Although I know this is just an illusion, it is also something that really happened.
The little girl in front of me had such skinny bones that they stuck out of her clothes that no matter how thick the cotton coat was, it couldn't cover her. Her father didn't care about her and her mother didn't love her. No wonder even though she knew she would be scolded and that she couldn't leave, she still had to be stubborn and go down the mountain to bring the puppy back.
This is the world as seen through Qiu Mo's eyes. Perhaps it's even embellished; the real situation can only be worse.
Ji Rongxue's tears didn't last long before patches of ice formed on her face, and she couldn't cry any more. The little dog licked her with its tongue. She picked up the spiritual food from the corner, hesitated for a moment, brushed off the dust, took a bite herself, and stuffed the rest of the clean food into the little dog's mouth.
"This has magical properties. I wonder if it can make you better." Dog owners often have this problem. Ji Rongxue picked up the little dog and trimmed its fur, saying, "Fulai, you have to stay with me a little longer."
Fulai rubbed her thin hand, very happily, and it was not known whether she understood or not.
The little dog is carefree and becomes lively again once the incident is over. Being carefree is a good thing, but Ji Rongxue does not have this ability.
The scenery in front of him began to gradually stagnate. Yun Xian frowned, feeling that something was wrong.
"Last time, we were able to enter the core of the Laughing Buddha's demonic realm because we used our inner demons to cause chaos." Yun Xian said, "But why can we do it this time? Aside from Ji Rongxue, we've only met Ji Shang and Qiu Mo once. Even if they had to choose, we wouldn't be the ones to do it."
Judging from what the young female cultivator from Northeast China had just said, each group saw something different. The guests had seen the demonic spirit beast from the mountain behind the Body Refining Sect. While they didn't know the exact whereabouts of the other elders, the two Qius, and Madam Nan, they hadn't seen them yet, so they presumably weren't in the same area as them.
Su Chi turned off his phone for a moment, then turned it back on and said slowly, "Magic Stone."
The magic stone left by Jimo Shu not only has the function of detecting the magic energy and guiding the direction.
"But, if it's really because of the magic stone that we can enter the Demon Realm." Yun Xian frowned and said, "Then the other four people didn't have magic stones, but they still entered."
Su Chi looked at her and whispered her name.
Yun Xian's expression froze, and he said, "...As expected. I've felt something was amiss for a long time."
Xue Lingxiu said, "Something has been wrong since we boarded the treasure ship."
It coincided with what the three of them were thinking.
Yun Xian looked at Su Chi and couldn't help but ask, "Big Brother, what's wrong with you? Why do you seem to be a little slow to react after coming in?"
He couldn't turn on the computer as soon as he came in. Is there something suppressing him in this place?
"I don't know either." Su Chi said, "Maybe it's because it's too cold."
This place is indeed very cold. But it's not so cold that even a Spirit Severing Stage cultivator would be unable to cope with it. Could it be related to the technique? But I also have the fire attribute and practice the same sword technique, and it wouldn't be like this. Yun Xian looked at his long eyelashes stained with frost and snow with concern, frowned, and asked, "Shall I give you my socks?"
"No. I'm fine." Su Chi shook his head, clasped her hands, and said silently: "It won't affect anything."
Everyone wants to give socks, you are playing the game of passing the flower. Xue Lingxiu made trouble out of nothing: "Ah!"
Yun Xian was worried, but when she heard a cough, she suddenly felt guilty for no reason and was about to let go of Su Chi's hand. But then she thought again, what difference did it make when these three people were holding hands? Why should she feel guilty?
Too cold, temperature, slowness...
A piece of physics knowledge suddenly flashed through Yun Xian's mind. Steel becomes more brittle at absolutely low temperatures. If a piece of iron is placed here, it will probably become brittle as shrimp chips if it gets any colder.
However, the black iron in the world of cultivation is different from ordinary steel... Forget it, now is not the time to think about this.
The 4D videotape in front of him looked like it was about to change scenes. Yun Xian seized the opportunity and tried to take out the wholesale sound transmission talisman. He tentatively asked the other end, "Lingshan! What's the situation over there?"
It’s not that she doesn’t want to find Ji Rongxue, but she knows that the situation on Ji Rongxue’s side will only be worse than here, not better. Maybe the eldest lady doesn’t want to talk right now.
The note transmission device has no sound.
Is it really banned? Yun Xian said again: "Fellow Daoist Qi! Miss! Feng Ye!"
Finally, a faint sound emanated from the sound transmission talisman. But rather than a single voice, it sounded more like the whistling of wind. The wind intensified, as if the person holding the talisman was desperately running. Qiao Lingshan asked, "Yun Xian! How are you doing over there?!"
"Everything is calm here!" Yun Xian asked anxiously, "Why are you running? Is someone chasing you? Can you handle it?!"
"Yes! Don't worry, even if a head-on confrontation doesn't work, we can still escape! I don't know if it's a person or something else. Everything is a mess! It's not in line with common sense! Really, it's inexplicable..." Qiao Lingshan said breathlessly: "Everyone is separated! I originally went with Feng Ye, and he is gone too!
Yun Xian said: "Now it seems that we are the body-building sect in Qiu Mo's eyes, and your side should be Ji Shang..."
Qiao Lingshan interrupted her and shouted, "If that's true, then Ji Shang is absolutely crazy!!!"
"I was being hunted the moment I entered, and could only barely make out a few things. Qiu Mo was a tree with a human face, Madam Nan was a wolf lying under the tree, and all the other elders and disciples were like hyenas... There wasn't a single normal person! Even the eldest daughter was a blood-red ball of flesh connected to her belly button... I also saw—"
The sound transmission note was suddenly cut off, and Qiao Lingshan's words came to an abrupt end.
Yun Xian then made another sound transmission note, but there was no response from the other end.
The three of them looked solemn.
"..." Xue Lingxiu said, "Ji Shang's behavior doesn't seem normal. It's very likely that he has gone crazy after the unexpected changes in his life and the subsequent setbacks."
Yun Xian thought, in the words of later generations, without any derogatory meaning, it is a physiological mental illness. Now that he has become possessed by a demon, it is even more extreme.
Therefore, it is difficult to guess her inner world, and it is impossible to judge with common sense. Now that everyone has been cut off from contact, it is even more impossible to know the current situation on the other side. The only thing to be thankful for is that Qiao Lingshan seems to be able to cope with it for the time being.
"I hope they can reunite soon." Yun Xian said worriedly, "We can't trust everything here, and it seems that what's happening over there... is even less valuable for reference."
"Qiu Mo is still counting on us to find out who killed him. It shouldn't be too difficult." Xue Lingxiu watched the scenery in front of him change rapidly. Soon, Ji Rongxue began to grow taller.
I don’t know if it’s because she went hungry as a child, but she grew taller but her flesh didn’t keep up. Her arms and legs became longer, but her clothes were still loose, making her head look a little big. From behind, she looked like a melancholic adolescent stick insect.
Yun Xian didn't mean to mock the young lady, it was just that the young lady seemed to look very different at every age...
Qiu Mo was not serious about it to begin with, and he didn't spend much time in the sect. He was busy with various affairs every day. Children grow up with the wind, and their behavior changes from time to time. When he saw Ji Rongxue again, he frowned again.
Ji Rongxue's appearance still didn't suit his taste. Of course, it would be much better if she could call him "Daddy" right after giving birth after three years of pregnancy, not wanting him to raise her or pay her, but being a capable and filial daughter who moved heaven and earth and moved the world. That would be much more to his liking.
Ji Rong's face became uglier as he got older. When he was a child, he would hug his dog and cry when he was sad. Now he was cold, like a pool of ice that could not be broken even by a stone.
She seemed to have given up on leaving the Body Strengthening Sect and had accepted the reality, becoming much more sensible. Her cultivation had risen steadily, and she was not afraid of hardship or fatigue. Many elders would think of her first when assigning disciples to missions.
It’s silent and reliable, and no one behind it is ignored. Is there anything better than this?
Yun Xian and the other two mixed in with the crowd like flowing water. A team leader saw that the three of them were inseparable and were unwilling to separate even when they went to the main hall to report on their work. His pupils trembled in surprise.
Yun Xian was puzzled and asked in a voice transmission, "Why didn't Sect Leader Qiu consider the possibility that the person who killed him simply disliked him?"
"...You're not going to say that Ji Shang killed him, are you?" Xue Lingxiu said, "That's impossible. Besides, how could Qiu Mo accept it? Dying at the hands of a political enemy sounds much better than dying in a murder of passion. If Ji Shang killed him, it would be a huge joke."
After years of flirting, he ultimately died from a relationship with someone close to home. Especially since Ji Shang was the one he wanted to keep, it was practically the same as if the Sect Master had stumbled and died. It was reasonable and explainable, but it would be incredibly embarrassing to tell anyone. If the folklore were to be rewritten, the Body Strengthening Sect wouldn't be able to hold their heads up in public for a decade.
Of course, being poisoned to death by his wife, with whom he had treated his wife with respect for decades, wasn't much better. But generally, rumors would be fabricated, like Madam Nan was actually unfaithful, had a mistress, was completely unscrupulous and unworthy of being a woman, and so on. But given Qiu Mo's personality, that would be even more insane—he was already dead, and he still wanted a woman to hang over him?
All the disciples of the Body Tempering Sect released the characteristics of their beast skills, and they all regarded it as an honor. Only Ji Rongxue had a bald head with nothing on it.
In fact, we are all human, but she stands out here.
Perhaps Ji Rongxue also tried to fit in halfway, but she soon realized that this was just humiliating herself.
"Madam Nan!" Yun Xian suddenly tightened his voice and said, "I saw her!"
Behind Qiu Mo, Nan Ronghong was handing him a handkerchief. Her smile was still the same as before, gentle and dignified.
Even though there wasn't much affection between them, Qiu Mo still respected his wife. He took the handkerchief, wiped his hands, and said softly, "Go down. There are too many people here. We'll need to avoid any disturbances."
Nan Ronghong lowered her brows, seeming surprised by his concern. Flattered, her cheeks flushed. After a moment, she said, "Okay, husband."
Yun Xian said silently, "...I have a feeling this expression is unlikely to appear on Madam Nan's face."
Don’t let Qiu Mo beautify it again.
Xue Lingxiu: "Yeah. Yes."
Especially knowing that Nan Ronghong most likely hated him, he found this situation even more bizarre.
Su Chi seemed to be dormant, so Yun Xian didn't want to disturb him. The eldest brother usually didn't talk much anyway, so he could just call him when he wanted to fight.
In the main hall, Qiu Mo randomly selected a few disciples to test their progress in cultivation. He also listened to the elders' report on some recent trivial matters before looking at Ji Rongxue, who was standing out of place among the crowd of disciples.
"Rongxue, did you have a smooth journey to the west?" Qiu Mo asked, "Did you bring back the Fragrant Heart Grass?"
Ji Rongxue nodded. She had not only brought back the Fragrant Heart Grass, but also many other spiritual herbs that the elders had ordered. Her injuries hadn't healed yet, and the smell of blood still lingered on her body.
"Very good." Qiu Mo praised casually, saying, "Send it to the West Tower along with the Yangxin Pill. Madam, this pregnancy is dangerous and requires more nourishment."
Yun Xian was stunned and slowly looked at Xue Lingxiu.
This fetus? Again? ? ?!
By this time, wouldn't Qiu Zhuo and Qiu Dan already be here? Qiu Zhuo is almost 20 years old!
Besides, I've never heard of Nan Ronghong having any younger children. So what happened to this baby? Did it die shortly after birth, or did it never even have the chance to be born?
"Giving birth to three??" Yun Xian had never seen anything like this. Pregnancy was already exhausting for female cultivators, and even just one was already a significant strain. And then there was the matter of fate. The world of cultivation was full of those without the luck to have children. So, was Qiu Mo planning to form a basketball team? And then randomly select a lucky child to be the leader?
"Maybe he's realized Qiu Mo and Qiu Dan are useless and wants to have another one." Xue Lingxiu said coldly, "Since it's not his child, it doesn't matter how many children he has."
After the meeting, the melancholy stick insect lady returned to her room, took the fragrant heart grass, and walked towards the west building.
The three men followed her stealthily again.
She seemed to have moved to a nearby residence and no longer lived with Ji Shang. The small building where Ji Shang lived was dark and lifeless.
Ji Rongxue opened the door to her room and waited for a moment, not knowing what she was waiting for. Yun Xian saw her holding her breath, her face tense with nervousness. After a long pause, she finally called out, "Fu Lai?"
It turned out that he was waiting for the little dog.
Fulai didn't come out, so Ji Rongxue took two steps at a time and went in. He reached the doghouse in one go and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The little country dog, no, it was an old country dog now, was lying meekly in the doghouse. It raised its head slowly, and after seeing its owner, it finally wagged its half tail with great effort.
Ji Rongxue should have taken good care of it over the years, but Fulai was not a spiritual beast to begin with. Although he had gained a lot of weight like a balloon, he still looked a little shabby.
Xue Lingxiu suddenly said, "She looks to be over ten years old."
The lifespan of cats and dogs is short to begin with, and a ten-year-old is considered a centenarian. Older dogs are like this, their bodies degenerating, and they lazily lie in their dens all day, sleeping, only becoming active when they see their owners.
Ji Rongxue took out some spiritual food for it. Fulai smelled it, licked it, and put his head back. He looked at Ji Rongxue with tears in his eyes, and then closed his eyes and fell asleep again. His belly rose and fell with fatigue, and his breathing was heavy.
It was clearly willing to eat it a few months ago.
“…”
Ji Rongxue squatted there, his cold expression finally broken by the stone, revealing some panic and helplessness.
But she quickly composed herself, touched Fulai's head, and went straight to get the things that Qiu Mo asked her to find, packed them in a stone box, and prepared to send them to the west building.
She met many disciples of the Body Tempering Sect on the way, and the way they looked at her was different.
At least, Yun Xian never saw anyone who dared to say anything bad about Ji Rongxue to her face like before. Even some young new faces looked at her with a hint of admiration.
Ji Rongxue ignored them all and headed towards the west building like the wind, leaving all the gossip, good or bad, behind her:
"Last time, the eldest lady won first place in the martial arts competition. It seems that those two were furious for several days. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, they really would kick even a dog on the street."
"Of course! If you were Qiu Zhuo, would you be happy? He was the one who taught the young lady the martial arts, and now she's been beaten black and blue in public. But I think the Sect Leader's expression isn't much better either..."
"It's been a while since the Sect Master and the Young Miss have been at odds with each other. Everyone knows it, but it's just a matter of saving face."
"What's the point of having talent and the ability to do things when you have a crazy mother like that..."
Yun Xian's eyes glared, and he pulled the disciple who was speaking over to him: "Excuse me, we just came back from a mission. Can you tell me what Ji Shang did again?"
The disciple was stunned and asked suspiciously, "Who are you? Do I know you?"
"I don't know you either." Yun Xian smiled brightly and said, "It won't hurt to tell you!"
She was well versed in the art of bribery. Something slipped from her sleeve and fell to the ground. Yun Xian picked it up in surprise and asked, "Hey, where did this fall from? Is it yours? Here, I'll give it back to you."
Xue Lingxiu took a closer look and saw that it was the prohibited item, the lollipop: "..."
Yun Xian could actually become an official. His self-taught mastery was unmatched.
The disciple's eyes rolled and his tone softened a bit:
"Oh, how could you not know! What could she do? Wasn't Madam Nan pregnant last month? She was so audacious that she tried to attack Madam Nan. Now she's been put in solitary confinement by the Sect Master and several elders. There's no telling how long she'll be out!"
“…”
Ji Rongxue went to the West Tower in silence, handed the Fragrant Heart Grass to the servant, and left.
After she started talking, she became less and less talkative, and she didn't know when she started telling jokes. At least it must have been after she met Tiedan.
Yun Xian and Xue Lingxiu looked at each other and reached a consensus.
I won’t follow the eldest lady anymore. I’ll go and see what’s going on with Nan Ronghong first!
The furnishings and decorations in the west building were indeed very exquisite. There were many magical herbs and plants emitting strange fragrances placed around it. They were all well taken care of, with branches and leaves stretching out and shining.
Wangchen Sect has two unique skills, one is palm technique, the other is pharmacology. It seems that although Nan Ronghong practiced the former first, he is also quite proficient in pharmacology and is not inferior to anyone.
There was no one in the hall. The firefly beads glowed softly, and curtains were hanging. The three people hid in the corner and could only barely see a vague figure behind the curtain.
Nan Ronghong sat there.
Yun Xian tried to let go of Xue Lingxiu's hand, but as soon as he did so, he felt a push and immediately held it back, not daring to do anything stupid.
"..." Xue Lingxiu asked, "What are you doing?"
"I want to see if I can let go now. Look, Senior Brother is almost asleep if he's held by the hand, like sleepwalking." Su Chi closed his eyes and dozed off, clicking on the follow mode, which was quite worry-free. Yun Xian said, "Let's not talk about this for now. I'm almost sweating from being covered up. Brother Xue, do you have a handkerchief to wipe it off? Aren't you a mysophobe?"
Xue Lingxiu said disdainfully: "It's already this late, hold it in."
Seeing that there was no handkerchief left, Yun Xian could only rub his hand against the edge of his clothes with difficulty. As he did so, he frowned and continued to transmit his message, "Is it my imagination? Why do I feel like there's a very strange smell in this hall? It's not the smell of herbs... is it the smell of blood? Could it be that Madam Nan was injured by Ji Shang?"
Before Xue Lingxiu could speak, she heard a gentle voice from inside the hall: "Three of you, are you here to visit me?"
Yun Xian was startled and looked behind the curtain in horror, the spiritual energy in his body surged slightly.
It was discovered!
"The headmaster sent you here, didn't he?" Nan Ronghong continued, "I've already told him there's no need for this. One or two attendants are enough. The constant coming and going won't make things quiet enough."
Xue Lingxiu heard something from her words and reacted quickly, "Madam Nan, the Sect Leader wants us to come... to help. He's just too worried."
Nan Ronghong laughed and said, "Then please pour me a cup of tea."
Xue Lingxiu bravely approached, poured the tea, and, like all the attendants, lowered his body to pass the teacup into the curtain. Nan Ronghong reached out to take it. It was at this moment of contact that Yun Xian realized that Nan Ronghong's hands still retained the characteristics of years of practice in palm techniques: thick and broad, with thick calluses, and prominent knuckles, open like a palm-leaf fan.
"...Excuse me." Xue Lingxiu said quickly, "Madam Nan, we will take our leave first."
Yun Xian was about to leave in a hurry after being pinched by him. Just when he felt a little confused, he heard Xue Lingxiu's light but urgent voice from a few feet away: "That's not her now!"
"The pulse isn't that of a pregnant woman. That's not Madam Nan from this world, but Nan Ronghong, who has disappeared until now!"
Yun Xian immediately understood how Ji Rongxue felt when he was frightened in the lotus seat, and goosebumps suddenly ran all over his arms.
...If this is Nan Ronghong herself, does she know where this is? Or does she not? Was she also acting in the scene in the hall at the beginning? What exactly is she trying to do, and what did she mean by what she said in the hall earlier?
Su Chi seemed to sense the danger, opened his eyes, and the three of them walked out the door, but suddenly bumped into Ji Rongxue who had returned!
Unexpectedly, Yun Xian almost fell down.
Ji Rongxue was also slightly stunned for a moment, but ignored the group of people. She stood outside the door with a stern face and said coldly to the inside: "Madam Nan, is there something you want me to come here for?"
"I have something to tell you." Nan Ronghong's tactful words were like a death warrant. She said softly from behind:
"And those three children... come over too."
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