Chapter 62: The Reborn

Watching Gu Jinfan vanish in the blink of an eye, Hua Changxi was stunned for a moment. She quickly chased out of Xishan, but unfortunately, she found no trace of Gu Jinfan.

"Was that a teleportation-type spell?"

Hua Changxi frowned. The spells she knew were still too few; all she knew were alchemy spells, and she was almost completely ignorant of attack or escape spells.

However, thinking that Gu Jinfan had actually been unable to block the burning of the Fire Lotus, Hua Changxi felt a genuine sense of relief.

Ever since she stepped onto the path of cultivation, she had been worried that Gu Jinfan would come looking for her.

Although the cultivation technique in the red stone was something she had obtained by accident, who knew if Gu Jinfan would think she had stolen her opportunity?

Since Gu Jinfan could be injured by the Fire Lotus, it meant her cultivation realm was very likely below her own, or even if it were higher, it wouldn't be by much.

If her realm were too much higher than her own, even if the Burning Silence divine ability were powerful, the Fire Lotus would not have been able to hurt her.

With her greatest potential enemy unable to do anything to her, Hua Changxi's heart was finally at ease. However, thinking of how Yang Chuan had almost sold her out just now, her mood turned gloomy again.

Gu Jinfan had the Duke Xin Prefecture standing behind her, and she was the disciple of the most powerful apothecary in the Medical Department; she had power where she needed power, and connections where she needed connections.

If she came to cause trouble for her, she wouldn't be able to focus on her cultivation.

Moreover, it would very likely bring danger to the Hua family.

Thinking of these things, Hua Changxi went to the Xishan stone cave with a dark face.

In order to obtain the Creation Pomegranate, Gu Jinfan had held back some of her strength. Old You and the other three were not seriously injured and could still move freely, but Guo Yu was not so lucky; he had already fallen unconscious.

Seeing Hua Changxi enter the stone cave, Old You's expression relaxed, and he called out anxiously, "Changxi, quickly take a look at Guo Yu; he is not lightly injured."

Hua Changxi stood still, looking at him expressionlessly.

Old You was stunned by the look, then seemed to realize something. He moved his mouth, wanting to say something, but he looked like he didn't know how to start, his face full of discomfort.

Hua Changxi looked at Old You for a while, then shifted her gaze to the three of Zhuo Fan.

When Zhuo Fan, Jiang Ye, and Yang Chuan met her gaze, their eyes all dodged, and Yang Chuan lowered his head directly.

The atmosphere in the stone cave was somewhat oppressive.

Yang Chuan couldn't stand it first: "Girl..."

"I have a name."

Hua Changxi looked at him indifferently.

Yang Chuan: "...... It was my fault just now, but given the situation at the time, I had no choice. I couldn't just watch Zhuo Fan and the others get beaten to death."

Hua Changxi found a place to sit down and looked at him: "The four seniors have a deep friendship. You couldn't bear to see your friends get into trouble, so you chose to betray me."

"Senior Yang, have you considered my situation? What if I had been beaten to death?"

Seeing Yang Chuan purse his lips and remain silent, and Old You and the other two also keeping silent, Hua Changxi let out a cold laugh: "The four seniors can be considered old hands in the jianghu. I am very curious: when you cooperate with others, do you always betray your partners so readily whenever you encounter danger?"

Hearing this, Old You looked at Hua Changxi with a serious expression: "Changxi, we are not making excuses for ourselves. It was truly the first time we had encountered a cultivator; we didn't even have the slightest power to resist. In our panic and haste, we... we had no choice but to want to tell them about you."

Listening to these words, Hua Changxi did not react.

According to her previous temperament, being betrayed, especially when it involved life and death, she would certainly not have continued to associate with them.

But now, she needed the manpower they had to help her occupy the Nanshan Fire Spirit Mine. This matter could only be handled lightly.

Hua Changxi looked at Old You and the other four: "Although I am young and have not walked the jianghu like you seniors, I also know that in dealing with people and doing things, one must value trust."

"In order to cooperate with you, I brought out my sincerity. Logically speaking, before the Nanshan Rift Valley was occupied, I shouldn't have given you the Creation Pills so early."

"But I gave them. Why? It was because I trusted the four seniors."

"However, the four seniors have disappointed me somewhat."

"Trust is a very fragile thing; it requires everyone to maintain it together. What do you think?"

Hearing Hua Changxi say this, the discomfort on the faces of Old You and the other four deepened.

Hua Changxi continued: "This matter... let's just treat it as a trial of our cooperation. This once, and never again."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly became sharp.

"The fact that I am a cultivator is known only to the four seniors and Guo Yu. If it spreads in the future, I will only come looking for you."

"When I associate with people, I don't look at what they say, only at what they do. Moreover, I am not broad-minded. There is no such thing as making amends after the fact with me; once my bottom line is crossed, I will never forgive."

The sharpness and undisguised threat in her tone made Old You and the other four feel a bit alarmed.

They had never expected that a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl could have such an aura.

Thinking again of the female cultivator who had suddenly come to their door today, who also looked to be in her teens, the hearts of Old You and the other four were very unsettled.

As Grandmasters, they had seen the ups and downs of the imperial court and the changes of the old and new in the jianghu. The four of them vaguely sensed that a new struggle for great power was about to arrive.

Old You exchanged glances with his three friends and spoke up: "The female cultivator today was aiming for the pomegranate we gave you. If other cultivators come knocking again, what should we do?"

Hua Changxi: "Where did you find that pomegranate?"

Old You: "Mount Wuzhi in Qingzhou."

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered: "Mount Wuzhi?"

The "Mount Wuzhi" martial arts manual she had copied from home was said to have been realized by a Grandmaster passing by a mountain shaped like five fingers, because he observed the mountain's terrain.

Before, she had thought the story was fabricated; she didn't expect there to be a real Mount Wuzhi.

A Grandmaster just looked at the mountain and realized a martial arts combat technique; Old You and the other four found a Creation Pomegranate in the mountain.

This Mount Wuzhi felt very extraordinary!

Hua Changxi looked at Old You and the other four: "Is there anything special about that Mount Wuzhi?"

Jiang Ye, who was the best-informed among the four, spoke up: "That mountain is particularly evil; one cannot go deep into it. I heard from the local people that anyone who enters the mountain never comes out alive."

"Of course, this is an exaggeration by the common people."

"Actually, some people have gone in and eventually came out alive and well. However, that was a Grandmaster who stayed in the mountain for a full ten years."

"Some say that the Grandmaster was trapped in the mountain for ten years, while others say that the Grandmaster went into the mountain specifically to go into seclusion, because that Grandmaster realized a palm technique in the mountain, which was very powerful, and it was named Mount Wuzhi."

Hua Changxi listened silently: "Since one cannot enter Mount Wuzhi, how did you get the pomegranate?"

Jiang Ye: "We entered the mountain. Since we knew that a Grandmaster could come out safely after entering, the four of us Grandmasters going in together probably wouldn't have any problems."

Hua Changxi asked again: "How did you find the pomegranate?"

Jiang Ye shook his head: "No need to look. The pomegranate grows at the highest point of Mount Wuzhi, colorful and radiant with clouds; one can see it as soon as one enters the mountain."

Hua Changxi: "How many people were competing with you for the pomegranate?"

Jiang Ye: "More than ten factions."

Hua Changxi: "Did you expose your identities?"

Hearing this, Jiang Ye and the other three looked at each other.

Old You frowned: "Logically speaking, we shouldn't have been exposed."

Zhuo Fan nodded: "That pomegranate was clearly not ordinary. Of course, we knew that if we snatched the fruit, we would definitely be targeted by others. We even specifically disguised ourselves before appearing."

Hua Changxi: "But you were found by someone. Was it possible that your identities were discovered inadvertently?"

Old You and the other four looked at each other again, then shook their heads.

Jiang Ye: "When we were snatching the pomegranate, we didn't even use our best techniques. I really can't figure out where the problem went wrong."

After hearing this, Hua Changxi became thoughtful.

From the first time she met Gu Jinfan, she had felt something strange.

For example, she seemed to have known in advance that the red-robed demon priest was going to sacrifice young boys and girls, and she specifically disguised herself to mix in, with the goal of getting the red stone.

Old You and the other four were old hands in the jianghu, and it was highly unlikely they would leak their whereabouts, but Gu Jinfan still knew.

Moreover, her reaction when she saw Yang Chuan was also very strange; she seemed to think that Yang Chuan should have been dead.

Why would Yang Chuan die?

Of course, it was because he ate the Creation Pomegranate; if it weren't for her, he would have died without a doubt.

However, Yang Chuan must have eaten the pomegranate seeds after they snatched the pomegranate and reached a safe place. Logically speaking, this matter was even more secretive than Old You and the others snatching the pomegranate.

Gu Jinfan shouldn't have known.

This Gu Jinfan had a big secret!

Old You looked at Hua Changxi with worry: "The female cultivator who appeared today mentioned the Asura Gate. If people from the Asura Gate come to the Medicine Valley..."

Hua Changxi looked at the four people with furrowed brows: "Are you very wary of the Asura Gate?"

Zhuo Fan: "Aren't you from the Medical Department? The Medical Department is under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Department, and under the Heaven Department, there is the Demon Suppression Department. The biggest opponent of the Demon Suppression Department is the Asura Gate. Even the imperial court cannot deal with the Asura Gate; do you think we can not be wary?"

Hua Changxi was silent for a while: "You have been back for almost a month. The Asura Gate should have cultivators. If they knew the pomegranate was in your hands, they should have come looking for you long ago."

Zhuo Fan disagreed: "Didn't that female cultivator just come today?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "I said, if the pomegranate is not sealed with spiritual power, it will turn into an ordinary fruit in a few days. That female cultivator... probably didn't know about this."

Zhuo Fan's tone was a bit sharp: "What if the people from the Asura Gate don't know either?"

Hua Changxi smiled mockingly: "Senior Zhuo, do you think I should be responsible for your safety?"

Zhuo Fan choked, was glared at by his three old friends, and turned his head to stop talking.

Old You: "Changxi, we are just worried."

Hua Changxi looked at them: "If you are really worried, then hurry up and start cultivating."

Zhuo Fan spoke up again, humming: "We would like to cultivate immediately, but you haven't given us the technique."

Hua Changxi's expression sank suddenly: "Senior Zhuo, have you not understood the relationship between us? I am in a cooperative relationship with you, not your nanny."

Being scolded like this by a little girl, Zhuo Fan's face couldn't hold up. He wanted to fight back, but was pulled by Yang Chuan.

"I suddenly feel a bit of chest tightness. Come out with me for a walk."

After saying that, Yang Chuan pulled Zhuo Fan out of the stone cave without further ado.

Once out of the stone cave, Zhuo Fan shook off Yang Chuan: "What is wrong with you?"

Yang Chuan looked helpless. Zhuo Fan's temper was truly a headache. He often offended people when he was young, and after becoming a Grandmaster, he was even more accustomed to everyone's flattery, and even a little bit of disobedience from others could make him explode.

"It should be me asking you, what is wrong with you?"

"Do you really treat Hua Changxi as an ordinary little girl?"

"The female cultivator who beat us until we had no power to resist today was driven away by her. Don't you know that?"

"She is in the Medicine Valley. Even if people from the Asura Gate come, do you think she will really ignore our life or death? What is the point of what you just said?"

Zhuo Fan could listen to the words of his old friends, but he was still unconvinced: "That girl has to rely on us to occupy the Fire Spirit Mine. What's wrong with me complaining? Does she really dare to fall out with us?"

"Alright, don't look so bitter. I won't offend that girl to death. I just wanted to use the excuse of complaining to see if I could squeeze some more benefits out of her."

Yang Chuan looked disapproving: "You should do less of this in the future."

Zhuo Fan shook his head: "How many years has it been since you managed the affairs of the Beggar Sect? Let me tell you, dealing with people requires this kind of back-and-forth. How can you just do whatever others say?"

"I dare say that the pomegranate we gave out is definitely worth more than we can imagine. What's wrong with knocking some benefits out of that girl?"

Yang Chuan agreed with this, and knowing he couldn't convince his old friend for a while, he was too lazy to continue talking.

In the stone cave, Hua Changxi went to check on the unconscious Guo Yu.

Thinking that Guo Yu had gotten along well with her for the past two months, she didn't vent her dissatisfaction with Old You and the other four on him, and helped force out the Wood Spirit power that was rampaging in his body.

As for the injuries of Old You and the other four, she didn't care.

As long as they took the Creation Pill and shaped their spiritual veins, they could go to the bottom of the stone cliff to pick a first-grade green fruit to eat, and their injuries would improve.

For the next month or so, Hua Changxi stayed in the Medicine Valley to cultivate.

She was still worried about whether the Asura Gate would find the Medicine Valley.

She knew that in a life-and-death crisis, Old You and the other four would certainly not keep secrets for her.

She had to be sure whether the Asura Gate knew that the Creation Pomegranate had been snatched by Old You and the other four.

What made her happy was that until September, the people from the Asura Gate did not come looking for them.

Regarding this, not only did Hua Changxi breathe a sigh of relief, but the hearts of Old You and the other four were also put back in their stomachs.

In the Medical Department, in the leftmost room on the second floor of the No. 1 Pharmacy on the Second Street, Gu Jinfan looked ugly as she applied ointment to her feet and lower legs.

She didn't expect the burning power of the Fire Lotus to be so strong; a month had passed, and the injury hadn't fully healed.

"Who exactly is that cultivator hiding in the Sancha Medicine Valley?"

There was no such person in her previous life!

After You Lin, Jiang Ye, Zhuo Fan, and Yang Chuan snatched the Creation Pomegranate, Yang Chuan ate the pomegranate seeds, couldn't bear the spiritual power, and exploded and died.

Not long after You Lin, Jiang Ye, and Zhuo Fan returned to the Sancha Medicine Valley with the Creation Pomegranate, people from the Asura Gate followed the scent of the Creation Pomegranate, killed everyone in the Medicine Valley, and snatched the Creation Pomegranate.

Although the people from the Asura Gate didn't refine the Creation Pill that could shape spiritual roots in the end, the news of the Creation Pill spread through their mouths, giving many mortals who couldn't cultivate delusions.

Later, one would often hear that a Creation Fruit had appeared somewhere, leading to competition from all sides, but it was eventually confirmed that all the news was fake.

Creation Fruit...

Such a heaven-defying spiritual fruit was not allowed to exist by the Heavenly Dao.

She was a bit strange as to why You Lin and the other four could snatch the Creation Pomegranate. Shouldn't the Creation Pomegranate have been blasted away by heavenly thunder as soon as it appeared?

Was the Creation Fruit snatched by You Lin and the other four in the hands of that mysterious cultivator?

Gu Jinfan's expression was a bit heavy. People and things different from her previous life had appeared, and she didn't know if it was good or bad.

Thinking of the Four Spirit Realm being invaded and occupied by outside cultivators in her previous life, she looked forward to some changes in the trend of this life. ===== CHAPTER 63 =====