As Dongfang Minghui watched the heroine approach step by step, realization dawned on her. Shit, I'd been paying too much attention to Nan Fei. Wouldn't the heroine think I was competing with her for her man?
I'm doomed.
"Seventh Sister, I was wrong."
Before the heroine could question her, Dongfang Minghui closed her eyes and threw her arms around her waist, apologizing with a look of utter despair. "Seventh Sister, I was wrong. Please forgive me this once. I absolutely won't meddle in Brother Nan's affairs again."
Even if I play matchmaker, I'll just do it in secret.
With that soft body pressed against her, the gloom in Dongfang Wanyu's heart suddenly gave way to sunlight. She wanted to hold her tightly, but after raising her hand halfway, she merely patted her back gently and smiled. "Your attitude toward admitting your mistake is good. I'll forgive you this once. But, Ninth Sister, there won't be a next time."
Dongfang Minghui's eyes widened. She almost thought she was hearing things. She really had guessed what was on the heroine's mind. Good heavens, how terrifying. Next time, she had better keep her distance from these men rather than risk her life over them.
In her eyes, these high-quality men equaled sources of disaster, which equaled threats to her life. Her final conclusion: stay as far away as possible.
"Ah, Seventh Sister, I just remembered there's something I haven't done yet. I'll go back to my room first."
Having secured forgiveness, Dongfang Minghui swiftly pushed away from her, made an excuse, and slipped off.
Dongfang Wanyu quietly watched her shut the door before slowly returning to her own room to cultivate.
"Toothless, that was close. I'm telling you, that was really close." Sitting on her bed, Dongfang Minghui secretly patted her chest. Luckily, she had been quick-witted enough to admit her mistake in time.
She had prepared a wooden tub for Toothless, the same one she had readied earlier to hatch the enormous egg. It was just big enough for Toothless to swim a lap, and she had added a little spirit liquid and spirit medicine to the water.
Toothless paddled away in the water. Once all four legs grew tired, the little creature simply floated on the surface and began snoring softly.
"Hrrr-hrrrrrr-"
Dongfang Minghui was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. Already badly frightened by the heroine's attitude, she jumped straight off the bed upon hearing that strange sound. She searched the room for ages before discovering it came from the wooden tub.
"Toothless."
The little thing could actually sleep at a time like this. Dongfang Minghui had wanted to give Toothless a pinch, but the sight of that tiny creature floating on the water, sleeping so soundly, softened her heart. She checked the water temperature and found it a little low, then picked up the small towel beside her and lifted Toothless out. After drying the little creature with a dry cloth, she tossed Toothless straight onto the bed.
"Huh, what's this?" While holding Toothless, Dongfang Minghui discovered two small bumps on the little creature's back. Every time she touched them, Toothless shivered. Eventually, Toothless opened sleepy, hazy eyes and looked at her. "Mommy, Mommy."
That soft, tender voice nearly melted her heart.
"Toothless, why does it look like you've got wings on your back?" Dongfang Minghui had once happened to see a Winged Elephant calf, and it seemed to have had just such a pair of undeveloped wings on its back.
Toothless shuddered twice, burrowed beneath the covers, and ignored her.
"I'll have to find a chance to check on your condition in the Library Pavilion." That was Dongfang Minghui's last thought before falling asleep. She needed to know exactly what species this little creature that had emerged from the enormous shell belonged to.
Dongfang Wanyu remained seated in her room, listening to the person next door chatter away. Only once she heard her steady breathing did she begin cultivating. It seemed to have become a habit.
"Wanyu, I've noticed your emotions have been unstable lately. Did something happen?" From within the Soul Sea, Qing Mo could sense the fluctuations in her spiritual energy, as well as her mood.
Dongfang Wanyu knew the problem lay with her. "Don't worry. I'll get myself under control."
"Wanyu, never forget why you came to the Royal Academy."
Three days later, Dongfang Minghui went to the northern courtyard to set up her stall again. Following the heroine's earlier advice, she planted herself in the Lovers' Garden.
She wondered whether business would be as good as ever without the heroine serving as her living advertisement.
Dongfang Minghui had just arranged twenty bottles of pills when a man hurried over and crouched in front of her stall.
"Junior Sister, a friend of mine bought a small porcelain bottle of Hemostatic Pills from you last time. Do you have any left?"
"Yes."
Dongfang Minghui handed him a porcelain bottle and poured out a pill for him to inspect. "Was it this kind?"
The man picked up the pill and sniffed it. "That's right."
"Thirty spirit stones?"
"Yes. There are ten pills in all."
They tapped their jade tokens together, completing Dongfang Minghui's first sale of the day. She had no idea that her pills retained twice as much spiritual energy as conventional medicinal pills.
After the brother and sister from before took their purchase home, they had conducted a small experiment in private. They wanted to see whether these pills were better than their old medicinal pills. At the very least, they needed to know whether their spirit stones had been wasted.
Without a comparison, they would never have known. Once they compared them, the difference became clear.
And that was how her first sale came about.
Moreover, Dongfang Minghui had sold twenty bottles of various pills over the course of her last visit. She had no idea whether the buyers had found them effective, and without the heroine beside her, she was still somewhat nervous. But this first sale put her much more at ease. At least someone recognized quality.
Suddenly, a youth rushed over, glanced at her, then ran a circuit around the Lovers' Garden before circling back.
"Are you selling pills here?" Mu Sheng was slightly out of breath. Only yesterday, he had overheard someone mention that pills were being sold here, and that Sister Wanyu was the seller.
So he had come running to take a look, but Sister Wanyu was nowhere to be seen.
Propping her chin on her hand, Dongfang Minghui examined him closely. Hehe, isn't this the crybaby the heroine met during the trial?
"Mu Sheng."
Mu Sheng froze, looking as though he had seen a ghost. "How do you know my name?"
Dongfang Minghui smiled without answering and pointed at the pills on her stall. "My pills are excellent. Want to buy some to take home? If you do, I'll tell you why I know your name."
Dongfang Minghui smiled like a little fox, the abacus in her mind clacking away.
Mu Sheng looked troubled, but quickly picked out a bottle of blood-replenishing pills anyway. "How many spirit stones?"
"Thirty. I'm only giving you a fair price because we know each other."
Mu Sheng's mouth fell open. He had never expected one porcelain bottle to cost thirty spirit stones. Suddenly, the thing in his hand felt like a hot potato. He could neither put it down nor keep holding it.
Dongfang Minghui found him amusing and wanted to tease him a little. "There are ten blood-replenishing pills in that bottle. You're not losing out."
"All right." Mu Sheng gritted his teeth and bought it. Whether the thing was expensive or not, his purpose in coming today was-"By the way, miss, how long have you been setting up your stall here? Have you seen a girl a little taller than you, with a slightly sharper chin?"
Taller than me? The heroine is taller than me, all right.
Dongfang Minghui blinked and gestured around them. "I don't know who you mean. Look, there are plenty of girls in the Lovers' Garden. Have a look and see whether the person you're after is here."
Mu Sheng shook his head, leaned closer, and whispered, "I'm looking for Qian Wanyu, the one who led the new students to first place. Do you know her?"
Dongfang Minghui shook her head innocently. "Not really. Is she the girl you're looking for?"
Mu Sheng immediately felt as though he had taken ten thousand points of damage. Who on earth had said Sister Wanyu was selling medicine here?
At the sight of his dejected face, she nearly laughed herself into stomach cramps.
"I don't know Qian Wanyu, but I know you. Didn't you become famous during the second round of the Inner Court entrance test? That's how I knew your name was Mu Sheng."
"Mu Sheng, let me tell you, actually-"
"Move! Move!"
Before Dongfang Minghui could tell him the truth, she saw several vicious-looking men charging over. Their target was unmistakable: they seemed to be coming for her. There were five of them.
"Hey, Mu Sheng, someone's here to cause trouble. Hurry to the Pharmacy Institute and find my Seventh Sister-that's Qian Wanyu. Quick!"
Mu Sheng took several moments to process Dongfang Minghui's words. With no time to question why she had lied about not knowing Sister Wanyu, he saw the five men approaching and immediately ran toward the Pharmacy Institute.
"What are you looking at? Get lost!"
Their appearance frightened several people out of the large crowd of onlookers, while the others pointed and murmured about them.
"Did you rush here to buy my pills? Who's injured?" Dongfang Minghui smiled at them. These men looked unfamiliar; she didn't recognize a single one.
Just as the heroine had said last time, she had only set up her stall in the Lovers' Garden twice, so she couldn't possibly have blocked anyone's path to riches. She also spent most of her time at the Pharmacy Institute and had hardly offended anyone.
Who, then, wanted to make her life difficult?
"Who gave you permission to set up a stall here?" As soon as the man approached, he swept the bottles and jars off her stall with his foot without even looking. Porcelain bottles broke easily, and his kick shattered several. Some pills even rolled out of their bottles.
Dongfang Minghui's heart ached a little. She had spent so much time and spiritual energy making them. It was a shame to see them destroyed.
"And who are you?"
"Pack up and get the hell out of here right now. I call the shots on this turf. Did you hear me?" His voice boomed, his words domineering and unreasonable. Even before Dongfang Minghui could argue back, he had offended the people present.
Dongfang Minghui widened her eyes and smiled. "You have the nerve to call this your turf? Why not say the whole Royal Academy belongs to you? You dare act, but won't own up to it? If you've got the guts, give me your name. What does bullying me prove?"
"Oh, this little girl's got some nerve. My big brother told you to get lost. What's all the blather for?"
"Exactly. Looking for a beating? My fists happen to be itching."
"Shut up. Do you think I'm afraid just because there are five of you ganging up on me? Send someone who understands human speech to talk to me." Dongfang Minghui refused to believe these people could unleash a storm of blood in the Royal Academy.
"Are there still pills for sale here?"
As the two sides faced off, an exceptionally cold voice suddenly cut in.
Dongfang Minghui brightened at the sight. It was another familiar face: Bai Rou from the Warrior Hall. She was holding one arm with her other hand, and blood was still dripping from her fingers.
"Senior Sister Bai, what happened to you?"
"You are?"
Dongfang Minghui immediately took a porcelain bottle from her spatial ring. "During the new students' entrance test, you helped me out. Consider this repayment. Crush the pills and apply them to the wound, and it'll heal quickly. You should leave now."
Instead, Bai Rou took the bottle and sat down beside her. She crushed a pill and sprinkled it onto the inside of her arm. Sure enough, a piece of flesh had been sliced away there.
Several of the five men recognized Bai Rou. Seeing her sit beside Dongfang Minghui, they hesitated, then tugged at their leader. "Brother Zhang, Bai Rou is from the Warrior Hall, and she's ruthless. How about we come back another time?"
"Right, Brother Zhang. And this girl looks like she has backing too. See how she isn't afraid of us?"
They were nothing but a bunch of useless louts to begin with, with no confidence to spare. The sight of Bai Rou threw them into a panic.
"Come on, let's keep settling the issue between us." The sight of their cowardice infuriated Dongfang Minghui. People like this actually dared smash her stall? Did they really think she was a soft persimmon for them to squeeze? She called loudly to the five men, "I'll leave if you give me a reason. I haven't interrupted you lot bonding with each other, and I haven't blocked your way. Tell me, who sent you?"
The men exchanged glances. None had expected her not to be a pushover, much less that she would dare challenge them.
"So damn annoying. I don't change my name standing up or sitting down. I'm Zhang Mao." Irritated by his underlings' remarks, Zhang Mao blurted out his name.
"What? Dumbass?"
"Hahaha, Dumbass!" The crowd watching the spectacle couldn't help bursting into laughter.
The troublemakers clearly hadn't expected this little girl to have such a sharp tongue. They immediately turned vicious. "You're courting death."
Dongfang Minghui felt a powerful surge of spiritual energy rush toward her face. It carried a scorching heat, so he was probably a fire Spirit Master. Good heavens, why had he attacked without warning? These brutes had no principles at all.
Just as she thought she was done for, a strong arm encircled her waist and instantly carried her away from where she had stood. "Zhang Mao, go back and tell Xu Jin: before attacking an apothecary, did he consider whether he could withstand the wrath of the entire Pharmacy Institute?"
The instant she heard that voice, Dongfang Minghui stared in shock. Not only that, she immediately pushed him away, her legs trembling with fear.
Li Yunan wasn't annoyed by her shove. Holding his Flirtatious Fan, he simply looked at her with a smile.
The men led by Zhang Mao were scared witless upon hearing this. They couldn't believe it, and someone even pointed at her. "Y-you... you're an apothecary from the Pharmacy Institute?"
Dongfang Minghui gave them a radiant smile. "That's right. Every day, I set aside a little time to discuss pill-making with the Dean."
Let's see if that doesn't scare you to death.
She seemed to have heard a familiar name just now. "Xu Jin?"
"You're Xu Jin's men?" Dongfang Minghui finally knew who was behind these troublemakers. She hadn't even found time to deal with Xu Lian yet, but that girl had gone straight to her brother to complain.
Zhang Mao and the others no longer dared linger. They hurriedly exchanged glances, then charged through the crowd and fled.
Dongfang Minghui stamped her foot. "What cowards."
She had merely revealed that she was an apothecary, and the whole lot had run away.
"It isn't that they're cowards. They're afraid your Pharmacy Institute will cut off their spirit medicine. That really would be the death of them," Li Yunan explained from beside her.
Dongfang Minghui couldn't help pressing a hand to her forehead. She told Li Yunan, "Thank you for saving my life."
Li Yunan regarded her with an interested smile. "Is this how you repay me?"
What Dongfang Minghui feared most was becoming entangled with him. If the heroine saw them, she would most likely misunderstand. She took a porcelain bottle from her spatial ring. "This is a bottle of Marrow-Cleansing Pills. They can help remove the hidden injuries you've carried for years. There are ten in all. Once you've taken them all, those old injuries should disappear, and your cultivation will go much more smoothly. No need to thank me. Let's call it even, all right?"
The first time, she hadn't needed him to meddle at all. As for this time, fine, he had saved her.
Li Yunan had been in a teasing mood, but he hadn't expected her to solemnly produce a kind of pill and even reveal that he had suffered from hidden injuries for years. His gaze deepened, and he took the porcelain bottle directly from her hand.
"These Marrow-Cleansing Pills are too valuable, but I do need them. I'll owe you a favor." Li Yunan opened the bottle and examined its contents. After confirming that they would indeed help him, he made his promise.
Huh?
Dongfang Minghui felt she couldn't understand these people. She had said they were even-even-meaning he would have nothing more to do with her from now on. How had they ended up entangled again?
"Ninth Sister."
When Dongfang Wanyu arrived, she happened to see Dongfang Minghui hand Li Yunan a porcelain bottle. She surveyed the people present and the bottles scattered in disarray on the ground, then examined Dongfang Minghui carefully. Only after finding her uninjured did she relax.
"What happened?"
Dongfang Minghui pursed her lips. "It was Xu Jin, Xu Lian's brother. He deliberately sent people to cause trouble, but this senior brother drove them all away."
Dongfang Wanyu glanced at Li Yunan. Since they both belonged to the Thunder Hall, they naturally knew each other's names.
"Senior Brother Li."
"Junior Sister Qian."
Dongfang Minghui looked at the pair. Hehe, there's a chance here.
After what had happened, Dongfang Minghui had no desire to keep running her stall. She tossed all the unbroken porcelain bottles into her spatial ring.
"So you're Sister Wanyu's younger sister." Mu Sheng came over to help her pack up too.
Dongfang Minghui liked Mu Sheng quite a bit. When he asked, she nodded. "Yes, but we're about the same age. You can call me Minghui from now on."
Mu Sheng gave her a broad smile. "Minghui, Sister Wanyu said you made all these pills. You're amazing."
Dongfang Minghui stared blankly. She wasn't amazing at all. If she were, she wouldn't have needed him to fetch the heroine to clean up this mess. "I only know how to make pills."
"Seventh Sister, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
"I'll go with you."
"What about Mu Sheng?" Dongfang Minghui asked, pointing at him. "He came especially to see you." And then he had even made a trip to the Pharmacy Institute especially for her.
"Mu Sheng, we'll set up our stall here in three days. Come over then," Dongfang Wanyu told him directly.
"All right, Sister Wanyu."
Dongfang Wanyu nodded to Li Yunan, then followed Dongfang Minghui away. "Ninth Sister, why did Li Yunan suddenly appear?"
What Dongfang Minghui feared most now was the heroine asking her why her man had appeared here. The moment she was asked, her scalp prickled.
"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention earlier." Had Dongfang Minghui known she would run into Li Yunan today, she definitely wouldn't have set up her stall. "We should thank Senior Sister Bai Rou when we get the chance. If she hadn't been there, those people probably would've attacked much sooner."
Upon hearing that she didn't know, Dongfang Wanyu immediately felt lighter. But at the mention of Bai Rou, she said, "I don't think I saw her just now."
"Maybe she thought I'd be fine, so she left."
"It looks like I'd better accompany you whenever you set up your stall from now on."
Trouble had struck on only her second day. If Mu Sheng hadn't come running in time, she probably wouldn't even have known, nor would she have seen what happened between her and Li Yunan.
There was Nan Fei inside their courtyard and Li Yunan outside it.
Dongfang Wanyu felt she really did need to keep a closer eye on her.
"Seventh Sister, that wouldn't be good, would it? I'd be taking up your cultivation time." Dongfang Minghui declined tactfully.
"I can cultivate while keeping you company."
Since she had put it that way, Dongfang Minghui nodded. In any case, the heroine's wishes came first.
"Ninth Sister, how far have you gotten with the skill I gave you earlier?"
Whenever cultivation came up, Dongfang Minghui's vision went dark and she wanted to feign a faint. Since returning from Death Valley, she seemed to have cultivated for only a day or two.
If she really had to report her progress, no one had supervised her since Little Lecher became a sapling. After that, she had devoted herself entirely to making medicine.
"You need to practice that skill. Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere good."
Dongfang Minghui had a headache. She felt that her good days were gone for good; from now on, the heroine would watch over her cultivation every single day.
"Seventh Sister, can I-"
"No." One look at Dongfang Minghui was enough for Dongfang Wanyu to know what she wanted, and she refused without a second thought. "If you had mastered your skill sooner, you would at least have been able to protect yourself today."
Without even room to bargain, Dongfang Minghui could only console herself. "Understood, Seventh Sister."
Early the next morning, while Dongfang Minghui was still dreaming, Dongfang Wanyu hauled her out of bed. Toothless got up along with her.
"Let's go."
Dongfang Minghui led her to a small grove on the eastern side of the Royal Academy. It was near the forbidden grounds, with only a wall separating them.
Hardly anyone ever went there.
Dongfang Minghui didn't recognize any of these places anyway. They each picked a spot and practiced on their own.
Her skill was Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers. By channeling her spiritual power, she could turn objects around her into her allies. Seeing the leaves strewn across the ground, Dongfang Minghui got an idea.
She recited the incantation, releasing her spiritual power and gathering it in her palm. On her first attempt, nothing around her reacted.
On the second attempt, when she tried to raise them again, the leaves on the ground began to stir. But her spiritual power was probably insufficient: after floating a finger's width above the ground, the leaves fell back down.
On her third attempt, Dongfang Minghui channeled every bit of spiritual power in her body and commanded the leaves on the ground, "Rise."
The leaves floated up little by little. One, two, three... Before long, three rings of leaves surrounded her. Seizing her chance, Dongfang Minghui aimed at a large rock nearby. "Go."
The leaves shot toward it with a flurry of swishes, only to fall to the ground halfway there.
Another failure.
Watching from the side, Toothless simply lay down on the ground and exposed its soft belly. Apparently, it couldn't bear to watch anymore.
Dongfang Minghui scratched her head and examined her palm. Perhaps she didn't have enough spiritual power to sustain a long-range attack?
"I'll teach you how to control your spiritual power."
Dongfang Wanyu had been watching her all along and only approached after she had sent all the leaves flying.
"Seventh Sister."
Dongfang Wanyu nodded and instructed her from the side. "First, try making a single leaf float up from the ground, then attack that tree."
Dongfang Minghui did as she was told. Using all her spiritual power to control one leaf, she sent it piercing effortlessly into the tree trunk like a sharp sword.
"Huh?"
How strange. She had done the same thing just now, but those leaves had fallen once they reached a certain distance, completely ignoring her commands.
"Try again."
Dongfang Minghui used the same method, and the second leaf also pierced the trunk easily. After several more attempts, she discovered she could do it every time.
"Seventh Sister, it really seems to work."
Dongfang Wanyu stroked her head and encouraged her. "Now try controlling two leaves at once."
Dongfang Minghui obeyed. Two leaves floated up from the ground and shot into the trunk at her command. "This seems to work too."
Dongfang Wanyu walked over to inspect the trunk. "Ninth Sister, come here."
She pointed at four marks. "Look, these two are from the leaves you just shot, and the other two are from your first attempts. Do you notice any difference?"
Dongfang Minghui examined them carefully and marveled, "How can a leaf possibly pierce a tree trunk?"
Dongfang Wanyu couldn't help shaking her head. She pointed out how deeply the leaves had penetrated. "When you control one leaf, it goes much deeper than when you control two."
Now she understood. No wonder all those leaves had fallen halfway there earlier. Her spiritual power wasn't sufficient to sustain them.
"If you try controlling three leaves at once, the marks will be even shallower. How about this: starting today, use one leaf to cut down a tree. Once you manage to fell a tree, we'll move on to other exercises."
Dongfang Minghui's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seventh Sister, you mean you want me to take down an entire tree with one leaf?"
A leaf was so soft. The heroine had gone mad, wanting her to saw down a tree with a single leaf.
"Yes. Get started. I'll keep supervising you until you finish."
Dongfang Minghui suddenly felt that life held no hope. Even with a saw, she would probably need a month or so to cut down a tree. Now she examined the leaf over and over, unable to see anything sharp about it.
From that day onward, Dongfang Wanyu truly kept her word, dragging her out of bed first thing every morning. Naturally, she employed all sorts of methods for this □□ as well.
Dongfang Minghui had thought the heroine's torment would leave her utterly haggard. Yet every time she looked at her reflection in the water, she found herself looking ever fresher and lovelier. It was completely unscientific.
She felt that her skill was a cheat, a miraculous cheating tool that made her looks glow with a peculiar energy. Not only that, she felt far more energetic too.
"Concentrate."
Dongfang Wanyu patted her shoulder, then sat down nearby to cultivate.
Dongfang Minghui crouched and stroked Toothless. The little creature was truly strange. Every time the heroine hauled her out of bed, it insisted on getting up with her.
"You're still the best." Dongfang Minghui rubbed its little belly. "Toothless, cheer me on."
"Mommy, Mommy, you can do it!"
Dongfang Minghui nearly collapsed with laughter. She focused, bringing her spiritual power into its best condition, then made a leaf rise from the ground and shoot toward the tree, over and over.
She practiced from dawn until nightfall, yet the cut in the large tree had only deepened a tiny bit. Only after inspecting her progress did Dongfang Wanyu let her return.
"Tomorrow, you can make pills in the courtyard. In the afternoon, we'll set up our stall in the North Garden. Once every three days," Dongfang Wanyu reminded her. She had already arranged her cultivation and pill-making schedules well in advance.
Dongfang Minghui felt as though she had lifted a rock only to drop it on her own foot. She had invited the heroine to the courtyard to strengthen their relationship, only to lose her freedom completely. Life under someone else's supervision was hard. Boo-hoo.
It seemed she had to make the heroine fall in love as soon as possible. Then she wouldn't have time to supervise her.
"Toothless, how do you make someone fall in love with someone else quickly?"
Toothless simply rolled over on the bed, all four feet pointing skyward, shamelessly exposing its belly. Before long, soft snores rose from it.
Dongfang Minghui didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had forgotten that Toothless couldn't say anything except "Mommy." Only after much effort teaching it had she finally gotten it to say "You can do it."
"I've never seen a little beast as sleepy as you. Just what kind of creature are you?" Dongfang Minghui rubbed its little belly. She knew beasts generally only exposed their softest parts to someone they trusted deeply. Now that Toothless had grown a little, she felt it wasn't quite as ugly as it had seemed at first sight.
Dongfang Minghui tucked it under the covers, crawled in herself, and fell fast asleep.
Next door, however, after hearing that remark, Dongfang Wanyu couldn't even think about cultivating. She sat on a stool all night, wondering what exactly Ninth Sister had meant.
How could someone quickly fall in love with someone else?
Was she talking about herself?
Who did she want to fall in love with?
Or did she want someone to fall in love with her quickly?
Dongfang Wanyu pondered that question until dawn without finding an answer. The culprit, meanwhile, enjoyed a sweet night's sleep, then woke up and began weeding around the various spirit medicines in her courtyard.
Nan Nan wheeled Nan Fei out of the courtyard. Returning from their stroll, they saw Dongfang Minghui personally collecting morning dew and loosening the soil for the plants.
"Minghui, you seem to be getting up earlier and earlier lately," Nan Nan couldn't help praising her.
Dongfang Minghui turned and smiled at them. "Can Brother Nan walk yet?"
She remembered the Dean saying that after a little over half a month of recuperation, Brother Nan Fei could begin walking on his own. It would always be difficult at first, but he would gradually improve.
Still, she had already promised the heroine to meddle less in Nan Nan and Nan Fei's affairs.
Nan Nan shook her head. "Not yet. Minghui, why don't you help my brother?"
"Nan Nan," Nan Fei interrupted from the side. "I'm tired. Take me back to my room."
Nan Nan nodded. "All right, Brother."
Dongfang Minghui scratched her head. Why did she feel that something seemed strange about the siblings too? For the heroine's sake, she would find time to ask the Dean about his condition.
Dongfang Wanyu had been standing inside her doorway, listening to her conversation with the siblings. Seeing that she hadn't approached Nan Fei pleased her greatly.
But while she had guarded against this one, she hadn't guarded against another.
That afternoon, Dongfang Minghui and Dongfang Wanyu had just left the Pharmacy Institute when they spotted Mu Sheng waiting outside. He was delighted to see them.
"Seventh Sister, Mu Sheng must have something to tell you. I'll go ahead, so you two can chat." Dongfang Minghui rather liked this innocent young boy and was more than happy to give them some time alone.
Seeing this, Dongfang Wanyu could only nod.
"Sister Wanyu, I really just want to follow you. I have no ulterior motive." Ever since the Inner Court assessment ended, Mu Sheng had wanted to tell Sister Wanyu about his decision. But Qian Wanyu had vanished within the academy after that battle. No one had expected her to be sharing an abandoned courtyard in the Pharmacy Institute with Dongfang Minghui.
Dongfang Wanyu's expression remained cold. "What would you follow me for?"
Mu Sheng lowered his head bashfully and stared at his toes. "Every year, the Inner Court students form teams to go out and gain experience. Sister Wanyu, I want to team up with you."
Dongfang Wanyu considered it seriously. "Mu Sheng, I won't team up with you. I already have Minghui."
Mu Sheng looked as though his world had collapsed. "Sister Wanyu, is it because you think I'll only hold you back?"
Dongfang Wanyu glanced at him, her gaze seeming to confirm his suspicion.
"Sister Wanyu, I'll work hard not to hold you back. Please think about it. I'll come find you again another time." With that, Mu Sheng ran off, feeling wronged.
Dongfang Minghui had just finished arranging her wares when she saw the heroine approaching at an unhurried pace.
"Where's Mu Sheng?"
"He probably had something to do and left." Dongfang Wanyu casually invented an excuse.
Dongfang Minghui nodded. She had been hoping to tease him some more. "Seventh Sister, do you think those people will come to make trouble again?"
"They probably won't."
Huh, that voice... Dongfang Minghui looked up and saw Li Yunan again. She felt a vein throb on her forehead. Why did this man keep appearing?
"Why are you here again?" Dongfang Minghui asked irritably. She couldn't afford to offend him, yet couldn't escape him either. How vexing.
Smiling, Li Yunan pointed to the people behind him. "Your pills are excellent, but you only come once every three days. So they asked me to bring them here."
Dongfang Minghui looked and was dumbfounded by the crowd of senior brothers and sisters behind him. She suspected Li Yunan must have said something to make her pills so popular.
"Senior Brother Li, don't think they'll get a free order just because you brought them. I'm telling you, my pills aren't cheap. One pill costs three spirit stones, and one porcelain bottle contains ten pills. That's thirty spirit stones in total."
Dongfang Minghui spoke without the slightest politeness. Beside her, Dongfang Wanyu gave the two a puzzled glance, then immediately crossed Li Yunan off her list. Ninth Sister's attitude toward him made it clear that he definitely couldn't be the person she had been talking about.
The person she wanted to make fall in love with her as quickly as possible.
But apart from Li Yunan, who else could it be?
"Don't worry. They're all senior brothers. How could they not have thirty spirit stones? I'm only afraid you won't have enough pills to go around." Smiling, Li Yunan stepped aside and let them browse the stall for whatever suited them.
Dongfang Minghui simply crouched down to answer their questions. "These are Hemostatic Pills, these are Spirit-Communicating Pills, and these ones here-the labels are all on them. You'd better tell me which pills you want to buy, though, and I'll pick them out for you."
Unable to help, Dongfang Wanyu simply stood up.
"Junior Sister Qian, the old man at Thunder Hall asked me to tell you to drop by when you have time," Li Yunan said with a smile, casually fanning himself with a Flirtatious Fan.
"Why are you so good to my Ninth Sister?"
Dongfang Wanyu narrowed her eyes at him, as though she wouldn't let him off easily unless he told her the truth.
Li Yunan glanced at Dongfang Minghui, who was enthusiastically explaining her pills' effects to the others. He shrugged, unsure himself why he had helped her and even brought a group of fellow disciples to support her business. "Probably because her pills really are excellent."
He had tried one after returning. Once the pill reached his stomach, it produced an unexpected effect. The process was unbearably painful, however, and for a while he had thought that little girl had tricked him.
But once the medicine's effects subsided, he discovered that the lingering injury he had suffered while gathering lightning several years ago seemed to have improved a little. At the very least, he felt considerably better.
That was also one of the reasons he had come to find Dongfang Minghui again.
After Dongfang Minghui finished explaining the pills' effects, everyone bought a bottle, and the twenty porcelain bottles on the stall were quickly snapped up.
Watching the number of spirit stones on her jade token shoot upward, Dongfang Minghui beamed, her smile blooming like a flower.
"Little Junior Sister, do you have time to hear me out for a moment?" Once she was finished, Li Yunan suddenly sprang in front of her and asked with a smile.
Dongfang Minghui shook her head like a pellet drum. "No. I don't think we have anything to discuss."
Li Yunan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Why did he feel that this little junior sister avoided him like snakes and scorpions? He had shown so much sincer
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