Seeing Gong Jie Again

It was high noon, and the sun blazed fiercely.

After Jin Sanqiu's bout of troublemaking, the Martial Academy's once-peaceful atmosphere seemed shrouded in gloom, turning heavy and stifling.

Elder Ping turned and returned to the pavilion. Senior Brother Zhao Guangyi also muttered a greeting before striding out the door, off to who knew what business.

Only Jiang Qinghe remained on the training ground.

As he was lost in thought, a light knock came again from the Martial Academy's gates.

"Who's the uninvited guest this time?"

Jiang Qinghe's heart inexplicably tightened, and his hand clenched into a fist.

The earlier disturbance had already left his mind unsettled. This sudden knock at the door was like plucking once more at an already taut bowstring.

A wave of irritation rose within him.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and somewhat stiffly yanked the door open.

A familiar face appeared. Standing outside was Gong Jie, whom he had not seen for a long time after he left the Martial Academy.

"Haha, Qing River! I've come to pay New Year's greetings!"

"How have you been lately?"

Gong Jie laughed heartily, flashing a mouthful of white teeth.

His skin had darkened somewhat, and he seemed even more powerfully built than before.

Despite the depths of winter, he wore only a fitted short outfit, yet he looked full of vigor, his brows brimming with heroic spirit.

He also carried several square parcels carefully wrapped in oiled paper and tightly bound with string.

Before they were even opened, a sweet fragrance wafted out, whetting the appetite.

"Ajie!"

Seeing his good brother return, Jiang Qinghe was briefly stunned. Then, most of the irritation in his heart dissipated.

He stepped aside, a smile appearing on his face.

"Come in, quickly! Let's talk inside."

Gong Jie stepped through the gate. As he moved, his blood and qi surged abundantly around him, radiating an aura far more formidable than before.

After scrutinizing him, Jiang Qinghe gave a soft exclamation.

"Ajie, you're in much better shape than before! Did you break through recently?"

"Haha, I only broke through not long ago, and you could already tell!"

"Guess what?"

Gong Jie's tone grew excited.

"I haven't been idle at all lately. I followed Uncle Jun and the others on several escort runs—I've really seen the world!"

"We even ran into a few groups of blind Mountain Bandits on the road. Heh! We had a few real fights with blades and weapons!"

His eyes shone as he spoke, gesturing with his hands.

"That feeling was completely different from sparring in the Martial Academy. Fighting and fighting, something just clicked. I actually reached the complete Body Tempering Realm naturally, then entered the Muscle Tendon Strengthening realm without much effort!"

Gong Jie patted his chest and joked.

"So, what do you think? Your brother here can count as a minor expert when he goes out now, right?"

Seeing Gong Jie so spirited and brimming with confidence, Jiang Qinghe was genuinely happy for him.

Some people were simply not suited to shutting themselves away for bitter cultivation.

They were born to break through after being tempered by real combat. Gong Jie had finally found the path that suited him.

The two chatted as they made their way to Jiang Qinghe's small courtyard.

There, they happened to run into Jiang Ziyue, who had come out of the little house to bask in the sun.

"Qing River, who is this?"

Gong Jie looked somewhat puzzled.

"This is my younger sister. I only brought her here after moving into this standalone courtyard a few days ago."

"Oh."

Gong Jie's face lit up with realization.

"Ziyue, this is your big brother Gong Jie, my good brother from the Martial Academy!"

Hearing this, the little girl offered her gentle New Year's greetings. After brewing two pots of tea for them in the small hall, she returned to her room.

Jiang Qinghe and Gong Jie sat in the hall and began chatting.

"Ajie, where do your escort runs usually take you? Do you go into the city?"

"Yes! I was just about to tell you!"

Gong Jie slapped his thigh, his voice brightening.

"Most escort runs go back and forth between several nearby counties, but sometimes we get big jobs heading into the city!"

"If we're going to the city, we set off from our county's south gate, travel south along the official road—it's broad as can be—and at the end lies the famous Cangfeng City!"

At the mention of Cangfeng City, amazement immediately appeared on Gong Jie's face.

"Qing River, you haven't seen it with your own eyes—that's what you call a truly enormous city!"

As he spoke, he spread his arms to illustrate it.

"I've never seen such a huge city in my life. The outer city walls alone must be more than ten zhang high. As for the city itself, I'd estimate it's at least dozens of times larger than our county!"

"Even an ordinary guard watching the outer city gates is a martial artist in the Muscle Tendon Strengthening realm!"

Jiang Qinghe was deeply shaken as he listened, unable to help marveling.

A martial artist in the Muscle Tendon Strengthening realm could be considered somebody important in Lin'an County, yet in Cangfeng City, they were merely soldiers guarding the gates?

The vast disparity stirred a trace of longing in his heart.

"Here, this is Fengyang Cake I specially brought back from the city. Try it. We really can't make this kind of flavor where we live!"

Jiang Qinghe picked up a piece and put it into his mouth.

The crisp outer pastry shattered at once, while the inside was exceptionally soft and moist.

A rich milky fragrance and the clean sweetness of flower honey instantly filled his mouth.

It also held a layer of soft, glutinous mashed bean filling in the center—sweet without being cloying, melting the moment it touched his tongue.

It truly was extraordinarily delicious, leaving an endless aftertaste.

After heartily devouring several cakes, Jiang Qinghe seemed to recall something. His expression shifted as he asked, "Ajie, when you were in the city, did you happen to notice or hear of any place that can refine pills? The kind with a high standard?"

"Pill refinement?"

Gong Jie stroked his chin. After thinking briefly, his eyes lit up.

"Heh, you've asked the right person!"

"The Zheng Family, one of the Four Great Clans in the city, mainly deals in medicinal herbs and pills. Their Hui Chun Pavilions are spread across many places."

"There's one of their branch pavilions in the outer city. It isn't large, but it's quite well-known."

He paused, a trace of recollection appearing on his face.

"Come to think of it, it's fate. Back when my grandfather was alive, he once did that Pavilion Master a favor. You could say they share a bit of old goodwill!"

"The Zheng Family?"

Jiang Qinghe pondered, a figure flashing through his mind.

"Old Man Zheng from our county's Medicine Hall, is he connected to this Zheng Family...?"

"That's right, he's from the Zheng Family too!"

Gong Jie nodded.

"But he's only from a minor branch. He got old, didn't like the bustle and turmoil of the city, and came here to retire."

"Mm... Ajie, how skilled is the Pavilion Master of that branch pavilion you mentioned?"

"It can be called peerless!"

Gong Jie's tone was certain.

"I don't understand pill refinement, but I heard Uncle Jun and the others say that Pavilion Master is exceptionally skilled, especially at preparing special pills needed for difficult and complicated ailments. It's just..."

His tone shifted, and he frowned slightly.

"Just what?"

Jiang Qinghe's heart lifted slightly.

"It's just that I heard this Pavilion Master has a rather... peculiar personality. He's quite solitary and not easy to deal with."

"With his pill-refining abilities, he should by all rights have been transferred to the inner city, or even the main family, long ago. Yet for some reason, he has remained in that small outer-city branch pavilion. Perhaps there's some unknown reason behind it."

Hearing this, Jiang Qinghe mused inwardly.

A peculiar personality? Those with real skill usually have a few eccentricities. That isn't too surprising.

Perhaps, with this man's high level of skill, he could refine the Foundation Solidifying Pill Master needs?

But how could I persuade him to do it, and what price would I have to pay?

That probably won't be easy.

Seeing Jiang Qinghe's hesitant expression, Gong Jie vaguely guessed part of it and asked directly, "What is it, Qing River? Could it be that you have some pill you want refined?"

Jiang Qinghe gave a bitter smile.

"That's exactly it!"

Gong Jie nodded in understanding. Without asking what kind of pill his brother wanted refined, he forcefully slapped his chest and said generously, "Easy enough. There happens to be a major escort run to Cangfeng City next month! We'll rest up these days, and when the time comes, you can come with us too. We can look out for each other. How about it?"

"My father will be going on this trip too. We'll see if he can remember that little bit of old friendship with my grandfather and introduce you to that Pavilion Master!"

Jiang Qinghe also took out the copied booklet of the Panshi Jue that he had borrowed earlier and handed it back.

"Ajie, I'll return this booklet to you while I'm at it. Thanks! In two months, I'll come to the Escort Agency to find you on time."

"Good! Qing River, I'll wait for you then!"