Chapter 51: All Are Gifts Left for the Young Master

"Because of me?" Liu Ping was taken aback and continued to ask, "What does this have to do with me?"

Meng Shang then recounted the entire story in detail.

It turned out that about ten days after Liu Ping left, patches of wild grass began to appear sporadically in the flower fields of many Flower Immortals. At first, no one paid much attention, but soon the wild grass spread like wildfire, alarming the Celestial Court. A deity was dispatched to oversee the matter, and given the might of an immortal, it was thought this small issue would be easily resolved. Yet upon close investigation, they were stunned to discover that although the wild grass could be eradicated, the flowers would perish as well. No matter how great their power, they could not kill only the weeds and spare the flowers. Was it really necessary to trouble a Celestial Immortal over such a small matter?

They were left at a loss.

At this point, Meng Shang stepped forward with a solution: Liu Ping’s homemade pesticide.

That night, when Liu Ping was concocting his pesticide, Meng Shang had watched closely by his side, memorizing the recipe. She never expected this would earn her such merit.

The Queen Mother of the West praised her greatly, and in light of the mysterious disappearance of the Hundred Flowers Fairy at this critical moment, was so furious that she directly bestowed celestial peaches and pills upon Meng Shang, elevating her strength from the third stage Human Immortal to the threshold of Earth Immortal, and then appointed her as Deputy Envoy of the Hundred Flowers.

At first, a few people grumbled, but as days passed, Meng Shang became the undisputed first under the Hundred Flowers Fairy, and no one complained again. The hardships she endured, however, were beyond what outsiders could know.

After telling the story, Meng Shang smiled, "This position is demanding, but much more interesting than before. I truly have you to thank for it, sir."

Liu Ping, surprised that his simple homemade pesticide had led to such achievements, couldn’t help but sigh, "Fate truly works in mysterious ways."

"Indeed," Meng Shang replied, her expression suddenly turning serious. She continued, "After that incident, I felt something was amiss. The wild grass was simply too strange, so I sent people to investigate. Not long ago, the truth finally came to light."

Liu Ping was startled and, curious, asked, "What happened?"

"The rampant growth of that wild grass was caused by an immortal relic."

Meng Shang did not hide the news and revealed this critical information.

"An immortal relic? What kind?"

Meng Shang replied, "It appears to be a remnant of the ancient Celestial Court, left behind by a power that once held sway here. It was so deeply hidden that no one ever discovered it. Over time, the prohibitions weakened, and it finally surfaced. The wild grass spreading everywhere is its doing."

Liu Ping asked, "The ancient Celestial Court? Are there any records of the power that ruled here back then?"

Meng Shang nodded, "There are indeed records. The power was called Mount Evergreen, and the immortal in charge presided over flowers and grasses. It was a formidable force, with thirteen Earth Immortals and one Celestial Immortal among its ranks… Sigh, compared to now, the Palace of Hundred Flowers has only one Earth Immortal—the Hundred Flowers Fairy. The twelve Flower Goddesses and I are all just half a step into the Earth Immortal realm. It’s rather pitiful."

Liu Ping was surprised, "How could there be such a disparity?"

Meng Shang sighed, "In ancient times, spiritual energy was abundant, and fragments of the Dao of Heaven and seeds of fortune could be found. With a bit of luck, one could become an Earth Immortal with ease, and with some effort, even ascend to Celestial Immortal. Only Heavenly Immortal remained out of reach."

Liu Ping listened, full of emotion. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he asked, "I overheard something outside—are you planning to enter that immortal relic?"

Meng Shang nodded, "Yes. According to the records, the thirteen Earth Immortals and one Celestial Immortal of Mount Evergreen vanished without a trace during the great tribulation of heaven and earth in ancient times. They must have hidden in the relic, trying to outlast the calamity, but failed and disappeared without a sound. This means quite a few spiritual treasures and immortal artifacts must still lie within. Though many may have lost their power to time, there are certainly resources left to be claimed!"

Liu Ping asked with some concern, "Will it be dangerous?"

Meng Shang didn’t answer but smiled, "Are you worried about my safety, sir?"

Liu Ping nodded earnestly, "Of course I’m very worried."

She hadn’t expected Liu Ping to be so forthright and was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "Don’t worry, sir. Countless years have passed—even if there was danger, it has long since faded. Last time, the Yaoguang lineage found an immortal relic and reaped considerable rewards. If not for other immortals dividing the spoils, they would have gained even more."

Hearing this, Liu Ping understood Meng Shang’s resolve. With her current cultivation, she could not progress without external opportunities, and this immortal relic was the best chance to advance to Earth Immortal. It was also the opportunity for the Hundred Flowers lineage to rise again. How could she give up so easily?

He sighed lightly and said, "Let me go with you."

Meng Shang hesitated, "But… if there’s danger inside, your cultivation might not be enough to handle it."

Liu Ping couldn’t help but feel a bit stung. Wasn’t she saying he was weak? He put on a bitter face, "Must you be so blunt?"

Meng Shang blinked and whispered, "Sorry, sir…"

"It was just a joke," Liu Ping said. "This is only a projection of my soul. My true life-seed is in my original body. Even if something happens, if I perish here, it’s not fatal. It’ll just take some time and effort to recover."

As he spoke, he took Meng Shang’s hand again, feeling the softness of her fingers. His resolve grew firmer. "Besides, I believe I can help you. That’s no empty boast."

Meng Shang lowered her gaze, sweetness welling in her heart. She nodded shyly, "Of course you can help me… Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s go together to the immortal relic."

"That’s settled," Liu Ping smiled, then asked, "By the way, do you have any secret arts here? My primary cultivation is the Essence Treasure Record, so most of my skills are talismans and spells. I lack offensive techniques."

Meng Shang answered at once, "Of course I do. When I first became Deputy Envoy, I prepared a number of gifts for you. Come with me."

"Alright."

He did not let go of her hand; their fingers intertwined as they walked forward, the atmosphere tender and intoxicating.

Soon they arrived at a pavilion. Meng Shang opened a cabinet and took out an exquisite wooden box, setting it aside. "This is the gift I prepared for you, sir."

"What is it?" Liu Ping felt touched and, even more so, expectant. "Let’s open it."

Meng Shang nodded and opened the box. Inside were three small bottles, four or five scripture books, and a small bronze sword.

She took out the bottles and lined them up on the table. "This is Flowerdew Elixir. It won’t raise your cultivation instantly, but it’s great for nourishing the foundation. The Queen Mother gave it to me as an extra reward. I drank some, but it didn’t have much effect, so I thought it would benefit you more and kept it for you."

Hearing this, Liu Ping smiled knowingly. To have such a stunning beauty wholeheartedly thinking of him was truly delightful.

Meng Shang continued, "These are several sword manuals, the few available in the Palace of Hundred Flowers. The most famous is ‘Azure Willow Sword Art,’ and this one, ‘Triple Origin Sword Art,’ is also quite good."

"Lastly, this small bronze sword is called Azure Su Sword. It’s a treasure of the palace, though few know of it and it’s rarely used. So I quietly appropriated it and kept it for you."

She grinned mischievously, her expression practically demanding praise.

"You’ve been so thoughtful for my sake—you deserve commendation and high praise," Liu Ping said.

She gave a playful pout at his odd manner of complimenting, but was clearly pleased, blushing slightly. "It’s what I ought to do."

The Azure Su Sword was a magical weapon, highly spiritual and powerful. It could change size at will—small as a dagger, or as large as a ten-meter giant sword. Most importantly, it could be brought back home.

The sword manuals were extraordinary too. In the mortal world, they would drive countless sword cultivators mad with envy. If they saw Liu Ping picking and choosing among them now, they would be green with jealousy.

It wasn’t arrogance; the sword arts simply weren’t entirely suited to him. Still, he could study and adapt them.

Since the twelve Flower Goddesses had not arrived yet, there was a break in their duties. Instead of indulging in romance, Liu Ping began to practice the sword manuals.

He was eager to grow stronger. He was just a step away from becoming a Human Immortal. If he could make that leap before entering the immortal relic, he would be confident he would not hold anyone back.