Chapter 129: The Tea Flower Immortal Appears Again in the Painting

"I need you to help me steal something..." Lingxiang gave a sly smile, a sharp glint appearing in her eyes that made Xiaobai feel completely uneasy.

This little fox, what kind of mischief is she brewing in her heart again?

"Although I am a demon now, I was a scholar in my previous life. How could I engage in such petty thievery?"

If this were in the past, he would certainly have agreed readily, and might even have helped Lingxiang devise a plan. But now, he had not yet emerged from his previous thoughts; the sensation at the tip of his tail remained, as if it were still being gripped by Lingxiang, and for a moment, he lost his usual carefree demeanor.

Upon hearing this, Lingxiang did not seem anxious; instead, she smiled even more cunningly.

"Yo, yo, yo~" she said in a tone like a stage actor, making Xiaobai shudder all over. "Look at what you're saying, and you call yourself a scholar! Since you are a scholar, how could you have committed that act of abducting a woman? Have all those sage books you read been fed to the dogs?"

Hearing her say this, Xiaobai did not know how to retort for a moment. He stammered, only saying that he had been muddled at the time. Lingxiang found this even more amusing; if it were not the middle of the night, she would likely have burst into laughter.

"Forget it, we can be considered birds of a feather. Can you really be such a gentleman? Besides, even if you did read books, that was a matter of your past life. Now that you are living another life, why still care about these dog-shit dogmas?" As Lingxiang spoke, she actually got out of bed.

"Moreover, I am going to steal something that belongs to me anyway. If you count it up, it should be called taking it back, not stealing."

Xiaobai was puzzled upon hearing this: "Your things? If they are your things, then just take them openly and honestly. Why go to the trouble of stealing?"

Lingxiang's expression dimmed: "It involves some past events, better not to mention them. It's just that I received some information and guessed the approximate location, but I'm not entirely certain, which is why I intend to investigate."

Lingxiang stood barefoot on the wooden couch in front of the bed; the skin on her feet was terrifyingly white even in the darkness. Looking at her like this, Xiaobai remembered the incident at Langhuan Pavilion earlier, and his heart softened for a moment.

"It's still very cold outside, and the injury on your foot has only just healed. Don't torment yourself like this; I will help you." As he spoke, he wanted to step forward to help her back to bed, but as soon as he raised his hand, he remembered what had just happened and did not know whether he should help her or not.

Lingxiang gave a soft laugh and sat back on the bed: "I naturally have to go with you, otherwise how would you know what it is you are looking for?" After saying this, she found her shoes and socks and put them on.

Although Xiaobai was a demon now and his mind was quite dissolute, he was, after all, as he had said, someone who had read the sage books. Seeing Lingxiang barefoot, he thought to himself that one should not look at what is improper, but he could not help wanting to take a few more looks. He lost his focus for a moment, cursed himself for being filthy, and hurriedly turned his back.

"You... doesn't the injury on your leg still need a few days of recovery? Walking on the ground like this, aren't you afraid of leaving behind lasting harm?"

Lingxiang replied while putting on her shoes: "I am a healer myself, so I naturally know that this injury should be well-nurtured. However, it is not as the Senior Brother said; as long as I don't use my feet, walking a little is fine."

Once Lingxiang was fully dressed, she tiptoed out of the courtyard and headed straight for Fuyin Zhenren's study. Xiaobai, following behind, saw her like this and could not help but feel that this girl was truly adorable. Acting in such a way was exactly like a little fox in its den, which made him want to laugh, but he dared not make a sound.

After all, what the two were doing could well be described as petty thievery.

Lingxiang had often come to the Lingyun Pavilion on Qiuyun Peak since she was small, and before Zhaoming Zhenren lost his Fire Spirit Bead, she had stayed there for a long time every winter. She was so familiar with it that she could find her way even with her eyes closed. Xiaobai, however, followed her through so many twists and turns that he was almost dizzy.

Just as he was wondering if Lingxiang had taken the wrong path, he saw her crouching figure suddenly stop. She performed a series of hand seals, fully activating her Spirit Vision and Spirit Hearing. After looking around and confirming that there was no one in the room nearby, she pulled the hairpin from her hair.

It must be said that Lingxiang was actually quite impatient with wearing such ornaments, but this hairpin was, firstly, a gift from Lady Qiao, and secondly, it was truly useful.

If one were to ask how useful it was, one would see her insert the hairpin into the keyhole of the study door. With a twist, she actually unlocked the door, as if it had been opened with a key, without leaving the slightest mark on the lock.

The two entered the room, and Xiaobai could not help but tease her: "I never knew that a sect Elder would actually have the methods of a petty thief."

Lingxiang put the hairpin back into her hair while saying with a smile: "This is nothing. I know many methods you don't know. Whether they are high-class or low-class, as long as they are useful, I know a few of them."

However, Xiaobai did not seem to give her any face, saying bluntly: "I recall that practitioners can easily open a lock by using some kind of Witchcraft; I have never seen anyone do it by hand like you."

Lingxiang glanced at Xiaobai and said crossly: "You really know how to hit a sore spot. If I had that kind of cultivation, why would I need to be so sneaky? I would have just used an escape technique to get in. You just have to say everything you know. Is having cultivation so great? Why don't you fly to the sky then? Besides, I call this doing it myself; what do you know?"

As she spoke, ignoring Xiaobai who was doubled over with laughter, she reached into her pocket and took out a sound-concealing talisman, sticking it onto the door.

Xiaobai was greatly puzzled: "What are you doing?"

Lingxiang did not explain to him, but reached for the bookshelf and, according to what Maidong had said, moved the branch in the celadon vase to another white porcelain vase.

The sound of a mechanism rolling echoed, and Xiaobai finally understood—so that was how it was.

During the day, such a sound might not necessarily attract attention, but now, in the dead of night, such a noise appearing out of nowhere would wake even the soundest sleeper.

Lingxiang looked at Xiaobai triumphantly, the meaning in her eyes self-evident—I have my own plans for what I do, just watch, why be so long-winded.

Xiaobai felt a moment of embarrassment, rubbed his nose with a smile, and followed Lingxiang into the secret chamber.

The room looked as if no one had entered it for a long time; a layer of dust covered many objects, and the two wandered around the room for a long time.

Lingxiang searched left and right, but Xiaobai did not know what she was looking for, so he hurriedly asked. Lingxiang had forgotten to say, so she told him that if he saw anything like an incense burner, he should show it to her.

But after searching for a long time, the two did not see any incense burner. In this room, apart from books, there were only swords, Eight Trigrams, and the like.

Lingxiang muttered while rummaging, that this Sixth Senior Brother really wasn't crying poor to her; these few magical artifacts and Spirit Treasures were truly too few. He didn't know how to collect some in his daily life; how could someone with over a dozen disciples not prepare something decent to pass on to them?

These Guan-generation junior nephews, having a master like Senior Brother Fuyin, were truly miserable...

Just as Lingxiang was searching everywhere, Xiaobai saw a painting—not just any painting, but the very one Maidong had seen earlier.

"Asking about the tea flowers in the night rain at the west window, cold wind trims the candle, green smoke rises to the peak and refuses to leave. The subtle and the microscopic do not ask about the idle affairs of the dust, plain hands hold incense, the lamp light is dim and nowhere to be found..."

"It is truly beautiful beyond compare!"

Seeing the appearance of the woman in the painting, Xiaobai could not help but sigh. Suddenly, he came to his senses and realized there was no sound behind him. He hurriedly turned his head to look, only to see that Lingxiang was...

Only to see that Lingxiang was streaming with tears!