Chapter 24 The Truth Comes Out (Part Two) The Glow of Vanity...
"...It wasn't me, it wasn't me!"
Qiu Tong woke up from a nightmare, her back soaked with sweat, her soft hair clinging to her forehead, making her face look even paler and her expression terrified.
She looked around, but the house was deserted and eerily quiet, except for the pounding of her heart.
This is Wei Changzai's main house, and also the place where she has been recuperating for the past three days. Seeing that she is still in a familiar place, Qiu Tong's anxious and anxious heart gradually calmed down, but she was still feeling depressed and unable to bear it.
She pulled back her collar, picked up a small mirror, and looked at the bruises on her shoulders and neck. Even with her excellent self-control, she couldn't help but curse under her breath at that moment.
What terrible luck! She ran into Xun Fang while stealing the elixir. How come she didn't realize in her previous life that this old woman was so vicious!
Qiu Tong gritted her teeth and put down the bronze mirror. Thinking that she had only dared to hide here for the past three days, she felt increasingly frustrated.
A few days ago, Lin Feiran fled the mountain, and a large number of disciples went down the mountain to search for him, including Wei Changzai.
Feeling bored, Qiu Tong lit the fox clan's communication smoke mirror, intending to chat with her mother and subtly boast about her treatment of Lin Feiran. However, as soon as her mother appeared, the joy on her face vanished.
The person in the smoky mirror, though not exactly withered, had lost much of their plump beauty; their cheeks were thin, their hook-like eyes were large but lifeless, and they were visibly haggard.
Qiu Tong was concerned, but dared not show too much worry on her face. She continued to joke and tease her, but halfway through the conversation, her mother suddenly vomited blood and trembled all over, even her eyelashes were covered with a thin layer of frost.
She knew that her mother's coldness had flared up again.
The illness came on strangely, without any apparent cause. Despite visiting many renowned doctors, no one could cure it. Even though the Demon Lord's medical skills were superb, he could not seek treatment because she disliked seeing people. Everyone was helpless and could only watch as she grew more and more haggard.
Although Qiu Tong is reborn this time, she still does not know the cause of her illness, but she knows that the Golden Fire Pill of Daohe Palace can temporarily relieve the symptoms. After all, she initially entered Daohe Palace to steal this spiritual medicine.
In her past life, she was caught stealing spiritual herbs and her identity as a demon was discovered by the elders, causing an uproar. Wei Changzai also had a blood feud with the demon race, and from then on, their relationship was like an ice cellar.
Given a second chance, she naturally didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
However, with her mother's illness becoming increasingly urgent, and with Zhang Chunhe and others announcing the pilgrimage ceremony, all the disciples and some elders gathered at the temple to cultivate. Qiu Tong knew she would never have such a good opportunity again, so she set off to steal the treasure three days ago.
Despite the cold, windy night, the temple was still bustling with people, like dumplings just thrown into a pot, rising and falling in waves.
She hid among the pine trees, observing the dumplings. After confirming that they were indeed dumplings, she took out a green pill from her mustard seed bag. The pill was about the size of a thumb, perfectly round and full, a unique spiritual treasure of the fox clan.
She crushed the cinnabar and applied it to her face in front of the mirror. A mesmerizing fragrance wafted out. She immediately used her fingers to dot and draw stars on her eyes, mouth, and nose. The fragrance instantly penetrated her flesh and bone marrow and disappeared forever.
"My fox mother!"
She almost threw the bronze mirror in her hand.
The Azure Elixir is a magical treasure used by the fox clan to conceal their appearance. It does not require altering the skin, flesh, or bone structure. Simply scattering fragrance on the face, combined with the fox clan's secret techniques, has a bewitching effect, preventing people from seeing their true face and instead making them see only the person they fear most.
When she was a child, she used Qingdan to see the clan elders, but now she sees Zhang Chunhe, the same Zhang Chunhe who is smiling at her, which makes her skin crawl.
In her previous life, Zhang Chunhe tried his best to prevent her from falling in love with Wei Changzai and made things difficult for her. She never expected that the shadow of that time would remain to this day.
Qiu Tong tossed the bronze mirror back into her bag with a grumbling expression, fastened her robes, covered her face with a veil, and secretly slipped into Liu Zhu Pavilion under the cover of night, crossing the small pine forest.
The defenses of Liuzhu Pavilion were not very strong. It was usually used as a library, and occasionally a few floors would be used to store some old items and spiritual treasures, but they were not considered valuable. Therefore, when Qiu Tong was looking for medicine in her previous life, she did not think of Liuzhu Pavilion, but instead chose to sneak into Zhang Chunhe's alchemy room to check, and was caught red-handed.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. While the Golden Fire Pill is considered a superior spiritual medicine, it's quite ordinary compared to something like the Three Elements Emperor Pill. If one were to directly ask Zhang Chunhe for the medicine, perhaps…
Qiu Tong immediately dismissed the thought; she was truly obsessed with the elixir.
She dodged the spirit puppet guarding the door and headed straight for the fifth floor. Besides numerous books, there was a small door in the northwest corner where old items and magical treasures were kept.
She stood in front of the door, recalling the unlocking method that Wei Changzai had mentioned in her previous life. She slowly rotated the magic seal, the runes fitting together and then gradually separating. With a click, the door opened.
Qiu Tong immediately sneaked in, threw the entire bottle of Golden Fire Pills into the mustard seed bag with lightning speed, and then fled like the wind, sealing the door exactly as it was before running to the small pine forest in one breath.
It went too smoothly, so smoothly that it was terrifying.
But just as she was about to leave the pine forest, a sudden gust of wind came from behind. Qiu Tong's heart tightened, she dodged it, and looked back at the person who came, then breathed a sigh of relief.
It is to seek fragrance.
His cultivation level plummeted, leaving Xunfang with only the title of elder.
Qiu Tong didn't want to fight her, mainly because she was no match for her. She could only run away first, but the person was too fast and caught up with her in no time.
"Who are these thieves who dare to sneak into my Daohe Palace!"
The voice was cold and gloomy, a tone that Qiu Tong had never heard before.
Xunfang appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, her palms striking straight down with an extremely fierce and murderous intent—this was her Flower-Piercing Hand technique.
He first stroked the flower branch, then his palm, like a soft snake, slid across Qiu Tong's arm, leaving her unable to break free.
Then, with a flick of the wrist, the hand strikes the eyes like a venomous snake lunging forward, causing the eyes to arch back in a desperate attempt to dodge.
Finally, she plucked a flower, using her palm as a blade to slash across the neck exposed by the dodge. Just then, Qiu Tong's protective magic artifact activated, saving her from a fatal blow.
Qiu Tong rolled to the ground, rubbing her arm in pain and looking up. Her face mask had been taken away by Xun Fang, and a sliver of moonlight illuminated her face.
Xunfang, who had been looking cold and indifferent, suddenly froze. She stood there like a lost soul, her face as white as a sheet, her lips trembling. It was unclear what she had seen, but suddenly, her eyes erupted with overwhelming anger and fear.
"You're still alive? That's impossible!"
Qiu Tong was terrified. Although she didn't know who Xun Fang had seen, she was afraid that Xun Fang might rush over and fight her to the death in a fit of rage, so she got up and tried to escape.
Seeing her move, the man who had been spitting venom at her retreated several meters away like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She stared at them from afar, her expression wary, but her hands trembled slightly. This undisguised fear was like a conditioned reflex, beyond her control, deeply imprinted in her memory.
Qiu Tong didn't know who she had seen. She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't because she was trembling.
A night wind swept through the pine forest, causing snow to flutter down from the branches. Qiu Tong gritted her teeth, hid in the wind and snow, and leaped away.
She dared not go far, nor could she go far. Xunfang's flower-picking skills were beyond her current capacity. So Qiutong hid somewhere in the small pine forest, and in her helplessness, sent a distress signal to Wei Changzai with a messenger bird, and subconsciously called his name.
After an unknown amount of time, he arrived.
Wei Changzai didn't ask anything. He stood in front of her and looked her over for a long time before finally reaching out and carrying her on his back. Qiu Tong's prepared speech was useless. After a moment of silence, she could only say that she didn't want to go to Fangcao Hall and couldn't return to the disciples' dormitory.
So he changed course and headed straight for Ninghe Residence.
Ninghe Residence was Wei Changzai's private residence. He took her to the main house, took care of her, fed her some medicine, and then bowed slightly before closing the door and going to the side room to rest.
Even now, he still seems to believe that she was injured because of a problem with her cultivation.
Qiu Tong couldn't help but think that he was still so stupid, so stupid that he didn't even realize that she had already given away the Golden Fire Pill.
Thinking of this, the corners of her lips turned up, and all the resentment she felt towards Xunfang was suppressed.
The sound of rushing water came from outside the door. Qiu Tong was certain that it was Wei Changzai, so she got up from the bed and slowly moved to the door. She saw that reassuring figure as he bent over to scoop water from the pool.
In the center of Ninghe Residence flows a warm spring, a natural spring that springs forth from the earth's veins, its volume remaining constant year after year. Several clumps of white jade flowers grow in the pool, their color as clear as glass, their fragrance subtle yet sweet, making it a favorite habitat for mayflies and butterflies.
The pale blue figure knelt by the pool, holding a wooden ladle, leaning over to scoop water. Her black hair fell slowly, and her expression reflected on the water was serene and calm.
A spoonful of water is scooped out and touches the white-walled flower buds, creating ripples. The water is no longer clear; instead, a dark hue shines through the surface, like fine mercury that has been scooped out.
He observed for a moment, then poured the water into the wooden bucket beside him.
What a beautiful picture of a woman drawing water.
Qiu Tong put aside her dream and slowly walked to his side, saying softly, "Senior Brother Wei, it's stuffy in the room. Can we chat here?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Changzai looked up. His dark eyes were like embedded jade, lustrous and radiant, exuding a reassuring silence. He nodded: "Alright, but I'm fetching water. If you don't mind, Junior Sister, you can sit with me."
Qiu Tong smiled and sat down beside him, curiously peering into the wooden tub. The wooden ladle in Wei Changzai's hand wasn't very big, but it was already more than half full of water, indicating that he had been drawing water for quite some time.
However, the water in the bucket wasn't clear; instead, it had an inexplicably viscous feel, and the surface shimmered with a dull silvery sheen, which was rather unpleasant to look at.
She looked away and brought up a topic: "I heard that a big announcement was made a couple of days ago. Could you tell me about it, senior brother?"
Wei Changzai paused, glanced at her, and asked, "Where did you hear that from?"
Logically, she had been resting at Ninghe Residence for the past few days, and no disciples had passed by here, so how did she know? She couldn't very well say that she had set up a magic seal at the temple, but with so many people talking, she only heard the gist of it.
Qiu Tong haphazardly changed the subject: "Senior brother, don't worry about that. I heard there's been a change in this pilgrimage ceremony. What exactly happened?"
Wei Changzai did not press for details, but relayed Zhang Chunhe's words to her word by word.
As Qiu Tong listened, her brows furrowed more and more tightly, until finally she managed to form a deep frown.
"How could this be..."
This is truly unbelievable.
Qiu Tong had personally experienced the Flying Flower Gathering in her previous life. It wasn't exactly boring, but it was no different from ordinary sect training. It was just about entering the Xiaohan Mountain in Spring City to kill monsters and then ranking them by the number of monsters killed within seven days. It wasn't that mysterious.
only……
"The Spring City is about to be shrouded in darkness."
These four simple words were something Qiu Tong couldn't quite understand.
She looked at Wei Changzai kneeling by the pool and asked in confusion, "What does this mean? What does Mu Shufeng mean by meeting the Sage? Does winning the Flying Flower Competition this time allow me to make a wish to the Sage?"
Wei Changzai nodded: "Yes."
"So, you're going to the Flying Flower Festival too?" Qiu Tong's voice rose considerably. "There will be many more participants than ever. If that's the case, what if you can't win the championship?"
If it were a grand pilgrimage ceremony like the one in her previous life, Qiu Tong would naturally be certain that he would win, because she had witnessed it with her own eyes. But now that all the rules are still unclear, it's hard to say.
The Flying Flowers Gathering is full of hidden talents and unpredictable events!
Upon hearing this, Wei Changzai habitually looked into her eyes. He simply liked to look at people this way, and unsurprisingly, he saw something familiar in her eyes.
It was an indelible light called "vanity." Vanity is illusory; everyone knows it, yet few care.
He lowered his eyes: "Junior sister, someone once told me that while the sword is important, the person wielding it is even more crucial. Even if I fail to enter Sword Mountain, a trip to the Sacred Valley will surely be very rewarding."
Qiu Tong was speechless for a moment, realizing that she had been a little agitated. She said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Senior Brother Wei, I was just a little worried about you."
Wei Changzai stood up, picked up the full wooden bucket, and said softly, "Junior Sister has always been a kind person."
He suddenly said, "By the way, Master knows about your failed advancement and injury. He will probably come to visit you after he finishes his work today. Why don't you go and rest now? Master talks a lot, so it will be easier to deal with him then."
Today? How to deal with it?
Who will deal with Zhang Chunhe? Her?
Qiu Tong was shocked: "What! Senior Brother Wei, why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Just as she was about to step forward and ask further questions, she heard three clear, resonant chimes echoing through the mountains—the sound of bells announcing important matters.
"The Golden Fire Pill of Liuzhu Pavilion has been stolen. Everyone, please proceed to the temple immediately."
In just a few short moments, it was truly a series of twists and turns. Qiu Tong plopped down on the stone steps, looking dazed.
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-07-18 20:18:07 and 2024-07-19 02:10:01!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Hanzhi 10 bottles; chishu! 、Weiwudeyi 6 bottles; I am unconvinced by wealth, eat and drink well and sleep well 5 bottles; all write for me 3 bottles; 53935791, momo, Milou, drink wine to comfort myself, lntano., Sokch, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah hey, the cat in the green box, Prchtig 1 bottle;
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