Chapter 12

Only after Su Jiu returned to her room did she remember who Mu Zihan was. A supporting female character mentioned in the book she had read seemed to have that name, but Xia Meng had never been mentioned.

Then again, Mu Zihan was already fifteen when she appeared in the book. Perhaps she had long since parted ways with Xia Meng by then.

Even Su Jiu herself had spent more time apart from Su Mianmian than together after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm, almost constantly out gaining experience.

When Su Jiu returned, Senior Sister Han was not in the room.

Exhausted from the day, she soon fell fast asleep on her bed.

She had no idea how long she had slept. Through the haze, candlelight seemed to flare to life, accompanied by the smell of blood. Su Jiu instinctively rolled upright and gripped the dagger beside her pillow.

Only once her drowsiness had completely cleared did she realize that Senior Sister Han had returned.

Senior Sister Han's face was pale, and her clothes were in tatters. Claw marks from some unknown beast covered her arms and thighs, some shallow, others deep.

Senior Sister Han seemed to realize she had startled Su Jiu awake and forced a smile. "Sorry, I woke you."

Su Jiu shook her head and went over to help tend the wounds on Senior Sister Han's back.

Senior Sister Han accepted without ceremony and tossed the medicine to Su Jiu. Su Jiu uncorked the bottle and sniffed it. It was the lowest-grade Hemostatic Powder.

This kind of Hemostatic Powder could only stop wounds from bleeding; it did nothing to help them heal. In her previous life, she had seen rogue cultivators carrying it while she was out gaining experience.

Su Jiu worked quickly, evenly sprinkling the powder over the wounds in no time.

Senior Sister Han looked mildly surprised. "You're quite practiced at this. Did your elders train you?"

Su Jiu's hand paused slightly as she scattered the powder. In her previous life, treating her own wounds while out gaining experience had practically become instinct. Of course she was practiced.

Before Su Jiu could answer, however, Senior Sister Han continued on her own. "Of course. People from lineages like yours must have elders watching over you and teaching you these basics."

"Unlike rogue cultivators like us, who have to figure everything out ourselves." Senior Sister Han smiled self-mockingly.

By then, Su Jiu had finished treating her wounds. Senior Sister Han turned to look at her, the shadows on her profile flickering in the candlelight. "Aren't you frightened at all by these hideous wounds?"

Su Jiu was naturally unafraid of those wounds. It was not as though she had never seen injuries far more horrifying and disgusting.

When Su Jiu said nothing, she pursed her lips, finding her rather dull. "You're such a boring child. Like a block of wood."

"Since you helped apply my medicine, I'll give you a friendly warning. Once you manage to achieve Qi Induction, don't rush to take on dangerous missions. The rewards may be high, but so are the risks."

"See these wounds? I got them hunting Windfang Rabbits."

Windfang Rabbits? Su Jiu had some recollection of them. They were first-rank Demon Beasts, and she had hunted a few under the watchful eye of her master, the sect leader. They were aggressive rabbits known for their speed, with claws sharp enough to slice through trees in an instant.

"Also, keep your eyes sharp when choosing teammates. Try to team up with cultivators around your own level. If senior brothers or sisters in the middle or late stages of qi refining offer to take you along, I'd advise you to refuse. Don't think they're bringing you on missions out of concern for you. Never entertain such a naive idea."

She then glanced toward Su Jiu's bed. "Do you know why you were assigned this room? Because the senior sister who used to sleep in your spot was taken along to her death."

A brief silence followed. Senior Sister Han's eyes dimmed a little. Then she pulled up her blanket, lay down, and turned her face away. "Don't be as foolish as she was. Nothing here matters more than staying alive."

Senior Sister Han's voice grew softer and softer, until it was impossible to tell whether she was speaking to Su Jiu or muttering to herself.

The rest of the night passed without a word. When Su Jiu got up, she found Senior Sister Han still sleeping. She did not disturb her and quietly walked out.

Only then did Senior Sister Han slowly open her eyes. Looking somewhat annoyed with herself, she muttered, "Did I talk too much last night?"

Su Jiu naturally knew nothing of this little interlude.

"Su Jiu!"

As soon as Su Jiu stepped outside, she saw Xia Meng and Mu Zihan approaching hand in hand.

"What a coincidence! We were just coming to find you," Xia Meng said with a smile.

Outer Gate disciples attended lectures at the Lecturer Hall, where lessons were held for four hours every day.

Today, the lecturer was a woman who looked about twenty. Her expression was mild, but an innate arrogance lurked in her eyes.

Su Jiu studied the lecturer at the front. Her collar and cuffs bore purple patterns, and a small sword emblem marked her shoulder. Was she a true disciple from Golden Guard Peak?

Yet Su Jiu distinctly remembered that, according to the Outer Gate disciple handbook, those who came to lecture at the Outer Gate should all be Inner Gate Disciples.

The woman spoke in an even voice about Qi Induction, but her explanation was far too advanced from the very outset.

At first, Su Jiu noticed nothing amiss. After all, she had the experience of her previous life, and her comprehension ranked among the best of her peers. She found nothing difficult about it.

But when she saw Xia Meng looking close to tears and Mu Zihan frowning in bewilderment, she realized that most of the audience was lost, with no idea what the woman was talking about.

The woman seemed unconcerned about whether anyone understood and simply continued speaking at the front.

At last, someone could no longer remain seated and stood up. "Lecturer! I-I hope you can explain it more simply. I-I don't understand." The speaker was a boy, his face flushed either from anxiety or embarrassment.

The woman clearly had not expected anyone to interrupt her lecture. Looking at the boy, she curled her lips into a faint sneer. "You can't even understand something as simple as Qi Induction, yet you want to cultivate toward immortality? If you have no aptitude, wouldn't it be better to stop wasting your time here?"

Then she looked at the crowd of cultivators who had yet to achieve Qi Induction. "Does anyone else down there not understand? If there are too many of you, I could explain it again."

Her tone carried the condescension of someone dispensing charity from on high, as though she were looking at a heap of trash. Su Jiu's gaze involuntarily grew colder.

The older students in the Lecturer Hall also heard the mockery in her words. Two youths even got up and headed straight for the exit.

The woman at the front clearly had not expected anyone to leave her lesson outright. With a sweep of her sleeve, she sent both of them crashing onto the platform where she stood.

"In such a hurry to leave? Do you have some grievance against me?"

One youth glared resentfully at the so-called lecturer and spoke through gritted teeth. "Who could understand when you make it that difficult?"

The woman sneered. "If you can't understand, that's because you're stupid. What does it have to do with me?"

The other youth, who had landed on his back on the platform, felt deeply humiliated. "Don't go too far."

Yet the woman showed no fear whatsoever. "Plenty of people have said things like that to me. If you were among those who stepped onto the platform yesterday, I might have some reservations. But little pieces of trash who can't even achieve Qi Induction think they can threaten me? Ha!"

Someone else stood up then. This time, it was a young girl. She looked gentle and refined, and her frown lent her a touch of pitiable vulnerability.

"Lecturer, your explanation really isn't suitable for disciples who have only just joined."

The woman narrowed her eyes at the girl who had stood up. "So someone who has already achieved Qi Induction was hiding among you."

The moment the woman spoke, the girl became the center of attention. Everyone around her looked at her with envy.

The woman seemed to regain her earlier composure, though a trace of mockery remained in her eyes. "If my explanation isn't suitable, why don't you teach?"

She had expected the girl to leave in embarrassment. Instead, the girl bowed to her with clasped hands. "Then rather than stand on ceremony, I shall do as you ask."

After that, the platform became the girl's alone. One after another, many of the students came to understand what Qi Induction was and how to achieve it. The girl on the platform seemed to shine with light, and her gentle bearing drew even more eyes toward her.

Even Xia Meng gazed at the platform in admiration.

Meanwhile, the woman's expression below the platform grew uglier and uglier.

Where no one else could see, Su Jiu finally gave up trying to control her expression, and the corner of her mouth twitched despite herself.

Because she remembered now. This was part of the original novel, and it marked the beginning of Bai Su winning the Outer Gate disciples' favor.