Chapter 29 Chapter 29 I Can
The girl breathed a sigh of relief visibly after seeing Yun Miao awake, and smiled with a hint of embarrassment.
"Junior Sister Yun, are you okay?"
When Yun Miao heard this familiar voice, his suspicions became more certain: "Shang Mancang?"
Shang Mancang noticed that the headmaster and the others were looking at her, and she clasped the golden toad pendant around her waist with a guilty look on her face. "It's me."
Tian Laokou looked at Ning Yu: "What's going on?"
"Master, Master Tianfeng, and Senior Brother."
Ning Yu first bowed to the three of them, and then told them what had happened with a cold face.
Because the disciple-recruiting ceremony was to be held today, Ning Yu summoned the new disciples to the main peak early. Huo Xin and others found that Yun Miao was not there and asked about it. Ning Yu knew that they were Yun Miao's friends, so he briefly explained Yun Miao's situation.
Unexpectedly, Shang Mancang's face changed after hearing this, and then she took the initiative to step forward and hesitantly told him about the big deal she had just reached with Yun Miao last night.
Ning Yu keenly realized that the strange things that happened to Yun Miao last night might be related to this matter, so he came to report it.
Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Chang and the others couldn't help but gaze upon the round-faced girl in surprise. Putting everything else aside, just looking at her ability to gather information and her keen eye for identifying business opportunities... she's a true business genius!
But criticism is still warranted. Sect Leader Chang sighed, "You kids have only just begun your cultivation journey, and you're truly ignorant of your own limitations. Ning Yu has already warned you not to look too much, yet you still dare to set your sights on the inscriptions on the Dingfeng Pillar."
Shang Mancang lowered his head in shame: "I'm sorry..."
Qi Shubai also sighed. "Since Junior Sister Shang knows how to use the Disciple Token, she should know that there are many sect missions in the airspace. If you're short on spirit stones, you can simply take on some simple sect missions to earn contribution points. You can then go to the Treasure Pavilion and exchange these contribution points for spirit stones and other cultivation resources you need. Anyway, don't be so impulsive next time."
Shang Mancang lowered his head: "I'm sorry..."
Tian Laokou lamented, "The most outrageous thing is that you actually want to sell the inscriptions left by our ancestors! Damn it, why didn't I think of this good idea before?!"
"Isn't that right...huh?"
Shang Mancang hesitantly looked up and saw a dark shadow fly past her, landing precisely in the alchemy furnace on the first floor. The lid slammed shut automatically. The short, plump figure of Master Tian Feng was no longer in front of her.
Shang Mancang: ???
Sect Leader Chang stroked his beard and said lovingly, "Just remember what Shubai and I said. Just pretend you didn't hear the last sentence."
Shang Mancang nodded frightenedly, promising to mend her ways and turn over a new leaf. She feared her sincerity wasn't enough, and the Sect Master would immediately throw her into the alchemy furnace.
Yun Miao was lying on the bed watching with great interest, and Ning Yu glanced at her coldly.
"So, last night, just for a few ridiculous spirit stones, you disregarded the danger and secretly ran to Guanyuntai to copy the inscriptions. As a result, you were injured by the residual Dao rhyme on it, accidentally broke through the Purple Palace, and almost turned into a drooling fool?"
"Although I deeply sympathize with your situation, the Law Enforcement Hall has always been fair and strict. Since you have made a mistake, you must be punished."
"Shang Mancang secretly instigated a fellow disciple to take risks, violating the sect's rules. Considering she's only a newly minted mortal disciple, I'll punish her by sending her to the Beast Peak and the Beast Garden to collect manure for three months. As for you..."
Qi Shubai frowned slightly and interrupted Ning Yu.
"No, Junior Sister lives in the courtyard next to mine. I can confirm that she didn't go out at night. She also fainted in her own room, not on the Guanyun Terrace."
"That's right, that's right. I copied it down based on my memory, which is why I didn't sneak off to Guanyun Terrace. Senior Sister, you only told us not to look at the inscriptions on the stone pillars too much yesterday, but you didn't say we can't recall and copy them privately."
Yun Miao, lying on the bed, coughed weakly a few times deliberately: "Cough cough cough, so I didn't make any mistakes, you can't punish me to pick up manure."
Everyone was stunned when these words came out. Ning Yu didn't know the whole story of last night, so she was just surprised. Qi Shubai's eyes flashed with astonishment: "All based on memory?"
Sect Leader Chang accidentally pulled out a strand of his beard. He said firmly, "Impossible! Those are inscriptions left by our ancestor, filled with her insights into the Dao. Disciple, you're only at the Qi Refining stage. It's a stroke of luck that you can even read those inscriptions. How could you possibly memorize so many words at a glance?"
He had personally visited Yun Miao's room before and had seen with his own eyes the densely packed writing inside. Those writings were exactly the same as the inscriptions of the ancestor!
This is also the thing that puzzles him the most at the moment. Because he can't think of any other reason, he has even begun to think about the possibility that the ancestor has appeared in spirit or that the ancestor has taken over his body.
And what does his little disciple say now?
She actually said it was just because she had an excellent memory? She could memorize those profound and mysterious inscriptions with the rhythm of Taoism at a glance?
Yun Miao's face darkened: "Maybe it's because... I'm actually a genius."
The player can take screenshots and record screens = the player has a photographic memory = the player is a genius. Well, there's nothing wrong with that equation.
Sect Leader Chang was silent for a moment, then asked Yun Miao lovingly.
"Disciple, let's put these things aside for now. Think about it for a moment. Did you feel anything strange when you were writing those words last night? For example, suddenly hearing a woman's laughter, or someone leaning on your back, holding your hand and forcing you to write? Or maybe a cold breath penetrated your body, and you suddenly felt like there was another person inside you."
Yun Miao had no idea what Master Chang was thinking. She thought he was simply concerned about her and wanted to find out the reason as soon as possible. She suddenly felt warm inside and obediently told him everything that happened last night.
Sect Leader Chang's hand, stroking his beard, remained suspended in mid-air for a long time, so long that Yun Miao thought the game had frozen. Only then did he say in disbelief, "You really only have a photographic memory? Isn't it the master's possession?"
Yun Miao was stunned for a moment, then half sat up in shock, looking at her loving master in the same disbelief.
"Master, you would rather believe that I'm possessed by a ghost than that I'm a genius?"
Sect Master Chang quickly explained: "It's not a ghost that's possessed, it's the ancestor who's possessed."
"What's the difference? You promised to support me and always stand by me and believe in me? But now, the person who stands the farthest away and believes in me the least is you, Master."
Yun Miao looked at the white-bearded old man weakly and resentfully: "Master, you are not sincere."
Sect Leader Chang: ...
The white-bearded old man sighed and patted Yun Miao's head again: "Okay, it's Master's fault. Master apologizes to you."
Yun Miao was immediately coaxed into a good mood: "Alright, since you are so sincere, Master, I will reluctantly forgive you."
Ning Yu's eyes hurt from watching from the side. It was clearly Yun Miao who made the mistake, so why were you apologizing here, Sect Leader? Where was your dignity as Sect Leader? Where was the agility you had just given to slapping Peak Master Tian?
Out of duty, she interrupted this heartwarming scene of a loving teacher and filial disciple with a cold face.
"The Law Enforcement Hall has always been fair and strict. Since you copied it entirely from memory and did not privately go to Guanyuntai to observe the ancestral master's inscriptions, we naturally will not punish you for this."
Yun Miao smiled with a hint of pride when she heard this, but before she could express her gratitude for escaping punishment, she heard Ning Yu say lightly.
"So we're moving on to the next question. Could you please explain this message?"
Ning Yu briefly explained what had happened in reality and the airspace after Yun Miao fell unconscious last night. Then, with a wave of his hand, several lines of dense icy text appeared in the air, exactly what Yun Miao had previously posted in the airspace.
"Seeking revenge on Lu Dajiao, dipping it in chili water, and making it into venison meatballs, spicy venison meat patties, steamed venison meat, steamed venison hooves, steamed venison tails, roasted venison heads, roasted venison legs, roasted venison tails, and braised venison heads..."
"Although I already knew from Shang Mancang what Lu Dajiao did to you, and I admire your fearlessness even when facing death last night, your fortitude and perseverance, with only revenge on your mind, I still have to say that it's not very polite to casually prepare a whole deer feast for my brother."
Yun Miao was stunned for a moment, then immediately pretended to be weak and lay on the bed coughing.
"Ahem, where did I mention steamed deer tails or braised deer heads in the words I sent? It was clearly you, Senior Sister, who wanted to make a whole deer banquet out of deer horns, right? Ahem, this is slander, pure slander. I'm reporting this to the Law Enforcement Hall! To the Law Enforcement Hall! Ahem, ahem!"
Unfortunately, her pretending was not very convincing. Sect Leader Chang patted her on the back and whispered, "Xiao Miao, stop coughing. You are injured in the Purple Palace, not suffering from tuberculosis."
Qi Shubai said gently: "Junior sister, your throat will feel uncomfortable if you cough too much."
Yun Miao: ...
"So you're admitting that everything I just said, except for the name of the dish, is true?"
Ning Yu: "You teamed up with Shang Mancang to get revenge on Lu Dajiao, but in the end, you shot yourself in the foot. Lu Dajiao was unharmed, while you were covered in bruises. Ha, what a novel way of revenge."
She applauded Yun Miao, her tone cold. "The sect forbids violence among fellow disciples. Since you only injured yourself and didn't cause any substantial harm to others, I will only punish you with three months of menial labor at Danfeng as a warning to others."
Yun Miao immediately cried out, "I'm innocent! Lu Dajiao bullied me first, and I didn't actually retaliate. Even gentlemen only look at the actions, not the heart. I was just talking. Trials anywhere should rely on evidence, not words!"
Ning Yu: "It's fine if you said it in private, but unfortunately, the commotion last night was too big. Now more than 90% of the sect probably knows that you want to beat Lu Dajiao into deer meatballs. Publicly declaring that you want to attack your fellow disciples is a provocation to the sect's rules. Naturally, the Law Enforcement Hall must make some statement."
Yun Miao was silent for a moment, then turned his head and looked pitifully at the white-bearded old man beside the bed: "Master~"
Sect Leader Chang was embarrassed: "This..."
Yun Miao said quietly, "Master, you promised me just yesterday. If I get into trouble, you'll cover for me. If I'm bullied, you'll back me up. As long as I become your disciple, I can walk freely in Xuantian Sect."
Sect Leader Chang's forehead was covered in sweat. "Well... that's right..."
Yun Miao: "Master..."
Sect Leader Chang slapped the bamboo bed and said, "Yes, I did promise that. How about this? I'll let my puppet help you complete your punishment!"
Yun Miao was speechless: "Is this what you meant by a safety net, Master?"
Master Chang thought he had come up with a good idea and stroked his precious beard again: "Yes, no matter what punishment you receive, Master will do it for you."
Yun Miao: "What about support?"
Sect Leader Chang said, "Don't worry. I will go find Dongjun, Lu Dajiao's master, and I promise to have him give you an explanation."
"So walking sideways doesn't mean literally walking sideways, right?"
Seeing him smiling guiltily without saying anything, Yun Miao's face fell completely: "Master, you are not trying to trick the child!"
Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Chang started to argue: "You clearly told me last night that you would go to sleep soon, but not only did you not sleep, you also caused such a big mess that I almost couldn't wake up again. Didn't you lie to me? It's the same for us." Yun Miao choked and was speechless.
Ning Yu said businesslike, "The Law Enforcement Hall will definitely punish Lu Dajiao later. Junior Sister Yun Miao isn't feeling well, so you can wait until you've recovered before coming to Danfeng to accept your punishment. Also, regarding this disciple-taking ceremony, will Junior Sister Yun Miao still be attending?"
Sect Leader Chang and Qi Shubai both felt that Yun Miao had just escaped death and should rest in bed. However, Yun Miao slapped the bamboo bed and said with a firm expression, "No, I want to go!"
Sect Leader Chang strongly disagreed with this and earnestly advised Yun Miao to take care of his health and not to join in the fun.
He thought to himself: Shubai had a rough life, and he'd been mature and sensible since childhood. It's okay to spoil a child like that a little, but Xiaomiao was clearly a bit of a mischievous kid, so as a teacher, he couldn't be so doting. He had to be stricter and learn to say no. It was time to start today, not later!
However, just when Master Chang was thinking that no matter how much his little disciple begged him, he would not give in, he saw the weak girl in front of him looking at him puzzledly.
"But... Master, don't you really want to drink my apprenticeship tea?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Sect Leader Chang, who had just made the decision, was instantly defeated. He felt as if his old heart had melted into a pool of water and could not harden up at all.
So he had no choice but to look at his eldest disciple eagerly: "This..."
Qi Shubai knew at a glance that his master's old illness had come back. He sighed and looked at Yun Miao: "Little Junior Sister, your kindness is enough for Master. Now that you are weak, you can't go even if we agree. So you should rest here obediently and make up for it with the apprenticeship tea later."
Yun Miao: "I can!"
Last night, Master said he had a gift for her during the apprenticeship ceremony. If she didn't go, wouldn't the free gift pack from the game be lost? So she had to go!
However, as soon as she turned over and got out of bed, her legs gave way and she almost fell to her knees to wish everyone a happy new year. Obviously... she couldn't.
Yun Miao, who was helped by her master to sit back on the bed, looked pitifully at her master and others, trying to seek help, but everyone tacitly avoided her sight.
Ning Yu even said that he still needed to take other new disciples to make preparations, and said goodbye directly. Shang Mancang glanced at Yun Miao, turned around and left with Ning Yu.
Unwilling to give up, Yun Miao looked at the little black wolf on the bed [Level: Qi Training Level 1] and said in a serious tone, "Little Black, why don't you carry me?"
Ning Yu and Shang Mancang paused and turned to look at Yun Miao. They saw that the little wolf cub, who was not even as long as their arms and as tall as their calves, actually thought for a moment, then jumped off the bed, lowered himself towards Yun Miao, and motioned for her to sit on it.
Everyone: ...
"Absolutely not!"
Qi Shubai, holding one in each hand, placed the man and the wolf back on the bamboo bed. He put on a rare stern face and scolded Yun Miao, "It's still so small, how could it possibly carry you?"
Yun Miao said seriously: "I believe in Xiao Hei. He is the best!"
The little black wolf squatted beside Yun Miao and wagged its tail when it heard the words.
Qi Shubai: "...It seems that you both lack the correct judgment of yourselves and each other. Regardless of whether you believe in Xiao Hei or not, it's only a cub that was born a few months ago. Just think of it as having pity on it. Don't play like this next time, understand?"
Yun Miao glanced hesitantly at the small ball of black. "Alright, but I'm going to the disciple-taking ceremony. It doesn't matter if you don't take me with you. I'll crawl over there anyway!"
What's a mere serious injury? What's a screen full of negative buffs? With her dignity at stake, nothing in the world can stop her from claiming a free gift pack at the festival!
Everyone was shocked by the determination in Yun Miao's words and was speechless for a moment. Finally, all eyes fell on Master Chang.
The kindness in Master Chang's eyes was almost overflowing. His big hands kept touching Yun Miao's head, and he was so moved that he kept praising her for being a good child.
Just because of what his little disciple said, let alone driving the puppet to help complete the punishment, he would even be willing to plow two acres of land for Danfeng himself!
Qi Shubai also had a lot of feelings in his heart. Seeing that his master was defeated, he did not insist any longer. Instead, he took out a thumb-sized jade bottle from his storage bag and handed it over.
"Well, since you insist on going, I won't try to persuade you any further. This is some spiritual milk I accidentally collected a while ago. It's very good for your health. Please drink it."
As soon as these words were spoken, the lid of the alchemy furnace on the first floor was kicked open, and a short and fat figure "whoosh" bounced back to the second floor from the first floor again. He snatched the spiritual milk from Qi Shubai's hand like lightning and stuffed it into his sleeve.
"She was injured in her Purple Palace, not her Dantian, which exploded and severed all her tendons and veins. Why would she need this Ten Thousand Years Spiritual Milk? It's true that those who manage the household don't know how precious food and clothing are. They're all such wasteful people. I'll keep this Ten Thousand Years Spiritual Milk for now. When I use it to refine a few furnaces of rejuvenation pills, I'll give one to you."
"As for you... you'd better go back and eat some more pig brains to replenish your body. Otherwise you'll do something like this that will only hurt yourself next time." Tian Laokou glanced at Yun Miao with disdain, but while he said this, his hands had already nimbly taken out a small medicine gourd from the medicine cabinet.
As the red stopper on the gourd was removed, a sweet medicinal fragrance quickly and domineeringly overwhelmed the originally bitter medicinal fragrance in the room. Everyone who smelled it was refreshed and immediately guessed that it was a good thing.
Old Tian poured out two white pills the size of a fingertip, thought for a moment, and stuffed one of them back in, only giving one pill to Yun Miao.
Qi Shubai raised his hand to catch it, and after a quick glance, he said in surprise: "Six elixir patterns... Is this a sixth-grade nourishing spirit elixir?"
"You're a good judge of merit."
Tian Laokou muttered, "She's only at the seventh level of Qi Refining. A third-grade meal is enough to nourish her. If it weren't for her admirable filial piety, I wouldn't have given her a sixth-grade meal."
Qi Shubai bowed to Tian Laokou and said, "On behalf of my junior sister, I would like to thank you, uncle, for the medicine."
Yun Miao was curious: "Brother, are sixth-grade pills very good?"
Qi Shubai explained that all successfully refined elixirs had patterns on them, known as elixir patterns. One elixir pattern represented a first-grade elixir, two elixir patterns represented a second-grade elixir, and so on, with the highest being a ninth-grade elixir with nine elixir patterns.
The alchemist who can refine seventh-grade and eighth-grade elixirs is called the Alchemy King, and the one who can refine ninth-grade elixirs is called the Alchemy Saint.
The number of Alchemy Kings in the world today can be counted on the palm of one hand, and there is only one Alchemy Saint, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. Most of the respected high-level alchemists can only refine sixth-grade pills in their entire lives.
As he spoke, Qi Shubai fed the pill to Yun Miao.
Yun Miao felt the medicine transform into a sweet stream as she swallowed it. Then, the drowsiness in her brain and the fatigue in her body vanished. Most of the negative buffs on the system panel also disappeared.
Good stuff!
Her eyes lit up and her gaze fell on the plain medicine cabinet on the wall.
Tian Laokou immediately stood in front of the medicine cabinet like a hen protecting her chicks. "Hey, hey, what do you want to do? I, your uncle, just wanted to cheat you out of a few spirit stones, but you want to rob your lair?"
Yun Miao blinked: "I'm just thinking about it."
Mr. Tian glared at her: "You can't even think about it. It's a sin to think about it!"
Yun Miao immediately coughed a few times and looked at his master weakly.
"Ahem, Master, I lost too much blood last night. Now I feel cold and dizzy. Ahem, I feel so uncomfortable. Am I dying soon? But Master, don't worry. Before I die, I will crawl to you to drink the apprenticeship tea, otherwise I will die with regrets... Ahem!"
Master Chang: ...My dear disciple, stop coughing. You really don’t have tuberculosis.
*
Half an hour later, Yun Miao, who had eaten a handful of pills, changed into pure white disciple clothes. With a rosy complexion and full of energy, he followed Ning Yu and Shang Mancang on a human-faced owl and flew away from Danfeng.
The sky above the sect, which was very quiet yesterday, was now very lively. Yun Miao looked up and saw many people flying towards the main peak.
Except for a few people who chose to fly directly, most of them either flew on swords or flew forward with compasses, handkerchiefs, or mounts. It was truly like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magical powers.
Yun Miao couldn't help but turn on the screenshot mode, wanting to freeze this beautiful scene. Just as she was enjoying taking pictures, a beautiful senior sister sitting on a brocade handkerchief seemed to notice her gaze and suddenly turned her head to look at her sharply.
Yun Miao immediately gave the beautiful senior sister a friendly smile, trying to improve her favorability. However, she was stunned, and then looked her up and down with a look of surprise on her face. Finally, she exclaimed.
"Fifteen years old, Qi Refining Stage Seven. Look, isn't this the ghost in the airspace last night?!"
"It must be her!"
"Grandma Ancestor, please appear! Grandma Ancestor, please bless me so that I don't come in last place in this sect competition again!"
"Grandmother, her Purple Palace is truly open! Qi Refining Stage cultivation, Foundation Establishment Stage sea of consciousness capacity... Is this what they call exceptional talent?"
"Why are you worshipping blindly? The Law Enforcement Hall has just issued a notice in the airspace. What happened last night had nothing to do with the appearance of the ancestor. She was just too reckless and accidentally broke through the Purple Palace."
"Too reckless? Careless? If a junior sister who just entered the Qi Refining Stage can break through the Purple Palace by accident, then what about me who has not broken through the Purple Palace even though I am already in the second level of the Foundation Establishment Stage? Am I being too cautious?"
"Junior brother, it's normal that you haven't opened your Purple Palace in the second level of the Foundation Establishment Stage. It took me another ten years to break through the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was only after I broke through to the third level that I finally opened my Purple Palace and condensed my spiritual consciousness."
"Wow, but it's been twenty years since I broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!"
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The author has something to say: Yun Miao: Xiao Hei can carry me there!
Xiao Hei thought for a second: Yes, I can.
Qi Shubai: ...You can't!
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