Chapter 23: Unexpected Encounters and Hidden Dangers

Huaxi glanced up at the two individuals, shaking her head as she replied, “Master has gone to gather spiritual plants; they must have left a while ago, but should be back soon. What business do the two of you have with my master?”

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance. Before they could even formulate a response, Huaxi spoke again. “Master said that they will not sell any elixirs to you until your outstanding debts are settled. Furthermore, if you cause any trouble, I am authorized to call for assistance.”

As she spoke, Huaxi produced a jade token. The two didn’t even bother to identify it, hastily offering apologetic smiles before departing. Yet, before leaving, they couldn’t resist a glance at the tightly shut door.

After all, it was the only closed door in the shop.

Once the two had left, Huaxi let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Then, she looked at the jade token in her hand, mustering her courage, and cautiously approached the door. Just as she was about to listen for any sounds from within, the door suddenly swung open.

Lian Yueying was a little taller than Huaxi, her black robe obscuring her figure, and her voice was deliberately lowered, making it impossible to discern the gender of the person beneath the hood.

Huaxi couldn’t help but grow nervous. She stepped back, clutching the jade token, and pursed her lips as she began, “Now that the guest’s injuries have healed—”

Mid-sentence, Lian Yueying suddenly pulled Huaxi into the room, startling Huaxi so much she almost cried out for help. Lian Yueying noticed the item in her hand and, seeing the faint glow emanating from Huaxi’s bare hand, she decided not to snatch it away.

‘This woman appears to be a kind soul. She must have lent me the room because she saw I was injured. Perhaps I can trust her.’

With this thought, Lian Yueying pulled back the hood of her black robe and removed her mask, revealing her true face to Huaxi. She then made a silencing gesture and pressed herself against the wall, carefully listening to the sounds outside. Distinctly, she heard the incredibly light footsteps of two individuals.

While those two might have deceived Huaxi, they couldn’t fool Lian Yueying. Her senses were keen enough to detect even the slightest movements. Seeing them stubbornly approach her location, Lian Yueying had no choice but to don her mask once more, then confidently walked to the shop’s entrance and gazed at the two furtive figures.

“You two Fellow Daoists have been following me for quite some time. Surely, you must have something to discuss with me. Why don’t we step outside the market to speak?”

As she spoke, Lian Yueying did not release her spiritual energy, but instead activated a spiritual talisman. A flurry of Five-Element spells immediately targeted the duo, their intent undeniably threatening.

Though the two men were unaware of Lian Yueying’s exact strength, her ability to easily detect them led them, veterans of the Immortal Market, to surmise she was at least Qi Condensation Layer 7 and above (TL Note: A cultivation stage in the early phases of immortal cultivation, implying significant mastery for someone to easily detect others at this level) and had recovered enough to freely command her spiritual energy. Coupled with her overt hostility at that moment, they could only offer a few forced smiles and explanations before scurrying away.

Watching the two disappear around the corner of the alley, Lian Yueying finally returned inside, just as she spotted Huaxi curiously peering towards her, an utterly adorable sight.

‘In the cultivation world, people like this are rare. Could she be putting on an act?’

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for lending me your room to heal just now. My surname is Liu.”

‘Come to think of it, I used a false name when I first met the shop owner as well.’

With that, Lian Yueying revealed her true face once more and clasped her hands in greeting towards Huaxi, a smile on her face. Huaxi nodded, then paused in thought before replying, “Oh, my name is Huaxi. Miss Liu… no, no, that’s not right. Those two were very skilled at concealing their auras. For you to have detected them, could it be that you are a senior at the Foundation Establishment Stage?”

At this, Lian Yueying shook her head. Huaxi then added, “Oh, then you must be in the late Qi Condensation Stage. Miss Liu, your hearing is incredibly sharp!”

‘Huaxi… is this person truly so ignorant of the cultivation world’s ways?’

In the cultivation world, one typically introduces themselves before inquiring about another’s cultivation level. If the other party is unwilling to disclose it, it’s considered improper to press them. Thus, a shake of the head usually signifies a desire not to reveal such information. Furthermore, when two parties are not well acquainted, they usually address each other as ‘Fellow Daoist,’ so directly calling her ‘Miss Liu’…

Lian Yueying usually used ‘Liu’ as a false surname. This was because, in her previous life, she had been an abandoned infant discovered beneath a willow tree. Hence, she was named Liusheng (TL Note: Literally ‘Willow-born’). At the orphanage, everyone called him Xiao Liu (TL Note: ‘Little Willow’). Now, being suddenly addressed as ‘Miss Liu,’ easily triggered memories of her past life, creating a profound sense of emotional upheaval.

“Fellow Daoist, your surname is ‘Hua’? That’s quite an uncommon surname.”

“Hehe, Master also says I’m one of a kind! Miss Liu—”

Unwilling to hear that address again, Lian Yueying quickly interrupted Huaxi, asking, “Is the Master you speak of, Fellow Daoist Hua, the owner of this shop?”

“That’s right! Miss Liu, do you know Master?”

Huaxi’s blinking eyes made her appear utterly harmless, yet the address she used evoked a peculiar sensation in Lian Yueying.

‘Never mind. What difference would it make if I told her she should address me as ‘Fellow Daoist’? Ultimately, I’m just fleeing from my past life. Liusheng did nothing wrong… Yes, there’s no need for me to escape. In the future, I might even need to use this name to conceal my true identity. I should simply face it.’

Lian Yueying didn’t dwell on why she chose that name. With her internal knot untangled, she looked at Huaxi quite naturally and replied with a smile, “Previously, the shop owner brought me here to buy elixirs, but I didn’t see you then.”

Huaxi’s peach blossom eyes were charming even when still, but they became even more captivating when she smiled. Unconsciously, Huaxi’s smile grew even brighter. “Master took me as a disciple in midsummer, so I’ve only been here for a few months.”

‘It seems Huaxi isn’t acting. However, the decisiveness I heard when she sent those two away suggests she is merely inexperienced in worldly affairs, yet capable of distinguishing right from wrong.’

“I am truly grateful to you for lending me the room, but you had never met me before. Why would you extend a helping hand to a stranger like me?”

“Perhaps it was intuition? I don’t know myself. I only knew that your aura was extremely unstable, indicating severe injuries, and I feared you wouldn’t make it to an inn.”

Many people came here to buy elixirs, and it was unlikely the shop owner would have told Huaxi about everyone who had visited previously. Huaxi’s answer confirmed Lian Yueying’s suspicions, though it still held a touch of surprise.

‘If others treat me with sincerity, I shall naturally reciprocate. However, it’s fine to withhold my true name for now. Let’s get down to business.’

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your righteous assistance. I will return here again. If you have any needs, please do not hesitate to mention them.”

“No need for that… but I actually do have something I’d like your help with.” As she spoke, Huaxi turned and rummaged through her room. She returned with a large gourd, placed it on the counter, and added, “Since your cultivation is quite high, I’d like you to help me test this elixir.”

‘Bringing up high cultivation? This isn’t some kind of poison, is it…?’

Lian Yueying made no effort to hide her expression. Seeing this, Huaxi perked up and explained, “Don’t worry, this is a Meridian-Rectifying Pill (TL Note: A type of elixir aimed at regulating and strengthening the meridians, often to enhance cultivation speed.). It can accelerate cultivation speed. I merely altered one of the ingredients, so there are some side effects, but the efficacy is absolutely improved.”

Lian Yueying was highly sensitive to the mention of ‘side effects.’ She certainly didn’t want to damage her foundation again.

“You should first explain the side effects clearly, and then we can discuss whether I can help you test this elixir.”

Upon hearing this, Huaxi looked conflicted. Just as Lian Yueying began to suspect it was a truly severe side effect, Huaxi finally replied, “It will hurt.”

“Hurt?”

“Yes, it shouldn’t hurt too much, um… maybe we should just forget it.”

Despite her words, Huaxi did not take back the large gourd. She kept her head lowered, occasionally glancing at Lian Yueying, her subtle intentions completely transparent.

Meridian-Rectifying Pills were indeed elixirs that accelerated cultivation. Moreover, elixirs did not always adhere to a single formula; appropriate modifications could indeed enhance their medicinal properties. Lian Yueying had read about all of this in her books on alchemy and spiritual herbs.

‘I certainly need this type of elixir. If it’s just pain… I can try it. But I should first take it to the doctor at the medical hall for an assessment.’

“I can help you.”

“Really! There are thirty pills in here, and each one is effective for four hours. Just come find me once you’ve finished them!”

‘It’s clear that Huaxi is genuinely passionate about alchemy. If I can forge a friendship with her, I might secure a reliable source of elixirs in the future.’

Taking the gourd, Lian Yueying departed the shop amidst Huaxi’s enthusiastic farewells. She circled the market a few times and only left after confirming no one was trailing her.

****

However, she did not return to her sect, but instead headed towards Piansong Village.

‘I haven’t had a chance to clean up the aftermath yet. The old woman probably can’t manage it by herself.’

After all, people had died there. Mortals wouldn’t understand the circumstances and might inevitably misunderstand the old woman. Thus, Lian Yueying decided to go back and check on things.

The wood spiritual energy in her abdominal wound had been expelled, but the injury itself remained. Even with the New Wood Art (TL Note: A cultivation technique, likely related to the wood element, used for healing) for recovery and the aid of elixirs, it wouldn’t heal completely. Therefore, Lian Yueying merely employed a movement technique (TL Note: A type of spiritual art allowing for rapid travel), rather than running at full speed.

However, when she was about a li (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters) from Piansong Village, she suddenly felt a reaction from her spiritual talisman.

Her communication talismans had long since expired, but the talisman for detecting spiritual energy fluctuations was still active. Lian Yueying distinctly sensed three powerful surges of spiritual energy emanating from it.

‘This is bad!’

Lian Yueying disregarded everything else. She tossed the talisman to the ground, then endured the sharp pain in her wound and turned to flee. Just half an hour after her departure, three men flew over, drawn by the talisman.

“Senior Brother, that person got away.”

“Hmph, truly cunning.”

The leader landed beside the talisman, which resonated with a similar talisman in his hand. Immediately, both talismans disintegrated into ash.

“Your foolish younger brother did not die unjustly. This talisman is called a Sympathetic Talisman (TL Note: A type of spiritual talisman used for tracking or sensing an associated individual). There’s no way to buy such a talisman externally; I only happened to have seen it in a book on talismans. Moreover, this person can use talismans to set traps, so they must be proficient in the art of talismans.”

“But we can’t let him escape! He’s injured, so he shouldn’t have gone far. I’ll go gather people to search this area.”

As he spoke, the man was about to leave in a fiery rush, but the leader shook his head and sighed. “Hmph, a foolish younger brother with an idiotic elder brother. That person was able to return and check, meaning they were either unhindered in their movements or had recovered by seventy to eighty percent. We only found this place half an hour later; how far do you think they’ve run by now?”

“We can’t just let him go!”

Though he had been scolded, the man seemed afraid to vent his anger on the leader, yet he couldn’t let go of such hatred.

“Don’t worry. Among the three sects and the surrounding rogue cultivators, those proficient in talismans can be counted on one hand. Furthermore, since they used a Azure Edge Shuttle (TL Note: A spiritual artifact, likely a flying tool or weapon, often associated with a specific sect or individual), they must be the one who killed a disciple of our sect. Come to think of it, it seems a disciple reported someone like this after the last treasure hunt in the valley.”

“Senior Brother, are you certain it wasn’t one of our own?”

“Are you referring to Tao Ji? You, you really let hatred cloud your judgment. Why would he have been injured killing Wang Zhi?”

Upon hearing this, before the leader could say anything else, the man quickly turned and flew away. The leader glanced around and said to the silently standing individual, “You go search the old woman’s soul. Remember to be gentle; it’s fine if she becomes demented, just don’t kill her.”

Having given his orders, the two departed in different directions.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

I’m Not the Saintess! I’m a Good-for-Nothing Young Master!

Female ProtagonistGender BenderReverse Pursuit

Read Now →
Not interested