Wen Qiwu now lived next door to Lu Qiaoyi, while the other elders and disciples of Myriad Medicine Mountain resided farther away. Thus, her current living environment was quite serene.
In her small courtyard stood a stone table. Wen Qiwu sat on a stone bench, with the bird cage containing Qing Tuan placed on the table beside a pot of freshly brewed spiritual tea.
Wen Qiwu sprawled across the stone table, looking somewhat dispirited.
Her small courtyard also had a kitchen, from which wisps of cooking smoke rose. Her senior sister was preparing a meal for her. In the entire Cangwang Realm, she was the only one who received such treatment from the Immortal Venerable, simply because she was the junior sister whom the Immortal Venerable had raised single-handedly… and nothing more.
“Qing Tuan.” Wen Qiwu poked the little bird’s head, her expression tinged with melancholy. “Am I being too greedy?”
The more she cherished something, the more she feared losing it. Wen Qiwu’s feelings were like the fine sand she cradled so carefully—the tighter she gripped, the faster it slipped away. Moreover, if Elder Lu’s new prescription failed, a dying person like her had no right to ask for more.
The bird glanced at her, then inexplicably fluffed up her feathers. From her gaze, Wen Qiwu seemed to read the words “hopeless fool.”
“Qing Tuan?”
The bird suddenly swelled in size, fluffing up just like that. She raised her little head and viciously pecked at Wen Qiwu’s fingertip.
“Hiss…” Wen Qiwu instinctively pulled her hand back. Though Qing Tuan was only at the Heart Viewing Period, there was something odd about her entire body. That one peck made even a Void Refining Realm cultivator like Wen Qiwu feel both pain and numbness in her finger. She almost suspected the little one’s beak was coated in poison.
Before Wen Qiwu could examine the pecked spot, however, her senior sister’s fair and slightly cool hand grasped her fingertip. She looked up to see her senior sister’s lowered lashes, and the faint itch in her heart made her forget the pain in her finger.
Her senior sister examined the red mark on her fingertip with a serious expression, handling it so carefully that Wen Qiwu almost thought she had suffered a grave injury.
Her senior sister’s hands were still dusted with flour—she must have rushed out upon hearing the noise without even wiping them.
“Does it still hurt?” Yun Heng gently rubbed the red spot pecked by the bird on Wen Qiwu’s fingertip. Her sleeve slipped slightly, revealing the Fire Crystal Jade Bead String on her left wrist. The vivid red beads made the skin of her wrist appear even fairer.
This was the only bright color on the Immortal Venerable’s person, a gift that young Wen Qiwu had painstakingly polished for her senior sister.
“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Though her senior sister’s hand was cool, Wen Qiwu felt the spot she rubbed growing hotter and hotter, overshadowing any lingering pain.
“It was my oversight.” When Yun Heng’s gaze fell on the bird cage, it instantly chilled. Qing Tuan seemed to realize her mistake and let out a “cheep” before turning her tail toward them.
Yun Heng picked up the bird cage, her expression as if she intended to toss the little one into a pot and stew her.
“Senior Sister!” Wen Qiwu immediately clung to Yun Heng’s arm, tactfully indicating she did not want bird stew added to dinner.
A hint of helplessness softened Yun Heng’s originally cold demeanor.
“I’ll add another sealing incantation to the bird cage to restrict her power, so she doesn’t overdo it next time.” Restricting Qing Tuan’s power was only part of it. Yun Heng was more concerned that using this magic tool in battle still posed risks. It wasn’t safe for her junior sister to carry, so she needed to refine it further upon returning.
“This bird cage is already quite good; no need to modify it. Senior Sister, you’ve been busy with the Eclipse Secret Realm lately…” Everyone from the sect master down to the elders would be occupied during this period. Wen Qiwu did not want to trouble her senior sister over such a minor issue.
“It’s just a small adjustment; no trouble at all.” The Eclipse Secret Realm matters could wait. Based on Yun Heng’s past experience, those other sects would argue endlessly, giving her time to perfect the tool before entering the realm.
Her senior sister carried off the bird cage. Though Qing Tuan protested, it did no good.
Wen Qiwu couldn’t help but chuckle at the deflated little bird. Then, she unconsciously rubbed her finger, where the sensation of her senior sister’s touch seemed to linger.
She lightly bit her lip, her complex emotions dissolving into a sigh.
“Whoosh…” A faint sound of wings fluttering vibrated through the air.
Wen Qiwu looked up to see a pale purple butterfly fluttering down. It was an exceedingly beautiful butterfly—Ask God Sect had many similar spirit insects—but Wen Qiwu’s expression changed slightly upon seeing it.
She instinctively grabbed the butterfly and hid it in her sleeve, then took a sip of tea as if to cover it up. She controlled her expression well, but her slightly trembling lashes betrayed her guilt.
This was no real spirit insect; it was a spell like a Messenger Paper Crane. Someone found paper cranes too plain and unworthy of their taste, so they had turned them into these flashy butterflies.
This Message Butterfly had been meticulously crafted by its owner—unique in the entire Cangwang Realm. Wen Qiwu recognized at a glance that it belonged to her pen pal, the Jade Xi Sect Saintess.
They had not corresponded in a long time. Why was Zuo Lan sending a message now?
Her senior sister had just warned her to stay away, and now, mere moments later, she had secretly accepted the message. Wen Qiwu, who always prided herself on being obedient and well-behaved in front of her senior sister, felt a twinge of guilt.
In their correspondence, Wen Qiwu and Zuo Lan had always used the pseudonym Yun Que. When communicating with Yun Que, Zuo Lan restrained herself a bit, appearing somewhat more proper than usual. Worried it might be something important, Wen Qiwu quietly returned to her room and took out the Message Butterfly.
Normally, injecting spiritual energy into a Message Butterfly turned it into a letter, but this one showed no change.
Had something gone wrong with this Message Butterfly? Just as Wen Qiwu prepared to pry it open, a saccharine voice emanated from it.
“Fellow Daoist Wen~”
Wen Qiwu’s hand trembled. She nearly thought Zuo Lan had discovered that Yun Que was her. But as she listened to Zuo Lan’s ingratiating words, she realized this Message Butterfly was not addressed to Yun Que.
The rumors circulating about this saintess exaggerated her demonic nature. In truth, the only one Zuo Lan actively pursued, setting aside her pride, was that person from Dry Moon Sword Sect. Seeing as there was no smoke without fire, Zuo Lan must have a favor to ask.
And she, a mere Void Refining Realm invalid who stayed cooped up in Ask God Sect year-round, had nothing Zuo Lan would covet. Thus, Zuo Lan—or rather, Jade Xi Sect—must be after her senior sister.
Wen Qiwu breathed a sigh of relief, then unceremoniously tossed the Message Butterfly away. This was the first time she had defied her senior sister’s strict prohibition behind her back. She needed to get rid of it quickly; just looking at the Message Butterfly now made her feel guilty.
Wen Qiwu ignored several more messages from the other party in succession. Until one day, without warning, someone mentioned through the butterfly whether she liked her senior sister.
The directness caught her off guard, leaving no chance to toss the Message Butterfly.
Cough cough cough! Wen Qiwu, in the midst of drinking her medicine, spilled half a bowl of bitter decoction onto the ground. The herbs here were exceedingly rare spiritual medicines—half a bowl was worth several cultivators’ fortunes.
But she paid no heed to the unfinished medicine. She pinched the Message Butterfly and shattered it with spiritual energy.
Zuo Lan’s voice had been loud. If her senior sister were nearby, she surely would have heard. Wen Qiwu’s heart raced wildly. It took her a long while to remember that her senior sister was still in the Assembly Hall, discussing the secret realm with the other nine major sects.
Zuo Lan had been chased out of the Assembly Hall by her master and the elders. Yun Heng Immortal Venerable’s glare at her had been truly chilling. Clearly, the Immortal Venerable truly minded her getting close to her junior sister that day. To seek cooperation with that Immortal Venerable, her master naturally could not allow a disciple who displeased her to remain an eyesore.
Whatever. Zuo Lan hummed an unknown tune as she left the Assembly Hall. She could be petty at times. After being frozen by Yun Heng’s cold aura, she felt like teasing her little junior sister.
Sure enough, the Wen girl, who had ignored her after sending the butterfly, immediately replied.
That Wen girl mimicked her senior sister’s distant demeanor, but it was only skin-deep, lacking the essence. Far from scaring off someone with “ulterior motives” like her, it only made her want to tease her more.
“Want to know how to take your relationship with your senior sister to the next level?” Leave the cooperation talks to her master and elders. Zuo Lan had come here for another purpose, but what she wanted to do had to be done in secret. Otherwise, if that Immortal Venerable found out, she would become the biggest spectacle in the Cangwang Realm.
“I can teach you~”
After this butterfly flew off, Zuo Lan did not receive an immediate reply, but she was not worried. That Wen girl would surely come seeking her out.
Halfway there, she stopped. A chill suddenly ran down her spine, her instincts screaming danger, just like the time she had nearly been ambushed from behind by a man-eating beast.
When Zuo Lan turned, her natal weapon was already in hand. But she never expected the one standing behind her to be that somewhat sickly-looking girl.
Though she appeared frail and her cultivation was a major realm below her own, she inexplicably made Zuo Lan feel a threat to her life.
…As expected of Yun Heng Immortal Venerable’s junior sister. She could not afford to be careless.
“How goes Fellow Daoist Wen’s consideration?” Zuo Lan blinked, a playful glint in her eyes.
Wen Qiwu’s expression was somber. After a long pause, her red lips parted, uttering words that surprised Zuo Lan: “I have no such intentions, and I hope Fellow Daoist will not speculate wildly.”
“Is that so? But I still have over a dozen letters here that someone wrote to me for her senior sister’s sake…” Zuo Lan reached into her storage pouch, pretending to retrieve them.
Wen Qiwu started, and upon meeting Zuo Lan’s probing gaze, she realized it had been a test. But her reaction had already given her away.
“So it really is you, Miss Yun Que~” Zuo Lan’s face lit with delight. She had suspected before meeting that the enigmatic Yun Que might be Yun Heng Immortal Venerable’s junior sister—and she had guessed right.
“Oh dear, Yun Que, Yun Que… Even your alias outside uses your senior sister’s surname, yet you insist you have no such intentions.” When Zuo Lan said the last four words, she mimicked Wen Qiwu’s earlier somber tone. If it earned her a beating, she would have only herself to blame.
Wen Qiwu’s face flushed red. It took her great restraint not to draw her Nine Tribulations Falling Realm Bow—a legendary divine artifact that packed a painful punch. She sighed.
“Please, Fellow Daoist Zuo, pretend you don’t know about this.” Wen Qiwu no longer denied it. She lowered her gaze, concealing the trace of dejection, told Zuo Lan she had matters to attend to, and prepared to leave.
“You’re just going to walk away like that? Aren’t you afraid I’ll let it slip by accident?” Zuo Lan was slightly surprised. Those dozen letters brimmed with fervent emotion line by line, yet Wen Qiwu’s current reaction defied expectations.
Wen Qiwu glanced back, her clear eyes earnest as she said, “I trust in Fellow Daoist Zuo’s character.”
If it had been a feeble threat or intimidation, Zuo Lan might have been tempted to tease her further. But such straightforward trust made Zuo Lan feel a bit embarrassed instead.
“Ahem, I won’t tell, but were you serious about what you said earlier? About you and your senior sister…”
Wen Qiwu did not answer Zuo Lan—perhaps not even she knew.
“Never mind, let’s not talk about that for now.” Zuo Lan noticed the melancholy on her and considerately changed the subject.
“Want to come out with me to meet a friend? Staying cooped up in your room all day will give you a sickness even if you don’t have one.” Zuo Lan knew Wen Qiwu was in poor health but was unaware it was a terminal illness.
After a moment of silence, Wen Qiwu refused her kind offer with some difficulty.
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s because of Yun Heng Immortal Venerable, right?” Recalling the cold treatment she had just received, Zuo Lan understood. She pretended to wipe away nonexistent tears and complained to Wen Qiwu, “She was mean to me in the Assembly Hall just now.”
Wen Qiwu’s lashes trembled, her aura softening. Considering the misunderstandings about Zuo Lan from the outside world, she spoke gently, as if consoling her, “My senior sister simply has some misconceptions about you…”
A flicker of affection rose in Zuo Lan’s eyes at being consoled. What a good child— no wonder Yun Heng Immortal Venerable watched her so closely. Suddenly, Zuo Lan wanted even more to whisk her away. The Immortal Venerable’s expression would surely be priceless!
