News of Meng Anli being beaten unconscious by the Meng Family spread through the Heavenly Realm like snowflakes on the wind.
Inside the Crown Prince's residence.
The Crown Prince was dressed in brocade robes and a jade belt, gleaming gold from head to toe. The string of pearls atop his head lent him a gentle, refined air.
He had clearly dressed up with great care.
After learning that Meng Anli had gone to Niuyang Mountain, he had thought that even if she went there to play hard to get, she would not be able to keep it up for long.
When she returned tonight, she would surely be unable to resist coming to see him.
So he waited.
Yet Meng Anli did not come. Instead, this news arrived.
He slammed his fist against the table. "Has the Meng Family gone mad?"
Liuyin stood to one side with her head lowered.
The Crown Prince abruptly rose to his feet. "If not for that idiot Meng Xiuchen, Meng Anli should have been at the Crown Prince's residence by now."
He paced around the room. "What am I supposed to do now? Must I go find her myself?"
Suddenly, he halted and pointed at Liuyin. "You go. Represent me, bring spiritual pills and immortal medicines, and make a grand show of it."
Liuyin nodded in acknowledgment.
The Crown Prince sat back down, grinding his teeth. "The Meng Family."
They had actually put him in such a passive position.
Utterly hateful!
Meng Anli was brought to the academy infirmary.
The disciples of Gui Class still surrounded her, unwilling to leave.
The Medicine Immortal said helplessly, "Move farther away, all of you. We need to dress her wounds."
Guang Ling coughed lightly. "Leave."
They retreated, but did not go far, waiting outside the door.
Guang Ling sighed. "You have no idea. When I carried Meng Anli, the bones all over her body were creaking. I was terrified I would jostle her to pieces."
"The Meng Family truly is no good."
Guang Ling clenched a fist as large as a sandbag. "Meng Xiuchen—every time I see him from now on, I'll beat him. He doesn't deserve to be her brother."
Mo Ziqian sighed.
He had once thought that he and his mother had it hard in the Mo Family, but the Mo Family had never laid hands on them openly.
"What kind of family is that?"
Guang Ling felt a measure of admiration for Meng Anli.
"Wounded that badly... it was truly difficult to imagine how she held on until we got there."
Mo Ziqian guessed, "Perhaps it was those very qualities that made Teacher Yang treat her so well?"
Inside the room.
Meng Anli slowly woke and saw a gentle female Medicine Immortal.
She asked anxiously, "Where is A Yao?"
"I'm here." Lu Yao's voice sounded by her feet. "I'm dressing the wound on your leg."
Meng Anli tried to lift her head.
The female Medicine Immortal pressed down on her shoulder. "Don't move."
Meng Anli asked, "Is A Yao hurt?"
Lu Yao's tears immediately spilled from her eyes.
Anli was already like this, yet she was still worrying about her.
She swiftly wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. "No, I'm perfectly fine. Next time, I'll never leave you behind again."
Meng Anli smiled. "You went to get reinforcements. You didn't abandon me."
"You're already like this, so stop comforting me."
After wrapping her wound, Lu Yao rose and looked at her, the ache in her eyes nearly overflowing.
The Medicine Immortal took out a pill. "Take this. It will stop the pain and bleeding."
After Meng Anli swallowed the pill and learned that Lu Yao was unharmed, she relaxed and fell asleep again.
When she regained consciousness again, Lu Yao's angry curses were ringing in her ears.
"Get out! If the Crown Prince truly cared about Anli, why didn't he come himself?"
Liuyin's voice was seductive and enchanting. "The Crown Prince handles countless affairs every day. He has no time~"
"If he has no time, then don't come. We don't need his little offerings."
"A Yao," Meng Anli called out as she sat up, realizing she was in the dormitory.
Lu Yao, who had been blocking the doorway, shut the door and hurried over to support her.
"Did I wake you? I'm sorry. I was simply too furious. Liuyin came again, bringing twelve immortal maidens. Each one carried a tray covered with brocade covers from the Crown Prince's residence, with waist tokens from the Crown Prince's residence hanging at their hips, as if they were afraid anyone might fail to recognize where they came from."
Meng Anli knew that the Crown Prince wanted to put on another display of deep affection.
She said, "Let Liuyin and the others come in."
Lu Yao called out in protest, "Anli~"
"Go on." Meng Anli lowered her voice to persuade her. "We can't push the Crown Prince toward the Meng Family."
Lu Yao's large eyes rolled several times, and she understood the crux of it.
But she still felt stifled inside.
Puffing up her cheeks in anger, she went to open the door.
Liuyin entered and first swept her gaze over Meng Anli.
Her palm-sized face was deathly pale, her lips utterly bloodless, and her eyes were bloodshot from the pain.
Even in such a state, her beauty could not be concealed.
It only added a frail, pitiful air that stirred sympathy in all who saw her.
She raised a hand, and the twelve palace maidens glided in with lotus steps, placed what they carried on the table in the center, then glided back out.
Neither servile nor overbearing, Liuyin said, "Miss Anli, these are gifts bestowed by the Crown Prince. They will all benefit your injuries."
Lu Yao rolled her eyes.
Meng Anli coughed lightly, clutching her ribs with a pained expression.
Lu Yao hurriedly patted her back. "Are you all right? Can you not receive guests? I'll drive her out."
Meng Anli smiled helplessly and lifted her misty eyes toward Liuyin. "How is Crown Prince Brother?"
Liuyin paused slightly.
Then a hint of disdain appeared on her face.
Lu Yao cried disapprovingly, "Anli~"
Liuyin said provocatively, "With me caring for him, the Crown Prince is well in every way."
"That is good." Meng Anli covered her mouth with a handkerchief. "Thanks to you, I had intended to go see Crown Prince Brother after returning from Niuyang Mountain today, but..."
Her words trailed off, and a sorrowful expression crossed her face. Two tears immediately fell.
Liuyin said flatly, "Third Young Master Meng truly went too far. Then wait until you are better before going to see the Crown Prince."
"Yes. Once I am well, once the next rest day comes, I will go see Crown Prince Brother."
"Fine." Liuyin understood her attitude and did not wish to stay long. "I'll return and report now. Rest well."
"Forgive me for not seeing you out."
Lu Yao followed right behind her. The moment she walked out, Lu Yao shut the door without hesitation.
She ran back to Meng Anli's side. "You really plan to go see the Crown Prince?"
Meng Anli leaned against the headboard. "After what happened today, I think I won't have a rest day for the next half year."
Lu Yao brightened. "Yes, yes! We need to improve our strength sooner. I'll go see what they sent this time."
"Mm."
Lu Yao lifted every cover to inspect the contents. "The quality is higher than what they sent last time, and the spiritual herbs are older too. But they still didn't put enough thought into it. None of these are suitable for you to use right now."
Meng Anli did not care much. "See which ones are suitable for your alchemy, and take them."
"Fine." Lu Yao readily took two stalks. "These two are just right for refining pills to remove your fire toxin. I'll go make them."
She left a Communication Mirror beside Meng Anli. "Mother gave this to you. Call me if anything happens."
Meng Anli stroked the Communication Mirror and nodded happily. "All right."
Her cultivation had now skipped past the Golden Core realm and risen to the Nascent Soul realm. She desperately wanted to cultivate and test her strength.
But the moment she stirred her Spiritual Power, the fire toxin that the Medicine Immortal had suppressed seized the chance to act up.
So she decided to rest first. Once A Yao brought her pills to dispel the fire toxin, she could cultivate again.
In her hazy state, she caught a faint scent of flowers and wood.
She opened her eyes and saw her master's otherworldly handsome face.
The bright moonlight draped him in a hazy glow, making him look beautiful as a dream, as an illusion.
She instantly woke fully and cried happily, "Master! I've broken through to the Nascent Soul realm. Can you teach me the Transformation Techniques now?"
Yun Jing looked at her bright, sparkling eyes.
He had thought she would complain first. He had not expected her to ask for the Transformation Techniques instead.
Yun Jing guided her, "Your injuries are this severe?"
Meng Anli said shamefully, "I was too weak. There is no need to mention it."
"Weak? Weak enough to defeat a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal?"
Meng Anli smiled awkwardly. "I borrowed the power of Heavenly Lightning."
Before you continue