Chapter 23: Giving a Green Tortoise as a Gift

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“In that case, Brother Lil Chu, this means there really is a powerhouse here. Can you introduce him to me?

“I want to become his disciple!”

Seeing Chu He nodding his head, Zhao Yuling blinked her large glossy eyes, her expression full of expectation.

“You’re still very young, so it will be very difficult to become the disciple of a powerhouse when you’re supposed to be carefree!”

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Chu He shook his head in amusement as he spoke.

“But I wanna become a super powerhouse! Ling’er isn’t afraid of any hardships!”

Zhao Yuling tilted her head and put her right index finger on her silky-smooth chin as she made the declaration with a serious expression.

“And why is that?” Chu He asked.

“Because if I become a powerhouse, I can protect Father and Mother, as well as protect the Xia clan from being bullied by the outside clans!”

The little girl declared loudly with a solemn expression on her face, indicating that she was serious.

“I never would have thought that you’d already have such a sense of responsibility at your young age!”

Chu He flashed a knowing smile.

He could not help himself from ruffling Zhao Yuling’s hair vigorously again.

The girl’s grandiose ambitions reminded him of Lin Xueling in the past, as well as an even more distant memory of himself, where he was wearing a red scarf and standing beneath a red flag. 3

“One hasn’t really lived life if they don’t have such grand ambitions at least once in their youth!”

Chu He could not help sighing to himself.

Before he realized it, he had reached a stage where he had seen all there was to see in this world. 2

Ever since activating his sage mode, he felt that everything had become insipid and underwhelming.

Life had indeed become somewhat dull.

Although he could bear it, he did not really feel anything either.

However, this kind of lifestyle was definitely making him too out-of-touch with the world.

Over time, certain problems might arise.

His heart was slightly moved.

“The powerhouse’s whereabouts are a secret. However, if you want to learn martial arts, I can teach you. If you’re good enough, I’ll consider introducing you to the powerhouse.”

After deliberating for a while, Chu He suddenly said those words to Zhao Yuling, a smile on his face.

He decided to add some spice back into his dull life. 1

It just so happened that he had recently made a breakthrough, and his cultivation was in its consolidation phase, so he had a lot of spare time anyway. 2

“Okay! Thank you, Brother Lil Chu, I’ll definitely work hard!”

Zhao Yuling’s eyes were sparkling.

“If you want to train with me in the future, how will you explain it to your parents?” Chu He asked.

“Don’t worry, Brother Lil Chu! I just have to tell Mother that you want to evaluate me, and after I pass the test, I can become the powerhouse’s disciple. They definitely won’t object to it!” Zhao Yuling answered, beaming.

This girl had a sharp mind and was very precocious.

Chu He nodded and did not object to Zhao Yuling using him as her shield.

Outsiders suspected him to be a disciple of the powerhouse.

He would not deny it, nor would he admit to it.

They can just assume what they want to assume!

This would also spare him some minor inconveniences.

For example, some people who did not know the depth of the matter were jealous of his handsomeness, and from time to time they would put on a show, wanting to come over and beat his handsome face up.

Although such a matter could not harm him, it still made him feel sick to the stomach after a period of time.

Ever since that day.

A fresh breath of youthfulness was added to the otherwise desolate book depository.

The sound of a child’s chattering, not unlike that of a lark, filled the place.

At first, it made Chu He-who favored peace and quiet-a little uncomfortable, but after a while, he got used to it and even started enjoying it.

It felt nice to have a little girl as his companion. 5

It happened to make up for the loneliness left behind following Lin Xueling’s departure.

Moreover, the little girl was able to endure more hardships than he had anticipated. 1

Her lofty goal to become a powerhouse was not just empty talk.

People who were willing to work hard for their goals were always likable!

Over time, Chu He began to take his coaching-which initially was just playing around-more and more seriously.

Time went by in a flash.

Winter passed and spring arrived.

In a blink of an eye, two years have gone by.

During these two years, after Chu He’s Fourth Turn breakthrough, his cultivation had completely consolidated, and his foundation was sturdy and solid.

He began to advance to a higher level.

Compared to the Third Turn, the cultivation speed of the Fourth Turn was much slower.

Of course, this did not faze him at all.

He was not anxious in the slightest.

He was an expert at slowly and steadily advancing his cultivation and development.

This was no problem at all.

He was someone who was really good at being alone!

The most important thing to note was that the higher one’s cultivation level was, the longer one’s life span would become.

Time had become the least of Chu He’s concerns!

The current him seriously felt that living up to a thousand years would not be a problem.

Decades, to him, felt like something that passed by like a breeze.

“Perhaps a tortoise’s life wouldn’t even outlast mine!”

Chu He could not help letting out a sigh.

The passage of time simply could not compare to the rate at which his cultivation was growing.

The longer he lived, the more exuberant his vitality was.

This was the true meaning of “the longer you live, the younger you get.”

In terms of his physicality, cultivating the Golden Nine Turns to his current stage already gave him some immortality tendencies.

“Tortoise? Do you like tortoises, Brother Lil Chu?!”

Zhao Yuling, who had been practicing her sword techniques at the side, pricked her ears up, and her eyes brightened.

“Focus on your practice!”

The corner of Chu He’s mouth twitched.

However, the next day…

“Brother Lil Chu, look what I’ve brought you!”

Early in the morning, Zhao Yuling burst into the book depository like a raging storm.

She held a large water tank in her hands and handed it to Chu He excitedly, as if offering a prized treasure. 1

He peered into the water tank, and at the sight of that thing with its four claws and a green shell on its back, Ch He was rendered speechless!

He was currently mulling over a question.

What did it mean when someone gave you a tortoise as a gift?

And a green one at that! 2

Was this supposed to be an insult? Or did it actually have some meaning behind it?

“Do you like it?!” Zhao Yuling asked with a bright smile.

Her body language was clearly indicating that she was waiting for a compliment.

She used to frequently give Chu He small gifts, but none of them had caught his interest.

The day before, when she had heard Chu He utter the word ‘tortoise’, she had set her heart on it, and after her practice was over, she spent the whole night searching for one.

Chu He took a good look at Zhao Yuling.

He was trying to make sure that the little girl just genuinely wanted to give him a gift, and had no other intentions behind her actions.

Alright, then!

He would accept the tortoise!

The gift was a little strange, but it was the thought that counted!

He had just casually uttered the word while reminiscing yesterday, and the little girl brought him something the next day.

She sure was a people person!

Chu He reached out a hand, and before the tortoise in the water could react, he clamped two of his fingers on either side of its neck and lifted it out.

In his boredom a while ago, he had thought of something.

He remembered hearing that a tortoise could live up to a thousand years, and a turtle could live up to ten thousand years. 4

However, it was just hearsay.

It seemed that no one had ever verified this.

On a whim, mostly due to his sheer boredom, he decided to test it out and satisfy his craving for knowledge.

To know whether a tortoise could really live up to a thousand years.

Chu He also wanted to see which of them would live longer-a tortoise or him. 1

To ensure a fair playing field, he would have to take good care of this tortoise.

In the future, while another person might be a cat person, he would be a tortoise person. 4