If it had been them in that situation, they really wouldn't have known what to do. The only thing they could think of would be to give the child a good beating.
But if he threw another fit after the beating, then what? What then?
It really took someone like this female cultivator, using other methods, to make it work.
The cultivators with children of their own were already pondering how to use similar rhetoric to fast-talk their own brats at home.
Having watched these two major scenes play out, Gu Ningyun truly admired this female cultivator from Tianxia Tower.
By the time everything was handled, she had not only pacified the passengers and preserved the reputation of Tianxia Tower,
But she had also suppressed the troublemaker Chen Yuan by listing a long string of his crimes, leading to his arrest by the patrol headquarters.
Even the brat rolling around on the ground had been smooth-talked into following his grandfather away obediently, no longer making a scene in front of the flying boat or affecting business.
With a few well-chosen words, she had settled everything both on and off the boat perfectly. Her social graces were truly impressive.
No wonder Tianxia Tower had sent her to Conghe City to handle the matter with Chen Yuan.
From the way the evidence had been presented layer by layer, Gu Ningyun could naturally tell that Tianxia Tower had come prepared this time.
Or rather, they were just waiting for Chen Yuan to run into them so they could thoroughly crush him in front of the public.
It was predictable that after this incident, Tianxia Tower's business in Conghe City, and even throughout Cangzhou, would only get better.
Recalling the scenes she had just witnessed, Gu Ningyun felt a deep sense of realization.
Although strength was paramount in the cultivation world, it couldn't always be about fighting and killing.
As long as there were people and cultivators, there would be emotions, systems, laws, and worldly wisdom.
While some problems could certainly be solved with strength, using a different approach might yield other pleasant surprises.
While she was inwardly admiring the female cultivator, she didn't know that the woman was also quite impressed with the five of them.
Looking at their bone age, the youngest was only nine, and the oldest was not even eleven.
Despite having to wait on the deck for so long because of these disturbances, they hadn't shown a hint of impatience. They were remarkably well-bred.
Judging by their auras, they were clearly five spirit cultivators, yet they didn't get angry even when called bald donkeys. This showed a free-spirited nature and a broad mind.
Ordinary trifles couldn't disturb their mental states at all.
To reach the high levels of Qi Refining at such a young age, their aptitude must be top-tier as well.
She wondered which sect had trained such disciples; she was truly envious.
How wonderful it would be if they were juniors of Tianxia Tower.
Thinking this, she felt a bit pained. That sect was far too careless with its disciples—how could such good children end up as five baldies?
She beckoned a subordinate over to watch the deck and solicit customers, then personally walked over to Gu Ningyun's group to lead them into the cabins.
According to the boarding order, their five cabins were located toward the front of the third floor.
After showing them to their spots, the female cultivator didn't leave immediately. Instead, she refunded each of them twenty low-grade spirit stones.
“The previous events made you all wait for a long time. This discount is a token of apology from Tianxia Tower. I hope it didn't affect your mood.”
Once they accepted the stones, the female cultivator nodded with a smile and left the third floor.
Before heading downstairs, she turned back to glance at them one last time. Her gaze was very strange, as if she were looking at pieces of top-grade jade that had been carved into pig heads.
The emotions in that look were so complex that even Gu Ningyun, who was usually good at observing people, couldn't quite decipher it.
She rubbed her smooth forehead, feeling a bit puzzled.
Wen Xuan didn't notice the woman's backward glance; she was busy fiddling with the spirit stones and remarked, “With such good business sense, no wonder Tianxia Tower has such a massive industry.”
At those words, Gu Ningyun's attention was drawn back from that look.
However, the title of Wen Xuan's book, 《The Overbearing Alchemy Cultivator Falls for Me》, inexplicably surfaced in her mind.
...
After that, no one else came to cause trouble in front of the flying boat.
At noon the next day, the flying boat set sail on schedule and left Conghe City.
Gu Ningyun and the others stayed in their cabins to meditate. Even when the flying boat stopped at various cities along the way, they didn't come out.
This continued until Wen Xuan finished refining the Hair Growth Salve and sent them a message.
Once the five of them gathered in her cabin, Wen Xuan gave a wave of her small hand, and four bottles of top-grade Hair Growth Salve appeared in everyone's hands.
Gu Ningyun and the others didn't stand on ceremony with her and began applying it on the spot.
Whenever any of the five refined something, they liked to share it with each other. They didn't keep score over such things.
Seeing that they didn't even ask a single question before smearing it on their foreheads, Wen Xuan couldn't help but want to laugh.
Her eyes crinkled as she explained the effects and usage instructions one by one. Then she waved them off. “Alright, that’s everything. You can keep applying it.”
Jiang Yao's hands were very quick; he was the first to finish.
After he was done, he didn't leave. He used a Cleaning Technique to wash his hands, then pulled several dishes from his storage bag and laid them out on the table in the cabin.
“We’ve been on this trial for so long. Let’s eat something good today and relax.”
“That sounds great.”
Wen Xuan clapped her hands and also started rummaging through her storage bag.
The four of them each put out a few dishes, and soon the table was packed tight.
These dishes were things they had cooked themselves during their spare time. The ingredients were mild and non-conflicting; they each had a unique flavor and provided a slight boost to cultivation after eating.
Since there were enough dishes on the table, Gu Ningyun thought for a moment and pulled out a palm-sized green jade jar and five white jade cups.
The flowering period of the Spirit-Heart Peach Tree only lasted three years. A few months before leaving the sect for the trial, Gu Ningyun had estimated that the blossoms were about to fade, so she had made a trip to Book Peak, found a wine recipe, and brewed several jars of Spirit-Heart Peach Blossom Wine.
When Gu Ningyun opened the jar, a sweet, clear fragrance of Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms wafted from the opening.
Jiang Yao's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. “What is this?”
Gu Ningyun took a white jade cup, filled it about eighty percent full, and handed it to him. “Why don't you try it and see?”
The wine in the white jade cup appeared as a clear, translucent pink against the pure white bottom of the cup.
Jiang Yao took the jade cup and gave Gu Ningyun a suspicious look.
Seeing her just holding the green jade jar and looking at him with a smile, her expression showing no flaws, he finally turned his gaze back to the cup.
He brought the cup to his lips, but just as he was about to drink, he turned to Wen Xuan uneasily. “Wen Xuan, if something happens to me in a moment, as a professional alchemy cultivator, you have to save me in time.”
Wen Xuan burst out laughing. “Just drink it. Would Ningyun really hurt you?”
“If she wanted to hurt you, you probably wouldn't even be able to find the culprit afterward,” Mu Chenze added in a low, sinister voice, leaning over Jiang Yao's shoulder.
A shiver of dread ran up his spine. Jiang Yao used his free left hand to shove Mu Chenze's face away. “Get away from me!”
The unique fragrance of the Spirit-Heart Peach blossoms filled the small cabin, causing the tension the five had carried throughout their trial to finally melt away.
Jiang Yao finally raised his hand and took a tentative sip.
Instantly, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but take another sip.
Gu Ningyun's white jade cup only held enough for two or three sips to begin with. With that, he had already finished it.
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