Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 64

Chapter 64: Plucking a Plum Blossom for Whom

…a cat suddenly grabbed by the scruff of its neck.

Through the hazy mist, the giant Kun leaped lightly out of the sea of clouds, bringing with it wisps of lingering clouds.

It let out a melodious cry, as if bidding farewell to the group.

And Ning Ruoque, who was holding Yin Buran and passing through the secret realm’s exit, suddenly turned her head, remembering something.

“Wait… have you seen Yan Lingge? She was eaten by the black shadow with me before.”

The restored memories had brought her a great shock, and for a moment, she had even forgotten that there was still a person whose whereabouts were unknown.

However, the giant Kun’s cry had already faded into the distance, and the sea cliff they had come from was right under their feet.

“No,” Si Mingyue shook her head, then comforted, “But don’t worry. Maybe we’ll see her when we get out.”

The Mirage Sea Realm had stopped, and the crisis brought by the fox demon had also been resolved. If there were no accidents, Yan Lingge should have been thrown somewhere.

When she found that the secret realm had returned to normal, she would find a way to get out on her own.

Flying out of the secret realm, the four of them found a remote place to land.

All sorts of flying boats were parked in the sky, and the people of Azurefall Creek were busy treating the wounded.

The leaders of the various sects were either comforting the frightened or trying to understand the specific situation.

And there were still people anxiously waiting at the exit, waiting for their fellow sect members, or even their disciples, to return.

But some people were destined not to come back.

Every time a different secret realm opened, there would be people who were injured or died. Most people were already used to this.

Yin Buran looked for a moment, then took out two small green porcelain bottles and handed them to Chu Xuan and Si Mingyue without a word.

Chu Xuan took them and poured them out, and a few round pills appeared in her hand.

The pills had clear patterns and were of good quality, emitting a refreshing fragrance.

She swallowed two or three in one gulp, chewing them like candy, and praised without any reservation, “Good stuff!”

Si Mingyue also ate one and sighed, holding the porcelain bottle.

“We were clearly here to find clues about that mysterious person. How did things turn out like this…”

Not only did they not find any clues, but they had also almost suffered heavy losses.

After she finished speaking, her tone changed. “But we saved many people in time. In this way, it can be considered as a confirmation of the auspicious divination.”

If it weren’t for the three of them destroying the Mirage Sea Realm’s formation and killing the nine-tailed fox phantom in time, the casualties would probably have been several times higher.

While they were talking, Yin Buran suddenly tugged on Ning Ruoque’s sleeve. “Is that Yan Lingge?”

Ning Ruoque followed her gaze and indeed found that familiar, thin figure near the exit.

She said in a low voice, “Wait for me for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

After Yin Buran nodded, Ning Ruoque took three steps at a time and quickly walked up to Yan Lingge.

Seeing her walk over, the little girl twisted her sleeve with her hands, her gaze shifting.

Her face was full of lingering fear, and her eyes were red. The sword was also crookedly carried on her back.

Ning Ruoque got straight to the point. “Miss Yan, your firefly herb.”

After speaking, she stuffed a spirit grass into Yan Lingge’s hand.

This was the medicinal herb that Yan Lingge had asked her to help pick before. But later, Ning Ruoque had been devoured by the black shadow, so she hadn’t had time to give it to her.

Yan Lingge held the spirit grass tightly and did not look up.

Only a flustered and choked voice came, “Th-thank you.”

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, so annoyed that she almost wanted to bury herself in the ground.

“I’m really sorry for letting Senior be attacked by that black shadow…”

Ning Ruoque sighed softly. “It’s fine. I’m fine now. But you, are you injured?”

She couldn’t see anything wrong from her appearance, but the place that affected people the most in the Mirage Sea Realm was actually their state of mind.

Yan Lingge pressed her lips together.

After a long while, she finally said softly, “I entered an illusionary realm and thought that I had attracted a monster again and had killed someone.”

Her fine hair covered her eyes, and it was difficult for Ning Ruoque to judge her emotions.

She could only offer a few simple words of comfort. “It’s just an illusionary realm. With a sword in your hand, why worry about not being able to cut through this miasma?”

She looked into the distance. “Then I’ll go back first.”

“Wait—” Yan Lingge suddenly called out to her.

Just as Ning Ruoque turned her head, she saw her with a complicated expression, bowing deeply. “Thank you, Senior…”

Ning Ruoque nodded in response, her body as light as a swift. She disappeared into the crowd and the forest, disappearing from Yan Lingge’s sight in the blink of an eye.

She was in a bit of a hurry, just because she had a faint premonition in her heart.

Then, at some point, a gust of wind rose.

Dark clouds rolled in the sky, and angry waves rolled under the cliff. It was clearly a sign of an impending storm. That premonition became even more real.

She might be about to break through.

It was unknown if it was because practice makes perfect, or if she had had many strange encounters recently. Ning Ruoque’s cultivation speed was far beyond an ordinary person’s, and from time to time, it would shoot up a section for various reasons.

It was as if the Heavenly Dao were chasing after her to feed her.

A few thoughts flashed by, and Ning Ruoque had already arrived in front of Yin Buran.

Just as she was about to tell Yin Buran about this, she heard the other also open her lips at the same time and confirm seriously.

“Ning Ruoque, if you hadn’t met Yan Lingge, would you not have gone to Brightlight Pavilion at all in the beginning?”

Ning Ruoque was stunned for a moment. “Yes…”

If not, she would have directly contacted Chu Xuan, and then returned to Mount Xuansu to cultivate until she had recovered at least seventy percent of her cultivation.

Yin Buran frowned, and just as she was about to ask again, she was interrupted by Ning Ruoque. “Ranran, I might be about to undergo a tribulation and break through.”

Breaking through just after leaving a secret realm was not a strange thing. There had even been one or two cases not long ago.

But the tribulation cloud in the distance was getting thicker and thicker and had already attracted the attention of many people.

Yin Buran was silent for a moment, then suddenly reached out and hugged Ning Ruoque, burying her head in her neck.

“Come back early.” Her tone was like a complaint, and also like a reminder.

Ning Ruoque nodded in agreement, turned around, and drilled into the forest, rushing towards the most dense part of the rain clouds.

The moment she left, Yin Buran covered her mouth with her sleeve and coughed a few times, and a blood flower bloomed on her sleeve.

In this gloomy weather, it looked extremely glaring.

Ignoring the worry in Si Mingyue’s eyes, Yin Buran’s expression was indifferent.

“I don’t believe in such coincidences. The first time I met you, and the second time you recovered a part of your memory, Yan Lingge was there.”

She still stood straight, looking in the direction Ning Ruoque had left, her words conveying a deep obstinacy.

“I also don’t believe that Mingyue’s prophecy has not come true.”

Si Mingyue had said that this trip was related to the mysterious person, so the events of the Mirage Sea Realm must have had the other’s participation.

Chu Xuan suddenly took a step back and even let out a sheepish smile.

Si Mingyue, on the other hand, hesitated to speak.

Yin Buran turned around. “I’m going to—mmph!”

Before she could finish, she bumped into a dark figure with a medicinal fragrance.

It was unknown how long she had been watching silently. Qin Jiangli quickly caught Yin Buran and tapped a few of her acupoints.

The latter was instantly unable to move, like a cat with its head held high and its tail raised, but was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of its neck. Her hands and feet were weak, and she could only let out a weak struggle.

Yin Buran’s brow furrowed into a “川” character, and she questioned unceremoniously, “Why are you here?”

Qin Jiangli answered with a smile, “If I hadn’t come, I’m afraid Junior Sister would have punched the Immortal Alliance and kicked the Demon God.”

After speaking, she stuffed a pill into Yin Buran’s mouth.

Yin Buran was angry from embarrassment, but she couldn’t use her strength.

Due to her old illness not yet healed, and the overuse of her spiritual energy, she looked even paler than Si Mingyue. Only her lips and the tips of her ears were a bright red, attracting attention.

She struggled to pull at Qin Jiangli’s arm. “Let go of me!”

Qin Jiangli was unmoved and directly carried her up, still with that smiling expression.

“No. I must take you back to recuperate. If Senior Medicine King sees you like this, she will also regret letting you out.”

Seeing that being hard was not working, Yin Buran tugged on Qin Jiangli’s lapel and curled up into a ball.

“Senior Sister…”

This call was both wronged and pitiful, completely not her usual style, but Qin Jiangli was unmoved.

“Calling me Senior Sister is also useless. It is precisely because I am your Senior Sister that I am even more responsible for you.”

She looked at the magnificent tribulation cloud in the distance, and the smile on the corners of her mouth faded a little.

“As for Ning Ruoque, I wish her a smooth tribulation.”

The effect of the medicine gradually took hold, and Yin Buran’s eyes could barely stay open. She could only let out a barely audible murmur.

Chu Xuan made way for Qin Jiangli. “Investigate Yan Lingge, right? Leave it to me.”

Si Mingyue also quickly added, “Ranran, don’t worry. I’ll let Ning Ruoque know.”

Qin Jiangli smiled and was about to leave.

But she was unexpectedly stopped by a strange cultivator.

The other’s attitude was quite respectful, bowing her head. “Wait a moment.”

“I heard that the Mirage Sea Realm has lost control and was forcefully broken into by a fox demon. This is a major matter. Elder Jiang invites you all to have a discussion.”

The Elder Jiang she was talking about was the law enforcement elder of the Cloud Sword Pavilion, Jiang Ai, and also the current Deputy Alliance Master of the Immortal Alliance.

A thousand years ago, in order to resist the invasion of the demon race, many immortal sects had formed an alliance to resist the enemy together, and this had been passed down to this day.

It was just that the current Immortal Alliance was really hard to describe. They might not share the blessings, but they would have to pull a few others to share the hardships.

Qin Jiangli directly refused, “Sorry, my junior sister is injured and needs to recuperate. Azurefall Creek will leave first.”

Her words were polite, but she clearly did not allow for any discussion. Without waiting for the other to react, she carried the person and left.

“Wait—” Seeing that she couldn’t stop her, the cultivator gritted her teeth and turned to look at the other two.

“Sect Master Chu, Palace Master Si.”

Si Mingyue stood behind Chu Xuan, clearly wanting to hear her opinion.

Chu Xuan spread her hands nonchalantly. “Let’s go. We just met not long ago. We’re very familiar.”

She pulled Si Mingyue and boarded the Cloud Sword Pavilion’s immortal boat with great fanfare. The cultivator who was sending the message couldn’t even catch up behind them.

At this time, there were no people from the Sword Pavilion on the immortal boat. In the huge hall, it was filled with familiar or strange faces.

And on the main seat sat a woman in plain clothes, with phoenix eyes and thin lips.

A cinnabar dot between her brows did not make her look enchanting, but only made her seem majestic and solemn, making people feel awe.

Chu Xuan and Si Mingyue found an empty seat. Before they could sit down, a hoarse voice came.

“The Palace Master is in a good mood. You left Heavenly Eon Palace and took a tour of the Mirage Sea Realm. Did you divine in advance that something would happen to the Mirage Sea Realm?”

These words were really vicious.

If Si Mingyue admitted it, then it would prove that she knew that the Mirage Sea Realm was dangerous, but did not give a warning, and let those juniors go in to die.

If Si Mingyue did not admit it, then her motive for entering would be questionable.

Si Mingyue pouted, and before she could refute, she was pushed down into her seat by Chu Xuan.

She herself also sat down in a carefree manner. “We can go wherever we want. Can you control us?”

With a “bang,” the wind hit the window and then howled into the room. The air was hot and stuffy, and the thunder in the distance became clearer and clearer.

Someone in the seat tapped the table, his face gloomy. “Someone has testified that the fox demon was clearly after you. For such a mistake to occur in the secret realm, Heavenly Eon Palace cannot shirk its responsibility.”

Si Mingyue’s fists were clenched, and she stared at the white-bearded old man’s face.

On the contrary, Chu Xuan let out a sneer. “Then he should thank me first. If it weren’t for me, could he still stand in front of you and talk?”

She changed to a posture with her legs crossed, as calm as if she were just chatting.

“The last time the secret realm under the Sword Pavilion’s jurisdiction opened, it happened to encounter a demonic beast riot, and nearly a hundred people died. You said it was their fate.”

“This time, you’re starting to blame Heavenly Eon Palace?”

This sentence clearly angered the old man. He slammed the table, his voice like a clap of thunder.

“Chu Xuan! Stop your glib tongue! Do you dare to say that you didn’t have a selfish motive for entering the Mirage Sea Realm?”

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck outside the window. The storm rolled up the sea waves several meters high and also made the flying boat shake non-stop.

Si Mingyue couldn’t stand it anymore. Her staff fell heavily on the ground, and the silver chains and crystals collided, making a continuous clanging sound.

“She almost self-destructed her dantian to save people. If you disregard the facts, you will be unlucky!”

Although her voice was soft and her method of threatening was also ridiculous, everyone present fell silent.

Especially that old man, his face was ashen, and he looked very unsightly.

The cultivation technique that Si Mingyue practiced was special. If she said someone would be unlucky, that person would really be inexplicably unlucky for several days.

At best, they would lose some property and suffer some minor injuries. At worst, their life would be in danger!

After a long while, Chu Xuan turned her head and looked at the silent Deputy Alliance Master on the seat with a faint smile.

She said slowly, “The Tiangong Workshop, right?”

The white-bearded old man steeled himself and met her pair of cold, wolf-like eyes.

Chu Xuan’s smile disappeared, and she looked down at him. “Before you question me, you should first take care of the people in your sect who are selling defective products.”

“You can’t beat the Forging Fire Sect in business, so you come to find trouble with me. What, you think my cultivation is just for show?”

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming more and more tense, Jiang Ai finally spoke to mediate. “Alright, everyone, take a step back.”

She seemed helpless and sighed softly.

“Chu Xuan, I have no intention of questioning your motives, and I only represent the Sword Pavilion to thank you for your help.”

“But there is one thing that I must confirm with you.”

Chu Xuan tilted her head, giving Jiang Ai enough face, and seemed a little more approachable.

So the latter spoke unhurriedly, “Under the influence of the laws of the secret realm, how did you shut down the secret realm and kill the nine-tailed fox phantom?”

At the same time as Si Mingyue frowned, Chu Xuan had already admitted generously.

“With a strand of my old friend’s sword qi.”

As soon as these words were spoken, many people looked at each other, or exchanged a tacit look.

Chu Xuan snorted coldly, the mockery in her eyes even stronger.

“Do you need me to say her name? It’s only been a hundred years. Have you all forgotten her?”

No one answered her.

The upright did not need to respond, and the cunning and despicable were even more afraid of responding.

The Sword Venerable Ning Ruoque, a hundred years ago, was the nightmare of the demon race, and also the nightmare of many small people.

In the end, it was still Jiang Ai who smoothed things over with a calm expression.

“Sect Master Chu, please forgive me. We just suspect that there is a traitor in the immortal sects, which is why the fox demon was able to take advantage of the situation.”

One had to know that the Mirage Sea Realm was a divine relic. Without the key or token of the secret realm, it was difficult for a monster to enter.

It could only be reasonably guessed that it was brought in by someone.

Chu Xuan raised her eyelids, not surprised by this development.

“Elder Jiang, since you suspect that there is a traitor among us, why not thoroughly investigate all the immortal sects, so that people can be at ease?”

Her peripheral vision swept over, and the wind and rain outside the window were heavy, and the tribulation cloud was at its peak.

And in the clouds, there seemed to be a streak of sword light that cut through the thousands of phenomena, unstoppable, vowing to be higher than the heavens!

Chu Xuan retracted her attention and said lightly, “Let’s start with the Tiangong Workshop.”

*

To Chu Xuan’s surprise, Jiang Ai agreed to her proposal.

To secretly investigate if anyone in the immortal sects had cultivated demonic arts and colluded with monsters.

When she and Si Mingyue walked out of the flying boat, the wind had stopped and the rain had ceased, and the tribulation cloud was slowly dispersing.

Si Mingyue tidied her hood and smiled softly at Chu Xuan. “Thank you for speaking up for me.”

“I should.” Chu Xuan waved her hand, then suddenly lowered her voice and whispered mysteriously into Si Mingyue’s ear.

Si Mingyue thought she had something important to tell her and pricked up her ears.

She heard this person say, “I threw a lot of crabs on that old man’s flying boat, hehe.”

The crabs she was talking about were actually the artifacts that could bite people’s butts.

Si Mingyue: “…”

She silently pushed Chu Xuan away, but a smile unconsciously hung on the corners of her mouth.

Not far away, a black shadow came from far to near.

Just by looking at the person’s movement technique, which was as if she were riding the wind, one could tell that her cultivation had improved a lot.

Ning Ruoque sheathed her Sudden Rain sword, and her first sentence was, “Where’s Yin Buran?”

She didn’t look too disheveled, and her clothes were still quite clean. Only the thin sweat on her temples could prove that she had indeed suffered a little just now.

Simply undergoing a tribulation, and undergoing a tribulation while fighting a monster, were still different for Ning Ruoque.

It was just that the former was much easier, and it was even easier after her rebirth.

Chu Xuan: “Yin Buran was taken back by Qin Jiangli to recuperate. You can still catch up if you chase now.”

Ning Ruoque turned and left. “Alright. I’ll contact you when I have time.”

Seeing her departing back in a hurry, Chu Xuan clicked her tongue a few times and patted her head.

“When can I also recover my memory?”