Cultivation starts with picking up attributes
Chapter 120: Ch-120: Planning Vacation

Chapter 120: Ch-120: Planning Vacation

The moon was full above Feilun Sect.

Its silvery light spilled over the central courtyard like liquid serenity, illuminating the curved rooftops, the glimmering mist, and the edges of spirit wards that hummed gently in the night.

Somewhere in the distance, firecrackers went off.

Tian Shen leaned against the old camphor tree beside the training pond, sipping quietly from a jade gourd filled with warmed spirit wine.

He had no idea who had set off the fireworks, but judging by the faint drunken cheering from the western courtyard, he didn’t have to guess long.

Feng Yin sat beside him, her shoulder brushing his. She wasn’t wearing her usual formal robes but instead a loose inner robe of twilight blue, sleeves rolled up, hair loosely tied back. She had a peach slice skewered on her brush.

Across from them, Little Mei lay sprawled across an entire silk blanket like a victorious bandit queen, paws up, belly full, five different pouches scattered around her. She had a spirit pearl in one paw and a half-eaten pastry in the other.

Drowsy floated slowly in the air above her, wearing a tiny custom-made crown that glowed faintly with Qi, courtesy of some discarded essence from the Secret Realm, apparently. She spun in lazy circles, tail trailing behind her like a comet.

"I can’t feel my tail," Little Mei murmured, eyes closed. "I’m full. Beyond full. I’m cosmically full."

"You ate eleven mooncakes," Feng Yin said, sipping her wine. "Then you drank half of Xu Wei’s experimental honeydew tonic. Frankly, it’s a miracle you’re still alive."

"I saw the void," Little Mei replied solemnly. "It tasted like black sesame."

Tian Shen chuckled softly, letting the warmth of the moment settle into his bones.

Feng Yin leaned closer.

"You ever think it’d be like this?"

"Us," Tian Shen said, eyes on the sky. "under the stars, post-secret-robbery?"

She smiled.

"More or less."

He paused.

"I thought we’d be hunted, maybe. Or at least interrogated. But instead—"

"—we’re celebrating with stolen pudding, enchanted jewelry, and spirit fireworks," she finished. "Cultivation life."

A comfortable silence fell.

...

Elsewhere, from a rooftop, Xu Wei’s voice echoed through the night.

"BEHOLD! THE PHANTOM PEACH FLAGON—CUP OF LEGEND!"

A glowing peach-shaped goblet soared into the sky, spinning with a halo of spiritual Qi before exploding into a musical chime and misting the area with fragrant juice.

Jun Lin groaned somewhere in the shadows.

"He enchanted his wine cup again."

Yi Fen’s annoyed voice followed.

"It’s the fifth one today. I’m logging this as spiritual artifact abuse."

Xu Wei’s voice came again.

"Don’t be jealous! It glows in seventeen colors and whispers excitement while I drink!"

...

Back in the courtyard, Feng Yin covered her mouth to hide her laughter, watching from a cctv like artifact.

"He’s going to break reality at this rate."

"I think reality already gave up on him," Tian Shen said, deadpan.

From her blanket, Little Mei wiggled a paw lazily.

"Can I get a cup that whispers poetry? Or insults my enemies?"

"You already insult your enemies."

Tian Shen murmured from overhead.

"Usually mid-battle. With puns."

"Those are combat enhancements."

Feng Yin reached for a flask and poured a little more wine into Tian Shen’s cup.

"So... what now?"

He looked at her.

"Now?"

She met his gaze, her voice quieter.

"We’ve fought off sect infiltrators, beaten demon remnants, survived a collapsing secret realm, looted a Treasure Vault, lied to the Sect Master, and made off with enough resources to start our own dynasty. So... what now?"

Tian Shen tilted his head, considering.

"We will train, i guess."

Feng Yin raised an eyebrow.

"That’s it?"

He smirked.

"What else? Wanna build a sky fortress, maybe? Or tame a sacred beast. Or—"

"—raise a flying fox army?"

Little Mei suggested helpfully.

"Absolutely not," Tian Shen said at once.

"Too late," said Little Mei. "Already in planning phase. First squad will be the Crimson Cuddlepaws."

"Cluck~."

Drowsy nodded solemnly.

Tian Shen sighed.

"I regret giving you both free time."

...

Xu Wei strolled past with two kitchen maids, each carrying trays piled high with food, desserts, and tiny glowing fireworks shaped like spirit beasts.

He waved cheerfully.

"Don’t wait up! I’m heading to Pavilion Three to test the Resonant Wine Pool. I’ve got talismans for soaking in synchronized spiritual vibration. It’s gonna be divine."

Yi Fen trailed behind him, clearly trying to confiscate his scrolls before he blew up something important.

"Xu Wei, if you destabilize Pavilion Three’s roof again, I swear I’ll inscribe a hex onto your pants."

"Too late!"

He called back.

"These are already hex-proofed!"

...

Back in Tian Shen’s little sweet home.

Feng Yin leaned closer and whispered.

"You know... we could go somewhere."

Tian Shen glanced at her.

"Where?"

She smiled coyly.

"Anywhere. We’ve got maps now. We have spirit ships, tokens, keys. A few weeks off duty."

"You’re proposing a vacation?"

She nodded.

"A long overdue one."

Tian Shen stared at her, then at the stars.

"...Can I bring my sword?"

Feng Yin sighed.

"Only if you let IT sleep."

"Deal."

Behind them, Little Mei suddenly sat up and pointed to the pond.

"The fish is glowing."

Tian Shen frowned.

"Which one?"

"The one with three eyes."

"...We don’t have a three-eyed—"

A massive fish leapt out of the pond, glowing with spiritual light and trailing glitter. It landed in the water with a crash, spraying everyone.

Little Mei blinked.

"I might have fed it a sliver of a pill from the Secret Realm."

Feng Yin wiped her face.

"What kind of pill?"

Little Mei hesitated.

"...Spiritual awareness?"

Drowsy floated higher, as if to say—

’The fish just tried to challenge me to a duel. And i Ain’t gonna lose.’

Tian Shen facepalmed.

"I’m banning you from Vault leftovers."

"Too late," Little Mei grinned. "I buried the rest under the peach tree."

A pause.

Feng Yin whispered.

"That explains why the tree’s bottom looked holed up..."

Across the Sect, the fireworks flared again.

From distant rooftops, other members of the Scout Division launched spirit birds into the sky—some for joy, some for mischief, and one, accidentally, into Yi Fen’s hair.

But for Tian Shen, sitting beside his most trusted companions, surrounded by laughter and danger and absolute chaos—

It was perfect.

Peaceful. Ridiculous. Genuine.

A rare kind of joy cultivators rarely got.

And he let himself feel it.

Just for tonight.

He took another sip of wine and tilted his head toward Feng Yin.

"Let’s go somewhere with no ancient seals, no collapsing realms, and no talking fish."

Feng Yin clinked her cup against his.

"Tomorrow."

She said.

Tian Shen smiled.

Tonight, the stars above Feilun glowed brighter than ever.

And the Scout Division—secretly wealthy, suspiciously quiet, and dangerously close to being mythologized—slept soundly.

Until tomorrow.

When the real trouble would no doubt begin again.

...

The next morning, just after dawn, three figures slipped out of the Feilun Sect’s eastern gate under the illusion of mundane errands.

Tian Shen wore a travel cloak and a wide-brimmed spirit-hat that made him look suspiciously like a wandering merchant.

Feng Yin walked beside him with a lacquered box tucked under her arm, hair tied in a relaxed braid.

Little Mei rode atop Tian Shen’s shoulders, her tails bundled into a travel wrap, wearing tiny goggles that made her look like a war-era pilot preparing for a raid.

Behind them, the Scout Division courtyard lay suspiciously quiet. Too quiet.

"I left Jun Lin in charge."

Tian Shen said.

Feng Yin raised an eyebrow.

"You trust him?"

"He’ll either run the team smoothly or declare himself Emperor of the Scout Division by noon."

"Both seem equally likely."

She admitted.

"And Xu Wei?"

"Busy. He’s been trying to enchant his new robe to play theme music when he walks."

They passed the last ward boundary. The mountain path opened before them, lined with early blooming plum trees. Birds chirped. Drowsy yawned audibly.

"Where to first?"

Feng Yin asked.

"There’s a floating hot spring in the Clouded Ember Village. Remote, quiet. Probably haunted, but warm."

"Sounds perfect."

They shared a look.

Then Little Mei pointed forward like a commander on a divine ship.

"To relaxation, snacks, and gossip-free horizons! Away!"

Drowsy flared her Qi and zipped ahead. Feng Yin chuckled and followed, skirts catching the wind.

Tian Shen lingered a moment, glancing back at the Sect behind him—at the quiet rooftops, the soft glow of protection arrays, and the distant thud of what sounded like Xu Wei’s fourth musical robe experiment failing spectacularly.

He smiled.

Then turned and walked into the mist.

...

Back in the Sect...

Jun Lin stood atop a training platform, arms folded, overlooking the Scout Division ranks.

Yi Fen was already drafting a formal inventory of every single item recovered from the Vault—minus the dozen things that mysteriously vanished "in transit."

Xu Wei strolled in with an absurd fan behind him, shaped like a lotus and radiating fire q

Qi. It glowed to the beat of his steps, accompanied by faint drumming.

"Reporting in!"

He declared.

"New robe enchantment test complete."

"It exploded," Yi Fen said flatly.

"Artfully."

Jun Lin rolled his eyes.

"We’re in charge now. No scandals, no Vault leaks, and absolutely no new sect legends starting with: ’You won’t believe what the Scout Division did this time.’ Understood?"

Xu Wei raised a hand.

"What if it’s funny?"

"Especially then," Jun Lin snapped.

Yi Fen muttered.

"They’re not even gone for a day and we’re already two incidents in."

Jun Lin sighed.

"Boss left us in the Sect. We don’t mess this up."

Xu Wei smirked.

"So... we mess it up a little?"

Jun Lin gave him a deadly stare.

"Fine, fine. Minimal chaos."

...

And so, as Tian Shen and his closest companions vanished into a rare reprieve—

The Scout Division remained behind.

Loyal.

Ridiculous.

And only mildly explosive.