Night Talk in the Cave

"Water... water..."

Rain fell without end, and the candle flame cast a wavering, dim light. Ling Moxue's cracked lips kept moving as she murmured.

Her ears rang, her vision swam, and her eyelids felt heavy. Her whole body seemed to burn. Curled into a ball in pain, her thin frame resembled a stray cat with nowhere safe to hide.

Through the haze of consciousness, she seemed to be held gently in someone's arms. A sweet, warm liquid with tiny grains mixed in was slowly fed into her mouth, and soothing warmth spread through her meridians and organs.

She had often been sick as a child. Her mother had fed her sweet porridge just like this, holding her close and humming a little tune to lull her to sleep.

"Mother, I... miss you so much."

"..."

Hearing the girl's murmured longing, Luo Fanchen paused in the middle of feeding her Spirit Porridge. He could not help smiling.

"You little rascal. You've eaten two of my antidote pills and a whole pound of Spirit Grain. Calling me Mother won't help. You'll pay me back with interest someday."

Ling Moxue could not make out his words. Her head rested on Luo Fanchen's thigh, her cheek brushing against his knee, her expression peaceful.

She whimpered and stretched out a trembling hand, as though trying to touch the mother she remembered.

Luo Fanchen did not move away. He let her touch his face. Her fingertips were cold, and he could feel the rough calluses that years of hard work had left on her fingers and palm.

The girl's vitality was depleted, and poisonous miasma had entered her body. She had been unconscious with a high fever for three days; two antidote pills could only delay the poison's onset.

Fortunately, he had found the demon serpent's remains in time. After preparing the carcass, he mixed its gallbladder and most of its blood essence into Spirit Porridge and fed it to her over several meals. Only then had she escaped danger. Refining the medicine's power had consumed an entire Spirit Stone.

"A human-shaped Spirit Stone grinder."

Luo Fanchen sighed. While Ling Moxue kneaded his cheeks, he eased her mouth open and carefully fed her meat porridge, his heart bleeding at the cost.

Demon Beast flesh was rich in vitality and highly prized by Body Cultivators. A First Tier mid-grade demon serpent could fetch at least seven Spirit Stones, and its gallbladder and blood essence were the most valuable parts.

Ling Moxue had swallowed at least five Spirit Stones' worth this time.

Fortunately, the progress of Ling Moxue's guidance was considerable too. The girl's Admiration Points had risen to zero, with another thirty Admiration Points credited to him.

Luo Fanchen swiftly cut up the remaining serpent meat and roasted it into jerky with the Flame Curse Art. It retained only a small portion of the meat's spiritual energy, but it was still better than ordinary Spirit Grain.

Every part of the Snake Demon was useful. Its poisonous miasma could catch enemies off guard, while its scales and fangs could be made into a low-grade magical artifact once he had money to spare.

After dealing with the carcass, Luo Fanchen finally had time to take out Ling Youdao's Storage Bag. One glance made his eyes gleam, and he kept swallowing.

"No wonder cultivators who rob and kill love the trade. One gamble earned me what ten years of bitter cultivation couldn't."

Besides the wood-element cultivation Jade Slip, the Storage Bag held ten Spirit Stones, more than twenty pieces of Spirit Dust, several wooden plaques engraved with talismans, four jade bottles filled with pills, and several kinds of First-Rank Low-Grade demonic materials.

The talismans, when combined, appeared to form some kind of First-Rank Low-Grade Formation Plate worth about two Spirit Stones.

As for the medicines, one bottle held First-Tier Low-Grade Qi-Gathering Pills, and another held First Tier mid-grade Meridian-Opening Pills. They were used by cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining respectively. Their pure spiritual energy could greatly improve cultivation efficiency.

A bottle of Qi Gathering Pills was worth one Spirit Stone, while a bottle of Meridian-Opening Pills was worth three. Each bottle contained ten pills.

The remaining two bottles held a mixture of unknown pills, most of them foul-smelling, bloody Demonic Pills.

Luo Fanchen picked out five pills he recognized: Breath Concealment Pills, antidote pills, and Sweet Dew Pills. Together, they were worth roughly four Spirit Stones. He put the other Demonic Pills back, intending to study them before selling them on the black market.

"The resources I can use alone are worth no less than twenty Spirit Stones."

Luo Fanchen swallowed silently. His gaze moved from the cultivation Jade Slip in his hand to the Soul Banner wreathed in sinister winds deep inside the cave. He had the strange feeling that he had beaten a great black demonic Buddha only for a golden cudgel to drop.

Something about it had always struck Luo Fanchen as wrong. Ling Youdao had been far weaker than a proper Demonic Cultivator ought to be.

The man had carried a hidden illness and suffered severe backlash from his techniques. He could not have been strong enough to kill a genuine Demonic Cultivator and seize his treasures. Most likely, he had fled after losing a struggle.

Since Ling Youdao had entrusted his daughter to him, Luo Fanchen assumed he would help keep the matter hidden. The Demonic Cultivator sect behind him probably would not come knocking.

But if Luo Fanchen failed to honor their agreement, that might change.

Two days later, Ling Moxue's fever subsided. Pressing her thumb to her temple, she raised her head through a wave of dizziness.

"Where is this..."

The campfire crackled. Ling Moxue's forehead throbbed, and her memories came in fragments. She thought she should have died miserably at the Vengeful Ghost's hands.

She struggled to sit up. Only when she caught sight of Luo Fanchen from the corner of her eye did she realize she had been lying against him.

"M-Master Luo?"

Ling Moxue scrambled to her feet, stammering apologies, but Luo Fanchen gave no answer.

She looked up cautiously. Luo Fanchen's face was weary, his eyes shut tight as though he were fast asleep.

"Master Luo, are you awake?"

Ling Moxue called softly while instinctively searching for the dagger tucked against her chest.

To her surprise, it was still there. She silently gripped its hilt, then stared at Luo Fanchen's haggard face and the small cauldron beside him in which he had cooked Spirit Porridge. Her expression went blank.

Rain fell steadily outside the cave. Inside lingered a faint, sweet scent of blood, and both the cauldron and the spoon nearby bore signs of having been washed many times.

Ling Moxue smacked her lips. A lingering flavor seemed to rest on her tongue, and she swallowed as she savored it.

Had Master Luo saved me from the Demonic Cultivators and the demon serpent, then cared for me all this time?

Pressing her lips together, Ling Moxue hesitated before unfastening the blanket around herself and quietly draping it over Luo Fanchen. Then she cleaned the cave as softly as she could.

When she finished, a faint blush touched Ling Moxue's pretty face. She edged back toward him and sat down beside him.

Their shoulders touched, but Ling Moxue was still not quite satisfied. She leaned over and rested her little head against Luo Fanchen's lap again. Listening to his slow, even breathing, she let her eyes drift shut. A faint smile touched her lips, and peace settled in her heart.

"Heh..."

Luo Fanchen, who had been pretending to sleep for quite some time, could not hold back a laugh. Ling Moxue froze, her ears burning red as she tried to get up.

"Master Luo... I... I..."

Ling Moxue's lips worked soundlessly. Her dirty little face was so flushed with embarrassment that she wished a crack would open in the ground and swallow her.

Luo Fanchen laid a hand on her hair, gently soothing her as he kept her from rising.

"It's all right. You did very well this time."

He had underestimated Ling Moxue. The girl had conquered her fear and returned, drawing her blade against a Demonic Cultivator despite the crushing force of his power.

Though she had failed, she had held Ling Youdao's attention long enough for Luo Fanchen to strike. He had severed Ling Youdao's arm in a single blow, securing his path to victory.

At the Qi Refinement First Layer, she had managed to get close to a cultivator at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. Even with the help of a Breath Concealment Pill, it was nothing short of a miracle.

With her Innate Sword Bone, this girl was surely a genius in combat.

"I'm just glad I didn't hold you back, Master Luo."

Ling Moxue's cheeks reddened slightly. She turned her head away as if resisting his touch, yet unconsciously rubbed the top of her head against his palm.

Since her mother's death, she had gone so long without anyone but Qiu Yun acknowledging or encouraging her.

The girl fought to suppress her smile, secretly delighted. Luo Fanchen's expression softened. Mo Xue really did like being praised.

"Ling Youdao is dead. The other two Demonic Cultivators died earlier. Once things here are settled, I'll take you away from Cloudmist City."

"The Demonic Cultivators are all dead?"

Ling Moxue's eyes widened. She was glad their deaths had avenged her, yet pained that she had not done it herself.

"Yes. I've gathered Ling Youdao's remains. You were his victim, so what happens to them is your decision."

Ling Moxue's eyes flew wide. Had Luo Fanchen not restrained her, she would have leaped up to whip the corpse on the spot.

"Before I hand him over, I need to ask you something."

"Ask me anything, Master Luo. I'll tell you everything I know."

"What do you think of Ling Qiuyun? What kind of person is she?"

Luo Fanchen spoke slowly. Hearing him ask about her younger sister, Ling Moxue hesitated, then probed cautiously.

"Qiu Yun is my younger sister. She's kind to everyone and never bullies the servants. She's gentle and graceful. She's the best person in the world."

"Master Luo, you're asking about Qiu Yun because... she's still alive?"

Luo Fanchen gave a slight nod and answered ambiguously, "Perhaps."

"Tell me about her. How she behaves, how she handles things. Don't leave out a single detail."

"Yes, Master Luo. Qiu Yun was my childhood playmate. She's generous and always helps others, noble and gentle—a true young lady of the Ling Household."

"Qiu Yun has always looked after me. She never looked down on servants. If not for her... I'm afraid I wouldn't have lasted this long."

Ling Moxue spoke slowly. She did not know why Master Luo cared about Qiu Yun, but she was certain it had something to do with her younger sister's life.

She began with their childhood, leaving out no detail and deliberately painting each one in the best light. By the time she finished, the Ling Qiuyun she described was nearly a saint.

"I see."

After a long while, Luo Fanchen nodded slightly and weighed his options in silence.

With Ling Moxue's body as a Heavenly Demon Spirit Puppet, her life would not have been in danger even without Ling Qiuyun's help.

He could not rule out the possibility that Ling Qiuyun had deliberately approached Mo Xue. If she truly was a calculating, merciless Demonic Cultivator, he would show her no mercy.

He had placed all his hopes on Mo Xue. Anything that might threaten her or himself had to be eliminated in advance.

As for the cultivation method and the Soul Banner, he knew a few ruthless Demonic Cultivator methods himself.

There was no need to keep promises to Demonic Cultivators. Using their own methods against them was only reasonable.

When Luo Fanchen remained silent, Ling Moxue gathered her courage despite her fear and asked about her younger sister.

"Master Luo, do you have a clue where Qiu Yun is? Could you bring her along when you leave?"

"She's the only sister I have left. If you help me find Qiu Yun, I'll work like an ox or a horse to repay you—"

Anxiety filled Ling Moxue's eyes as her small hands timidly gripped Luo Fanchen's robe.

She was half a cultivator now. Even if Master Luo refused to take Qiu Yun away, she was confident she could help her sister make a life in Cloudmist City.

Luo Fanchen calmly extended a finger and placed it against her lips. His eyes remained impassive as he spoke.

"I can find her. But if I asked you to kill her, could you do it?"

"Y-you're joking, aren't you, Master Luo?"

Ling Moxue's face turned deathly pale. Her choked voice sounded half like a plea for mercy, half like a desperate appeal, until she met Luo Fanchen's utterly still gaze.

Master Luo wasn't joking...

"No... I can't. I'd rather die myself."

"Qiu Yun is kind. She's never offended you, Master Luo. Please spare her. I'll stake my life on her."

"What if she's the one behind the attempt to possess you?"

After speaking, Luo Fanchen fixed his burning gaze on Ling Moxue. Her eyes had gone vacant, as though her soul had left her body. He enunciated each word.

"She's Ling Youdao's adopted daughter. Didn't you know?"

"She intends to possess your body."