"What did you just say?"
Xu Ming looked at the young woman in front of him, momentarily unable to process her words, even wondering if he had misheard.
"I said I can protect you," Qin Qingwan replied, her eyes curving into crescents. "You're a friend of Senior Sister Qin, which makes you my friend too. Isn't it natural for me to protect you? If something happens to you and I return to the sect, Senior Sister Qin definitely won't let me off the hook."
Xu Ming: "..."
"Hey! What's with that expression?" Qin Qingwan put her hands on her hips. "Don't underestimate me. I'm really strong, you know!"
"I wasn't underestimating you..."
Xu Ming's gaze met the young woman's eyes. Her peach blossom-shaped eyes seemed to speak, as though a field of peach blossoms was blooming, petals dancing in the wind.
The longer he looked, the more familiar she felt.
"As long as you're not looking down on me, Xu Gongzi (Young Master), that's fine. But don't stare at me like that—it's making me shy." Qin Qingwan lowered her delicate head, her long, curved eyelashes fluttering gently, like butterflies dancing among flowers.
"I appreciate your kindness, Miss, but wouldn't this cause trouble for you?" Xu Ming expressed his willingness to ally with her but also hinted at hesitation.
"Of course not!" Qin Qingwan, hearing that he didn't seem entirely opposed, patted Xu Ming's shoulder. "Here, take this."
"What's this?" Xu Ming took the jade token from her.
"This is a communication artifact used by our Tianxuan Sect. As long as you're within a hundred miles, you can inject spiritual energy into it and visualize the person you want to contact. It'll send your message to them. Even if you're not a cultivator, you can think of me and have your big white goose inject the spiritual energy instead," Qin Qingwan explained cheerfully.
"This is too valuable, Miss," Xu Ming said, attempting to return the jade token.
But Qin Qingwan pushed the token back into his hand. "Don't worry about it. It's not that valuable. Just keep it."
"Then it's settled. If anything comes up, contact me. And if I reach out to you, you must come quickly, okay~?"
With that, Qin Qingwan waved at Xu Ming and turned to leave, skipping away.
"Goose goose goose? (Xu Ming, does this pretty girl like you?)" Tianxuan Goose asked.
"No way," Xu Ming shook his head.
He knew he was somewhat handsome, comparable to Takeshi Kaneshiro, but in the cultivation world, there were plenty of people even more attractive than him.
For someone like her, who was ranked among the top beauties, the number of admirers chasing her must be endless. Surely, some of them had better looks than him.
To think that 'He Qingqing' would fall for him at first sight seemed highly improbable. Her friendliness toward him didn't feel as simple as just being a friend of her Senior Sister Qin either.
Speaking of which... Is this person really He Qingqing?
"Goose goose goose, goose goose goose! (I don't think she likes you either. Maybe she's just naturally friendly.)" Tianxuan Goose quipped.
Xu Ming may have some good looks, but that young lady was so stunning that, based purely on appearance, Xu Ming was barely worthy of licking her shoes.
"Goose goose goose? (But why did you agree to ally with her? That's not like you.)" Tianxuan Goose tilted its head.
Xu Ming shook his head. "I have a suspicion."
"A suspicion?"
"Xiao Bai, don't you think this girl named He Qingqing resembles someone?" Xu Ming looked at the goose.
"Resembles who?" Tianxuan Goose tilted its head again.
"She looks like Qingwan," Xu Ming said.
"..."
Tianxuan Goose thought for a moment.
"That's impossible, right? Isn't Qingwan in seclusion? Besides, have you ever even seen what Qingwan looks like as an adult? The last time you saw her, she was only six years old."
"That said, if we're talking about personality, she does seem a bit similar. Both are lively and cheerful. And their eyes... both are beautiful, like gemstones," Tianxuan Goose said thoughtfully.
As it spoke, the goose seemed to realize something, lifting its head to look at Xu Ming. "You don't actually think this He Qingqing is Qingwan, do you?"
Xu Ming shook his head with a smile. "I never said that, but it's not impossible either."
Retracting his gaze from the young woman, Xu Ming turned and said, "Let's go find those two scholars from White Deer Academy."
"Goose (Alright)."
The big white goose waddled behind Xu Ming, swaying its tail as they headed toward the Blessing Inn.
Upon asking the innkeeper about the two scholars, the innkeeper, hearing that they were Xu Ming's friends, had no reservations and told him their room number.
When Xu Ming finally saw Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng, the two of them still seemed dazed, clearly unaware of what had happened.
"Did you two just wake up?" Xu Ming asked with a smile, glancing at the time. It was already close to evening.
"Forgive us, Brother Xu," Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng said as they cupped their hands. "We took some pills to heal our injuries and fell asleep. It helps the spiritual energy circulate better with rest."
"I see."
After inquiring about their injuries and explaining the events in the city, Xu Ming set up a barrier to block spiritual sense and sound.
Seeing Xu Ming create a barrier, both Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng were momentarily stunned. They hadn't expected Xu Ming to be a cultivator. Judging by the spiritual energy he used to set up the barrier, it seemed he was at the Furnace Foundation Realm, not yet at the Cave Mansion Realm.
"Brother Xu, since you can cultivate, why not walk the path of a cultivator? With your talents, entering White Deer Academy to study and cultivate righteous energy would be a sure thing," Yu Wenxi couldn't help but ask, his tone filled with regret for Xu Ming.
In Yu Wenxi's view, while Xu Ming's strength as a martial artist was impressive, martial arts was ultimately a dead end. Even at its peak, it would only grant three to four hundred years of life, far less than a Cave Mansion Realm cultivator.
Given Xu Ming's talent, he could easily walk the path of Confucianism and become a saint.
Xu Ming smiled, understanding what Yu Wenxi meant. "Thank you for your concern, Brother Yu, but I still wish to pursue the path of martial arts. Of course, I'll also walk the path of cultivation."
Miao Feng frowned slightly, voicing his concern. "Brother Xu, I know you are extraordinarily gifted, but no one in history has ever successfully pursued both martial arts and cultivation. A person's energy is limited. Brother Yu and I both feel that the path of Confucianism and sainthood would be best for you."
"I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll reconsider," Xu Ming said firmly, his resolve evident.
Seeing Xu Ming's stubbornness, Yu Wenxi wanted to say more, but Miao Feng stopped him with a glance and shook his head.
Yu Wenxi could only sigh and let it go.
Everyone had their own path to walk.
Xu Ming wouldn't listen to reason now, but when he experienced the hardships of balancing both martial arts and cultivation, he would understand how exhausting it could be.
"Back to the point," Xu Ming said, changing the subject. "I came to see you two because I need your help with something."
Miao Feng nodded. "Whatever Brother Xu needs, if it's within our power, we'll do our utmost to assist."
Yu Wenxi also nodded in agreement.
"Then I won't hold back." Xu Ming looked at the two of them. "How familiar are you with formations?"
"Formations?" Miao Feng paused, then broke into a bright, confident smile. "To be honest, Brother Xu, while we may lag behind others in many aspects, when it comes to formations, Brother Yu Wenxi and I are considered the second and third best among our peers at White Deer Academy. No one dares to claim the top spot."
"That makes things easier." Xu Ming felt a weight lifted from his heart. Confucian scholars were usually humble; for them to speak with such confidence meant they truly believed in their abilities. "There's an array I'd like the two of you to take a look at."
Xu Ming took out a sheepskin scroll from his bag and spread it on the table.
Miao Feng and Yu Wenxi both stood up and began examining it intently.
The more they studied it, the more serious their expressions became, occasionally exclaiming, "Brilliant!" or "Truly ingenious!"
Seeing them engrossed in decoding the formation, Xu Ming was in no hurry. He simply sat by the side, sipping his tea.
After about half an hour, Miao Feng and Yu Wenxi finally looked away from the scroll. They clasped their hands together and bowed slightly. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Brother Xu. This formation falls into the category of 'Breakthrough Arrays.' It's a spatial technique, and the laws governing its operation bear a striking resemblance to those of Baiwa City. Could it be that this formation is..."
"Exactly." Xu Ming set down his teacup. "This array might help us escape Baiwa City."
Miao Feng and Yu Wenxi exchanged a glance.
"What do you two think of the array?" Xu Ming asked.
"Remarkable!" Miao Feng gave high praise. "I don't know who created this formation, but they must be a genius of formations. Their thought process is extraordinary, and their design is meticulous. It's simply astonishing. Perhaps this formation truly can help us leave Baiwa City."
Miao Feng did not ask Xu Ming where the array came from; such questions served no purpose. Everyone had their own secrets.
"The creative approach of this array bears some resemblance to the style of the Heavenly Array Sect," Yu Wenxi said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Could it be that the creator of this array was a disciple of the Heavenly Array Sect?"
Xu Ming asked, "The Heavenly Array Sect?"
Miao Feng's expression carried a hint of regret. "Brother Xu may not know this, but the Heavenly Array Sect, though only a Nascent Soul-level sect (with its highest cultivator being at the Nascent Soul Realm), was uniquely devoted to the study of formations.
The founder of the Heavenly Array Sect was an unparalleled genius. Any cultivator specializing in formations would undoubtedly know their name.
Aware of its lack of strength and shallow foundations, the Heavenly Array Sect always adopted a conciliatory approach in its dealings with other sects and factions. But one day, for reasons unknown, the Heavenly Array Sect was annihilated overnight.
The sect master of the Heavenly Array Sect detonated the sect's protective formation. Most of their formation manuals were reduced to ashes, leaving only scattered fragments of the sect's formation designs circulating in the world, offering glimpses into the sect master's unparalleled methodology.
Many believe that if the Heavenly Array Sect's master hadn't been so eager to establish a sect, and instead allied with an existing sect to focus on cultivation, they might have eventually transcended through their mastery of formations and attained the realm of an immortal."
"That is truly a great pity." Xu Ming sighed, feeling a tinge of regret for such a remarkable individual. "Can the two of you recreate this formation?"
"Well..." Yu Wenxi hesitated, looking slightly troubled. "To be honest, if it's just the two of us, we aren't capable of fully constructing this array. We'd need the help of another person, someone with expertise in formations on par with ours."
"Not only that," Miao Feng added, "but this formation master also has to be a woman."
"A woman?" Xu Ming was puzzled.
Miao Feng nodded. "This array needs to be activated on a full moon night. We'll require a woman who is at least at the Sea Observation Realm, possesses exceptionally pure spiritual energy, and can control her energy with meticulous precision."
Xu Ming fell silent.
"Wait, didn't Brother Xu just mention that the son of the Tianxuan Sect's leader has formed an alliance? In that case, why not ask for their help?" Yu Wenxi suggested. "This way, we could also help others leave this place together."
"No way!"
Miao Feng immediately rejected Yu Wenxi's proposal.
"If we want to save others, we can build this array first and, when we're about to leave, use some method to notify the others so they can also escape through the array. But we absolutely cannot hand over this formation to them.
The human heart is complex. Who knows what thoughts might arise if this array falls into their hands?
Moreover, how would Brother Xu explain the origins of this array? Would they even believe your explanation?
At that point, they might even suspect that everything happening in Baiwa City is your doing," Miao Feng said, his voice tinged with caution.
Hearing this, Yu Wenxi immediately stood up and cupped his hands in apology. "Brother Xu, my apologies. I didn't think it through."
"It's fine," Xu Ming said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Xu Ming shared Miao Feng's perspective. He was no saint and didn't feel responsible for everyone in the city. If the formation succeeded, he could spread the news across the city when leaving. Whatever happened to Baiwa City after his departure was none of his concern.
Rubbing his chin in thought, Xu Ming recalled a potential candidate and asked, "What do Tianxuan Sect cultivators think of formations?"
Miao Feng chuckled. "The Tianxuan Sect's proficiency in formations is on par with our White Deer Academy, though the focus differs. That said, they would certainly be capable of helping construct this formation."
Xu Ming nodded. "Understood. I know a disciple of the Tianxuan Sect. I'll discuss this with her. By the way, do either of you know He Qingqing from the Tianxuan Sect?"
"He Qingqing?" Miao Feng paused, then glanced at Yu Wenxi with a knowing smile. "I don't know her, but this guy surely does. He's probably been pining for her day and night."
"Miao Feng, what nonsense are you talking about?" Yu Wenxi scratched his head awkwardly. "White Deer Academy once sent disciples to visit the Tianxuan Sect, and I had the chance to meet her. That's all. But why are you asking about her, Brother Xu?"
"It's nothing," Xu Ming replied with a faint smile. "Just that I'll need your company tomorrow, Brother Yu Wen."
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