Qinghu shook slightly, then continued:
"However, it will take another one or two days before we can take them out, waiting for these three gourds to fully mature."
This was something that Fairy Lingyue had already told Xu Taiping before.
After this awakening, her remnant soul would reside in this green gourd to slowly nurture her spirit, no longer needing to rely on the earth fruit.
"Xiao Taiping, although I don't know what treasures are inside the other two gourds, the aura they emit is very powerful. This time, there might be a pleasant surprise."
Fairy Lingyue said with a hint of excitement in her voice.
"I also think there will be a pleasant surprise."
Xu Taiping nodded; he was equally looking forward to the treasures that had grown from the second harvest of the earth fruit.
After discussing some of his cultivation confusions over the past few months with Fairy Lingyue, Xu Taiping returned to his room to play a few games of chess with the little monkey, then went back to his bedroom to continue his evening cultivation.
He did not want to waste any time now.
While Xu Taiping was cultivating, the little monkey, Ping'an, played obediently in the courtyard, mimicking Xu Taiping's boxing stance and climbing up and down the old banyan tree, enjoying himself immensely.
As it was getting dark, the little monkey Ping'an's stomach started to rumble.
The appetite of a Bishan Ape was very large, and even after eating an entire roasted lamb leg at noon, he was still feeling extremely hungry by this time.
However, even though he was so hungry that he was almost out of energy, he did not disturb Xu Taiping. Instead, he hung himself from the tree by his tail, swinging back and forth, and kept reciting the Three-Character Classic that Xu Taiping had taught him:
"At the beginning, the monkey's nature is good, nature is similar, habits are different, yellow mutton, big chicken leg, roasted bear paw..."
Just as the little monkey Ping'an couldn't resist grabbing a handful of leaves to put in his mouth, a knock came from outside the courtyard gate.
The little monkey's tail twitched, and his body
swung down to a branch, then he covered his eyes from the glaring sunset and looked out of the courtyard, seeing a middle-aged man in a green robe standing at the gate.
"May I ask if young friend Xu Taiping is at home?"
The middle-aged man's voice sounded.
The little monkey leaped down from the tree, hopping and jumping to the top of the courtyard gate, then started gesturing wildly at the middle-aged man.
"Little monkey, is your master in the courtyard?"
The middle-aged man smiled at the little monkey.
Hearing this, the little monkey suddenly remembered that he could speak human language, and immediately shook his head and said:
"Not here, go away, Xu Taiping, not interested, in Cloud Tower Association, not interested."
He had just learned to speak human language and could only say short sentences.
The middle-aged man nodded thoughtfully, a cunning look flashing in his eyes, then he looked back at the little monkey and said:
"Little monkey, I have two spirit peaches. Do you want to eat them?"
As he spoke, he pulled out two fist-sized, tender peaches from his wide sleeves.
The unique fragrance of the spirit fruit spread through the area the moment the two spirit peaches were taken out.
Smelling the fragrance of the spirit fruit, the little monkey found it hard to resist and started scratching his ears and rubbing his cheeks.
"Little monkey, if you want to eat them, come out and get them."
The middle-aged man, while speaking, picked up one of the spirit peaches and started eating it with relish.
Faced with the middle-aged man's temptation,
the little monkey Ping'an tried to jump down several times, but remembering Xu Taiping's warning, he finally held back. After "cursing" and pointing at the middle-aged man, he returned to the banyan tree in the courtyard.
"Fine, I don't want to tease you anymore. Here's the spirit peach; come and get it yourself."
The middle-aged man smiled, then placed the spirit peach on the ground and turned to leave without looking back.
Seeing the middle-aged man leave, the little monkey immediately hung from a branch with one hand and swung to the top of the gate like a swing.
After looking around to make sure the middle-aged man was really gone, the little monkey finally felt relieved, jumped to the ground, and quickly picked up the spirit fruit.
But at that moment, the middle-aged man, as if he could turn invisible, appeared beside the little monkey.
The little monkey Ping'an didn't even have time to scream before the middle-aged man grabbed him and knocked him unconscious with a palm.
"You little guy, since you won't take the wine, you'll have to take the punishment."
The middle-aged man glanced at the sign above the courtyard gate that read "Qingzhu Residence," then flicked his wrist, shooting a dart from his sleeve that hit the sign straight on.
Attached to the dart was a letter.
After doing this, the middle-aged man disappeared again.
"Xiao Taiping, if you want to get your spirit pet back, come to Taoyuan Ridge within three days. Left by Jian Yuan of the Cloud Tower Association."
When Xu Taiping saw this letter, it was already a quarter of an hour later.
He had just been in the middle of a crucial part of his cultivation, immersed in it, and hadn't noticed the situation outside.
"I'm just a mere First Stage cultivator, and I have no grudges with the Cloud Tower Association. Why would they do this?"
Xu Taiping, who was walking to the medicinal garden while reading the letter, was puzzled.
Xu Taiping was now standing in the medicinal garden, with the gourd vine beside him.
"A loose cultivator association called the Cloud Tower Association has kidnapped the little monkey and asked me to visit their residence within three days."
Xu Taiping recounted the events of the day and the repeated invitations from the Cloud Tower Association over the past few days to Fairy Lingyue.
"They probably have their eyes on the medicinal herbs in your garden."
Fairy Lingyue, being a seasoned veteran, immediately thought of this possibility.
"That's possible. The herbs I planted this year are all precious."
"Don't worry, Taiping. Since their goal is the herbs in your garden, they won't harm Ping'an before meeting you. The three gourds will be fully mature tonight. Take the treasures first to add some security, and I'll go with you to Taoyuan Ridge."
"Alright, that's the only way."
This was also why he didn't rush out immediately but came to the medicinal garden.
When the moon was high in the sky, with a "plop," the green gourd where Fairy Lingyue resided fell from the gourd vine.
Then Xu Taiping saw the glowing green gourd floating straight toward him.
"Xiao Taiping, you must take good care of my new home in the future."
Fairy Lingyue's playful voice came from the gourd, and then the gourd's mouth opened, and a somewhat transparent figure floated out.
Who else could it be but Fairy Lingyue?