After returning to her room, Sangmo rolled up her sleeves again to examine the consecrated restriction; the remaining knife wound had already begun to show some signs of rot.
She must kill her second aunt as soon as possible to avenge Su Jinyi's mother.
But with her current spiritual power, it was simply impossible.
She could only try to find Uncle Fan as soon as possible to heal her spiritual root.
It was only after wandering around the town that she found a dilapidated God of Food Temple on the outskirts.
The yard was overgrown with weeds about a foot high, and the sight filled Sangmo with a sense of sorrow.
She was originally a fairy crane from Yaochi, born black among all white crane chicks, ostracized by her kin, and nearly froze to death in winter.
It was the God of Agriculture, Ze Lin, and the God of Food, Fan Yao, who happened upon her and took pity, bringing her back to the God of Agriculture Hall.
Only then did she grow up safely.
If she could forsake her immortal form for Ze Lin, she naturally couldn't bear to see Fan Yao wronged.
Sangmo placed the incense and offerings she had bought on the altar and lit three sticks of incense in front of the spider-web-covered deity statue to offer her prayers.
"Uncle Fan, I'm here," she said.
As her words fell, the deity statue suddenly lit up, "You little rascal, you've been down there for so long without saying hello to your uncle, I've been worried sick."
Sangmo put all the offerings she bought on the table, "Here I am, aren't I?"
"I've found my master."
Fan Yao's deity statue lit up again, "That quickly? I thought it would take you three hundred years."
Sangmo used her hand to clear the spider webs off the statue, "Almost, I've made a mistake, but I can't say what it is."
Suddenly, a box appeared on the offering table, "As long as you are fine, that's good. I've traded for this elixir from Laojun. Now that you are a fallen immortal, reincarnation must come with hidden ailments."
After opening the box, Sangmo was momentarily surprised, "Nine-Turn Golden Elixir?! What did you trade for it?"
"Just eat it, why do you care about these things?" Fan Yao said, displeased.
This Nine-Turn Elixir was only suitable for an Emperor-level deity.
In her previous life, Fan Yao had only managed to procure a medium-grade Marrow-Cleansing Elixir to heal her spiritual root, but this time she had directly gotten a top-grade Nine-Turn Elixir.
"Tell me the truth, what did you trade for it?"
Fan Yao hemmed and hawed, "Just a bit of faith power."
"A bit?" Sangmo raised her voice, shouting incredulously, "Not all the faith power?"
"Just eat it! I'm in the Supreme Heavenly Court, and I'm certainly better off than you. Anyway, the trade's been made; it's too late for regrets," Fan Yao insisted.
Sangmo felt a pang, "If I eat this Nine-Turn Elixir, I'm afraid I could directly reach the cultivation level of an Earth Immortal."
"Anyway, you must focus on your cultivation. I don't know why, but I've been feeling extremely anxious."
Fan Yao's voice was tinged with worry, "The Mortal Realm is in such chaos now."
After eating the elixir, Sangmo sat cross-legged on the ground to meditate; hearing his words, her heart sank as well.
In her last life, she had caused a complete mess of everything.
Who knew what this life would bring?
After her meditation, Sangmo opened her eyes and Fan Yao continued, "Be careful about your safety. If you die in the Mortal Realm, your soul will have to go to the Netherworld, and just like your master, you won't know where you'll be reborn."
Sangmo nodded in deep agreement; she had gone through it all, thanks to the Emperor's intervention.
But now, it was time to take on the tasks the Emperor had allotted her.
Sangmo hired some help to renovate the God of Food Hall and hired a temple keeper before she headed towards the Su Family residence.
At dusk, as soon as Sangmo stepped through the front door, she was surrounded by several maids and family servants, "Miss, the master has invited you to dine in the floral hall this evening."
Sangmo knew old Master Su was not so kind-hearted, but now that she had the cultivation level of an Earth Immortal, she wasn't afraid of whatever tricks he might play.
Following the maids to the floral hall, she found that old Master Su and two other people had been waiting for a while.
"Where have you been? Why are you back so late?" Su Qianqian had been anxiously waiting and started scolding Sangmo loudly as soon as she saw her.
Both old Master Su and the second aunt managed to keep their composure, showing genial expressions.
"Jinyi, come here, your father has things to discuss with you," invited old Master Su warmly, beckoning Sangmo over.
The whole display was so disgusting that Sangmo instantly lost any appetite she might have had.
She walked over and sat down in her designated seat.
Old Master Su said, "We have found a face-changing master. You and your sister will swap appearances, and she will go to Changli Mountain in your stead."
"No way," Sangmo immediately refused. They had actually come up with such a method, truly despicable.
Su Qianqian and her mother couldn't sit still anymore, wanting to come forward and argue with Sangmo.
Old Master Su signaled them to stop and continued to discuss the matter with Sangmo in a pleasant manner, "Look, you can't cultivate anyway, isn't it a waste to occupy a spot? It's just a change of skin for Qianqian, and this way you can marry Gu Chao earlier."
"My spiritual roots have been restored," Sangmo couldn't be bothered to argue with them and told them the truth directly.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Su was stunned and did not speak.
Su Qianqian rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Dream on!"
Seeing that they didn't believe her, Sangmo directly condensed a stream of spiritual power in her hand.
All the maids and servants present widened their eyes at the sight.
Su Qianqian was so surprised that she couldn't speak properly, "You... how do you have spiritual power?"
It was known that Su Jinyi had a defective spiritual root from a young age and was a waste who couldn't cultivate, yet now she could wield spiritual power. Did that mean her spiritual roots were truly cured?
Thinking of this, Su Qianqian looked at Sangmo with even more jealousy in her eyes.
She thought to herself, it's impossible, Su Jinyi is just waste, she couldn't possibly have cured her spiritual roots!
It was well known that as a concubine's daughter, Su Qianqian was more glorious than the legitimate daughter primarily because Su Jinyi couldn't cultivate.
If Su Jinyi's spiritual roots were truly cured and she could go to Changli Mountain to study, then who would remember that the Su Family had a Second Miss?
Just as Su Qianqian was feeling unconvinced and wanted to step forward to test Su Jinyi's skills, Old Master Su suddenly spoke up, "You wicked child, don't think that by creating some spiritual energy with a magic artifact, you can fool us all."
Su Qianqian immediately understood and thought to herself: I knew it, her spiritual roots have been defective for so long, how could they just be cured? So, she used a magic artifact.
Sangmo stood up and walked to the center of the courtyard, "Father can send an expert to fight against me, so you can see whether I'm using a magic artifact or not."
Seeing Sangmo's confident manner, Su Qianqian felt doubtful again. She turned her head and designated a Foundation Establishment cultivator, "You, go and exchange a few moves with her."
As soon as the cultivator received the command, he drew his longsword and charged towards Sangmo. Sangmo sidestepped to dodge, and then with a single palm strike, she knocked the cultivator to the ground.
The cultivator struggled a few times on the ground, then lay still.
A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage didn't even have the chance to launch an attack in front of Sangmo.
Su Qianqian and Old Master Su both stood agape, but they quickly came to their senses.
Su Qianqian thought to herself: Even if she truly cured her spiritual roots, she would just be a beginner in cultivation, how could she defeat a cultivator above the Foundation Establishment Stage. I'll see how I can expose her trick.
"Your magic artifact is quite formidable. Let me have a few moves against you." Su Qianqian said, taking her spiritual sword from a servant's hand and striking towards Sangmo.
Sangmo gave a slight smile, caught the descending longsword barehanded, and with a gentle squeeze, the sword shattered to pieces.
Then, facing Su Qianqian's shocked gaze, she delivered a kick straight into Su Qianqian's stomach.
Su Qianqian was kicked away, and Old Master Su silently caught her.
His gaze toward Sangmo was complicated.
Spitting out blood, Su Qianqian asked, "How were you able to catch my sword? What magic artifact did you use?"
It was known that her sword was a superior-grade spiritual sword, not something that ordinary magic artifacts could shatter.
Sangmo spread her hands, "I've already said I didn't use any magic artifacts. Why don't you believe me?"
She said, looking towards Old Master Su, "Father is a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivator. Whether or not I have used a magic artifact, Father will know with a simple test."
Hearing this, Su Qianqian turned her head towards Old Master Su, her eyes full of hope and probing, "Father?"
Old Master Su, having watched for so long, had already realized that Sangmo wasn't using a magic artifact.
He hesitated for a moment, "What father would lay hands on his own daughter? Stop this nonsense."
Sangmo knew he believed her, so she said, "Now may I go to Changli Mountain to study my skills?"
Old Master Su furrowed his brows, "Of course, you are the legitimate daughter of our Su Family and naturally have the most right to go to Changli Mountain to study."
Upon hearing this, Su Qianqian, unwilling to accept the situation, clung to Old Master Su's sleeve and pleaded, "Father, what about me? What should I do?"
Sangmo thought to herself, Old Master Su favors Su Qianqian, so he surely has something good in store for her.
To her surprise, Old Master Su decisively pulled his sleeve from Su Qianqian's grasp, "If you don't work hard yourself, whom can you blame?"