Yan Mountain's Orphan

After Zhu Ying woke, she looked through her bleary eyes at the familiar window in her bedroom. Outside, the night was bathed in the moon's gentle glow, soft as water.

"I... how long was I asleep?"

The thought had barely arisen when a sharp pang made the young woman furrow her brow.

The backlash from forcibly transmitting cultivation had been even more severe than she'd expected... Though using the transmission method with her early Foundation Establishment cultivation was bound to bring repercussions, she was exceptionally gifted and had studied under Gu Bai, a True Person of the Nascent Soul realm. She had cultivated diligently for nearly twenty years, building an exceptionally solid foundation, and was protected by thirty-nine Human Dao Seals. In theory, as long as she prepared thoroughly beforehand, forcing herself through it once shouldn't have been a major problem.

But these past two days, she'd hardly been in any condition to prepare... Yan Mountain was remote, and spiritual energy scarce. Most of the time, she relied on the Inner Landscape Mysterious Spirit to supply what she needed for her daily cultivation. But she'd been so busy looking after the newcomer these past few days that she'd had no time to tend to herself. Her Mana and True Essence had begun to run low...

Her train of thought only made her headache worse. She held back a groan and gave her head a slight shake against the pillow, as if she could shake the pain away... But when she turned her head, she saw a plainly dressed young man in white sitting not far from the bed, watching her with a smile.

"!?!?"

Shock surged through Zhu Ying like a flood, and she jolted upright, speechless. Only after a long moment could she manage to ask, "Y-you, why are you here?"

Wu Ming smiled. "Of course, I'm here to look after you, Senior Sister. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Hungry? Want me to make you a bowl of egg noodles?"

Zhu Ying reflexively shook her head, but then her stomach let out a clear growl.

"!"

Before a blush could rise to the young woman's cheeks, Wu Ming nodded. "All right, one bowl of egg noodles!"

"I didn't say I wanted any!" Zhu Ying hurriedly sat up and reached out to stop him, but as soon as she did, she was struck with fresh horror.

From the corner of her eye, she saw that her sleeve was a pale pink... But she always wore plain white clothes, so these weren't the clothes she'd had on before!

Which meant...

"Wu Ming, what did you do to me while I was asleep?"

As she spoke, a chill began to gather in the air.

Wu Ming seemed not to notice at all. Walking toward the door, he said, "I went to get Senior Sister Ling Xi to look after you."

"?" Zhu Ying stared at him, then realized she'd misunderstood. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "...Ling Xi came?"

After a pause, she couldn't help laughing. "That child usually does everything she can to avoid me. How did you manage to get her over here?"

"I told her you'd overexerted yourself and fallen into a deep sleep. She could take the opportunity to do whatever she wanted to you and get revenge for all the suffering you've put her through. She rushed right over."

"...Rushed right over, did she? Good."

The chill that had just faded instantly gathered again.

"But don't worry, Senior Sister. Senior Sister Ling Xi talked a big game, but the moment she saw you, her face went pale and she started trembling. She forgot every prank she'd planned on the way over."

"...She planned pranks on the way over, did she?"

"After that, I had her carry you to bed, clean you up, change your clothes, and use a few medicinal herbs... Then, when you looked like you were about to wake up, she got too scared and left."

"...Too scared, was she? Never mind. She did put in the effort. Once I've recovered, I'll visit her and thank her."

"By the way, Senior Sister, do you want chopped scallions in your egg noodles?"

"...Yes." Zhu Ying nodded, then suddenly realized something strange.

During their back-and-forth, Wu Ming had already left the room and gone to the kitchen next door, where he was chopping scallions and cracking eggs. Yet their conversation had carried on as naturally as if they were standing right beside each other.

This was clearly the first layer of the Spring Encounter Book's communication art, Sprouting Message!

She'd only been asleep for half a day, and Wu Ming had somehow gone to Zheng Lingxi's place and learned a complete spell on his own in the meantime!?

The Immortal Palm Blessing had helped him over the initial hurdle, but after that, there were no shortcuts... In just half a day, Wu Ming had stabilized his Mana and taught himself a complete spell. His talent was simply... beyond words!

How long had it taken her to learn her first spell? Two days? Three? Maybe longer?

As she pondered, she suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "You didn't tell Master about what happened to me, did you?"

Wu Ming replied from the kitchen, "No."

"...Good."

"Senior Sister, how much vinegar should I add?"

"Just a little."

A while later, Wu Ming brought her a steaming bowl of clear-broth egg noodles. The rich aroma of scallions and noodles made Zhu Ying stare in surprise, and her appetite stirred.

Curious, Zhu Ying took the bowl, blew on it a few times, and cautiously sipped the broth. Even at Foundation Establishment, with her body tempered, she still couldn't stand anything too hot...

And the taste justified her caution. It wasn't anything extraordinarily delicious, but it was... the sort of home-cooked flavor that filled you with warmth.

"I never expected... you knew how to cook."

A veteran of living alone for so long, Wu Ming smiled. "I'm glad it suits your taste, Senior Sister."

"Mhm, it's delicious. Thank you."

After a simple nod of thanks, Zhu Ying said no more. She picked up her chopsticks and ate quietly.

As a devoted follower of the Human Emperor Scroll, she had always followed the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Now, with her junior brother present, she was even less inclined to let her manners slip.

For a while, the only sounds in Xianyun Abode were the occasional soft clinks of bowl against chopsticks... Zhu Ying ate with the quiet elegance of a young lady from a distinguished household. She slurped her noodles without making a sound, leaving Wu Ming marveling at her.

But just as the atmosphere was beginning to relax, a gust of wind swept through outside. The next moment, an old man in gray robes hurried into the room.

"Ying'er, are you all right!?"

"Pfft!"

The noodles and broth she'd just put in her mouth shot out like water from a fire hose... Zhu Ying's face turned red as she covered her mouth and shot Wu Ming a furious look!

Hadn't he said he didn't tell Master!?

Wu Ming explained, "When Senior Sister Ling Xi left, I told her, 'When you were wiping down Senior Sister, you might have seen something you shouldn't have. To be safe, you'd better spend a few days at Sect Leader Temple and lie low.' Maybe she went and told him."

"!?" Zhu Ying's gaze grew murderous.

Fortunately, she had no time to be angry with Wu Ming for long.

"Ying'er, how could you be so reckless? I taught you to pass on the teachings in my stead, not to push yourself and give Ming'er the Immortal Palm Blessing. This technique is dangerous. The slightest mistake could leave your True Essence depleted or, worse, send you into cultivation deviation! You... you..."

Zhu Ying sighed and lowered her head. "This disciple was too eager for quick results. Please punish me, Master."

"Alas, it's my fault for being useless and leaving everything to you, forcing you to overexert yourself... How could I possibly have the face to punish you? The one who deserves punishment is this useless old man!"

"Master!"

Gu Bai continued, "Though your True Essence hasn't been depleted, you've disrupted the balance of your Inner Landscape and can't replenish your Mystic Spirit Qi for now. You're also born unsuited to external aids like pills. To rebuild your Greater Celestial Circuit and nourish your Mystic Spirit, you'll need an abundant supply of spiritual energy from heaven and earth."

Zhu Ying froze, then realized what he was getting at and hurried to argue, "This disciple can use both the Spring Encounter Book and the Searing Autumn Scripture to rebuild the world within my Inner Landscape!"

"How long would that take?" Gu Bai shook his head. "Ying'er, you're on the verge of a breakthrough. This is a critical moment. Whether you can overcome your bottleneck within the next five years is of great importance to you. If you miss your chance because of this, I'll regret it for a hundred years!"

"But..."

"Zhu Ying, heed my command."

"Yes!"

"The Dinghuang Prefecture in Wu City issued a Demon Hunting Decree not long ago, calling on cultivators from across the prefecture to hunt down a band of Mountain Spirits who've been roaming about and killing people. This is both public service concerning the safety of the local people and a private matter with great significance to our sect—the very Mountain Spirits who attacked Ming'er are part of that group. I'd already intended to send you out for experience, and now seems the perfect time."

When Zhu Ying looked conflicted, Gu Bai added, "The Demon Hunting Decree from Dinghuang Prefecture in the Prefecture City has always offered generous rewards. They'll also open the prefecture's leyline for those who answer the call to absorb and refine its energy. It couldn't be a better opportunity for you... I've also heard that quite a few local talents with cultivation and ages similar to yours have answered the call. You've spent all your time cultivating in the mountains, so this is a good chance to make some connections."

Zhu Ying gave a cold laugh. "Heh, I doubt the young masters and ladies of those great Aristocratic Clans will want to make connections with people like us!"

"...Do you really think no one outside the Aristocratic Clans could be around your age and at your level of cultivation?"

Zhu Ying paused. "This disciple... wasn't thinking that."

"Alas, you wouldn't be wrong if you did," Gu Bai said. "In any case, if anyone acts arrogant or discourteous, we'll keep our distance. Cultivation in the mortal world means dealing with all sorts of people. Once you become a True Person, and especially when you form a Nascent Soul, you'll have no choice but to deal with the great Aristocratic Clans."

Seeing that Zhu Ying was still reluctant, Gu Bai couldn't help smiling as he patted her head. "Besides, although the Demon Hunting Decree offers generous rewards and isn't especially dangerous, it's also notorious for forcing people to sleep under the open sky and endure a long, troublesome expedition. How many scions of the Aristocratic Clans would volunteer for that kind of thankless chore?"

"Hmm..." Zhu Ying had truly run out of options. After pondering for a moment, she firmly shook off her master's hand and said solemnly, "This disciple will obey!"

"Good. Get some rest early tonight, then. You'll set out for Wu City first thing tomorrow morning."

As he spoke, a flash of spiritual light flickered over the old man's hand. Sleepiness washed over Zhu Ying, her eyelids drooped, and before long she was fast asleep once more.

Only then did Gu Bai turn to Wu Ming. "Shall we go outside and talk for a while?"

Wu Ming nodded. The scene before his eyes blurred, and the next thing he knew, his master had brought him to a small mountain outside Xianyun Abode.

The bright moon hung over the summit like frost. As the mountain breeze brushed past him and he gazed at the moon, Wu Ming suddenly felt the Mana inside him, flowing like a gentle stream, stir and grow as though bathed in spring rain.

A moment later, Gu Bai's pleased laughter came from behind him. "Heh, what a fine spiritual nature. Your Spirit Root may be lacking, but you can always make up for it with your other gifts. In these few short days, your progress would rank among the best even at the Sanqing Immortal Sect. I doubt anyone would believe you were an ordinary Desolate Person."

Wu Ming said, "It's all thanks to Senior Sister teaching me."

"Mhm. The first hurdle of the Spring Encounter Book is quite strict about Spirit Root aptitude, and there are few ways to get around it. For you, it was a real obstacle. But once you've overcome it, the road ahead, though still full of dangers, will be long and smooth with your spiritual nature. No wonder Ying'er couldn't hold back from transmitting her cultivation to help you break through. She knows better than anyone what it's like to have great potential but be stuck at a bottleneck."

Wu Ming nodded.

Gu Bai continued, "This Demon Hunting Decree is also an opportunity for her to break through. So even if today's events hadn't happened, I probably would've sent her down the mountain to gain experience. But without Ying'er, your cultivation will inevitably suffer... My Dao foundation has been damaged, and I spend most of my time holed up at Sect Leader Temple, barely managing to get by. It's difficult for me to look after my disciples out in the world. I'm ashamed to say it."

Wu Ming smiled. "Master, don't worry. I'll be fine on my own."

Without Senior Sister Zhu Ying, studying on his own would inevitably make his cultivation less efficient... But on the other hand, it meant he'd have a lot more material for his strategy guide.

What he lost in the mulberry groves, he'd gain in the east; time to level up on his own!

"Actually, in principle, with Ying'er away gaining experience, Ling Xi should be responsible for looking after you in the sect. But she's too innocent, practically ignorant of the ways of the world, and not much good at teaching people..."

"It's fine. I'm good at that."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Gu Bai sighed. "For a while, I'll also be in seclusion to recover from my injuries. With your Senior Sister Zhu Ying away, you'll be the one in charge of the sect. I trust you with everything else. It's just Ling Xi... Some things require you to look after her, but not too much. You'll need to find the right balance..."

"Don't worry, Master. I'll find the right balance and raise Senior Sister into a fine adult!"

"..." Gu Bai fell silent for a long time, unable to think of a response. In the end, he could only sigh and pat Wu Ming on the shoulder before bringing him back to Xianyun Abode.