11. Doubt

As the sun set, Mo Yu brought over the pastries that her master had recently been enjoying and placed them on a shady table under a tree.

"Where are the others?"

Chu Qing took a sip of her flower tea and asked slowly.

"Junior Sister should stay with Yin Li—Junior Brother Yin Li."

Her hand holding the teacup paused slightly, but considering their close relationship, it wasn't surprising, and she gestured for him to continue.

"This afternoon I saw Junior Brother Yin Li walking alone towards the back mountain. I don't know how Junior Sister found out, but I saw her a little while later too."

"Alright, let's eat first."

The table that used to be shared by four people now only has two people, and the breeze makes it feel a bit deserted.

When Chu Qing first arrived here, she followed Chu Qingge's tradition for a while, cultivating and traveling alone. However, later, under her subtle influence, she "persuaded" the disciples to sit down and eat together under various pretexts. Occasionally, when new delicacies and pastries appeared in the human world, she would ask Mo Yu to go down the mountain to pick some.

Incidentally, he could also buy some herbs that interest him for research, and by now, the system has defaulted to this behavior.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." In her original world, Chu Qing loved lively atmospheres, but after staying on Green Mountain Peak for a long time, she has become somewhat aloof and taciturn.

Have you finished reading your previous medical books recently?

"Reporting to Master, there's still a little bit left, but this disciple has already understood most of it."

"Um."

After a brief exchange, the two finished their meal in silence, and Chu Qing left first.

The road was full of life, and before she knew it, she realized that she had arrived at the back of the mountain.

Since we're already here, we might as well go and see them.

Sun Spring Cave is located in the middle of a cliff, and a spirit beast guards the entrance all year round, which is why many disciples are willing to come and challenge it.

Unfortunately, according to the original story, only the male protagonist ultimately succeeded.

Chu Qing concealed her presence and swiftly flew up on her sword.

Upon reaching the cave entrance, they saw two familiar figures, one in black and one in white. A patch of remains lay on the ground, but the spirit beast had vanished. Though its presence lingered at the cave entrance, it was nowhere to be seen.

As Yin Li stood next to Ling Xueluo and squatted down to pick a Sun Spring Grass, he felt a familiar gaze fixed on him.

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked at a certain spot in the air.

Chu Qing felt her heart leap into her throat. Could this kid's intuition be so accurate? How could he make eye contact with her right there, even through the invisibility screen?

But he only stared at it quietly for a few seconds before quickly looking away.

"Junior sister, it's dangerous here. Don't come here again."

"Senior brother, I'm a little worried, but you're right, I'll definitely become stronger next time and won't be a burden to you anymore!"

Ling Xueluo's face was covered in dust, making her look disheveled, yet full of vitality.

She looked up at Yin Li, her eyes sparkling, wanting to get closer.

Wow, the bond between the male and female leads through thick and thin is so sweet!

For some reason, Chu Qing felt a little like leaving, but when she saw Ling Xueluo still there, she worried that something might happen and Yin Li wouldn't be able to take care of her, so she silently stayed.

"You go back first, the spirit beast will probably be back soon."

"Alright, senior brother, then—you must be careful."

He nodded, said nothing more, quickly picked a few herbs, preserved their roots, and then nimbly flew down on his sword.

Chu Qing followed his figure all the way. She never expected that the guardian spirit beast was so troublesome, yet he was able to get rid of it.

"roar!"

Suddenly, a roar pierced the sky. Upon hearing this sound, Yin Li frowned deeply and quickened his pace down the mountain.

Several streaks of white light flashed and struck him precisely, so fast that no one could react in time.

The boy, still hovering halfway up the mountain, was not flustered at all. Instead, he moved with perfect order and skill, blocking each attack flawlessly.

This is the fifth move of the Qingfeng Sword, Breaking Through the Void.

He learned very quickly. He had just demonstrated it to Yin Li a month ago, and now he had mastered it perfectly.

Chu Qing felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. If things continued this way, by the time she obtained the divine artifact, her disciples would all be able to live and roam the world on their own, and she could retire early.

Chu Qing didn't look any further and returned to the courtyard to wait for Yin Li to come to her door.

Sure enough, as the last glimmer of light in the sky was swallowed by darkness, there was finally a knock on the door.

"Jin" Chu Qing lay on her side on a soft couch, looking at the young man who came against the moonlight. He was not much better off than Ling Xueluo. His face was covered in cuts and his clothes were torn, but the pottery jar in his hand was intact.

"You've brought them back?"

"Your disciple is incompetent; I only managed to retrieve two plants."

Yin Li opened the pottery jar and presented the Sun Spring Grass.

Chu Qing glanced at the jar with disdain, snorted coldly, and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

"After all this time, this is all you've got?"

After she finished speaking, there was a long silence. Chu Qing got up, and the blanket slipped to the ground, exposing a section of her white jade-like ankle. Yin Li knelt on the ground, unconsciously turning his head to one side, his hands clenched tightly.

"Yin Li, I've been too good to you lately."

As she spoke, she moved an inch closer, staring at the boy's dark head. His beautiful face made people want to get close to him, but his eyes and his aura were as cold as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"Tell me, how should I punish you?"

Yin Li's lips were tightly pressed together, his eyes burning with rage, and a murderous intent rising within him.

The person above seemed to be thinking for a long time before letting out a soft laugh, as if saying something insignificant: "Then, eat it."

Sunflower can cleanse the marrow and purify the meridians, but it must be soaked in water. If taken directly, it will cause spiritual disorder and make one wish for death.

Chu Qing thought to herself, if he only had immortal blood, doing this would either kill him or leave him half-dead, or even damage his immortal spiritual root. But he was a half-demon.

Yin Li's resentment suddenly subsided, and he knelt on the ground expressionlessly, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

What does Chu Qingge mean?

Did she actually see her own demonic energy that day?

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? My half-demon physique needs this Sun Spring Grass. I originally planned to gather some more tomorrow to save for later, but it seems—

Did Chu Qingge discover this long ago?

Chu Qing noticed that he was breathing rapidly and his eyes were slightly red, as if she had bullied him too much. She wondered what he was thinking.

"Eat it and get out of here."

"yes"

The boy's voice trembled, and even his hand, which opened the earthenware jar, shook. He took out the herbs and put them whole into his mouth. The bitter taste spread throughout his mouth, but he also tasted a hint of sweetness.

Chu Qingge must have discovered it, otherwise why would she have given him the Sun Spring Grass?

But why doesn't she expose herself? Doesn't she hate herself the most?

[Beep beep beep - Current favorability level: 32, 34, 28, 16, 30, 40 - 45]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a clue to a divine artifact.]

As expected, the favorability rating returned.

She didn't ask for too much, but judging from the current situation, if she added a few more strong doses of medicine, the little brat's favorability would definitely be considerable.

"Not bad, not bad," Chu Qing thought, a little figure stroking a beard appearing in her mind, feeling pleased with her actions.

Just as she was about to become complacent, Yin Li stood up, looked deeply at Chu Qing, her eyes filled with complex emotions, including grievance and surprise.

"Don't get in my way."

She hesitated, suppressing the urge to comfort him, and resolutely went back to her room to rest.

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut. Whew, that was close; I almost went out of character again.

But Yin Li stood outside the door, staring at her master's figure, without moving.

Chu Qingge, I'll believe you this once, just this once. If I find out you've lied to me later, I'll—

I'll cut you into a thousand pieces and grind you in countless ways!

The night was dark, and the boy's black clothes were hidden among them, with only the sound of light footsteps echoing.

Chu Qing didn't sleep well that night, feeling like someone was watching her intently from the shadows, like prey that had been targeted and couldn't escape.

He must be too tired. Why don't you go into seclusion now and recuperate?

Mo Yu

Chu Qing sent a voice transmission talisman, and the person on the other end arrived quickly.

"I will be in seclusion for half a month. During this time, if anything happens, go to Elder Hua. Also, tell Xue Luo not to slack off. I will personally assess her after she comes out of seclusion. As for Yin Li, you can talk to him..."

She thought for a moment before continuing, "Without my order, you are not allowed to stop doing anything else."

"······yes"

Mo Yu was confused, but didn't ask any more questions, since her master had his own ideas.

After he left, Chu Qing stepped into the place where Chu Qingge was in seclusion. There was a closed basement in the backyard, where the temperature was extremely low all year round, but the spiritual energy was abundant, which was conducive to cultivation.

She casually sat down and slowly circulated her internal energy, estimating that she could break through to the next level in the next half month.

Half a month passed quickly. Without Chu Qing's "deliberate difficulty," the three disciples basically went about their own business. Mo Yu still spent his days studying herbs. When he ran into Yin Li, he would occasionally make sarcastic remarks. Whenever he saw Yin Li come out of the back mountain covered in injuries, he knew that his master must have punished him again.

Ling Xueluo, in her spare time, looked at Yin Li and offered to apply medicine to him. She no longer resented her master as before, but felt that the Supreme One must have her reasons for doing so.

As for Ling Xueluo herself, she dared not lie down for the past two weeks, but instead studied at a rapid pace and made great progress.

The sun was high in the sky, and there was a hint of heat in the air, already giving off the feeling of early summer.

Now everything seems to be back on track, and things are calm day by day. Except for Wen Ruyu and the others who have not yet returned, Elder Hua has managed Qingshan Peak in an orderly manner.

Suddenly, a purple beam of light shot up into the sky, followed by a powerful pressure that swept across every corner of Green Mountain Peak.

"Elder Qingge has emerged from seclusion! Only she could pull such a grand display!"

The disciples clutched their chests in agony, a mixture of admiration and dissatisfaction.

The three apprentices rushed over upon hearing the commotion, but they were a step too late for one of them.

Chu Qing stretched and yawned. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Hua Qi waiting for her with a solemn expression.

[Author's Note]

Ahhh, the next chapter will be another dungeon! I haven't come up with titles for each chapter yet, but I plan to think about it during the National Day holiday. I'll also work on planning the next dungeon carefully! I'll try not to rush it like the first Crescent Town~ We have a sports meet tomorrow, so I'll take a day off and try to update on the 30th! I hope everyone will comment and favorite this! Love you all!