Nan Sinning finally felt at ease.
Shen Tangyuan spoke again, “Fifth junior brother, quickly apologize to the brothers and sisters of Cijian Peak!”
Xiao Jingwen still stiffened his neck, but when Shen Tangyuan shot him a faint look, Xiao Jingwen shuddered and immediately submitted: “Sorry, everyone, I was too arrogant. Please don’t take it to heart—just treat what I said as a fart.”
Nan Sinning hadn’t expected Xiao Jingwen to have that much self-awareness, willing to admit that his words were nothing but farts.
Shen Tangyuan then pulled several bottles of pills from his storage ring and handed them to the disciples of Cijian Peak. “As the eldest senior brother, I also share blame for failing to discipline my fifth junior brother. These pills were refined personally by me—please accept them as an apology.”
Before Nan Sinning could react, Hua Shengqing, Zhou Lixing, and the others had already taken them happily. Even Qin Sangyue only hesitated a little before accepting them and offering thanks.
When it was Nan Sinning’s turn, Shen Tangyuan said especially to her, “Congratulations, junior sister Nan, on regaining your intelligence. Compared to such a joyous occasion, my fifth junior brother’s reckless words are insignificant. Don’t let such matters disturb your mood.”
Nan Sinning took the pill bottle steadily and replied, “Thank you, senior brother Shen. Since you’re being so generous, let me give you a reminder: have your junior brother eat something good. If he eats poorly, his stomach will turn and he’ll just end up farting again.”
Shen Tangyuan paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Thank you for the reminder, junior sister Nan. I’ll remember it.”
After that, he turned to Qin Sangyue. “Junior sister Qin, I have other matters to handle. Once my business at Medicine King City is finished, I’ll come find you to discuss it.”
Qin Sangyue nodded. “Alright.”
Soon, Shen Tangyuan left with a dejected Xiao Jingwen. Watching their departing figures, Nan Sinning narrowed her eyes slightly. She had a strong feeling that Shen Tangyuan harbored some ulterior motive.
After Shen Tangyuan and Xiao Jingwen left, Qin Sangyue said to the others, “Let’s head back.”
Zhou Lixing added, “Hurry, hurry, second senior brother is alone at the residence—we don’t know how he’s doing.”
Hua Shengqing said carelessly, “Don’t worry, third senior brother. Before leaving we helped smooth his meridians. It hasn’t been long, he should be fine.”
Nan Sinning felt that seventh senior sister had spoken too soon.
Sure enough, when they neared their courtyard, Qin Sangyue immediately sensed something was wrong. She was the first to gather her qi and fly ahead.
Liang Xiao followed at once.
Zhou Lixing and Hua Shengqing each grabbed one of Nan Sinning’s arms, lifting her up and flying with her.
Nan Sinning: …
The first spell she needed to learn was this Swift Flight Technique!
From the outside, the courtyard looked calm and normal. But when Qin Sangyue unlocked the barrier, Nan Sinning suddenly felt as though a massive black void appeared before her, flashes of lightning-like light bursting within, more terrifying than the stormy night before.
Qin Sangyue warned cautiously, “Stay outside, I’ll go take a look—”
Before she could finish, Nan Sinning had already stepped through the barrier into the courtyard.
Inside, violent winds howled, nearly knocking her off her feet. Her senses were distorted—sight and hearing both suppressed.
After a tense moment, she realized there was nothing dangerous beyond the darkness and raging wind. She let out a breath of relief.
So this was what second senior brother’s qi deviation looked like. Not that scary after all.
Since she couldn’t see or hear clearly, wandering around might trigger formations or traps. Nan Sinning simply sat down to wait for senior sister to resolve things.
Once seated, she noticed the spiritual energy around her was more violent than usual, but she could still draw it into her body, refining it as her own.
Unsure how long it would take the others, she simply began meditating. She guided the surging qi into her meridians, circulating it, and finally storing it in her dantian.
To her surprise, the violent qi calmed easily under her influence, becoming as docile as normal qi.
Time passed. She thought she heard birdsong and opened her eyes.
It was still somewhat dark, but the wind had ceased, and her five senses returned.
She then noticed the courtyard was in ruins. The house was half-destroyed; only a few shaky walls remained, the roof, doors, and windows all blown away.
Startled, Nan Sinning rushed inside, afraid her second senior brother had been torn apart.
The interior was a wreck, debris everywhere. She frantically searched until she found a barely breathing figure near the bed, clearly more out-breath than in.
“Second senior brother? Second senior brother!” she called.
The man didn’t respond. Panicking, Nan Sinning quickly pulled a Dragonhead Blood Ginseng from her storage ring, pried open his mouth, and shoved it in.
Red juice spilled out, and she hurried to push it all into his mouth, squeezing the root while urging anxiously, “Second senior brother, hang in there! Don’t let this precious ginseng go to waste. You mustn’t die now! Don’t be a short-lived ghost!”
Yuan Qing’an was nearly emptied of all strength, barely conscious. Suddenly forced to swallow an entire blood ginseng, he almost choked to death.
Utterly helpless, he let out weak groans. For a moment, he thought he wouldn’t die from qi deviation but from being force-fed to death by his little junior sister.
So when Qin Sangyue and the others finally entered, they saw Nan Sinning stuffing something into Yuan Qing’an’s mouth while he was covered in bright red “blood,” the scene horrifying.
Qin Sangyue’s heart stopped, Zhou Lixing held his breath, Liang Xiao froze, and Hua Shengqing’s mind went blank:
“Little junior sister! Stop!”
“Second senior brother!”
“Is he dead!?”
They rushed over to stop Nan Sinning from “murdering” her senior brother.
Only when they recognized the Dragonhead Blood Ginseng and its crimson juice did they breathe out in relief. “Scared us to death—we thought we were about to bury second senior brother.”
Qin Sangyue used a cleansing spell to tidy the ruined bed, while Zhou Lixing carefully lifted Yuan Qing’an and laid him gently down.
“How is he?” Nan Sinning asked nervously, guilt flickering in her eyes.
After checking, Qin Sangyue said, “His qi is exhausted and he fainted from weakness, but his life isn’t in danger. Don’t worry.”
Nan Sinning finally exhaled, muttering with lingering fear, “I thought my first meeting with second senior brother would also be our farewell.”
Her senior brothers and sisters comforted her until she calmed.
“By the way, little junior sister, are you hurt? When second senior brother’s qi rampages, it turns into blades that destroy everything,” Hua Shengqing asked, scanning her up and down.
Nan Sinning scratched her head. “No… When I entered, it just felt darker, windier, and the qi was more violent. I didn’t encounter any qi blades.”
Qin Sangyue frowned thoughtfully. “Little junior sister, tell us everything you experienced after entering the courtyard.”
Nan Sinning recounted how she went in after the barrier was broken, and all she had seen and done inside.
Hearing her words, everyone fell into a heavy silence.
Nan Sinning grew anxious. “Did I do something wrong?”
Hua Shengqing clapped her on the shoulder, excited. “Of course it’s unusual! Every time second senior brother loses control, only senior sister can endure it—she’s in the Golden Core stage. The rest of us, weaker than him, can’t even get close! How did you manage it?”
Ever since returning from the secret realm, little junior sister had been giving them one shock after another.
Not only had she transformed completely—no longer dull and silly, but clever and sharp—she was different in every way!
Nan Sinning herself was baffled. “I don’t know either!”
Everyone turned to Qin Sangyue. “Senior sister, what’s going on?”
After thinking for a while, Qin Sangyue asked, “Little junior sister, how much of Master’s revised Heaven and Earth Five Elements Technique have you learned?”
At this, Nan Sinning puffed out her chest proudly, more self-satisfied than a child with a perfect test score. “Of course I’ve learned it all! Master truly was a genius—after she revised it, the technique runs automatically without me even needing to control it!”
Only Zhou Lixing knew this detail. Qin Sangyue was aware Nan Sinning had refined an Extreme Great Rejuvenation Pill for her, but not the full story.
Hua Shengqing’s eyes lit up. “Little junior sister, you’re a cultivation genius too! You actually mastered the entire technique on your own!” She nudged Liang Xiao. “Right, fourth senior brother?”
Liang Xiao had no choice but to admit, “She really is remarkable.”
Zhou Lixing grinned foolishly. “Our little junior sister has plenty of talents! Mastering the whole technique is just the start—you’ll see.”
Nan Sinning tried to act modest, pressing her hands down. “Low profile, low profile! Heh…”
In truth, she also felt she was quite the little prodigy!
Everyone was delighted—except Qin Sangyue, whose expression was grave. “Since you’ve learned Master’s revised version, I fear you won’t be able to take up the sword as a sword cultivator in the future.”