Chapter 33 Keep the Secret and Make a Small Deal
"You're all still alive. It seems you have quite a talent for cultivation. After all, luck is also a kind of talent."
A refreshing herbal aroma wafted into my nostrils, soothing and delightful.
"The reverse flow of spiritual energy has caused some damage to your spiritual consciousness due to the forced use of spiritual energy. Take good care of yourself for the time being and do not overexert yourself, otherwise, no matter how talented you are, you will be ruined."
In a daze, Ji Mingran felt something being gently applied to his stomach, which immediately relieved the burning sensation on his skin.
I opened my eyes and was greeted by a beautiful and delicate face.
"You're awake." The beautiful woman said calmly, turning her head to speak to someone, "Don't get agitated, keep lying down, don't aggravate your wounds."
As she spoke, she shook her head: "Sigh, disobedient." As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Mingran felt an invisible, gentle force spreading outwards, and his eyelids became heavy.
"Sleep well, Junior Martial Aunt." Before falling into a deep sleep, she heard the woman say, "Don't hurt yourself."
Heavy......
My chest felt increasingly heavy, as if a thousand stones were pressing down on it, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Ji Mingran struggled in the darkness, his eyelashes suddenly fluttering as he opened his eyes.
The fleeting light has faded; outside the window, the night is deep, and the Milky Way shines brightly.
Ji Mingran raised his hand to push his head back, revealing a beautiful face with sleepy eyes.
Furong's hazy gaze slowly fell on Ji Mingran's face, her sleepiness vanishing instantly. She immediately rushed to embrace him: "You're awake?! How are you feeling?"
Ji Mingran was caught off guard and was given a bear hug, which doubled the pain.
"It's fine." Ji Mingran patted Shen Qingluo's back gently, enduring the pain. The movement aggravated some wound, making the pain worse. She had to take a deep breath before she could barely speak: "It just hurts a little. Also, you're pressing on me, and I can't breathe."
The person who was half-lying on Ji Mingran froze upon hearing this, quickly sitting up straight and placing her hands tightly on her knees. "I...I was stupid. I forgot you were injured." She leaned forward slightly and asked cautiously, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Ji Mingran's back ached from lying down, and he tried to sit up, but found that he was tightly wrapped in white strips of cloth and could not move.
Upon realizing her intention, Shen Qinglu leaned over to help her up and then placed a pillow behind her back.
Ji Mingran watched her movements and suddenly said, "Shen Qingluo, I'm sorry."
"Hmm?" Shen Qingluo raised her eyes.
Ji Mingran said, "I might have blown up your little horse." In order to completely kill the giant python, she did not hesitate to advance to self-destruction. The explosive power might even affect Ying Xue, who has been with Shen Qingluo all the way.
Shen Qinglu lowered her eyes and gently tidied the hair that was pressed against the pillow for her. "It was an accident, don't worry about it. It's a miracle that the four of us survived."
The only thing Ji Mingran could turn was his own head: "Where are we?"
In the quiet little room, besides the wooden bed where she was lying, there was also a bamboo chair where Shen Qingluo was sitting, and a screen with a bamboo and grass painting behind her.
“Linfeng Medical Hall,” Shen Qinglu said. “You fell unconscious after killing the giant python. Fortunately, the formation automatically dispelled after the python died. When we pulled you out of the snake flesh, Senior Sister Donglu arrived. She brought us here to heal our wounds.”
"Eastern Continent?"
“Peak Master Linfeng. She is a medicine cultivator and is quite proficient in medicine.” Shen Qinglu frowned slightly, her eyes showing worry. “Senior Sister Donglu said that your spiritual consciousness was unstable and overdrawn, and your body was thoroughly infected by snake venom. Moreover, you were at the center of the explosion, so you were the most seriously injured. There are hardly any pieces of your skin and flesh that have healed.”
"Just a superficial wound, as long as he's not dead," Ji Mingran said nonchalantly.
However, she was still in a daze, so she closed her eyes and looked inward, trying to calm her muddled thoughts.
A vast expanse of white, boundless and limitless.
The sea of knowledge.
It is her sea of consciousness.
The spiritual energy within the space seemed to be drawn in, separating from the air, flowing into the body, circulating and refining, condensing into spiritual power, and storing it in the sea of consciousness.
Not only did he not die, he also advanced in his cultivation level, finally entering the Qi Refining stage.
Ji Mingran's eyes sparkled, and she smiled unconsciously, but the movement pulled at the skin on her face, causing sharp pain. She took a breath and let out two "hehe" sounds before saying, "I have to say, I'm quite lucky."
"You weren't just lucky, you're capable." Shen Qingluo, who had been quietly observing, relaxed when she saw her relaxed expression, and then corrected her seriously, "Among the disciples of the sect, how many can survive being swallowed by a giant python? This world is a dog-eat-dog world, and pointless modesty will only harm you. Fengshu Hall has already acknowledged your merits, and the merit points awarded to you are enough to offset some of your expenses at the medical hall. Quanfeng and Linfeng have preserved the valuable items from the python's remains. Once you're better, you can go to Fengshu Hall to choose three items."
"Offset part of the expenses?" Ji Mingran's attention was immediately drawn to it, his head buzzing: "What does that mean?"
“Naturally, it’s the cost of treatment,” Shen Qinglu said. “Not to mention Senior Sister Donglu’s consultation fee, the medicines used on you this time are all rare and precious. You overexerted your body and spiritual energy, and Senior Sister Donglu brought out stacks of the most precious medicines from the bottom of her chest to replenish your energy. Otherwise, how could you have such good energy now?”
She recalled the situation: "Senior Sister Donglu asked us if we wanted to use the best medicine for you. Needless to say, we would have agreed, but this is you, so we all agreed that you should have the best medicine." Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled brightly: "It seems it was indeed worth it. Although the cost was high, Venerable Hongyan stepped in to take responsibility for the debt and put it on Luanfeng's account. You can pay it back slowly in the future, so don't worry."
Ji Mingran's expression was even more stiff than his body.
The harm is transferred from oneself to one's own wallet.
Having finally settled all debts with Boss Jiang, they are now incurring a huge debt again.
She felt tightness in her chest, shortness of breath, and couldn't speak.
Shen Qingluo: "Are you hungry? You've been unconscious for three days and three nights."
Mentioning this made Ji Mingran feel even more distressed. He said sullenly, "I lost the bear arm. I have to go to the cafeteria for a meal. I wonder how much a steamed bun costs."
Shen Qinglu stood up: "Come with me first." She turned around, half-squatting and leaning forward, gesturing for Ji Mingran to lie down on her: "Senior Sister Donglu said that if you wake up in the evening, you can leave."
"I'll walk by myself." After lying down for three days and three nights, the muscles in his back were sore and aching. Ji Mingran repeatedly declined Shen Qingluo's offer, and spent some time getting used to the pain in his skin caused by the movement, before slowly sitting up, standing, and walking.
The clinic was small, and Ji Mingran was in a small, separate room on the outer side. However, by the time she stood at the entrance of the clinic and smelled the fresh air of the mountain forest after the rain, the night was already deep.
Shen Qingluo patiently helped her move forward step by step, barely daring to breathe heavily, as if afraid that if she wasn't watching her closely, the person she was helping would fall to the ground.
However, as soon as Ji Mingran stepped half a step out of the threshold, a long sword impatiently "hummed" and stood horizontally in the air, an inch off the ground, making it very easy to step on.
Shen Qingluo earnestly advised, "Linfeng Peak is quite large, and the distance between teleportation arrays is also considerable. You can't walk back."
Ji Mingran understood this principle, so she also stepped onto the longsword. Shen Qingluo put one arm around her, raised the longsword, and flew away from the hut in a flash.
Shen Qingluo moved with incredible speed on her sword. Ji Mingran had barely looked up at the stars that seemed within reach when they were already far away, and he had already landed on the ground again.
Immediately afterwards, a barrage of scolding came crashing down on her: "Look at you! What kind of behavior is this! Reckless! Utterly reckless! Are you out of your mind?"
Ji Mingran looked closely and saw a fiery red head suddenly spring up and rush towards her in a fit of rage.
"You want to fight a giant python? You're asking for trouble!" Guan Wangzhen's eyes were fierce as he continued to rant, "What's your cultivation level? What's its cultivation level? Why didn't you think about your master, your senior brother, and everyone in the sect before you did this!"
His voice wasn't loud, but Ji Mingran still felt his ears were bothered. His face wrinkled, and the pain aggravated his wound, causing him to hiss softly.
"Wang Zhen, Grandma Ming has just recovered, but she still needs to regain her composure. Don't bother her." A gentle voice rang out at the right moment.
Guan Wangzhen immediately fell silent, his mind, which had been clouded by anxiety, calmed down. He stared wide-eyed at the newcomer and realized that Ji Mingran was wrapped up tightly and was being held by Shen Qingluo on a long sword.
Guan Wangzhen paused for a moment, then bent down from his upright position. He reached out his hand and said in a softer voice, "Come, come, help me down, be careful."
Ji Mingran unceremoniously put his arm around him, pressing his entire body weight against him. Guan Wangzhen mumbled something, but his voice was too soft to hear clearly. Ji Mingran comfortably used him as a crutch, sniffing the air as he looked ahead.
Ahead, a fire of firewood, about half a person's height, glowed with a bright orange light. Under the hazy orange light were chunks of meat dripping with oil, and the air was filled with the aroma of meat and spices.
Shen Qingluo strode forward, carefully examining the condition of the meat: "Is it edible?"
Zhu Shibai smiled warmly: "Yes, by timing it perfectly, Wang Zhen has controlled the heat just right."
"What is this?" Ji Mingran was dragged to the firewood.
She was still recovering from her injuries and walked slowly. Guan Wangzhen didn't have the patience to wait for her, so he simply picked her up with one hand and took her to her seat in a few quick steps.
“Xiaoshi Horned Deer, unique to Kuangfeng.” Shen Qingluo pulled out a dagger from somewhere, skillfully cut off a large piece of meat, quickly cut it into small pieces, skewered them, and handed them to her. “It tastes good, eat up, slowly, don’t choke.”
"It's ready." Zhu Shibai presented a gourd with both hands. "There's water in it, don't worry."
"The meat is roasted to a tender perfection! It'll choke her! Who underestimates our skills!" Guan Wangzhen muttered to himself.
Ji Mingran's head was already buried in the bowl, and he pounced on the meat like a hungry wolf, calling out, "Eat up, everyone!"
The meat is tender and delicious.
The three of them exchanged glances and then silently began to eat.
With something settled in his stomach, Ji Mingran gradually slowed down his eating pace. Looking up at the three people who were eating without tasting anything, he said, "I'm almost done."
Guan Wangzhen cleared his throat: "Are you full? Then let's begin."
Zhu Shibai sat upright and solemnly.
Shen Qinglu nodded slightly.
Ji Mingran, holding his bowl and chewing on some meat, said, "Speak."
He was taken to the desolate mountains and wilderness shortly after waking up from his serious injuries. It's easy to imagine that it wasn't just a simple gathering to eat meat.
This is a confession game.
Ji Mingran spoke first: "Does the sect leader know that I sneaked out?"
When the sect leader delivered a large quantity of paper and pens, he personally informed her that she could not leave Luan Peak until her inherited memories were erased. This person, who was supposed to be confined, appeared in the distant Quan Peak region, and was even seriously injured and on the verge of death. The person who saved her was none other than Dong Lu, the peak master of Lin Peak. She didn't think she could hide her sneaking away any longer, so she decided to tell him directly and find out the consequences.
Zhu Shibai said, "When Senior Sister Donglu asked, I said that Wang Zhen and I encountered a Golden Core Purple Scale Red Python on Quanfeng. It was running away with you in its mouth, and you were struggling to break free. Then, Tou Chen Qingluo was chasing after it and tried to intercept it. However, the three of us were unable to succeed because we were bound by the formation. Later, at your suggestion, you used the Luanfeng formation and risked your life to draw lightning to kill it."
Guan Wangzhen raised two fingers and swore confidently: "I can vouch for it, it's all true."
Ji Mingran: "Huh?" This is a story she herself experienced?
Shen Qinglu continued, "When Senior Sister Donglu asked me how I met you, I said that when we were attacking the Black Armored Sawtooth Bear at Yaofeng, a teleportation array suddenly appeared. When you came out in a daze, you were attacked by a giant python. So I chased you all the way to Quanfeng, and that's how the later events happened."
Zhu Shibai said calmly, "If Senior Sister Donglu asks about it later, just say that you accidentally stepped into the teleportation array set up in Luanfeng and were teleported to Yaofeng, where you were attacked. Everything was passive and not intentional."
Everyone in the entire Dingsheng Sect knows that the founding ancestor of Luanfeng loved to set up arrays of all sizes wherever he went. Over the years, no one has mastered all the teleportation array points, let alone Luanfeng, where he himself is located.
Ji Mingran accidentally stepped into a hidden teleportation array and was teleported to Yaofeng. He was then attacked by a Golden Core Purple Scale Red Python and taken to Quanfeng. His whereabouts were not what he wanted. In the end, he helped to defeat the red python, which was considered a meritorious service.
This statement left not only the sect leader but also the other peak masters speechless.
This was the statement that Zhu Shibai had carefully considered and finalized while lying on his bed.
As for Ji Mingran's use of lightning to blast the snake, as mentioned earlier, it conveniently concealed the fact that she had self-destructed. Her master had told her that if she advanced to a higher level, the resulting explosion would be so powerful that she herself would have no chance of survival, yet she managed to save her life.
Zhu Shibai did not believe that her master's information was wrong, but she did not intend to find out the secret behind it. She would cover up the fact that she survived the explosion, which would leave room for her to discuss with Venerable Hongyan when she returned to the peak later.
Apart from Zhu Shibai, the other two were initially unaware that Ji Mingran had been placed under house arrest. However, seeing Zhu Shibai's nonchalant and rambling speech, Shen Qingluo immediately understood and followed suit to cover up the lie, while Guan Wangzhen also seized the opportunity to add his own interpretation.
The three corroborated each other's accounts, and Donglu became somewhat convinced. After Donglu left, Shen Qingluo and Guan Wangzhen, under the pretense of asking for their respective masters' names, finally managed to get the information from Zhu Shibai about Ji Mingran being confined to his quarters.
With his view completely blocked, Ji Mingran rested his chin on his hand and said, "I don't know. What do you guys think?"
Zhu Shibai said calmly, "I hope Grandma can keep our practice of other arts a secret."
Guan Wangzhen in front of her and Shen Qingluo beside her both turned their gazes toward her.
Alternatively, another technique can be developed.
Ji Mingran quickly recalled the scene when the four fought: Shen Qingluo from the military cultivation Yaofeng wielded a powerful sword, unleashing crimson flames; and Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen from the magic cultivation Quanfeng and Kuangfeng, respectively, used high-level spells and then took out magic weapons and talismans. She carefully inquired, "Could it be that the sect stipulates that disciples of each peak can only practice the Daoist arts related to their respective peaks?" But Boss Jiang clearly used array and talisman techniques fluently, but she went to the small world, so perhaps she was an exception.
Zhu Shibai said in a serious voice: "Although there are very few people who practice multiple arts, they are not entirely non-existent. It's just that cultivators in the spiritual cultivation world value extreme focus and look down on miscellaneous studies. After disciples of major sects have practiced various basic Daoist arts, they will choose one art to specialize in. Only small sects and minor schools will allow their disciples to practice multiple Daoist arts."
"Ah, this is difficult." Ji Mingran's tone was dry. She tilted her head and peeked out from beside Guan Wangzhen, who was blocking her way. Her bangs fell aside with the movement, revealing her clear, dark eyes. She asked Zhu Shibai, "What if I insist on having it?"
Between being loved and surviving, survival is the most important. Every possible way to protect herself is valuable, especially since she has no intention of giving up learning the swordsmanship taught to her by Yu Tianxing.
She asked directly, with no intention of hiding the truth that she also practiced other arts.
“Grandma is so carefree, we can’t compare.” Zhu Shibai’s serious expression softened a bit. “Fortunately, Dingsheng Sect is an exception. Although the sect’s practices are criticized by others, and few disciples in the sect can apply them to other situations, the sect has always allowed its disciples to cultivate freely.”
Ji Mingran asked in confusion, "Then why are you hiding?"
"Man walks in this world, and it is hard to break free from the shackles." The fireworks stretched Zhu Shibai's shadow until it disappeared into the darkness that the light could not reach. He sighed, "The Zhu family's magic has a long history, and the direct descendants can only practice magic, so I cannot say."
Sitting by the firewood, Shen Qingluo was absently tapping the leaping flames with a wooden stick, saying in a muffled voice, "I come from a family of magic cultivators, but I am now a soldier cultivator of Yaofeng. It's hard to say about this."
Ji Mingran looked up and asked Guan Wangzhen, who was standing in front of him, "And you? Too?"
“I’m not.” Guan Wangzhen chuckled. “Many people believe I can’t master complex talismans and incantations, but I’m going to prove them wrong! Once I’ve mastered them, I’ll show them! I’ll keep it a secret for now.”
"Oh..." Ji Mingran didn't know how to react. After thinking for a while, he gave a thumbs up and said sincerely, "You have ambition!"
Guan Wangzhen slapped down with his palm, the force perfectly controlled, stopping exactly an inch above Ji Mingran's shoulder. He said happily, "Great minds think alike! We all saw it. You were incredibly agile on the giant python, and your swordsmanship was so clean and efficient. You usually keep a low profile, so it seems you think the same way I do." Guan Wangzhen put his hands on his hips, with an expression that said, "I've seen right through you."
"Well, you could say that." Ji Mingran scratched his head. If having a trump card as a "hidden" weapon counts, then so be it.
She then asked, "Are you also from a family of sorcerers?"
Guan Wangzhen paused for a moment: "More or less. Why are you interested in this?"
"How come you're all from families of magic cultivators?" Ji Mingran quipped. What, are all the ancient families magic cultivators?
"It is said that spiritual arts are divided into weapons, artifacts, talismans, spells, formations, etc., so some clans consider themselves families of magic and take pride in it." Shen Qingluo sneered: "Nonsense."
Guan Wangzhen had already sat back in his original spot, leaning back with his palms on the ground, looking at Xingye with his eyes: "This is incredibly boring."
"So," Zhu Shibai asked her calmly, "can Grandma keep this a secret?"
Shen Qingluo sat by the firewood, hugging her knees, gazing at her with a serene expression: "Is it alright?"
Ji Mingran: "Sure." She grinned: "Let's make a deal along the way."
Upon hearing this, Guan Wangzhen lowered his gaze.
Ji Mingran looked at Shen Qingluo with a grin: "From now on, you are not allowed to charge me for practicing swordsmanship with you."
Then, looking back at Guan Wangzhen, he said, "From now on, you are not allowed to charge me for any talismans you use."
Finally, his gaze met Zhu Shibai's: "From now on, you will forge weapons that are suitable for me, and you are not allowed to charge me."
The three men stared at her intently.
"As for me, I will give you the appropriate secret techniques to inherit."
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