Feng Qianqian couldn’t help but ask, “Little White Fox, how do we leave this place?”
The little fox replied, “The owner of these things is Ancestor Yunqing. She foresaw that you could inherit her legacy. Before her death, she instructed that you can only leave after mastering the martial arts in these chests. Otherwise, you’ll be trapped here forever. I’ve been waiting for you for over a hundred years.”
Feng Qianqian frowned deeply. “Little White Fox, you’re forcing me to study. In my past life, I pushed myself relentlessly, finally achieving success so I’d never have to read again—only to die young. And now you want me to study? I won’t do it. Absolutely not!”
Hearing this, the little fox glared at her. “If you don’t learn, you’ll be trapped here forever. I won’t tell you how to leave.” It turned its head away, ran off, and ignored her.
Feng Qianqian looked around—nothing but towering ancient trees, no exit in sight. Gazing up at the sky, she felt helpless. She let out a long sigh, then suddenly rallied with a voice full of determination: “I’ll learn! As long as I don’t die, I’ll study like my life depends on it! Not because I’m diligent, but because I can’t get out!”
The little fox nodded, ran back, and stopped glaring at her.
Feng Qianqian made up her mind. Since fate had brought her here by chance, gaining some skills for self-defense didn’t seem so bad. She took a sofa out of her dimensional space, exchanged for a roast chicken, opened the bag, and placed it in a bowl. “Little White Fox, this chicken is for you.”
The little fox made a cupped-hand salute, bit the bowl, dragged it aside, and began eating with relish.
Feng Qianqian opened the chests one by one. In one, she found several martial arts manuals and a letter on top. She opened the letter and read: “Disciple, I am Ancestor Yunqing, founder of the Kunlun Sect. You have already performed the apprenticeship ceremony at my tombstone in the back mountain, making you my disciple. These are gifts for you. If the Kunlun Sect ever faces trouble in the future, do your utmost to help. Here is a token to command the Kunlun Sect. Among the martial arts, first learn the internal energy cultivation method, then the others. The silver is for self-defense. The Little White Fox has followed me for many years. It kept its promise, waiting here for you all this time. Take good care of it.”
After reading the letter, Feng Qianqian felt a pang of sorrow. Her voice softened. “Since I’ve come here and you’ve become my master, rest assured—I will strive to master all these manuals.” She glanced at the little fox happily eating nearby and promised, “I’ll take good care of the little fox too.”
She picked up an internal energy cultivation method manual and sat on the sofa to read it. The book had illustrations for each movement. She studied and practiced simultaneously, relying on her photographic memory. In less than a day, she had learned the internal energy cultivation method. Mastery, however, would take time and practice.
Yearning for the lightness skills she’d seen in dramas, she picked up the Kunlun Lightness Skill and flipped through it. Perhaps from fatigue or flipping too quickly, she saw a faint, ethereal white shadow practicing before her eyes and couldn’t help but mimic its movements. Applying the internal energy cultivation method, she focused her energy in her dantian, pushed off the ground with one foot, and soared into the air, leaping over ten meters high. Just as she was feeling proud, she plummeted downward at lightning speed.
The Little White Fox was munching on a chicken leg when it accidentally saw Feng Qianqian about to crash right into it. Clutching the chicken leg in its mouth, it darted far away in a flash.
It felt a wave of lingering fear: what the founder practiced was qinggong, but what Feng Qianqian was doing was a death sentence.
At least learn it properly before practicing! But no, she only grasped half of it and started flying, shooting up like a skyrocket in an instant. And now, she couldn’t come back down.
Thankfully, I was quick-eyed and swift-footed, narrowly escaping disaster. Otherwise, I would’ve been crushed to death by her.
From now on, whenever she practices qinggong, I’ll stay as far away as possible. Having lived for centuries, I can’t let myself perish at her hands.
Ever since then, whenever Feng Qianqian practiced martial arts, the Little White Fox was nowhere to be seen.
Feng Qianqian panicked for a moment, forgetting to enter her dimensional space. Just before hitting the ground, she executed a series of rapid rolls, narrowly avoiding death.
She stood up, dusted off her clothes, and sighed in relief. “Luckily, I didn’t learn it well enough. It was only a dozen meters high, so I survived the fall. Otherwise, I would’ve been done for. I’d better take it step by step and not rush things.”
She began to practice steadily and diligently, putting in hard work.
When hungry, she would take food from her dimensional space, and at night, she and the Little White Fox would rest inside it.
Here, one could often see a woman in combat fatigues brandishing a precious sword, its cold gleam dancing up and down.
At times, she would soar dozens of meters into the air, causing leaves to scatter like heavenly blossoms falling from the sky, only to pierce the soil in neat rows moments later…
Driven by the spirit of “if you can’t exhaust yourself, exhaust yourself to death,” Feng Qianqian practiced diligently every day…
…………
Li Prince Manor
After leaving the mass burial ground, Nangong Li lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss and extreme weakness, his body covered in blood.
As soon as An Yi entered the manor, he began playing his part, anxiously shouting, “Hurry and fetch Divine Doctor Bai! The prince has been assassinated and is in critical condition!”
“Prepare strong liquor, hot water, and robes!”
For a moment, the manor descended into chaos…
The spies planted by other princes in the manor, witnessing this scene, quickly left to report to their respective masters.
Divine Doctor Bai was Nangong Li’s eldest senior brother. He had become a disciple of Xuan Zhenzi in his youth.
Xuan Zhenzi had taken four disciples in his lifetime.
The eldest disciple was Bai Qingchen, the legitimate son of the Divine Physician Valley’s master.
The second disciple, Chu Muyan, was responsible for managing the affairs of the Netherworld Hall.
Nangong Li ranked third.
There was also a younger junior brother, Tang Zhi, two years younger than Nangong Li, who followed him around like a shadow.
Shortly after, Bai Qingchen arrived at Nangong Li’s bedchamber carrying a small medical kit.
Seeing his third junior brother covered in wounds, he frowned deeply and scolded angrily, “Who injured your prince like this?”
An Yi dismissed the others and lowered his voice considerably. “It was likely the Crown Prince’s men. Nearly five hundred elite shadow guards… the prince barely escaped.”
Nangong Li opened his deep, dark eyes. “Eldest Senior Brother, check the state of the cold poison in my body.”
An Yi, perceptive as ever, brought over a chair. Bai Qingchen sat down and began taking Nangong Li’s pulse.
He then examined Nangong Li carefully.
After a long while, he stood up, his face filled with surprise. “Third Junior Brother, have you had some extraordinary encounter? The cold poison and the other toxins in your body have all been neutralized. Aside from the damage to your five viscera, which will require gradual recuperation, you’re no different from a normal person. Which master cured you?”
“It was a young woman.”
“What’s her name?”
“I didn’t ask!”
“How much did you pay for the treatment?”
“I probably had thirty to forty thousand taels in silver notes on me, plus a jade pendant.”
“She even took the jade pendant—that was something your mother left behind. How could you give it to her?”
“I had no choice. I was unconscious at the time and could only hear her speaking. She’s a money-grubber, like a bandit; anything of value would have been taken.”
Bai Qingchen pondered, “She’s quite young. Her master must be a transcendent master.”
Nangong Li added, “Eldest Brother, please keep it a secret that the cold poison in my body has been cured. Prepare a medicine for me to take that mimics the symptoms of poisoning, so they will be reassured.”
Bai Qingchen understood instantly, “There’s a medicine called the Stretch-Legs-and-Widen-Eyes Pill. Taking it produces exactly those symptoms.”
“Good, bring me one to take.”
“But your body is still very weak. Taking it could cause harm.”
“I’ve been ravaged by poison for so many years; a little more won’t make much difference.”
Bai Qingchen then said with concern, “Third Brother, let me tend to your wounds first. You’re covered in so much blood.”
“My injuries were healed by that little demoness. This blood is from before. The palace must already know the news, and they’ll send imperial physicians soon. Only after they’ve examined me will the empress be at ease.”
Bai Qingchen sighed, “The imperial family is the most heartless, utterly devoid of familial affection.”