Chapter 61: Departure

Ling Xiao felt a bit guilty; he should have adjusted Shi Ran's condition before going to the Heavenly Pivot Sect, but he didn't expect Si Tong to be restless and the demon realm to be stirring, so he could only…

Shi Ran blinked her eyes, "Master, are your affairs settled?"

Ling Xiao nodded, his gaze lightly falling on Shi Ran.

That gaze was like thin snow of early winter, like starlight in the dark night, like the light mist of dawn, gently enveloping Shi Ran.

"Hn! Temporarily settled." Ling Xiao's voice was low, with a hint of hoarseness not easily noticed compared to usual!

He stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her pale face for a moment, then slowly moved down, finally resting on her hands folded before her chest; those hands were slender, yet turned white from exertion.

Noticing Ling Xiao's gaze, Shi Ran shyly withdrew her hands, "My sword technique is a bit off, Master, please don't blame me!"

"It's fine!" Ling Xiao extended his hand, not touching her directly, palm facing down, hovering a cun above her wrist; a gentle yet mighty spiritual power silently spread, carrying a soothing intent, like an invisible warm current, instantly wrapping Shi Ran's arm.

Shi Ran only felt a warm current seep into her skin, flowing along her meridians, causing her tense body to involuntarily relax for a moment; she widened her eyes, wanting to pull her hand back, but when Ling Xiao slightly lifted his gaze, she dared not move.

Neither spoke; the moonlight suffused, reflecting off them to form a faint halo. Ling Xiao guided Shi Ran's spiritual power through the minor and major heavenly circuits with his own spiritual power, but at one point it hesitated slightly, like a stream encountering an invisible obstacle.

Ling Xiao's fingertip twitched imperceptibly; he opened his eyes, furrowed his brow, lowered the hovering palm, and gently placed it on her wrist pulse.

The sensation at his fingertip carried the chill of night.

Ling Xiao's brow tightened further as he focused, probing carefully. Aside from that trace of demonic energy that had already subsided, her body seemed to also carry a wicked energy; if the red threads are not eradicated within a day, Shi Ran faces another day of danger. Besides threatening her life, demonic and wicked energies are more prone to invade, obstructing her cultivation, scrambling and stagnating her meridians.

Ling Xiao's gaze suddenly grew heavy, like a stone dropped into a cold pool—surface calm and silent, inside surging waves. These three energies intertwined, and cannot be forcibly suppressed.

These two energies ebb and flow beneath the spiritual meridians; if one is harmed, the other two struggle to maintain balance. Fortunately, we discovered it early!

"Master, what's wrong with me?" Shi Ran looked at Ling Xiao, who hadn't moved for a while, and couldn't help asking, "Could it be some kind of gu or poison again? I shouldn't be this unlucky, right? Do I have to die?"

"Nothing!" Ling Xiao raised his wrist, took out a red pill from his treasure ring, "This is the Jade Tide Pill, meant to repair your meridians!"

Shi Ran received the Jade Tide Pill, but didn't swallow it right away, instead asking, "Master, am I okay? Have I been poisoned again?"

Ling Xiao smiled slightly, "Your meridians are blocked, but it's fine; you just need to take this pill daily."

Shi Ran completely missed whatever Ling Xiao said next, merely staring at his smiling face in a daze—Master smiled! Master actually smiled; I never expected him to smile so beautifully, like brilliant fireworks, like a quietly blooming udumbara flower, like the bright star in the sky.

Shi Ran thought she had gone crazy, actually developing a strange feeling for a paper‑person; to avoid embarrassment, she swallowed the Jade Tide Pill in one gulp.

After the pill entered her stomach, Shi Ran immediately felt comfort throughout her body; she lifted her gaze to Ling Xiao, "Thank you, Master!"

The smile remained as sweet and lovely as before; Ling Xiao's gaze grew dazed, as if he might get drunk on that smile, but he quickly sobered, "All right, rest early; tomorrow we will set out for Reclining Immortal Mountain, the Lotus Splendor Secret Realm is about to open!"

It turned out she had unknowingly been trapped in this book for over five months, busy with cultivation practice, unaware of the passage of time in the mountains!

Shi Ran sighed as she watched the receding Floating Dream Sect; in the original book, the Lotus Splendor Secret Realm is a dungeon where the male lead Gu Yusheng first makes his mark—there he slays demon beasts, seizes divine arms, grabs opportunities, and in one leap becomes an outstanding Golden Core cultivator among the seven sects.

Meanwhile, her original incarnation had already become a ghost cultivator long before, taking no part in it, so she counts herself as having lived over sixty extra chapters—truly a blessing!

"Junior Sister!" Luo Changfeng walked over, "What are you looking at? By the way, it's been a while—how are your black dragon and little umbrella doing?"

"Not bad!" Shi Ran didn't mention that she had previously taken in the Third Prince of the Yao Clan; if Luo Changfeng found out, he'd worry again about her collecting a fourth demon, after all they could still team up for a game of mahjong or something.

"Good then!" Luo Changfeng leaned in mysteriously, "Let me tell you something!"

"What?" Shi Ran leaned in cooperatively.

All I heard Luo Changfeng lower his voice and say, "Our master has taken a beloved dao companion; we're going to have a mistress of the master!"

A buzzing rang in Shi Ran's ears; after steadying her thoughts for a while she replied, "Who told you that? Don't make things up!"

"It's true; I heard it from Master and Elder Ruoxu of the Heavenly Pivot Sect. Elder Ruoxu said our master's red phoenix star is stirring, and soon a mistress will come to care for our master!"

Shi Ran remained silent, her thoughts racing; she truly didn't understand why she felt upset here. She should be more concerned about the poison on her body, about coming in first in the Lotus Flower Secret Realm, about whose hands that tattered book falls into, rather than mourning spring and autumn, grieving over someone who could never exist.

Shi Ran suddenly slapped Luo Changfeng on the shoulder, "This is great! You should be happy for Master—come on, smile!"

Luo Changfeng chuckled, then began to prick at her heart, "Of course I'm happy, but I feel your smile is like crying—you don't seem very happy!"

Shi Ran habitually rolled her eyes at him, turned away to gaze at the vast sea of clouds; her repressed mood finally cleared—yet she didn't expect Mei Ruoxue and Gu Yusheng to also come and butt in.

"Junior Sister, what's wrong?" Mei Ruoxue initiated conversation, "Why do you look so sorrowful?"

"Sorrow my ass!" Shi Ran turned back, smiling bright as dawn, "Sorrow? I can't understand what you're saying, Senior Sister!"

Mei Ruoxue narrowed her eyes, "Really? I thought you were worried about the upcoming Lotus Flower Secret Realm; after all, securing first place there isn't that easy."

"It's not that easy, but isn't there Junior Brother Gu?" Shi Ran's combat mode switched on—no one better try to take advantage of her—"Junior Brother Gu is stunningly talented; he definitely won't lose in this Lotus Flower Secret Realm, right, Junior Brother Gu!"

Gu Yusheng blinked; although he wanted to achieve a ranking for personal reasons, he couldn't deny it now, otherwise he'd be defying the master's order and failing to honor the sect's camaraderie!

"Yes, I will surely give it my all!" Gu Yusheng declared firmly, not noticing at all the unsightly smile of Mei Ruoxue beside him.

"Huh? Senior Sister, why is your smile so strained?" Shi Ran felt a bit schadenfreude, "What, Junior Brother Gu can't compete for first place?"