In the afterglow of the setting sun, a cool and aloof young girl cradled a fox in her arms, her serene gaze revealing a hint of tenderness.
The evening light in front of her was blocked. Qinghe looked up and saw Mo Junqian staring at her. His expression was not as cold as usual, as if a corner of an iceberg had melted.
"You really like this fox."
The fair fingers stroked the fox's fur, which was considered an admission.
Mo Junqian's lips twitched: "That person, is he your friend?"
Qinghe nodded.
Mo Junqian: "From now on, we'll only be friends, right?"
Qinghe frowned, somewhat displeased, as if this question had crossed her bottom line.
Mo Junqian seemed oblivious, "You treat him differently."
"This is my private matter." His tone was somewhat cold.
Mo Junqian said nothing more, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his face solemn. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of pent-up anger, wanting to vent but not knowing where to begin.
He always felt there was a veil between him and Qinghe. He tried hard to break through it, but the closer he got, the further away Qinghe became. He could never break through it.
This feeling irritated him so much that he spoke inappropriately just now.
After a long silence, he finally said, "I'm sorry, I overstepped my bounds."
Qinghe was not a heartless person, but she always made clear distinctions when it came to matters of the heart. She knew very well that she had no feelings for Mo Junqian other than those between fellow disciples, and she would not have any feelings for him now or in the future.
With a soft sigh, Qinghe carried the fox away.
Back in the courtyard house, Qinghe went into her room, closed the door, placed the fox aside, and sat down to meditate. She had previously shown signs of a breakthrough, and taking advantage of the free time, she decided to break through her neck and advance to the next level.
As soon as the suppression was lifted, his spiritual sea surged instantly, and vigorous spiritual power flowed through his limbs and meridians. Qinghe felt a long-lost sense of ease and comfort. About half an hour later, his cultivation level had advanced to the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.
When I opened my eyes again, it was completely dark, and a crescent moon hung in the sky.
A glint flashed in his eyes, disappearing in an instant. Qinghe knew this was a sign of a successful advancement.
As she got up from the ground, the little fox stood up with her and leaped onto the table in front of her. It stared at Qinghe, shaking its head from side to side, as if it had discovered something new and interesting.
Qinghe, confused, touched her face and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
Foxes are indeed intelligent creatures; it seemed to understand Qinghe's words and stretched its head toward the dressing mirror by the window.
Qinghe walked over and saw that the person in the mirror was as pure and elegant as a lotus, with an unparalleled beauty that could topple kingdoms.
"Huh, does advancing in rank affect the disguise technique?"
Fortunately, no one was around, so even though he revealed his true form, no one saw it. Qinghe didn't care and picked up the little fox to pet it.
The fox's fur was soft and red. Qinghe closed her eyes and enjoyed it. Everyone thought she liked foxes, but only she knew that she just liked petting them. She used to be poor and couldn't even afford a cat or dog. Now she used this fox to make up for that regret.
The little fox in her arms squinted, enjoying Qinghe's caresses. If it knew what Qinghe was thinking, it certainly wouldn't be so calm; it might even jump up and scratch her.
A short while later, Qinghe slowly opened his eyes, looked at the dark night outside the window, and had some thoughts in his mind.
Since she hadn't found the Divine Pearl at Yujing Manor, there was no need to stay any longer. She recalled that when she was in the back mountain, the Divine Pearl had fluctuated slightly, which corresponded to Crane Village at the foot of the mountain. Her eyes narrowed slightly, it seemed necessary to make a trip to Crane Village.
The next day at noon, when Miao'er came to find Qinghe, she noticed something was different. After looking around carefully, she saw that the environment seemed cleaner, and there was something even more noticeable—no one was around.
She called Xiaoqing twice, but there was no response. She opened Qinghe's door and found a note on the table with the words "Resignation Order" written on it, and a line of smaller print below: "Feeling unwell, go home to recuperate."
Miao'er was puzzled. She was fine yesterday, so how did she suddenly get sick?
Just as Miao'er was silently praying for her, Qinghe stood in front of the wooden archway at the entrance of Crane Village, holding the fox. Li Jiang, Mu Dong, and others were also there.
Red wood and blue bricks, the three large characters "Xianhe Village" come into view. The village is not large, and the villagers are simple and honest. When villagers come into or out of the village, they will ask outsiders if they are here to worship at the Xianhe Temple and will also kindly give them directions.
Li Jiang: "It seems that the Crane Temple is quite famous in the village."
Qinghe sensed the fluctuations of the divine pearl. The closer he got to Crane Village, the stronger the fluctuations became, and he could even faintly sense the direction.
"Go to the Crane Shrine."
Guided by the villagers, Qing and his group arrived at the Crane Temple. They had expected it to be a grand and solemn temple, but it turned out to be a small temple, less than a tenth the size of the Imperial Mirror Manor.
Although small, it is complete in every way, containing all the essentials of a typical ancestral temple. The building is also a rare all-wood structure. According to the villagers, this Crane Temple has a history of three hundred years and has stood firm despite the erosion of time, which shows the superb craftsmanship of the artisans.
To the left of the main hall is a Taoist priest who interprets fortunes and divination slips, and to the right is the head priest of the temple, dressed in a dark blue robe, around thirty years old, holding a whisk in his arm, his face solemn and dignified.
The main feature of the Crane Shrine is placed in the center, a huge white crane carved from natural white jade. It stands in the very center with its wings spread out as if taking flight, and its feathers are clearly layered and lifelike.
Qinghe noticed that the crane's two eyes were made of gilded beads, which emitted a dazzling golden light when light flashed.
Incense and candles were placed on the altar beneath the crane, and fruits and melons were placed on both sides, all of which were offerings.
There were three prayer cushions in front of the altar, and people were kneeling on them to worship, chanting incantations.
Many people came to pay their respects, and Qing and his group stood out in the crowd with their appearance and figure. As soon as they entered, the Taoist priest of the temple came up to greet them.
"You gentlemen are clearly from out of town. Our Crane Temple is renowned for its ability to communicate with spirits and ghosts, and to bring blessings and ward off disasters. It is said to be effective every time. Would you like to buy a lucky bag and burn some incense?"
Li Jiang didn't believe it at all, and didn't even glance at the lucky bag in his hand. She walked away on her own. Mu Dong and Ling Yin, on the other hand, were very interested and picked out which lucky bag to choose.
Qinghe glanced at the Taoist priest a couple more times. He had thought the priest would be a serious and rigid person, but he was surprised to find that the priest spoke in such an exaggerated and smooth manner. The contrast was quite striking.
The entire temple was clearly visible, and everyone went inside. Qinghe, however, walked towards the wishing tree in the courtyard. The tree was covered with red silk ribbons, all written by people who came to worship. Several people were hanging more ribbons on the tree.
Qinghe arrived at the tree roots, and the direction the divine pearl was pointing was right here.
The tree roots were surrounded by red bricks. Qinghe looked around but didn't find anything special. The only possibility was under the tree.
The divine pearl was pulsating violently, and Qing tried his best to suppress it. Suddenly, something bumped into him from behind. Looking down, he saw a child holding a string of candied hawthorns.
The child blinked his big, dark eyes at her, waving a half-eaten candied hawthorn in his hand. After a long while, he finally managed to utter a complete sentence: "Sister, play with me."
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