Chapter 51: Plucking a Plum Blossom for Whom
…wishing she could stick herself to Ning Ruoque.
Ning Ruoque lifted Yin Buran back onto the bed.
A certain person was not quite awake yet, but she had already started to gently push Ning Ruoque’s shoulder. “I need to do my makeup, and then go see Master.”
The Medicine King had been in seclusion for ten years. As her only disciple, Yin Buran should go and pay her respects at the first opportunity.
Therefore, Ning Ruoque did not hesitate and took out a set of light green lotus-patterned clothes and handed them to her.
Yin Buran put on the clothes, lifted the curtain, and sat down at the dressing table slowly.
Only then did Ning Ruoque belatedly realize that she had actually picked out a set of clothes for her without asking for Yin Buran’s opinion.
As if it had long become a habit.
Ning Ruoque was startled by her own thought.
Afraid that Yin Buran would feel offended, she asked haltingly, “These few pieces… do you think they’re suitable?”
Yin Buran glanced at her and raised her chin reservedly. “Mm.”
Since she had already put them on, she naturally liked them.
It had to be said that although Ning Ruoque herself had been wearing the simplest cuffed black clothes all year round, at least her taste in clothes was still there. She had never picked out any strange color combinations for her.
The only problem was that this person was still not at ease in front of her.
Yin Buran sat at the dressing table for half a minute and tapped the tabletop with her knuckles. “Help me comb my hair.”
Ning Ruoque paused, then picked up the wooden comb with some discomfort and combed through the white hair that hung like satin before her.
Countless fine, soft strands of hair flowed through her fingertips, cool and silky, like parting a stream of water.
The feel was exceptionally good, but Ning Ruoque was extremely polite. After combing the white hair until it was smooth, she consciously retreated, not leaving even a corner of her clothes in the silver mirror.
Yin Buran slowly picked up a hairpin to tie up her hair, an indescribable feeling in her heart.
Every move of the sword cultivator proved that she was indeed Ning Ruoque.
But she was no longer her own Ning Ruoque.
Yin Buran took a moment to compose herself. Just as she was about to get up by holding onto the table, she was picked up by Ning Ruoque’s quick hands.
She pressed her lips together and said in a low voice, “I can walk on my own.”
For a rare moment, Ning Ruoque did not listen to her. “It will be faster if I carry you.”
In fact, it was mainly because she saw Yin Buran’s downcast eyes and low spirits, and wanted to make things easier for her.
“Hmph.”
Yin Buran snorted lightly, but her gaze did not move from Ning Ruoque’s face.
She wanted to discern whether this person’s actions were out of pity or simply to repay a debt of gratitude.
It was just a pity that Ning Ruoque’s eyes were as clear as a mirror, only reflecting the road ahead, and not much emotion could be seen.
Yin Buran tugged on the sword cultivator’s clothes to show her the way, and the two of them arrived at Hidden Jade Valley not long after.
Ning Ruoque saw a dense crowd of medical cultivators standing at the entrance of the valley from afar and put Yin Buran down in advance, so as not to damage the Divine Pivot Lord’s prestige in front of the younger generation.
Then she asked tentatively, “Yin Buran, I would like to see Senior Medicine King. Can you help me convey this?”
Yin Buran tidied her sleeves and glanced at the person before her.
She knew what Ning Ruoque was up to. This person was always beating around the bush to inquire about her physical condition, and then she would feel guilty and sad alone, trying to find ways to compensate her.
Like a sensitive plant, shrinking and wronged.
Yin Buran did not want Ning Ruoque to be like this, so she said casually, “It depends on my mood.”
Just like that, she dismissed a certain sword cultivator and walked into the crowd on her own.
When the crowd saw her, they spontaneously parted a path and bowed in unison, “Divine Pivot Lord.”
Yin Buran nodded in acknowledgment, flew up the long steps, and after a few leaps, she disappeared from everyone’s sight.
The scenery of Hidden Jade Valley was pleasant, with flying springs and cascading waterfalls, strange rocks and ancient trees.
At the end of the long steps was a simple and ancient small courtyard. The carvings under the eaves were not of auspicious patterns, but of hundreds of herbs and medicinal stones.
An inconspicuous stone tablet sat in the grass, with the words—
“Jade-Embracing Mountain Residence”
Ten years had passed in a flash outside the valley, and the scenery of Azurefall Creek had changed a lot, but this Jade-Embracing Mountain Residence in the valley had remained the same.
There was no one else’s aura in the mountain residence. Yin Buran gently pushed open the door and walked into the main hall without looking sideways.
She bowed deeply. “Greetings, Master. Did you achieve your wish during this seclusion?”
She had restrained all her arrogance, and even her tone was much more obedient than usual.
Finally, a lazy voice sounded by Yin Buran’s ear, “Heh, Ranran, come forward and let me take a good look at you.”
Yin Buran paused, took a few steps forward, and then looked up.
She saw a woman on the seat with peach blossom eyes and jade-feathered brows, a jade hairpin and golden ornaments, and a white dress embroidered with peonies. She had a graceful and noble appearance, just like a proud and wealthy flower in the human world.
She was lying on her side on the chaise lounge, propping up her head with one hand, and sizing up this disciple of hers whom she had not seen for a long time, especially that eye-catching white hair.
After a long while, the Medicine King’s red lips parted slightly. “Jiangli came a little earlier than you and has already told me about the recent events.”
Her tone was cold, and it sounded very displeased.
Yin Buran’s heart tightened, and she hurriedly looked up. “Master, Senior Sister may not know the inside story.”
The Medicine King squinted her eyes and actually curled up the corners of her mouth, laughing out loud.
“I haven’t said anything yet, and you’re already so eager to explain for Ning Ruoque?”
Yin Buran: “…”
Knowing that she had misspoken, Yin Buran lowered her eyes in annoyance.
She liked Ning Ruoque, so naturally, she also hoped that her own family and friends would have a good impression of Ning Ruoque.
The Medicine King stood up and walked down from the high platform gracefully.
She reached out without any warning and held Yin Buran’s wrist, her fingertips resting on her pulse.
In less than three minutes, her brow furrowed into a “川” character.
Then she questioned unceremoniously, “I was just in seclusion, and you’ve already made yourself like this. Do you like her that much?”
Seeing that her carefully nurtured and cared for disciple’s condition was getting worse and worse, just for a dull and uninteresting sword cultivator, how could she not feel sorry for her?
The Medicine King flicked her sleeve in anger. “Give me a reason for doing this, or I’ll have to punish you.”
Yin Buran’s eyelashes trembled, and she wrinkled her sleeve.
Like a cat that had made a mistake, she curled up pitifully, even stepping on her tail with her claws.
She could be fierce in front of Ning Ruoque and act as if nothing had happened in front of her senior sister, but the person before her was the one who loved her the most and had guided her countless times on the path of medicine.
She would persuade herself not to care too much about the past, over and over again.
Now it was difficult to control her emotions and not seek comfort and answers from the Medicine King.
“Master.”
Yin Buran slowly bowed and narrated as calmly as possible, “If there is one thing that everyone has forgotten, and there is nothing to prove that it ever existed, and only you remember it, what would you do? Would you suspect…”
“That all of this is just a self-deceiving dream?”
She still couldn’t hold it in, so much so that the last sentence was unsteady, with an imperceptible tremor.
The Medicine King was silent for a long time this time.
Until Yin Buran looked up at her, her pair of glassy pupils covered with a thin mist.
She sighed softly, “Although you would ask me, you must have already made a decision in your heart.”
Yin Buran did not answer, which was a tacit agreement to this statement.
The Medicine King spoke unhurriedly, “All things in the world operate according to their cause and effect. One wanes as the other waxes. This is the Great Dao.”
“I think, even a goddess cannot make something disappear completely. There will always be some traces left.”
In these thousand years, for some reason, only one person had ascended in the cultivation world.
She had merged with the Dao and mastered a part of the power of the Heavenly Dao. From then on, she had reversed the universe and benefited the cultivation world and the human world countless times. Thus she became the goddess in everyone’s mouth.
It was just that in the past hundred years, the goddess had rarely interfered in the mortal world.
Ning Ruoque should have been the second person to ascend after her.
Yin Buran frowned slightly. “Yes, disciple understands.”
The Medicine King studied her for a long while and suddenly called out, “Ranran.”
Yin Buran thought she had more instructions and answered obediently, “Disciple is here.”
But the Medicine King just gently patted her shoulder, and a gentle spiritual energy immediately seeped into her body, circulating throughout, repairing her damaged meridians and body.
Yin Buran was stunned for a moment, staring at her master without blinking.
Although the latter was helpless, her eyes were like sparkling water.
She said, “Remember, no matter what choice you make, Azurefall Creek will always be your home.”
Yin Buran’s lips pressed into a straight line, and she called out in a low voice, “Master.”
She suddenly took half a step forward and hugged the Medicine King tightly. After a few breaths, she let go and moved her gaze elsewhere.
“Ning Ruoque wants to see you.”
The Medicine King snorted coldly, clearly still angry. “Oh? But I don’t want to see her.”
She turned around without looking back, her attitude arrogant. “I don’t like single-minded sword cultivators. When she figures it out and agrees to marry into Azurefall Creek, I’ll see her then.”
So Yin Buran did not persuade her. After chatting with the Medicine King about the recent events in the cultivation world, she was chased away by the latter.
The reason given was, “We’ll talk about those things later. Don’t get in the way of me and your master’s wife catching up.”
Yin Buran smiled with pursed lips, and was chased away by the Medicine King in a fit of anger several more times before she left with a light-hearted pace.
*
Ning Ruoque was cultivating and waiting for Yin Buran outside the valley.
She was sitting in the shade of the trees, and before long, she saw a green figure fly out gracefully.
But she did not go to find Ning Ruoque at the first opportunity.
It was just that the chattering medical cultivators around her suddenly swarmed up, surrounding her like a tide.
And they called out sweetly, “Senior Sister, what did the Medicine King say to you?”
“Senior Sister! I have a question recently. Can you help me answer it?”
“Senior Sister—”
Ning Ruoque had originally wanted to go and pick up Yin Buran, but seeing this, she also stopped in her tracks and continued to obediently nestle in a dark place and wait.
The affectionate “Senior Sister” was endless. Several young girls pushed forward, scrambling to talk to Yin Buran.
Yin Buran’s popularity in Azurefall Creek was evident from this.
As Ning Ruoque watched and listened, a subtle sour feeling rose in her heart.
She pressed on the hilt of her sword uncomfortably. Not only did she not get any comfort, but her chest felt even tighter.
It was one thing for her to be unhappy when those lecherous scoundrels coveted Yin Buran.
But why was it so awkward to see Yin Buran answering questions for her fellow sect members?
It was like her favorite food was being stared at by a large group of people, making Ning Ruoque feel uncomfortable all over, her fur almost standing on end.
For a moment, she actually had the urge to hide Yin Buran.
Ning Ruoque ground her teeth and patiently waited for Yin Buran for another half an hour.
But this “food” had no intention of leaving and was still patiently answering every question from her fellow sect members.
Her brows were lowered, and the tips of her hair danced in the wind, incredibly gentle.
Seeing a certain young girl “boldly” pulling on Yin Buran’s sleeve and acting cute, Ning Ruoque finally couldn’t stand it anymore and flashed into the crowd.
She appeared by Yin Buran’s side in the blink of an eye and grabbed her other sleeve.
Yin Buran was unmoved, her expression calm as she glanced at her. “What are you doing?”
