Chapter 43 Traveling Together - 1 Perhaps the worst weather on the snowy plains...
Perhaps the worst weather on the snowfield is over.
Qi Ying and Qi Zhi continued on their way, and surprisingly, they encountered no more severe weather like blizzards, nor any monsters. About half a month later, the snow began to melt in the areas they traversed, turning the ground muddy. The roads became increasingly difficult to travel.
Qi Zhi suddenly became impatient, sometimes abruptly changing her direction. When Qi Ying asked her why, she only said it was intuition.
Qi Ying didn't ask any more questions, but simply followed behind Qi Zhi in increasing silence.
From the snowfield to the swamp, ordinary people would find it impossible to move an inch. Although these cultivators could fly using flying swords and other magical artifacts, they could only cover a limited distance. No one dared to expend all their spiritual energy on the journey. After all, this was originally the territory of demons, and who could predict when a demon might suddenly attack them?
As a result, short breaks became more frequent. However, there weren't many suitable places to rest in this swampy area, so the chances of the cultivators encountering each other increased significantly.
Qi Ying and Qi Zhi arrived at a place to rest just as the sun was setting. The place wasn't big, and it was already crowded with quite a few cultivators. Everyone was gathered in their own circles, not disturbing each other, but it was still a bit crowded, making it difficult for them to build a fire and rest alone.
Qi Ying looked around but didn't see any disciples of the Divine Palace, so he frowned slightly.
Qi Zhi pointed over there and said, "There are fewer people over there. Let's go say hello to those people and see if we can rest together."
Qi Ying also looked over. The middle-aged man and woman by the fire seemed familiar and casual, probably a couple. The young boy and girl, close in age, chattered incessantly, yet wore smiles, suggesting they were a family. Moreover, compared to the others present, these four were far more kind and benevolent-looking than the rest.
Qi Zhi had already walked over first. "Excuse me, everyone. My senior brother and I arrived late. We wonder if we could borrow a place to rest for the night?"
The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "Come and sit down. It's alright."
The boys and girls stared at them with curiosity, as if they had countless questions to ask them.
Qi Ying quickly thanked them and sat down by the fire with Qi Zhi.
The four people were preparing food. The girl asked them with a smile, "Would you like some?"
In this dangerous place, who would dare to eat someone else's food? Qi Ying quickly declined, "Thank you, young lady. We have brought our own food and water."
So both sides lit fires and prepared their own food, and for a while, they were silent.
The campfire nearby was far from quiet. Some people couldn't help but start exchanging information.
"Have you heard? The purpose of the Divine Palace's winter hunt has been exposed."
"Hey, you've heard about it too!"
"Yes. It is said that the Spirit Fruit will ripen in a few months, so the Shrine sent so many disciples under the guise of a winter hunt, but in reality they are after the Spirit Fruit."
Qi Zhi and Qi Ying stopped what they were doing immediately. Qi Zhi couldn't help but want to turn around, but Qi Ying grabbed her sleeve and gave her a wink.
The movements were subtle and stealthy, yet none of the four people opposite them noticed them.
The group over there continued the conversation.
Someone questioned, "Is it true or not? Is this nonsense? It's a tradition for the disciples of the Divine Palace to hunt in winter every fifty years."
"Hey. This news is 90% true."
How did you know?
“My senior brother was there at the time. It was in a cave on the snowy plains, and it seemed to be a middle-aged woman who was talking about it. After the news spread, Jin Hua, the young master of Jin Man Lou, rushed over overnight. The two sides were face to face, but Jin Hua didn’t dare to lay a hand on that woman. The next morning, he politely saw her off.”
"This only shows that this woman is quite formidable, and Jinhua probably wouldn't dare to make a move against her."
"Heh." The man sneered, "But in less than three days, almost all of Jin Manlou's experts came out and attacked the Western Wilderness. If Jin Hua hadn't confirmed the authenticity of this news, why would Jin Manlou have done this?"
Someone nearby chimed in, "Hey, this is very likely true."
"How so?"
"Because it wasn't just Jin Manlou; we encountered quite a few experts from Zhan Yantai these past two days. They were rushing on regardless of the cost. They were all flying on swords, one carrying another, and taking turns when they were exhausted."
"Good heavens, does that mean all the experts have flocked to the Western Wilderness?"
"Who can argue with that!"
"Sigh, they're all here. What can we do now? We were hoping the disciples of the Divine Skill would go on a winter hunt, they'd eat the meat, and we'd drink the soup. But now so many experts are gathered here. To put it bluntly, even if we manage to gain something, we'll probably have a hard time leaving the Western Wilderness alive. We're surrounded by wolves and tigers. Sigh." Some people were already having second thoughts.
Some clung to a sliver of hope, finding it hard to give up. "You can't say that," one said. "Who dared to enter the Western Wilderness before? But it's precisely because there are so many experts there that the Western Wilderness is safer than ever before. Fortune favors the bold."
"That's true, but what's the point of begging if we can't even save our own lives?" muttered one of the men who was having second thoughts. At the same time, he thought to himself, "If you all die here, as long as I get back alive, even if I gain nothing, I've already won."
Each person speaking has their own thoughts.
"However, speaking of which, who is that woman who leaked the information? Since she knows the day the Spirit Fruit will ripen, wouldn't she know more? Why hasn't anyone gone to find her?"
"Even Jinhua doesn't dare to mess with her, do you think you're more powerful than Jinhua?!"
"That's hard to say. Even a lot of ants can kill an elephant!" The man, his greed now growing, refused to give up and pressed on, "What did that woman look like? What were her features?"
The messenger said, "It was a middle-aged beautiful woman, with her husband and children, a man and a woman. She was riding a sled, oh, a sled pulled by a monster."
Gradually, more and more eyes gathered around the bonfire where Lu Qing and the others were. Even Qi Ying and Qi Zhi's expressions became serious.
Lu Qing chuckled, “Don’t overthink it, you two. Regardless of whether the rumors are credible or not, if my sister were the legendary person, even the young master of Jin Manlou would be afraid of her, so why would she be here? To be honest, everyone gathered here came to the Western Wilderness after hearing the rumors. We’ve heard this rumor for a long time along the way, and people are talking about it at every place we stop to rest. It’s clear that the rumor has been circulating for quite some time. In this time, that legendary beauty would probably have already reached the Spirit Fruit, so why would she still be wandering around the edge of the Western Wilderness?”
This makes a lot of sense. Since they know the truth, they must be after the Spirit Fruit. Judging by the timeline, they should indeed be at the forefront; how could they still be on the edge of the Western Wilderness? Thinking this through, everyone realized that there were countless middle-aged women in various sects, many of whom traveled with their husbands, disciples, or children. This family in front of them was indeed unlikely. So they slowly withdrew their gaze.
Lu Qing took a couple of sips of herbal tea and then initiated a conversation with Qi Zhi. "This young lady is as beautiful as a fairy, with an ethereal气质. Even in this swamp, she is like an orchid under the moon, a sight that brings peace of mind. I wonder which sect she is a disciple of?"
The sincere expression and straightforward praise made Qi Zhi a little embarrassed. "I..."
Qi Ying picked up the conversation, "We come from a small sect and are fellow disciples. We heard the news and wanted to try our luck in the Western Wilderness. May I ask who you all are?"
Luo Yuan smiled, "We are not affiliated with any sect or school; we are physicians. We came to the Western Wilderness to gather herbs, but we did not expect to encounter this. If we retreat, we will miss the medicine's growing season and delay the patients' treatment. If we continue forward, the current situation is truly difficult."
Qi Ying was impressed by his refined demeanor and amiable manner, and felt a sense of goodwill towards him. "So you're actually a doctor. My apologies for not recognizing you."
Luo Yuan laughed and said, "Young hero, you're too kind. We're just country folk, close to plants and trees, it's nothing special."
Qi Ying wasn't entirely convinced, so he took the opportunity to ask a few questions about medical principles during the conversation.
Luo Yuan's insights were profound and unique, so Qi Wu started chatting about it. The others listened to their eloquent explanations and their suspicions dissipated, so they stopped paying attention to this matter.
As Qi Zhi listened to their conversation, she gradually drifted off into thought, a self-pitying expression appearing on her face.
Seeing her like this, Lu Qing handed her a cup of herbal tea. "Would you like some? Our homemade herbal tea has some detoxifying effects, clears the mind and brightens the eyes, and it's also somewhat effective against the poisonous miasma in this swamp."
Seeing her innocent expression, Qi Zhi shook her head, "No need."
Lu Qing didn't mind, took it back and held it in her hand, and whispered a word of advice to her, "Although I don't know what you're worried about, you're beautiful, and you must have good cultivation to dare to come here. Take things easy and don't force things, maybe you'll be much happier."
Qi Zhi's face darkened, and Lu Qing immediately raised both hands, "I was just being nosy."
Qi Zhi was a little angry and embarrassed. She stood up and said, "Excuse me for a moment."
Qi Ying was about to stand up and go with her when Qi Zhi stopped her, saying, "No need, I won't go far. I'll just use the restroom and come right back."
Qi Ying had no choice but to sit down.
Seeing Qi Zhi leave with a dark face, Qi Wu quickly scolded Lu Qing, "You impetuous girl, you dare to say anything. Look, you've offended that young lady. Apologize to her later."
Lu Qing chuckled, "I just thought it was a shame that she looked so sad, since she's so pretty. I was trying to encourage her to be more cheerful."
Lawson scoffed at her, "You have no idea what happened!"
"Tch." Lu Qing made a fake poke gesture as if to stab his eye. "You think my eyes are just for show like yours? This girl is dressed in luxurious clothes, and although her jewelry is simple, the jade is exquisite and flawless. Her clothes are neat, with no signs of a fight. Her expression is mournful but not tragic. And at such a young age, she's most likely troubled by matters of the heart. This kind of trouble is nothing more than liking someone I don't like, and liking someone who doesn't like me. If she just takes it easy and doesn't get stuck on it, it's something she can turn over in a good night's sleep. That's why I advised her not to force it. Her life is better than most people's, why let a small thing cause her to lose something big?" Fei Mu had seen countless similar resentful expressions; she didn't need to think at all to see it through.
Qi Ying was stunned by what she said, and immediately began to look at this young girl with a newfound respect for her youthful and adorable appearance and mature and sophisticated tone.
Qi Zhi hadn't gone far when she heard her speak so casually, which made her even angrier. She walked back in a few steps and said, "You don't even have someone you like, how could you understand...my feelings?"
Lu Qing replied calmly, "Yes, I do. I have someone I love."
Those eavesdropping nearby couldn't help but laugh, finding the little girl utterly hilarious.
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Author's Note: Three extra chapters will be released after this is the first VIP chapter.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 18:04:10 on June 27, 2020 and 15:43:30 on June 28, 2020!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Repigon (20 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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