Chapter 283 - 270: Questions

Chapter 283: Chapter 270: Questions

’Anyway, all she wants is to know some things about the world outside the Sun Family. That shouldn’t be too difficult to handle.’

’It’s not worth causing a bigger incident.’

Besides, even if this little girl dared to turn on him, Jiang Xu wasn’t afraid.

His methods were not something she could possibly fathom.

With Jiang Xu’s speed and Concealing Ability, he was fully capable of escaping Sun’s Immortal City the moment she turned hostile.

Then, the vast sea would be his to swim, the high heavens his to fly.

Even if countless Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators came after him, Jiang Xu wouldn’t be scared.

He could even teach her a harsh lesson before leaving.

...

After leaving Duo Bao Pavilion, Sun Zixuan led Jiang Xu to the front of a shop that sold Spiritual Food.

"I heard that people from the other side of the sea can’t eat ingredients from the ocean. They only eat some kind of ferocious monsters from the land. Is that true?"

"F-ferocious monsters?" Jiang Xu was stunned. ’What in the world is she talking about?’

"Since you said you’re from the other side of the sea, you must have never eaten the various rare aquatic products from our Youxian Sea. I’ll be your host today and let you have a taste!"

With that said, Sun Zixuan took the lead and walked right in, not at all worried that Jiang Xu might sneak away. It seemed she truly had nothing to fear.

Jiang Xu shrugged and followed her inside.

Coincidentally, he was also quite interested in food from the sea.

He had eaten a lot of seafood in his past life, but he hadn’t tried much in this one. Since he wasn’t the one spending Spirit Stones anyway, it was a good opportunity to see how seafood from the Cultivation World was different.

The shop was named "Sea Immortal."

It was situated in a corner of a bustling street.

Its exterior was quaint and elegant, with the three large seal-script characters for "Sea Immortal" on the sign shining brightly.

Sun Zixuan strode into the shop with her head held high, greeting the staff familiarly. She was clearly a regular customer.

Jiang Xu followed close behind, curiously sizing up his surroundings.

Sun Zixuan led Jiang Xu into a private room.

"Let’s get this straight first. Exactly what will it take for you to let me go? Don’t give me any nonsense about ’until you’re satisfied.’ How am I supposed to know when you’ll be satisfied? If you’re never satisfied, am I supposed to follow you around for the rest of my life?"

"Of course not. There are a few things I don’t understand. As long as you help me figure them out, I’ll let you go."

"Really? Then hurry up and ask."

Sun Zixuan chose her words carefully.

"What’s the difference between us, the Sun Clan, and outsiders?"

"We’re all human, driven by the same desires and subject to the same sufferings. There’s no real difference. But because everyone’s life and environment are different, each person ends up on a unique path. Your Sun Family is no exception."

Sun Zixuan’s elegant brows furrowed upon hearing this.

"If there’s no difference, then why does my clan ostracize outsiders so much?"

Jiang Xu rolled his eyes.

’How am I supposed to know?’

’She doesn’t ask her own clan’s elders, but instead asks an outsider like me.’

But despite his thoughts, to deal with Sun Zixuan, Jiang Xu had no choice but to come up with a few possibilities.

"Let’s work backward from the result. The outcome of your clan smearing outsiders is that you all become extremely hostile toward them. What does this outcome lead to?"

"It makes it so you can’t easily communicate with outsiders. Whether male or female, if you want to have children, you can only choose a Daoist partner from within your own clan."

"This way, you can ensure a continuous supply of new generation Cultivators within the clan, preventing it from declining or even being taken over by outsiders."

Actually, Jiang Xu felt there were probably other motives, but in his opinion, this reason alone was more than enough for the Sun Family to act this way.

"Impossible!"

Sun Zixuan retorted reflexively.

"Believe what you want. I just told you my theory; it’s up to you whether to believe it or not. But if you think about it carefully, you should be able to understand the situation."

"Besides, you all hate outsiders, but can you name a single bad thing you’ve personally seen an outsider do?"

Sun Zixuan gradually calmed down, carefully pondering Jiang Xu’s words.

Just then, the restaurant’s servers, dressed in matching sea-green, wave-patterned uniforms, filed into the room. On the trays in their hands were a series of stunning Spiritual Food dishes.

One plate was "Frozen Jade Pool Clam," with translucent shells and plump, jade-like meat resting under a thin layer of ice, garnished with a few green petals made from Spirit Grass.

Next was a "Purple Jade Dragon Eye Fish." The entire fish had been cooked using a Secret Technique, its scales still shimmering with a deep purple luster. Its eyes were round and full, like two brilliant jewels, and it gave off an alluring aroma. It was said to be a rare species unique to the Youxian Sea, rich in Spiritual Qi and extremely nourishing.

There were also dishes like "Crystal Sea Anemone Jelly," "Nine-Turns Ice Soul Shrimp," and "Drunken Sand Crab," a series of Spiritual Foods meticulously prepared from sea Demon Beasts.

Looking at all the Spiritual Food before him, Jiang Xu couldn’t help but feel his appetite whet.

He had been drifting at sea for some time, only refining Spiritual Qi every day to sustain himself.

But the desire for good food is a natural human craving, and Jiang Xu was no exception.

Seeing Sun Zixuan lost in thought, Jiang Xu didn’t wait for her and started eating on his own.

Jiang Xu had been eating for a long while before Sun Zixuan finally spoke in a low voice:

"Perhaps what you said wasn’t baseless. Doing so is indeed beneficial to the clan, but it’s not fair to everyone."

Jiang Xu mumbled with his mouth full:

"Fairness? If you want to talk about fairness, you need the strength to back it up. If the Sun Family hadn’t done this, they might not be as prosperous as they are today."

"Alright then. Last question. Tell me about the other side of the sea."

Upon learning this was Sun Zixuan’s last question, Jiang Xu perked up as if a great weight had been lifted. He took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.

He knew that only by completely satisfying Sun Zixuan’s curiosity could he truly earn his chance to leave.

And so, Jiang Xu began to speak, his words flowing like a torrential river.

He started with the grievances and entanglements between the Profound Origin Sect and several neighboring Major Sects, exhaustively analyzing each Sect’s characteristics, power distribution, and intricate connections.

In his telling, he vividly depicted the personalities of each Sect’s Leader, the growth of their important disciples, and the inheritance of their various Secret Techniques.

Next, Jiang Xu described the subtle relationships among Cultivators, explaining why even those belonging to the same Cultivation Realm would kill one another over resources, conflicting ideologies, and other issues.

Not only that, but Jiang Xu also revealed an ongoing, unprecedentedly large war between the righteous and demonic paths, painting a vivid picture of the battlefield’s flashing blades, shadowy swords, and clashing Immortal Techniques.

Just like that, time quietly slipped by as Jiang Xu spoke.

Not until the moon and stars had shifted and the night had grown deep did Jiang Xu finally stop, his throat dry and a wave of exhaustion washing over him.

Sun Zixuan was still immersed in those legendary tales. Though she hadn’t fully processed them, the excitement and satisfaction in her eyes were clear to see. Evidently, Jiang Xu’s efforts had not been in vain.

"And then?" Sun Zixuan was still hungry for more.

"Isn’t that enough? I’ve told you all the exciting parts. The rest is just trivial stuff not worth mentioning."

Sun Zixuan let out a disappointed "ah" before suddenly and unexpectedly saying:

"Why don’t you take me to Dinghai State? As payment, I’ll give you a huge sum of Spirit Stones."

"PFFT—!"

Jiang Xu spat out the congee he had just drunk. If Sun Zixuan hadn’t reacted quickly, he would have sprayed it all over her.

"What are you doing? You could’ve just said no!" Sun Zixuan complained as she dodged to the side.

"I finally managed to escape from there, and now you want me to take you back? Are you dreaming?"

Jiang Xu couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He stood up and walked straight out of the private room, ignoring Sun Zixuan’s reaction.

She had said at the beginning that she would let him go as long as he answered her questions.

Even if she wanted to keep him there, Jiang Xu was done playing along.

’Worst case, I just won’t buy anything and run straight back to the ship.’

...

Sun Zixuan sat alone in the private room. The clamor from outside seemed to recede a thousand miles away, leaving only her pensive figure.

Her gaze was slightly dazed, but her thoughts drifted into the long river of history.

The exquisite Spiritual Food before her no longer held any appeal, instead stirring the deep-seated doubts and curiosities within her heart.