The sight of winter's chill is heartbreaking.
The warm candlelight in the bedroom illuminated a hazy figure with their back to the screen beside the bed.
The figure's snow-white shoulders were slightly exposed, and the posture of the head bowed and clothes gathered was very indistinct.
But a discerning eye can make out her clothes, skin, and long hair from the blurry colors.
Pei Xuanzhi sat at a table outside the screen, holding a bowl of extremely bitter medicine. He sipped it slowly with a blank expression, his Adam's apple bobbing silently from time to time.
Yan Huanyue lifted her clothes and cleaned the wound on her collarbone.
The trial realm of the Mingde Sect is indeed not simple.
She felt pain in her body several times while in the secret realm, knowing that she was injured, but not seriously. At that time, she did not have a moment to stop.
When I came back and looked, there were indeed five or six wounds that were still oozing a thin layer of blood.
She used a silver hairpin to apply the medicine little by little to her collarbone, the cool sensation seeping into her flesh, accompanied by a slight tingling pain.
The smell of medicine from Pei Xuanzhi's bowl filled the room, almost bringing tears to people's eyes.
She glanced back slightly and casually asked, "When did you start taking your medication? Who prescribed it for you?"
Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes, looking obediently at the medicinal soup in the bowl, and said:
"It's a prescription made by Sect Leader Wen. It's supposed to help my heart bond connect with me better. He said that if it's made into a pill, it will damage the medicinal properties of one of the spiritual herbs. I'll just brew it like this and drink it for a while."
Yan Huanyue raised her hand and fanned the medicine applied to her wound. When she felt it had dried enough, she straightened her clothes and stood up.
She helped him spread out the bed a bit more before stepping behind the screen and placing the medicine bottle in front of him.
"Thank you for the medicine. Take it and get some rest. I'll head back now."
Pei Xuanzhi tilted his head back and drank the medicine in the bowl, then put down the bowl and got up to see her out.
Yan Huanyue smiled and gestured in front of him, "No need to see me off. You should rest as soon as possible. I'll come to find you after we leave the Suihan Secret Realm, okay?"
Pei Xuanzhi didn't want to drag her along at such a crucial moment, so he stopped forcing her to follow and just stood by the door watching her departing figure.
Starting the next day, Yan Huanyue began to follow Feng Ye, along with some disciples who had passed the test, to listen to scriptures and cultivate.
For three consecutive days, he got up early and went to bed late every day, and even half an hour before entering the Cold Winter Secret Realm, he was still circulating the magic incantation.
As Wen Jian, the leader of the Mingde Sect, personally opened the Suihan Secret Realm, disciples from various sects jumped into the secret realm in order.
Yan Huanyue made a final check to see if she had brought enough pills, talismans, and other items.
Then, taking advantage of the initial movement of the crowd, they followed Yu Zhao and the others into the Suihan Secret Realm, where they found themselves in an ancient forest that blocked out the sky.
Accompanying Yu Zhao and Tan Guiyi was Tan Guiyi's senior sister, Lin Xiaofeng.
At first, with so many people, nothing could be seen. But when the various teams dispersed and Yu Zhao and the others went to check out the secret realm elsewhere, Yan Huanyue realized that Wei Qingpei, whom she had seen a few days ago, was following Yu Zhao and the others at a distance.
Zhou Jiao failed the test, and Zhou Pingyi only came to deliver the items provided by the Zhou family for this trial and did not participate in this secret realm trial.
It seems that Wei Qingpei ultimately chose not to team up with anyone before the exam, and thus entered the secret realm alone today.
Yan Huanyue was a bit far away, and there were other people walking back and forth in between, so Yu Zhao and the others did not notice that she was following them.
However, Wei Qingpei followed closely and did not conceal his whereabouts.
After a short while, Lin Xiaofeng stopped, turned around and looked at her, asking with curiosity and doubt, "Who are you? Why are you following us?"
Wei Qingpei's face drained of color instantly, tears welled in her eyes, and she nervously clutched her sleeve, stammering:
"I...I don't know where to go, I'll just look around."
Lin Xiaofeng pointed around and said, "These forest paths all lead to different ends, so it doesn't matter which way you go."
Wei Qingpei nodded and said in a low voice, "I understand."
Seeing that she understood, Yu Zhao and the other two turned around and continued walking forward.
After walking a few steps, Tan Guiyi stopped, turned around, and sneered, "Fellow Daoist, why are you still following us?"
Wei Qingpei seemed startled. She raised her hand to wipe away her tears and waved her hand in a panic, saying, "No, no, I just wanted to go this way too."
Tan Guiyi tugged at Yu Zhao and Lin Xiaofeng's sleeves and led them to the side, saying, "Then you walk here, we'll walk to the side."
A gentle breeze swept by, and Wei Qingpei stood there alone and helpless, her expression growing increasingly somber and numb. After they had walked a distance, she followed them.
When they stopped and turned around to look at her again, Tan Guiyi frowned slightly and asked in a raised voice:
"Fellow Daoist, what brings you here? Why be so coy like a young girl?"
Wei Qingpei did not answer Tan Guiyi's question, but instead looked at Yu Zhao, who stood with his hands behind his back in the wind under the ancient tree.
Seeing his tall and slender figure, and his refined and elegant demeanor, she realized that this was the kind of person her eldest sister didn't really want, and someone she could never have...
That's the Yu family of Yunjing! He's a fool with a drooling nose and a lot of spittle, but he's also a representative of cultivation resources and family wealth.
Just like Pei Xuanzhi, the sect leader's son with impure human blood, what good is being good-looking? He only managed to get a Daoist partner by losing face for his father.
Even if the lady of the house wouldn't let him in, he would still fawn over her as if she wanted something, which was heartbreaking to watch.
If Yu Zhao were truly an ugly monster, or a fool, or a useless person, that would be great; or if one of the two young masters of the Xue family in Chang'an were also a useless person or a fool, that would be great.
In this way, she would also have the opportunity to condescend to become a true member of one of the major aristocratic families in a natural and legitimate manner.
Unfortunately, no, and this fairy maiden from Yunjing is not only not stupid, foolish, or useless, but also has such a refined and beautiful appearance...
Wei Qingpei timidly said, "Young Master Yu, my name is Wei Qingpei. Wei Zhaopei from Yandu is my older sister."
Although Yan Huanyue followed far away, she used her magic to catch the sound from the other side. She saw that after Wei Qingpei finished speaking, Yu Zhao's expression froze for a moment.
"Oh, so you're Miss Wei."
Lin Xiaofeng was overjoyed and excitedly ran over, circling Wei Qingpei twice, and said:
"Wei Zhaopei, the best archer in Yandu? The Wei Zhaopei who traveled thousands of miles into the desert with Su Henghua and killed the great demon Tenghuang with a single arrow in the midst of the raging wind and snow, is your sister?"
Wei Qingpei's expression was composed; she tried her best to appear proud, but still couldn't help but awkwardly say, "It is indeed my elder sister."
Lin Xiaofeng snorted and said angrily:
"Why didn't she come? Han Shuangying and Su Henghua didn't come this time either, and even Zhou Pingyi and Zhou Miaoyi didn't enter the secret realm. I'm afraid she's already looked down on these things. It's infuriating! It's infuriating! Why didn't she tell me sooner!"
Tan Guiyi turned to Yu Zhao and asked, "You know people of the same generation as my senior sister?"
Before Yu Zhao could speak, Wei Qingpei slowly walked towards them and said with a smile, "Miss, you may not know, but the Yu family has recently come to my house to discuss the marriage between Young Master Yu and my eldest sister."
Tan Guiyi's heart skipped a beat. She had thought that if Yu Zhao, a person of upright character, had any designs on someone, it would be very difficult to change his mind.
In addition, Yu Zhao did indeed come from a good family and was good-looking, so she was more serious about managing the business.
Little did they know that Yu Zhao was also somewhat out of control...
She laughed heartily and said nonchalantly, "Yu Zhao, what's going on? If you don't tell me about something this important, can we still be brothers?"
Seeing her so open and honest, Yu Zhao seemed to have forgotten the unconscious intertwining of their fingers and the accidental kiss.
And the way he cried on his shoulder after drinking, lamenting his tragic fate and the fickleness of destiny...
He then looked at the pitiful Wei Qingpei and said, "Fellow Daoist, are you all alone? Since you are a sister of the Wei family of Yandu, please come with us."
Tan Guiyi glanced at Yu Zhao with a half-smile, "Yu Zhao, we're a team of three, and you didn't even ask my senior sister and me for our opinions?"
Wei Qingpei interjected, "I know that Fellow Daoist Tan is a man of great character and must be broad-minded enough to tolerate someone as lonely as me. Fellow Daoist Lin knows my elder sister, so I suppose he would also be willing to help me..."
Tan Guiyi did not answer.
She didn't think this pretentious and hypocritical girl could impress Yu Zhao.
Otherwise, why did Yan Huanyue, who is two-faced and sometimes angry and sometimes wicked, never receive Yu Zhao's genuine protection?
She knew that the Yu family of Luojing had been looking for a fiancée of similar social standing for Yu Zhao.
Yu Zhao can refuse for her now, but if he really marries Wei Zhaopei in the future, will he refuse?
She was biased towards Yu Zhao, and also towards the Yu family, who were getting closer and closer to her. Once she got to the Yu family and grew tired of them, it wouldn't matter if Yu Zhao died.
Tan Guiyi knew what Yu Zhao wanted to see at this moment.
So she nodded rather dejectedly, then said, seemingly forcing a smile, "Okay, taking care of a young girl is normal."
Seeing her dejected expression, Yu Zhao realized that she truly cared, and he somewhat forgave her indifferent attitude towards him earlier.
Lin Xiaofeng looked puzzled and said, "If Wei Zhaopei came, I probably wouldn't be able to snatch it even if I tried. But you're not Wei Zhaopei. She doesn't give me gifts during holidays, so why should I care about her sister?"
He then said to Yu Zhao, "Yu Zhao, don't drag us down with what you have to do. If she can't handle it later, you'll have to deal with it yourself."
Seeing that they were just rambling on and not knowing how to continue, Yan Huanyue thought for a moment, then flew around on her sword and waited for them not far ahead.
According to Emperor Dezong's guidance, this ancient forest, where we settled, is probably the only absolutely safe place in the Cold Winter Secret Realm.
And this ordinary path leading out of the ancient forest, who knows which little world it will lead to.
She concealed her presence among the lush foliage by the roadside, watching as Yu Zhao and the other three approached the edge of the ancient forest.
Suddenly a gust of wind swept in, and a ferocious and terrifying monster roared as it tried to charge into the ancient forest.
The monster was about the height of three people, and its sharp claws suddenly lashed out, almost grabbing Wei Qingpei's hair.
Yan Huanyue knew that this must be the Imperial Beast mentioned in the records of the predecessors about the Suihan Secret Realm in the library.
The appearance of the gate beast was too sudden. Yan Huanyue saw Wei Qingpei, who was originally closely following Yu Zhao, suddenly tremble and shrink back. With one hand, she summoned a long spear and with the other hand, she was about to push Yu Zhao, who was in the most convenient position, away.
Lin Xiaofeng, however, swiftly leaped into the air, wielding two arrows, and pierced through the two eyes of the Gate Beast with a single strike.
Then he flew directly out of the ancient forest, pulled the arrow from the left eye of the gate beast, and stepped lightly onto the head of the enraged monster.
Holding the arrow with both hands, he plunged it into a scale the size of a fingernail on the monster's head, driving the entire arrow in.
A moment later, Lin Xiaofeng suddenly pulled out the arrow, and the monster beneath his feet swayed a few times before crashing to the ground.
Holding the red and white intertwined arrow, she looked at Tan Guiyi, raised her head, and smiled:
“Junior Sister, remember this, this is the Gatekeeper Beast, the remnant thought of a former sect leader of Mingde Sect. It guards the entrance to these small worlds. Its flesh and skin are impervious to blades, water, and fire. Only its eyes and the Heavenly Eye Scale can be injured.”
As he spoke, he dug out a scorching phantom of a fire lotus from the brain of the Imperial Gate Beast, took two parts of spiritual power and pressed it to his brow, and it immediately turned into a faintly burning fire lotus petal.
Then he casually tossed it to Tan Guiyi and said, "This is the Immaculate Fire Lotus. It can resist the assimilation of human consciousness by the small world. Junior Sister, you can have some first."
He then walked out of the ancient forest first.
Tan Guiyi directly took five out of the remaining eight parts of the Fire Lotus spiritual power and threw the phantom image to Yu Zhao.
Yu Zhao took two points and left one point for Wei Qingpei.
Wei Qingpei was unaware of this and assumed that the amount taken by each person was fixed.
After she absorbed the last bit of spiritual energy, the burning phantom in her hand disappeared, and she quickly followed Yu Zhao out of the ancient forest.
Yan Huanyue landed on the ground and walked out.
Just as she was about to reach the last ancient tree, the massive body of the gate beast on the ground suddenly vanished, and a huge claw with a massive shadow came crashing down on her.
She immediately flipped over, gripped her right hand, and thrust her sword through the air.
She didn't poke its eyes, but instead quickly floated into the air, then suddenly gripped the knife with both hands, flipped over, and hung upside down in the air.
Like a mountain that flew in, it fell with immense force, and in the blink of an eye, it pierced the Heavenly Eye Scale of the Imperial Beast.
Then, she dissected the Immaculate Fire Lotus, absorbed all of it, and a burning fire lotus phantom appeared above the crimson protective spirit seal between her brows.
Just as he was about to turn and fly out of the ancient forest, a series of copper coins jingled as Lu Shenchu called out from afar, "Fellow Daoist, wait! Did Wei Qingpei take this path?"
Yan Huanyue turned around and said, "That's right."
Lu Shenchu looked anxious and said urgently, "Zhou Pingyi asked me to bring her into my team. I had agreed with her to wait at the entrance to the secret realm. I entered later than her and didn't see her. It was only after that that I saw her coming this way with Lin Xiaofeng and the others."
Yan Huanyue hurriedly caught up and said, "She is indeed with Fellow Daoist Lin and the others. You can decide what to do about this, Fellow Daoist. I'll go in first."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:04:00 on December 10, 2023 and 02:06:26 on December 12, 2023!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Did you think carefully today? 22 bottles; Kongshan 20 bottles; I am a boy, Xiaojiangli 10 bottles; Bricklayer who loves roast chicken 5 bottles; A batch of cute ones 2 bottles; Zian, Zhouman's sword bone, Mi, kurosakiiji, Author, please update soon!, Cute Cheese, Pigsy 1 bottle;
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