Chapter 448: One Year Later, Luoer Departs the Valley!

Apart from her, Pei Lao Furen and the others still lived in the village at the foot of the mountain.

Three months later, after Pei Lao Furen received an urgent letter sent from the frontier, she packed up and left in a hurry that same day.

Luo Fan naturally went along, but Nan Gongdi stayed behind.

He wants to take this opportunity to properly teach Li Qingluo martial arts.

So over this year, Li Qingluo has started meditating as soon as she wakes each morning.

Then she goes down the mountain to practice martial arts.

After returning at noon for a short rest of one incense stick, she goes to the back mountain to study witchcraft with Elder Gu.

By night she still practices calligraphy and reads.

Although each day is packed with schedules, the days feel immensely fulfilling.

Only when deep night comes does she involuntarily think of Duan Rongshi.

Because he is too far away and there are status issues between the two, they do not correspond regularly.

When the monthly family letter arrives, opening it reveals only a simple line of text.

"I am well, how are you?"

"My body is healthy, how have you been?"

"I am still fine, are you safe?"

Only once did his handwriting seem to falter.

"I miss my wife, emotions hard to restrain. My thoughts of you grow like tangled vines, cannot be cut off. Luoer, when will you return?"

Li Qingluo pressed the letter to her chest, yet did not know how to reply.

After reading it over several times, she finally put pen to paper: "The flowers along the path have bloomed, but the return date remains undecided. Reunion will come in time, your heart can endure."

Since both of them cannot extricate themselves, they can only hastily finish the entangled matters.

However, Li Qingluo waited and waited, only to receive news of war on the western frontier and the DaLiang border.

She also learned that Prince Su Duan Rongshi had personally donned armor and gone to the battlefield.

Li Qingluo was deeply worried, when Elder Gu called her over one night.

"Luoer, the teacher's final limit has come!"

Li Qingluo's complexion changed: "Master?"

Over this year, Elder Gu and Li Qingluo have developed a genuine master‑disciple bond.

Although Elder Gu initially only wanted to exploit Li Qingluo's background, and her reincarnation experience seemed a rich field of study, over time she observed Li Qingluo's resilience, intelligence, and the unexpectedly delightful witchcraft talent.

More importantly, Li Qingluo is a down‑to‑earth person.

She never resorts to deceit nor aims for lofty, unattainable goals.

Clearly she still worries about Prince Su, and deep down she is already extremely eager to return to DaLiang.

Yet she can still restrain herself, staying grounded and remaining in MiaoJiang.

And she learns anything quickly.

Elder Gu personally watches her absorb everything he teaches faster each day.

At least, a year has passed.

Although it is still far from enough.

But it's not as if she followed this master in vain.

Elder Gu extended his withered, branch‑like hand and brushed Li Qingluo's head.

"No need to be sad. Let the Sect Leader handle the funeral simply, no need for everyone in MiaoJiang to know."

"Luoer, after I, your teacher, depart, find a suitable moment and you may leave MiaoJiang."

"Return, you are Prince Su's wife; you should live your own life."

Li Qingluo couldn't help but shed tears: "Master, is there truly no way?"

"Let Dong Siyuan come and take a look."

Since returning with her, Dong Siyuan has not gone back to DaLiang with Duan Rongshi.

So now he is considered the best physician in all of MiaoJiang, aside from the Witchcraft Technique.

Elder Gu smiled contentedly: "To have you in my later years, the teacher is already very satisfied."

Speaking, she removed the amber‑colored ring from her finger and gave it to Li Qingluo.

"Treat it as a keepsake, sealing the destiny between us, master and disciple."

"Go, you need not stay by my side."

"The teacher wishes to stay behind."

Li Qingluo gave Elder Gu a deep kowtow.

Then, taking three glances back with each step, she left the cavern that Elder Gu had not exited for twenty years.

Early the next morning, news of Elder Gu's death reached Li Qingluo.

As Elder Gu's only direct disciple now, she naturally had to wear mourning hemp and observe the funeral.

The funeral followed the elder's wishes, kept simple.

Two months later, Li Qingluo packed her belongings, preparing to head to the border to rendezvous with Duan Rongshi.

However, after waiting almost an hour, Jin Hua still did not come to see her off.

Though a bit disappointed, if she didn't set off now, she wouldn't be able to leave today.

"Luoer, it's time to go."

Nan Gongdi shouted from ahead.

Li Qingluo swung onto her horse and instructed A Duo: "If A Lan and my brother return, make sure they write me a letter."

After many nods, Li Qingluo finally bid farewell to the Witch Moon Sect members.

When they had gone far, Jin Hua, standing on the high place, finally stepped out from behind the tree.

As soon as she appeared, Dong Siyuan, who had been looking around, immediately ran over: "Ah Jin."

"Ah Jin, I've been looking for you for most of the day, and you were here after all. Ah Jin, why didn't you go to see off the Princess of Yaoguang?"

Although Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi are already married, the Witch Moon Sect members still address Li Qingluo by her position within the sect in everyday life.

And Dong Siyuan continues to call Li Qingluo the Princess of Yaoguang.

Seeing him appear, Jin Hua fixed a stern face and said, "What are you still doing here?"

"They have already gone far; why haven't you chased after them?"

"If you don't leave now, I'm afraid you won't be able to find a place to stay."

She said it with a cold smile.

Dong Siyuan looked at her and said, "Ah Jin, I'm not leaving."

"I have already written a letter to Prince Su; I want to stay in MiaoJiang."

"I will not leave again."

Jin Hua was somewhat surprised: "What did you say?"

She stared at Dong Siyuan: "You, are you serious?"

"But back then you abandoned me to go to DaLiang, wasn't it just to carve out a career of fame and profit for yourself? Now would you be willing to stay in MiaoJiang as a barefoot doctor?"

Dong Siyuan smiled slowly: "So what if I'm a barefoot doctor?"

"Ah Jin, the reason you left MiaoJiang back then was because your master and your parents didn't want you to marry this poor fellow."

"I am alone and have no strengths; I truly am unworthy of you."

"At that time, they all wanted you to marry the Five Poisons Sect leader, right?"

"So I left my hometown and you in gloom… truly to seek a bright future, to lean against a great mountain, hoping that one day I could return to MiaoJiang and make them no longer look down on me!"

"But I never expected… that you have remained unmarried all this time. Whether because of me or not, I indeed deeply hurt you back then."

"Ah Jin, from now on let me stay in your Witch Moon Sect; you may command me as you wish, let me atone for this!"

Jin Hua stepped back repeatedly under his intense verbal onslaught.

"You—"

She didn't know what to say and could only flee in panic.

Seeing her run away, Dong Siyuan pounded his chest anxiously: "Sure enough, the Princess of Yaoguang's method works best. She said a fierce woman fears being entangled with a man, so I'll shamelessly become a lingering wolf again, how about that? Hehe!"

Because Li Qingluo's party possessed a Token from the Witch Moon Sect, they smoothly and noisily left MiaoJiang's borders.

As soon as they appeared, the first‑rank killers immediately rushed forward.

"May I present myself, miss!"

"Miss, you have finally emerged from the valley!"

The number of people allowed to enter the valley in MiaoJiang is limited.

The first‑rank killers' murderous aura is hard to conceal, so since last year they have been blocked outside MiaoJiang.

Fortunately, they never lost track of Li Qingluo's whereabouts.

A group of big lumberjacks waited outside the valley for three months; when Li Qingluo fully recovered, they each seemed to come back to life.

After regaining her senses, Li Qingluo personally went out to meet them.

Seeing they were camping outside the valley with no proper lodging, she quickly spent money to purchase the houses of two or three nearby families.

After settling them all, she re‑entered the valley.

This time leaving, of course the killers also had to depart together.

Taking advantage of the early light, everyone set off together.

Before night fell, they arrived at a small town smoothly and lodged at an inn.

Their party packed the entire inn.

The innkeeper was pleased with the big business, yet the aura of Li Qingluo's group still made them cower and not dare to provoke them.

They hurriedly brought up the best local dishes.

To avoid drawing attention, Li Qingluo's party changed into Great Chu attire and even spoke with a Great Chu accent.

"Miss, Jingchuan Young Master and Ah Lan are already on the return journey."

Granny Zheng was quite surprised: "The second son really wants to stay in MiaoJiang forever? Then Aunt Zheng… oh no, Madam Zheng actually also agrees. She only has this one son!"

Li Jingchuan had become betrothed to Jin Hua's senior disciple Ah Lan a few months ago.

Since arriving in MiaoJiang, his health has steadily improved.

Perhaps the climate here nurtures people, and MiaoJiang's medicine can let his body live a few more years.

Therefore, after Ah Lan, who cared for her daily, expressed his affection, Li Jingchuan, who also felt moved, actually took that step under Li Qingluo's encouragement.

Ah Lan knows his condition.

She does not ask for eternity.

She only seeks the present days and nights.

After the two married, Ah Lan even voluntarily offered to accompany Li Jingchuan back to DaLiang to visit his mother‑in‑law and paternal uncle.

Li Jingchuan treated it as a leisurely trip; after all, now that he's among mortals he doesn't want to waste another life.

So the two have been away for three months.

Li Qingluo is about to leave and won't see them.

However, since arriving in MiaoJiang, the sibling‑like bond between Li Qingluo and Li Jingchuan has been improving day by day.

Now they truly are like close siblings, keeping each other constantly in mind.

Li Qingluo: "Li Jingchuan is alive and even married a wife; she already feels grateful, and probably wouldn't dare to keep him by force."

Li Qingluo thought of the ending she had seen when her soul wandered.

Li Jingchuan would rather die than, following the Zheng siblings' intentions, harm himself.

Although his body was weak, he had always been a man who stood tall and firm.

Having such an older brother has always been Li Qingluo's blessing.

Everyone drank some wine.

That night, they all went to sleep early.

In the middle of the night, they heard the sound of horses neighing outside.

Li Qingluo sat up, but before she could listen carefully, outside returned to tranquility.

The next day, before dawn, rain began falling outside the window.

Li Qingluo tossed and turned, unable to sleep; just as she sat up, Que'er came knocking on the door: "Miss, it's a pigeon message from the Witch Moon Sect."

She had just left; how could a pigeon message arrive so soon?

Probably something urgent.

Li Qingluo quickly took it and unfolded it to look.

The letter was stained with blood; on it could be seen two lines of hastily written small characters: "Cloud Valley, Nontoxic Sect, Union Joy Sect and other sects colluded with the government to besiege the Witch Moon Sect. The Witch Moon Sect is in danger; little martial uncle, return quickly!"

It was Aduo's handwriting!

Li Qingluo thought of Jinyun and the others, and could not bother to continue on the journey to the frontier of the Western Regions.

Hurriedly going out, bringing along the killers, they mounted their horses: "Back to MiaoJiang!"

"Gallop—"