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Join the ServerLian Yueying activated her full escape technique, sprinting without regard for her injuries, only managing to catch her breath after crossing the main gate adorned with the “Tuoshan Sect” plaque.
The sensation of her body soaked in sweat no longer registered in Lian Yueying’s mind; it was only as she gazed at the lingering glow of the setting sun that she truly felt her wounds had completely burst open.
Since her wounds had partially healed before, Lian Yueying could distinctly feel the sharp pain as they tore open again, even perceiving the raw edges rubbing against each other with each step.
Yet, the profound relief of surviving such peril firmly suppressed the agony, or perhaps, Lian Yueying had simply reached her limit of endurance.
[The spiritual energy fluctuations of those three were three or four times stronger than Wang Zhi’s; they were definitely in the Foundation Establishment stage. If not for the spiritual talisman’s warning, I would never have escaped.]
Even now, safe within the sect, Lian Yueying still harbored a lingering fear; Wang Zhi and the three Foundation Establishment cultivators who followed had taught her a profound lesson: had any single link in the chain of events gone awry, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
One always pays the price for their own greed.
Lian Yueying, holding her breath, moved deeper into the sect; upon reaching the plaza, she saw the medical hall still lit, and only then did she confidently make her way towards it.
[I couldn’t talk myself out of it. Thinking back, even as I debated whether to make a move, my heart had already decided to succumb to greed.]
Pondering these thoughts, Lian Yueying stepped into the medical hall.
****
Yun Meng was seated at the counter, engrossed in a book. Sensing someone’s presence, she lifted her gaze to see Lian Yueying enter, her brows tightly furrowed, her fair face streaked with traces of sweat mixed with dust, not wearing the Tuoshan Sect disciple uniform, and clutching her abdomen.
If Huaxi could discern Lian Yueying’s severe injuries, then Yun Meng, naturally, understood without needing to be told. She promptly rose, led Lian Yueying into a room, set up a restriction spell at the door, and only then allowed Lian Yueying to sit down to examine her abdominal wound.
“The blade passed straight through the abdomen, severing a portion of the intestines… and there’s also necrosis.”
Such an injury, let alone for a Qi Refining cultivator, would be gravely serious even for someone in the Foundation Establishment stage. Yun Meng could perceive that Lian Yueying had attempted to heal herself midway, which only made the subsequent bursting open of the wound due to strenuous activity all the more evident.
“You should count yourself fortunate that the sword didn’t damage your spine, or you would have been immobilized long ago.”
“My luck was indeed… *hiss!*”
Lian Yueying’s words were abruptly cut short by a sudden, intense pain. Yun Meng, with a delicate hand, pressed against the wound, emitting a faint azure light that stanched the bleeding within a few breaths. Immediately after, Yun Meng produced a bottle of pills and offered them to Lian Yueying, but Lian Yueying hesitated.
“What’s wrong? Do you fear I mean you harm?”
“Senior Chen must be jesting. This disciple is merely concerned about the price of this medicine.”
The memory of squandering six hundred and thirty spirit stones in one go still lingered vividly. Although the effects had been undeniably excellent, Lian Yueying genuinely trembled at the thought, terrified that the spirit stones she had fought tooth and nail for would vanish in the blink of an eye once more.
“Rest assured, it’s merely a common Blood-Enriching Pill. I am not some deceitful physician, and an injury of this nature hardly requires some miraculous elixir to raise the dead or regrow flesh and bone.”
Only then did Lian Yueying confidently accept it. After swallowing the pill, she immediately felt a warm current circulating within her body, and with Yun Meng’s healing efforts, her wound visibly mended at a remarkable pace.
[Such potent healing effects, over ten times faster than when I use my New Wood Art.]
Amidst Lian Yueying’s astonishment, Yun Meng completed her spell, then turned her delicate hand over and looked at Lian Yueying, asking, “You truly are a troublesome child. This injury was caused by the Greenwood Sect’s Poisonous Rabbit Sword. Tell me, how did you end up fighting a disciple of the Greenwood Sect?”
[As expected, I can’t hide it from her, but…]
Unlike her initial days in the sect, when her caution had made her reclusive, Lian Yueying now felt a deep trust in Yun Meng, who had treated her twice and provided a profound sense of security as an elder. Thus, she recounted the day’s events to Yun Meng, omitting only the part about the Immortal Market.
“He was once at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, but now seems to be at the ninth layer. He must be the person the disciples spoke of half a year ago… According to Wang Zhi, he must be using some 邪法 (TL Note: an evil or unorthodox cultivation method) to restore his fallen cultivation.”
Yun Meng showed no surprise, which piqued Lian Yueying’s curiosity. She asked, “The Greenwood Sect is, after all, a righteous sect. Is such conduct considered normal?”
“Heh heh, as the Alliance Tribunal often says: ‘The actions of individual disciples are unrelated to the sect.’ Wang Zhi did indeed commit wicked deeds, and even if the Greenwood Sect tacitly approved, only Wang Zhi could be judged individually. Moreover, Wang Zhi is dead, so there’s no way to investigate further.”
[Right, disciples practicing evil methods naturally wouldn’t endanger the sect itself.]
As she spoke, Yun Meng noticed Lian Yueying’s silence, then produced another porcelain bottle, handing it to her. “Matters at the sect level are none of your concern, junior. Learning your lesson is more important than anything else. Today, you’ve lost blood and vital essence, so you can temporarily set aside your breathing exercises. Go back, take this Foundation-Nourishing Pill, and get some proper rest.”
Taking the porcelain bottle, Lian Yueying suddenly recalled the large gourd Huaxi had given her. She quickly retrieved it and handed it to Yun Meng, saying, “Senior Chen, could you perhaps take a look at the pills I refined?”
Yun Meng opened the gourd, poured out a single pill, and after a brief examination with her spiritual energy, brought it to her nose to sniff. Staring at the pill, she asked, “This appears to be a Righteous Meridian Pill, but there are some differences. I’ll need to sacrifice one to examine it properly.”
Lian Yueying naturally agreed. Yun Meng immediately summoned an exquisite alchemy furnace, crushed the pill, and dropped it inside, then continuously heated the bottom of the furnace with flames.
The intense flames, capable of melting the pill, rivaled natural earth fire, yet Lian Yueying felt no increase in the room’s temperature, a clear indication that Yun Meng was meticulously controlling it.
A moment later, the pill remelted into a liquid, which gradually separated under Yun Meng’s manipulation. Of course, once a pill is formed, it cannot return to its original state; the separated medicinal liquids were intertwined, making it only possible to roughly discern the original spiritual plants.
“You’ve changed one of the primary ingredients. It strengthens the medicinal effect but will cause a person’s meridians to become saturated, leading to intense pain wherever spiritual energy flows… a very interesting idea.”
Hearing that Yun Meng’s analysis aligned closely with what Huaxi had said, Lian Yueying felt a measure of relief. Then she heard Yun Meng continue, “The Righteous Meridian Pill accelerates cultivation speed. If the widespread pain prevents one from entering a meditative state, enduring that pain to cultivate would feel like an eternity. Such a modification is truly somewhat redundant (TL Note: ‘chicken ribs,’ meaning something that is not very useful but also not entirely useless; literally, ‘chicken ribs’ are not very meaty but people still like to eat them, implying something of little value but still kept.).”
“The pain is due to the spiritual energy flowing too quickly. Is there a possibility that this medicine could damage the meridians?”
Seeing that Lian Yueying’s concern lay in a completely different area, Yun Meng naturally understood her unwavering dedication to cultivation. Recalling her conversation with Yue Yixuan that day, she, who had initially intended to dissuade Lian Yueying, instead asked, “How is that ‘evil technique’ your master gave you progressing?”
[‘Evil technique’? My master gave me an evil technique… She only gave me the “Buried Qi and Metamorphosis Method.”]
Lian Yueying’s unconcealed confusion registered in Yun Meng’s eyes. She let out a helpless sigh and said, “After all these years, that woman is still as stubborn as ever. Listen closely: the ‘Buried Qi and Metamorphosis Method’ was deemed an evil technique by the Dao Alliance for one simple reason. Although it doesn’t involve any heinous acts, it’s dangerously easy to over-cultivate, causing harm to the practitioner’s body.”
[So, that day I overdid it.]
Noticing the shift in Lian Yueying’s gaze, Yun Meng explained, “Your master had no intention of harming you. With her watching over you, she could bring you to me immediately. Heh heh, back in the day, your master also cultivated this method, and it was I who alleviated her physical distress.”
“Yes, I know. That day, I consulted my master. I suppose body-refining cultivation methods for the Qi Refining stage are quite rare, aren’t they?”
“More than rare, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen. Alright, if your Buried Qi and Metamorphosis Method reaches the ninth layer, the strength of your meridians will be able to withstand this pill.”
Upon learning that the Righteous Meridian Pill was harmless, Lian Yueying nodded. She used the room to clean herself, changed into her disciple uniform, and only then paid with spirit stones before exiting the medical hall.
****
The sun had long set, and lanterns were lit around the plaza. Disciples, one after another, headed in pairs or groups to the cafeteria for dinner. This scene, though observed by the solitary Lian Yueying, did not stir a single hint of loneliness within her.
Her previous life had already cultivated a reclusive nature, and even the relatively happy times spent playing with companions in the village during her childhood in this life would not alter it.
Her reclusiveness was never about being unable to get along with others, but rather about not wanting to.
[Since today isn’t suitable for cultivation, I might as well relax and go to the cafeteria for something good to eat.]
Although Lian Yueying hadn’t yet checked the contents of the three storage bags, the fact that the Greenwood Sect could dispatch three Foundation Establishment cultivators to find Wang Zhi suggested that his status within the sect was likely not low, implying he should be quite wealthy.
The Tuoshan Cafeteria was located in the southwest corner of the mountaintop plaza. Lian Yueying had only been there twice: once during her initial tour of the sect, and once when she tried to eat there, only to be deterred by the prices.
Good heavens, even eating a meal required contribution points. Did they really think contribution points grew on trees?
Consequently, most disciples within the sect subsisted on dry rations; only the affluent disciples would frequent this place.
Nevertheless, the cafeteria was no rip-off; the food was absolutely worth its price.
Take, for instance, the roasted meat noodles Lian Yueying had been eyeing for a while. Though its name was ordinary, the vegetables were spiritual plants, the meat was from spiritual beasts, and the broth was a rich stock made from spiritual beast bones. While she didn’t know their specific effects, they certainly seemed impressive.
[Perhaps I should ask what the specifics are. Even with a bit of money, I shouldn’t spend it haphazardly.]
“This…”
“Junior Sister Lian.”
Lian Yueying looked up at the sound, and upon recognizing the approaching person, smiled, “Ah, Senior Brother Ouyang.”
Since witnessing the cheerful Lian Yueying that night, Ouyang Xiu could easily discern the feigned smile on her pretty face, though he paid it little mind. Approaching her, he said, “This is my first time seeing Junior Sister in the cafeteria.”
“Perhaps we simply missed each other before, Senior Brother.”
Hearing this, Ouyang Xiu smiled, then turned and handed his disciple jade token to the cafeteria attendant, ordering a bowl of roasted meat noodles.
Lian Yueying followed suit, handing over her jade token, only to hear the attendant say, “Your contribution points are insufficient.”
[My contribution points are indeed almost used up, but I still have a dozen or so. Enough to buy a Foundation-Nourishing Pill, but not enough for a bowl of noodles?]
“Then I…”
“Let me pay for Junior Sister.”
Lian Yueying didn’t dither; she nodded. Seeing Ouyang Xiu’s contribution points decrease by eighteen after he handed over his jade token, she reached into her storage bag.
Spirit stones were roughly one to five compared to contribution points. Although Lian Yueying felt a pang for her spirit stones, she absolutely refused to take advantage of others, adhering to the principle of giving more rather than less, and thus offered four spirit stones.
Ouyang Xiu glanced at Lian Yueying, then simply smiled and accepted them. The two of them, carrying their noodles, walked to a table and sat down.
“Junior Sister, you don’t look too well.”
[Ouyang Xiu is different from Zhou Yan; he’s not as hypocritical, nor does he seem to covet my possessions, but I still don’t know what his true intentions are.]
“Oh, it’s that time of the month. I just came to eat some meat to replenish myself.”
Her words were startling, and Ouyang Xiu’s eyes immediately widened.
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