Chapter 6

“It hurts so baaaaad—”

Through the blur of her tearful eyes, the tall, graceful Fairy approached unhurriedly, a faint, elusive fragrance wafting in with her.

Liuli stretched out her hand, trembling slightly. “Perfected One, am I about to die? Seeing that I’m on the verge of death, could you grant my final wish? Accept me as your disciple…”

But Feng Xiwu extended her slender fingers, the tip gently tapping Liuli’s hand.

A thread of cool, refreshing qi surged from that point, following her meridians into Liuli’s body.

Like fire meeting water, the chaotic medicinal power rampaging within her instantly submitted obediently.

Liuli’s tears finally stopped, but it still hurt. “Perfected One, what should I do?”

Feng Xiwu sighed almost imperceptibly, deigned to sit on the edge of the bed, and pressed her hand against Liuli’s back.

True Qi far more turbulent than before poured in, but this time, the Qi flowed exceptionally slowly.

Feng Xiwu commanded, “Close your eyes. Embrace Origin, Return to One.”

Liuli: “Don’t know how.”

Feng Xiwu: “…”

She asked patiently, “How were you flying in the sky earlier?”

Liuli obediently answered, “This disciple tried really hard to think and think, and then just flew up.”

“…”

Feng Xiwu felt that probably no one else would ever cause her so much worry. Ever since meeting her, all her patience had been brought into play.

“Think the same way you did earlier. Don’t be afraid. I will guide you. Try to control the True Qi in your body to follow my lead…”

Liuli nodded, closed her eyes, and began trying what Feng Xiwu taught.

In the room, one taught, one learned. One had a cold and aloof aura, the other was adorably cute. The two leaned close together, the atmosphere exceptionally harmonious.

Little Feng didn’t dare disturb them. She lightened her steps and slowly retreated, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Walking farther away, she met Big Feng. Big Feng asked her, “Have you seen Senior Brother Long Jingxing?”

“No.”

“Strange. Where could he have gone?”

This question… probably only Liuli knew the answer right now.

This session of teaching combined with healing and curing illness took much longer than expected.

By the time Liuli opened her eyes clear-headed again, most of the day had passed.

Liuli grabbed Feng Xiwu’s sleeve, not noticing the other’s slight pause, and said, deeply moved, “Perfected One, you’re so good to me!”

“You have talent,” Feng Xiwu said. “If you apply yourself, naturally you can learn.”

“But I still think it’s because Perfected One taught well.” Liuli’s flattery poured out as if it cost nothing. “This must be the legendary fate!”

Fate, the very reason Feng Xiwu had used to refuse her yesterday.

Feng Xiwu was amused despite herself. “Glad-tongued rascal.”

Liuli’s full, plump, red lips parted in a broad grin. “Perfected One actually likes me quite a bit, right?”

“Why do you say that?” Feng Xiwu watched her impassively.

“The moment I couldn’t go on, Perfected One arrived. That means Perfected One was already nearby long ago. So, Perfected One cares about me!”

Feng Xiwu, however, said, “As fellow sect disciples, it is only normal to offer some care and assistance. Do not overthink it.”

Liuli secretly curled her lip, not believing her denial for a moment. She only said, “Regardless, I thank Perfected One for lending a hand today.”

“If you cultivate diligently, that would be truly thanking me.”

Just as Feng Xiwu said, she just happened to be passing by, happened to help. There was absolutely no “liking” involved. With another light tap of her finger, Feng Xiwu straightened the collar of Liuli’s clothes, which had become disheveled from rolling around on the bed, and gracefully prepared to leave.

“Xue Liuli, since you are healed, it is time for you to depart.”

As her words faded, the blue-robed woman vanished from sight, leaving only the door, which had somehow opened, swaying gently a couple of times.

Staring at the doorway, Liuli frowned in thought for a moment, then straightened her clothes. She walked to a certain spot in front of the bed and tilted her head up to look above.

After pinpointing a specific spot, she pointed her middle finger at it.

Moments later, a tiny ripple undulated, and the ceiling was instantly punctured with a hole, a roof tile falling through as a consequence.

Looking at the shattered tile on the floor, Liuli felt immensely pleased inside. “I really do have quite a talent after all.”

She dragged Long Jingxing out from under the bed and dumped him onto it. The young man’s clothes were practically grey with dust.

She opened the pills he had given her and fed him one. In mere moments, Long Jingxing groggily awoke.

Liuli rubbed her cheeks and squeezed out a surprised expression. “Oh dear, big br— I mean, Senior Brother, you’re finally awake.”

Long Jingxing sat up, bewildered. “What happened to me?”

Liuli clapped her hands together and pointed at the floor. “Well, this house is old and hasn’t been maintained. See, the roof broke up there, and a tile fell and hit your head. But Senior Brother, don’t worry, I already gave you medicine. See, your head doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

Long Jingxing: “It seems like it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“If it doesn’t hurt, let’s go.” Liuli said, leaving no room for refusal.

“Still, since I came all this way, it’s not good to leave without visiting Perfected One. Junior Sister, wait, allow me to…”

“Senior Brother, you don’t understand!” Liuli frowned, speaking gravely. “While you were unconscious, I went to visit Perfected One. Perfected One refused to meet and only said for us to leave quickly, lest we disturb the peace of Parasol Tree Mountain.”

Long Jingxing asked, astonished, “Perfected One Feng truly said that?”

“Truly, truly! So let’s hurry and not bother her anymore!”

Liuli simply pulled him up and hurried out the door, waving goodbye to Big Feng and Little Feng. “Two Junior Sisters, until fate brings us together again!”

“Oh dear, Senior Brother, look at all this dust on your clothes from the falling tiles. Go back and wash up properly! Come on, this way…”

The return journey was much faster. Upon reaching Peach Blossom Mountain, Liuli immediately changed her attitude, telling Long Jingxing to focus on his cultivation and stop visiting so often.

She didn’t actually dislike the current Long Jingxing, but she truly had no interest in him. Therefore, it was better to sever the ambiguous feelings between them sooner rather than later.

Liuli’s small courtyard was near her father’s. As soon as she returned, Liang Tiantian said, “Senior Sister, the Sect Leader has requested your presence.”

After all, this was the original host’s father. With a heart full of apprehension, Liuli felt her way over there.

Liuli’s father’s courtyard was far more luxurious than her own. Right now, her father stood under the peach blossom tree in the courtyard, admiring the flowers.

“Liuli, you’ve come.”

“…Mm.” Liuli paused, then called out, “Father.”

The man standing before her appeared to be only in his early twenties. Young and dashing, he was actually nearly three hundred years old.

He was extremely handsome, no less so than the male lead, Long Jingxing. Looking at his features, it was clear Liuli was indeed blood-related. Though she didn’t know what Liuli’s mother looked like, judging just by her father, Liuli’s genes were undoubtedly excellent.

Moreover, his name was Xue Meiniang.

It was taken from the poetic idea of melting snow into water to brew plum wine. Cultivators found the name elegant and refined, but whenever Liuli heard it, she only thought of eating xue mei niang, a type of mochi dessert.

Xue Meiniang turned around, walked toward Liuli, and extended his hand: “…”

Startled, Liuli hesitated, then slowly extended her own hand and shook his.

Xue Meiniang laughed. “What are you doing? I was going to check how your recovery is progressing.”

He placed two fingers on Liuli’s wrist, and a stream of vigorous True Qi surged into her body to investigate.

Liuli couldn’t help frowning. Her father’s method was much rougher than Feng Xiwu’s! Feng Xiwu was gentle, careful, and kind!

Within a few breaths, Xue Meiniang withdrew his hand and muttered to himself, “Your injuries are already healed, and they weren’t severe. So how come your brain got damaged?”

Liuli couldn’t help defending herself. “How is it damaged? I just forgot some things, that’s all.”

Xue Meiniang looked at her and sighed. “Your temper has gotten worse too.”

Startled, Liuli immediately coughed lightly and wrung her hands, trying to appear like a proper young lady. “…This just shows that a great illness leads to profound enlightenment.”

“Oh? What has Liuli come to realize?” Xue Meiniang asked with interest.

“Nothing much.” Keeping up this posturing was tiring. Liuli wasn’t someone who liked making things hard for herself, so she dropped her hands, relaxed, and said slyly, “Just that in the face of life and death, nothing else is a big deal.”

“Liuli has grown up.” Xue Meiniang patted her head. “Since you understand this principle, I won’t say much more. There’s no need to rush cultivation. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just come ask your father.”

“Sure thing, sure thing. Thanks, Father.”

The talk was mostly over, and it was time for Liuli to go. But before leaving, she suddenly remembered—her father was the Heavenly Martial Sect Leader!

While not the most powerful cultivator in the sect, he was definitely the most well-connected and the one who handled the most affairs.

Liuli instantly shed her previous dismissive attitude. A sweet smile bloomed on her face, and a drawn-out, nine-curves-and-eighteen-turns “Dad” rose on her lips. “Daaad~ ah—”

Xue Meiniang stumbled, turning back in surprise. “…Daughter?”

“Besides cultivation, if I have other matters, you’ll definitely help me too, right, Dad?”

“Naturally.”

“Great.” As lightly as could be, Liuli made a decision of extreme importance to a cultivator. “I want to become Perfected One Feng Xiwu’s disciple.”

Xue Meiniang raised an eyebrow. “You’ve taken a liking to her, but she might not take a liking to you.”

“Actually, she’s already taken a liking to me,” Liuli said with brimming confidence.

“Cough, really? Tell me, what happened?” Xue Meiniang inquired.

Feng Xiwu was only twenty-seven this year and had already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. She was an absolute genius. But while her cultivation was high, she was still young and might not necessarily be willing to take on a disciple.

Even if that disciple was also a unique, unmatched genius.

From a cultivator’s perspective, Xue Meiniang reasoned that Feng Xiwu probably wouldn’t seriously take a disciple to distract from her own cultivation.

Fully embracing the philosophy that boldness determines yield, Liuli began to exaggerate about her day trip to Parasol Tree Mountain—how well she and Feng Xiwu got along, how much the other appreciated her, and how much she cared about her.

After listening, Xue Meiniang mused, “Then why didn’t she just accept you as a disciple on the spot?”

Right, according to Liuli’s account, Feng Xiwu should have accepted Liuli then and there.

Liuli rubbed her chin, thought for a moment, and said, “Maybe it’s because… she’s shy?”

Xue Meiniang: “…”

Liuli was, after all, Xue Meiniang’s only daughter. He wouldn’t refuse something that benefited her.

So Xue Meiniang agreed to speak with Feng Xiwu on her behalf. As for how to speak… Xue Meiniang didn’t say.

In short, this back door had been opened halfway.

The remaining half still depended on Feng Xiwu.

After settling this matter, Liuli also consulted him on how to use the Storage Ring and various other odds and ends. He was her father, after all—it would be a waste not to ask, was Liuli’s initial thought.

But after Xue Meiniang had taught for a long time and Liuli still only half-understood, she began to regret it.

“Father, perhaps we should just forget it. I’ll go ask Perfected One Feng instead,” Liuli said earnestly. “The moment she taught me, I learned how to control True Qi. With your teaching… I really think Perfected One Feng is the most suitable to be my master!”

Xue Meiniang’s old face reddened slightly. He sighed with emotion, “Countless Daos, countless paths. Truly, every road is different. In that case, rest assured, I will definitely persuade Perfected One Feng to accept you as her disciple.”

“Then thanks, Dad!” Cupping her hands in farewell, Liuli cheerfully returned to her own courtyard.

But she didn’t rest. She found Liang Tiantian, put an arm around the girl’s shoulders, and began whispering in her ear.

Liang Tiantian nodded repeatedly as she listened. “Mm-hmm, no problem… Mm, that’s easy, it’s nearby. Mm, okay… hehe, I know, I won’t tattle to Senior Brother Long next time, alright… alright…”

But finally, she asked curiously, “Senior Sister, when and where did you learn to make pastries?”

Liuli replied profoundly, “Yesterday, Parasol Tree Mountain.”