"Xiaolan, your injuries haven't healed yet."
Qin Huaiying chased after her somewhat helplessly.
Clearly, Ouyang Lan had been halfway through treating her wounds, circulating her internal energy, when she heard the commotion and ran out.
"Master's Wife."
Lu Wu-bing saluted with a smile. "I was just thinking of taking a trip to Mingyang City. The two elders in my family moved to that city, and I don't know whether they've settled in safely."
"You should indeed make the trip. They've been worrying about you all this time." Qin Huaiying smiled at Lu Wu-bing and waved her hand. "I'll have Yun Chong escort you. If there's anything inconvenient for you to handle, you can let him take care of it."
"I'd better not."
Lu Wu-bing felt his scalp go numb.
Although, afterward, he had found that his Third Senior Brother, Wu Yunchong, had not revealed any suspicious flaws. In fact, during their flight from Jiangzhou, he had even volunteered to stay behind and cover their retreat.
After they were separated, he had rushed back to the Celestial Star Sect ahead of them and brought reinforcements.
He looked like an excellent senior brother.
Yet deep down, Lu Wu-bing always harbored a faint, elusive wariness. He felt that this senior brother was far from as simple as he appeared.
If Wu Yunchong followed him down the mountain this time, who knew what bad luck might befall him?
"I'm only going to visit my family. There's no need to trouble Senior Brother. If nothing happens, this disciple will return as quickly as possible."
"Very well, then. Wu-bing, after you descend the mountain, don't neglect your sword practice. Once you return, if you feel confident, make haste and attempt the Sword Gate Three Trials."
"Hm?"
Lu Wu-bing's heart tightened.
It felt rather like a teacher from his previous life suddenly inspecting homework.
What was this about? He had only just entered the sect and had been here for such a short time, yet he already had to undergo an assessment and cultivate advanced martial arts?
There was no need to rush so much, was there? He wasn't ready yet.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he caught Senior Sister Xiaolan blinking her lovely big eyes at him from the corner of his eye.
He understood at once and smiled, quickly replying, "I'll do as Master's Wife says. Once I return to the mountain, this disciple will immediately attempt the trials."
"Excellent, excellent."
Qin Huaiying burst into hearty laughter, delighted.
Lu Wu-bing noticed that whenever Master's Wife smiled, her eyebrows would slant sharply upward, making her look especially amusing.
She could not merely be said to resemble Senior Sister Xiaolan.
They were practically cast from the same mold.
As expected of mother and daughter.
Blood-related, at that.
"Oh, right, I nearly forgot. Wenxiu also came to bid farewell before going down the mountain. She said she wanted to find you too, though I don't know whether she had something to say. Go take a look."
"Is that so?"
Lu Wu-bing's gaze flickered. Had Ji Wenxiu decided to head for the capital early?
He wondered what sort of situation awaited her.
Would the journey be safe?
"Mother!"
Ouyang Lan looked at her pleadingly and drew out the word.
"Don't even think about it. Heal your injuries first. You can't go down the mountain this time."
"All right."
Like an eggplant struck by frost, Ouyang Lan immediately wilted. Looking pitiful, she said, "After Junior Brother descends the mountain, don't listen to anything the disciples of Gold Jade Hall say. Places like Yihong Courtyard and Chufang Tower are off-limits, but you can try the Crispy Duck at Zuihu Residence and Xi San Niang's Red Bean Cake..."
As she spoke, she could not help swallowing, then laughed first herself.
She had always thought her mother nagged like an old woman and was terribly long-winded. Who would have thought she would become like this too...
Better not say too much. Little Junior Brother would get annoyed.
"Go on, go on. Go early and come back early."
Ouyang Lan waved reluctantly.
She did not notice at all that the little disciple named Su Mei had her brows lowered and eyes drooping, her neck hunched and head bowed, wishing she could bury herself in the ditch before the gate.
I'm dead, I'm dead.
Having seen such a gentle side of Demon King Senior Sister, would she be silenced forever?
Thinking this, the little girl did not even dare breathe loudly.
"What a coincidence. Senior Brother Lu is descending the mountain today as well? You're heading to Mingyang City, right?"
Ji Wenxiu had clearly received the news too.
She had not waited at Orchid Fragrance Courtyard.
Instead, she stood prettily by the roadside.
When she saw Lu Wu-bing curiously studying her face, she generously let him look and said softly, "My injury wasn't like Senior Sister Ouyang's. It looked quite serious at the time, but in truth, it was only damage to my qi and blood. After taking blood-nourishing medicine these past few days, I'm already fine."
At this point, a trace of loneliness flashed through Ji Wenxiu's eyes. "After all, it is [Crazy Blood]. Since it carries such enormous drawbacks, it naturally also brings enormous benefits.
My family's secret technique, [Azure Sky Chant], can seize the heart and startle the soul. The [Phoenix Nirvana Heart Sutra] naturally burns the meridians and replaces the blood, granting extremely powerful recovery. It counts as an advantage brought by one's innate bloodline."
Were such things really something she could casually tell an outsider?
Perhaps it was because he had rescued the little princess from that flower-picking thief that day.
She naturally felt somewhat close to him.
So much so that she had not put up any guard at all.
In modern medical terms, this was actually a psychological disorder.
He wondered whether that was good or bad.
Lu Wu-bing was slightly stunned. He looked around and asked curiously, "Junior Sister Wenxiu, are you returning to the capital alone?"
"Of course not. Senior Brother has been cultivating behind closed doors for these past three days, but I haven't been idle either. I finally found Daoist Grandpa. Look..."
She raised her hand and pointed down the mountain.
At the end of the mountain path, half-hidden among the trees, stood a gray-clad figure in patched robes, leaning against a green donkey and tilting his head back to gulp down something.
"With him escorting me for part of the way, the journey will be perfectly safe."
Lu Wu-bing's heart stirred. Ji Wenxiu called this man "Daoist Grandpa," so he was likely the expert represented by the words "Azure Cloud" carved upon those two Jade Pendants that day.
From afar, Lu Wu-bing looked at that disheveled figure with white beard and hair.
A feeling of solemn respect rose within him.
Generally speaking, anyone dressed like that could basically be identified as a peerless expert.
If this were the story of The Legend of the Condor Heroes,
he would be Hong Qigong.
If it were Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber, he would be even more formidable—he would have to be True Man Zhang Sanfeng.
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Of course, he might also be an ordinary beggar.
But that possibility was not very great.
Anyone whom both the Bright Moon Sect and the imperial princess trusted, someone they would contact with a token carried on their person at a critical moment, could not possibly be an ordinary person.
That put his mind at ease.
Lu Wu-bing let out a long breath. Before he could say anything, Ji Wenxiu lowered her head, lifted her collar, and took out a black-and-white fish-shaped jade pendant.
Before Lu Wu-bing could make out what material it was made from, Ji Wenxiu exerted a little force with both hands and snapped the black-and-white twin fish apart.
With nimble hands, she took out another red cord, threaded it through the pristine white yang fish, tied a knot, and handed it over.
"Here."
"Why are you giving me a jade pendant?" Lu Wu-bing felt a chill down the back of his neck, as though Senior Sister Xiaolan were secretly watching him from behind. His expression became slightly unnatural.
"Giving it to you? I'm lending it to you."
Ji Wenxiu's frosty, expressionless face could no longer hold up. She burst out laughing.
"Senior Brother, you'll know once you hold it in your palm."
"Huh! It feels somewhat warm, but it's actually extremely cold."
"You sensed it wrong. There's no warmth, only cold."
Ji Wenxiu lightly spat, a hint of awkwardness flashing through her eyes.
He understood. That had been her body temperature.
"Uh..."
Lu Wu-bing was a little embarrassed. He carefully sensed the chill from the half of the yang fish, then discovered in delight that this coldness cleared his mind and refreshed his spirit. Not only could it calm the heart and steady the mind, it could even accelerate internal energy cultivation.
As the cold seeped into his palm, the internal energy of [Dripping Water Force] suddenly sped up, as though active agents had been injected into it, automatically gathering essence and transforming it into inner qi.
Cold jade...
It could speed up cultivation.
It probably also had a suppressive effect on mental abnormalities.
This was a rare treasure.
"You've discovered it, haven't you? This thing enhances the [Small Clear Sound Mantra]. Compared to that, its minor ability to accelerate internal energy cultivation is not so important."
"That day, Senior Sister Ouyang was beside us, so I didn't feel comfortable taking it out...
Use it for now, Senior Brother. My half, the yin fish, works much the same. Actually... actually, there's no need to return it in such a hurry."
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