Finally meet
The Lan family's old house is located in the Qionghua Valley, a place with lush grass and dense woods. The strange flowers and plants emit bursts of light, attracting everyone's attention.
The old house is simple and elegant, with a solemn atmosphere, glazed green tiles, flying eaves and pointed corners. Two purple lanterns are lit at the door, with the word "Orchid" and a purple orchid totem engraved on them.
Orchid totem, the place where Lan Mingzhu sat and passed away is full of purple moon lotus...
Qian Luo couldn't help but feel dazed. It wasn't until Lan Xianghan took her hand and held up the Lan family jade pendant that the guards at the door, who were in the early stages of foundation building, let her go. They recognized Lan Wenxin and Lan Huairen and smiled, "This is Xianghan, right? She's grown so big..."
"Yes, Xianghan is already in the middle stage of foundation building this time and is protected by the sect. It's time for her to go home and worship her ancestors." Lan Huairen nodded and smiled, but didn't say anything else. Seeing the guard's eyes fall on the little girl, he took the initiative to explain.
"This is Xianghan's junior sister, Wen Siyu. She's been pampered by the sect since she was young and has the best relationship with Xianghan. When she heard Xianghan was coming home, she was extremely anxious and begged the Grandmaster to come to our District 6 with Xianghan. As a gesture of hospitality, we also brought her to the old house."
The implication is that Wen Siyu is extremely favored in the sect and cannot be provoked.
The guard also heard the hidden meaning of his words. The junior sisters of the big sects were either related or gifted, so they let her go.
He met many monks along the way, and Lan Huairen cleverly avoided them by using this statement.
The Lan family's old house is very large, with more than a thousand rooms and an area of more than one million square meters.
Walking through the corridors, big and small, you can see little monks who are less than ten years old studying seriously, looking at their teachers with bright eyes.
The master was wearing a grey robe and looked to be about thirty years old. He was thin and tall, with a gentle look between his brows. He held a yellowed book in his hand and diligently educated the young monk, occasionally slapping the sleepy child.
"The teacher who is teaching is also an elder of the Lan family. He is in the late foundation building stage. Everyone calls him Master Lan."
"The Lan family has three elders. Master Lan is responsible for teaching and educating people, Elder Lan Baicao is responsible for cultivating spiritual plants, and Elder Lan Qianhua is responsible for overall planning and managing the Lan family's business dealings."
Lan Xianghan introduced carefully: "The three of them are all from the late Lan family. Elder Lan Baicao and Elder Lan Qianhua are biological sisters. From their names, we can tell that their parents have high hopes for them."
Qianluo scratched her head: "Yeah, hahaha..."
Lan Xianghan saw that Qian Luo was not in a good mood. She looked around as if she was hiding something, as if she was looking for someone. She raised her eyebrows slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Could it be that this little girl had other reasons for entering the Lan family?
Four people, each with their own concerns, entered the hall. Lan Qianhua, a pretty, straightforward woman in her thirties, had been waiting for a long time. She had heard that Lan Xianghan, the Lan family's most promising descendant, would return. Upon hearing the guard's message, she dropped her work and waited.
"Sister Wenxin, brother Huairen! You two have worked hard!" Lan Qianhua greeted them from afar, her face full of enthusiasm. Especially when facing Lan Xianghan, her eyes narrowed until she could not see anything. "This must be Xianghan's niece! Not bad! She's already in the middle stage of foundation building at such a young age. She's really a formidable young talent!"
Originally thought that in the struggle between the Wei and Jiang families, with the death of the grandmother, the Lan family could not stand alone and the family was on the verge of collapse. Unexpectedly, Lan Xianghan brought good news. With the support of Qingmin Zhenjun of Linglong Sect in the upper three districts, the Lan family did not need to worry about being cannibalized by the two families!
"Who is this?" The guard said that the pretty girl in front of him was the junior sister from the upper third district, but Lan Qianhua had seen countless people and could tell at a glance that she was a fake.
This little girl has average cultivation and is young, but there is a firmness and determination between her brows. She is definitely not a young lady who was brought up in the upper three districts.
"I can't hide it from the Great Elder!" Lan Wenxin smiled and handed her three spiritual plants. "Can you tell me roughly how old my Beauty Flower, Purple Jade Ganoderma, and Purple Spirit Fruit are?"
Lan Qianhua usually doesn't take care of the cultivation of spiritual plants, that is done by her sister Lan Baicao, but because of her usual business dealings, she will also go to the spiritual plant garden to look after the spiritual plants and count their number, but the spiritual plants in front of her.
She took a look and gave a rough estimate: "Judging from their appearance, how many years are the Beauty Flower and Purple Jade Ganoderma about? The Purple Spirit Fruit is half green and half purple, so fifty years is still possible. Compared with the spiritual plants in the Spirit Plant Garden, the quality is not bad."
"Why did you suddenly bring up this spiritual plant? We don't have any in our spiritual plant garden."
Lan Wenxin just smiled without saying anything, which made Lan Qianhua even more confused. However, after so many years of experience in the business world, she had already learned to read people's expressions. She was shocked and stared at the girl and the spiritual plant with brighter eyes: "Could this be..."
"That's right, it's just what you think! There's no such thing as decades for these spiritual plants! In fact, the Beauty Flower and Purple Jade Ganoderma last for three years, and the Purple Spirit Fruit lasts for ten years!"
"Great Elder, do you recognize this little apprentice sister or not?"
Lan Huairen raised his eyes slightly and looked at the Great Elder. The Great Elder had already been breathing rapidly. She stood up in panic, spilling the spiritual tea, and her robes were wet, but she didn't care.
This is a divine soldier sent from heaven!
You should know that the Lan family's business has been bleak in recent years. The number of spiritual plants does not meet the standard, and the quality of spiritual plants also has problems. For this reason, his younger sister Lan Baicao has been devoted to taking care of flowers and plants. She has developed a mental demon and her cultivation has regressed.
The two sisters both suspected that the Wei family had touched the Lan family's spiritual mines, and that there was not enough spiritual energy for the spiritual plants to grow, which was why so many strange things happened!
Seeing Lan Qianhua eager to pounce on her, Qianluo stood up in fear, blaming Lan Xianghan's parents in her heart. Didn't she say that she didn't have that much ability? What could she say?
Qianluo was about to explain: "I..."
He was interrupted by the excited Lan Qianhua: "Wait! Lian Qiao, go call the Second Elder over!"
The purple-robed female cultivator at the door immediately took the spiritual plants to the spiritual plant garden.
"Such a good thing should be told to call my sister over!" Her face was flushed, her eyebrows were dancing with joy, and she wanted to worship Qianluo like Guanyin, and her voice was extremely soft.
"Little sister, what's your name?"
"Did you cultivate this spiritual plant by yourself?"
"Little Taoist friend, don't be afraid..."
Qianluo: "..." After hearing that, she became even more frightened. It felt like Grandma Wolf was coaxing Little Red Riding Hood.
Lan Xianghan, a legitimate descendant, had been forgotten by Lan Qianhua. She looked at her parents helplessly, and her parents smiled and shook their heads: "The first elder is like this, and you haven't seen the second elder yet!"
Speak of the devil and he will appear.
“Where!”
"Second Elder, be careful!"
The man flew on his sword, stumbled, and almost fell to the ground. She quickly raised her head, locked onto the target, her eyes shining brightly, "Where is that spiritual plant master!"
“It’s amazing, how did you do that?”
"I've tested it! It's actually a ten-year-old Purple Spirit Fruit! How come its maturity is comparable to a fifty-year-old Purple Spirit Fruit?"
"The quality is even better than the purple spirit fruit I carefully cared for! Who is this expert? I must ask for your advice!"
Lan Baicao was particularly gentle and charming because she had been cultivating spiritual plants for many years. When she walked, there was a fragrance of flowers and plants, which smelled very pleasant. At this moment, she was even more excited than her sister Lan Qianhua, and she wanted to kneel down.
"Is it you?" The voice sounded like someone seeking revenge.
Qian Luo turned around helplessly and raised her hand weakly: "It's me... But don't ask me about the training method, I don't know..."
Lan Baicao looked her up and down before nodding, "Not bad, not bad. Some people are gifted but don't even realize it. Although your cultivation is average, maybe your talent for cultivation is also exceptional!"
"How about this, if you can really shorten the cultivation period, you will be the second elder of the Spirit Plant Garden, and I will be your apprentice!"
This sentence was like thunder out of the blue, shocking everyone!
Especially Lan Xianghan's parents, they looked at each other in bewilderment. They originally wanted the elders to agree to Wen Siyu's position as a guest elder, so how come she has now become the second in command of the Lan family?
Lan Wenxin hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "That's not right! Second Elder, why are you..."
Lan Baicao waved his hand, a look of sorrow on his face. "Don't worry about it. It's settled. The Second Elder is derelict in his duty anyway. After all these years, the Spirit Plant Garden is still in such a dead state. I haven't revitalized it at all!"
"Sister, don't be so anxious!" Lan Qianhua calmed herself down and advised Lan Baicao, "The little sister hasn't said a word yet. You should ask her opinion."
Qian Luo smiled bitterly. Why did he have to be the second elder of the Lan family after all this time? She had originally come to the Lan family for Lan Mingzhu's matter, but she was completely confused by all the twists and turns.
She simply said, "I came to the Lan family today not for the position of elder, nor to prove my training methods to everyone."
A hint of understanding flashed across Lan Xianghan's eyes. She had long seen that she had other intentions, but she didn't know what they were and why she was willing to come to the Lan family's old house alone.
Lan Wenxin and Lan Huairen looked at each other and felt a pang in their hearts. Why did it feel different from what they imagined? Didn’t they agree to come here and get the elders’ consent to serve as guest elders?
The two elders saw her serious expression and stopped smiling. "Excuse me, this young Taoist fellow isn't here to discuss matters? What are you here for?"
Qian Luo pulled out the Blood Orchid Sword from her head, and with a flash of inspiration, it instantly transformed into a three-foot green sword with a dazzling light, shining coldly and full of murderous aura.
The girl's eyes were bright as stars. "Follow the wishes of Senior Lan Mingzhu, return to your homeland, return to your roots, place your ashes in the Lan family ancestral hall, and give your belongings to Lan Mingzhu's parents."
"this!"
Lan Qianhua was stunned. When she saw the little girl suddenly raise a sword, she thought it was an enemy and had already sacrificed her spiritual weapon.
I didn't expect this to be the reason. For a moment, I was overwhelmed with emotions and sighed heavily: "Mingzhu...this child...ah!"
Even Lan Baicao calmed down, tears welling up in her eyes. "It turns out Mingzhu has passed away. Her parents have been trying to believe she's dead for years and have been searching for her. They never expected..."
Lan Baicao looked at the long sword in front of him. There was a purple orchid on the hilt, which was crystal clear and extremely gorgeous, and it was obvious that it was carved with great care.
She couldn't help crying. "When I saw this sword, it was like I saw Mingzhu. This sword was a birthday gift from her parents. How could it suddenly... Child... Can you tell me how Mingzhu died? Did she have any last wishes?"
Qian Luo held the longsword in both hands, a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Actually... I accidentally entered the Eighth District and found the remains of Senior Lan Mingzhu in a cave. She had already passed away. This is her notebook, which records her life story. Her greatest wish was to return to her roots and tell her parents."
She handed over "Lan Mingzhu's Version of Cultivation Notes" and "Orchid Mysterious Jade Skill" as proof, especially the latter, which only the Lan family had.
Lan Qianhua saw that she didn't look like she was being phony, so she nodded. "Alright, since this was just a misunderstanding, it's understandable. As the Great Elder, I forgive you for deceiving the Lan family."
When I thought that the method of shortening the cultivation time was fake, my heart ached, but Lan Mingzhu's matter was more important at the moment.
"I'm sorry, I hid it from you before, and it's not convenient for me to tell you. I was afraid that you would think I was a liar, so I deliberately sold spiritual plants..." Qian Luo looked at Lan Xianghan and the other two with an apologetic look.
Lan Xianghan shook her head. "Although I'm young and haven't met Sister Mingzhu, I've heard about her. Her parents are nearing the end of their lives, and they've been running around for their daughter..."
Even Lan Xianghan's parents felt sympathetic: "Parents all over the world are pitiful. If Xiaohan was missing, we would also..."
There may be parents in the world who do not love their children, but there must be parents who love their children. They will give everything for their children and would like to feed them with flesh and blood and prolong their lives with their essence and blood.
Lan Baicao also realized that there was no way to shorten the cultivation period. His tense heart relaxed for a moment, and his eyes were a little lost. Coupled with the news of the younger generation's death, his expression was pale. "Let's go, Fangshu and Caiying have finally waited for this day."
…
A group of six people went to a small wooden house deep in the Qionghua Valley. It was far away from the old house, quiet and not noisy. The courtyard was clean and tidy, with vegetables, flowers and plants, and a rocking chair and swing. It was obvious that the owner was very leisurely.
"Mingzhu, this is the sword your parents made for you. You must protect it well!"
"Mingzhu, this is cold water, don't drink too much!"
"Mingzhu, you've already reached the first level of Qi training! That's amazing! Mom is so proud of you!"
"Mingzhu, your favorite purple moon dahlia, mom has embroidered it for you!"
When they got closer, they saw a woman with a gentle face walking towards them from the corner holding a rag doll. She had gray hair and looked about thirty years old. Her cultivation had fallen to the great perfection of Qi training.
Qianluo was shocked. Could this be Lan Mingzhu's mother?
Is she crazy?
Did she come too late?
Lan Qianhua explained, "This is Mingzhu's mother, Lan Fangshu. She and her husband, Lan Caiying, were both in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment stage. Once, while searching for their daughter, they were accidentally injured by a villain, causing their cultivation to plummet. After returning, they searched for their daughter for decades but couldn't find her. Their minds became unstable, leading to a period of demonic possession, which is why they are what they are now."
Lan Baicao added, "Her husband, Lan Caiying, built this courtyard in Qionghua Valley to care for his wife and recuperate away from their old home many years ago."
Qian Luo felt complicated for a moment. When she used the defense mechanism of the Blood Orchid Sword for the first time, she saw a pair of immortal lovers, majestic and powerful, with voices like a bell.
She will always remember the words: "Who dares to hurt my daughter?"
This is the deep love that Lan Mingzhu's parents have for her. The couple, who were so high-spirited, met again in this situation. Life is unpredictable and time passes.
Lan Mingzhu never thought that her parents would become like this after she left.
"Qianhua, Baicao, why are you here?" I saw a strange man in plain clothes, carrying a basket, pushing the door open and entering, and saw a group of strangers.
"This..." Normally, the first and second elders rarely appear. What happened?
Until he saw the Blood Orchid Sword in the girl's hand, which was green all over with purple orchids quietly blooming, and was meticulously crafted, he would never make a mistake!
“Pearl!!!”
He shouted loudly, his voice almost choked, staring at the girl as she turned around. To his disappointment, the face that turned around was not what he remembered, but a completely unfamiliar one.
"Who... are you? Why do you have the Pearl Orchid Sword?" He frowned in disbelief and almost fell down due to exhaustion. Lan Huairen supported him and he barely stood up. He seemed to have thought of the worst outcome.
Qian Luo walked forward and handed it to him, her eyes clear: "Senior, please accept it. This is Senior Lan Mingzhu's ashes."
There are also two books, "Lan Mingzhu Version of Cultivation Notes" and "Lanhua Xuanyu Gong".
Lan Caiying saw Lan Mingzhu's handwritten letter and began to cry silently. Her rough fingers stroked the pages: "This is her handwriting... and there are also my handwritings in it..."
He couldn't help trembling with every word he spoke. He looked up at the strange girl, then looked down at the familiar handwriting, then turned back to look at his crazy wife. Suddenly he didn't understand how things had turned out like this?
Mingzhu is really dead...
His daughter...
"Don't move! Is Mingzhu back?!"
At this moment, Lan Fangshu suddenly woke up, threw down the rag doll in her hand, rushed around, and shouted loudly: "Mingzhu! My daughter!"
Like a cuckoo crying blood, she stroked the extremely thin and sharp orchid sword. Her fingers were scratched, leaving drops of blood, but she didn't care. Her brows were slightly wrinkled, and her voice was not a scream like just now, but a desperate wail, extremely light and extremely painful.
"Why……"
"My daughter was only 30 years old when she left me. How could she have passed away before me?"
She pulled the strange girl in front of her, her eyes red, and urged anxiously: "Good child, tell me what's going on?"
"Someone hurt her!"
"I will seek revenge! As long as I have breath left in me, I will seek revenge!"
It seemed that she regarded the murderer of Lan Mingzhu as her last obsession and the belief to live on.
But……
"She has reached the end of her lifespan."
Qian Luo looked at the woman in front of her with sadness and regret in her eyes. She was so emotional and suddenly had all her emotions taken away. Her face was pale and her body was staggering, like an orchid in a sudden rain and strong wind, so fragile.
There are no enemies at all.
If there is a real enemy, it should be time.
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