Head’s Hall.
“Ah, and.”
Father continued as if he suddenly remembered something.
“Yak-seon ended his long seclusion a while ago. He and grandfather have been looking for you all this time, so stop by the Supreme Clan Head’s Hall tomorrow morning to pay your respects.”
“Yes, understood.”
Baek-Cheong unconsciously nodded.
But for some reason, there was a nagging feeling in her small chest.
“What is it?”
It was only natural for grandfather Yak-seon, who had ended his seclusion, to look for her.
Since she was seeing him after a long time, she should only be glad, but for some reason, a corner of her heart felt uneasy.
‘It’s probably nothing.’
Baek-Cheong brushed it off as no big deal.
Afterward, the rest of their catching up continued lightly, and when the table was cleared, she exchanged greetings with her Family and returned to her Abode for the first time in a while.
When she opened the door, the exact same room from the day she left welcomed her.
Even while it was empty, the Maidservants must have swept and wiped it every day, as it was neat without a single speck of dust.
She only took off her outer garment and immediately flopped onto the bed.
“Ahhh…”
As she buried herself in the fluffy blanket, a groaning sound leaked out naturally.
No matter how good the bed in the Guest Quarters was, it could never compare to her own bed.
After she rolled around a couple of times while hugging the rolled-up blanket, the fact that she had returned home seeped into her entire body anew.
It was cozy, languid, and peaceful beyond measure.
It was only a moment before her eyelids grew heavy.
Baek-Cheong savored the rare leisure and slowly drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The next morning.
Baek-Cheong finished grooming herself early and headed to the Supreme Clan Head’s Hall.
Because it was an early hour, the area around the Supreme Clan Head’s Hall was quiet enough that only the occasional chirping of birds could be heard.
Upon entering the Pavilion, she could see grandfather sitting in the Seat of Honor and Yak-seon tilting a teacup beside him.
Yak-seon, who had ended his long seclusion, looked even more hale and hearty than before.
Glad to see them, she approached with large strides.
“Grandfather! Grandfather Yak-seon! Cheong-Yi pays her respects!”
As she bowed her waist to greet them, grandfather burst into joyful laughter.
“Our Cheong-Yi is here.”
Yak-seon also set down his teacup and smiled benevolently.
“Yes. You worked hard traveling such a long way.”
“Have you been well all this time, grandfather Yak-seon? I heard you ended your seclusion.”
“Yes, yes. Thanks to you, I finished it well.”
Yak-seon stroked his beard in satisfaction.
Then he brought it up as if in passing.
“By the way, Cheong-A.”
“Yes?”
“Did I hear that you sold This Old Man’s name again?”
Baek-Cheong’s smiling face froze right then and there.
Her mind went completely blank before spinning dizzily.
“Name. What name…”
Something surfaced from the far reaches of her memory.
The Pavilion/Arbor at the Biun Sect’s Cheongunru Pavilion, the wealthy patrons, and the Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pills stacked dozens of bottles were present.
The memory of selling them off excitedly while making up the excuse that they were pills personally crafted by Yak-seon flashed by.
“Oops.”
Because it was a trip where such massive events had erupted one after another, she had completely forgotten about it.
Above all, to her, it was nothing more than a trivial business of offloading a few bottles of pills.
The identity of the inexplicably nagging feeling from last night was finally pinpointed.
Baek-Cheong gulped down dry saliva and cautiously gauged the room.