Miaoqing Hall.
Baili Xin, wearing a black cloak that covered her head and face entirely, looked up at the three large characters on the shop sign, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
She carried a long wooden case on her back, inside which lay her bow and arrows.
The truth was, the bow gear of a Grand Archer was far too conspicuous, and their group did not wish to draw too much attention.
Beside her, Yu Qing and his two fellow disciples were also dressed in black cloaks. After a long and arduous journey, they had finally returned to Youjiao Port.
The people of Kunling Mountain had not brought them directly to Youjiao Port. They had merely escorted them out of Kunling Mountain’s territory, leaving the rest of the journey for them to complete on their own.
During the farewell, the Kunling Mountain side had given them a set of instructions. The disciples were to claim that they had already left Kunling Mountain before the incident occurred, accompanied by Qin Fujun on a leisurely tour of the scenery. No matter who asked, they were to insist firmly that they knew nothing about what had happened at Kunling Mountain.
Once things were put so plainly, how could the disciples fail to understand what it all meant?
It left them greatly surprised and uneasy. So many people had died over this matter, especially so many from the Great Enterprise Division. Could this really be covered up?
However, how such matters were to be handled was clearly none of their concern. Their standing was too low. No one told them what had truly happened. They were merely informed of what they were expected to do.
As for Baili Xin, it was said that she had turned her back on her sect and had nowhere to go, so Nan Zhu, out of a sense of responsibility, had warmly invited her along.
Naturally, to bring this woman home, he needed the agreement of his two junior brothers. Mu Aotie was strongly opposed. How could they possibly bring such an unclear woman back to Miaoqing Hall? It did not matter even if Seventh Brother liked her.
At this point, as long as Yu Qing also objected, Nan Zhu would essentially be powerless. However, Yu Qing’s attitude was somewhat noncommittal, clearly meaning he did not much care either way. So Nan Zhu’s stance immediately became firm and unyielding. He did not bother reasoning with Mu Aotie. Instead, he simply used his seniority as the eldest brother to put pressure on him.
Mu Aotie was not good with words and could not win an argument against Nan Zhu, so naturally he sought out Yu Qing privately, asking what his true position was.
Yu Qing said that this woman knew about the Immortal Manor. If they did not kill her, letting her leave freely was not a wise move. Keeping her close for observation might not be a bad thing.
With no one to back him up, what else could Mu Aotie do? And so, they brought her back with them.
“Young Master!”
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie had just stepped into the shop when Chong’er’s delighted cry rang out from inside.
Nan Zhu, standing outside the door, reached out cheerfully to Baili Xin in invitation. “It is fine, come on in. Treat it like your own home.”
The group entered, each returning to their own room to settle in.
Nan Zhu busied himself helping Baili Xin get settled, ordering Chong’er about like a servant. Chong’er hurried back and forth without complaint. After all, he was the youngest disciple.
In the courtyard, as Yu Qing passed by, Gao Yunjie stopped him, tilting his chin towards Nan Zhu’s direction. “Who is that woman?”
Seeing that his junior brothers had returned safely, he was somewhat relieved. He had wanted to find the best person to question about the details of their trip, but Nan Zhu was mixed up with a strange woman, which made things a bit awkward.
Yu Qing said, “Seventh Brother insisted on bringing her back. Go ask Seventh Brother yourself.”
He shifted all the blame onto Nan Zhu, then glanced around and asked, “Where is Da Hei?”
Gao Yunjie replied, “Inside. He grabbed a stick and is forcing Xiao Hei to write characters. He was only brought back from outside not long ago.”
Yu Qing chuckled. “Still sneaking out, is he?”
Gao Yunjie sighed. “While you were all away, he broke two sticks.”
Yu Qing shook his head with a sympathetic click of his tongue, then turned and walked off.
Gao Yunjie had wanted to ask what exactly had happened this time, but their relationship was not particularly good. The words reached his lips but never came out. Mu Aotie was not great with words either. He thought it over and decided to wait until Fatty Gao was free. He would need to ask about the woman’s situation regardless.
An hour or so later, the group from Miaoqing Hall eventually gathered together in Wu Hei’s room, discussing the events of their journey.
Baili Xin naturally had no place in such a private meeting. She had been settled in the small courtyard where Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi, the two one-eyed men, lived. Instructions had also been given to Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi to keep watch on Baili Xin.
Xiao Hei was also sent away, told to go play with Baili Xin. Nan Zhu had brought him a gift. Although it was only a packet of cheap malt candy, it was enough to make Xiao Hei happy. He called out, “Fatty Uncle is the best!” and went off cheerfully to pester Baili Xin.
No one else had brought Xiao Hei a gift.
When they heard that Yu Qing had actually won first place at this session’s Sunrise Assembly, Second Brother Gao Yunjie was utterly astonished. Only then did he truly realise that the current Fifteenth Brother was indeed a far cry from the person he once was.
When he heard about the harrowing experience of breaking into the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers’ Immortal Manor, he snapped several strands of his beard in shock. He felt both lingering fear at the perilous ordeal and regret at having missed such a fantastical sight.
He had wanted to go too, but his junior brothers had not taken him along.
After recounting the events of their trip, Yu Qing finally reached out his hand to Nan Zhu. “What about the things you got from inside? Bring them out and let us have a look.”
Previously on the road, with Baili Xin present, it had not been convenient to take the items out for study. Now that they were home, they naturally needed to examine them carefully.
Nan Zhu immediately became wary. “Those are all my things.”
Yu Qing rolled his eyes, somewhat regretting the rule he had set before. He could only say irritably, “No one wants your things. Just bring them out so we can look.”
Seeing everyone staring at him coldly, Nan Zhu reluctantly called out, “Wait.”
With that, he got up and left.
The group waited quite a while before Nan Zhu returned carrying a cloth bundle, making it obvious that he had hidden the items beforehand.
Sitting back down among everyone, Nan Zhu first pulled a black wooden token from the bundle. Carved on it was a strange three-legged bird.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie recognised it at once. It was the waist token that the Bee King had worn. This fatty had actually just plucked it right off him. Even now, the two of them still did not know what to say about this fatty.
Nan Zhu squeezed out a smile and proactively handed it to Wu Hei first. “Da Hei, I have never been able to make sense of it. See if you can figure anything out.”
The reason he had risked stealing the waist token from the Bee King was that he figured anything the Bee King carried on his person must be significant. He had secretly taken it out to examine several times along the way but could never discern anything. Recalling Wu Hei’s background, he now placed his hopes there.
Wu Hei took the token and turned it over in his hands for a while. He held it up to his nose and sniffed it. After casting a detection spell, he flicked it with his finger, producing a metallic clinking sound with a slight echo. After a moment of thought, he shook his head and said, “It looks like a wooden token, but it is actually neither metal, nor wood, nor jade or stone.”
Nan Zhu said, “Exactly, I cannot figure out what material it is either.”
Wu Hei said, “It feels like bone.”
Nan Zhu was surprised. “Bone? I tried it with a sword, and I could barely leave a scratch. How can bone be this hard?”
Wu Hei replied, “I am not sure either. It is just that the smell on it reminds me of bone.”
Nan Zhu immediately reached out and took the token back, holding it up to his nose and sniffing repeatedly. After a while, he said, “There does seem to be some kind of scent, very faint, almost undetectable. Is this the smell of bone?”
Wu Hei said, “When I was young, there was nothing to play with out in the wilderness. My father often picked up animal skeletons from the Gobi and brought them home to make toys. After playing with them for so long, I got some impression of the particular smell of bone. It is just a feeling, I cannot say for certain.”
Nan Zhu then held the token in one palm and asked, “Is there anything else you can say? For instance, have you ever heard of what this token is used for?”
Wu Hei shook his head. “I have never heard of it. However, this strange three-legged bird on the token… I think I heard my father mention something about it when I was young. Father said he had seen three-legged birds entering and leaving Immortal Manors. He said they were messengers of the immortals. If I remember correctly, they were called ‘Blue Birds’. I am not sure if that refers to the one on this token.”
“Messengers? Blue Birds?” Yu Qing muttered, reaching out and firmly taking the token to examine it himself. He turned it over and over, tapped it, sniffed it, but ultimately could not make anything of it. He could not help but ask in puzzlement, “If that is true, what does it mean to carve a messenger onto a token?”
Wu Hei spread his hands, indicating he did not know.
Second Brother Gao took the token and looked it over, murmuring, “This bird feels like a ‘Three-Legged Crow’.”
At these words, everyone’s gaze snapped towards him.
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Second Brother Gao knew they had misunderstood. He quickly explained, “I do not know either. It is just that before, when I dealt with the shopkeepers from other establishments, we would chat about all sorts of things. When discussing how to avoid pitfalls in trade, someone mentioned a strange three-legged bird called a ‘Three-Legged Crow’. The feathers on this token are black too, and it has three legs. It feels similar. Whether it actually is one, I do not know. I have never seen one myself.”
Yu Qing said, “Then discreetly look into it when you get the chance.”
Second Brother Gao nodded.
Mu Aotie then reached out for the token to examine it as well.
Nan Zhu watched eagerly, waiting until the token was returned to him before pulling out the black gourd. He explained to the group, “After we took care of that Vine Demon, I figured whatever was inside this gourd could not possibly be what she called her ‘Life Spirit Essence’. On the road, I could not help but cut a small opening to peek inside. But the moment I made the cut, green light poured out. I had no idea what was inside, and I did not dare do anything rash, especially since we were on the road and it was not convenient. Also, the green light sealed the cut back up on its own.”
The gourd then passed from hand to hand for everyone to inspect. They could sense that some kind of liquid was inside, and when held close, they could smell a refreshing, plant-like fragrance emanating from the gourd.
“Judging by the scent, it does not seem like anything harmful,” Second Brother Gao murmured, handing the item back to Nan Zhu.
Yu Qing grew impatient. “Seventh Brother, stop hoarding it. Whatever it is, open it up and let us see.”
The moment he spoke, everyone voiced their agreement.
Nan Zhu, with no support and bowing to the group’s pressure, drew his sword again. He pressed the blade against the mouth of the gourd and began cutting back and forth like a saw.
Despite being careful, the fact that it could not be cut open quickly was plain to see. Everyone could tell the gourd’s shell was extremely hard.
After considerable effort, he finally cut through. The moment the blade was pulled away, everyone immediately saw glowing green liquid seeping out. An even more refreshing plant fragrance spread through the air. The item was passed around again for everyone to examine.
As they watched the glowing green liquid slowly turn black and seal the wound closed, Yu Qing suddenly seemed to think of something. He let out a surprised sound. “Why does this green light feel somewhat familiar?”
Everyone immediately looked at him.
Yu Qing reached out for the gourd again, drew his sword, and pried open the nearly healed black scab over the cut. After studying the green light that bloomed once more, he slowly nodded. “I remember now. It seems to be the same as the green glowing thing from that female Bee Demon’s hand.”
Nan Zhu was sceptical. “Green light from the female Bee Demon’s hand? What thing? I never saw it.” He turned to Mu Aotie and asked, “Ninth Brother, did you see it?”
Mu Aotie shook his head.
Yu Qing paused for a moment, then it dawned on him. He let out a scoff. “When Huan Yushan was forced to sever his own arm, you were all restrained at the time, so you probably did not see clearly. The female Bee Demon, in a split second, sacrificed two of her own fingers to fire a beam of green light into Huan Yushan’s palm. It forced Huan Yushan to cut off his own arm. The light felt similar to this.”
Nan Zhu was still doubtful. “If that is the case, then using it for fighting is quite a hassle. Is this really all the treasure that the Vine Demon went to such lengths to obtain can do?”
At the very least, he himself could not accept that the treasure he had obtained had such a meagre use.
Yu Qing, however, was lost in thought. “At the time, Huan Yushan’s severed arm seemed to undergo some kind of change…”
His words cut off abruptly. His expression clearly shifted, and he suddenly stood up. Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, he strode out with long steps, taking the gourd and running off.
Nan Zhu immediately panicked and chased after him.
The others, not understanding what was going on, naturally followed as well.
Once outside, they saw Yu Qing looking around the courtyard, apparently searching for something.
“What are you doing?” Nan Zhu asked, reaching out to reclaim his gourd.
Yu Qing’s gaze locked onto the Immortal Peach Tree in the centre of the courtyard. He swatted away Nan Zhu’s outstretched hand, walked quickly to the base of the peach tree, and once again pried open the black scab over the gourd’s wound. He tilted the opening towards the tree’s roots.
Using a spell to force the liquid out, a single drop of luminous green light fell and landed on the roots. The plant fragrance wafted through the air.
Just one drop. Yu Qing did not use much. Then he watched intently.
The group gathered around. They saw that the single drop of green light was absorbed by the roots at an astonishing speed, like a drop of water falling onto sand. In the blink of an eye, it vanished, showing an extraordinary affinity with plants.
Just as everyone exchanged bewildered looks, they all instinctively stepped back several paces. They could feel something alive stirring beneath their feet. The ground around the base of the tree began to crack. What left them even more stunned was that the bark of the peach tree was cracking too, and the trunk was visibly growing thicker.
The leaves on the tree seemed to have received the most exquisite nourishment, turning lush and vibrant green in an instant.
The trunk grew to nearly twice its original thickness before the growth stopped. The canopy also expanded by about half, though it did not grow much taller.
Just when they breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the transformation was over, they suddenly noticed another change on the branches. Flower buds were appearing, growing at a visible rate, blooming, releasing pollen, and finally bearing fruit.
The peaches also grew at a visible rate until they were fully ripe. Enormous, plump pink Immortal Peaches, threaded with veins of dark energy within, hung heavy on every branch.
Only then did the transformation truly seem to end.
The dumbstruck group stared at the Immortal Peach Tree before them in a daze for a long time. Once they confirmed there was truly no further change, they came back to their senses one by one, looking at each other, all with eyes full of disbelief.
Finally, their gazes all turned to the gourd in Yu Qing’s hand, every one of them shocked.
Just one drop. The Immortal Peach Tree that had been planted for so long with no response had grown by half and even flowered and fruited, all in a matter of moments. Truly, only the word “miraculous” could describe it. This was absolutely not a treasure of the mortal world. It was truly a divine relic.
Nan Zhu suddenly sprang into action, snatching the black gourd back and hugging it to his chest with a foolish grin.
Everyone stared at him. It was hard to say whether their expressions counted as envy, but they all knew that Fatty Nan had truly struck it rich with a rare treasure.
Yu Qing turned his gaze back to the peach tree. “No wonder the Vine Demon was so obsessed with it. It seems this thing is of tremendous benefit to Vine Demons.”
Wu Hei looked up at the glowing motes drifting through the air and warned, “With such a sudden change appearing here, could we be discovered?”
Yu Qing also looked up. “If no one is paying attention, they probably would not notice, right? Surely these flying insects cannot report back?”
Wu Hei said, “A tree suddenly covered in peaches overnight, and you think no one will notice?”
Second Brother Gao nodded. “We will stop doing business for now. Turn away all visitors.”
Wu Hei turned his head to look at him. “With no income coming in, how do we scrape together ten million for next year? I cannot cover it for you all again.”
He did not even know when he had started caring so much about money.
Yu Qing suddenly reached into his robes and fumbled around, eventually pulling out a stack of banknotes. He handed them to Second Brother Gao. “Ten million. If they come asking, just hand it over.”
Second Brother Gao took it and counted it. Finding it correct, he asked in surprise, “Where did you get this?”
Yu Qing said, “The Princess Consort gave it. All past debts of gratitude are settled with this money. She told us not to involve her any further. She is worried about the impression it would give.”
Hearing this, quite a few people present wore varied expressions. They still remembered that graceful figure who had once lingered here. One by one, their feelings turned into soft sighs.
“The peaches!”
Xiao Hei’s sharp cry suddenly came from the side courtyard. Carrying his stick, he had naturally noticed the anomaly. He dashed excitedly to the peach tree, scrambling on all fours, trying to climb up and pick peaches.
Wu Hei acted swiftly, clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth and hauling him back, subduing him directly.
In the side courtyard, Baili Xin also poked her head out. She too saw the anomaly with the peach tree. Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi also appeared over the courtyard wall, all looking as though they thought their eyes were playing tricks on them.
After that, a round of soothing and reassurance was unavoidable in order to keep the secret.
There is a saying that joy begets sorrow. For Nan Zhu, that was likely the case.
He had just obtained a divine treasure and was thrilled beyond measure. But within days, he was flat on his back, unable to get up, unable to even move, writhing in agony. It was caused by a mutation in his cervical spine.
In this regard, Yu Qing was a cautionary precedent. Everyone already knew how to handle it. In any case, Nan Zhu would have to lie in bed for several days. Enduring a few days of suffering was unavoidable.
This also proved one thing. The spring water beneath that divine tree truly had nothing to do with Heavenly Springs or Human Rights. The brothers had soaked in it for nothing.
Because of this matter, Yu Qing felt that if he did not resolve a certain issue, he would be letting Seventh Brother down.
One day, when nearly everyone was out, he sought out Baili Xin.
In the pavilion, seeing Yu Qing hesitating and seemingly unsure how to begin, Baili Xin simply asked, “Is something the matter?”
Yu Qing gritted his teeth inwardly and forced himself to ask, “Do you remember when we were poisoned by the bee venom, and we detoxified in the cave?”
The moment this was mentioned, a flush of red crept across Baili Xin’s cheeks. She managed a faint “Mm.”
Now that he had started, Yu Qing dropped all pretence of reserve. “That night, I was half conscious, as if in a dream. It seems something happened that should not have happened. When I woke up, I felt it had not been a dream, but I did not know who the other person was. I only saw that all three of you were outside the cave. Do you understand what I mean?”
Baili Xin read the look in his eyes and hastily waved her hands. “It was not me. Truly, it was not me. The bee venom did not affect me much. I was lucid.”
Yu Qing recalled that the bee venom had not affected her much either. He guessed it had something to do with her having drunk the water laced with Big Head Burn. He asked immediately, “Then who was it?”
Baili Xin waved her hands again. “I am not sure either.”
Yu Qing asked suspiciously, “You were the only one among us who was fully awake. You were standing guard. How could you not know?”
Baili Xin did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Precisely because I was lucid, how could I stay and watch? Anyway… anyway…”
“Anyway what?”
“Anyway, for the latter half of the night, you all kept at it. The noise was such that I was too embarrassed to listen in. Anyway, I moved further away. I do not know who you are talking about. This concerns a woman’s honour. I cannot just guess who it might be.”
In truth, she suspected it was Xiang Lanxuan. Without Xiang Lanxuan’s help, how could they have escaped so smoothly? Why would Xiang Lanxuan help them?
However, Yu Qing did not think so. He had already asked Xiang Lanxuan before and had ruled her out. Now Baili Xin was also ruled out. Who it was that night was obvious.
Thinking of how Qin Fujun had wanted them all dead, Yu Qing gave a bitter smile. So be it. There was no need to feel indebted after all.
He rose as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and walked away. Most importantly, he no longer needed to worry about wronging Seventh Brother. His heart was truly at ease.
At the same time, he could not help wondering. If he had spoken up sooner, there would have been no need to bring this woman here. Now what were they supposed to do?
End of this volume. Next volume: “The Moon Sets, the Crows Cry”