Chapter 42: A Slap and the Osmanthus Tree’s Secret

Compared to Xie Muqing’s roar that could practically shatter the heavens, what surprised Lu Mingyi even more was the crisp slapping sound that cut through it without being drowned out.

She took a folded Paper Puppet from her Storage Ring and sent it flying to the eaves, gaining a clearer view of the scene.

The spirit-infused Paper Puppet allowed her to share its senses—the images it saw became her own.

And when Lu Mingyi made out the two figures standing beneath the Osmanthus Tree, even though she had her suspicions, she was still mildly shocked.

Xiao Yuxie stood ramrod straight. For today’s grand banquet, her moon-white robes were embroidered with blooming Spring Sword Orchids from the collar, across the chest, and up to the waist sash.

The shimmering silver threads seemed to blend seamlessly into the fabric, yet under the sunlight, they stood out unmistakably, accentuating the young family head’s poised elegance and nobility.

But shattering this dignified portrait was the abrupt, savage red handprint marring her soft, pale face.

Xie Muqing had straight-up slapped Xiao Yuxie across the face—and with full force, no less!

Even Lu Mingyi, who was purely there to spectate the drama, couldn’t help but widen her eyes. Forget that Xiao Yuxie is the head of a major clan and pushing four hundred years old—on such a formal banquet day, can she even show her face later with that mark?

Xiao Yuxie’s face had been knocked to the side, a few strands of white hair at her temple making the wound look all the more shocking.

Yet she didn’t even furrow her brow. She silently turned her face back, lowered her head slightly, and parted her pale pink lips. “A-Niang, I understand what you mean. I…”

“If you really understand, then pick one from all those big clans and sects who came today!!”

Though Xie Muqing sat in her wheelchair, shorter than Xiao Yuxie by half a head, her aura and pitch utterly overwhelmed the one standing behind her.

Hearing this, Xiao Yuxie’s hands tightened involuntarily on the wheelchair handles.

Those slender hands had prominent knuckles, the faint blue veins visible beneath her translucent white skin.

She didn’t respond to Xie Muqing.

Xie Muqing’s face, still flushed with lingering anger, filled with even greater shock and fury. “You really picked some stray mutt? And you’re dead set on protecting her?!”

“Xiao Yuxie, did that slap not wake you up? You’ve reached this point—don’t you know what’s urgent?!” Her accusations poured down like a gale. “All these years, do you think I didn’t know what you were up to in the Taiqing Sect? I thought after one of those mutts you wouldn’t even mention to me died off, you’d learn your lesson. But now you’re at it again?!”

By the end, Xie Muqing’s voice turned plaintive, her stern features tinged with sorrow. “Why did you suffer so much back then? Wasn’t it because your mother died when you were so young? And now, with your body like this… If something happens to you one day, with no heirs left behind, what am I supposed to do? What about this massive Xiao Family?!”

Xie Muqing’s really pulling out all the stops—scolding hard, then dragging in the dead mother and the family burdens, Lu Mingyi thought from her hiding spot, watching via the Paper Puppet. Emotion, reason, pressure—she’s hitting every angle. Even Xiao Yuxie probably can’t flat-out refuse now.

Sure enough, though Xiao Yuxie’s face darkened, she didn’t argue back.

Seeing this, Xie Muqing’s expression softened into something more affectionate. She reached up to stroke Xiao Yuxie’s swollen cheek, channeling spiritual energy from her fingertips to heal the mark.

“Yuxie, you’ve always been such a sensible child. You wouldn’t really do something to disappoint A-Niang, right?

“It’s our fate to suffer like this. If your mother were still here, or that child Xiao Ji, we wouldn’t be struggling so much. It’s a pity the Xie Family has no one else as outstanding as Xiao Ji… She’d have been perfect for you…”

Lu Mingyi’s jaw nearly dropped. So Xie Shiji and her former senior sister aren’t just cousins?! No wonder Xiao Yuxie was always going on about this ‘Xiao Ji’ in her past life—the bond runs deep!

Xiao Yuxie kept her eyes downcast, not meeting Xie Muqing’s gaze. As the older woman healed her, she calmly interrupted, “A-Niang, I get it. No need to bring up the past. The banquet’s about to start—let’s head over.”

“Being able to move on from the past is good.” Xie Muqing nodded in satisfaction but pressed on. “And that nameless mutt?”

“I’ll handle it.” Xiao Yuxie pushed the wheelchair at a steady pace.

“Good. I knew my daughter was the one I could count on most.” Xie Muqing leaned back contentedly, chattering on. “The Wang Family came asking for your hand again recently. That kid’s got decent talent and has been pining for you for years…”

Lu Mingyi and her Paper Puppet watched the mother-daughter pair vanish down the path.

A moment later, she darted out. The little Paper Puppet hopped into her palm and flopped down comfortably.

“Quite the gossip, huh?” Lu Mingyi fiddled with it using her index finger before stowing it back in her Storage Ring.

Eavesdropping on this one-sided argument between Xiao Yuxie and Xie Muqing didn’t help with the Spirit-Devouring Gu or finding that Spiritual Spring, but it did reveal plenty of side details.

Ten thousand years ago, the Cultivation World brimmed with spiritual energy. Cultivators’ ultimate goal was breaking through to the Great Ascension Stage, ascending to immortality in a realm coeternal with heaven and earth. But now, with qi depleted, reaching the Cavern Void Realm marked exceptional talent.

In this era, offspring from talented cultivators naturally had better odds—hence the clans’ obsession with marriages and bloodlines.

Xiao Yuxie’s mother, the previous Xiao Family head, had married Xie Muqing in such a union, and they’d been deeply in love. Back then, the Xiao Family fled the Demon Sect’s pursuit to the southwest, allying with the Xie Family for survival.

Even Xie Muqing’s paralyzed legs stemmed from a Demonic Cultivator ambush while protecting her wife.

Lu Mingyi knew all this so well because in her past life, she’d been brought to the Xiao Family too many times—these stories were as familiar as old gossip.

As she wandered Peach Blossom Source searching for traces of the Spiritual Spring, she pondered: And according to Xie Muqing, Xiao Yuxie’s health has deteriorated badly enough to push for heirs so urgently.

Her hair’s gone white, her body’s far thinner than before—not at all like a Sword Cultivator’s physique.

But what happened to tank the mighty Xiao Family head’s constitution like a cliff drop?

And it seems hard to treat—Xie Muqing consulted countless Medical Cultivators and even used the Xiao Family’s special Spiritual Spring, to no avail.

My gut says there’s key info here, maybe tied to the Demon Sect.

Too bad it involves facing Xiao Yuxie directly—my enthusiasm’s tanked.

But in my past life, I’d met Xie Muqing dozens of times. She always seemed strict but kind to me, and got along great with Xiao Yuxie on the surface.

How are they like this in private?

Xie Muqing’s words and attitude are way too disrespectful.

Calling your daughter’s love interest a ‘mutt’?

And most outrageous: with Xiao Yuxie’s health this bad, shouldn’t a parent exhaust every option to save her life?

Procreating in the Cultivation World burdens the body hugely, even if not as risky as in the Mortal Realm.

Yet Xie Muqing keeps pushing marriage and heirs?

Is family glory and descendants worth more than her own daughter’s life?

People really do have two faces, Lu Mingyi thought, shaking her head.

She zigzagged until she reached the babbling brook from her memories.

The slender stream still flowed, now lined with a few peach trees.

As Lu Mingyi passed, a breeze scattered petals across her face, some patting her body, others rippling the water.

She crouched and dipped a finger in. A faint spiritual fluctuation registered—far weaker than secret realm springs, nothing special. Just your average Cultivation World stream.

But this is weird. I’ve scoured most of Peach Blossom Source. The core family areas don’t scream ‘spring’ either. Where the hell is it?

Lu Mingyi frowned, combing her memories of Peach Blossom Source for missed clues.

The clear stream reflected her current face—not the dazzling one she’d grown used to, but a utterly plain one.

Come to think of it, all my entanglements with Xiao Yuxie started with a face like this.

In my past life, I resembled her long-dead cousin, the white moonlight, so she used me as comfort. Then at the Nine Provinces Grand Competition reunion, my reborn face matched some old acquaintance, sparking that frantic escape.

Just how many ‘old friends’ does this senior sister of mine have?

Was the soul-summoning for one dead person, and the one she argued about with Xie Muqing today another?

Or did she go from hunting dead-ringer substitutes in the Jiangxia Secret Realm days ago to a new ‘lifelong companion’?

Lu Mingyi’s gossip itch flared. Conclusion: Probably snagged another living person who looks like a dead one!

After all, she spent a century with me in the past life, treating me as cousin-substitute the whole time. She’s got a thing for stand-ins.

No luck on the Spiritual Spring, but Lu Mingyi wasn’t down. As the Xiao Family’s secret treasure now, it wouldn’t be easy to find.

She brushed off the peach blossoms clinging to her clothes and turned back for another pass.

No way I’m going to the banquet to mingle.

Soon, she found herself under the massive Osmanthus Tree again.

The area was wide open, dominated by the solitary tree. She meant to pass it by but halted abruptly.

After touring today, despite the Xiao Family’s growth, Peach Blossom Source’s core matched her memories from 180 years ago—some old buildings just renovated.

This, plus the substitute-hunting, confirmed Xiao Yuxie’s habit—call it “nostalgic” nicely put.

So this Osmanthus Tree, special to her, should be unchanged.

Yet it was the biggest change in all Peach Blossom Source!

Lu Mingyi’s expression sharpened. She hurried to the tree.

Taller than 180 years ago, but normally so. The real difference: a ring of stone blocks piled around it.

She crouched again, channeling spiritual energy into her fingertip and touching one. Coldness spread—no reaction. Ordinary stone, no qi.

But weirder still. For a big clan like the Xiao Family, why use plain rocks for decor or protection?

And is it my imagination, or are they too cold?

She scrutinized the tree. March—flowering season—and yes, gui flower fruits hung normally.

But with so many red flags, Lu Mingyi wasn’t leaving.

She scanned for people—clear—then prepared to vault the stones and climb the tree.

Just as she lifted one foot to step over, a clear, crisp voice rang out sharply from behind her. “Fellow Daoist, this is the Xiao Family’s ancient tree. You must not approach it casually.”

Lu Mingyi’s body stiffened, her movement coming to an abrupt halt.

She steadied herself against the stone pier, the cold, damp sensation seeping into her palm and making her feel even more uneasy.

When she turned around, Lu Mingyi indeed saw Jiang Liuzhao standing there—a figure clad in white robes embroidered with golden patterns, bathed in a glow of crimson sunset, her expression faintly aloof.