By the time Yi Qinglan and Lin Wanying rushed to the village chief’s house, the argument had already reached a boiling point.
“No one is allowed to touch it!”
Zhong Ying hugged the barely revived Wang Shen tightly, throwing herself onto the floor of the village chief’s house and wailing, “My father exchanged his life for this!”
The snow-white Wang Shen lay half-reclined in the room. A circle of white thread was wrapped around its neck, a stitch Fang Shuyue had made to reconnect its head to its body. True to its nature as a divine creature born of heaven and earth, despite being half-dead, its body gradually grew warm after receiving medical treatment. It had ultimately reclaimed its life, though its limbs were covered in scars and it remained unable to move.
“Life? Are the lives of others not lives? More than a dozen of us risked our lives in the deep mountains to catch this treasure, and you actually want to let it go?” Jing Quan looked at this rogue, throwing a tantrum young girl, so furious that he wanted to smash his tobacco pipe hard onto the ground, but he forced himself to hold back. He had been scorched half-black in the fire. When Yi Qinglan first stepped over the threshold, she almost failed to recognize who he was.
“It’s not some treasure at all! It’s just a deer! If you hadn’t been so blinded by greed to catch it, would the demons have come targeting us?” Zhong Ying spat on the ground. “You almost got burned to death in the mountains, yet you’re so old and still so muddle headed!”
“You! How dare you speak to an elder like that?” Jing Quan’s face flushed with anger, and his right hand slapped the table heavily. “I want to take this treasure to exchange for money so that everyone in our village can live a good life and no longer suffer from the wind and rain. What do you know?!”
“I don’t know about your gold or silver, but I do know that it saved me, it saved you, and it saved the lives of all the hunters in the village!” Zhong Ying wiped away a smear of snot. “The demons harmed my father and mother. The demons want to do evil things and kill it. We absolutely cannot let the demons get their way!”
“You’ve been at odds with my father since the beginning. My father said we had to protect the forest, but you opposed him at every turn.” Zhong Ying grew angrier as she spoke. “Ever since the demon instigated my father to go into the mountains, you even secretly egged the villagers on so they wouldn’t go save him. I know what you were scheming, you just wanted to see if my father could really find something so you could pick up a treasure for free!”
“You! Nonsense!” Jing Quan’s face turned a mixture of dark and red, his entire body trembling. “This is open rebellion!”
He clearly didn’t want to waste any more breath on this young girl, but with so many people present, it wasn’t convenient for him to take direct action. Thus, he turned to the village chief. “Village Chief, what do you say we do?”
The village chief felt a massive headache coming on. Looking at the snow-white, peculiar animal, he found himself caught in a dilemma.
Seeing both sides stuck in a stalemate, the village chief simply turned to the cultivators from the immortal sects. “What do the Immortal Masters think?”
Yi Qinglan said decisively, “This deer must be released back into the mountains, otherwise it will invite a great disaster.”
Suddenly, someone ran to the doorway. “This is bad, Village Chief! This is bad! Several households in the village have been poisoned after drinking the stream water!”
“What?!” The village chief’s beard quivered, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
“Poisoned?” Lin Wanying and Fang Shuyue exclaimed in surprise.
Oh no. It seemed the toxins in the stream water had already spread. Yi Qinglan made a prompt decision. “We must release it as quickly as possible. Otherwise, once the poisonous miasma spreads, the entire village will be in danger!”
Jing Quan’s face turned ashen. He and the village chief looked at each other in at a loss, completely bewildered.
The mountain wind howled past their sides, and mist drifted beneath their feet. Looking down from above, Mount Muyin was shrouded in dense fog, making it almost impossible to see the path.
“Just a bit further ahead.” Yi Qinglan flew on her sword toward the depths of Mount Muyin, shielding Zhong Ying in front of her. The girl’s arms were still tightly hugging the white deer.
Upon reaching a familiar place, the two landed on the ground. The area was covered in scorch marks; the vegetation was burned to a complete mess, and every few steps on the ground lay a dark bloodstain, recalling the tragic traces of that day.
The deer was now able to move agilely. It quickly broke free from its restraints and hopped and skipped on its limping legs toward a hidden cave entrance at the bottom of the cliff. Its speed was still astonishingly fast, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
The late autumn mountain wind brought waves of chill, causing their sleeves and robes to billow and flutter. Zhong Ying stared blankly at the direction where the white deer had left, standing frozen in place, unsure of what she was thinking.
Yi Qinglan placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder and gave it a gentle, comforting pat.
In the blink of an eye, Zhong Ying suddenly spotted something on the ground nearby, and her gaze was instantly drawn to it.
She brushed off Yi Qinglan’s hand, ran over there recklessly, threw herself onto the ground, picked something up, and cradled it in both hands.
Yi Qinglan followed her over, only to see the girl’s slightly trembling back.
“It’s my father… these are my father’s clothes…”
Beside the clothing, a ground full of seeds lay scattered. Under the sun and rain, within just a few days, they already showed faint signs of sprouting.
Zhong Ying’s eyes gradually grew moist. Tear after tear fell, moistening the seeds and the soil beneath her.
On the way back while flying on the sword, Zhong Ying held the clothing tightly in her arms.
Yi Qinglan had originally thought that since the girl was so young and had experienced such a major tragedy, she would be depressed for a long time. She hadn’t expected that upon returning, the girl would head straight into her house and start busying herself, moving things in and out.
Seeing Yi Qinglan standing there looking somewhat dazed, Zhong Ying turned back to look at her:
“Immortal Sister, please give me a hand and help me pack my things to move to my aunt’s house.” Her hands didn’t stop moving for a second. “I don’t want to live by myself! Besides, my aunt’s daughter, Duo’er, is only three years old. I still need to go help take care of her!”
She took down the bow and arrows that Zhong Yan frequently used for hunting from the wall, and together with her own secretly kept small bow and arrows, she solemnly placed them into a large chest.
Yi Qinglan spent the entire afternoon and evening helping her complete the move.
“Immortal Sister!”
Just as Yi Qinglan was about to leave, she suddenly heard Zhong Ying call out to her from behind. She turned around and saw the girl running toward her from afar, handing her an item.
This was… a bone whistle?
The craftsmanship looked very exquisite.
Zhong Ying was a little out of breath. “This… this is for you.” She brushed her hair back, looking a bit embarrassed. “This is… what my father used to use often when hunting. It’s very useful!”
“Alright.” Yi Qinglan accepted it and patted her head.
The poisoned villagers recovered quickly after receiving treatment from Fang Shuyue. Once the Wang Shen returned to its proper place, Fang Shuyue tested the stream water, the toxins had already begun to recede slowly. As long as it was boiled and a bit of alum was added, it could be consumed as usual.
However, for a long time to come, the hunters would have to remain cautious, even if they went hunting, they could only limit themselves to the outer edges of the mountain.
Just as Feng Hanyu had said, this village was in a state of decline. Especially under the covetous eyes of those with ulterior motives, there was no telling how much longer it could hold out.
After a busy day, Yi Qinglan returned to the room the village chief had prepared for them, filled a tub with hot water, and prepared to take a bath.
She unfastened her outer robe and bandages. The wound that had previously been pierced by the tree demon had healed rapidly under Fang Shuyue’s treatment and had already scabbed over.
She carefully folded her clothes together and stepped into the bath barrel.
According to what Feng Hanyu said, the Shan Xiao (Mountain Demon) was the true culprit orchestrating everything behind the scenes. Unfortunately, it had already fled elsewhere.
This monster could drive other demons to act as its puppets and do its bidding, and it was exceptionally skilled at hiding and escaping. No one had seen its true face yet, proving that it was highly difficult to deal with.
Perhaps it would be best to report this situation to her Master tomorrow and have the sect send reinforcements, which might increase their chances of victory.
Just as Yi Qinglan was thinking this, a creak sound came from the window in the silence.
“Who is outside the window?!”
Yi Qinglan reached out her hand to grab her clothes, but before she could cover herself, the window leisurely swung halfway open. A scent of wine mixed with a crisp, cold fragrance drifted inside.
A woman leaned sideways against the window frame, her half-revealed face looking like a banished immortal. She turned her head slightly, revealing none other than Feng Hanyu’s half-smiling face.
Seeing Yi Qinglan casting a cautious and alert glance over, she appeared entirely calm. Half a cup of wine remained in her hand; she took another leisurely sip, lowered her eyes, and casually sized up the person in the water.
Just as she was about to drink again, the wine cup flew out smoothly, landing into Yi Qinglan’s hand in the blink of an eye.
Feng Hanyu was startled, but she saw that Yi Qinglan didn’t even look at her. She had already downed the wine in one gulp and said with great relish, “Good wine, good wine. A pity, though.”
Feng Hanyu flipped herself into the room, leaned against the wooden table, and gave a soft snort. “A pity for what?”
Yi Qinglan rested her chest against the edge of the wooden barrel, playing with the small, delicate wine cup, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. “This wine is of superior quality. A pity that the person drinking it doesn’t necessarily have good taste.”
“How so?”
“In the dead of night, you don’t take the front door, but instead copy the style of a flower thief, peeping at someone bathing from behind a window. What kind of taste is that?”
“Me? Peeping at you bathing?” Feng Hanyu let out a laugh at those words. “I, the grand… I am a woman just like you, how could I possibly have such a hobby? Why couldn’t it be that I was worried about your injuries, anxious and keeping you in mind in the middle of the night, so I specially came to see you?”
Yi Qinglan smiled faintly. “But coming to someone’s door suddenly without giving a word of greeting and giving them a fright is ultimately not the behavior of a gentleman.”
“A gentleman?” Feng Hanyu said. “The so-called gentlemen all look proper and refined on the surface, but secretly engage in underhanded deeds. There are already so many ‘gentlemen’ in this world, do I really need to join in on the fun?”
“Not so.” Yi Qinglan shook her head. “What you just described are hypocrites. In this world, there are not only hypocrites, but also true gentlemen who do not deceive even in a dark room, whose hearts match their words.”
Feng Hanyu had no interest in arguing with Yi Qinglan about hypocrites or true gentlemen. She bent down to face her directly, staring closely at her face, and said softly, “What you say makes sense, but I am neither a true gentleman nor a hypocrite. I am merely a woman. Yet you insist on making me act like some gentleman, isn’t that just playing a lute to a cow?” She offered a charming smile as she spoke, looking exceptionally moving.
Seeing her suddenly lean in so close, Yi Qinglan’s heart began to beat like a drum, and she couldn’t help but secretly swallow her saliva. Unexpectedly, Feng Hanyu suddenly stood up, moved behind her, and her fingertips brushed against her spine.
“Hiss.” A soft cry escaped Yi Qinglan’s lips. The spot Feng Hanyu touched happened to be where her wound, pierced by the tree demon, was located.
She endured the itchiness, but felt Feng Hanyu move her hand onto her shoulder. That spot was smooth and delicate, yielding a very soft texture to the touch. Then, Feng Hanyu’s cold and clear voice rang out:
“You truly possess a body impervious to fire.”
“I have been like this since I was a child,” Yi Qinglan said. “Master said it is because I was born with a Fire Spiritual Root.”
“Fire Spiritual Root?” A soft snort escaped Feng Hanyu’s throat, but she didn’t speak further, leaving it unknown what she was thinking.
After a period of silence, just as Yi Qinglan was about to turn around, she heard Feng Hanyu speak from behind her. “Don’t move.”
Suppressing the doubts in her heart, Yi Qinglan obediently leaned against the edge of the wooden barrel, only to feel an abundant power surge into the left side of her chest.
This power was incredibly gentle. Yi Qinglan only felt her entire body grow warm and cozy, and a wave of sleepiness washed over her. Turning her head slightly to look, she saw Feng Hanyu holding a magical artifact shaped like a translucent red cat’s eye stone, presumably using it to heal her injuries.
“That day when I saw you in the fire, your appearance was very peculiar,” Feng Hanyu suddenly spoke up after a long silence.
“Oh? Why?” Yi Qinglan asked.
Feng Hanyu said, “The Ruins Fire is far more potent than ordinary flames. It can recognize people who pose a threat to it and desires to eliminate them before they can grow. The way the Ruins Fire surrounded and attacked you back then is something I have only ever seen on one other person.”
Yi Qinglan didn’t take it to heart and joked with a smile, “Then what about me? Am I the second?”
Behind her, a faint trace of grimness surfaced on Feng Hanyu’s face. “Do you really not know who the person I am talking about is?”
“I don’t know.” Completely oblivious, Yi Qinglan casually teased, “Hearing you put it that way, could it be that I, just like that person, am a rare and naturally gifted genius?”
“Perhaps.” Feng Hanyu gave a half-smile.
After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Feng Hanyu stopped her hands.
Yi Qinglan dried her body and was about to put on her clothes and step out of the water, only to see Feng Hanyu turn around and walk straight toward the door.
Having been half-asleep just a moment ago, Yi Qinglan snapped wide awake. “Where are you going?”
“To sleep.” Feng Hanyu replied casually, pushing the door open and walking out before the other could answer. By the time Yi Qinglan threw on her clothes and chased out the door, there was already no sign of her anywhere, leaving behind only a ground covered in cold, lonely moonlight.
Beneath a pitch-black canopy of sky, Feng Hanyu walked through the dark night, blending seamlessly with the shadows.
She had tested her slightly just now, and there was not the slightest abnormality inside Yi Qinglan’s body.
Could it be that she truly had absolutely nothing to do with Gu Xianghe, and was just an ordinary cultivator?
Then how could the Ruins Fire’s intent to trap her be explained?
A shadow soldier drifted up from her side.
“Demon Venerable, the news regarding the theft of the Mysterious Spirit Pearl has leaked. The western tribes are growing restless.”
A wave of irritation rose in Feng Hanyu’s heart. With a wave of her hand, the shadow soldier was blasted to pieces, dissolving into the night sky.
The Shan Xiao.
A chilling murderous intent flickered in Feng Hanyu’s eyes.
Sooner or later, she would ensure it died without a grave.