Gao Cang was a simple person, but also really blessed. When the two of them accidentally stumbled into a small water pit, the wine gourd around Gao Cang's waist broke open.
Inside was the twenty-year-old fine wine "Detain Heaven's Immortal" that his junior sister had given him. He had been reluctant to drink it, and now it was all spilled in the small pit, filling the air with a strong fragrance of wine.
Surprisingly, these insects seemed to dislike the smell of alcohol. Moreover, the unusual fragrance of the wine did not dissipate after being mixed in the water, masking the spiritual energy on both of them. So they stayed very still in the small water pit, miraculously surviving until Ranran arrived on her bird and finally escaped down the mountain safely.
Now that Yujie was still alive, although barely, she could reveal the truth and bitterly point out Elder Mu and Wen Hongshan's malicious intentions.
Wen Hongshan really wanted to chop Mu Ranwu into pieces alive. She had boasted that there was no way the Immortal-devouring Bugs would fail, yet there came to be four survivors who made it!
the idiot Wen Hongshan, could have come up with it.
Since that was the case, they shouldn't blame him for exposing everything. So when Wen Yujie weakly pointed out that Wei Jiu impersonated a disciple of Kongshan and entered Tianmai Mountain, he casually said, "Right, I haven't thanked Mu Qingge and Wen Hongshan yet! If it weren't for your efforts to arrange for me to enter Kongshan as a junior disciple of Senior Wen, how could I, an unorthodox demon, have blended in so smoothly?!"
This statement shocked everyone. Because Wei Jiu was indeed wearing the robes of a disciple of Kongshan, and at that moment, he even casually pulled out a face-changing mask and put on Gui Baqian's face.
As the dark face appeared, everyone recognized him as the disciple of Kongshan who had passed through all the challenges from before!
Everyone remembered clearly that this junior had been recommended by Wen Hongshan and she claimed that he was her relative's nephew.
Wen Hongshan forced herself to remain calm, her scar looking even more twisted. "Wei Jiu, you're slandering me out of spite. It must be you who harmed my nephew and impersonated him to get in."
At this moment, Ranran calmly said, "Whether it's true or false can be easily verified. As long as someone is sent immediately to Senior Wen's hometown to investigate, we can immediately find out if Senior Wen really has a relative cousin named Gui Baqian with a dark face. If there's no such person, how would Senior Wen explain this?"
Wen Hongshan became speechless again.
Today's unexpected events has been too many, some of them had been completely out of the blue. She was an orphan, adopted by Abbess Wen at an early age. Where would she have relatives? If investigated thoroughly, she would be exposed for certain.
Originally, her forceful inclusion of Gui Baqian to Tianmai Mountain had already attracted dissatisfaction from her sect. Now that Gui Baqian had revealed his true identity, she was utterly unable to defend herself.
At this moment, Wen Hongshan wanted to slap herself. Why had she been fooled by Mu Ranwu into agreeing to this risky move? Now, there were loopholes everywhere, each one leading her into an irredeemable situation.
Thinking of how Mu Ranwu had told her that Xue Ranran might be the reincarnation of the real Mu Qingge… Wen Hongshan gritted her teeth in anger. Now, she could only insist these two people slandered her and then silence them later…
"You're spouting nonsense! It was clearly Mu Qingge who released the Immortal-devouring Bugs. You all don't know, she's not actually…"
Before she could finish, Wei Jiu, seemingly unfazed, casually dropped another bombshell. "Senior Wen, what's there to hide? After all, you're someone who dared to murder your own master. Poor Abbess Wen, who let the wolf into the house, raising such a ruthless person… Tsk tsk, you're actually more suitable for practicing the demonic path than me!"
This statement shocked everyone into an uproar once again.
Wen Hongshan, in a panic, said, "It's all nonsense! My Master clearly failed to withstand the heavenly calamity and passed away naturally. What does that have to do with me!"
Unfortunately, she didn't understand Wei Jiu. When he helped others do bad things, although he didn't leave his name, he always kept some evidence. So when he helped Wen Hongshan before, he naturally left evidence.
"On the day Abbess Wen faced the heavenly tribulations, she should have taken the Replenishing Spirit pill to restore her energy. That pill was refined by you, and you had added Grudge water that causes intense pain and prevents the gathering of spiritual energy. If anyone is interested, they can go see Abbess Wen's body. The poison of the Grunge water would have penetrated her bones. I believe traces of it should be found on Abbess Wen's charred corpse… Oh, and this Grudge water is so useful, she definitely wouldn't use it all up. You can search her now, and there might be some unexpected discoveries!"
Wei Jiu could tell that Wen Hongshan presently had the Grudge water he gave her on her person, just by sniffing the air.
This woman was both foolish and venomous. She probably carried it with her to be ready to backstab someone, but she hadn't expected Wei Jiu to survive and expose her.
Just as Wei Jiu finished speaking, several Elders from Kongshan quickly moved and snatched the bag from her waist, shaking it out to reveal a bottle. When it fell to the ground, the Grudge water immediately spilled out.
The disciples of Kongshan were all seething. They had been wondering why, with Abbess Wen's cultivation, even if she couldn't overcome the heavenly tribulation, she shouldn't have lost her life this way!
Now, everything pointed to Wen Hongshan. The senior brothers who were already dissatisfied with Wen Hongshan crossing generational boundaries were immediately up in arms, surrounding and capturing Wen Hongshan.
In the chaos, Mu Ranwu silently adjusted her sleeve arrow and shot it at Wen Hongshan's chest. With so many people around, as the arrow imbued with spiritual energy pierced Wen Hongshan's chest, she widened her eyes, unable to speak, and fell to the ground dead.
Mu Ranwu smirked inwardly. Unreliable woman, still trying to expose her true identity?
Now that she had successfully escaped the control of the three major sects, she relied entirely on His Majesty Su Yu, who was her current pillar of support.
And to gain the support of the emperor of this generation, she needed the identity of Mu Qingge, who is protected by His Majesty. She couldn't let Wen Hongshan, this foolish woman, ruin everything.
After doing all this, she quietly retreated into hiding. Although she didn't manage to kill Wei Jiu and Xue Ranran, it was not bad to have killed Wen Hongshan, who knew her true identity.
The future is long, Sister… we'll meet again.
With this in mind, taking advantage of the chaos of dogs fighting dogs, Mu Ranwu quietly escaped under the protection of her followers, covering her injured face.
The remaining people watched as the Kongshan Sect cleaned up its mess. But when they came back to their senses after watching the spectacle, they realized that not only did Mu Qingge, who was suspected of releasing the Immortal Devouring Bugs, had run away, but even Wei Jiu, who had incited the conflict, took the opportunity to escape without a trace.
But just then, someone exclaimed, "Look at her forehead, she entered the Marrow Cleansing Pool!"
At this moment, everyone took a closer look, and indeed, there was a "Mai" symbol on Ranran's forehead, which was the mark of entering the Marrow Cleansing Pool. In fact, Wei Jiu originally had one too, but after being bitten by the insects several times, the lines on his forehead had become faint and almost disappeared.
When the people below the mountain learned that this seemingly ordinary little girl was actually the selected winner for this Marrow Cleansing Pool event, there was another uproar. After the Tianmai Mountain collapsed due to the pollution of the Immortal Devouring Bugs' toxic blood, it was unlikely that there would be another Marrow Cleansing Pool event in the future.
And this disciple from the Western Mountain, who was seemingly inept, turned out to be the beneficiary of the last Marrow Cleansing Pool event, which made those younger generation disciples who had completely given up on their ambitions both envious and resentful.
But remembering that Wei Jiu had also entered the pool this time, so the presence of a righteous sect disciple was balanced against him, was also somewhat comforting.
According to the customary rules, everyone had to congratulate XiShan for producing outstanding disciples and send gifts as a token of encouragement.
In the past, the three major sects were generous in their exchanges, offering elixirs, magical weapons, all worthy gifts.
However, they had no previous relationship with Xishan, and now that their outstanding disciples had suffered losses, they had to send a gift to the Western Mountain, a rookie who had somehow taken the lead without cheating. This made them quite resentful.
So the gifts they sent were not heartfelt. Later, on the way back, Qiu Xier sorted out the gifts received by Ranran during a rest break on the journey. Besides the usual swords and blades, she unexpectedly found a box of Mind Clearing Pills, a rather humble gift.
"What junk! Ranran's Mind Clearing Pills are a hundred times better than these. Giving such things to fool people, the three major sects must be struggling financially and on the verge of closing their doors?"
Ranran was applying medicine to the White Tiger. After giving it medicine, she gently moved the unconscious little tiger to the sunny spot outside the shade.
After hearing Qiu Xier's words, she replied nonchalantly, "It's already good to receive anything. After all, it's just a courtesy exchange. Not only did the Kongshan Sect not give anything, we even gave a token of goodwill to them, which could be considered as paying the 'white gold' to Abbess Wen of the Kongshan Sect. You didn't see the look of distress on Second Uncle Master's face when she counted out the silver. Let's just forget about losses and gains, we were all able to leave unharmed this time, that's the best reward."
*white gold is condolence money
Qiu Xier nodded happily and said, "Anyway, now all the major sects know that our XiShan's younger generation is the most promising. Ranran, you are also considered famous now, and in the future, you will surely make XiShan surpass all the major sects!"
Later on, the incident with the Immortal Devouring Bugs seemed to be entirely attributed to Wen Hongshan. After all, such poisonous creatures needed years of cultivation, so how could Mu Qingge, who had just reincarnated, have such a thing?
And with the grudge between Wen Hongshan and Mu Qingge over ruining of appearances and men, even if she claimed before her death that Mu Qingge had orchestrated everything and she had only aligned herself with Mu, this alone was not enough to convince people.
The reputation of the Kongshan Sect was also completely ruined this time, with the loss of outstanding disciples and the destruction of Tianmai Mountain, exposing such shameful internal conflicts like murdering their Masters. It was rumored that the three major sects would have to undergo a revamping, and the rising XiShan Sect might replace the Kongshan Sect.
But as Qiu Xier was happily imagining all this, she saw Ranran kneeling in front of the little tiger, treating it with great respect while massaging its limbs as it basked in the sun. It looked like she was taking care of a bedridden elderly father.
Qiu Xier is a straightforward person so she asked what her junior sister was doing.
Since coming down from Tianmai Mountain, the little tiger had not opened its eyes. Ranran wasn't sure if her Shifu was still merged with the tiger. But thinking of how Shifu had gone to such great lengths to watch over her, Ranran was moved beyond words.
She was afraid that if he remained motionless in tiger form, it would affect his blood circulation, so of course she had to massage Shifu three times a day while on the road.
But her Shifu turning into a tiger really affected his immortal demeanor, and the method he used seemed similar to the forbidden curse of the unorthodox sect that merged with beasts at the Wangxiang Pass.
Ranran felt that this matter couldn't be disclosed, lest it tarnish Shifu's reputation. She only informed Second Uncle Master secretly, so they traveled by day as well as night, in order to return home as soon as possible.
As for the Vermilion Bird, some people proposed dividing it when they were back at the foot of Tianmai Mountain. Ranran smiled and pulled out her mechanical stick, smashing the trial stone into pieces. She said plainly that whoever wanted to divide the bird has to win her first.
After all, everyone belonged to prestigious sects, and dignity was still important. After this demonstration of strength, no one brought up the matter again.
But such a golden bird, if it always followed them, even though it looked flashy and cool, would invite other trouble.
On the way back, Ranran would tease the Vermilion Bird now and then with food. After a few times, she found that it loved to eat her peanuts.
Every time it shrank in size a bit, Ranran would reward it with a few peanuts. Gradually, it actually shrank down to the size of a sparrow seen in the underwater illusion cave, its body turning into a pale red color. It hopped around on Ranran's shoulder, occasionally diving into the snack bag to find food. At first glance, it looked like a domesticated small sparrow.
But Ranran didn't make any soul contract with this Vermilion Bird. If it liked to stay by her side, she would take care of it, but if one day it wanted to leave, it was free to do so.
This way, was easier on everyone. Ranran now focused more on the little tiger. Besides, she urgently wanted to return to the Western Mountain to see if her master's physical body was unharmed.
After three days, the "Mai" on Ranran's forehead finally disappeared, indicating that she had completely integrated the spiritual power of the Marrow-Cleansing Pool.
When she returned to the Western Mountain, the first thing she did was to check the place where her master often went into seclusion at the top of the mountain.
The tightly closed stone door required spiritual power to open but neither of the Uncle Masters could open it. However, Ranran could easily do it now.
When she opened the stone door, she immediately saw Su Yishui lying on the ground, not knowing how long he had endured by himself in this place.
Ranran had always hoped that her worries were unnecessary, but she didn't expect her Shifu's condition to be worse than she imagined.
She rushed over quickly, with the help of the two flustered Uncle Masters, they got him out of the mountain cave. However, when she helped her master up, Ranran caught a glimpse of the bottle sealed with the Spirit Spring on his neck, which seemed to flicker with a faint red light, but it disappeared in an instant.
Ranran didn't have time to think about that. She recalled that Shifu had accompanied her to refine the pills for the tiger to eat, and he went into seclusion right after. It should have been around that time that he already merged with the tiger.
The battle on Tianmai Mountain and the Immortal Devouring Bugs had used up too much spiritual power. The little tiger had not awakened all this time, and it seemed that Shifu was also injured, not waking up no matter how she called.
At wits' end, Ranran remembered the Ice Lotus Pool, which was an excellent place for healing. Shifu's internal injuries were too severe, and someone needed to guide spiritual power into his body. Ranran was the only one who could accompany him into the pool.
So Ranran took off her master's outer robe and entered the Ice Lotus Pool with him. The ice lotus in this pool seemed to have never waned since the last time they opened.
After entering the pool, the two Uncle Masters didn't want to distract Ranran's efforts to heal her master, so they retreated to the nearby house by the pool and waited.
Ranran held Su Yishui as they floated quietly in the water, feeling the abundant spiritual energy in the pool flowing back and forth. She guided it gradually into her Shifu's body.
This kind of assisted healing of guiding spiritual energy was the most mentally exhausting. When she felt that the meridian blockages in her master's body had been cleared, the fatigue from their desperate travel over the past several days, gradually dissipated in the extremely comfortable Ice Lotus Pool.
Ranran didn't know when she accidentally fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, she found that her Shifu was already awake. In a daze, she couldn't help but smile happily at him.
But as she was smiling, Ranran realized something was wrong. Why was she being held in her Shifu's arms like a baby?
At this moment, there was suddenly a sun shower, and the fragmented pearls entered the water, causing ripples on the water. The crystal-clear droplets slowly slid down his straight nose and fell onto his broad chest…
Even Ranran, who had not yet experienced love, after waking up suddenly to such a beautiful scene of a wet-faced handsome man, could only feel her mouth run dry and she suddenly wanted to drink a cup of ice-cold melon juice to quench her thirst.
Su Yishui stretched out his long fingers to touch the still unhealed wounds on her slender neck caused by the Immortal Devouring Bugs, then lowered his head and frowned, "Besides here, where else are you injured?"
Ranran somewhat understood why the little tiger didn't move after being scratched on the chin. At this moment, being touched like this by her handsome Shifu, she also felt a tingling sensation that made her unable to move…
She stared blankly into his gaze and stuttered, "There are some injuries on my arms… Shifu… why are you holding me?"
"You were sleeping so soundly that if I didn't hold you, water would have entered your mouth and nose." Su Yishui's eyes slightly drooped, explaining in his mild tone.
If he said that, didn't it mean that while she was asleep, he had been holding her like this and watching her…
But now that Ranran was awake, his arm still did not loosen, still holding onto Ranran.
This situation of treating someone but being caught sleeping by them was really embarrassing.
However, being embraced like this by her Shifu reminded her of the time when she was surrounded by those red insects, and Shifu who had merged with the white tiger, had risked his life and wrapped her tightly with his body to keep her safe and warm.
After her parents, Shifu was the best person to her, so she didn't feel that her master was being inappropriate. If she even thought about those impure ideas, she would feel like she was tarnishing such a good person like her Shifu!
Ranran whispered, "Shifu, I'm awake now. It's still raining. Do you want to go to the pavilion on the shore to take shelter?"
Only then did Su Yishui let go of her hand that was around her, but still holding her wrist, he led her to the pavilion by the lotus pool. Su Yishui bent down to pick up his outer robe, but instead of putting it on himself, he turned around and draped it over Ranran.
By now, the drizzle had gradually turned into heavy rain. Senior Uncle Master Yu Chen, who was looking out the window, was about to happily go over when he saw the Master has awaken, but he was held back by his sister Yu Tong.
Yu Tong was more sensitive than her brother. She had long noticed that something was off with her Master's attitude towards his little disciple Ranran.
Now looking through the window, with the Master's tall figure protecting the girl in the pavilion, not letting the splashing raindrops fall on her.
A handsome man and beautiful woman looking like such a good match, amidst the sound of raindrops falling like pearls.
This wasn't just a master's attention for his disciple… Ever since Mu Qingge died, the originally cold Master had become even more withdrawn. But ever since Ranran came to Western Mountain, the Master, who had been like an exiled immortal before, seemed to become more...human.
Thinking of this, Yu Tong didn't want her thoughtless brother to disturb the ambiguous atmosphere in the pavilion, so she covered her brother's mouth and pulled him away.
In the pavilion, Su Yishui picked up the towel on the stone table to dry Ranran's long hair.
Ranran didn't dare to trouble her Shifu, so she quickly took it over and stood up to dry Su Yishui's long hair for him, "Shifu, why did you merge with the white tiger? This is really too dangerous!"
Ranran had read some books about practicing strange arts before. This kind of beast-controlling technique was slightly deviant; one could end up a beast for life if not careful. Her Shifu had taken such a huge risk, and just thinking about it made Ranran feel afraid.
Su Yishui mildly said, "You've been weak since childhood. Even though you drank the water I gave you, your dantian has been empty for too long, which can still damage your foundation. That's why I needed to ensure that you would enter the Marrow-Cleansing Pool."
His words implied not only protecting his disciple but also that if Ranran didn't pass the test, he would personally be there to help her cheat.
Ranran widened her eyes, somewhat surprised at her master's words, and asked in a small voice, "What if I didn't pass, Shifu?"
Su Yi Shui smiled slightly at her question, his thin lips curling up to reveal his bright teeth, and he exuded a touch of wickedness.
Shifu did not answer, but Ranran felt that whatever he had planned must probably not be a good thing.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered the unfinished words of the Medicine Immortal, so she asked, "Shifu, when you participated in the Marrow-Cleansing Pool back then, which pool did you enter?"
Su Yi Shui's smile faded slightly. He lowered his head, "What do you think?"
Ranran didn't actually want to believe her vague guess. Could it be that her Shifu's choice back then was the same as Wei Jiu's? She couldn't help but look up at her master, staring into his eyes and asking, "Did you… choose the Black Pool?"
Su Yishui didn't speak, but his expression did not seem to deny it either.
Ranran couldn't help but hold her breath, looking at him for a long time, she asked timidly,
"Then… did you pay a price for it?"