Chapter 58: “What is your relationship with Yan Yuanqing?”

To put it bluntly, whether it was Yan Zhao or Bai Jin, sometimes, they really weren’t worth saving.

A feeling of hopeless, despairing helplessness welled up inside Ren Qingyue.

What kind of karma had she accumulated to end up with these two little ancestors?!

Bai Jin’s Dharma Power hadn’t recovered yet, and her Spiritual Perception had also disappeared. She hadn’t heard the footsteps outside the cave. She only thought Fox Immortal Sister was playing with her, batting at the fox tail back and forth, having a grand old time.

Just as Ren Qingyue was starting to seriously consider the feasibility of throwing Bai Jin out directly, the unkempt old man chuckled and spoke. “What great hostility from such a little fox. But, this old man has come looking for your master. Is your master inside?”

Looking for Yan Zhao?

Ren Qingyue grew even more vigilant. She flicked her tail forcefully, evading Bai Jin’s harassment.

Bai Jin, on the other hand, was startled by the sudden strange voice. She shrank her neck and hid behind the rock. A moment later, overcome by curiosity, she cautiously poked out her little head to take a look.

It turned out to be a strange old man she hadn’t seen before.

“Aiya, what a nuisance.”

The strange old man grumbled.

The Spirit Pet blocked the cave entrance fiercely, and the person inside the cave also didn’t come out to greet him.

He sighed. “If the mountain won’t come to me, then I shall go to the mountain.”

Having said that, he casually waved his hand. Both little foxes at the cave entrance stiffened simultaneously, unable to move another muscle.

Ren Qingyue: “!!!”

Just what level was this person’s cultivation?!

This feeling of absolute helplessness was eerily familiar, as if she had returned to that day at the Immortal’s Cave Abode, when she had encountered Devil Lord Nangong Yin.

Could it be…

She struggled fiercely, but to no avail. She could only watch helplessly as the strange old man stepped into the cave.

·

Bi Lan hadn’t found Yan Zhao. After leaving the Relay Station, she didn’t linger in the Immortal Market either, heading straight for the Medicine God Sect.

There were two reasons for this. First, the Medicine Ceremony was about to begin, and the Medicine God Sect would surely attract many famous figures. Such an opportunity was rare, so naturally, Bi Lan wanted to go up the mountain to join the excitement.

Second, if the rumors were true that Xuanyuan Mu would appear at the Sword God Sect, perhaps… she might have a chance to see her even before the Immortal Sect Disciple Assembly.

Once entering the Medicine God Sect’s territory, riding flying swords was prohibited. However, traveling cultivators had all sorts of other transportation, such as Spirit Pet mounts, horse-drawn carriages, and palanquins.

Bi Lan’s cultivation was low. She was affected by the Grand Array before even entering the Medicine God Sect proper and was forced to dismount her Flying Sword and proceed on foot.

Halfway along, she suddenly saw two experts engaged in magical combat in the distance.

Bi Lan didn’t dare get involved and detoured around them.

This detour led her onto a small path far different from the main road. As Bi Lan took out her Compass to orient herself, for some unknown reason, she startled a Fierce Beast.

The Fierce Beast roared and swooped down from the sky. Bi Lan swiftly cast a Wood Attribute Spell, and vines shot out like lightning, binding the beast.

However, the beast’s strength was profound. It broke free through brute force. Bi Lan didn’t dare confront it head-on. Unable to win, she immediately fled.

But that Fierce Beast was stubbornly persistent. It locked onto Bi Lan and chased relentlessly from behind.

Bi Lan fled blindly, relying purely on instinct to charge forward.

At some point, the tree shadows receded. The view ahead suddenly opened up. The path widened, and simultaneously, a carriage came into sight.

Bi Lan dashed towards the carriage. From a distance, she saw inscribed on it the distinctive cloud pattern of the Fuyun Sect. Overjoyed, she shouted, “I am Bi Lan, a disciple of Tianzhu Peak! I beg you to lend a hand and save me!”

Before her voice had fully faded, an invisible wave of Qi shot out from the carriage, whooshing past Bi Lan’s neck and flying towards the Fierce Beast behind her.

In the blink of an eye, the Fierce Beast’s roar was replaced by a shriek of agony. Then came two muffled thuds as the beast’s corpse, cleaved into two halves, hit the ground in quick succession.

Bi Lan’s body swayed, and her back broke out in a cold sweat.

Not because she had narrowly escaped death, but because of that Qi Blade that had flown past her neck.

If that Qi Blade had deviated by just half an inch, what would the outcome have been?

She feared she and that Fierce Beast would have shared the same fate.

The carriage before her was unmistakably from the Fuyun Sect. The person inside had indeed saved her, yet Bi Lan’s heart was still filled with unease.

Who could be inside that carriage?

Bi Lan was still trembling with lingering fear. Her body suddenly gave out, her legs unsteady, on the verge of collapse.

She fell stiffly towards the carriage. The Coachman driving the vehicle flicked his horsewhip. The whip wrapped around her wrist, using skillful force to pull her upright.

Bi Lan just managed to steady herself. When she looked up, she inadvertently glimpsed the Coachman’s sleeve lifting, revealing a large patch of burn scars on the back of his hand that hadn’t yet healed.

He quickly retracted his whip, covering the burns on his hand again. “Be careful,” he said in a low voice.

Bi Lan’s throat moved. Her voice was hoarse. “Th-thank you.”

Just then, a muffled fit of coughing came from inside the carriage.

The Coachman didn’t delay any longer. He cracked his whip on the Spirit Horse’s back. The horse neighed once, pulling the carriage onwards up the mountain.

Even after the carriage had traveled far away, Bi Lan remained in a state of shock.

Just now, she had passed through the Gates of Hell.

·

The cave was dim, but the morning light had already reached the entrance, making the scene inside visible at a glance.

A young-looking girl was lying on the ground.

The strange old man circled around Yan Zhao once. He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. “It must have been this girl who crushed the Jade Talisman, summoning this old man here.”

But he didn’t seem to recognize this child.

And why was she unconscious?

At the cave entrance, Ren Qingyue was stunned when she heard the old man’s words.

Jade Talisman?

Her emotions fluctuated wildly, the shock and fear not yet settled.

She stared at the strange old man with a mixture of suspicion and urgency, emitting low, whimpering sounds from her throat because of her anxiety.

Bai Jin, on the other hand, was quite composed. This old man’s power was overwhelming. She was already gravely injured and couldn’t win in a fight anyway. Might as well face death calmly.

She turned her gaze to the white Spirit Fox, thinking: Getting close to Fox Immortal Sister before I die is my only remaining value.

Inside the cave, the strange old man let out a soft “Huh?” and suddenly leaned closer to Yan Zhao, staring at her intently for a long moment.

“She looks a bit familiar,” the old fellow muttered to himself. “Have I seen her somewhere before?”

But after thinking for a long while without any clue, he decided to stop thinking about it. He extended two fingers and lightly tapped Yan Zhao’s forehead.

Yan Zhao, lying on the ground, felt her eyelids twitch.

Then she opened her eyes.

An unfamiliar, wrinkled old face filled her vision.

She lay still, blinking. Her eyes met the swollen, squinting eyes of the newcomer.

Usually at times like this, what appeared before her were Monsters she couldn’t defeat.

She saw the old Monster’s wrinkled lips move. His voice was raspy, like the sound of two pieces of dead tree bark rubbing together.

“Little one, what is your relationship with Yan Yuanqing?”

“Yan Yuanqing…”

Yan Zhao repeated the three characters, pondering briefly.

After a moment, she answered seriously, “We share the same surname?”

The old Monster: “…”

Well, that wasn’t wrong, he supposed.

The old Monster asked again, “Were you the one who crushed the Jade Talisman last night, summoning this old man here?”

Yan Zhao: “What Jade Talisman?”

“…”

Ren Qingyue was frantic enough to explode.

But the old Monster had sealed her Dharma Power. Now, even transforming back into human form to explain was impossible.

No matter what the old Monster asked, Yan Zhao was impervious.

Ren Qingyue feared this esteemed Senior might suddenly erupt in anger and swat Yan Zhao dead. That would be a colossal misunderstanding.

Unexpectedly, the old fellow suddenly burst into hearty laughter, clapping his hands. “Interesting! Very interesting! How many years has it been since this old man last met such an amusing child? Since your connection to Yuanqing is so deep, would you be willing to become this old man’s disciple?”

Yan Zhao: “?”

Her little head was filled with big questions.

The old Monster usually acted without care for taboos or preferences, but today, he made an exception and explained. “Many, many years ago, this old man took a fancy to Yan Yuanqing’s talent and wanted to take her as a Closed-Door Disciple. But alas, that lazy girl disliked Alchemy and insisted on learning Artifact Refining!”

“This old man gave her a Jade Talisman, telling her if she ever changed her mind, to bring that talisman to the Medicine God Sect.”

Yan Yuanqing had been dead for three hundred years. When the Jade Talisman suddenly appeared, it had roused him from his secluded cultivation, making him think Yan Yuanqing hadn’t died after all, but had simply changed her mind and come seeking him.

He never expected not to find Yan Yuanqing, but instead this little girl who so closely resembled her.

Since they both shared the surname Yan, the reason behind this was perhaps discernible.

If this little girl had an inexplicable connection with Yuanqing, her talent was probably not bad either. Otherwise, Yan Yuanqing wouldn’t have sent her to the Medicine God Sect.

Several thousand years had passed, and Yan Yuanqing still remembered their original agreement. The old Monster felt immensely pleased with himself.

And so, the more he looked at Yan Zhao, the more he found her agreeable.

Truly, just when all hope seems lost, a new path appears. Ren Qingyue’s eyes lit up.

This old Monster’s cultivation was unfathomably deep. Although his origins were unknown, if he was willing to take Yan Zhao as a disciple, he would naturally provide her with protection.

Unexpectedly, Yan Zhao replied, “I don’t want to.”

“?!”

The old Monster was greatly shocked.

Ren Qingyue’s tail fur puffed up again.

Bai Jin instinctively grabbed the white fox’s tail with both paws.

Eh, the binding was released now, wasn’t it?

The old Monster cried out in disbelief, “What did you say?!”

Yan Zhao enunciated clearly and repeated, “I’m not taking a master.”

AAAAAHHHHH!!!

The old Monster clutched his head with both hands, screaming silently.

“Why?!” he roared in fury.

What was wrong with Alchemy?!

He had mastered all the techniques passed down from his ancestors. He had spent his entire life diligently researching, acquiring a body of profound skill. And now, in his old age, he had no one to inherit his legacy?!

Yan Zhao spoke, her tone utterly matter-of-fact. “I don’t even know you. And becoming a disciple has no benefits.”

The old Monster was stunned.

That was a very good point.

“How could there be no benefits?!” The old Monster counted off on his fingers for Yan Zhao. “If you become this old man’s disciple, in the future, the entire Medicine God Sect will be yours. This old man’s life’s work will also be yours. Moreover…”

The more Ren Qingyue listened, the more shocked she became.

Wait, this esteemed Senior was Yao Shenzi?!

The old Monster meticulously listed a whole basket of benefits. Yan Zhao listened until she started dozing off. Her attitude was resolute. “I’m not taking one.”

“What will it take for you to agree?!” The old Monster was ground down until he lost all temper. He grimaced as if, should Yan Zhao refuse again, he would forcibly press her head down and make her call him Master.

Ren Qingyue was also fuming. Truly, this was mud that couldn’t stick to a wall! She was furious at Yan Zhao’s lack of ambition.

Angry, her tail swished back and forth rapidly.

Behind her, a red fox paw batted left, then batted right.

Having the time of its life.

Yan Zhao sat up from the ground. She rested her chin on both hands, putting on the appearance of deep thought.

The old Monster suddenly felt an unprecedented nervousness, just like the apprehensive feeling he’d had when he first went to Qingqiu to study, fearing the senior would refuse him at the door.

After an unknown amount of time, Yan Zhao let out a yawn.

Then she lay back down.

The old Monster: “?”

Soon, Yan Zhao’s breathing steadied.

She had fallen asleep.

She—had—fallen—asleep!

The old Monster was beyond furious. He snatched Yan Zhao up from the ground.

Yan Zhao was sleeping so soundly, even shaking her couldn’t wake her.

“Senior, please calm your anger!”

A clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out in the cave.

The old Monster turned his head to see the white Spirit Fox transform into a human and quickly rush over.

As for the little red fox behind, it had already tilted its head sideways, its tongue lolling out, and passed out.

Ren Qingyue took Yan Zhao back from the old Monster’s grasp.

Then, without another word, she pressed Yan Zhao’s head down and knocked it against the ground.

Thud.

Ren Qingyue’s expression remained perfectly composed. “Senior, look. She has agreed.”

The old Monster narrowed his eyes.

In the next instant, his face broke into a beaming smile.

“Excellent! Excellent!”