66 Breaking Through the Boundary (Part Four)

◎ Suffering a backlash? ◎

Ran Qinghe was taken aback by the child's innocent words, and a barely perceptible embarrassment appeared on her face. She subconsciously looked at Lou Tinglan. Although he still had a stern face, his eyes flickered and he avoided her gaze.

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Ran Qinghe scolded lightly, guessing that Old Man Ye must have said something unfounded to them again, "We're just fellow disciples."

The children seemed to understand, but seeing Ran Qinghe's expression, they wisely stopped asking, though their curious gazes still lingered between the two.

Ran Qinghe coughed lightly, trying to dispel the inexplicably awkward and ambiguous atmosphere, and then said to Lou Tinglan, "As you can see, I have not done anything against the rules of the hall. Senior Brother Lou is busy with his affairs, so there is really no need to waste your time on me."

Lou Tinglan did not move. His gaze swept over the children, who were simply dressed but had bright eyes, over the simple yet vibrant courtyard in front of him, and finally landed on Ran Qinghe.

An indescribable emotion, like tiny vines, wrapped around his heart.

"So, the reason you've been taking on so many missions lately is because of them." Lou Tinglan's voice was low and unreadable, yet it lacked a certain aloofness. "Why didn't you report this to the academy?"

"Report what?" Ran Qinghe interrupted him, her tone tinged with self-mockery. "Report that I wasted sect resources and did futile things for some children with low spiritual power, or should the academy record a demerit for 'neglecting my duties and neglecting my cultivation'?"

Lou Tinglan was silent for a moment. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “The Discipline Hall and the Academy Elders are not unreasonable. If there is a legitimate reason, resources may be allocated accordingly.”

Ran Qinghe was taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to say such a thing. "No need," she finally said, turning her eyes away and softening her tone.

Yunya Academy would spare no effort to provide resources for the most talented disciples of the five sects, but the children in the Mortal Valley have parents who are cultivators who have attained enlightenment in the mortal realm and have low spiritual power. As a result, their children have not even reached the threshold of cultivation. Why would the academy waste its resources on them?

Lou Tinglan said, "I just don't want you to neglect your cultivation for their sake." He frowned slightly, "Your cultivation level has stagnated for a long time."

For other cultivators, stagnation in cultivation is a perfectly normal occurrence, but for those born with a spiritual body, it is extremely rare.

Ran Qinghe was taken aback by what she heard, and a faint smile curved her lips, a smile that carried an elusive meaning.

She raised her eyes, looking directly into Lou Tinglan's always overly calm eyes, and said calmly, "Is that so? Perhaps it's because Senior Brother Lou... taught well."

Lou Tinglan's eyes narrowed.

"Spiritual Breath Technique, Senior Brother Lou, have you forgotten?" Ran Qinghe said slowly. "Back then, in front of the Trial Tower, didn't Senior Brother Lou personally teach me how to control my spiritual power, and how to conceal my spiritual aura, so as not to attract... unnecessary trouble?"

"Looks like I've learned quite well?" Ran Qinghe's tone rose, carrying a hint of pride.

Lou Tinglan was taken aback, then a slight smile appeared on her lips, and she softly hummed in agreement.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sound of the wind blowing through the broken swing.

Lou Tinglan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he suppressed the surging emotions in his heart. "You did learn quite well," he said, having even fooled him.

At this moment, the vines that had been entwining his heart seemed to loosen a little.

As night fell, in a side hall of the Discipline Hall, a solitary lamp illuminated Lou Tinglan's sharply defined profile.

A file lay open before him, its neat handwriting meticulously documenting the miscellaneous affairs of the hall. His fingertips hovered over a particular page, his gaze lost focus, and his mind replayed the events of the day.

He put down his pen, the pen striking the pen holder with a crisp sound that rang out clearly in the quiet space. He closed his eyes, pressed his temples hard, trying to dispel the disturbing thoughts, but a strange, bitter feeling still inexplicably welled up inside him.

He rose, his figure disappearing into the night. Instead of returning to his residence, he quietly returned to the Valley of Mortals once again.

The valley was even quieter than during the day. Ye Buchen was casually reclining on a bamboo chair, wiping a few rough wooden toys in his hands. He was not surprised to see Lou Tinglan return.

"That girl is stubborn but soft-hearted, and you, this blockhead, aren't entirely heartless after all..."

However, it's unclear which kind of affection this refers to.

Lou Tinglan placed an inconspicuous storage bag on the table: "These are for you." After a slight pause, she added, "Please don't say that I gave them to you. Thank you for your help, senior."

Ye Buchen weighed the storage bag in his hand, scanned it briefly with his divine sense, and the playful expression on his face disappeared. "They are just children who may not even have reached the threshold of the Qi Refining stage. These pills and spirit stones... are a bit excessive."

Lou Tinglan remained calm: "Some of them were gifts for our seniors."

Ye Buchen sighed and put away the storage bag: "Whether you break through to the next realm or not depends entirely on fate." He waved his hand, "I appreciate your kindness, but staying here for too long is not a good thing for either you or her."

Lou Tinglan nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to disappear into the night outside the door.

*

Meanwhile, Ran Qinghe returned to her residence. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw that the room was brightly lit, and she could even faintly hear voices. Besides Shui Rong'er, there seemed to be another person inside.

Shui Rong'er is a medical cultivator. Although she is arrogant, her medical skills are truly extraordinary. She had already witnessed some of them in the Void Cauldron, so occasionally her fellow disciples would come to her for medical treatment.

Ran Qinghe paused for a moment as she pushed the door open.

Inside the room, Shui Rong'er had her back to her. Her slender white fingers guided spiritual energy, lightly pressing against the back of a strange female cultivator.

The female cultivator's complexion, which had originally been somewhat sallow, now glowed with an unusual rosy hue under Shui Rong'er's deliberate guidance. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, her lips were slightly parted, and her breathing was light and relieved.

"Junior Sister Shui, thank you so much! The medical practitioners in the Discipline Hall all said that my hidden injury would take at least half a year to heal. I tried countless pills but the effect was minimal. I didn't expect that you only used your spiritual energy to clear the blockage and stagnation, and the feeling of blockage and stagnation was reduced by 70 or 80%."

Shui Rong'er smiled, her spiritual energy slightly subdued, and her tone was calm and indifferent: "Senior sister is too kind. The medical practitioners in the Discipline Hall follow the rules and use medicine carefully, so it is natural that the effects are slower. I just took a different approach and used spiritual energy to directly dissolve the blockage."

Although she spoke modestly, the lingering look of satisfaction in her eyes and brows clearly showed that she enjoyed the praise.

"How could that be an overstatement?" the female cultivator continued to praise. "If you ever need anything in the future, junior sister, I will certainly do my best!"

Ran Qinghe frowned slightly. As a fellow cultivator, she naturally knew about the hidden injuries to spiritual energy. In particular, even the medical practitioners in the Discipline Hall, who specialized in this area, found the blockages troublesome. It was not something that could be solved by simply "guiding spiritual energy" and could resolve seven or eight tenths of the problem.

Is Shui Rong'er's medical skill so advanced that she can easily cure chronic diarrhea?

Inside the house, Shui Rong'er seemed to sense something and her gaze suddenly turned to the doorway. "Ran Qinghe? You're back? Why are you standing at the door and not coming in?"

Ran Qinghe concealed her thoughts, pushed open the door and entered, her face already calm. "I just got back. I heard you were busy, so I didn't want to disturb you."

She nodded slightly to the grateful female cultivator, who returned the bow and thanked Shui Rong'er profusely before leaving with light steps.

Only the two of them remained in the room. Shui Rong'er slowly sipped her tea, then casually poured Ran Qinghe a cup. "You went to see those burdens again?"

Ran Qinghe had previously left early and returned late, and had mentioned the matter of the Mortal Valley to Shui Rong'er. However, she always stubbornly called the group of children "burdens" because she was soft-hearted. So, Shui Rong'er followed her in calling them that.

Ran Qinghe took the teacup, hummed in agreement, and then casually asked, as if by chance, "That person's injury just now seems quite serious. Even the medical practitioners of the Discipline Hall need half a year to carefully nurture it?"

Shui Rong'er paused in her teacup, but her expression remained natural as she said, "It's not that difficult. It's just about clearing away the blockages in spiritual energy. Perhaps the medical practitioners in the Discipline Hall are... too conservative."

"I see," Ran Qinghe sipped her water and replied casually, though the question in her heart remained unresolved.

She changed the subject, "Did you have another argument with Fu Ji?"

Ran Qinghe was already used to it. Almost every time the two of them quarreled, Shui Rong'er would come to her and avoid seeing Fu Ji.

“I heard from Mingyu that Fuji has been cultivating diligently these past few months in order to win the championship…” Her words were blatantly probing, but Shui Rong’er seemed completely oblivious, repeating, “Win ​​the championship? Why?”

Ran Qinghe continued, "I don't know either. Maybe she just wants to prove her strength..."

Shui Rong'er slammed down her teacup and denied it, saying, "Impossible. He has never been a competitive person. Besides, the academy is full of geniuses. With his current strength, winning the championship is just a pipe dream."

Before Shui Rong'er could finish speaking, her face suddenly turned pale. She raised her hand to her chest and gasped softly for breath.

Although this unusual feeling only lasted for a moment, she immediately covered it up by bending down to pour tea, but Ran Qinghe had already caught the unusual feeling.

"What's wrong?" Ran Qinghe put down her teacup, her voice filled with inquiry.

"It's nothing," Shui Rong'er said in a slightly stiff tone, trying to downplay it. "Perhaps I just spent some energy guiding that senior sister's spiritual power."

Ran Qinghe was not fooled by her. "It takes a lot of effort to clear the blockage of spiritual energy. How could it cause your face to turn pale?" She deliberately repeated Shui Rong'er's previous words.

Shui Rong'er retorted unreasonably, "What do you mean? I said it takes a lot of mental effort, so it takes a lot of mental effort. Are you doubting my medical skills?"

“I’m just concerned about you,” Ran Qinghe said calmly, but pressed on relentlessly, “Besides, your reaction seems a bit excessive, Shui Rong’er, what method did you use to…”

“I told you, it’s just a common blockage of spiritual energy. My medical skills haven’t reached that level yet,” Shui Rong’er’s voice unconsciously rose. “Ran Qinghe, when did you become so suspicious? Did you spend too much time with that ice-cold Lou Tinglan and learn his interrogation skills?”

She tried to change the subject and direct the blame at Lou Tinglan.

But Ran Qinghe remained unmoved, staring intently at her. "I think your reaction just now didn't seem like excessive consumption of spiritual energy, but rather like..."

"...Backlash?"