Chapter 2

“Little Yi, Little Yi?”

Xiao Yuxie called out a few times before Lu Mingyi snapped back to her senses. “Senior Sister, what’s wrong?”

“You’ve been spacing out ever since you got back.” Xiao Yuxie’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she reached out to smooth the wrinkles on Lu Mingyi’s collar, asking with concern, “Did Master scold you? Don’t take it too much to heart. After all, Master has always thought highly of you. Seeing you injured like this, she must feel bad too.”

“Mm, I know.” Lu Mingyi nodded.

But under Xiao Yuxie’s gentle, all-embracing gaze, she still couldn’t help taking a breath before whispering, “By the way, does Master still plan to take on a personal disciple? It’s been decades since I joined the sect.”

Hearing this question, Xiao Yuxie raised her brows in slight surprise. Then, considering Lu Mingyi’s recent drop in cultivation, she lightened her tone. “Maybe? If Master takes on a new disciple, it’ll just mean one more junior sister for us—one more family member and friend. Our lives won’t change at all.”

“Mm… Senior Sister’s right.” Xiao Yuxie’s words smoothed over Lu Mingyi’s lingering low spirits.

First off, she couldn’t suspect her master just because of a momentary hallucination. Second, even if Master did take a new disciple, that was perfectly normal. She’d have a new junior sister, and she’d treat her well. Her life would still be happy.

With that thought, Lu Mingyi shoved her self-doubt to the back of her mind.

Now that the issue of her junior sister’s punishment was settled, she decided to properly make it up to Ji Xuyun once she came down from Contemplation Cliff in four days.

But right now, she had something urgent to take care of.

“Senior Sister, I feel like my body’s mostly fine now. I want to head over to Pill Peak next—permission requested!”

Lu Mingyi spoke so formally, as if it were official business, but Xiao Yuxie was all too familiar with her little tricks.

She took Lu Mingyi’s hand. Even after warming it for so long, it still hadn’t heated up, so she slipped a Warmth Pearl into her palm.

Youlan Pavilion was like eternal spring, just like Xiao Yuxie herself—refreshing like a spring breeze. The bedroom was plenty warm at the moment, and Lu Mingyi felt a bit drowsy. Her senior sister’s voice sounded faintly distant. “You’re going to Pill Peak… to find Junior Sister Shen?”

“Mm? Yeah.” Lu Mingyi let out a small yawn, her eyes glistening a little as she nodded.

Xiao Yuxie’s figure grew even more hazy, but as Lu Mingyi gazed at her senior sister’s profile, she somehow detected a hint of cool detachment.

She blinked, and her vision cleared. Xiao Yuxie was still her gentle, water-like self, speaking softly. “But a few days ago, Qi Qi from Pill Peak happened to mention to me that Junior Sister Shen is in secluded cultivation right now.”

Qi Qi was the personal disciple of Pill Peak’s Master Yao Ye Zhenren and the peak’s senior sister. She and Shen Mingzheng were close, so this intel was absolutely reliable.

“What?” Lu Mingyi’s face fell in shock. Lately, one thing after another kept cropping up.

Her hair was still loose at the moment. She casually pulled a cord from her Storage Ring to tie it back, thought for a moment, and said, “Then I’ll go find Senior Sister Qi Qi. This is really important.”

As Xiao Yuxie herself had said, she’d never successfully talked Lu Mingyi out of her decisions. So she just lowered her gaze to hide her emotions and smiled. “In that case, let me escort you there.”

“Ah, no need, no need!” Lu Mingyi kept up her earnest act. “Senior Sister, I’ve already imposed on you for the days I was out cold, delaying you plenty. You escorted me to Master’s place, and now if you have to take me to Pill Peak too, won’t that waste another whole day of yours?”

Xiao Yuxie looked at Lu Mingyi. The girl’s eyes remained bright and clear. She averted her gaze first. “Alright then, go ahead. But come back to me tonight. I’ll have He Ming check you over again.”

Lu Mingyi naturally had no objections.

With her cultivation dropped to Foundation Establishment Third Layer, she couldn’t wield artifacts or fly on a sword to Pill Peak. But luckily, Sword Peak and Pill Peak weren’t far apart, and Shen Mingzheng’s Jin Que Pavilion was right in the center of Pill Peak. Even walking there was convenient.

Lu Mingyi knew the area like the back of her hand—even the shortcuts. To avoid drawing attention, she deliberately took a small path.

Cold Sun Grass had a high yield but only grew in secret realms. Even Taiqing Sect’s Medicine Peak couldn’t cultivate it, so the herb was somewhat in demand. Lu Mingyi didn’t want to hand it off to Shen Mingzheng through anyone else.

She had a key to Jin Que Pavilion anyway. She could just leave a Storage Ring with an explanation and have Shen Mingzheng help her align her story with Qi Qi.

But after all, she’d been injured and unconscious for three days, and she’d knelt at Jiang Liuzhao’s place that morning. By the time she reached Jin Que Pavilion, Lu Mingyi felt the pain in her meridians flaring up again.

Still, she could endure it.

Lu Mingyi wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the opulent building before her.

If you asked whose residence among Taiqing Sect’s Golden Core Stage and above cultivators was the grandest, Jin Que Pavilion came in second to none.

Others built their homes with a few gems or Warm Jades for decoration if they came from great clans. But Jin Que Pavilion used white jade for the floor tiles, imperial green jadeite for the interiors—not to mention mermaid tears as Night-Luminous Pearls and dragon scales to regulate humidity.

In short, Jin Que Pavilion was dripping with wealth!

Others gawked at it in awe, but Lu Mingyi was used to it by now. She just rubbed her eyes, dazzled by the golden glow, and lifted her foot to enter.

“You show up without even saying hello?”

Before she could even pull out her key, a female voice exploded from beside her.

“A’Zheng?” Lu Mingyi’s face lit up in surprise. “You’re not in seclusion?”

The newcomer was about Lu Mingyi’s height, maybe a touch shorter. She wore the same white sect robes, but the red embroidery at her collar and cuffs marked her as a Pill Peak disciple—different from Lu Mingyi’s gold Sword Peak trim.

Her robe’s fabric was clearly superior too, shimmering faintly with protective array patterns under the light.

And her features were strikingly radiant. Just standing there, she outshone a hundred flowers.

The Shen Family was the world’s top clan, specializing in pill refining with unfathomable foundations. Shen Mingzheng, as the only legitimate daughter and future clan head, had named her sect residence “Jin Que.”

Calling her more luxurious and proud than a peony wasn’t an exaggeration.

But this peony-like beauty didn’t look too pleased right now. Shen Mingzheng’s willow brows knit tight. She first sized Lu Mingyi up and down with a sweeping glance, then said, suppressing her irritation, “You come out looking like this?”

Lu Mingyi blinked and looked herself over. Her sect robes were clean, spotless. She rubbed her face—no dirt there.

She knew Shen Mingzheng was a neat freak and had tidied up carefully before leaving.

Shen Mingzheng couldn’t stand watching her fuss. Impatiently, she said, “Go look in a mirror yourself. Pale as a ghost, why aren’t you lying in your own home? What are you doing out here?” As she spoke, she stepped closer. “And who told you I was in seclusion? Xiao Yuxie?”

“My senior sister heard it from your Senior Sister Qi Qi, so it looks like Senior Sister Qi Qi got it wrong.” Knowing Shen Mingzheng meant her pallor, not any dirt on her clothes, Lu Mingyi walked right up and slung an arm over Shen Mingzheng’s shoulder. “A’Zheng, I dragged myself here to see you. Aren’t you even a little touched?”

“Hmph, your precious senior sister sure has her ear to the ground. I was going into seclusion, but something came up.” Shen Mingzheng snorted coldly but didn’t shrug her off. She just glanced at her. “Spit it out. Don’t drag others into it. Where are you hurt? Need medicine?”

“Aiya, A’Zheng, you really know me so well. I do have a favor to ask…”

“Cut the act! Stop being so improper all the time!” Shen Mingzheng snapped, shoving Lu Mingyi’s clinging body away. She turned and strode toward Jin Que Pavilion. “Come inside with me to get your medicine!”

“Hey, A’Zheng, wait up!” Lu Mingyi followed her into Jin Que Pavilion. “I do need something pill-related, but it’s not for me…”

Snap! Shen Mingzheng slammed shut the Azure Blue Treasure Box she’d already opened, cutting Lu Mingyi off.

She let out another cold laugh, whirling around with raised brows to stare at her. “Oh? Not for yourself? Then who? Your dear senior sister? Or that new junior sister from Sword Peak?”

“It’s been how many years, and you’re still hung up on this…” Lu Mingyi chuckled but went along with Shen Mingzheng’s mood. “Aiya, neither. Master’s eight-hundredth birthday is coming up. I want to give her some Fire Spirit Pills.”

Fire Spirit Pills were the best choice for Fire Spiritual Root cultivators to nourish their meridians and stabilize their Dantian. They were fifth-grade pills—not hard to refine, but their yield was low due to needing Cold Sun Grass as a material. And since many Pill Cultivators could make them, quality varied wildly.

When it came to pill quality, the Shen Family was always the top pick.

Shen Mingzheng, as the Shen Young Mistress, had reached Golden Core Stage before age one hundred—unprecedented in the clan’s history. And her pill refining skills even earned rave reviews from Pill Peak’s Master Yao Ye Zhenren.

After hearing it was a birthday gift for Jiang Liuzhao, the chill on Shen Mingzheng’s face eased a bit, though her mocking smile lingered. “So you recklessly ran off to the secret realm, all to get a birthday present for your master? She’s got herself a fine disciple.”

Knowing Shen Mingzheng still held a grudge about her joining Sword Peak, Lu Mingyi ignored the barb and sidled closer with a grin. “Come on, dear A’Zheng. When it comes to pill refining these days, who can top you? Help your little sister out. Here—this Storage Ring’s full of herbs. Besides the stuff for Fire Spirit Pills, I’ve tossed in some Azure Cloud Grass, Blood Coagulating Flowers, and a few Nine Revolutions Golden Cores. Take ’em all.”

“Nine Revolutions Golden Cores?” Shen Mingzheng paused. Those were second-grade pills—even she didn’t have many. “Weren’t those the ones my master gave you before to repair your spiritual veins?”

“Uh, yeah, but… they’re no use to me anyway. Better you have them than let them go to waste.” Lu Mingyi shrugged and pushed the Storage Ring closer.

Shen Mingzheng didn’t take it right away. She glanced at Lu Mingyi again, then her eyes widened slightly. “Your cultivation…”

Now a whole major realm above Lu Mingyi, Shen Mingzheng could see her exact level. Lu Mingyi’s expression didn’t change; she just smiled. “Yeah, dropped two more layers. Probably won’t be long before I fall to Qi Refining Stage.”

At those words, Shen Mingzheng’s expression grew incredibly complicated. Shadows clouded her radiant, flower-like face.

She took the Storage Ring from Lu Mingyi and muttered, “Whatever. The Shen Family will take care of you anyway.”

That cracked Lu Mingyi up even more. She looped her arms around Shen Mingzheng’s slender neck. “Really? Then your little sister will have to rely on Shen Young Mistress from now on~”

“You… let go!” Shen Mingzheng’s jade-like ears flushed red from the antics. Furious, she said, “Lu Mingyi, how many times have I told you not to be so improper!”

After Lu Mingyi finished teasing, Shen Mingzheng tossed the Azure Blue Treasure Box she’d been holding into her hands. “Take it back.”

Lu Mingyi didn’t need to open it to know it was a full box of pills. Indifferent, she said, “These won’t do much for me. No need to give them…”

“Take them if I say so!” Shen Mingzheng scowled at her refusal, her attitude firm and unyielding.

“Alright.” Lu Mingyi knew Shen Mingzheng’s temper—if she kept refusing, it’d spark a real blowup. So she stowed the treasure box in another Storage Ring.

As she finished the motion, a mocking female voice rang in her ear:

[Heh, already down to Foundation Establishment Third Layer. Looks like the day you become a total cripple isn’t far off.]

Lu Mingyi’s eyes widened. She looked at the person beside her.

Shen Mingzheng still shone with brilliance. She lowered her gaze to meet Lu Mingyi’s, her expression open and frank. “What’s wrong?”