Chapter 42: Companions on the Journey

The spirited beauty gave a slight bow to everyone, swiftly stood, and, grabbing a junior sister in each hand, strode purposefully toward the nearby woods. Soon, the trees echoed with the sounds of fists and feet, shattered pleas for mercy, and furious scoldings. Those left behind exchanged bewildered glances. Hansu couldn’t resist nudging Linxiu, “Senior Sister, are they going to be all right?”

Linxiu could only spread her hands in resignation. “It’s nothing. Disciplining one’s own junior sisters is not for us to interfere with.” Even so, she craned her neck to peer into the woods.

Before long, the three emerged. Leading the way, the beauty looked utterly invigorated, as if thoroughly relieved, her cheeks glowing, her gaze lively and bright. Behind her, the two young women trudged along, their bodies drooping as though burdened with a thousand pounds. Their heads hung low, and every now and then they would glance wistfully at the pot above the fire, from which the aroma grew ever richer. Their expressions were so plaintive, like wronged brides, that it was hard not to laugh.

After returning, they sat properly a short distance away. The spirited beauty seemed about to resume her place by Ji You’s side, but, seeing his unconcealed look of disdain, she let out a scornful snort, shot him a glare, raised her chin, and went to sit beside her junior sisters instead. At last, she seemed to have the bearing of a true senior.

Once seated, she turned to Linxiu, abandoning her previous affected allure, and asked with formal dignity, “I am Suoyun of the Azure Sky Sect, and these two useless ones behind me are my junior sisters, Daxi and Xiaoxi. May I ask your Daoist titles, Senior Sister?”

Linxiu was momentarily surprised upon hearing her name. “So it is the daughter of Master Suo himself. Forgive my discourtesy. I am Linxiu of Lingwu Peak, Yaohua Sect, and this is my junior sister, Hansu.”

Hansu offered a polite salute and was about to sit down when she noticed Daxi and Xiaoxi peeking timidly at the pot. She took out several jade bowls and said, “My mushroom and meat soup is almost ready. If you don’t mind, why not have a bowl each?”

At her words, the Yaohua disciples showed faint, indifferent expressions, but Daxi and Xiaoxi immediately raised their faces. Suoyun whipped her head around, her gaze sharp as arrows. Thus the two juniors, abashed, lowered their heads again.

Seeing no objections, Hansu began ladling out the soup. Soon, each person had a steaming, fragrant bowl. The mood gradually relaxed. The three groups—two sects, three parties—shared tales of their recent experiences. By the time the bowls were empty, the nine of them had warmed to one another, and with information exchanged, they decided to leave the forest together the next morning and head toward the valley where the Amlyu Grass grew.

Rest that night passed without incident. At dawn, Hansu ended a night of meditation, packed away the protective array, and saw that the others were ready to depart. Although they had agreed to travel together, the group naturally divided into three camps.

Suoyun stood farthest away, stretching her limbs with vigor, her movements resembling some body-strengthening martial form. Daxi and Xiaoxi held horse stances nearby, each gnawing industriously on a hard biscuit.

Ningxin, as usual, clung to the Yuhan Mountain disciples. Ji You watched Suoyun with an inscrutable look, while Suyunmo stood close to Hansu, her expression shifting uncertainly.

When Hansu opened the protective array, Suyunmo hesitated, then approached. Since Hansu had sensed her obvious coldness the day before, she had not attempted to bridge the gap. Yet now, seeing Suyunmo come near, she could not suppress a faint, fleeting joy.

Suyunmo’s face broke into a somewhat exaggerated smile as she looped an arm around Hansu, saying warmly, “Ah, little Hansu, I had things on my mind yesterday and didn’t get to speak with you. You aren’t upset, are you?”

Hansu, hand clasped in Suyunmo’s cold grip, felt oddly uncomfortable but dutifully shook her head. “Of course not. It’s been so long since I saw you, Sister Yun.”

Suyunmo relaxed at Hansu’s unchanged demeanor. “Yes, the last time was during the sect tournament. It’s been years, and now your cultivation surpasses even mine. I heard you obtained a suitable technique, you…”

As she spoke, her grip unconsciously tightened. Fortunately, Hansu was already at the third stage of Foundation Establishment and only felt a slight ache; had she still been at the Qi Refining stage…

Hansu wasn’t sure how to respond to this obvious probing—fortunes like these could hardly be explained to outsiders. Say too much or too little, and it would seem as if she were holding back. Just as the moment grew awkward, Linxiu called everyone to set out. Suyunmo, realizing her overstep, quickly released Hansu’s hand and apologized.

The nine gathered and set off for the medicine valley. Linxiu and Hansu, both of considerable cultivation, led the way; Suyunmo’s group of four followed in the middle, with the three Azure Sky Sect women bringing up the rear.

It was anyone’s guess whose luck had turned, but the winter forest, usually teeming with spirit herbs, yielded not a single one. Instead, they encountered and dispatched over a dozen beasts, large and small. This time, Linxiu did not leave all the action to Hansu—they would first subdue the beasts with various methods, then let Hansu deliver the final blow. The others were quite surprised; though Hansu’s age and cultivation placed her among the top in the Luoxing Realm in recent years, such prodigies were typically sequestered for intensive training, nearly cut off from the world. Some were even hidden away entirely, lest they attract ill-intentioned attention.

Hansu had risen to prominence only in the past few years. Within both her sect and family, there had been talk of treating her like that other prodigy with a thunder spiritual root—perhaps sending her directly to the family’s ancestral sanctuary for seclusion.

But those at the summit understood: few of these intensively trained geniuses ever reached the peak. Instead, many who were only second-rank talents went on to achieve great things. Take Daoist Yuheng, for example—he was not the youngest to establish a foundation and form a core, but he cultivated a peerless alchemical art. Though he seldom mingled with others, his mental state was sound, unmarred by the issues that plagued many.

In contrast, those prodigies upon whom all hopes were pinned often succumbed to inner demons, having pursued rapid advancement, isolated from the world, interacting only with powerful elders—and their survival skills were next to none.

Thus, all had heard of Hansu—her rare spiritual root, her acquisition of a fitting cultivation art, her impressive progress after years in seclusion at a young age. Most assumed she, like others her age, possessed strength she could not yet wield to even half its potential. So Hansu’s crisp efficiency in slaying beasts was a revelation, earning her high praise, especially from the Azure Sky trio.

Daxi and Xiaoxi, in particular, became enamored with Hansu, for their senior sister clearly favored her. They abandoned all pretense of formation and stuck to Hansu’s side, peppering her with questions—most of which were, inevitably, “Do you have anything else tasty to eat…?”

And so the days passed in this rambling fashion. By the time they entered the medicine valley, the two sects, three groups, had gained nothing. Only Linxiu was secretly pleased; in the past, she had to scatter medicinal powders to lure beasts for her junior sister’s training, but now the beasts seemed to line up for them.

When the nine arrived at the valley, they found it already bustling with people. There was no time for further conversation—they immediately set about gathering Amlyu Grass.