Chapter 61: The First Release of the Spirit Cleansing Fruit on Jinjiang Literature City

Qi Mu didn't say anything more, because he saw the answer in her fleeting glance: "I understand."

Yao Sisi released his waist, her fingertips naturally sliding down his waist, like fallen leaves that couldn't be held back, drifting away mercilessly in the cold wind. She was only looking back and didn't notice the emotions of the person in front of her. "Don't delay any longer, hurry up!"

Qi Mu's long eyelashes drooped down, just like his depressed mood. With a wave of his hand, he threw down his flying magic artifact, and a long purple bamboo leaf floated quietly in front of him. "I'll be waiting for you up ahead. Come back soon."

Yao Sisi nodded, chose a direction and said to him, "Go that way, then send a message to Liu Yuan and ask him to pick you up. Don't force yourself to walk to the end."

Qi Mu followed the direction she pointed and left. Yao Sisi flew slowly in place for a while. When she realized that the people behind her were approaching, she chose another direction. Now that she was alone on the flying artifact, she felt much more relaxed. It was only a matter of time before she could shake off the people behind her.

"Liu Yuan should be able to provide support for Young Master Qi Mu, and as for Ri Jiu, escaping in her original form shouldn't be a problem..."

Ri Jiu, who was being nagged by her, realized that there were too many people following them, not just one group but several. Since he was not injured, he naturally wouldn't let those people have their way. However, after a battle, the internal injuries he had been pretending to have were actually real. It was because Ri Jiu blocked a wave of attacks from behind that Yao Sisi and the others bought them time and cleared some obstacles, making their journey smoother from there.

Half a day later, Yao Sisi and Liu Yuan met up after a bumpy journey. During this time, they took many detours to shake off their pursuers. To her surprise, "Why hasn't Ri Jiu arrived yet? He should have arrived before me!"

Qi Mu said weakly, "I sent him a message talisman before, but I didn't receive a reply."

Yao Sisi frowned, somewhat worried, then looked at Qi Mu: "And you, how's your injury?"

Qi Mu: "It's been suppressed for now."

Yao Sisi: "That's good." She raised her hand and sent a message to Ri Jiu to inquire about the situation. Then she looked at Qi Mu and instinctively felt that his wounds could not be delayed. "Your injury can't be delayed. Liu Yuan's cultivation is too low. I'm not comfortable with you two going back together. I'll take you back and settle in first, and then ride Lingyun to find him."

Qi Mu saw that her brows were furrowed tightly, and he didn't know whether she was worried about him or someone else. He nodded and said, "Okay, let's go back first."

Lingyun's speed was undoubtedly fast, and Yao Sisi's improved cultivation made her even more adept at piloting Lingyun. The group returned to their previous settlement, and they were only temporarily safe after the formation was activated. Yao Sisi had a good reputation as a weapon refiner here, and most people needed her help. They wouldn't risk a falling out if they didn't know exactly what treasure she had obtained.

She was still worried about Rijiu outside, wondering why he wasn't replying to the message. Given his temperament, he wouldn't have kept quiet and made her worry.

He must be in danger...

He still has internal injuries that haven't healed...

It was impossible not to worry. After Yao Sisi left, Qi Mu led Liu Yuan into the room and looked at him seriously: "I have something very important to ask you now, so listen carefully."

Liu Yuan looked worriedly at his wound and his pale, weak face. He wondered what could be more important than treating his wound? Why didn't the young master treat his wound first... But he was used to following orders.

"Please give your orders, young master."

Qi Mu said, "This time when I entered the secret realm, I obtained the legendary Spirit Cleansing Fruit. It can cleanse the spiritual roots of a cultivator. In the past few days, I have read books and learned that those with four or five spiritual roots are considered to have mixed spiritual roots and will not make any progress. They will face great difficulties in the future. However, the Spirit Cleansing Fruit can transform a cultivator with mixed spiritual roots. It is a treasure that is hard to obtain."

Liu Yuan was puzzled and looked at him, murmuring, "Young Master doesn't have mixed spiritual roots..."

Qi Mu: "As long as it's not a single spiritual root, it can be used."

Liu Yuan nodded: "It's probably because the young master doesn't trust others that he entrusted such an important matter to me, and he even said it when those two weren't around. He must want someone he can trust to protect him."

"Don't worry, young master, I'll be your most loyal dog and I'll definitely guard the door for you!"

Qi Mu pursed her lips: "Wrong, it's you who wants to use it."

Liu Yuan was taken aback, then shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I am not worthy of such a precious thing. It would be a waste to give it to me."

Qi Mu: "Everything is recorded in ancient texts, but very few people have actually used it. I don't know exactly how the Cleansing Fruit cleanses..."

Liu Yuan understood. He needed to go through the process for his master and summarize the lessons learned. But even a fool knew that something this valuable was priceless, and who was he? Just a servant…

Qi Mu: "Stop overthinking. If your cultivation level isn't high, how will you accompany me on my journey through the cultivation world?"

Liu Yuan knelt down with a thud. He was born into a humble family and had no relatives or friends. His current good fortune was entirely due to the person in front of him. His poor young master had never treated him as cannon fodder to be discarded.

"I will certainly not fail your trust, young master."

Qi Mu's face was very pale. Upon hearing this, she smiled gently, like sunlight suddenly shining on the peak of a snow-capped mountain, reflecting a warm light.

He gently bent down and lifted him up with his uninjured hand, saying, "Thank you for going to so much trouble for me."

...

Yao Sisi carried Lingyun as they searched. It was already late at night, and the moon in the sky was like a jade plate emitting a cold light. Fortunately, the moon was so big that she wouldn't be completely in the dark.

So much time has passed, and Yao Sisi still hasn't received Ri Jiu's communication talisman. "Normally, either the distance is too far, or he's trapped in some kind of magic array. Otherwise, this situation wouldn't happen!"

The worst-case scenario is that the person is gone and there is no news of them. Yao Sisi naturally did not think of that. She searched anxiously in the woods and encountered several fights along the way. She avoided them to avoid delaying her search.

In a deep, dark cave, Ri Jiu had transformed into a small fox, curling itself into a fluffy ball of yarn. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that it was licking its bleeding wound, its fur damp, whether from blood or from its licking.

"Ugh, it's so embarrassing to have a leg injury!"

The thought of himself limping in front of Qi Mu made him feel inferior. "Why did I have to hurt my leg? It looks terrible. I look awful walking like this. Sigh... Sisi must be worried about me this late."

It staggered to its feet, but its hind legs gave out, and it lost its balance and fell down. But it didn't give up. A little fox tried to stand up and used its big tail to find its balance. After falling down countless times, it finally stood up and could walk. It slowly crawled towards the exit of the cave, but the terrain was too high, and the exit was like an ark far away. It tried several times but fell down before it could even get close to the exit.

The little fox let out a miserable howl, and no one knew where it had fallen, but it lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.

Outside, Yao Sisi rode Lingyun to no avail. The night dew soaked her clothes, and the cold wind hit her face, feeling as cold as a mask, which only deepened her sorrow.

Yao Sisi returned empty-handed, fearing something might have happened at the gathering place. Exhausted, she went back home. She had been on edge all day, having been on the run for so long, and was physically and mentally exhausted. Her efficiency was declining after searching for so long.

"Sigh..." I need to rest first.

Whether it's day or night, the gathering place is always bustling with people. After all, cultivators need very little sleep and don't care whether it's day or night. They'll be out there running around whenever there's a need.

When Yao Sisi returned, she found the formation intact and did not disturb Qi Mu and the others. She went back to her room and slipped into the space. If there was any place where she could quickly recover her energy, it would definitely be the big bed in the space.

In the following days, Yao Sisi's worries deepened. Qi Mu could sense that her mental state was not good. She often pursed her lips and leaned to the side, lost in thought. She would also be distracted while eating, and even when talking to him, she would be distracted.

Does Sisi really like Ri Jiu?

Whether Yao Sisi liked Ri Jiu or not was something she had never considered. Right now, she felt mostly self-blame. He had left as she had arranged, perfectly fine. She had thought that with his skills, he could easily escape the pursuit once he returned to his original form, but now he was nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead…

It was her fault; she shouldn't have let him leave so soon.

The next day, she took her knife and ventured into the dense forest again. By this time, Rijiu had recovered somewhat, and it finally managed to crawl out of the impossibly high cave entrance, dragging its sluggish little legs.

The entrance to the cave was hidden by weeds, and as soon as it peeked out, it saw many communication talismans floating outside. They crowded haphazardly among the weeds but could not get in.

The cave was a desolate place, barren and devoid of any spiritual energy, which naturally prevented the arrival of teleportation talismans.

"It must be Sisi who's looking for me!"

In the other settlement, Qi Mu's injuries were almost healed. He was watching Liu Yuan lying in a bathtub full of spiritual herbs. It had been three days since he ate the Cleansing Spirit Fruit, and there was still no result.

His pale fingers lightly tapped the edge of the bathtub, estimating the time. He probably couldn't wait for Liu Yuan to wake up; the Cleansing Fruit didn't keep for long after it was picked...

Just then, Liu Yuan's consciousness slowly returned, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Young master...I..."

He spat out a mouthful of blood, which exploded like flowers, hitting the edge of the bathtub and sliding down the tub into the medicinal liquid...

The thick medicinal liquid had almost turned black, and the drops of blood on it looked like tiny red flowers adorning the earth.

Red flowers swayed in the lush green grass. Exhausted, Ri Jiu collapsed on the grass, checking the communication talismans one by one. "Ah, God... I can finally contact Sisi!"