As soon as they left the Valley Lord Hall, Lin Wan’er sidled up to Wu Yan and asked with a grin, “What’s up, Senior Sister Wu? What did Master tell you?”
“Nothing.” Wu Yan shook her head. “Valley Lord Li just said I did a good job escorting and invited me to stay a few days in Medicine King Valley to pick a reward.”
Hearing that Wu Yan would stay for a few days, Lin Wan’er’s round eyes suddenly lit up. “You’re staying a few days? Great! Then we can have another fun medicine-testing session~~”
Wu Yan didn’t respond, just kept walking away.
When Wu Yan found Ji Xuerou, she was in the guest room sipping tea and eating snacks.
“So, you want me to investigate with you?”
Ever since Wu Yan had taken her to that pastry shop in Zhenshan Town, Ji Xuerou had become addicted to those snacks. Wu Yan didn’t care much for them, but Ji Xuerou always carried some with her.
“Yeah, I hope you can help me.”
Wu Yan was worried there might be more than one hidden demonic cultivator, so Ji Xuerou’s assistance was necessary.
“Sure, when do we start?” Ji Xuerou agreed decisively without asking why.
From her understanding of Wu Yan, if Wu Yan had invited her, it meant her presence was necessary.
“Tonight.” Wu Yan took a piece of pastry from the porcelain plate in front of Ji Xuerou and put it in her mouth. “I plan to investigate those strange night noises the injured patients mentioned. As far as I know, some demon beasts are nocturnal and make weird cries.”
“Alright, tonight it is.” Seeing Wu Yan keep taking pastries from in front of her, Ji Xuerou simply took out a large plate and handed it to Wu Yan. “If you want to eat, I have more here.”
“Then thank you, Xuerou.”
“You’re welcome. Just call me when it’s time to act.”
“No problem.”
“By the way, where did that little thing on your head come from?”
Hearing itself mentioned, Yo Yo suddenly woke up, its pointed ears perking straight up.
“It’s called Yo Yo. I heard it’s the mascot of Medicine King Valley.”
“Yo Yo?” Ji Xuerou remembered that name. Her master, Shen Qingzhou, seemed to have mentioned it to her.
“Yeah, I have somewhere to go now, so I’ll leave it with you for now.” Wu Yan grabbed Yo Yo from her head, brought her face close to it, and said seriously, “Yo Yo, stay here for a while. I’ll come pick you up later.”
“Heh.” Seeing Wu Yan like that, Ji Xuerou let out a soft laugh.
After discussing with Ji Xuerou, Wu Yan headed straight for the Reception Hall.
Sure enough, Xia Lingshuang was still there.
Her white Daoist robe was completely undamaged. Her silver hair was tied up with a hairpin, revealing her delicate nape.
“You’re here?”
Before Wu Yan had even stepped into the Reception Hall, she heard Xia Lingshuang ask in her direction.
“Yes, disciple heard Master was resting here, so I came specifically.”
“How’s your body?”
“No serious problems.”
The exchange between Wu Yan and Xia Lingshuang could be described as concise. Even Wu Yan (Inner) couldn’t stand it.
‘Hey, this old woman! How many times have you, you dead log, gotten hurt for this crappy sect and those nine women? She still puts on this act. Once I take back the body, I’ll make her—’
“You did well.”
Xia Lingshuang rarely came right in front of Wu Yan. She placed her slender hand on Wu Yan’s head, stroking it. The soft touch came through her palm. Xia Lingshuang had almost forgotten how long it had been since she had spent time properly with Wu Yan.
“When we return to the sect, tell me if there’s anything you want. I’ll grant it if conditions allow.”
Xia Lingshuang’s usually cold face was exceptionally gentle now. So gentle that it reminded Wu Yan of the time she stayed alone with Xia Lingshuang right after returning to the sect from the Five Sects Tournament.
“Master, disciple also came to ask about something. Is Qingyao doing well now?”
Yes, although Wu Yan had confidence in Yu Qingyao’s strength, she still felt uneasy inside.
“Don’t worry.” Xia Lingshuang was much calmer in comparison. “Qingyao is safe now. Before she left, I specifically gave her a life-saving artifact. If Qingyao encounters danger, I will sense it immediately.”
With Xia Lingshuang saying that, Wu Yan felt at ease.
“Master, then disciple will take her leave.”
Watching Wu Yan’s retreating figure, Xia Lingshuang lowered her eyelids, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim of the tea cup.
Whether it was the soul seizing or the awakening, everything she did was real. Her contributions to the sect and to those around her were real. The injuries she suffered were real. Wu Yan’s pale face when she was unconscious overlapped with her face that deliberately kept distance from her and others, yet was cautious. It made her heart ache involuntarily.
Xia Lingshuang slowly closed her eyes. Even though in this life, it was still Wu Yan (Inner) who had crippled her meridians, yet it was also she who searched everywhere for medicine for her and delivered it every night. Wu Yan (Inner) had indeed changed. She could no longer place the mistakes of the previous life’s Wu Yan (Inner) onto the current Wu Yan (Inner).
She should get along well with Wu Yan (Inner) now.
As for Wu Yan, who had long left, she naturally didn’t know about this change in Xia Lingshuang’s mind. At this moment, she had returned to Ji Xuerou’s lodging and let Yo Yo bounce around in her arms.
Time quietly passed with Wu Yan and Ji Xuerou chatting idly. Before they knew it, night had quietly arrived.
“According to the injured patients’ intel, the eerie cries usually appear in the dead of night. I’ll be in this room at the head of the corridor. Xuerou, you take the room at the end of the corridor.”
“Okay.”
So Wu Yan and Ji Xuerou hid one after the other, waiting for their prey to appear.
In the dead of night, a thick bitter smell filled the long corridor, mixing with the nighttime moisture.
A cold wind from nowhere made the candle flames in the corridor flicker. The dim light stretched the shadows of the dried medicinal bundles hanging from the eaves, twisting them like squirming corpses.
Drip.
A drop of water hit the white stone floor. The sound was magnified infinitely in the empty corridor, making one’s heart pound with fear.
“Woo—”
A low, gloomy moan suddenly resounded in the corridor, alternating with the constant dripping of water.
“Woo— Woo—”
As this second round of mournful cries rang out, the candles in the corridor suddenly went out at that moment.
The originally dim corridor was instantly swallowed by darkness, leaving only the intermittent sobbing sounds ringing out and drawing closer.
Wu Yan had already prepared long before the candles showed signs of abnormality.
She silently pressed herself against the shadow outside the door, holding her breath. Her ink-black eyes were filled with calm. She also pushed up a section of Wu Nian with her thumb to handle any sudden situations.
But even in such a tense moment, Wu Yan (Inner) still appeared indifferent, even covering her mouth with her hand as her brows began to twitch slightly.
“Xuerou, are you ready?” Wu Yan transmitted telepathically to Ji Xuerou.
“Yeah, ready.”
The sound of something rubbing against the ground came. Wu Yan clearly heard it approaching the Medicine Boiling Room.
Just as its body made the sound of crossing the door threshold, Wu Yan’s figure flickered. The next moment, she appeared at the door of the Medicine Boiling Room and kicked the door open. Ji Xuerou followed Wu Yan’s movement and charged straight into the room, casting a spell that illuminated the dark interior as bright as day.
Wu Yan’s sword tip stopped abruptly just before it was about to stab the creature making the eerie sound.
Ji Xuerou also froze in place.
Under Wu Yan’s sword tip, a snow-white, fluffy, bun-like round bottom was wiggling. Behind the bottom, there was a short little tail.
Its upper body was stuck in a black clay pot used for boiling medicine, squirming continuously. A “slurp slurp” swallowing sound came from inside the pot.
Both Wu Yan and Ji Xuerou fell silent.
Only Wu Yan (Inner) was holding her stomach with one hand and slapping the air with the other, laughing uncontrollably.